Author Archives: vinvectrex
Ready Player One
Love the 80s? Enjoy science fiction? Then have I got a novel for you. Ernest Cline has written a book with arguably the most 80s references ever compiled. Set in the near future where humanity spends most of its time … Continue reading
Choose Your Own Adventure – For Adults
As a kid, I always loved Choose Your Own Adventure books - especially the space themed ones. Never mind that my decisions usually resulted in being vaporized or being blown out an airlock. Perhaps making those terrible choices in the books … Continue reading
Instagram Retro-izes Your Photos
Enjoy taking snapshots with your iPhone, but unhappy that the results are often a bit too perfect? Instagram is a free app that can help with that. It allows you to shoot a photo and then select a format that … Continue reading
The Return of Condorman in the Toy Story Short “Small Fry”
There are lots of great reasons to see the new Muppet movie in theaters now, including “Small Fry” a new Toy Story short that preceeds the film. I found that I laughed more during “Small Fry” than I do … Continue reading
Retro Reader: Steve Jobs Biography
Curious about the dawn of the personal computer era? Want a window into the early days of Atari, Apple, NeXT and Pixar? If so, you’ll find the recent Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson a fascinating read. Mr. Isaacson paints … Continue reading
McDonaldland Playset
One of the things I enjoy most about swap meets and antiques fairs is the chance to run into some long-forgotten toy from my past. That happened to me today as I stumbled across this McDonaldland Playset. I never owned … Continue reading
Retro Gaming with 8-Bit Dracula
Even back at the dawn of the home gaming, some titles dared to scare. Or, at least tried to scare. And what better source material than the Lord of the Vampires, Count Dracula? But, given the limitations of early technology, … Continue reading
Bill Kunkel – The Game Doctor
Occasionally while surfing the web, I come across something I wish I hadn’t read. This happened to me today when I discovered that Bill Kunkel – The Game Doctor passed away in early September. Bill was one of the founders … Continue reading
Bad News for Intellivsion Owners?
Imagic made some truly great games during the 8-bit era. Demon Attack was a personal favorite on the 2600 – but I was always jealous of the enhanced graphics that Intellivision owners got to enjoy. What I really enjoy about … Continue reading
Tapeworms Are Fun?
Really? Really?! This could be the most aggressive statement ever made by an advertisement. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to play these Spectravision games, so I can’t verify the accuracy of their claim. Maybe they were right. This was … Continue reading
Hollywood Auction Extravaganza II
Driving to breakfast this morning, I was surprised to pass a sign for the Hollywood Auction Extravaganza II. This was a bit more appealing than some pancakes, so I stopped to check it out. They’re auctioning a huge selection of … Continue reading
Electronic Games Magazine Changed My Life
My life changed when I first saw Electronic Games Magazine sitting on the stand at the local King Soopers supermarket. My mother indulged me in a single issue, and eventually in a subscription. Perhaps she thought it would be cheaper … Continue reading
Re-Animator: The Musical Reviewed!
A huge thanks to our friends over at Green Galactic for not only allowing our very own Vinvectrex and his compatriot to experience Re-Animator: The Musical for themselves but for being gracious enough to allow us to interview the cast … Continue reading
Amazon Deal: Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection on Blu-Ray
Amazon has a great deal today on the Blu-Ray Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection. You can pick it up for the bargain price of $54.99 (and it qualifies for super shipping). While I have been streaming these movies over … Continue reading
Pirates of Silicon Valley – That Other Pirates Movie
Sure, Johnny Depp may get all the attention these days with his Pirates of the Caribbean quadrilogy. But before those films came along, there was another good film about pirates – only they were pirates of a very different sort. … Continue reading
The Retro Reader – Back to Our Future
Thanks to the Retroist forum, I learned of a recently released book entitled Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We live in Now – Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Everything.” With a title like that, I … Continue reading
Back to The Theater
We’ve had quite a few good articles on this site about the passing away of many vintage movie theaters. But, I’m happy to report that some great theaters still exist and one in particular is keeping the spirit of the … Continue reading
Star Wars: Year by Year – A Visual Chronicle
I think the last book report I wrote was in the fourth grade. Hmm… come to think of it, I may not have turned that one in. I probably still owe it to Mrs. Saunders, who was kind enough to … Continue reading
The Musee Mechanique in San Francisco, CA
If you’re a fan of vintage arcades, you owe yourself a trip to Musee Mechanique at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Not only does it boast an impressive collection of video games from the 1980s, but it also features a … Continue reading
Family Guys’ It’s A Trap! Premiere Party
On Tuesday, I attended the premier party for Family Guy’s spoof of Return of the Jedi entitled “It’s a Trap!”. Although I live in Los Angeles, I’m not very familiar with the Hollywood scene – so while the party seemed … Continue reading
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