Coffee Talk #654: Excited and Scared For Big Trouble in Little China Starring The Rock

Big Trouble in Little China is one of my all-time favorite movies (I’m talking top three). As a lifelong fan of pro-wrestling, I vowed to support any movie Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is involved with. When the rumor of The Rock starring in a remake of Big Trouble in Little China broke, I was immensely excited…and more than a little bit scared. On paper, it should be a movie that I love, but John Carpenter’s 1986 classic has elements that I expect a 2015 movie studio to completely miss.

You see, I have no doubt that The Rock would be brilliant as a modern day Jack Burton. Kurt Russell was fantastic in that role, playing the overconfident (wannabe) hero that thinks way too highly of his abilities and completely overestimates his prowess with the ladies. While I don’t think The Rock would be able to achieve the mesmerizingly charming dopiness that Russell pulled off, he’d be able to bring more physicality to the role, allowing the movie’s action to reach new heights (for the Jack Burton character, anyway).

The reason why Jack Burton is such a wonderful character is that he absolutely thinks he’s the hero, but is most certainly not. The true hero of Big Trouble in Little China is Wang Chi, subtly and expertly played by Dennis Dun. Dun’s Wang Chi has a quiet confidence; he’s much more capable than Jack Burton could ever be, but you’ll never hear him brag about that fact.

Should the Big Trouble in Little China remake happen, I completely expect Hollywood to fail in the casting of Wang Chi. I expect the studio to cast someone that’s too pretty and too willing to take a back seat to The Rock. With the way Hollywood has been casting Asian-Americans lately, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Wang Chi rewritten as 1/8th Chinese so that some caucasian pretty boy can play the role. As much as Jack Burton’s character made the original Big Trouble in Little China, Wang Chi was equally vital to the mix. The two characters and two actors complemented each other perfectly, in a way that few pairs in other buddy movies ever have.

So while I’m terribly excited for a Big Trouble in Little China remake starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, I’m going to temper my expectations. I fully expect The Rock to make a kick-ass Jack Burton, but I’m worried about what Hollywood will do with Wang Chi. I fear that the new version of the character will lack the strength the original had and I fear that he won’t be the true hero of the story.

What do you guys and gals think? Are you amped for a Big Trouble in Little China remake? Any casting ideas for Wang Chi? Kindly share all your thoughts in the comments section, lest you be doomed to the hell of the upside down sinners. (The Chinese have a lot of hells.)

Vaping Diaries #315: Bay City Vapor Nami RDA & E-Liquid Interview

One of my favorite mod makers in the world, Bay City Vapor’s James Livingston had a lot going on at Vape Summit III. James launched a new line of vaping e-liquids at the show and unveiled the Nami RDA. Since I last chatted with James on camera, Bay City Vapor released the Assassin Mod. In the Vape Summit III interview below, James spoke about all three products.

Getting the oldest out of the way, the Assassin Mod is an inexpensive mechanical with an MSRP of $49.99. Don’t let the low price fool you, as the Assassin has many features found in mods costing more than twice the price. James detailed the Assassin’s features during our chat.

Perhaps the most exciting product Bay City Vapor had at Vape Summit III, the Nami RDA is a unique atomizer that offers a crazy amount of versatility. The cool thing about the Nami RDA is that it allows users to manipulate the airflow going into and out of the atomizer. As a flavor fiend, I was particularly enamored by the potential of creating dense vapor for some fantastic flavor. The four-post deck, which I unfortunately wasn’t allowed to film at this time, allows for a wide variety of builds too. The Nami RDA is ready for bottom-feeding mods and doesn’t require a separate post for squonking. Simply removing a screw from the center post allows the atomizer to work with bottom-feeding mods. Honestly, I’m too dumb to properly explain the Nami RDAs numerous features and recommend listening to James explain it below.

Last, but certainly not least is Bay City Vapor’s new juice line. Named after various surf spots, the line is launching with five dessert flavors. 56th Street is a strawberry cake. James was quick to point out that it’s not a strawberry cheesecake e-liquid (a common flavor in Southern California), but a moist yellow cake flavor with strawberry. Black’s Beach is a cheesecake that allows you to taste the graham cracker crust and some caramel in the background. Mavericks is a triple-C — a creamy caramel custard. Scripps is a sugar cookie and praline blend. Finally, Trestles taste just like Rice Krispies Treats. I vaped at least a milliliter of each of these flavors and, as a dessert vape fan, am digging all of them. I haven’t vaped enough to pick a favorite, but I have a feeling that it’s going to be tough to choose one from this delicious line of e-liquids.

Anyway, that’s enough from me. Check out my chat with James to learn more about the Nami RDA, the new e-liquids, and the Assassin Mod.

Rocket League Preview (PS4, PC)

Rocket League has a premise that’s so preposterous that is must be fun — cars playing soccer. If that’s not enough to get your attention then how about ridiculously acrobatic cars playing a physics-enhanced death-match version of soccer? Okay, fine then. Let’s add Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal to the mix! That dude brings an absurd amount of fun to any party he’s invited to and he aims to amp up this game. From the brief time I spent checking out Rocket League, I found it to be a game that’s pure fun, whether you’re playing it alone (good) or playing it as a party game (better).

Let’s get some of the official particulars out of the way. Rocket League is being developed by Psyonix, a company known for creating Unreal Tournament 2004, ARC Squadron, and Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars (Rocket League’s forerunner). The game will be available for PlayStation 4 and Windows PC on July 7, 2015. In addition to playing against Rocket League’s AI, the game supports up to four players in split-screen mode and up to eight players in online mode, with drop-in drop-out gameplay.

After a quick demo and some gameplay, the aspect of Rocket League that I enjoyed the most was its feel. The game is flat-out fun. I loved the silly premise of cars playing soccer. Rocket League’s physics are extremely enjoyable, so much so that driving around and seeing what the cars could do was as much fun as competing in a match. I would say that the physics are accurate, but I have no idea of what the physics of driving up walls and on arena ceilings is actually like (I’ve lived a limited life, sorry). Where I think the game will really excel is as a party game; sure, solo and online play should be lots of fun, but I can easily picture having a blast playing Rocket League with several buddies on a couch.

Driving in Rocket League is much more than crashing into a giant ball and trying to get it into a net. The game’s cars are capable of outlandish maneuvers that will have you soaring through the air and performing acrobatic stunts. The cars can drive on walls, execute bicycle kicks, double jump, perform wicked power brake moves, and more. In the time I spent playing Rocket League, I found the driving to be insanely fun.

As you play Rocket League, you’ll unlock features. The developers were keen on going heavy with unlockables, so as to keep players coming back for more. I was told that Rocket League is loaded with Easter eggs, to the point that players should discover something new every time they play the game.

When playing against AI-controlled characters in Rocket League, Psyonix hopes to offer an experience that’s lifelike. From what I was told, the AI shouldn’t fall into predictable patterns. Sometimes the game will go at you aggressively and other times the game will emphasize defense. Psyonix’s goal for the Rocket League AI is to make it feel like you’re competing against an actual person.

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Like many car-based games, Rocket League offers lots of customizability. Players can choose from up to ten body styles — buggies, trucks, a Batmobile-like vehicle, RC cars, sports cars, and muscle cars. Paint color, paint type, wheels, tires, decals, exhaust trail colors, and more can be customized. I was shown some cool customizations, like sparkle exhausts and rainbow exhausts. I was told that other exhaust types include money and grass, while various paint types like glossy and metallic will be included.

Of course if you want to go with a pre-made vehicle, Rocket League should have some cars you’ll immediately recognize. Sweet Tooth of Twisted Metal fame will be exclusive to the PlayStation 4 version of Rocket League. You can see Sweet Tooth in action in the video embedded below and check out several screens of the iconic ice cream truck in the screenshot gallery above.

Other Rocket League features include extensive stat tracking, a robust replay editor that takes advantage of PlayStation Share Play, season mode, and (for your trophy whores out there) platinum trophies. At a glance, Rocket League appears to be a complete game. While I’m fairly sure that it will be entertaining as a multiplayer game, I haven’t seen enough to say if the single-player mode will have much longevity. Details on the game’s season mode will be revealed at E3 2015, so hopefully that’ll give me more of an idea of the single-player fun. For now, check out the Rocket League media in this story and kindly let me know what you think of the game in the comments section.

Vaping Diaries #314: Vigilante Juice Co Interview (Vape Summit)

I first met Vigilante Juice Co at ECC 2014 and was immediately enamored by the company’s e-liquids. Vigilante Juice Co — and its offshoot Twig and Berries line — offers some delicious and complex juices that are right in my wheelhouse. Initially focusing on layered dessert flavors, I’m a big fan of the company’s juices. Back at ECC 2014, I chatted with company co-owner Russ Scarbrough to learn about the company and some of its flavors. At Vape Summit III, I caught up with his partner in crime (vigilantism?) Ashley West to get an update on the company and learn about some new offerings.

Ashley told me about two new e-liquids in the Vigilante Juice Co and Twig and Berries arsenal — Poison Apple and My Own Summer. Poison Apple is a confectionary treat of apple and salted caramel, while My Own Summer is a melange of mango and green tea. The former was released in Fall 2014 (after my initial meeting with the company) and tastes like a wonderful autumn treat. The latter is a brighter and more refreshing blend that’s perfect for summertime. Being a Los Angeles resident, seasons have no meaning, so both of these juices are great for me year round. (And to be honest, I’m pretty much a sucker for anything with salted caramel.)

While the company has attained an ardent following with its dessert blends, Ashley told me that Vigilante Juice Co’s next few flavors will likely emphasize fruit flavors, rounding out the company’s offerings. If My Own Summer is any indication of what Vigilante Juice Co can do with fruit, then I expect more delightful, layered, and complex e-liquids from the company. I can’t wait to see what these guys and gals do next! For more information on My Own Summer and Poison Apple, as well as hints on the future of Vigilante Juice Co and Twig and Berries, check out the video interview below.

Vaping Diaries #313: Fumi Vapor Gang Mod Interview

Combining vaping and street art, Fumi Vapor aims to make a splash with a stylish approach. The company is launching with the radically different Gang Mod, which resembles brass knuckles, and four flavors of vaping e-liquids. All of the Fumi Vapor launch products feature street art from a Japanese designer. I recently caught up with Fumi Vapor vice president Joseph Brown to learn about the company’s mission, the Gang Mod, and the four launch flavors in the company’s e-juice line.

The Fumi Vapor Gang Mod demands attention. For a company that combines style with vaping, a mod that resembles brass knuckles was a great way to start. Love it or hate it, people will talk about the Gang Mod and associate it with Fumi Vapor. The mod is a great conversation starter that will help the company’s brand recognition. Underneath the striking design of the Gang Mod is a variable-wattage chip made by Kamry. In the interview below, Joseph goes over the Gang Mod’s features and artwork.

Joseph also spoke about Fumi Vapor’s four launch e-liquids. Since the company is based in Los Angeles and works with Japanese artists, the four flavors are based on locations that reflect Fumi Vapor’s international nature — DTLA (downtown Los Angeles), Hollywood, Venice Beach, and Tokyo. DTLA is a coke-on-the-rocks e-liquid. Hollywood is a mix of mango, guava, and melon (MGM, get it?!?). Venice Beach is a blueberry ice flavor. Lastly, Tokyo is a mix of honey and melon. These Fumi Vapor e-liquids come in bottle that feature stylish street art.

With its distinct mod and flashy e-liquid bottles, Fumi Vapor is attempting to be a “vaping lifestyle” company. It’s certainly off to an interesting start and there are even bigger things coming later in the year from the company. Joseph teased that Fumi Vapor will have several more mods and e-juice flavors later in 2015.

I’m very curious to see how Fumi Vapor will be received in the vaping world. The company has style, which is of course subjective, and is aggressively going after the top reviewers in the business. At the very least, I expect Fumi Vapor to grab lots of attention. What the company will do with that attention is intriguing. For now, get to know Fumi Vapor better by watching the video below.

Vaping Diaries #312: Pro-Wrestler Willie Mack Talks Vaping

The last interview RPadholic N8R and I filmed at Vape Summit III was one of my favorites — a conversation with outstanding pro-wrestler and avid vaper Willie Mack. I first met Willie Mack at an IMProof rally in Los Angeles last year and have been anxious to get him on camera ever since. It’s funny that we’re both in Los Angeles, but only managed to connect in Las Vegas. Ha! Logistical curiosities aside, Willie Mack is known for his awesome combination of dynamic moves and power moves. If you haven’t seen him work then I highly recommend searching for his matches on YouTube. The dude can flat-out go!

In our chat below, Willie Mack talks about moving from Blu e-cigs to enthusiast vaper hardware. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Filipinos got him into hardcore vaping. (If you’re not familiar with the SoCal vaping scene, there are a ton of Filipino vapers.) His current setup of choice is a Sigelei box mod, a Plume Veil atomizer, and a glass atty cap. Willie Mack also spoke about the types of vaping e-liquids he enjoys. He’s a longtime fan of ube e-juice and has recently gotten into strawberry cheesecake e-liquids.

While Willie Mack has always had strong cardio, he said that switching from smoking to vaping has helped his wind. Since he’s always vaping in the locker room, many of the boys have wondered what he’s puffing on. He has gotten several pro-wrestlers to make the switch to vaping. Willie Mack noted that fellow pro-wrestlers Rey Mysterio, Jr., Konnan, and Mike Modest are vapers.

Lastly, I approached Willie Mack about being his manager. The gimmick would be that I’d sneak him a stacked 26650 mod or something while the referee wasn’t looking. I think you should bug him on Instagram and Twitter to make this idea a reality (please!). It’s awesome that a great pro-wrestler and all around cool guy like Willie Mack is a vaper. Get to know him a bit better by watching our chat below.

Vaping Diaries #311: Hyon USA Pugio & Pi2 Interview (Vape Summit)

A relatively new company to the vaping world (opened for business in November 2014), Hyon USA has made a big splash in a short amount of time. The company has released a series of quality mechanical mods available in several unique and beautiful finishes. Vapers have been digging the looks and performance of Hyon USA’s mods. Following up on these products, Hyon USA is set to release a pair of rebuildable dripping atomizers (RDAs). At Vape Summit III, I chatted with company president Fernando Solis to learn more about these vaping atomizers.

First up is the Pugio. A versatile atomizer with atypical features, the Pugio is a flavor atty out of the box, but will satisfy cloud chasers with accessories. The Pugio has a simple and elegant style (my personal preference), with some interesting features under the hood. Instead of using traditional post holes, this atomizer has vapers place wire between a screw and a wall. Solis proudly said that this makes the Pugio easier for builders of all skill levels to work with. As someone that can build okay-ish (I can make good coils, but I am slow), I’m looking for to seeing how easy the Hyon USA Pugio is to work with. As a flavor fiend, I like what the atomizer offers (on paper).

The second atomizer coming from Hyon USA is the Haus of Zombi Pi2. Labeled as the vaping industry’s “first post-less atomizer,” the Pi2 atomizer is geared towards flavor chasers. This “flat-top atomizer” has vapers slip the wire into four holes on the deck. Looking at a still photo of the Pi2 atomizer, I thought that it looked cool, but had no idea how it worked. It’s way different from any atomizer that I’ve seen. Thankfully, Fernando explained the Pi2 atomizer to me in the interview below.

You can learn more about the Hyon USA Pugio and Pi2 by checking out the video below. Both atomizers should be available in June 2015. Fernando also teased a few Hyon USA products coming later in 2015. After checking out the company’s atomizers at Vape Summit III, it looks like Hyon USA will follow up on its successful mods quite splendidly.

DICE Europe Chats With Michael Pachter & Greg Essig

Many of you longtime RPadholics know that the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’ DICE Summits are my favorite events in the videogame business. I’ve been helping out the Academy with some interviews in preparation for DICE Europe 2015. The first two are live! First up is a chat with Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter. Next is an interview with FunPlus head of business development Greg Essig.

A lot of you know Pachter as the most quotable analyst in videogames and from his Pach Attack show. He talks about his upcoming DICE Europe 2015 session, as well as some general nerd stuff. Learn about Pachter’s session, as well as his thoughts on the upcoming Star Wars movies and his view on A Song of Ice & Fire vs. Game of Thrones, by clicking the interview linked above.

While not as “game famous” as Pachter, Greg Essig is just as charming. Formerly with Apple and Creative Artists Agency, Essig has taken a new position with FunPlus. At DICE Europe 2015, he’ll be talking about “defining value in mobile gaming.” He told me a bit about his session, as well as his love for Sigur Ros and the Avenger he identifies with the most.

So yeah! Please do me a favor an check out the two interviews linked in the last two sentences of the first paragraph. You’ll be my favorite person in the world if you do!

Vaping Diaries #310: Top Hat Mods Interview (Vape Summit)

Top Hat Mods makes the most beautiful vaping box mods I’ve ever seen. That’s not an overstatement or an exaggeration. I’ve seen a lot of box mods and many of them look great. The ones I’ve seen from Top Hat Mods are, quite easily, the most exquisite vaping devices I’ve laid my eyes on. At Vape Summit III, it was a pleasure meeting Top Hat Mods owner and modder Steve Dockery. He told me about his background in art and going from a bored vape shop owner to the maker of some of the most sought after pieces of vaping hardware.

Top Hat Mods had several limited edition models at Vape Summit III. Many of them can be seen in the video below. Vapers that are Star Wars fans were delighted to see box mods based on Darth Vader, Yoda, Darth Maul, Boba Fett, Storm Troopers, R2D2, and more. Whether you’re patriotic, into comic books, a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or just love beautiful box mods, Top Hat Mods’ Captain America limited edition is a sight to see. This star-spangled mod was one of the coolest things I saw at Vape Summit and it totally appealed to me as a comics nerd. All of these limited edition come with the mod, a matching pen made from the same block of wood as the mod, and a matching atomizer.

Steve spoke about the various DNA40 and SX350 models available, as well as future limited editions box mods. Off the top of his head, he hinted that Transformers fans will have something to look forward to in the near future. The idea of an Optimus Prime SX350 box made by Top Hat Mods sounds brilliant! Naturally, I got Steve to commit — on camera! — to making an RPadTV model with my face on it. Ha!

While I love the work that Top Hat Mods has done, I love even more that Steve Dockery is pushing the envelope on vaping mods as art. His work is absolutely beautiful.

Vaping Diaries #309: Whom Box Interview (VapeCon Manila)

As a longtime fan of Wu Tang House of Mods, I was excited to meet company owner Euclid Franco at VapeCon Manila 2015 and see his DNA40 Whom Box in person. It was excellent learning that Euclid is a fun guy to spend time with — always a bonus when someone that makes some of your favorite products is a cool cat. As for the Whom Box, it’s absolutely gorgeous and stands out from the glut of DNA40 C-frame mods on the market.

The Whom Box is made from stabilized wood, with stainless steel accents. The artwork is laser engraved and the contacts are silver plated for maximum conductivity. Instead of a C-frame, the Whom Box uses steel doors on either side to house 18650 batteries. While it’s certainly larger than many C-frame box mods on the market, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the Whom Box felt in my hands (which aren’t particularly big). It’s a beautiful mod and exactly the type of product I’ve come to expect from Wu Tang House of Mods — great looks and atypical features.

In addition to talking about the Whom Box, Euclid spoke about other upcoming boxes he’s working on. To follow up on this beauty, he’s currently working on 26650 boxes. The next Whom Box mods will be available with SX350 chips and DNA40 chips. While the yields on DNA40 have certainly improved, there are many people on the market that are still skittish on the regulated vaping chip and others that simply prefer Yihi’s SX350. It’s great to see Wu Tang House of Mods offering both options to its customers. Personally, I’ve been happier with the SX350 mods I own than the DNA40 mods. The thought of a 26650 SX350 Whom Box totally works for me.

Anyway, check out my chat with Euclid below to learn more about the gorgeous and unique Whom Box by Wu Tang House of Mods.