An Age of Dragons (Is More Than a Flock)

Thanks to my family, I'm enjoying Dragon Age for Christmas. Nothing says Christmas more than hacking up ogres, you know- it's traditional. So far, it looks like another Bioware classic. My favorite part? When leaving an area for another, the game asks me if I would like to gather my party before venturing forth! The young ones won't get this reference to the Baldur's Gate games, but us old farts remember it like last night's meatloaf.

I'd also heard infamous stories about the level of blood spattering in the game, and can now verify it. At the beginning, my character joined another to kill rats in a pantry. Five critters later, the cut scene showed us positively drenched in gore. Apparently, rats are 113% blood. Who knew?

Movie Monsters: Clover

Monster/s: Clover

Location: Atlantic Ocean, New York City

Movie/s: Cloverfield (2008)

Attacks/Strengths: Extreme size, fangs, claws, tail, ability to jump

Weaknesses: Missiles, bombs, large caliber weaponry, men with steadicams

Cavebabble Episode 52: Our Holiday Films

The Cavebabbling family has three films which we watch each holiday season, and this year we have added a fourth. Join us as we raid Santa's cookies, and discuss all four films. Our choices may surprise you. This episode is brought to you by Eggnog.

Movie Monsters: Gamera

Monster/s: Gamera

Location/s: Islands of Japan, remote Pacific Ocean island, the Arctic, Atlantis, space

Movie/s: Twelve Japanese films between 1965 and 2006

Attacks/Strengths: Extreme size, thick shell protection, fire breath, ability to absorb mana, plasma blasts, ability to fly, spinning shell, ability to enter healing coma, teeth, elbow spikes.

Weaknesses: Extreme cold, soup lovers

Movie Monsters: Medusa

Monster/s: Medusa

Location: Isle of the Dead

Movie/s: Clash of the Titans (1981)

Attacks/Strengths: Gaze which turns flesh to stone, multiple serpents as hair, proficiency with bow and arrow, giant snake tail, acidic blood which spawns scorpions

Weaknesses: Bladed weapons, heroes with mirrored shields

Cavebabble Episode 51: Max is a Mad Road Warrior

The apocalypse is upon us, and the only man tough enough to survive it is "Mad" Max Rockatansky. Tonight's solo-cast follows Max through three films, countless car chases, and a world of pain. So, hop into your Interceptor, and join me on the road to nowhere. This week's episode is brought to you by Waaalkerrrrr.

Movie Monsters: Hades Creatures

Monster/s: Hades Creatures

Location/s: Planet Hades

Movie/s: Pitch Black (2000)

Attacks/Strengths: Claws, fangs, ability to fly, night vision

Weaknesses: Sunlight, bladed weapons, rocket engines, former bouncers

Movie Monsters: Leviathan Genetic Mutant

Monster: Leviathan Genetic Mutant

Location/s: The deep sea, Earth

Movie/s: Leviathan (1989)

Attacks/Strengths: Toothed leech mouths, fangs, claws, ability to absorb human tissue

Weaknesses: Fire, bladed tools, explosives, hydraulic lifts, former Robocop stars

Cavebabble Episode 50: Scenes That Jerk Our Tears

Hollywood loves to yank our heartstrings, and we're ashamed to admit that often it works. Join the entire Cavebabble team as we spend an evening admitting to scenes which bring tears to our eyes. Along the way, we offer a review of Where the Wild Things Are, and introduce the world to Sushi the Wonder Dog. This week's episode is brought to you by Sup-Sup.

Movie Monsters: King Kong

Monster/s: King Kong

Location/s: Skull Island; Faro Island; Mondo Island; New York City, NY; Tokyo, Japan

Movie/s: King Kong (1933), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), King Kong Escapes (1967), King Kong (1976), King Kong Lives (1986), King Kong (2005)

Attacks/Strengths: extreme arm strength, teeth, simian agility, extreme size

Weaknesses: Large firearms, warplanes, giant mutant dinosaurs, hot women

Movie Monsters: Audrey II

Monster/s: Audrey II

Location: Skid Row, New York City

Movie/s: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Weapons/Strengths: Teeth, prehensile leaves and roots, ability to seed new buds

Weaknesses: Electricity, nebbish men

Cavebabble Episode 49: Fable

Board the ship for Albion, and join us for a discussion of the Fable games. Bandits and hobbes may attempt to sabotage the recording, but luckily we've stocked up on potions. This week's episode is brought to you by Alignment. Choose wisely. Music- Helix by EyeOh.

Movie Monsters: The Blob

Monster/s: The Blob

Location: Deep space; the Arctic; Downingtown, Pennsylvania; Los Angeles, California; Arborville, California

Movie/s: The Blob (1958), Beware! The Blob (1972), The Blob (1988)

Weapons/Strengths: Ability to absorb living tissue, quick growth with each kill, resistance to electricity

Weaknesses: Cold

Movie Monsters: Vermithrax Pejorative

Monster/s: Vermithrax Perjorative

Location: Urland

Movie/s: Dragonslayer (1981)

Attacks/Strengths: Fangs, talons, spiked tail, ability to fly, ability to breath fire

Weaknesses: Magical spears, virgins

Cavebabble Episode 48: 4 for 2012

Roland Emmerich destroyed the world again, and the Cavebabblers went along for the ride. Join us for a journey through 2012, as we share our views on the entire film. Warning: here there be spoilers. This episode is brought to you by Giraffes in Space Suits.

Movie Monsters: Brain Bug

Monster/s: Brain Bug

Location: Planet P

Movie/s: Starship Troopers (1997)

Weapons/Strengths: Psychic screaming, telepathic link to soldier bugs, brain-sucking spike

Weaknesses: Firearms, bladed weapons, probing

Cavebabble Episode 47: Flashback 1989- Deep Sea Movies

Climb into our time-warping submarine for a trip to 1989, the Year of the Deep Sea Movie. James Cameron's The Abyss hit the screen, and rival studios battled it out on the ocean floor with very similar releases of their own. From aliens to monsters to humans, everyone was diving in for a swim. Now you can, too. Just remember to save your last breath... to scream! This week's episode is brought to you by Pressure.

Movie Monsters: Xenomorphs

Monster/s: Xenomorphs

Location: Planet LV-426, planet Fiorina 'Fury' 161, research vessel USM Auriga, other spacecraft, planet Earth

Movie/s: Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Alien3 (1992), Alien: Resurrection (1997), Alien vs. Predator (2004), Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Weapons/Strengths: Fangs, fanged tongue, claws, spike-tipped tail, ability to cling to walls, speed and agility, acid for blood

Weaknesses: Firearms, bladed weapons, explosives, rocket engines, the vacuum of space

Movie Monsters: Graboids

Monster/s: Graboids

Location: Perfection, Nevada; Chiapas, Mexico

Movie/s: Tremors (1990), Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996), Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001), Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004)

Weapons/Attacks: Multiple fanged "tongues," ability to burrow, extreme size

Weaknesses: Large firearms, explosives, cliffs, pissed-off survivalists

Movie Monsters: Slither Slugs

Monster/s: Slither Slugs

Location: Wheelsy, South Carolina

Movie/s: Slither (2006)

Weapons/Attacks: Teeth, ability to burrow into bodies, ability to control hosts

Weaknesses: Firearms, fire, natural gas

Movie Monsters: Quetzalcoatl

Monster: Quetzalcoatl, or Q

Location: New York City

Movie/s: Q - The Winged Serpent (1982)

Weapons/Attacks: Claws, beak, tail, ability to fly, extreme size

Weaknesses: Submachine guns, the Chrysler Building

Movie Monster: Balrog of Moria

Monster: Balrog of Moria

Location: Mines of Moria, in the Misty Mountains

Movie/s: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Weapons/Attacks: Giant whip, flames, talons, fangs, horns, extreme size

Weaknesses: Powerful wizards with elven swords

Movie Monsters: Gremlins

Monster/s: Gremlins

Location: Kingston Falls, New York City

Movie/s: Gremlins (1984), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

Weapons/Attacks: Teeth, claws, agility

Weaknesses: Sunlight, explosives, small appliances

Cavebabble Episode 46: Seeing Saw

We want to play a game. This week, the entire Cavebabbling family gets together to discuss the first five Saw movies. See what we see. This week's episode is brought to you by Game Over.

Movie Monsters: Judas Insects

Monster/s: Judas Breed

Location: Old subway tunnels and terminals of New York City

Movie/s: Mimic (1997), Mimic 2 (2001), Mimic: Sentinal (2003)

Weapons/Attacks: Spiked legs, mandibles, ability to fly, extreme size, ability to mimic human shape

Weaknesses: Firearms, pipes, explosions, boys playing spoons

Movie Monsters: Giant Crocodiles

Monster/s: Giant crocodiles

Location: Black Lake, Maine

Movie/s: Lake Placid (1999), Lake Placid 2 (2007)

Weapons/Attacks: Teeth, tail, extreme size

Weaknesses: Tranquilizers, grenade launchers, helicopters

Movie Monsters: Mutated Sea Worm

Monster/s: Mutated sea worm

Location: South China Sea

Movie/s: Deep Rising (1998)

Weapons/Attacks: Teeth, barbs, speed, extreme size, ability to swallow prey whole

Weaknesses: Fire, explosions, shotguns, future X-Men stars

Movie Monsters: Pale Man

Monster: Pale Man

Location: Spain, Pale Man's Lair

Movie/s: Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Weapons/Attacks: Teeth, nails

Weaknesses: Inedible shoes, girls with magic chalk

Movie Monsters: Anaconda

Monster: Anaconda

Location: Up the Amazon River

Movie/s: Anaconda (1997), Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004), Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008), Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2008)

Weapons/Attacks: Extreme size, constriction, fangs, ability to swallow prey whole

Weaknesses: Fire, axes, knives, explosives, Jenny from the Block

Cavebabble Episode 45: Print to Film- Philip K. Dick

Tonight's solo cast takes a look at films based on the classic science fiction writings of Philip K. Dick. Join me as I discuss eight movies, from Blade Runner to Next, and pay homage to this brilliant and paranoid author. This week's episode is brought to you by Them. (You know they're watching you.)

Movie Monsters: Cyclops

Monster: Cyclops

Location: Island of Colossa

Movie/s: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad

Weapons/Attacks: Extreme size, horn, hooves, fangs

Weaknesses: Torches, cliffs, dragons

Movie Monsters: Lord of Darkness

Monster: Lord of Darkness

Location: Unknown fantasy world

Movie/s: Legend (1985)

Weapons/Attacks: Massive horns, claws, fangs

Weaknesses: Unicorn horns, virgins

Movie Monsters: Crawlers

Monster/s: Crawlers

Location: A cave system in North Carolina

Movie/s: The Descent (2005)

Weapons/Attacks: Teeth, ability to climb walls, echolocation

Weaknesses: Climbing axes, large rocks, sharp bones, enraged women

Movie Monsters: Mothra

Monster: Mothra

Location: Islands of Japan

Movie/s: 18 films, beginning with Mothra (1961)

Weapons/Attacks: Larval stage- Shooting silk, biting. Adult stage- Incredible size, scratching, wing-generated winds, poisonous powder.

Weaknesses: Godzilla, tiny twin women

Movie Monsters: Talos

Monster: Talos

Location: Isle of Bronze

Movie/s: Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

Weapons/Attacks: Extreme size, massive bronze sword

Weaknesses: Plug on his heel, Jason of Thessaly, the whim of the gods

Movie Monsters: Critters

Monster/s: Critters

Location: Small-town America and space

Movie/s: Critters (1986), Critters 2 (1988), Critters 3 (1991), Critters 4 (1992)

Weapons/Attacks: Tons o' teeth, fast rolling

Weaknesses: Firearms, explosives, intergalactic bounty hunters

Cavebabble Episode 44: God of War

Zeus betrayed us, and we're not happy. This week, we jump into the world of Kratos, and the God of War game series. Join us as we storm Olympus! This episode is brought to you by Spinning Death.

Movie Monsters: Pumpkinhead

Monster: Pumpkinhead

Location: Rural Nevada

Movie/s: Pumpkinhead (1988), Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1994), Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes (2006), Pumpkinhead: Blood Oath (2006)

Weapons/Attacks: Claws, fangs

Weaknesses: Suicide!

Movie Monsters: Giant Ants

Monster/s: Giant Ants

Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico; Los Angeles, California

Movie/s: Them! (1954)

Weapons/Attacks: Mandibles, incredible size and strength

Weaknesses: Submachine guns, fire, loss of antennae

Movie Monsters: Ro-Man

Monster: Ro-Man

Location: Somewhere on Earth

Movie/s: Robot Monster

Weapons/Attacks: Death ray, gorilla hugs

Weaknesses: Bubbles