10 MORE things Magnalon will allow you to know about Chris Carter

Almost three years ago today, I wrote a “10 things” blog for Dtoid.

Because of my time on the cblogs, I met a ton of people that I’ve kept in contact with over the years, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Since everyone else is keen on “10ing” again, I figured I would join in on the fun, and try to update or mirror my previous list. Also, I like the above header so I’m reusing it - nyah.



10) I’m still loving life with the wife

My wife and I just bought our first house together a few months ago! We’re still working on updating a few rooms, but overall we’re very happy.

We still play games together, and thankfully we have a lot of the same interests. If I had one bit of relationship advice for people out there, it’s to make sure you spend lots of time with your significant other, and never stop talking (there’s such a thing as an unhealthy amount of time, so just balance it).



9) I love old cartoons

Last time around #9 was reserved for a completely random fact. So my fact for you today is that my favorite vintage cartoon is Scooby Doo.

Yes, I even watched the terrible off-shoot called “The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo”, with the enigmatic Vincent Price as Vincent Van Ghoul. I also watched “A Pup Named Scooby Doo”, and I currently watch the brand new “Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated”, which is on its second season right now, actually. In case you were wondering, I really dislike the shoddy live action films (also known as "Washed up Actors -- The Live Action Cartoon Adaptation").

My "most seen" movies of all time (due to multiple childhood VHS viewings) are A Goofy Movie (probably at least 100 times), Toy Story 1, and Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.

Really fun fact: Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island features a star studded voice cast that includes Cam Clarke as the suspicious groundskeeper -- the same Cam Clarke that plays Liquid Snake.



8) My foot healed some time after my initial post

Sickness update – three years ago I nearly lost my foot due to a crazy infection. Good news – I still have it! At this point I’ve been exercising fairly regularly, and things went pretty much back to normal after I had that fairly horrifying episode.

My advice to everyone is no matter how much you hate the doctor/hospital, think about going every once in a while if someone you care about is telling you to go, even if it’s just for their sake.



7) I have a modest gaming collection

It’s not ChillyBilly or Funk caliber, but it’s something! I mainly collect PS2 games, but I’ve recently begun collecting Xbox 360 games as well – my interests mainly lie in major game series (for instance every Zelda, Metal Gear, and Resident Evil game, among others), the action-adventure genre, and SRPGs.

As far as current systems go -- iOS, Android, PSN, XBLA, WiiWare, eShop, VitaPSN, Steam, Mac App Store – you name it, I have it. I have this OCD-ness about me where I can’t miss anything. Despite the fact that I obviously prefer some platforms and consoles/portables over others, I think every system has its fair share of titles.

I wish I could go back and tell my seven year old self that being a fanboy was idiotic, but obviously I grew and learned things because of the experience. The above picture isn’t my collection, but if you take out a few SEGA systems, it’s accurate.



6) I think Benedict Cumberbatch and Idris Ebla are awesome

Just like Tim Roth in my other list, I think Idris Elba and Benedict Cumberbatch are unsung heroes. They've done a lot of low key work as far as Americans are concerned (some BBC miniseries and films), but Cumberbatch and Elba really made themselves household names with the shows Sherlock, and The Wire, respectively.

This winter, you’ll see Cumberbatch as both Smaug and Sauron in The Hobbit Part 1 – as far as villain roles go in film, that’s pretty awesome stuff!



5) My taste in music is varied

Like my gaming tastes, I’ll pretty much listen to anything except *new* country. In the realm of country, I’ll listen to bluegrass, southern rock, and even 90s country like Garth Brooks – just not newer junk like Carrie Underwood.

Here’s a good array of my tastes:















4) I think Daniel Day Lewis is the best actor of all time

As I said previously, Tom Cruise is my favorite actor. I’m able to diffuse "Tom Cruise the Actor" from "Tom Cruise the Real Life Guy With Issues". He entertains me – you’ve probably heard of the term “popcorn flick” before.

However, I’m real big on art-house/surrealistic film, and I know good acting when I see it. Throughout all of my years watching movies, I think that Daniel Day Lewis is the best actor of all time. Some people would say Brando, some would say Newman, I say good ol’ Bill the Butcher.

Lewis is probably as “method” as you get, and I really respect that. I think acting transcends what you can do on-screen, and he brings an unparalleled energy to the entire set – that should count for something.



3) I watch LOTS of TV

I watch a lot of TV. By a lot, I mean I watch around 10-15 shows on a weekly basis. I’ll watch anything from [good] sitcoms, to dramas, to wacky stuff like Penn and Teller’s Bullsh!t. One of my recent favorites is Sons of Anarchy. I totally judged Sons of Anarchy for three years as “some dumb biker show with Ron Perlman in it”, but it’s actually Hamlet on Wheels with an amazing supporting cast. Pretty awesome stuff.

It would be impossible to list non-current shows that I enjoy, so just holler at me if you like any of the following: Mad Men; Breaking Bad; Grimm; Sons of Anarchy; Justified; Southland; Game of Thrones; House of Lies; Modern Family; Community; Shark Tank; Dragon's Den; Parks and Recreation; Dexter; South Park; New Beavis and Butthead; "Louie"; Alcatraz; Sherlock; Workaholics; Archer; or The League.

I watch a lot more than this -- these are just what I'd consider "good TV".



2) I like just about everything, games wise

In my other “10 blog”, I wrote about how I like the wackiest, strangest games Japan has to offer – but that’s not everything I like. I’m also a huge Call of Duty fan, and I own two copies of Modern Warfare 2 and two Elite subscriptions (for my wife and I).

My wife and I love playing through the Gears of War series. Mass Effect is one of my favorite franchises of all time. One day I’ll be playing Shadows of the Damned, the next, I’ll be hamming it up online in Call of Duty – I’m pretty happy with this arrangement!



1) I still love Dtoid

Over three years ago I joined Dtoid and started writing blogs. Around a year later I was at E3 under my own media outlet – then I came back the following year. I was able to sit in “the big three” conferences and feel the excitement of new product launches. When Nintendo announced Donkey Kong Country Returns, I shouted a fairly loud obscenity and I didn’t care – it was just too exciting!

I owe that experience to Dtoid and its community, among many other life lessons that I couldn’t have learned anywhere else. There’s no way around being cheesy here – I’d love to get a beer with any of you sometime.[youtube]