Entertainment
Entertainment Picks (June 5, 2009)
3 Things to check out this weekend
A Bug’s Life
DVD $39.99 Amazon
Disney-Pixar collaboration from 1998, this computer-animated comedy by director John (“Toy Story”) Lasseter hips up the age-old Aesop fable of the grasshopper and the ant with the voices of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hayden Panettiere from TV’s “Heroes,” Dennis Leary, David Hyde Pierce, Kevin Spacey, Phyllis Diller and Roddy McDowell. Generous special features on this new Blu-ray edition include a making-of documentary, character interviews and a classic Walt Disney theatrical cartoon from 1934.
—Neil Pond, American Profile
Tuxedo Country
The Tom Houston Orchestra
CD ($14.95)
Fans of big band music and classic country will love this roundup of well-known honky-tonk tunes “dressed to kill” with the full orchestrations of a jazzy, snazzy stage ensemble, a la Glenn Miller, Count Basie or Duke Ellington. Bandleader and clarinet virtuoso Tom Houston leads his first-class, 14-man band of saxophones, trombones, guitar, piano, upright bass and drums in “Crazy,” “Faded Love,” “I Fall to Pieces” and 17 other elegantly styled, uptown fusions of barroom and concert hall. (Available from tomhoustonorchestra.com)
—Neil Pond, American Profile
Movie Speak
By Tony BillSoftcover,
216 pages ($8.95)Amazon
You’ll sound like a real Hollywood insider when you throw around terms like “Doris Day Parking,” “brodkin,” “honeywagon” and “rough cut”—and actually know what you’re talking about! Written by an award-winning producer, this handy-dandy A-to-Z guide also includes descriptions of the jobs behind all those cryptic credits that run at the end of a film, like grip, gaffer, best boy and wrangler. Fun, fact-filled and full of insight into the backstage world of filmmaking, it’s a must-have for any movie buff!
—Neil Pond, American Profile
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Entertainment Picks (July 30, 2010)
Extraordinary Measures,
Doo Wop,
Jesse James’ Hidden Treasure
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Entertainment Picks (July 23, 2010)
The Karate Kid/The Karate Kid II Collector’s Edition,
The Devil Can Ride,
Alice in Wonderland
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Entertainment Picks (July 16, 2010)
Rock Shrines,
Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboy Favorites,
The Leaders We Deserved (And A Few We Didn’t)
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Entertainment Picks (July 9, 2010)
Steven Seagal Lawman: The Complete Season One,
I’ll Wait in the Car,
Twistable, Turnable Man: A Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein
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GAMETIME: Split/Second
As we all know, racing involves drivers competing against each other at breakneck speeds in usually fragile cars. One wrong move can send one of these cars spiraling out of control and seriously ruin somebody’s day. If that doesn’t sound dangerous enough, the team behind the new racing game Split/Second decided to make your greatest enemy the tracks themselves. The premise behind Split/Second is simple: the titular show decides to rig racetracks with explosives and traps. The drivers can activate these tracks periodically throughout the races, to either destroy the other racers or alter the course. And of course, all of this resulting chaos is filmed and put onto the television. Big booms equal big ratings, right? It’s here that Split/Second runs into its biggest and most disappointing flaw: the only time you’re reminded that you’re racing for a show is the occasional announcer between episodes in the career mode. While this doesn’t hurt the gameplay in any real way, the game could’ve really benefited from announcers commenting on the chaotic races. It was a missed opportunity to not provide any witty or humorous voice-overs.
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Entertainment Picks (July 2, 2010)
The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science,
The A-Team: The Complete Series,
Letter to Heaven: Songs of Faith and Inspiration
Dolly Parton -
Entertainment Picks (June 25, 2010)
Pop Memories of the ’60s,
Edge of Darkness,
Under the Neon Sky
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Entertainment Picks (June 18, 2010)
Valentine’s Day,
Curtains: Adventures of an Undertaker-In-Training,
The Sundance Kid,
NOW That’s What I Call the USA: The Patriotic Country Collection
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GAMETIME: Final Fantasy XIII
The Final Fantasy series has always been known for its stellar production values, brilliant storytelling and interestingly varied cast of characters. I’m talking about the “main” Final Fantasy series, the ones with the roman numerals, not the vast number of spin-off series that these games have started. Square Enix’s amazing work has earned them a large number of devoted fans, fans who eagerly look forward to the next title in the series; such as the recently-released Final Fantasy XIII. Square Enix has outdone itself with this latest title, which is easily apparent as soon as you boot up the game and the intro video gushes out of your TV screen. They make full use of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3’s graphic power to bring you a beautiful game, just like they used to with the PlayStation 2. If you aren’t playing this on a high-definition television, you’re definitely missing out on one of the best-looking games out there.
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Entertainment Picks (June 11, 2010)
Record Store Days,
Saving Private Ryan,
Life
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Entertainment Picks (July 30, 2010)
