You know, if there is one thing I love more than watching bad movies, it’s making fun of them! And if you don’t have plans yet for New Years, the original creator and stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 will be presenting Cinematic Titanic - a three movie “trifecta of terribleness” marathon at the Keswick theater where they will be riffing the year away.

For those of you wondering what Cinematic Titanic is from the press release:

“CINEMATIC TITANIC brings the comedic art of movie riffing created over twenty years ago in the form of the Peabody Award-winning television series MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 to a live forum. Performed in a theater, the five stars take the stage flanking a jumbo movie screen and riff on a feature film (and for New Year’s Eve, three movies!) in front of a live audience. Those present are sure to have a full evening of laughter with literally hundreds of jokes dished out during each film. Attendees of the special New Year’s Eve event will experience some of the cheesiest films of all time, taking the celebration into the wee hours of the New Year.”

Personally I can’t wait, the show will be at the Keswick Theater December 31st at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster and you can also call (215-572-7650) or go in person at Keswick box office Mon. through Sat. and all Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets are $52.50 and if you don’t have the cash fear not, thanks to the folks as the Keswick theater – Geekadelphia has got your back! We have 1 set of 2 tickets we are giving away for this performance, that’s over $100 bucks, all you have to do to have a chance to win is comment with your favorite B-movie and why. The winner will be picked on Saturday December 19th, our Geeksmas gift to you.

Contest Rules: One entry per-person. The tickets will be will call, so you will need to present an ID at Ticket office on the day of the event at the theater, to pick up your tickets.

In a move that definitely proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this contest was indeed not fixed, the winner is our outspoken commenter Chris from my Dark Knight / New Moon post yesterday.

Now Chris tell me The Dark Knight rules, or you’re not getting your game. Just kidding. I will be sending you an email for your address and get that game out to you this weekend. Congrats!

Video game arcades are all but dead here in America, but in a magical place called Japan not only do they still exist, they are still the place to check out the newest games before they hit the console market. Tekken 6 for instance was released in Japanese arcades November 2007, and was later revised in 2008 as Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion. Tekken 6 was originally scheduled for a 2008 PS3 console debut, but was delayed an entire year with a very controversial announcement at the 2008 Tokyo Game Show: that this would be the first installment of Tekken NOT to be exclusive to the Playstation hardware. As far back as I can remember, Tekken was Sony’s flagship fighter much like DOA for the Xbox hardware. This all just seemed weird to me, like the first time I saw Sonic in a Nintendo game.

Tekken 6, which combines both Japanese arcade versions, was released in the US on October 26th for the PS3 and Xbox 360, and later this month drops on the Sony PSP. For this review I will be covering the PS3 version exclusively, and I will tell you how to win a copy of the Xbox 360 version later in my review.

The first thing you notice when you put in your disc is the gorgeous intro, which as an old-school Tekken fan, it was great to see my favorite characters updated for the current console generation. It’s been 3 years since Tekken 5 graced the PS2 and a lot has changed. This game looks beautiful to say the least. I remember seeing screenshots and thinking it can’t look that good, but it does indeed. The backgrounds are amazingly rendered and at times, very interactive.

There are 3 main modes of play in Tekken 6. Scenario campaign (Similar to Tekken Force) which is a story mode beat-em-up style fighter that not only manages recap every Tekken game’s storyline but makes it coherent and make sense as well, which is a feat in and within itself. Then there are 2 arcade modes online and offline, which should be familiar to anyone that has played Street Fighter 4. The online play I found really smooth and the load times were pretty good even if you didn’t have the game installed on your HD. The matching system is based on a very well instituted ranking system so you don’t get in a match you have no chance of winning. (more…)

I adore Quirk Books and love knowing that they base themselves here, in Philadelphia. I also love that every now and again, I get a little surprise in the ol’ Geekadelphia mailbox, thanks to their wonderful PR team. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies found its way into my home (and my heart) not too long ago, as well as a wealth of other books that we still need to review on here.

The Quoteable Douchebag, as compiled by author Margaret McGuire (a Philadelphian!) is out now, and is a hilarious collection of incredibly stupid remarks from politicians, musicians, movie stars, athletes, and more. While a handful of people actually don’t belong in the book and, I believe, are unfairly included (Pete Wentz, for one), there are some truly outstanding gems that are worthy of inclusion. Notably the wealth of quotes from David “The Hoff” Hasselhoff. There are many dying children out there whose last wish is to meet me. Ah, David. You’re a real class act.

Rounding off at 144 pages, and running your pockets about $13 at the bookstore, The Quotable Douchebag is an excellent and hilarious addition to your coffeetable, and will no doubt, inspire plenty of conversation.

Now, speaking of conversation… want to win a copy of the book? I’ve got mine right here, primed for a giveaway. Update: Just leave a comment! We’ll randomly pick one of you and send you the book at the end of next week.

The Quotable Douchebag (Out Now!)
www.irreference.com/the-quotable-douchebag

Quirk Books
www.irreference.com

Contest is over! Thanks for entering!

Last week, HP was gracious enough to send me a rather sizable gift card to purchase this HP Mini XP Netbook, which I recently reviewed. The laptop has quickly become my personal, day-to-day computer, and I’m absolutely thrilled with it. You can read the review here. Even my bunny, Rory, seemed to enjoy the computer.

However, there were a lot of funds leftover from my netbook purchase, and HP was kind enough to let me spend the excess money on a good cause. As a result, Geekadelphia will be donating several brand new HP printers (specifically, a handful of these HP Deskjet D2660′s), to some in-need institutions around Philadelphia. We may host a book-drive or something to go along with this. Not sure yet. Details to follow.

In addition to dishing me out that gift card, HP also sent over a $250 gift card for me to give away on the site. That’s right, as much as it pains me, I’m giving away $250 in HP bucks. Want to win the gift card? Like all our contests, this one is easy. Just leave a comment letting us know which HP laptop is your favorite. Hit up their store, look around, and let us know what you liked. Official rules for their contest are located here. Basically, you’ve got to be over the age of 18, a US resident, can’t redeem the gift card for cash, and can’t be related to or living with any of the Geekadelphia crew. One entry per person.

What can you buy with $250 in HP cash? A ton of calculators, a printer (or four!), or even this other Mini Netbook, which’ll end up costing you a little less than $30 after that giftcard. Awesome. HP has also hooked us up with some excellent exclusive coupon deals. We’ve included them after the jump. Have a look.

Contest kicks off today, and will run until September 14th! We’ll randomly select our winner, and you’ll be notified via email. Good luck!

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Yes, you can has.

Ah, swag. We love it here at Geekadelphia, and if there’s one thing I love more than getting free stuff… it’s giving it away.

About a month ago, the kind folks over at TRU Company sent me a pair of their Volo high-performance HDMI cables. They’re trying to “introduce [their] high-performance HDMI cables to the gaming community. [The] PRO V Gamer Series caters to their specific needs at a much lower price point,” says the president of TRU, Mitch Norton.

Designed specifically for the gaming console, the cables transfer “all the hi-definition audio and video from your video game to your HDTV in lossless uncompressed digital formats.” Now, what does this mean to you, the gamer unfamiliar with such tech lingo? After all, not all of us are Brian James Kirk. Simply this. The cables aim to maximize your system’s audio and video performance on your HD enabled television.

Now, the cables come in two types, the Pro V Gamer 100 & 200, priced out at $20 and $30 respectively. This is an awesome deal, when you consider the obscene prices of HDMI cables at stores like Best Buy or Radio Shack. Most times, you’ll end up spending over $100 on a cable that’s certainly not worth the price. Seriously. Look.

Anyhow, I’m giving away my second cable. There is a short review of the first cable after the jump. How can you enter? Like all other Geekadelphia contests, just leave a comment. I’ll choose one of you at random using a random number generator. Simple as that. Special thanks to VOLO for sending me this outstanding product. Good luck, readers!

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I’d love to say something like “it’s not everyday I get something free in the mail to giveaway” but let’s face it. It is everyday. Cause this is Geekadelphia, and we roll in swag for fun. Sometimes I lean outside of my row-home and scream “LET IT RAIN!” while showering people in free electronics, video games, and high definition televisions. That’s just how I do.

But onto the item at hand. This awesome LED Lenser.

Today in Geeky Giveaways, I’ve got an awesome P7 Flashlight from LED Lenser. The kind folks over at Coast sent me one of these little guys, and I’ve gotta say, this is one amazing flashlight. Why? Let’s discuss.

First of all, this flashlight is designed for tactical and professional use… or professional tactical use! This handy gadget was made with law enforcement and extreme outdoor types in mind, and isn’t your standard “trying to find junkfood at 4am in the kitchen cabinets” kind of flashlight… though it’ll certainly do that. Trust me, I tested it. It found my Doritos quite quickly. They were delicious.

The light has a run time of 78 hours on just four AAA batteries, with a beam distance of over 700 feet. With a quick turn of the headlamp, the light goes from a focused spot beam to a huge spotlight, creating one of the brightest lights I’ve ever seen on such a small flashlight. The casing is aluminum, water resistant, and it uses a super bright LED bulb, which doesn’t get hot.

Honestly, I was planning to keep this for myself, considering it’s the perfect little light for hikes through Fairmount or camping out in the Poconos, but hey, I like to share.

These little guys retail for nearly $90. For you, dear readers, it’s free. Leave a comment in the post saying what you’d use the flashlight for. Camping? Spelunking? Shadow puppet shows? Annoying coworkers? Shining beams of light into the opposite baseball team’s eyes? I’ll select a comment at random and send you the flashlight. Easy as that. The winner will be announced next Thursday, August 6th.

For more information on these flashlights, hit up the official product website. And check out the gallery of photos after the jump!

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Don’t come dressed as Ensign Ricky

Make no mistake. A lot of the Geekadelphia crew (Tim, Bianca) enjoy dressing up in wacky (Stormtrooper, Nuclear Weapon) costumes. So of course we’re all excited about this week’s event at the Franklin Institute, which involves a Star Trek costume contest and a long standing Philadelphia tradition… Quizzo.

Prizes will dished out to the winners that come dressed in the best looking Star Trek garb. The event is free with early registration. You’ll have to call the Franklin folks (215-448-1254) for that. Good luck!

Star Trek Quizzo & Costume Contest
Thursday, July 16 @ 6:30PM

The Franklin Institute
222 N 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 448-1200

Just think, one of these could be yours!

Game over! Congrats to Missy! Expect your guitar in the mail by the end of the week!

As of this posting, the contest already has 32 entries. Awesome! I’ll be announcing the winner at noon tomorrow, so there’s still time! Head on over to the contest post, and enter! Missed the original post? Here’s the deal.

Pepsi and Harmonix sent me this ridiculously nice, limited edition XBox 360 Rock Band guitar, designed by Matt Moore. They were limited to a run of 30 and come complete with a signed seal on the back. And despite my love for all that is limited edition… I’m giving it away.

So head over to the original post and leave a comment, telling me your favorite experience playing Rock Band.

Good luck!

Sorry, you can only get one.

Game over! Congrats to Missy! Expect your guitar in the mail this week!

Currently, Pepsi and Harmonix have a summer promotion going on, entitled Drink Up, Rock Out. Gamers can submit their own Rock Band music videos for a chance to win an MTV Video Music Award. No, seriously. It’s for Best Performance in a Pepsi Rock Band Video, which is way better than those ‘lifetime achievement awards’ they dish out. Poor Clint Howard.

They’re giving away 5,000 Rock Band downloadable tracks every day until September 13th, as well as a wealth of other Rock Band goodies under the caps of Pepsi bottles.

As a means to promote this, Pepsi and Harmonix send me this ridiculously nice, limited edition XBox 360 Rock Band guitar, designed by Matt Moore. They were limited to a run of 30 and come complete with a signed seal on the back. And despite my love for all that is limited edition… I’m giving it away.

So, dear Geekadelphia readers, leave a comment below, telling us your favorite experience playing Rock Band. Have a story to tell? Well, dish! We’ll select one of you at random, and you’ll enjoy a nice, limited edition guitar. Remember, they only made 30 of these. You’ll have some serious bragging rights. We’ll announce the winner next Tuesday.

Let the games begin, and a big thank you to Ana from Pepsi and Harmonix for sending this our way.

Going with the theme of Personal Effects: Dark Art and Zach Taylor being a art therapist working at Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital we thought we would do what I am calling “Comment Therapy” here on Geekadelphia.com.  Thanks to J.C. Hutchins we are offering a free copy of Personal Effects: Dark Art, all you have to do is comment and tell us what sends you to the “Brink”. You get to tell us about that weird guy or girl who is always looking at you funny on SEPTA and you get the chance to win a signed book all about crazies. How therapeutic is that? Contest will run 2 weeks and we will pick and announce the lucky winner June 24, 2009. If you can’t wait you can pick up Personal Effects: Dark Art on Amazon HERE or start off with the prequel Personal Effects: Sword of Blood HERE. Good Luck!

I know everyone is secretly guilty of rocking out to their favorite power ballad when no one is looking. While your sitting in your bedroom or in traffic, we are all guilty of doing this at sometime or another. Well on Saturday, May 30, 2009 why not do it for the embarrassment of yourself and the enjoyment of others? Philadelphia’s own Kyhber is hosting the Philadelphia stop for the US Air Guitar Championships. If you plan on entering the competition you do have to register here first.

After you register the competition itself will consist of 2 rounds 60 seconds each. The first being the “freestyle” round where you get to perform a song of your choice, and a second round where the top competitors perform a “surprise” song of the judges choosing. You will be judged on Technical merit, Stage presence and “Airness”. You can see the rest of the rules here.  The prize is a cash voucher towards your travel to the US Finals, where you will compete against the other regional champions. The winner of the US Air Guitar Championships will receive a free trip (airfare and 2 nights lodging) to the World Championships, held in Oulu, Finland. Rock on!