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(02/23/10 3:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Superman isn’t necessarily the greatest nor the most inventive comic book character ever dreamt of, but he has been spoiled with a slew of more-than-capable writers and artists in the nearly seventy-five years since his creation.When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster debuted the Man of Steel in Action Comics #1 in June 1938, he immediately became the gold standard of comic book superheroes. He quickly transcended the limits of the serialized page. Andy Warhol painted him. He got a radio program. Young boys wanted to grow up to be just like him, and Americans admired him. But as with every cultural phenomenon, it’s easy to look at the merchandising, the movie treatments and the t-shirts and forget about the source material. The truth is no comic book character has ever enjoyed a better career than Supes. Let’s take a look at five of his most shining moments.“For the Man Who Has Everything…” by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons: Later expropriated by an episode of Justice League Unlimited, this collaboration of future Watchmen co-creators Moore and Gibbons is a brilliant meditation on what life back on Krypton was like for Kal-El. The writing is crisp and the art highlights everything that’s great about Gibbons’ work. It’s no wonder that these two would go on to create the greatest comic book of all time, but more on that later.“Superman for All Seasons” by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: A severely underrated entry in the Superman canon, this four part miniseries (one for each season) by constant coworkers Loeb and Sale emphasizes the Americana aspects of the mythos. This story is more about Smallville than Metropolis; it’s more about Clark Kent than Superman. The most striking element of the run is the sublime interplay between Tim Sale’s pencils and Bjarne Hansen’s colors that would make Normal Rockwell himself jealous. “All-Star Superman” by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely: One of the most fun things to do with the Superman mythos is to take a ridiculously talented writer, give him free reign with the character and see what happens. When DC gave Supes to Grant Morrison, the result was a collection of brilliant comic book vignettes, loosely tied together by the ominous eventuality that Superman is going to die. Despite an undeniably modern look and writing style, the entire thing feels like a tribute to the early, fragmented days of adventure comics. “Superman: Red Son” by Mark Millar and Dave Johnson: There’s not a more daring book on this list. Mark Millar reimagines the Man of Steel, one of the great American comic book icons, as the protector of the Soviet Union, mentored not by kindly Kansan farmers, but by Joseph Stalin. Cold War brinksmanship drips from the pages, and the dark color palette only serves to enhance that feeling of dread. “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” by Alan Moore and Curt Swan: In two short issues, Alan Moore and Curt Swan took nearly fifty years of Superman lore and simultaneously paid tribute to them and handily outdid them. With a Daily Planet newspaper story about Lois Lane’s relationship with Superman as the catalyst, the Man of Tomorrow’s final days are recounted. Every character of consequence appears throughout the course of the fast-paced story, and fans and industry insiders alike have declared it the end of an era in Superman comics. Of course, it should hardly come as a surprise that Alan Moore penned the best comic of all time for a given category, should it? Honorable mentions: “The Death of Superman” by various writers and artists“Superman: For Tomorrow” by Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee“Superman: True Brit” by John Cleese and John Byrne“Superman & Swamp Thing: The Jungle Line” by Alan Moore and Rick Veitch“Superman: Speeding Bullets” by J.M. DeMatteis and Eduardo BarretoSelected titles available this weekFall of the Hulks: Red Hulk #2Deadpool #20Amazing Spider-Man #622Superman #697Teen Titans #80The Flash: Rebirth #6Victorian Undead #4Wildcats #20Northlanders #25Unknown Soldier #17
(02/17/10 11:26pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ever since the Internet made its debut, there have been risks associated with surfing the Web. Society has become wary of Nigerian princes and sex predators, and viruses and spam no longer refer exclusively to illnesses and canned meat.It should come as no surprise, then, that when social networking site Facebook launched six years ago, people were concerned about what social ills it would propagate. As it became more ubiquitous, the concerns grew. Ted Striphas, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and Culture, thinks some of that worry is misplaced.“Facebook allows more access into people’s daily lives, to be sure,” he said. “What’s important not to lose sight of, however, is the fact that virtually every new technology — from the telephone to radio, television and beyond — has raised similar concerns. In many respects, the recent worries over Facebook are little more than instances of a forgotten history repeating itself.”Indeed, there is remarkably little concrete evidence that Facebook is any riskier than chat rooms or e-mail when it comes to sex predation, online scams or computer viruses. Of course, that doesn’t mean the risks don’t exist, but the same rules apply to Facebook that apply all over the Internet. If you’re suspicious that something is illegal, it probably is. Striphas agreed that protection from online scams rests in the hands of the people being scammed.“Sure, crime happens, or can happen, on Facebook. I understand that there are “quizzes,” for example, that get you to disclose personal information that might then be used to hack your accounts online,” he said. “I doubt much can be done to stop this on the Facebook side of things.”An argument can also be made that Facebook doesn’t stay on the Web. It follows people into their daily lives and contributes to psychological diseases like obsessive compulsive disorder and attention deficit disorder. Striphas concedes this might be true but contends that Facebook is far from being the sole factor in such disorders, or even a very important one. “The idea that Facebook is singularly responsible for disorders such as ADD and OCD is absurd. Is it a contributing factor? Perhaps, but what’s more important to recognize is the broader context of these disorders, which cannot be reduced to the influence of Facebook or digital media more generally,” he said. “There are numerous sociological, psychological and perhaps even environmental factors that also contribute to ADD and OCD, and so to scapegoat Facebook seems to me to miss the point.” Ultimately, and perhaps unfortunately, anecdotal evidence dominates the arguments against Facebook. A student’s grade-point average falls, so he cites Facebook addiction as the cause. A woman is fired when her boss sees compromising photographs of her, so she blames Facebook for making them so accessible. A young man has OCD-like symptoms and can’t stop checking his Facebook, but he points to its addictive nature as the reason.As online social networking becomes more and more accessible, the potential for risk grows exponentially. Striphas would like to see “some type of digital information education that could take place in schools, perhaps at the level of junior high or earlier.“We fail the citizenry to the extent that we do not prepare them to navigate what will only be an increasing life online.”
(02/17/10 6:20pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It seems odd to use the word “underrated” to describe a band with as much commercial acclaim as Finnish gloom-bringers HIM, but it’s really the best description. HIM fans are typically presumed to be either skateboarders or mall goths — neither group is known for its discerning musical tastes — so most serious music fans write them off as a novelty.Since this is the case, the world at large is really missing out; Ville Valo’s songs are more poignant with each album, and “Screamworks,” the band’s seventh, is no exception. Everything that HIM has come to embody is present in spades.That isn’t to say the band has become multidimensional. If you’re not looking for hook-filled gothic rock that finds the balance between retro-pop and modern doom metal, this record probably isn’t for you. But if that is what you’re after, it doesn’t get a lot better than this.
(02/16/10 1:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>To paraphrase the great underground comedian Brian Posehn, the worst thing you can do to a nerd is to get their obsession wrong. When Hollywood decides to undertake comic book projects, they typically heed this warning. But not always.Generally speaking, there are three outcomes when a comic book movie is made. Most often, it’s a fun movie at the theater, you see it once, and you never need to or want to see it again. Somewhat less often, it’s absolutely terrible and takes everything that was good about its source material and puts it in an accessible package that has little merit, if any. And most rarely of all, the film is a genuine masterpiece: great not only as a comic book movie, but also as a movie in general.To stir up controversy, I’m going to break down just a few of the notable comic book movies that Hollywood has produced. Category A: Fun Once, Not Worth Buying: “Hellboy”/“Hellboy: The Golden Army” – These movies are both a good time and capture the essence of the beloved Mignola antihero reasonably well, but the second-viewing value is pretty low.“Spider-Man” Trilogy: The first two are on the threshold of pretty good and excellent, and the third is an abomination. Considering I wouldn’t rank the first two among my favorite comic book movies, I think it’s fair to call this a Category A trilogy.Basically every “Superman” movie: Nothing remotely close to a masterpiece yet, but nothing terrible. Christopher Nolan’s new advisory role on the next installment gives me a lot of hope, though.Category B: Abominations“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”: I went to see this movie for its midnight release. A refund for my ticket would have been insufficient; I deserved a refund for my two hours. Everything that was great about the original X-Men trilogy was gone, and even Hugh Jackman couldn’t save it.“Watchmen”: Another midnight premiere that wasted my time, except this one wasted over three hours of it. I don’t need to hear the arguments about how it was pretty faithful to the book. Those are not my complaints. My complaints are much more specific, and I might detail them in a later week when I write all about Watchmen. Simply put, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons made a subtle, beautiful masterpiece, and Zack Snyder made it loud, brash, and damn near unwatchable. “Hulk”: No, not the Ed Norton version that came out last year. That one belongs in Category A. I’m talking about Ang Lee and Eric Bana’s project from 2003 that looked like a bad CGI take on a TNT drama and sucked ten times worse. There was a time when I considered this the worst movie I had ever seen. And I was a Mystery Science Theater 3000 fan. Category C: MasterpiecesHey, let’s do this as a top five, why not:5. “Sin City”: Say what you will about Frank Miller and his most famous creation – I think both are terribly overrated, personally – but Robert Rodriguez really made Sin City come to life. If 100 Bullets gets a treatment half as professional, it’ll knock this off the list, but for now, props to Rodriguez for making one of the most unique-looking comics of all time look real on the screen.4. “X2: X-Men United”: Miles ahead of the “Origins” flick because it told the Weapon X story properly, with a good script, and with an all-star cast turning in great performances across the board. Jackman eats up the spotlight in his best Wolverine performance, and when two of your lead roles are filled by people whose names begin with “Sir,” the movie is bound to be pretty good.3. “Iron Man”: Hopefully this movie will mark a trend for Marvel Studios. Their plan for a 2012 Avengers movie as a culmination of individual movies for each Avenger is ambitious, but doable. Robert Downey, Jr. is tremendous, and the new Iron Man origin story works exceedingly well against our current Middle East political backdrop.2. “V for Vendetta”: Alan Moore says he doesn’t watch any film adaptations of his work. In most cases, it’s because the adaptation is terrible, and he has a point. In this case, it’s probably because the Wachowski Brothers outdid him. The source material is strong, but in the post-9/11 era and with Natalie Portman’s best performance, this movie is the real deal.1. “The Dark Knight”: Was there really any question? And do I even need to say why? This is a milestone in filmmaking, not just in comic book movies. With any luck, this movie has given production companies the impetus to start making high quality comic book adaptations more often.The big name on the horizon right now is, of course, “Jonah Hex,” due out on June 18. Frankly, if it lives up to the hype, it could easily dethrone “The Dark Knight.” Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Michael Fassbender, Megan Fox, and a soundtrack by Mastodon for one of the best comics on the shelves right now? If you’re going to pick a horse for the race, it’s probably this one.Selected titles available this weekAmazing Spider-Man #621Captain America #603Deadpool #19Hulk #20Batman #696Green Lantern #51Air #18Dante’s Inferno #3Devil #1
(02/10/10 6:24pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite a mid-career crisis that saw him directing a number of below-average horror flicks, Rob Zombie is a rock ‘n’ roll icon. Since his days with industrial metal pioneers White Zombie, he has carved out a niche for himself as a consummate showman and master of the gravelly vocal.“Hellbilly Deluxe 2” sees Zombie revisiting the roots he put down on his first solo record, 1998’s hugely successful “Hellbilly Deluxe.” After a brief classic rock detour on 2006’s “Educated Horses,” the new disc finds him diving headfirst into his old shtick. Hot rods, hot women, monsters and madmen take center stage, and the rock ‘n’ roll is so sleazy that it’s probably a good idea to get tested for VD after listening.The album doesn’t birth as many bona-fide classics as his older work, but a big part of Rob Zombie’s music is surrendering your thinking cap and taking in the schlocky atmosphere. If that was his goal, consider “Hellbilly Deluxe 2” a triumphant return.
(02/10/10 6:15pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>America hates Priestess. The fact is almost indisputable at this point. The Montreal throwback metal quartet’s earthshaking debut “Hello Master” spent a year on Canadian shelves before any American label thought to release it, even while the band toured with heavy metal it-boys Mastodon. Now the follow-up record “Prior to the Fire” is finally being released stateside nearly two years after its completion and six months after its Canadian release.Priestess seems unaffected by any disrespect the music business harbors. The new LP is everything retro rock should be: mountain-moving riffs, fuzzed-out solos, strong vocals and an impeccably Zeppelin-esque sense of songwriting. The opening one-two punch of “Lady Killer” and “Raccoon Eyes” sets the bar impossibly high, until “The Firebird” blows both out of the water.The band might have appeared in “Guitar Hero III” a few years back, but the musicians are anything but the next DragonForce. This is real, gritty rock music, with enough staying power to outlast lesser retro rock bands like The Sword and Wolfmother, and they’ll keep doing it whether America is on board or not.
(02/09/10 12:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s tough to nail down a good analogy for what Stan Lee means to comics. Is he the Michael Jordan of comics? No, because he definitely didn’t perfect them. Is he the George Washington of comics? Well, he certainly wasn’t the first to write them. What about Henry Ford? Truthfully, he didn’t innovate the industry that much in his most active years.Despite all that, Lee is undoubtedly the most important single figure in comic book history, and it’s not hard to see why. He created many of Marvel Comics’ most recognizable characters – Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men – and he did in the 1940s when comic books had the same literary reputation as pornography. He had his shortcomings as a writer, but it’s difficult to judge his skills objectively since the target audience for comic books at the time was primarily composed of children. In spite of occasionally paper-thin plots, his stories stick with us to this day.He had his squabbles with his co-creator and former right-hand man artist Jack Kirby over the rights to some of his characters, but controversy rolls off of him like water off of the back of a duck. No one wants to dislike Stan Lee. He is nothing if not venerable.He gave us “excelsior.” He gave us “true believers.” He gave us “’nuff said.” He opened a dialogue between the producer and the consumer that didn’t exist before, and that current Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada has maintained.He changed the comics industry from a dead end of underperforming titles and cheap merchandise to the most viable movie production machine on the planet. Marvel Studios is the first and only film production company to give the comics people control of their own movie adaptations. In a savvy but still eyebrow-raising move, Lee sold Marvel to Disney last year. Profits have continued to rise.No singular figure at D.C. Comics stands out as much as Stan Lee does at Marvel. It’s difficult to pinpoint why, but there seems to be little doubt that he is the most important person in the history of comic books.This might read a bit like a premature eulogy, and in a way, it is. The truth is, Stan Lee won’t be with us much longer. He’s healthy, but he’s also 87. Lest we forget how much his contributions mean to the entire graphic fiction genre, we remember him here.Amen.Relevant links:A list of Stan Lee’s creationsThe Economist’s erudite analysis of Mr. Lee as a businessman. (Free membership required.)Part 1 of an interview Kevin Smith did with Mr. Lee (Successive parts in Related Videos)Selected titles out this weekDark X-Men #4New Mutants #10Action Comics #886Batman and Robin #8DMZ #50The Unwritten #10B.P.R.D.: Kingdom of Fear #2Solomon Kane: Death’s Black Riders #2
(02/02/10 12:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This week, WEEKEND Comic Talk is going to tackle six artists who have made their mark on the industry in a big and positive way. Unlike with writers, these features won’t list the artist’s “darkest hour” because artists don’t really have bad work that isn’t at least partially the fault of the writing or the fact that they aren’t good artists in the first place. In short, all six of these guys have only drawn things that are nice to look at. Behold, the artists:Bryan Hitch: Marvel’s go-to guy for its big-name releases has established himself as the master of superhero artwork in the 21st century. While trends developed in the 1990s that imagined superheroes as steroid-fueled bulk machines or skinny “real life” vigilantes, Hitch’s artwork rectifies that disparity and creates believable yet larger than life representations of some of the Marvel Universe’s finest creations, most notably his brilliant interpretation of Captain America.Shining moment: "The Ultimates"Dave Gibbons: Not unlike the writing of his frequent coworker Alan Moore, many of the trends in modern comics art can be traced to the art of one Dave Gibbons. His key influences were in the blue-collar early comics art of forefathers like Jack Kirby, but he took that workaday aesthetic to an unprecedented level with his 1980s output, whose unparalleled combination of understatement and detail seemed to bridge a gap between the dated styles of yesteryear and the wave of the future that he would inadvertently spawn.Shining moment: "Watchmen"Mike Mignola: No one in the comics business is more modest than Mike Mignola. He claims that his style of art, which relies heavily on the interplay of shadow and light and intentionally obscures detail, came from his inability to draw well. Whatever his reasoning is, the cryptic darkness of his art is unmistakable, and arguably the best character outside of DC and Marvel (here’s a hint: there’s two movies about him that you probably saw, didn’t think sucked, and didn’t give any further thought to) exists solely within Mignola’s dark universe.Shining moment: "Hellboy"Tim Sale: This artist has a less distinct style than anyone else on this list, but a greater range of versatility than almost anyone in comics. He can use shadows to create dark worlds, define the musculature of superheroes, or paint pastoral Americana better than Norman Rockwell ever did. His working relationship with writer Jeph Loeb is among the best in comics history, too, and any comic with both of those names on the cover is a safe bet for greatness.Shining moment: "Superman for All Seasons"Adi Granov: Some purists see the rise of software-based comic book art and the overuse of photo reference as the beginning of the end for comics as an artist’s medium. In some respects, these people aren’t off base, but as anyone who has ever looked at the art of Adi Granov can attest to, the new technologies can be applied well by the right talent. His lines are sleek and surgically precise, and there’s no one in the business whose art can be described as “cleaner” than his. If we have to concede that the coming era won’t have as many distinctive artists, we shouldn’t have to settle for anything less than the best.Shining moment: "Iron Man Extremis"Walt Simonson: He may be an anomaly on this list; a left field choice for an admitted modern comics disciple. But he’s also the most influential comic book artist of the pre-Dave Gibbons era, and the only person who married the garish colors of the first wave of superhero comics with a more modern approach and didn’t produce complete garbage. The subtitle of his work on "Thor" is called “Visionaries,” and there couldn’t be a more accurate word to describe Walt Simonson.Shining moment: "Manhunter"Selected titles available this weekWolverine Weapon X #10Invincible Iron Man #23Ultimate Comics X #1Batman Confidential #41Jonah Hex #52Superman: World of New Krypton #12Dante’s Inferno #3Victorian Undead #4Fables #93Jack of Fables #43Conan the Cimmerian #18
(01/28/10 12:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Aziz Ansari said he read a blog about his latest comedy album that unfairly called him a “douchebag,” this reviewer admittedly squirmed in his seat a bit. After all, he could have been talking about the Weekend Watchers blog, where such an event did occur.Fortunately, the setup continues to reveal that the blog comment was written by an ex-roommate, one who drank the juice out of the bottom of cans of tuna and believed he was possessed by the ghost of Scar from “The Lion King.” The punchline reveals he should have commented under the name “Hyenas,” saying, “You better look out, man.”Ansari sometimes takes his act a bit over the top with his delivery (and presumably his physicality, but alas, CDs are audio-only). But unlike some comedians who are rendered unlistenable because of their energy, Ansari’s doesn’t detract from his punch lines. His references are current, and while not every joke on the album delivers, it is always competent and occasionally uproarious.Fortunately, if his growth thus far is any indication, this comedian’s ceiling is still years away.
(01/27/10 1:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Welcome, true believers and newcomers alike, to the first edition of WEEKEND Comics Talk. This edition will introduce and explore the works of a half dozen of the finest comics writers in the universe, and close with a list of titles that will be available in comic book stores across the country this week. But first, a few disclaimers: with anything that comes down to taste, biases are going to be present. You won’t read about anything Japanese in this weekly feature, nor will you read about very much from before the 1980s comics explosion except in a historical context. Still, I very much want this to be a public forum for the discussion of comics, so heated debate is strongly encouraged, and emails regarding what readers would like to see in future editions are always appreciated. So, without further ado, here are six men who have consistently taken the comic book narrative to its limits in their work and who any newcomer would do well to study.Alan Moore: No one in the history of comic books is more iconoclastic or eccentric than this Englishman, but none are more revered or influential either. After his fairly pedestrian introduction to the world of mainstream comics with 1982’s "Marvelman" (retitled "Miracleman" stateside) he quickly ascended to unprecedented levels, with his output from 1985 to 1988 still considered some of the greatest of all time. He has reinvented himself and now has his own line of comics called America’s Best which grants him freedom that he felt he lacked working with DC and Marvel. Moore will probably never totally recapture what made those 80s works so fantastic, but he still writes at a relatively high level and has had the most remarkable career of anyone in comics history aside from Stan Lee.Shining moment: "Watchmen"Darkest hour: "Lost Girls"Brian K. Vaughan: At thirty-three years of age, this Cleveland-native wunderkind is probably the youngest person in comics history to attain what he has attained (Again, aside from Stan Lee. More on him in a later edition). Non-comics aficionados are probably familiar with Vaughan from his work as a writer on "Lost" from seasons three to five, but in the humble opinion of this writer, his true greatness pours out of his inventive approach to comic books. His body of work is still limited, but he has spent the last decade churning out instant classic after instant classic, and it’s not impossible to think that he could eventually be called the greatest of all time.Shining moment: "Ex Machina"Darkest hour: "Runaways"Mark Millar: The central figure in a very strong modern comics movement coming out of Scotland, Millar is the absolute king of the what-if motif. Most of his best work has come out of DC or Marvel asking him to reinvent beloved characters or totally change the face of the universe he’s operating within. He has given us a communist Superman, a civil war fought by forces led by Iron Man and Captain America, and an entirely new universe of Marvel characters where Tony Stark is terminally ill and Nick Fury looks like Samuel L. Jackson. If you want your universe reinvented, just give it to Mark Millar and watch the genius unfold.Shining moment: "The Ultimates"Darkest hour: "Kick-Ass"Brian Azzarello: Another Clevelander, Brian Azzarello rose to prominence on the strength of one of the most ambitious finite runs of all time in his 100-issue "100 Bullets" series. It wasn’t totally consistent but it more than made up for that with its massive scope and its exciting, morally ambiguous antiheroes. Azzarello continued this obsession with imperfect protagonists with brilliant treatments of both Lex Luthor and the Joker, and his work is universally respected by contemporaries, most of whom probably wish they had the patience to do a hundred issues of anything.Shining moment: "100 Bullets"Darkest hour: "Filthy Rich"Grant Morrison: Perhaps this Scot’s uncanny resemblance to Lex Luthor is what makes him such a fantastic comic book writer, but I doubt it. More likely, it’s his unbelievable knack for letting words do the writing where they need to and stepping aside to let his artists flesh out his stories the rest of the time. Take the first page of "All-Star Superman" #1, for example: the only words to be found are “Doomed planet. Desperate scientists. Last hope. Kindly couple.” Just like that, a thousand words of Superman origin story are condensed into eight and the story is allowed to unfold. It’s with this approach to narrative that Morrison has ascended to such great heights as a writer and has earned the undying respect of the critics, fans and colleagues alike.Shining Moment: "All-Star Superman"Darkest hour: "Fantastic Four: 1234"Ed Brubaker: There is probably no one with a greater reverence for the history of the characters he writes about than Maryland’s Ed Brubaker. In his brilliant "Captain America" #600, a section at the back of the book reproduced the covers of the first 599 issues of the run, and that was the perfect metaphor for what Brubaker is all about. When he takes on a new assignment, he also takes on the sixty-plus years that precede it, and in turn, the writing always shines. Shining moment: "The Death of Captain America"Darkest hour: "X-Men: Deadly Genesis"Selected new releases available this week:Daredevil #504Fall of the Hulks: Red Hulk #1Fantastic Four #575Thor #606Detective Comics #861Teen Titans #79Superman #696Victorian Undead #3Wildcats #19Jack of Fables #42Unknown Soldier #16Predator #4
(01/19/10 10:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the mid-1990s, video games were quietly pushing boundaries and
reaching pinnacles that had been unthinkable. The Super Nintendo stole
all the headlines with its revolutionizing of classic characters like
Mario and Donkey Kong, and its ugly stepsister, the Sega Genesis, was
the last truly successful platform from that company.
After two more ill-fated systems – the Saturn and the Dreamcast – Sega
folded and sold the rights to its few beloved characters to Nintendo.
Retro revivalists look to the halcyon days of Nintendo as a beacon and
barely pay any attention to the Sega Genesis, which was in its own
right a revolutionary system with a number of indisputably classic
games.
But I was a Sega Genesis player, and after rediscovering some of those
old games a few years ago, I’m happy to report that I’m a Genesis gamer
once again. Without further ado, here are the five Sega Genesis games
you need to be playing.
"Vectorman": A hugely underrated and hard to describe platformer where
you play as a green robot made of floating green balls. You fight other
robots in a futuristic world. The plot isn’t great, but it’s difficult
to care when you’re a green robot who can shoot energy out of his hands.
"NBA Jam": Perhaps the greatest and most influential sports game of all
time aside from the "Madden" franchise, "NBA Jam" set the stage for "NFL Blitz," "NBA
Street," and a dozen more “hey, that can’t happen” titles. Easily the
most fun game for the system, and it birthed the “three shots and you’re
on fire” rule that has since been applied by not only video game
programmers but beer pong aficionados.
"Sonic the Hedgehog 2": Some will argue that "Sonic and Knuckles" was the
superior title, but Sega really hit their stride in every way with the
second installment of the original "Sonic" series. Everything was
streamlined and simplified while the Mario-esque gameplay was pushed to a
higher level than Mario himself had ever been.
"Bomberman": A game about a guy with a black face scarf strategically
bombing people probably wouldn’t go over quite as well in the post-9/11
world, but that’s a shame because this was one of the best puzzle games
ever made and provided for hours upon hours of addictive gameplay.
"Shaq Fu": Now, I’m not an ironic hipster or anything like that, but
this is one of the greatest “so bad it’s good” games of all time.
That’s right, the first game Shaquille O’Neal ever lent his likeness to
was not about basketball but about…ninjas. If taking Shaq Diesel on a
ninja ass-kicking rampage isn’t your idea of a fun afternoon in, you
should probably steer clear of this one.
(01/13/10 11:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Democrat Jon Corzine was handily ousted from the governorship of New Jersey in November, Republicans rejoiced, calling the election a referendum on the presidency of Barack Obama. Democrats scoffed, citing the unpopularity and possible ineptitude Corzine had demonstrated for months before this nation’s first black president ever set foot in the Oval Office. When election season rolls around in 2010, it is safe to expect a lot of similar bickering. For every moderate Democrat who is replaced by a moderate Republican, the Fox News demographic will forecast Obama’s inevitable fall in 2012; and for every Democrat who retains his or her seat, Keith Olbermann will offer a smug “I told you so.” For fear of descending into cliche, I’ll leave it at this: politics should be business as usual in 2010, and no amount of change in the houses of Congress will be a surefire indication of what will happen in the presidential election of 2012. No amount of confidence from either side should convince you otherwise.Still, 2010 should be an important year for President Obama. Thus far, he has taken steps toward fulfilling many of his campaign promises, yet completed very few. To keep his supporters from jumping ship, he’ll have to do more, especially regarding highly visible issues like reversing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and pulling out of Iraq. It’s especially important that he start fulfilling promises this year since the presumed beginning of his reelection campaign looms in 2011. Perhaps the most important political event of 2010 – and the one with the most long-term ramifications – is the conducting of the official United States Census. Many Midwestern and northern states stand to lose in the House of Representatives, including nearby Ohio and Michigan, while the South and West should pick up representatives in Texas, Georgia and Arizona, among other states. Gerrymandering will surely become a key point of discussion as the census gets underway. Reapportionment, which is left to state legislatures, can easily be used to disenfranchise certain voting demographics. Democrats might be at an advantage for carrying out this demonized deed, since the effects of creating gerrymandered districts shouldn’t become relevant in this year’s midterm elections. But many Democrats, who are at the mercy of an unforgiving electorate, probably wish that they would.
(12/27/09 11:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The redemption of Robert Downey Jr. has yielded overwhelmingly positive results thus far. His performance in "Iron Man" makes it hard to imagine anyone else as Tony Stark, and he earned an Oscar nomination for his role in "Tropic Thunder." He can now add Sherlock Holmes to his resume; the title character in Guy Ritchie’s latest film came to life in his capable hands. Jude Law simultaneously turned in an impressive performance as his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson.Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t quite live up to the potential that its star power lends it. Downey and Law are flawless, but with the exception of an unusually inspired performance by Rachel McAdams, the rest of the supporting cast seems to phone it in.Still, the movie is fast-paced, action-packed and surprisingly hilarious at times. The idiosyncrasies of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character – the meticulously planned combat, the unquenchable curiosity, the uncanny ability to piece together clues – translate wonderfully to the screen, especially since Downey Jr. portrays the character so well. The big reveal at the film’s climax is even uniquely Doyleian, even if modern viewers will see it as a Scooby Doo moment: Holmes explicitly explains to the bad guy how he figured out his evil schemes."Sherlock Holmes" is an entertaining movie, but this reviewer can’t help but think it will go the way of such flicks as "The Brothers Grimm," "Van Helsing," and "The Da Vinci Code": action/sleuth movies with average scripts and above-average leading performances that are fun in the theater but ultimately impossible to rewatch. Give Downey and Law credit, but don’t overvalue the movie as a result.
(12/22/09 12:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When "The Hangover" first hit theaters back in June, mainstream comedy had definitely reached a point of stagnation. Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill were engaging in wackier antics with each passing day, Paul Rudd had at least a dozen new best friends, and Judd Apatow was cashing checks on a weekly basis that were big enough to pay for all the bar mitzvahs in his neighborhood. Naturally, when it was announced that underground comedy legend Zach Galifianakis, "Daily Show" alum and current "Office" standout Ed Helms, and relative newcomer Bradley Cooper would be the leads in a new comedy that didn’t have any of the aforementioned funny people involved in the creative process, America’s eyes lit up.
And the movie delivered. It was undoubtedly the best comedy of 2009, and the entire cast turned in hilarious performances. A few immortal lines may have even been born in the process. Seven months later and two editions of the DVD have been released. Unlike the movie itself, these packages are completely underwhelming. The standard edition contains just the movie, and the deluxe edition has the standard bonus features – a gag reel and some featurettes, namely – and little else. Of possible interest is the extended edition that appears on the first disc, but the only extended scenes are extended by a few seconds, and no completely new scenes appear. The package isn’t embarrassingly bad, but it offers little in the way of innovation.
(12/09/09 8:46pm)
BoD: Brad Sanders and Tom Miller discuss the decade in metal.
(11/18/09 8:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ask anyone to provide a list of Thanksgiving foods, and they’ll probably be able to answer you without much thinking. Turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, biscuits, pumpkin pie and a whole a slew of other dishes sit steaming in the kitchen on the fourth Thursday of November, while the Detroit Lions lose in the background and Aunt Bertha smooches all of her adorable nephews. While it isn’t difficult to build the food portion of a Thanksgiving menu, beverages are tougher to pin down. There’s no essential “Thanksgiving drink.” It’s too late for iced tea and too early for eggnog. There is no uniformity, and in my family, it’s not unlikely for everyone at the table to be drinking something different.Fortunately, our country’s founders came up with a solution for such a Thanksgiving dilemma. During colonial times, barley was scarce, so pumpkins grown by Native Americans were used as a substitute in brewing. Several modern microbreweries have rekindled this tradition and sell seasonal pumpkin ales, made in the old tradition and with spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to flavor the brews.Gourmet food stores are the place to look for pumpkin ales, as liquor stores probably aren’t quite classy enough to carry them. Renowned varieties include Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale, Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale and Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Thanksgiving traditions are worn out; it’s time they were revitalized with a drink.
(11/11/09 5:30pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Metalheads, perhaps more than fans of any other modern genre, have a reverence for history and tradition, and Slayer’s first five albums, a streak running from 1983 to 1990, are all undisputed classics. With this in mind, it’s easy to see how the devolution of their career that has since occurred comes as a slap in the face to aficionados.“World Painted Blood,” the thrash quartet’s 11th full-length album, continues the downward spiral. The album-opening title track starts off promisingly enough – the riffs are good, and the vocals don’t try too hard – but with just a minute left in the six-minute track, frontman Tom Araya ruins the song with some spoken word verses that, when laid on top of the “beats” drummer Dave Lombardo provides, sound suspiciously like rap. “Beauty Through Order” is a serviceable, mid-paced track and doesn’t offend the eardrums. The rest of the album is pretty much terrible.“Playing With Dolls” gets special mention as the worst Slayer song ever recorded. Headbangers won’t forget when Slayer was great, but it’s clear that fond memories are all they’ll have.
(11/03/09 10:11pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With AMC’s miniseries remake of the seminal 1960s British television drama “The Prisoner” set to debut next week, the folks at A&E Home Video have decided to re-release the entire original series – which will be nearly impossible to top. The premise is simple enough: A high-ranking British spy (Patrick MacGoohan) resigns from his post, but instead of being allowed to reenter society knowing all that he knows, he is abducted and made to live in the eerily picturesque Village, where names are replaced with numbers and there is no escape. But “The Prisoner” is far from simple as the complex plot unfolds over the series.The DVD set collects all 17 episodes of the original series with limited bonus features including trailers and an alternate version of the episode “The Chimes of Big Ben.” While the bonus features might be slightly underwhelming, this set is definitely worth checking out to see the huge influence “The Prisoner” has exerted on modern film and TV. MacGoohan’s brainchild (he created, wrote, directed and starred in the series) is perhaps the finest moment in TV drama history, and it’s well worth it to catch up before AMC’s remake inevitably destroys it.
(10/28/09 11:47pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At WEEKEND we love three things: Halloween, lists and creepy children. And anytime we can combine those three things, we just have to do it. Thankfully, a list of the best horror/scary/Halloween/whatever else you want to call them films does the trick. Below, WEEKEND staffers give their two cents on cinema’s scariest. “Psycho” (1960) - Arguably the greatest psychological thriller of all time, this Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece based on real life serial killer Ed Gein has the same effect that it had during its release nearly 50 years ago. – Doug Evans“The Shining” (1980) - The very definition of “psychological horror”. Stephen King’s sometimes boring novel was perfectly adapted for the screen by a renegade Stanley Kubrick who is at his most creatively vital here. Not only the greatest horror movie of all time, but a candidate for the greatest movie. – Brad Sanders“Let the Right One In” (2008) - In a decade when Edward Cullen and the men of True Blood are dominating the main stream as today’s perception of vampires, the Swedish film “Let the Right One In” challenged American audiences by being a film that took being a vampire seriously. Some remarkable special effects and even an eerily touching romance will make this film one of the all-time greats. – Brian Welk“The Exorcist” (1973) - Um, it’s a fucking exorcism. – Adam Lukach“Night of the Living Dead” (1968) - Walking zombies seem so commonplace today, but if it were not for this George Romero classic, there would probably be no walking dead. This movie gave us the formula for how many times you need to kill someone before they are really dead: twice. – D.E.“Halloween” (1978) - This movie is fantastic because there’s ultimately very little to it. There’s barely any origin story. We don’t know much about Michael Myers. What we do know is he kills teenagers. Turn up the awesome. – B.S.“Blair Witch Project” (1999) - Maybe it’s because the kids I went and saw it with convinced me that it was real, but this movie scared the hell out of me. The amateur documentary style was really original and helps to lend a more real, close to home element to the movie. – A.L.“Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) - Roman Polanski showed what will happen if you make a pact with the devil: you will have his baby. – D.E.“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974) - Trumps every other backwoods redneck murder movie by a long shot, a truly terrifying genre masterpiece. – B.S.“Poltergeist” (1982) - Directed by Tobe Hooper, this film exemplifies haunted house horror. A family is tormented by ghosts, and their only savior is a midget woman who is just as scary as the spirits she tries to rid. – D.E.