An incredible thing happened in “Dark Hollow” on this week’s Once Upon a Time. There was actual progress toward the goal of finding Henry. Things literally happened instead of just more stagnant set up. The plan to get off the island after rescuing Henry is set, Emma makes a choice between her suitors, Ariel proves surprisingly useful and much more fun than in her titular episode, and we learn who Pan is keeping locked up in a wooden cage. Also, Belle and Storybrooke remain awesome and far more interesting than the Neverland lot. So let’s swoop in to “Dark Hollow…”

Just five days ago in the Once universe, Belle said goodbye to her true love. This scene it’s just as touching as the first time. I miss this pairing so much. While she tearfully watches the Jolly Roger disappear, the rest of the town runs up to celebrate having been saved. Belle shuts them up by saying Greg and Tamara took Henry and producing the cloaking spell for the Blue Fairy to examine.

On the road to Storybrooke, a red convertible carrying some Hipsters approaches. (Seriously, that’s not the beginning of a joke.)

One thing we’ve learned is there are too many games and too little time to play them all. This also means there isn’t even enough time to give all of them awards, but we try our best. Today we take a look at both the most time consuming efforts of the past year as well as give some awards for games that deserve some notable mentions as well.

Game Most Likely to Consume Your Life: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Two Hundred and Fifty Hours. By most estimates, this is how long it’ll take an average player to explore MOST of the content of Skyrim. To give some perspective, if the average person works a 40 hour a week job, Skyrim would take six and a quarter full work weeks to complete. Now, we realize that most gamers work jobs outside of the gaming industry and cannot devote a full forty hours a week to a single game.

In july we brought you the news that the first wave of programming for Austin’s amazing Fantastic Fest had been announced. Now, we’re delighted to tell you the schedule for the second wave of programming has been released as well.

Most of the second wave films are new to most people but they probably won’t be once the fest is underway. That’s just what happens.

Here’s the list of the new films announced. Expect more announcements, and lots of coverage, in the weeks ahead. Fantastic fest runs from September 22-29 in Austin, TX.

MOVIES ON FIRE: HONG KONG ACTION CLASSICS- presented by AGFA

The amazing Grady Hendrix of the famous New York Asian Film Festival will join us and introduce four surprise 35mm screenings of classic Hong Kong grindhouse gems (most not available on DVD) from Hong Kong’s exploitation heyday of the late 80’s and early 90’s, these movies are cinematic crystal meth: cheap n’crazy, they’ll spoil you for everything else. Designed to play to rowdy audiences who threatened mayhem if they weren’t delivered a dose of gonzo delirium every five minutes, they have a total disregard for three-act structure, Hollywood plotting and the lives of their stuntmen. Get ready to burn!

AARDVARK (2010)
Texas Premiere
Director Kitao Sakurai live in person
Director: Kitao Sakurai, Japan, 80 minutes
Larry (AARDVARK’s blind-since-birth protagonist) has an innate curiosity that lands him smack in the middle of a bizarre criminal underworld replete with mixed martial arts, intrigue, murder and pillow humping.

BLIND (2011)
US Premiere
Director – AHN Sang-hoon, Korea, 111minutes
A blind woman narrowly escapes from the clutches of a serial killer. When he circles back to get rid of any witnesses, the woman must rely on her other acute senses to identify and outwit the killer.

CALIBRE 9 (2011)
World Premiere
Director Jean-Christian Tassy & Producer Axel Guyot live in person
Director: Jean-ChristianTassy, France, 84 minutes
A city planner becomes strangely linked to a gun possessed by the soul of a dead hooker.