I must admit I'm not the biggest PJ fan. And the new trailer for The Lovely Bones makes this movie actually seem moderately interesting. There's just something about his illustrated book cinematic style that really puts me to sleep. But at least the CG looks somewhat compelling in The Lovely Bones. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not familiar with the source material, so I'm open to the possibility that this will be a really cool flick. I hope there's not too much Peter Jackson approved slo-mo in this one. That gets real tiresome real quick. Here's a look at some of the scenes ***spoilers*** of heaven:






I'm really digging the way this looks, hopefully the more amazing elements of this story will be perfectly suited for PJ's Polar Express style of computer graphics, though it seems he borrowed more from Tarsem's vocabulary.

POTENTIAL SPOLIERS!

Funny People, in these reviewers’ eyes, is not a dramedy. Like all the previous Judd Apatow movies, it’s mostly jokes. It’s pure comedy. It’s really only mature in its subject matter: a lonely, bitter, unhappy, desperate man (celebrity) trying to cope with his impending death. This is the first plot, the third act goes into a new direction having to do with Sandler’s character trying to win back the love of his life after becoming well again. Unfortunately for him, though, she’s married and has two kids. The only real dramatic moments in the film, I guess, involve Adam Sandler shouting at Seth Rogen a couple of times. I’d expected more.

But the movie does deliver when it comes to jokes, and there are plenty of jokes. Crude, tasteless jokes. Vulgar jokes. The kind a guy like me can really dig. All of the main characters in the film are comedians. Some are already established in the comedy world (Adam Sandler), while others are potential up and comers (Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill).
If you’re looking for a little insight into the world of stand up comedy this would be the picture for you to see. Judd Apatow, the director, used to be a comedian himself who also wrote jokes for comedians Roseanne and Tom Arnold.

The comedy in the film is typical of a Judd Apatow movie. There’s lots cursing and talk about male and female genitalia, masturbation, relationships, geeks and nerds, and a whole lot of movie and pop culture references. But some of the best gags for me came from the celebrity cameos, of which there are many. My favorite one would have to be James Taylor’s appearance with Seth Rogen’s character where he ends up using a lot of “blue” language, if you know what I mean. And Eric Bana, for the short time he’s actually in the movie, is hilarious as well playing a moody Australian traveling salesman grounded in eastern philosophy.

What’s atypical about this Apatow picture, and what I found to be the most enjoyable aspect, are the characters themselves. I’m used to seeing Seth Rogen playing lazy, sarcastic stoners, incompetent deviant police officers, or mentally unstable, date raping mall security guards, but in this movie he actually plays a very amiable, hard working, compassionate guy whose doesn’t smoke pot once! Adam Sandler on the other hand is the complete opposite of Rogen’s character: he’s a very mean, angry, and empty person. But, of course, he does have his redeeming qualities, which we see towards the end of the film. Sandler hasn’t played anyone this grumpy since Happy Gilmore.

Funny People is a decent film. Not my favorite comedy from this year (that cherry goes to Land of the Lost!), and not even my favorite Apatow movie, but it’s not terrible either. I certainly wasn’t bored. This is probably Adam Sandler’s best role since Punch Drunk Love, and Seth Rogen has shown us he has the acting chops to take on a role different from what we’re used to seeing him in. So it’s not all bad. My only disappointment was that Funny People wasn’t as big a leap forward in maturity for it’s director/writer, Judd Apatow, as I’d thought it would be.

Episode 11 of the Media Fix Podcast:
Listen on iTunes.
In this episode we have a rather uninformed discussion about Tron 2, and we talk about plenty of new trailers.
Trailers can be seen here.

BTW, here's the television we discuss.


tc-p54v10

Here is an interesting take on the controversy surrounding the price hike of Modern Warfare 2 in Europe (the game will now sell in that region for roughly $90 YIKES!).

Industry analyst Chris Deering suggests that blockbuster game titles will have to be priced around $116 to maintain profitability.

Are people willing to spend that kind of money on games in this yo-yo economy? Are the spit-polished HD graphics and Hollywood quality soundtrack really worth two weeks of groceries (and that's bachelor's groceries, mind you). My guess is no.

So what is the answer to the game industry's woes then? Mind you, I'm no expert, but here are a couple of obvious suggestions...

SUBSCRIPTIONS! SUBSCRIPTIONS!

Activision has two of the worlds most popular online video games on market (World of Warcraft and Call of Duty). One of these titles is subscription based, one is not. How much longer do you think you'll be fraggin' for free every month on COD? Much like WOW, Call of Duty has become a gaming platform unto itself. It's only a matter of time before they start charging $15 a month to play.

CHEAPER BUDGETS/CHEAPER GAMES BOTH IN-STORE AND ONLINE

With the advent of digitally distributed games via popular online services like Steam (PC), XBOX LIVE Arcade, WiiWare, and the Playstation Network, it is now proven that a company can make nice profit off of smaller, low budget games that range in price from $5-$20. This could very well be the blueprint for the future of industry, only for one thing: This business model only penetrates the part of the market that is connected to high speed internet.

Why not take some of these fantastic budget priced downloadable games like Battlefield 1943, Geometry Wars 2, or Braid, slap them in jewel-cases with nice color booklets and sell them at retail for a couple bucks more than their digitally distributed counterparts? I bet that the fanboys would even double dip in some cases.

It's hard to say what the gaming landscape will look like in the next 5 years but I'm guessing the most popular titles will be either significantly more expensive or cheaper than what we're playing now.

Remember when Nintendo 64 games were $70? Don't even get me started on the price of Neo Geo games. *SHUTTER*

Okay, even though I hate to admit it, some times nostalgia gives me the warm fuzzies. And the prospect of a Thundercats live-action movie makes think back to my childhood and that cartoon I can barely remember. Since this project is in-development, little has been divulged, but fortunately some concept art slipped through the cracks. What do you think?

On Hulu, for a very limited time, you can watch '45365', which is a documentary of sorts that captures the story of life in a small town. The small town is Sidney Ohio which is actually the home town of the filmmakers, which explains the level of access this movie has. It's a lot like being a fly on the wall of this community. It remains consistently interesting, which was a big surprise for me.
It's very odd checking in on this community and it's even more strange how quickly we, the viewer, are tempted to be judgmental. But anything out of context seems strange, and most of us are quick lash out against that which we don't understand. Maybe that's just me. Maybe people will be more sympathetic, or empathetic rather, than I was. The truth is, this movie walks the fine line between celebrating the thing that it's showing and making it into a unfavorable spectacle. I think, ultimately, it's respectful but some might not agree.

It's a very limited engagement so, if you're interested, be sure and catch it before August 6th.

I also got a chance to watch Food Inc.

This movie is one of the most satisfying documentaries I've seen in a long time. I have to own this when it comes out on DVD. Maybe it's just a case of being in the right place at the right time because I've recently been reading a lot on the subject of food production. I could tell from the audience was deeply affected by the documentary, at times gasping and other times snickering. I'll hold off on saying whether or not I think this is a really "good" documentary or not, because at the moment that's besides the point. What I will say, and I realise this is totally biased, is that this documentary is extremely important to watch. I felt all warm and tingly inside afterward.

God I hope this is true...

According to CHR_AeON from Neogaf, "In the latest edition of german games magazine "M! Games" there's a small article about Snap Dragon Games (developer / publisher of, amongst others, "Karate Phants" (WiiWare)). They are currently working on remakes of the following
Data East games: Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja (XBLA, PSN) Karate Champ (XBLA) Tumble Top (XBLA, PSN, WiiWare)"

Nothing says late 80's like Data East arcade games, particularly Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja, which recently has gained popularity by way of humorous internet memes.

If a new Bad Dudes does make it's way to a game system in the near future, I hope that they keep the tradition of having the player rescue the current U.S. president from the nefarious Dragon Ninja clan. It will be a historical event and will mark the first time a Democratic and an African American president has been kidnapped by ninjas.

There sure are a lot of awesome new trailers to talk about this week. A new Coen brothers movie as well as a Wes Anderson stop-motion animation and a few lower profile movies. So let's get this going.

‘45365’ captures the complexities and ambiguities of one towns shared experience. It is a patient and inquisitive look at the lives and landscapes that make up this community of 20,000 people. Multiple storylines eventually coalesce into a mosaic of faces, places, and events. It is an inquiring look at life in Sidney, Ohio.
The trailer is positively enchanting. I'm really interested to see what this one's all about.


Only is a movie about a boy named Daniel. Daniel lives in a motel, managed by his parents, in northern Ontario. People come, people go, Daniel hardly notices. Until one day a girl arrives and changes his world. Only is a glimpse into the heightened impressions and dreams of two unlikely 12-year-olds. Over the course of a single day, they venture on a journey, exploring deep secrets, dark fears, and first love in a pure and powerful meeting of young hearts and minds.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is Wes Anderson's newest movie, it has much of his usual line up. It features the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Brian Cox, Michael Gambon, and even Wes Anderson himself (as the Weasel). It's cool to see him change his game up, although you'll recognize a lot of the dialogue pacing and structure. Fantastic Mr. Fox is both written and directed by the fantastic Oscar nominated filmmaker Wes Anderson, of Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and The Darjeeling Limited most recently.

Fox Searchlight is bringing Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox to theaters everywhere starting on November 13th this fall.


The new Coen Brother's movie looks awesome as expected. A Serious Man is the story of an ordinary man’s search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and “F-Troop” is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny (Aaron Wolf) is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. While his wife and Sy Ableman blithely make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry’s chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person – a mensch – a serious man?


And finally here is a short featurette for Where the Wild Things Are with Maurice Sendak.

At Comic con 2009 Disney showed a brief trailer which was actually test footage for Tron Legacy. It's been posted all over the internet and I'm re-posting it because it looks pretty awesome and I'm excited to see it go the 3D route. Enjoy.

To be honest, I just started listening to this. Me and Adam were watching the Blu-ray yesterday when I remembered how awesome the soundtrack was. The Bruno Coulais score is particularly moody. It might be a bit melancholy at times but this counteracted by a feeling of youthful optimism and exploration.

There is a They Might Be Giants track which is my least favorite, but it's still fun. My favorite songs are the ones with the Hungarian choir, like the tracks exploration and party. They're all gibberish with hints of French and Latin. I'm pretty sure this will be on my player all this week and perhaps the next.
Here's a sample of the one of my favorite songs:

During these tough economic times it's really hard to plunk down fifty or sixty clams for a new game. I mean, for that kind that kind of money you could get yourself a full skid of tomato soup or a really nice blanket.

Wow...If you are an animation and game geek, this will totally blow your mind.

Legendary 2D effects animator Michel Gagne is trying his hand at his very own video game.

Why is it so damn fun to compare video games to food? “Wha?” You say? Let me get you up to speed…

-Gears of War is a steamy plate of beef ravioli, smothered in red sauce.
-Wii Sports is a basket of chips and salsa you get while waiting on your entrees.
-Braid is a glass of dry red wine.
-Halo 3 is ramen noodles (something you can live off of for months).

‘Splosion Man, the latest from Twisted Pixel (of The Maw fame) is a delicious game that’s good for what ails those hungry for a fresh new take on the classic 2D platformer.

So what exactly makes this such a tasty dish? Perfectly seasoned game play is a good start. Tactile, responsive controls are crucial to platformers, something that the folks behind this game obviously get. Remember how fun it was to simple run around and jump off stuff in Mario 64? That same sentiment is found in ‘Splosion Man, a game that’s character has but only one proper “move." Hit any of the XBOX 360 controllers face buttons and ‘Splosion Man will do what he was born to do, “‘Splode!” ‘Sploding off the walls, vending machines, platforms, and unlucky mad scientists inspires a giddy sort of joy that only comes along in video games ever so often. The core mechanics are so fun to play that you wont mind getting hung up on some of the later levels.


A key ingredient in a good platformer recipe is an appealing protaganist that the game will undoubtedly be named after. In ‘Splosion Man you wont find any stuffed animals with plasma rifles or cute and cuddly babies made out of burlap sacks. Twisted Pixel opted for a homely, slaphappy screwball made of magma that delights in blowing himself and everything within eight-feet to complete smithereens. For a video game character, ‘Splosion Man has a lot of, well…character. S-Man’s animation library is more expansive than any game character in recent memory and borders on Hollywood quality. ‘Splosion Man is more Bugs or Daffy than Mario or Sonic.

Sure ‘Splosion Man plays and looks great, but what glues the entire experience together is the games cheeky and unpredictable humor that draws from both past and present eras of comedy. The game’s “escaped monster reeks havoc on creators” premise conjures up the spirit of golden age cartoons while stuff like the in-game song “Everybody Likes Donuts” is like something straight from Adult Swim. The gags never turn stale and the laughs lead up to a jaw-dropping crescendo of an ending that would make Hideo Kojima blush. Gamers will talk about it for years.


So if ‘Splosion Man was a food what would it be? Perhaps it’s a bit early to say, but it would definitely be something scrumptious that will have you coming back for seconds.

Hi everyone. Welcome to Addicted to Media's This Week's Addiction. This week, all I had on my mind, and my 360, was Battlefield: 1943. The game which is available for xbla, psn, and pc costs about 15 dollars. And from my experiences, is worth every penny. Even though it's not as in-depth or as customizable as other shooters there's still plenty here to keep you invested until the next COD comes out.

There are only four maps, one which is an all airplane map, and sometimes match making just plain sucks, but the ability to join up with squads that my friends are in makes me smile. The vehicular combat is pretty fun for the most part. I haven't really got the hang of flying yet, but I think there's a reason the designers made flying so difficult. Oh, and I especially like launching the air raids.



The ground vehicles roll pretty smooth; it's pretty awesome jumping in a movie jeep grabbing the mini gun and mowing down enemies. But what I really enjoy are the quiet parts. I love defending a base and, even though there's no activity around me, hiding in an vacant building waiting for someone to try and take the base.

The game rewards the player heavily for playing smart. If you come out guns blazin' you probably won't get too many points between re-spawns. And you need your points to level up, although leveling up doesn't really do anything as far as I can tell. My best strategy is to pick a place, post up, and if it gets a little to hot to hold the fort, skip to the next one. Firefights rarely pay off, I prefer to lay low. Maybe that's just my style.


When you can get a good match, this game is worth every penny. When you can't it's still fun to putz around world wreaking your own havock. For me this game is a budget conscious alternative to COD. I can still get my fix of combat without killing my wallet. And although it can be a time-sink, I can pick up a match here or there, and I don't have to devote a huge amount of time to learning it. So, go get it. I'm hooked.