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LAFF Review: The People vs George Lucas
Any Star Wars fan worth his salt will tell you, George Lucas was the second coming… and the Devil. It’s a bizarre love-hate relationship between fans and Lucas (and some would argue it goes both ways). The man is responsible for arguably the greatest geek franchise of all time, as well as the second greatest in Indiana Jones. His imagination and enthusiasm in his work has inspired a generation (or two); but it’s certainly not all rainbows and sunshine.
Review: Toy Story 3
Ok, I know a while back I wrote an article ranting on the prevalence of sequels in animation and I know I’m writing a review on Toy Story 3, but I am not going to be like Armond White, the most hated critic on the planet, and rip the movie for nonsensical reasons. On the contrary, I thought Toy Story 3 was a brilliant cap to the amazing trilogy and honestly one of the most heartbreaking animated movies I have had the pleasure of seeing.
Review: Transformers: War for Cybertron [PS3]
High Moon Studios' Transformers: War for Cybertron received some great press in the build up to its release for a variety of reasons. It’s based on a beloved toy and TV show, yet it’s not tied to any specific license, it’s being made by people who are knowledgeable and passionate about the material and finally there have been comparisons made between its development, dubbed this year’s Arkham Asylum, and its substance, dubbed a Gears of War-esque shooter. With all this knowledge going into my time with War for Cybertron, plus the fact that I’m a Transformers fan, it was hard not to still feel worried it would disappoint. Luckily for Transformers fans everywhere, High Moon Studios does not disappoint.
Review: Salvage
Salvage, an indie horror pic out of the UK, makes its debut on DVD this month. Previously making the rounds as a festival film, Salvage has been chalking up some good buzz due to its ability to make good on a very tight budget, but as it makes its way from the festival to potential consumers, can its small cast, smaller budget, and indie-vibe hold up to its similar, but much more expensive Hollywood siblings?
Review: Get Him to the Greek
Back in 1982, there was a film called My Favorite Year, about a young NBC worker whose job is to make sure his filmic hero is sober enough to appear on a variety show. Now in 2010 we have a movie called Get Him to the Greek about a young music worker whose job is to make sure his rocker hero is “sober” enough to appear at a comeback concert in Los Angeles. Not only are the films rather similar in plot, but in tone as well. Which is why I didn’t enjoy Get Him to Greek as much as my friends who saw it. I love My Favorite Year. Its director, Richard Benjamin, mentored me last semester and therefore the film holds sentimental value. But forgetting my association to the film, I still feel that My Favorite Year is superior.
Second Opinion: Iron Man 2
Iron Man was perhaps Marvel's definitive film adaptation. With both Ghost Rider and Iron Man taking huge chances by casting older actors, the success of both was surprising. Neither character had the support of an animated series at the time, and both Nic Cage and Robert Downer Jr. were, dare I say, washed up. However, Iron Man rose up beyond expectations. Could the highly anticipated sequel do the same?
Review: Iron Man 2
Of all the films to be released in 2010, there's no doubt that Iron Man 2 is pretty close to the tip-top of movie-goers' most anticipated lists. Having seen it opening night (as any fanboy should), I can say two things for sure. One, it's sadly not as good as the first one. Secondly, it's still pretty awesome.
Review: Iron Man 2 by AC/DC
Let's just start this by saying we at the 8th are huge fans of AC/DC and Robert Downey Jr. So when we see an album that merges two of our loves together, released just days ago, we can't help but pick it up. But is the album on the highway to hell, or will you be thunderstruck?
Mini-Review: L4D2: The Passing
Left 4 Dead 2's first bit of DLC was released earlier today, and as a huge fan, I of course immediately played through it. The main hook of "The Passing" was the idea that the original survivors of the first game (Zoey, Louis, Francis, and Bill) would meet up with the current group. While I had feared that this was merely a marketing gimmick (although in a way it is) and that the two groups would have very little interaction, I was pleasantly surprised.
Retro Review: Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
Spider-man: Friend or Foe is an action beat-em-up game made for just about every system available today, including Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, PC, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, and the system I played it on, Nintendo Wii. You play as either Spider-Man or one of the foes that he’s fought in the past, such as Doc Ock or Sandman. Spider-Man and his foes must work together in two person teams to stop the bad guys.
