Would you pay even more for the latest must-have electronics if it meant better wages and working conditions for their manufacturers?

Downtown Mesa’s Monsterland opened its doors for the Halloween season last October, with a two-story haunted attraction that consisted of elaborate sets and animatronics, and provided some much needed seasonal work for a slew of local monsters and maniacs. But the receipts for the grand opening were scarier than expected, and owner Kevin Wynn decided that the planned horror museum might not be enough to pay the bills, so with the recent changes and more progressive culture pervading downtown Mesa, Mr. Wynn has decided that a nightclub might be more …

For a guy who’s trying to build up Arizona’s Geek Culture, it can feel like a kick in the gut when nerd havens shut down – especially when I’ve gotten to know some of the owners. (This article originally appeared on LightningOctopus.com — please leave your comments on the original post there.)

You may have thought that the Morgan Spurlock documentary The Greatest Movie Ever Sold was the first “all-product-placement film” ever made. But I don’t think a movie whose sole purpose is to sarcastically point out the proliferation of product advertising in society can really hold that title. I think that distinction needs to go to Sony Pictures upcoming Resident Evil: Retribution.
I was excited to see the first Resident Evil: Retribution trailer had posted online and eagerly clicked the link, expecting to see a scantily clad Milla Jovovich whipping up on …

Tickets are now on sale for a live orchestral performance of theme music from Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda games.
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses kicks off its North American tour Jan. 10 in Dallas before hitting Phoenix on April 20-21 at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets will set you back from $45 to $140 .
The name “Symphony of the Goddesses,” according to a Nintendo press release, refers to a new four-movement symphony “recounting the classic storylines from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: The …

Full-event memberships for Phoenix Comicon go up in price from $35 to $40 starting Jan. 1.
The Memorial Day Weekend convention also has single-day passes available: $15 for the Thursday, $25 for Friday only, $30 for Saturday only and $20 for Sunday. Children 12 and younger get in free with a paid membership.
Guests in 2012 include William Shatner, Gil Gerard, Erin Grey, Billy Tucci, Tony Amendola and Ed Asner.

For many, 2012 holds the threat of doomsday. But pop culture fans in Arizona are determined that if this is the end, they will go out with a bang rather than a whimper.
The new year dawns with a pair of conventions next weekend, Jan. 6-8: the Amazing Arizona Comic Con at the Mesa Convention Center and the anime-centric Taiyou Con at the Hilton Phoenix East-Mesa.
At Amazing Arizona Comic Con, special guests include The Walking Dead child actor Chandler Riggs and creators Robert Kirkman and Rob Liefeld, as well as Batman …

Tip of my affected stovepipe hat to Topless Robot.

The Minibosses, the Valley’s own Nintendo tune cover band, have released the follow-up to their much-acclaimed 2005 album Brass.

You know, sometimes, when people have too much time on their hands, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.