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The time had finally come.  All of the hype buzzing around the schoolyard about the simplistic yet brutal arcade smash Mortal Kombat was about to come to a head as my tingling eight-year-old hands cradled the oversized Sega Genesis controller.  There my on-screen avatar stood, the elusive Sub-Zero, before my fading opponent, the brash Hollywood movie star Johnny Cage, as I eagerly entered the button combination -- forward, down, forward, high punch.  With a swift uppercut, Sub-Zero's chilled fist took with it Cage's head, causing poor Johnny's spinal cord to dangle in the air like a wet spaghetti noodle.  I sat awe-struck, repelled but amazed, and I knew at that point that Mortal Kombat would soon join the ranks of some of the most cherished franchises in video game history...

Time and time again, minor characters in movies float through a scene and fade away as quickly as they arrive.  Whether it be a kung-fu preacher, a gang of mini-Bruce Campbells, or a hulking, blade-armored mutant ninja master, these inconsequential entities are far too interesting to be written off so quickly.  It's difficult arguing that each of the following Five Movie Characters Who Deserved More Screen Time aren't entitled to a bigger chunk of their respective film's running time...

The world's population ticked in at five billion people during the summer of 1987, a year that single-handedly produced some of the most incredible movies of its decade.  Michael Jackson's hit album Bad was obliterating the charts and the classic Nintendo run-'n'-shoot Mega Man flooded shelves in Japan.  Patrick Stewart assumed the role of USS Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation and the animated Simpsons family made its TV debut as short cartoons on The Tracey Ullman Show.  Danny Kaye and Fred Astaire performed their last tap-dances into the grave, the same year the planet was blessed with the births of Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood.  WWE's Wrestlemania III took place in the Pontiac Silverdome, setting the North American indoor sporting event attendance record with 93,173 patrons.  In the end, viewing these Top 10 From Back Then: The Movies Of 1987 beats falling down a well in Midland, Texas any day of the week...

For a decade, the Elimination Chamber has been utilized to separate the boys from the men in the WWE.  Cheerfully dubbed "Satan's Prison," the solid steel structure was birthed into existence in late 2002 by former World Championship Wrestling President Eric Bischoff -- standing 16 feet tall and 36 feet in diameter, two miles of chain encase the six superstars inside, the 16 total tons of metal enveloping them until only one man is left standing.  The Elimination Chamber borrows elements from the Royal Rumble (wrestlers enter the match at timed intervals), the classic Survivor Series match (competitors are eliminated via pinfall or submission) and WCW's War Games (chaotic action involving several caged grapplers) and remains one of the most physically draining matches ever conducted in the company's history.  In observation of tonight's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event, PixelatedPop presents the Top 10 WWE Elimination Chamber Matches!

1986 was an interesting time to enter my "terrible twos."  In a year that witnessed the infamous Space Shuttle Challenger explosion and the disastrous Chernobyl meltdown, the world needed relief, and the remedy would soon come in several forms.  For instance, '86 saw the opening of Pixar Animations Studios and Mike Tyson winning his first World Championship by beating Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas.  The year took from us Metallica bassist Cliff Burton and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard but gave us Amanda Bynes, Kat Dennings and Megan Fox.  Bill Buckner's dimwitted missed grounder allowed the New York Mets to pull even with the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, eventually leading to a World Series victory for the Mets.  Geraldo Rivera opening Al Capone's secret vault only to discover a bottle of moonshine might have been disappointing, but each of the Top 10 From Back Then: The Movies Of 1986 is sure to leave you satisfied.

Congratulations!  You, along with the other seven billion people worldwide, have survived the 12/21/12 Mayan apocalypse!  Civilization is safe, for now, as we step into a new era of total spiritual unity and widespread peace amongst men.  If those expectations sound a bit too ambitious, at least take comfort in knowing that 2013 will be a colossally bad-ass year for movies.  This year will see Arnold Schwarzenegger's first leading role since 2003's Terminator 3: Rise Of the Machines (The Last Stand, January 18) and Sam Raimi's vision of a classic tale's origins (Oz the Great And Powerful, March 8).  The director of Sucker Punch -- yeah, Sucker Punch -- attempts to erase any lingering memories of 2006's Superman Returns by giving Krypton's number one son another reboot (Man Of Steel, June 14), and Hugh Jackman reprises his most recognizable role by clawing up Yakuza ass in Japan (The Wolverine, July 26)...

It's hard to believe how fast 27 years can just fly by.  In 1985, DNA evidence was first utilized in a criminal court case.  Vice President George H.W. Bush served as acting President for eight hours while Ronald Reagan went under the knife to remove cancerous polyps from his colon.  This memorable year witnessed the creations of Bill Watterson's classic Calvin & Hobbes comic strip, the North American version of The Discovery Channel, the first incarnation of Tetris, the Tommy Hilfiger brand and Windows Version 1.0.  '85 also produced four of today's hottest Hollywood babes in Amanda Seyfried, Keira Knightley, Michelle Trachtenberg and The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco. 1985 would go on to be recognized as one of the most celebrated in film history, so let's take a trip down memory lane and check out my Top 10 From Back Then: The Movies Of 1985!

Like I've mentioned in the past, some of the most interesting characters in the world of cinema remain hidden away during the majority of their films.  Sometimes they'll appear for just a few scenes as the butt of a joke, repeatedly stomping out flaming bags of dog crap.  Other times, they show up with the sole purpose of beating Tobey Maguire half to death with a steel chair.  Whatever their purpose, this new installment of Five Movie Character Who Deserved More Screen Time focuses on a few more of these figures whose lives demand more exposure on the silver screen...

Welcome to PixelatedPop's 31 Greatest 1980s Horror Films!  Starting today, we will begin counting down our favorite horror movies of the 1980s with a new installment being revealed every Monday in October!  Can you guess what will be #1?

With the beginning of season sixteen looming on the horizon, I've still had one rather daunting task hanging over my head: the completion of my list of favorite South Park episodes.  I was actually first motivated towards creating this list several years ago when I read a similar list posted by a prominent web site.  There were several choices which I felt did not belong on their list of greatest South Park episodes.  The greatest of these errors came in the form of their number one pick, "Fat Butt and Pancake Head."  Now, I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but after reading the reasoning for the choices on their list, I felt like they had completely missed what it is that truly makes South Park great...