Essentials: Technology & Entertainment

'Wolverine' never stops swinging

2009-05-09T20:07:10Z

He's arguably the most popular comic book character ever, so it's not surprising that Wolverine was selected for the first of the "X-Men Origins" prequel series. And it's equally unsurprising that the film sliced its way to the top of the box office.

The success of the the X-Men Origins: Wolverine is based on the same principle that makes its title character so appealing: action. Logan's tendency to 'claw first, ask questions last' led director Gavin Hood to pile action on top of action in, what the film's adverts called "the summer's first blockbuster."
]]> Wolverine is no exception. It's all there; the adamantium injection, the Weapon X program and the development of his rivalry with Victor Creed (aka Sabretooth). And while we're not exactly seeing what makes Wolverine "tick" -- he's had his memories wiped at least once -- we are seeing the direct events that lead up to the X-Men trilogy.

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is as good as he's ever been and Liev Schreiber was an excellent counterpart as Creed. The rest of the supporting cast included Will.I.Am of Black-Eyed Peas fame and Ryan Reynolds as the sword-wielding Deadpool. Apparently both studio execs and fans were so taken with Reynolds that the wheels have been set in motion for a Deadpool feature... which might mark an industry first; a prequel to a prequel.

The most glaring character omission from the original trilogy, the card-slinging Gambit, makes his first appearance here. Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) plays Remy LeBeau, and while I got a charge (pun intended) out of seeing him on screen, his whole role seemed gratuitous. Plus it didn't help that Kitsch had trouble sustaining Gambit's signature Cajun accent.

But most of my issues with Wolverine are not with the acting, but rather the direction. Hood seems to force 'stylized' action, which, at certain points, make the action sequences too choppy and a little hard to follow. While marginally distracting, these directorial decisions weren't enough to undo the excitement of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The Denouement:
Absolutely Essential for fans of the Wolverine and/or the X-Men.
Fairly Essential for fans of superhero/comic book movies and action flicks.

Watchmen overdone, misses mark

2009-03-18T13:58:34Z

Superhero movies are getting darker and more "adult" than ever. If "The Dark Knight" wasn't enough to convince you, Watchmen certainly will. Set in an alternate 1985, where the Cold War never ended and Nixon is still President, Watchmen is dark, gritty and borderline disturbing.
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Granted, many of these aspects were borrowed directly from the original graphic novel, with Snyder retaining their tone. But perhaps thats part of the problem -- Snyder stayed too true to the source material, taking few liberties with the film. This is also what led to the film to be a bit too lengthy, as well. At nearly 2 hrs. 40 min., it was obvious that Snyder was afraid to cut too much out -- either out of his passion for the material... or for fear of upsetting the series die-hard fan base.

Most of the additional length came from the time spent developing the characters' backstories -- Don't get me wrong, I think character development is an important and often overlooked aspect in too many superhero/comic book flicks, but when more time is spent developing the history than the plot, it doesn't bode well for the film's prospects. With 6+ characters each getting a flashback sequence (or two) to develop their character, the plot and the other characters are abandoned for long periods of time. I kept having to remind myself what was happening in the movie's present each time we returned from a flashback.

Watchmen did have it's moments; There were some stunning moments of cinematography and visual effects, the hand-to-hand combat scenes are second-to-none and the characters are all well acted, with a cast of relative no-namers filling the roles.

On the whole, Watchmen is definitely worth a watch. While I ended-up loathing it a little more than loving it, it's the kind of movie that will be veiwed very subjectively. Snyder made a bold move with this action flick and his handling of it is sure to divide the opinions of both critics and fans.

The Denouement:
Absolutely Essential for fans of the Watchmen graphic novel series.
Fairly Essential for fans of superhero/comic book movies and action flicks.

'The Quest for G' aims to extend brand

2009-03-03T17:51:38Z

It started with a brilliant stroke of cryptic genius: Sports and entertainment figures in stark black-and-white, describing the power of "G." Interest was piqued as "What is G?" became the most-searched term on Google, ahead of "Obama" and "porn," even.

The big reveal was the Super Bowl; The same black-and-white figures announced that "G' was, in fact, Gatorade. But it was NBA All-Star weekend when Gatorade's journey into the advertising unknown began.
]]> TBWA, the agency responsible for Pepsi's latest rebranding, Apple's "Green" ads and Visa's "Go World" campaign, the "Quest" is a straight-takeoff of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Traditionally, Gatorade has married themselves to the sports and athletes they fuel, their "Is IT in you?" campaign as a prime example. The "Quest" - and most of the content on MissionG.com, for that matter - is taking a shot at capturing a younger market, utilizing the same irreverence that was the basis for campaigns from Burger King and Snickers.

The drink labeled "G" hasn't entirely abanoned their previous efforts. You can still find videos with athletes, both professional and common, on MissionG.com, but they're mixed with cartoons about skateboarding rappers, freestyle dance competitions and fashion news. It was a bold (and entertaining) move from Gatorade, but in the end, I somehow doubt the "Quest" will have their thirst-quencher flying off the shelves.

DTV transition facing 4-month delay

2009-01-27T15:11:20Z

Despite loads -- and I mean LOADS -- of airtime dedicated to educating viewers about the upcoming DTV transition, the analog armageddon may be delayed four months.

On Monday, the US Senate voted unanimously to delay the pending February 17 switch four months to June 12, 2009. The "DTV Delay Act" will now head to the House and could be voted on as early as Tuesday.
]]> back in October. Additional concerns from the Obama administration voiced in early January brought the issue to Congress.

The US Commerce Department, who is administering the DTV converter box coupon program, is reporting that they've reached their $1.34 billion spending limit, as requests for converter box coupons continue to roll in.

I'm left wondering if a delay will do any good at this point; We've been hearing about the big switch for well over a year now, and obviously there's still far too many people out there like this lady:

[via AP]

The Maine drops unique holiday EP

2008-12-19T17:50:02Z

It's not often that Christmas albums feature original songs as the majority. Most artists rehash Christmas classics, maybe trying their hand at one or two tracks of their own crafting. But the latest EP from The Maine finds the Tempe-based power pop quintet caroling three-quarters original holiday tunes.
]]> ...And a Happy New Year EP opens with "Ho, Ho, Hopefully," a light acoustic number heralding Christmas magic and its ability to reignite a relationship. The track features background vocals from Eisley's Stacy and Sherri DuPree.

The record's second track, "Santa Stole My Girlfriend," puts it all in the title. The track plays like a classic "emo" Christmas carol, as lead singer John O'Callaghan recounts the events that lead him to wish his "old girl would have never kissed St. Nick."

"Mr. Winter" is an electrified full-band number and rounds out the band's orginal songs on an energetic note. The EP closes with a cover of Wham!'s "Last Christmas," leaving it in all of it's 80's-synth glory.

Available on iTunes for a mere $2.99 -- or packaged with the group's full-length Can't Stop, Won't Stop for $9.99 -- ...And a Happy New Year would make an excellent stocking-stuffer for any power pop fan.

The Denouement:
Absolutely Essential for fans of The Maine or anyone looking for a break from traditional Christmas music.

'Heartbreak' fuels West's new record

2008-12-10T14:41:51Z

From the moment he performed "Love Lockdown" to close this year's VMAs, Kanye West's "new sound" has drawn mixed reaction. While "Lockdown" -- highlighted by emphatic drums and digitized vocals -- played in heavy rotation on radio stations people continued to wonder if West's forthcoming record would continue in the style set by its lead single.

All the wondering was put to rest on November 24, when 808's & Heartbreak, West's fourth studio album, hit the street. Released just over a year after 2007's multi-platinum Graduation, Heartbreak, proves a substantial departure for West. But if you look past his liberal use of Auto-Tune, you'll find West's most focused, cohesive record yet.
]]> Heartbreak is very much a concept album, produced using only a TR-808 drum machine and fueled by West's own heartbreak; He'd been dealing with both the passing of his mother and the ending of his 18-month engagement to long-time girlfriend Alexis Phifer.

From the get-go it's obvious that Heartbreak will have none of the fun-filled hip-hop that West built his career on. The record's opening track "Say You Will" is a grooving, six-minute monologue on broken promises, followed up by "Welcome to Heartbreak," West's reflections on the time he's wasted chasing "the good life."

"Heartless," poised to be the record's second single, picks up the pace a bit, transitioning nicely into "Amazing." With an -- no pun intended -- amazing drum line and a haunting chorus, "Amazing" is a track that perfectly melds West's previous efforts with Heartbreak's style, throwing in a verse from Young Jeezy for good measure.

The most genre-bending track on the record is "RoboCop," a wild drums-n-strings number that proves West may now rival Timbaland's skills with a drum machine. The track moves between light strings and robotic percussion, as West tells a tale of an overbearing woman, comparing her to "the girl from Misery."

For the most part, Heartbreak loses its in the later tracks, as both the impact of West's lyrics and the music's newness begin to dissolve; Heartbreak may have been better served as a seven-song EP.

As a Grammy-winning, mutli-platinum hip-hop artist and producer, West made a bold statement releasing such a dark and honest record. In press interviews for the record, West is quoted as saying, "It's lonely on the top" -- and if he continues to release innovative, focused records, that's exactly where he'll stay -- on top.

"Four Christmases" better than leftovers

2008-12-01T18:30:17Z

For some families, the post-holiday-gathering movie is a tradition, for others its an anomaly, but whether or not a trip to the cinema is part of your festivities, there's always a deluge of flicks aimed at those looking to escape their families for a couple hours.

Leading this year's class of "everyone-is-watching-football-so-let's-get-out-of-here" flicks is "Four Christmases," which opened nationwide November 26, starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.
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The premise is simple; Young couple Brad (Vaughn) and Kate (Witherspoon), who usually avoid holidays with their families by jetting to some tropical location, are stuck attending the gatherings of their divorced parents -- all four of them -- in a single day. It didn't take long for the whole affair to start to feel like a made-for-TV holiday special, amped up with A-listers and innuendo.

Vaughn was a solid performer (if you're a fan, his joyfully blasphemous portrayal of Joseph at the Nativity will have you rolling) but you're never really able to sense a connection between him and Witherspoon. They both come off surprisingly cold, even in the most tender moments of the flick. The rest of the ensemble, including Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen and Jon Voight as the parents, are much more believable. Though my favorite performance, despite it's outlandishness, is Jon Favreau as Brad's cage-fighting, ultra-gruff brother.

And there was one other thing I found slightly off with this "Christmas" movie -- there wasn't an ounce of snow anywhere. The film was set in San Francisco, but nothing in the plot made that a requirement, except for maybe the fog that grounded the couple's flight. Of course, that could have been easily replaced with, say, a snow storm.

All tallied up, I'd say you could probably hold-off on "Four Christmases" until it hits DVD next December, unless you're looking for an escape from your dozing uncles or a horrible Detroit Lions game.

The Denouement:

Fairly Essential for fans of Vince Vaughn or those looking for a reprieve from a family gathering.

Kevin James protects mall, visits food court

2008-10-29T17:05:39Z

Even the most casual of movie-goer could deduce that there are far more crappy comedies out there than good -- for every Big Lebowski, there's dozen's of Norbit's. And based strictly on its title (and implied premise) I would have grouped Paul Blart: Mall Cop with the latter.

But something about the pure silliness of Kevin James in the title role has me thinking that Blart will be -- no, not a classic -- a mid-winter guilty pleasure.
]]> Hitch, I've happily tolerated Kevin James bumbling physical comedy. And if the trailer is any indication, Blart will be chocked full of James rolling, falling and stumbling for laughs.

The story is cliche -- Blart can't pass the state law enforcement entrance exam, so he's forced to work security at a local mall. Bad things happen at the mall and Blart (I'm pretty certain) will save the day... and everyone learns a valuable lesson in the process.

I can't say I'll be fighting for tickets to this one, but it might be worth a look on DVD. Paul Blart: Mall Cop hits theaters on January 16, starring Kevin James as the most feared mall security guard since La Fours... what, you don't know who La Fours is?

IGN has the trailer here.

'Dark Knight' DVD gets official

2008-10-16T22:10:30Z

Ever since "The Dark Knight" trickled out of theaters, Batman fans have been looking forward to the film's release on DVD and Blu-Ray.

With rumors first surfacing in August, Amazon is now taking pre-orders for TDK. With a release date of December 9, this release figures to be the 'must-have' DVD this Christmas.
]]> two-disc DVD set and single Blu-Ray disc, the initial reports indicated that "The Dark Knight" would also be available in a trio of specially packed two-disc sets. One of the two-disc sets was said to be packaged in a steelbook case, another with a Batpod (that's the motorcycle) statue and the last packaged with a Batman mask.

While the standard releases will be enough to tide over most, details and release dates for the collectors editions are sure to be forthcoming.

Directed by Chirstopher Nolan, 'The Dark Knight' stars Christian Bale as Batman, Heath Ledger as the Joker and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. The second film in Nolan's Batman series, 'Dark Knight' opened on July 18 and has made over $800 million worldwide.

Click here to read the Essentials review of 'The Dark Knight.

FCC prepares for "messy" DTV switch

2008-10-16T21:50:16Z

I'm not one who likes to say, "I told you so," but this would certainly be a situation that calls for it.

An official over at the FCC says that the pending Digital Television change-over is going to be "messy," something I've been anticipating for months now.

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Only about 15 percent of American households should be affected by the change-over, as analog-only sets won't be able to receive the digital signal without the purchase of a converter box. Cable and satellite subscribers won't be affected.

[via Reuters]

Jack's Mannequin delivers fun, inspiration

2008-10-08T17:22:07Z

Most music -- especially the best music -- is inspired by life-changing events. This is probably why Jack's Mannequin's latest record, "The Glass Passenger," is one of the best power pop records of the year, if not the decade.

Drawing from his successful battle with leukemia, frontman Andrew McMahon crafts 13 beautiful, energetic and diverse songs.]]> TGP opens with a pair rocking tracks -- "Crashin'" and "Spinning" -- setting the tempo for the rest of the record. He follows these with one of the more intimate tracks on the record, "Swim," on which the cancer survivor sings "I swim to brighter days/Despite the absence of sun/Choking on salt water/I'm not giving in/You gotta swim."

"Suicide Blonde" is a rocker on the order of "If You C Jordan," from McMahon's days in Something Corporate. The record's diversity is further highlighted on "American Love" and "Bloodshot," two tracks which feature some scattered, 80s-style synth sounds. While the deviation in 'keys' caught me off guard initially, I am now unable to imagine the tracks with out it.

"Annie Use Your Telescope" and "Caves" showcase JM's knack for ballads. The former is a sweeping, strings-and-piano number that reinforces McMahon's development as both a lyricist and composer. The latter is the closing track, a seven-minute affair that switches gears half-way through -- from minimal pianos and McMahon's hushed falsetto to a driving, orchestral climax.

I'd also highly recommend the handful of tracks that didn't make the cut for TGP; Released as bonus tracks and on an iTunes-exclusive EP, "Cell Phone," "Sleazy Wednesday," "At Full Speed," and "Miss California" are too good to be cast aside. The lyrical cadence of "At Full Speed" is fantastic and "Miss California" plays like a prequel to "Suicide Blonde."

If my heralding didn't make it abundantly clear, "The Glass Passenger" is the frontrunner to be my choice for record of the year. Andrew McMahon took a tragedy and turned it into a masterpiece, proving his mettle as an extraordinary power pop musican, lyricist and composer.

The Denouement:

Absolutely Essential for fans of Jack's Mannequin, Something Corporate and Pop/piano rock.

Fairly Essential for anyone with working ears.

New 'Final Fantasy' game coming to Wii

2008-10-01T17:15:50Z

The latest game in the 'Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles' series has been given a release date in Japan, with a stateside date expected soon.

The game, titled "Echoes in Time," was revealed in the latest issue of Japanese comic Shonen Jump, which indicated that the game would be released for Nintendo Wii and DS on January 29 in Japan.
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The 'Final Fantasy' series saw its original releases on the NES and SNES systems, but had been shifted to Sony's consoles for the last few chapters. The sub-series, 'Crystal Chronicles,' brought 'FF' back to Nintendo with it's release on GameCube in 2007.

Expect to hear more about "Echoes in Time" at this month's Tokyo Game Show. The next installment in the main 'FF' series, "Final Fantasy XIII," has been announced for XBox 360 and Playstation 3, though a U.S. release date has not yet been set.

Real readies DVD-ripping software, lawsuit

2008-09-30T17:09:46Z

As portable music players are fast-becoming portable media players, users are looking for ways to make their movies as mobile as their music. Entrenched in copyright issues, the ability to copy DVDs to a computer isn't as much 'desktop' issue as it is a courtroom one.

Earlier this month, media software company Real introduced RealDVD, a product designed to let users copy movies to their computers for playback and storage. Just hours after making the software available, Real has lawyered-up and is preparing to battle the major movie studios in court.
]]> DVD Copy Control Association's guidelines, as they've added a feature which restricts playback of copied DVD to the owner's computer, preventing it from being illegally distributed. But before the movie studios could file their lawsuit, Real filed first.

Real's suit is asking that a court rule, officially, that RealDVD falls in line with the DVD CCA's guidelines, before the studios' suit stops the distribution of the software.

It seems that no matter how this case ends up, DVD-ripping is working its way to the masses and will no longer be strictly for gadget guys and other technically-inclined sects.

[via RealNetworks]

Depp confirmed for a pair of iconic roles

2008-09-25T17:25:35Z

Taking a break from creating iconic characters (Captain Jack Sparrow...), Johnny Depp has signed-on to a couple of projects that will have him filling the shoes, and hats, of a pair of iconic characters.

Announced at a Disney press event yesterday, Depp will take on the role of Tonto in Disney's revival of the "Lone Ranger" franchise. Originally rumored to don the mask in the film's title role, Depp will play the sidekick, re-teaming with Pirates super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer. ]]>
Disney also made an official statement regarding the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series, announcing that production is underway on the fourth installment, though the time frame seems pretty indefinite, as 'Pirates' writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio will also be penning the "Lone Ranger" script.

Both "Alice and Wonderland" and the "Lone Ranger" project have tentative release dates scheduled for 2010.

[via Reuters]

Humor smolders in 'Burn After Reading'

2008-09-22T13:45:20Z

Character and plot are a couple of pretty important literary elements, just ask any sixth grade English teacher. No matter the rubric, Joel and Ethan Coen's latest assignment, 'Burn After Reading,' would be littered with gold stars.
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A brilliant ensemble cast brings life to the Coen's characters. John Malkovich is Osborne Cox, a disgruntled ex-CIA agent whose booze-fueled memoirs find there way into the hands of a pair of unassuming gym workers played by Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand (a long-time Coen favorite). Pitt steals every scene he is in, giving the dimwitted Chad Feldheimer a childish charm.

The pair eventually cross-paths with federal marshal Harry Pfarrer as they try to profit from the "raw intelligence" they've come across. George Clooney (another Coen fav) is solid as the neurotic, paranoid marshal, who has a 'thing' for flooring.

From there, in true Coen style, the stories become entangled, blurring and blending as these average 'joes' get in way, way over their heads. In the end, there isn't much for closure, but that does little to take away from the redeeming entertainment value of this film. It's a well-told story, filled with unpredictable turns and unforgettable characters.

The Denouement:

Absolutely Essential for fans of past Coen films and for fans of any of the cast.

Quite Essential for anyone looking for a unique, entertaining movie-going experience.