Monday, November 15, 2010

Media Spotlight 11/15/2010

Well everyone, the holidays are just around the corner, and that's good news for media fanatics. So bar up the windows, lock your doors, and tell your loved ones you went to Cuba, because you've got a date with a television screen.

Movie Goblins: This week clearly belongs to you. Unless you've been living under a dragon egg for the last decade, it should come as no surprise that this week's movie pick is...

This is the first of a two part finale to the beloved series based off the books by J.K. Rowling. In case you're one of the five people who have not read the books, I will refrain from spilling the specifics about what is likely to happen during this installment. All I will say is don't let the trailer fool you. As with the last movie the majority of the action takes place in the trailer. Yes there will probably be some forced loved story between actors that have no chemistry whatsoever! The real reason to keep watching Harry Potter is for the unique experience of sitting together with your friends and cheering for the hero, the way you did by yourself when you read the books.

Why you should care:
Maybe this wizard stuff isn't for everyone, but this is one of the few mythos of our generation, and it's pretty much on par with the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian campfire tales. So take an interest in your generation, cause this is a story that will long outlast those vampire books.


Virtual Reality Enthusiasts: Well if you're already done with Black Ops there is hope on the way. This weeks pick illustrates my argument against people who claim that video games are not art. Suck it Epert!



Ok so if you played the first two Assassin's Creed games you have a fair grasp on the subject. You are a spawn of a long line of Assassins and because of that your genes can be used to recreate their memories. Sound like a stretch I know. In the first game players evoked Altiar, a cold arrogant assassin who through a series of events is humbled, and is better off for it. The game took place in the Holy Land during the 3rd crusade and was all around an alright game. The second creed blew the first game out of the water. Players were much more inclined to embody Ezio, a happy go lucky sort of assassin, that combined with the beautiful streets of Florance Italy (during the Renaissance no less) made the game a holiday hit. Therefore Ubisoft decided to make a part two for that game. Much like before you will travel the streets hunting corrupt politicians, killing them all stealthy like, then running away... sounds repetitive, Ubisoft thought so too. In Brotherhood you get to tell lesser assassins to do your killing for you. I suppose that sounds like it could get old, but surprisingly it adds tactics to the game play. For those of you who grew tired of Italy fear not, Brotherhood takes place in Rome and I must say it doesn't get much prettier than that. Not only is every famous (or in some cases infamous) landmark in place but the game feeds you historical tid bits to boot. Just tell mom and dad that it's educational.


Why you should Care: Beautiful environment, interesting story, a break in the typical Assassin's Creed formula. If they were paying me I'd tell you to go buy it right now.


Channel Surfers: This week is a freebie, I can't claim it to be a real show but I want to hold off till next week to showcase some other shows. So sit back and get ready for the return of the return of


Yes he's a master of comedy, and perhaps the only part of TBS that's "Very Funny" but hey good for him. Not much has changed from his previous two shows, but I am glad to report that the moon in the background of his set actually moves via a remote control. There's not much to tell other than that. If you like it you like it. If you don't, you're a stiff that wouldn't know comedy if it barfed in your lap. Either way it is what it is.

Why you should care: Conan loves what he does so much that he went to cable just to have a show he could call his own.


Notes: If anyone remembers Eerie Indiana head on over to Hulu, they have the entire series up.

Remember if you have any questions, comments, or hate mail, feel free to send it my way jakewenger@yahoo.com

Monday, November 8, 2010

Media Spotlight 11/8/2010

Fire up the picture boxes and break out the tater chips, because you have duties to shirk and responsibilities to ignore. This week promises to be nothing less than spectacular for the media hounds of the world.

We'll start with gamers



Yes, yes, YES! It's time to get online and have 11 year olds fling horrible racial obscenities your way. Call of Duty black ops comes out... well tonight and if you're ready for a break from modern warfare and WWII games, you're probably not going to get it. By this point you should know if the Call of Duty series is right for you. If you like killing Terrorists/Nazis/Soviets/Zombies then hey I'll see you in line at midnight. If you're more into pretending to work out, then Xbox made a "Kinect" just for you, why don't you go play in traffic for a while. I would go into detail about the game but all you nerds out there already did your research.

Why you should care: I honestly can't recommend this one to anyone who isn't a gamer, sure you've got some terrific voice talent here, ie: Gary Oldman, and Ed Harris, but when all is said and done, this is a short one player game with an intense focus on the online aspect. If you want a fictionalized Cold war story with supplemental stock footage from the 1960s-90s that's cool, just remember it's 59.99.

BEST DEAL: toys R us is selling this baby for full price, but, you get a 20 dollar gift card with purchase.

CINEMA BUFFS

After last week's Due Date and Megamind, you can't really ask for much, My pick this week is




Yes JJ Abram's studio "Bad Robot" is surprisingly behind this Today show film. Morning Glory follows a producer (Rachel McAdams) for a morning show called Day Break. Her Job is to get a long time semi retired News Anchor (Harrison Ford) to not only Co-Host the show but to get along with his co-host (Diane Keaton).

Why you should care: I know what some of you are thinking, and the answer is yes, I am a closet Jeff Goldblum fan but he's not the only reason to go out and see this. I'm sure the ladies out there need no convincing. It's same writer who wrote The Devil Wears Prada and Harrison Ford is in it. There you're convinced, I can see it in those potentially teary eyes. Now fellas, this may not be Transformers, or Expendables. I know you would much rather see Unstoppable this weekend, but just remember, she sat though Saw and Paranormal Activity 2 and still went to bed with you that night. So buck up and put Call of Duty down for an evening because this has date movie written all over it.

TV PEEPS

Well I could recommend a slew of shows this week, but I'll keep it simple and showcase one a week.




The creator of My Name is Earl really knows how to write, but for some reason I could never get behind Earl, maybe it was the Southern accents. All I can say is I'm sorry if I ever doubted your story telling technique. Raising Hope follows Jimmy, an underachiever who knocks up a serial murderer and ends up with the baby. It sounds weird when I put it like that... all the same the show is awesome. The dialogue flows, every character is strong and the show puts value where you'd least suspect it.

Why you should care: I'm very picky with TV, a laugh track is enough to make me stay away from a sit com, but Raising Hope follows more in the path of Arrested Development and less in the path of Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. Not that those aren't good shows, I'm just tired of the formula and raising hope is a refreshing break from the mold.

Notes

It is National Write a Novel Month, so if you feel like doing something productive, there's that option.

My friend Sage recently drew my attention to radio1190.org. It's CU boulder's station, if you live in Colorado you may be able to get it in your car 1190am. They play a bit of everything with themed DJs and they give away tons of free tickets so listen in.

That's all for this week if you have questions, comments or hate mail, email me at jakewenger@yahoo.com