Folks, I won’t be updating the blog this week because I’m mutating into another creature. Next one we’ll be returning to our regular schedule with a bunch of surprises!

Another big write-up today, at least for what I had in mind for this feature, and this week is the turn of The Warriors… as if the weekly pick wasn’t already eclectic! Make no mistake however, just ignore the Rockstar game and be sure to see one of the greatest cult movies ever.

Also, I’ve been interviewed by Gnome’s Lair and they must have given me some strange beverages because I spilled the beans about a very secretive new adventure game. It’s right over here.

We had one of those rainy Mondays today that always tend to make you feel all sad and melancholic. I’m not sure what’s the deal with rainy Mondays really but they’re definitely more poetical than, say, rainy Wednesdays or Thursdays. Not to mention rainy Sundays which seems totally paradoxical. Is it because it rhymes better? Or maybe it’s that Carpenters song…

Anyway, I know you have already bookmarked Slightly Deranged as your homepage by now and you’re visiting it every hour, but you should go out there and meet other blogs too. You wouldn’t believe the incredible communities of such talented people that lurk behind the seemingly endless tides of nonsense that wash over the internet day by day. It almost makes me feel guilty.

First we have Gnome’s Lair, a sweet blog about gaming in general with a strong focus on retro and indie games. Heck, it has a tag for “ZX Spectrum” which makes it an instant bookmark in my book — I mean, my browser. The content is excellent and features posts that feel fresh and insightful. It’s well worth a visit and even a permanent stay!

Next is A Hardy Developer’s Journal created by a guy that (surprisingly) is called Igor Hardy. This is an invaluable resource for developers and fans of indie games alike, although they do cover some well-known titles. It’s often updated with reviews, interviews and articles (really good articles) about game design. It focuses on adventure games so this is another one I keep close to my heart.

Finally, The Armchair Adventurer is a newcomer to the block and this is from a guy that is hopelessly enamored with the sounds of a PC speaker. I’m sure you must be familiar with this sentiment (I know I do). There’s not much content yet but the very first article features one heck of a rare text adventure which makes it an instant win in my browser — I mean, my book. Blocky screenshots included. Looks like there’s an upcoming interview with Al Lowe here, so you’ll want to keep an eye on this one too!

In other news, I should also mention while I have the opportunity that our movie of the week has been updated as usually with its share of screen captures and video clip, and today we got pirates… in space… among lots of other things. In fact, it basically feels like watching four movies in one. You name it, and I’m sure The Ice Pirates will have it!

Allow me to finish this update by bringing your attention to this incredible offer of indie games: Machinarium, And Yet It Moves, Auditorium, Aztaka, Eufloria and Osmos at $20. That’s six good games (at the very least) for twenty lousy bucks. Keep in mind that Machinarium alone usually costs that and is well worth every penny. While I still have to play Eufloria, all the other games are great, especially And Yet It Moves which is a surreal puzzle/action game of sorts with an amazing grunge presentation. I doubt I have to say anything about Machinarium itself other than it’s one of the most breathtaking games released in quite some time – you won’t be able to tell just how artful games can get (in the good way) until you have played Machinarium. The offer ends this Friday so if you’re even remotely interested be sure to check it out soon: The Indie Bundle.

Another week, another movie pick that nearly turns into a review. Today we have a lengthy look back at The Resurrected, an excellent film based on a H.P. Lovecraft story without Stuart Gordon. No mentioning of Cthulhu either. Heresy? More like a total win!

Also, you might want to pay a visit to the fancy YouTube channel in case you missed the latest updates. Some great clips have been uploaded there, if I may say so. Particularly, a snippet from Rituals (we’re still patiently awaiting the DVD release from Code Red) is eerie and unsettling, but there are many other gems as well such as our last movie pick, The Brain (you have to see it to believe it).

I would like to take the opportunity to mention some recent crappy news: the demise of Atropos Studios, an adventure game company founded by Alkis Polyrakis, a friend of mine. Alkis is one of the true gurus of the genre, one of those guys that has really been around and is extremely knowledgeable. He first developed one of the undisputed best freeware adventures ever (Other Worlds) and certainly the lengthiest. With Atropos Studios, Alkis produced Diamonds In The Rough which easily became the most unique adventure of recent times. It has to be played to understand why, something that may prove difficult now. Alkis is selling the remaining DITR copies through eBay himself, so you may probably want to have a look if you’re remotely interested.

It’s frankly appalling to see such a talented developer being forced to shut down like this, but we can only hope this is just brief pause and Alkis will be eventually back with more original adventures.

Well, my Movie Of The Week pick for today turned into a much longer article, which will be posted within the next few days. I should have known since it’s one of those great movies that has been criminally neglected for decades. I’m sure you’ll be surprised when you hear about it! So, I’m deciding a new pick at the very last minute… umm, let me see… I have a nostalgic vibe for the 80’s today…

In other news, I have compiled my top horror movies of 2009, which turned out being a great year for the genre. The list will get probably posted within this week as well. And last, but by no means least, there’s an upcoming review of a very rare and underrated adventure game. Oh yes, we’re off to a great 2010!

As you may have realized, the update rate of the blog has been noticeably slower these past few days. This is only because I’ve been on vacation for about two weeks (it always makes me feel odd doing “nothing”). I know I should be enjoying the beach and relaxing blue skies but I have more important things to do. I was planning to play the entire ScummVM catalogue but that task proved to be a little bit daunting, so I have scaled down my ambitions and resolved to play all the Legend Entertainment games. I’m actually doing pretty well so far!

Anyway, all in all, this was a pretty lousy decade. I’m not talking about the economics ordeal or politics but the entertainment media itself. This was the decade of the remakes, of Britney Spears, The Da Vinci Code and Halo. Granted, there have been some good movies, some good games (mostly indies, however), and a bunch of good records I could count with my fingers, but generally speaking, the 00’s sucked. Even the 90’s, which also seemed to suck at the time, were much better than this. For instance, I thought grunge was lame back then but found myself sorely missing it these past few years, and it will probably get worse. Luckily, 2012 will really mark the end of civilization and avoid us further embarrassment. In the meantime, I hope you get obscenely drunk and celebrate the new year as it should be!

If by some unfortunate you’re still using Internet Explorer 6, you will see strange blueish borders around some graphics. To fix this, you have two options:

a) Kill yourself.

b) Update NOW.

This behavior occurs because I’m using an advanced, state-of-the-art technique known as “PNGs with transparencies”, something that an ancient browser such as IE6 can’t handle. No, I don’t care that IE6 still accounts for about 30% of the web traffic, if you’re still using that browser you’re simply not worth of this website. Really, I won’t be mad if you even chose to update to IE7 when you have so many great options — just be sure to remove that unholy piece of software from your system.

You have somehow stumbled upon this strange blog known as Slightly Deranged. Its primary goal is to review vintage games and cult movies. Odd combination? Who cares! I will of course stay in touch with current news and share because there are still worthwhile things in this planet (such as adventure games). For the record, this site has been literally years in the making — seriously, its first iteration dates back to early 2003 before it got lost into the bowels of the internet.

There’s quite a bit of default content already, namely a bunch of game reviews and one article about unfinished games that is bound to make your eyes all watery. Also, the Movie Of The Week section makes its debut in which I will highlight, in a totally arbitrary way and without much reasoning, one cult movie. Remember that my definition of “cult” is broad so my picks could go all the way from Santa Claus Conquers The Martians to Friday The 13th. I have well over 3000 potential picks so be sure to stay tuned! Those movies being particularly good (again, in a broad sense) will be graced with lengthy reviews.

So, make yourself at home, feel free to look around and hope to see you back!