The goal of naughtydog studios is to make Uncharted a stand alone series and they have done it almost perfectly.  You don’t have to play the first Uncharted before this one, which opens up the market a little, and I suggest anyone who hasn’t played either, to pick them both up you won’t be disappointed.  Uncharted 2 starts out in one of the most dramatic fashions possible.  Drake wakes up in a train bleeding badly, as he is trying to figure out why he is bleeding, and where he is, the train suddenly starts to move.  However it isn’t going forward but instead is dangling off a cliff and is starting to slip.  You take control of Drake and move up the train trying to get to the top before the train falls.  He makes a last second jump and scrambles up the cliff only to pass out again.  You get a flashback 4 months before the train accident and get a little background information.  Nate is approached by his old friend Harry Flynn and his old girlfriend Chloe Frazer.  They explain they have been hired by an individual to steal a Mongolian oil lamp from an Istanbol museum.  Why? Because the light of Khan will show the way to the lost 13.  This is according to a piece of parchment written by Marco Polo, who left China with over 600 passengers on 14 ships loaded with gold and treasure.  But Marco Polo arrived home with only 1 ship and 18 passengers, and never talked about what happened to the other 13 ships. 

A very intense beginning to the game, and it never seems to stop.  The game is full of twists and turns that keep you coming back for more.  The story line is just as good as the first one, and the first Uncharted’s storyline was phenomenal.  The story never lags, and although it is usually serious, as in the first Uncharted, Nate throws one liners into the action that make you laugh.  The thing that makes this game stand above other games is the graphics.  The havok engine that Naughtydog uses is incredible.  Ever little thing has detail, and it never seems to repeat itself.  Just like the first Uncharted, if a character wades through water, their cloths will appear wet for a while and then will dry over time.  However one of the most impressive parts of Uncharted 2 was a snow scene, where after a while in the snow Nate would have a dusting on snow in his hair, but if you got close to fire it would melt.  Aside from the physics in water drying, the game is more stunning than any game I have ever played.  There are a couple scenes where you just stop at a cliff and look over the land.  They did a fantastic job with everything.  Gun play is easy to use, but still offers a challenge to the best of gamers.  There are a couple new features added to Uncharted 2.  Newer weapons, and a better melee system help with the action parts of the game.  Newer animations for Nates climbing and jumping squences help keep the realism.  Multiplayer adds a whole new dimension to the game, which keeps the replay value really high.  The more you play in multiplayer the more perks you can unlock along with weapon sets. 

Overall this is the best game I have reviewed in a long time.  Everything blends together perfectly, from solving puzzles, to full blown action sequences, to running for your life as a bridge starts to collapse.  The action starts from the very beginning and doesn’t stop till the very end.  You don’t want to turn off the game for anything.  We can only hope that Naughtydog can create another Nathan Drake adventure as good as this one, and according to Amy Hennig the game’s Director “[Uncharted 2] doesn’t conclude the story at all. The expectation with Uncharted is that it can be an ongoing franchise as long as people want more of it. All these stories are self-contained. You don’t have to play the last one to play this one. Obviously, you’re going to get a little bit more out of it if you have. But [Nathan Drake]‘s going to have a lot of adventures, thank god.”

Publisher:Naughtydog
For People Who Liked: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
Platforms: PS3
Rating:

Jennifer's Body

Megan Fox broke out of  her role in the Transformers series to star in her own movie titled Jennifer’s Body.  It’s told through the story of Amanda Seyfried who plays Jennifer’s friend Needy.  Seyfried is well known recently as the star of Mamma Mia. The best word I can use to best describe how this movie went is……BAD.  Perhaps the best part of this movie (for guys anyway) was just getting excited so to see the gorgeous Megan Fox on the screen.

This movie is about a girl (Jennifer) who is sacrificed by an indie band.  The band, believes that if they sacrifice her to Satan they will become a better band.  The only issue is they don’t know she’s not a virgin and this sacrifice requires a virgin.  Since Jennifer is not a virgin, the band thinks she is dead when in reality she lives.  However she is now possessed by a demon that requires her to feast on human blood for the rest of her life and the only way she can die is if she is stabbed in the heart.  So Jennifer goes around for most of the movie feeding off of guys that she flirts with.  Of course every guy wants to be as close as they can get to her so it’s no problem for her to get these guys.  Meanwhile her best friend Needy knows about Jennifer and how she has been killing people, but no one believes her.  They all think shes crazy obviously because the thought of a girl eating people is clearly ridiculous.  Unfortunately she doesn’t prove to anyone that Jennifer is a demon and after Jennifer kills Needy’s boyfriend, Needy wants to seek revenge.  So during the night Needy breaks into Jennifer’s room and kills Jennifer.  No one ever knew that Jennifer was evil and because of this Needy is caught by Jennifer’s mom and Needy gets sent to prison.  The movie ends with Needy breaking out of the prison after walking right through the steel fence.  We learn that Needy, after being bit by Jennifer has obtained some of Jennifer’s demon powers.  The movie ends with a scene where Needy kills the band that started it all.

It really was not that great of a movie.  There are some very lame lines in the movie and the acting is nothing to be excited about either.  Like I said the only great thing was looking at Megan Fox and I’m sure every guy wishes the scene where Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried kiss would last longer than it did.  Too bad I guess.  If you’re looking for a movie that is a mix of horror and slight comedy then this is definitely the movie for you.  I mean come on J.K Simmons is in it and every movie he is in is funny right?  Sure.  He actually has one of the funniest lines. When Jennifer is off in the woods killing one of the guys from the football team he can hear him screaming.  J.K Simmons turns and says, “That’s it fella, let it all out.”  This movie was a nice movie for Megan Fox to get out the Transformers series, but she has to get better work than this.  This was a good start I guess.  It was not a very appealing movie and I won’t be patiently awaiting for the DVD release.

For People Who Liked: …I really don’t know…
Rating:

ODST stands for Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, which you first met in Halo 3 when they helped you on a couple missions.  These guys are the baddest of the bad when it comes to Marines.  They are tough, they are crazy, and they are funny as hell.  The storyline is by far the greatest part of the game.  You play the part of the Rookie ODST, you don’t get a name, just simply “The Rookie”.  During your drop the Prophet of Regret’s ship goes into a slipstream which cause a huge shock wave knocking the Rookie out cold, and knocking the pods off course.  You awake as the Rookie 6 hours after your drop, nighttime in New Mombassa.  With the help of the city’s maintenance AI known as the Superintendent, you search the city for clues of what happened to your squad mates during the day.  Once you find a clue the story takes you back to live the day of that ODST. Which consists of Buck, Dutch, Romeo, Mickey, and Dare, a UNSC Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) agent in charge of the squad’s operation.  That alone is what set this Halo apart from the others.  The interaction between the squad is great, even in the game.  You really feel apart of this team, and trying to find out what happened to all of them.  This storyline, although only a single game, seems to draw you in more than what the Halos did spanned over 3 games.

Another great feature that made it onto the game is Firefight.  Take you, and up to 3 other players, and send wave after wave of covenant for you to fend off.  It is one of the most addicting games on the planet, plus it gets really tough after the first few waves because of the skulls that get activated by the computer.

Although this game sounds like the perfect game there are a couple set backs to it.  First off it is basically like the halo games.  There are only 2 new weapons in the game, a silenced pistol and silenced SMG. Both are awesome, but once you shoot it seems the covenant can tell you are there anyways.  Second, the health system feels exactly like Halo 1.  You don’t have a shield in this one but you do have “Stamina” and once that runs out you start losing health which can be gained using health packs placed at certain locations on the map.  The only real difference between these ODSTs and Master Chief is that jumping from a high point as an ODST can actually hurt you.

All that aside this game is another great addition to the Halo realm.  With the promise of Halo REACH on the horizon, and as usual a little teaser if you beat the game on legendary, the Halo world seems to be alive and kicking.

Publisher: Bungie
For People Who Liked: Halo 1, 2, 3
Platforms: Xbox 360
Rating:

Backstreet Boys — This Is Us

At least that’s what they’re telling us with their new studio album, This is Us, released today, October 6th, 2009. Their first album since 2007′s Unbreakable, This is Us is intended to bring listeners back to the Backstreet Boys—a feat that Unbreakable attempted and failed after Kevin Richardson left the band. This is Us uses elements of musical styles previously unexplored by the Backstreet Boys. They utilize elements of techno in the song “(I Want Ur) PDA.” The beginning of the song “Bigger” sounds like the beginning of a emo-love ballad straight off of a Dashboard Confessional album. It’s only when the beat comes in do we hear the harmonies that Backstreet Boys (and, admittedly, every boy band) became so famous for. The track “If I Knew Then” is slightly reminiscent of an early-2000′s Usher song, straight off of 8701.

However, there are tracks that remind you of the former-sound of the Backstreet Boys. For instance, the song “Masquerade” could easily be on Black and Blue, or it could easily go on Unbreakable. The song “She’s A Dream” is one of the classic BSB love-ballads. It has the calming guitar sound with the luscious harmonies filling out the sound with a simple beat laying the rhythm. Unfortunately, they follow the classic love-ballad with “Shattered,” a song that is emo enough to make any macho-man cry in a corner:

So empty can’t feel no more
as I’m left with my tears on the floor.
I wait for my heart to mend,
but you keep tearing a hole.

Inside I’m so lost
in the middle of my heart
it’s a battlefield of love
I’ve been fighting for too long.

And now I’m shattered
(From the chip in my heart, kept taking it till it broke)
Oh how it hurts
(Felt it slip from your hands, hit the ground and now it shattered)

I’m so shattered
(Can’t believe it was me, I’m so shattered)
So shattered
(Can’t believe you hurt me I…)
So shattered
(Can’t believe you left me shattered)
I’m shattered cut from with inside

Despite having many guest artists/producers (Akon, T-Pain, Lady Gaga, Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic, among others), the album has a definite low-point. The first 7 tracks are really up-beat and attention-grabbing, followed by 3 tracks that are rather mundane and bland. It’s a rather weak way to end the album, and it really weakens the entire album as a whole because of this. I think the first half of the album is worth the purchase, but the second half is quite dull. The harmonies that boy bands so eloquently spew make it a stronger album overall, but still not quite like the Backstreet Boys of old.

For People Who Like: Unbreakable by The Backstreet Boys, Boy-band sound meets R&B
Sounds Like: Your typical Boy-band sound plus some instruments and…techno?
Rating:

Listen to Backstreet Boys’ song “If I Knew Then” here!

Jay-Z — The Blueprint 3

Back in 2003 Jay-Z declared his retirement and released The Black Album. However in a world of Brett Favre comebacks, Jay Leno moving to 10pm, and many unnecessary sequels to 80s movies, it only makes sense HOV continues to make albums.

After two post-retirement releases, Kingdom Come and American Gangster, Jay-Z announced the third installment to his Blueprint Saga. The first, The Blueprint, was deemed an instant classic with the hit “Izzo (H.O.V.A.).” The second was deemed a critic and commercial failure. One cannot wonder if Jay went to The Blueprint 3 as redemption to the poor quality of the last installment.

I’m not to going to lie, when Jay-Z drops an album, I always rush out to purchase it, regardless of the press. After obtaining a hard copy of the album I eagerly ripped open the packaging and inserted into my car’s CD player. What I first heard was an abrupt beginning to a rather dull Jay-Z, who sounded like he was on autopilot. The opening track, “What We Talkin’ About featuring Luke Steele”, is very weak and not memorable. Then comes another out of character track simply entitled “Thank You.” Although the beat is bouncy and definitely worth blasting at a party, the idea that Jay-Z repeatedly says, “Thank you, thank you, You are all far too kind,” really is confusing. It makes me almost feel that Jay-Z is just thanking me for the tragedy of an album that I have just purchased.
The first leaked single from early 2008, “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune),” is a redeeming quality of the album. The jazzy sax that backs HOV as he spits a flowing rhyme leaves the listener with some belief he has not completely lost his game. Following this track is the lazily written “Run This Town,” which features a hook sung by Rihanna and an extra rap by Kanye West. It appears that having Rihanna sing on a track guarantees a number one single. Sadly enough it does. However, this almost unbearable song moves slowly and Rihanna’s voice drags over an uninspired beat.

As I continued to listen to the album I found a number of the tracks on the album to be mostly filler. I knew that Jay claimed most of the work on BP3 was going to be experimental but I found nothing even remotely different from his previous work just that it felt so uninspired. One track in particular, “Young Forever featuring Mr. Hudson,” is one of HOV’s most embarrassing efforts. The idea of sampling a song that was a staple to any lame 1908s high school prom is just a bad idea.

Although this album was a huge disappointment there are still some great tracks that are worth a listen and download (legally). “Empire State of Mind” may be the highlight of the album as Jay recruits Alicia Keys to sing a hook on one the heaviest and bass driven beats on the album. This praise of his hometown is over-the-top and slightly corny, but it is catchy as hell. If you caught his performance at the 2009 MTV VMAs you know what I’m talking about.

Another honorable mention is the Timbaland produced track, “Off That,” featuring up and coming Canadian talent Drake. This futuristic sounding track is pure Timbaland, as it samples the standard “Aye” sound that can be found on almost every million-dollar beat he has produced. The final standout on the album is “Already Home featuring Kid Cudi.” This track is a soulful 1970s R&B-esque beat with Cudi’s hook that actually works. The flow of Jay is up to par and an appearance by Cudi just makes it better.

Overall Jay-Z’s 11th studio album is very mixed but an acceptable effort. It may not be his most memorable and consistent but it is far better than his other “post-retirement” albums.

Download Now! (Legally!): “Empire State of Mind”, “Already Home”, “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune)”, “Off That”
For People Who Like: Nas, Young Jeezy, Kanye West, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz
Sounds Like: standard Jay-Z, only on autopilot.
Rating:

Listen to Jay-Z’s song “Empire State of Mind” here!

Kid Cudi — Man on The Moon

Nas put it best when he claimed Hip Hop was dead. Sure there have been good efforts from quality artists in the genre. It even made Jay-Z come out of retirement to prevent the genre from completely falling apart. The game was in need a new player to shake things up. Enter Kid Cudi (aka Scott Mescudi).

After working on a small mixtape in Brooklyn with Plain Pat and Emile, A Kid Named Cudi, the Cleveland native caught the attention of a producer by the name of Kanye West. Cudi was then recruited to help West with his experimental release 808s and Heartbreak. With Kanye’s support, Cudi finally set to work on creating his debut, The Man on the Moon: The End of Day.

The album opens in a dream-like haze as Cudi welcomes the listener to his deepest thoughts and dreams (“In My Dreams”). This track alone gives a vibe similar to 808s but it abruptly changes and leaves the listener dazed in a world where Cudi is in control. “Soundtrack 2 My Life” and “Simple As…” are easily two of the strongest tracks on the album as Kid Cudi demonstrates his rapping chops and proves his presence in the modern hip-hop genre. One item that always appeals to me is the ability of rappers to allow insight into their lives and how they became the image and face they are today. Cudi definitely gives us a look into his childhood and struggles without a father figure and it plays a part in his story.
After a number of intro tracks on the album it changes to a darker tone as one of the heaviest tracks on the album, “Solo Dolo”, brings on a number of songs listed as “nightmares.” One thing to keep in mind when listening to this album is the fact is a concept album. The sooner the listener embraces this aspect the easier it is to appreciate the dark and spacey sounds Cudi provides. During the “nightmare” act of the album a sure stand-out is the already popular debut single “Day n Nite.” This drug-induced trip was a breakout hit in 2008 and launched Cudi to fame with just one single. Another honorable mention is the dreamy Kanye West-produced “Sky Might Fall”, which leaked on the internet almost a year ago but still manages to remain to keep a fresh sound.

As the album progresses Kid Cudi definitely develops a pattern and there are a few filler tracks such as “Enter Galactic” and “Hyyer.” Although they may not be his best efforts they do play into a part of Cudi’s story, so one should definitely give them a listen. One of the most unique collaborations on the album comes from MGMT, who provide background vocals and instrumentation to the bouncy climax of the album “Pursuit of Happiness.” This strange combination actually works and creates one of the most memorable tracks on the album.

My only complaint on the album is the second single released earlier this summer, “Make Her Say.” This track, which samples Lady Gaga’s Poker Face, did not fit the rest of the album conceptually. Every song of the album had a spacey, out of the ordinary mood that definitely allowed continuity. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Lady Gaga’s stripped version of her chart topping single blasts into a beat, which features guest raps by Kanye West and Common. The song is fun and a blast to pump in you car, but it is far too “poppy” for the rest of the album. This track also marks Common’s second contribution to the album. He also narrates small portions of the album to join acts and introduce new scenes. The final scene of the album concludes with a teaser of things to come in Cudi’s Man on the Moon Trilogy. Also is considering this album, purchase the Deluxe Edition which features four re-mastered bonus tracks from Cudi’s first mixtape. They will not disappoint.

Download Now! (Legally!): “Soundtrack 2 my Life”, “Simple As…”, “Day n Nite”, “Pursuit of Happiness”
For People Who Like: Kanye West, Common, Drake
Sounds Like: Kanye’s 808s and Heartbreak, only angrier and less auto-tuned.
Rating:

Listen to Kid Cudi’s song “Pursuit of Happiness” here!

NHL '10

The spirit of hockey is alive and well in NHL 10, and some of the new features that the game are amazing.  Some of the old features coming back this year are the ever-addicting “Be a Pro” mode, and “Be a GM” mode.  The great thing though is the fact that both “Be a Pro”, and “Be a GM” modes have been upgraded.  “Be a Pro” now includes the ability to outfit your pro with different hockey equipment that actually helps boost his stats.  But in order to get some of the better equipment, you have to unlock them by getting different achievements in the game, like 50 career goals, or participating in an online game and getting the 1st star.  Another nice twist is that you can get drafted into a club based on how you play in a draft all star game,  instead of placing yourself into whatever club you choose.  But placing yourself into your favorite club is still an option.  The GM mode now features the new GM tracker, in which you can upgrade different parts of your organization using points from wins, and varies other tasks you can do.

Newer game modes also make for a great experience this year.  “Battle for the Cup” is a quick championship series that you can play against the computer or a friend.  Or if you want to go through the entire playoffs you always have “Playoff mode” to take your team to the championship.  And if you want to expand past that, but don’t want the entire GM responsibility, you now have the option to take your team through a co-op season.

Overall the game got a great overhaul, the graphics are better than ever, and the crowd actually gets into the game a little by waving towels and pounding on the glass when the puck comes close.  A great new feature is the ability to pin a player with the puck against the boards, allowing your team to come and try to get the puck loose.  Both players and goalies have been given new animations to make the game come alive.

With every game there is always some bad that goes along with the good.  The biggest thing is that the commentary from 10 doesn’t differ much from that of 09.  The music isn’t as good as what it was last year, and the track list isn’t as big either.  Although the new Goalie animations are great, the Goalie can glitch at times, causing him to come too far out, or just look at the puck as it slowly crosses the line.  I am sure they will get this fixed with updates, but for now it is a little annoying.  Along with that, the camera can get a little annoying if you have the auto-zoom feature on, but since you can disable it it isn’t such a big deal.  Other than those few little problems the game flows well and plays great.

Sports games sometimes struggle when they have to release a new game every year, but EA’s NHL 10 seems to be ahead of the curve.  Again they have produced a great hockey experience with new animations, new game modes, and new game features.  The game looks, plays, and feels like a real hockey experience.

Publisher: EA Sports
For People Who Liked: NCAA 10, Madden 10, Tiger 10, NHL 09
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360
Rating:

NHL 10 homepage

Brand New — Daisy

What can be said about Brand New, the New York foursome that has shocked all of their fans with the breadth and dynamics of their music? What could you expect from them, after they ventured away from the sound they became so well-known for with Your Favorite Weapon and Deja Entendu? We got a glimpse of what they are truly capable of when they pushed the limits of their musical talents through The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. So what else could they do to show us that they are still growing as a band?

Daisy (released 22 September 2009) shows us exactly how well the band can and does grow. It is the perfect continuation from The Devil and God musically, showing that they are able to write music that pushes the envelope not only of their musical ability, but the music scene as a whole.
Lyrically, the album does not venture too far off course from what you would expect to hear on a Brand New record. They still present the same themes of love, hate and relationships that they gave us on Your Favorite Weapon, Deja Entendu, and The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. The first song, “Vices” (see below to listen), really wraps you in and makes you hold on for mercy as you begin this up and down roller coaster of an album. The song starts with what seems to be a 1920s speakeasy song with a woman singing over the hollow piano. As it continues, it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, until it shocks you with the screaming vocals of Jesse Lacey, the band’s frontman. What a brilliant way to open an album.

However, as they do not diverge too much from their previous lyrical content, they do mature with it. Songs like the title-track “Daisy” (see below to listen) show just how much they’ve matured lyrically from songs like “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad” from Your Favorite Weapon:

Tell all the English boys you meet
About the American boy back in the States
The American boy you used to date
Who would do anything you said

To go from words like that, such simple and straight-forward lyrics that are very clearly about a girl, to, 3 albums later, lyrics in songs like “Daisy” which are metaphorical, yet straight-forward at the same time:

Well if we take all these things and we bury them fast
And we’ll pray that they turn into seeds, to roots and then grass
It’d be all right, it’s all right, it’d be easier that way
Or if the sky opened up and started pouring rain
Like he knew it was time to start things over again
It’d be all right, it’s all right, it’d be easier that way

Brand New has said good-bye to their pop-punk sound of Deja Entendu and Your Favorite Weapon. Instead we find ourselves with a band who has experimented with different sounds to get something unique, while forcing themselves to push to the envelope. This album is worth a listen, and definitely worth your purchase. One of the top contenders for Best Album of 2009, hands down.

For People Who Like: Experimental Rock, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me by Brand New, Thrice
Sounds Like: Thrice’s Vheissu meets Radiohead
Rating:

Listen to Brand New’s song “Vices” here!
Listen to Brand New’s song “Daisy” here!

Zombieland — This Place Is So Dead

The earth has been hit by an infection that has gradually taken over and infected humans, who bite the remaining humans to give them the infection.  Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Zombieland.  We join our main character Columbus (played by Jessee Eisenberg), a young geek who is afraid of many things, including clowns and bathrooms.  To survive in Zombieland, Columbus gives us a long list of rules to carry on. Each time Columbus explains a rule, you see that rule being played out in the movie.  Such as the rule “always wear your seatbelt”, and on screen we observe a woman fly out of her windshield after t-boning a truck because she wasn’t wearing her seat belt.  Or the rule “always check the bathrooms” and on sreen you see Columbus cautiously going into a bathroom and checking every corner.  He wants to go home to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio to check and see if his parents are okay, so he sets off on the empty streets filled with abandoned and wrecked cars, and of course zombies.  On his journey towards home, he meets Tallahassee (played by Woody Harrelson), a redneck zombie killer who has a strong love for Twinkies and misses his puppy Buck.  They decide to team up to survive and they head towards Tallahassee.  On their journey there they run into Wichita (played by Emma Stone) and Little Rock (played by Abagail Breslin), two girls who look out for themselves and themselves only.  Even though they have their disagreements throughout the movie, the unlikely group may be the last surviving humans on earth, and they have to rely on each other in order to survive.

My thoughts?  This was a surprisingly good movie.  After Jessee Eisenberg’s disappointing movie Adventureland, this was a surprising, well-written, funny movie that is going to help make him well known.  His lead character is the same as before (very similar to any Michael Cera character).  He is a geeky young guy who has a hard time talking to people, especially girls, but at the same time he gradually gains courage as the movie progresses.  Eisenberg is trying to really hard to gain the respect of Tallahassee, who sees Columbus as a giant “pussy” as he so delicately puts it.  Columbus begins crushing on Wichita and tries to figure out what he can do to get her to like him, but he is always too afraid to be a hero, until the end of the movie when he saves her life.  I have to say they played the whole relationship between those two very well: mixing up the bad girl with the nerdy young guy as we see in a lot of movies, such as Adventureland.

Woody Harrelson’s character, Tallahassee, is easily the most likable character in this movie.  He’s got a badass attitude and wants to do nothing but kill zombies and find a store that still has Twinkies in stock.  All through the movie he remembers his puppy Buck and it makes him sad at times because Buck was his life.  We find out later in the movie that he doesn’t have a puppy, rather he was referring to his son, who was lost amidst the zombies.  Still, Tallahassee is the funniest character that will keep you entertained throughout the entire movie.

Emma Stone and Abagail Breslin (Wichita and Little Rock) are sisters in this movie.  Emma Stone is best known for her role as Joules in Superbad.  A very pretty girl as always.  Abagail Breslin is well-known as the girl from Little Miss Sunshine and Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.  They are introduced into the movie with Wichita telling Tallahassee and Columbus that her sister Little Rock was infected and they need to shoot her before she becomes a zombie.  They play it up really well to a point that Tallahassee gives Wichita his gun because she wants to be the one to do it.  This is when Wichita reveals they have been faking the whole time and she turns the gun on Columbus and Tallahassee and the two girls steal Tallahassee’s Cadillac and take off for an amusement park in California, where it is said there are no zombies at all.  Columbus and Tallahassee find their way back to the girls and get tricked again, but this time they all agree to go to California together.

Upon arrival in California my favorite part of the movie occurs.  Tallahassee goes to Beverly Hills to find a celebrity house to stay at and since he thinks they are all zombies he goes right in.  The house he chooses is none other than the great Bill Murray’s house.  This is where Bill Murray makes his cameo.  He comes into the room where Tallahassee and Wichita are, dressed as a zombie.  He gets hit with a golf club then says he’s still human he’s just trying to blend so doesn’t get infected.  There are a few Ghostbusters references during his scene and Bill Murray is just Bill Murray.  He decided to play a joke on Columbus and Little Rock, who are in his private theater watching Ghostbusters.  Bill Murray goes into the theater, acting like he’s a zombie, only Columbus doesn’t know he’s still human and shoots Bill Murray in the chest.  After being asked if he has any regrets, Bill Murray’s last words were, “Ehh Garfield.  Maybe.”  Then he slowly dies.  He dies!  They killed Bill Murray in the movie!  Still, very funny.

The next night the four characters split up again and Wichita and Little Rock get themselves into a trap, consisting of hundreds of zombies at the amusement park.  Columbus wants to go find them because he wants to prove his affection for Wichita.  Tallahassee wants to head to Mexico to try and find Twinkies, but has a change of heart after another reference to his son.  They get into the amusement park and save the day.  Columbus kisses Wichita, which you could see coming from a mile away, and they all drive off together out of the amusement park.  Roll credits.

Great acting all around for this movie.  The cameo by Bill Murray was just perfect.  If I had to choose a celebrity to put in there he’d be in my top 5.  One of my few complaints was the visual effects.  The blood they used looked really really fake and was just downright gross. They could have done a lot better job making it a little more realistic, but I did enjoy the slow motion scenes they had at the beginning for the opening credits.  I also enjoyed how throughout the movie, as Columbus would follow a rule the words for that rule would be spelled out and be part of the scenery.  I really liked that.  I would recommend this movie to anyone and I highly advise you go see it.  Definitely worth your time.

For People Who Liked: Shaun of The Dead, Adventureland
Rating:

Thrice — Beggars

For those of you who know who Thrice is and have listened to them from Day 1, you might have mixed feelings about Beggars. For a band who used to be a post-hardcore screamo band, to a band who recently put out The Alchemy Indexes, a set of concept EPs based on the 4 elements of Alchemy (Earth, Air, Fire and Water), it seemed impossible for them to release anything different.

I was wrong. Beggars is so dynamic that I was simply blown away. For those who did listen to Thrice from day 1, imagine if The Artist in The Ambulance and Vheissu got together and had a child. Next imagine if Earth and Air from The Alchemy Indexes were one album, and had a child with The Illusion of Safety. Now lets imagine those two children had another child. That child would be Beggars.

For those who did NOT listen to Thrice from Day 1, this album is as good as any to pick up and listen to. It really shows the growth of the band from their early days, and it really shows Dustin Kensrue’s ability as a lyricist and an arranger. Example, from the song “The Weight”:

And come what may, I won’t abandon you or leave you behind
Because love is a loyalty sworn, not a burning for a moment.
And come what may, I will be standing right here by your side;
I won’t run away, though the storm’s getting worse
And there’s no end in sight.

This album, no matter how much growth it shows from Thrice, does pose a bit of a problem. It is a musically unique album. They overcome this brilliantly with tracks like “All The World Is Mad” (the opening track, see below to listen) and “Talking Through Glass” which really grab your attention and capture your interest with heavier guitars (relative to the rest of the album); they really scream at you (figuratively, as well as occasionally literally). The bass guitar is really prominent on this album too, which is different than a lot of artists these days who tend to bury the bass in the mix.

To counterbalance these “heavier” songs, they have songs like “Beggars” (again, see below to listen) and “Circles” which mellow out the album quite a bit. They focus more on the drum beat (which, in “Circles” is reminiscent of a hip-hop beat with a little bit of flair) and the melodic and harmonic guitar and vocal parts. The guitars give off a brighter tone while the vocals counter it with more of a drab, dark tone. It really meshes well and provides the perfect harmony. You know that feeling when you’re listening to a good song and it makes you want to close your eyes, bob your head, and sway with the music? Nearly this entire album makes you want to do that, with those foot-tappers and head-bangers thrown in there too. It truly is the most dynamic album I’ve heard in a long time.

In short, Beggars is a mind-blowing masterpiece that easily tops out my current chart, and is going to be hard-pressed to beat out for that #1 spot. Perhaps the next challenger, Daisy by Brand New, stands a chance? Either way, Beggars is worth the purchase, and it definitely will not disappoint.

For those who like: All of Thrice’s previous albums, Brand New, Letter Kills
Sounds like: The illegitimate child of all of Thrice’s previous albums
Rating:

Listen to Thrice’s song “Beggars” here!
Listen to Thrice’s song “All The World Is Mad” here!