Game Reviews for the Year

At the behest of two different friends of mine that are also loyal blog readers, I was asked to rank my favorite video games from this past year.

Since it is the end of the year and lists seem like the thing to do, I thought I'd give it a shot and offer some brief thoughts on these rankings and why I placed them where I did. If you like video games or need to waste a few minutes, enjoy.

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TOP 10 GAMES OF THE YEAR

10. Wii Sports (Nintendo Wii) - The sole reason I purchased the Wii. I wouldn't say that I've been anti-Nintendo for the past few years, but by their own admission, their games are geared towards a much younger audience in general and I found myself pulled towards Sony's and Microsoft's systems. However, one hour with this addictive game was enough to make me go out and track down one of these hard-to-get systems that anybody can simply pick-up and play.


9. Halo 3 (Xbox 360) - Microsoft's flagship game comes to its conclusion....for now. The tale of Master Chief has come to a close and anyone that watched a television, turned on a computer, or drank a Mountain Dew in the past few months was made aware of that fact. While things were made more clear between the Arbiter, Cortana, Keyes, and others, the gameplay seemed identical to previous titles and, while being a solid title, it did have a sense of been there - done that about it. Despite the recent move from Bungie Studios to leave parent company Microsoft, I doubt this is the last we see of Master Chief.


8. Bioshock (Xbox 360) - Did for "Under The Sea" what "Stuck in the Middle With You" did for Reservoir Dogs. A game I defy you to play with the lights off and not get scared or creeped out a little bit. Andrew Ryan's underwater utopia leaves a lasting impression and it's still amazing how the images of Big Daddy's and Little Sister's inspire fear and awe at the same time.


7. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Multi) - Leaving WWII behind and immersing players in an all too photo-realistic view of today. Graphically redefining the first-person shooter (that's why it's ranked ahead of Halo 3), Infinity Ward has raised the bar very high in their follow up to Call of Duty 2. Even the opening training mission had me emotionally involved and gripping my controller for a white knuckle ride.


6. Rock Band (Multi) - Letting players live the rock n' roll dream, with or without compatible guitars. After creating the Guitar Hero franchise, Harmonix split from Red Octane and joined with MTV Games and Activision with the idea that players would adapt to more than just being a guitar controller god - they also wanted to rock out on the drums and sing too. That innovation proved to be very true and that places it above its counterpart. However, faulty guitar controllers at launch and no new controllers coming until February 2008 prevent this from being ranked higher (what good is new downloadable content each week if you have no instrument to play it with?)


5. God of War II (PS2) - The last great game on the PS2 is a rare sequel that surpasses the original. The compelling story of Kratos continues and manages to improve on its predecessor by not changing much control-wise, but fleshing out characters with great storytelling and adding innovations to the gameplay. With the franchise facing the reality of having its third game director with the release of the third game in the trilogy when it hits the PS3 (if series creator David Jaffe does not reclaim the story), then time will tell if the jump to next-gen will hurt or harm the series.


4. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition (Xbox 360) - The amazing follow-up to Morrowind offered endless hours of immersion and was imitated, but hardly duplicated. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, than Bethesda should feel like the prettiest girl in the room and the makers of Two Worlds need to go back home and find a new outfit. Oblivion allowed players to experience their entire world in first or third person, offered more engaging quests than any game before it, and had Patrick Stewart voicing a king - it doesn't get much better than that for an RPG. Plus, the GOTY Edition included much of the downloadable content only available from Xbox Live and the entire Shimmering Isles expansion pack.


3. Assassins Creed (PS3) - Living up to the hype with one of the most beautiful and scenic games to date. Jade Raymond and the folks at Ubisoft created high expectations with their game footage from Creed and, despite some repetitive gameplay, delivered a compelling game and has fans salivating at the knowledge of two more game in the series to come. The innovative control scheme works perfectly and the stalking and eliminating of prey simply never gets old. Some more mission variety would've ranked this higher, but it's great conspiracy-laden story makes it an easy choice for one of the best games of the year.


2. Mass Effect (Xbox 360) - BioWare's long awaited follow-up to the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series redefines RPG's. Commander Sheppard is literally what you make of him...or her. You define the main character - including gender, their past, and even their morals - and traverse the universe chasing an intimidating figure that you're unsure whether you should apprehend or align with. The dialogue tree offers expressions instead of words and has to be experienced to truly be appreciated. Solid voice acting, an epic story, and an easy to grasp combat system make this a must-play for anyone looking for the future of the RPG genre.


1. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3) - Take equal parts Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, memorable characters, and throw in a good conspiracy theory and you've got my favorite game of the year. This was just a fun game to play. Plain and simple. Some of the best voiceover work I've ever heard, truly cinematic cutscenes and gameplay (which is further explained in many of the bonuses and behind the scenes gems unlocked as you progress), very responsive controls, and lifelike animations create an immersive atmosphere that had me staying up later and later so I could complete "just one more level" before heading to bed. I can't wait for a follow-up adventure for Nathan Drake and his crew and hope that Naughty Dog will take the time, effort, care, and love they put into this title (and it really shows) to make this a lasting franchise. (I was not surprised to learn that Amy Henning was the game director, as she also helmed the Legacy of Kain mythos for a time - creating one of my all-time favorite series in the process.)
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Biggest Disappointment of the Year (tie)

Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 (Multi) - An outdated roster, awkward controls, and a promise unfulfilled topple this once dominant franchise. Following up a cancellation on the PS3, the effort that THQ and the WWE put forth this year claims, as you can see, "Featuring ECW!" But that needed a disclaimer on it as well that would read something to the effect, "Oh, but we're not going to let you play as any of them in the storyline of the game....and there's only one match that's considered an 'ECW style match' that the company pretty much doesn't even use anymore.....and we're just going to stick them in there more as an after-thought because we let go or fired three of the four ECW mainstays that made ECW the hottest commodity out there - enough of a property for us to dedicate two of our highest selling pay-per-views to it, three DVD releases, and re-launch the brand.....but we're going to purge it of its originality and dilute it down to being another carbon copy of all our other programming. ENJOY!" WWE botched this game just as badly as they've botched the ECW brand, and it's not surprising that gamers are now flocking to the new 2D PS2 release Fire Pro Wrestling Returns in droves. On top of that, an awkward new grappling system fails to improve this game that's turned into nothing more than people playing solely to watch the entrances of their favorite wrestlers and then use the create-a-player feature to create their favorite TNA stars.

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Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (Multi) - If you put, "From the creators of 'Hitman'," on the front of your box, you're either setting yourself up to fail or you better deliver - big time. It's odd that this title is here because there are many things that work in this game, but there are SO many other things that COULD have worked so much better - and that's what makes this so disappointing. The two main characters are awesome, from their interactions to their quirks, a lot of texture was given to them and it shows. However, the lack of cutscenes to flesh out the stories of these two as well as the PS2 looking graphics really dampen the experience. The squad command controls are poor recollections of IO Interactive's first squad-based title, Freedom Fighters. In an age where the Tom Clancy franchise dictates how squad games are run, this looks and acts like an ugly step-child. There is so much that can be great about this title and it ends (as most games do) with a cliffhanger ending, so a sequel should be inevitable. I just hope that IO goes back to the drawing board and finds where this franchise got off track and can right the ship because they've got a potential blockbuster on their hands here.

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Most anticipated game for 2008...

Grand Theft Auto 4 (Multi) - After missing its scheduled October launch, Rockstar Games pushes its flagship title to 2008. Many people were already labeling this title a game of the year candidate as October drew closer, Rockstar decided it needed some more polish and bumped it into early next year. Giving the quality and high-production levels for GTA titles in the past, that can only mean a good thing for fans of the franchise. Following the under-achieving Manhunt 2, look for Rockstar to return to form when this series returns to store shelves in early 2008.

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Now everyone has opinions and yours are more than welcome here, but please keep in mind that although I try to play a lot of games, there are many that I don't get the opportunity to experience. (read: not enough cash to play them all) One of those games is the highly touted (and highly rated) Orange Box, so if any of you have played it, please include your thoughts on it. Or if you have other games that feel need mentioning, feel free to do so as well.

So there you go. That was either a waste of 6 minutes or you got something out of it. Either way, Happy Hollandaise!

A contributing member of society...or SSNN, at least.

Thanks to Corey & Mo, I discovered this great comedy site called Serious Sports News Network. It's like The Onion, but dedicated solely to sports. And unlike The Onion, they take submissions and, as any loyal reader of Blog Schmog knows (which you all very well should be by now), Corey is a regular contributor to their site.

After some discussions with them this past week, I submitted a few articles and ended up getting this one pictured below as a featured article and was asked to be a regular contributor for them like Corey is.


So I wanted to thank Corey & Mo for introducing me to the site and hope that everyone gets a chance to head over there and read some pretty funny stuff.

Livin' the dream....kind of.

Damn shame there's only so many hours in a day...

Conchords, Big Scores, & Mac Pros

My new Macbook Pro arrived yesterday and I've spent pretty much all my free-time familiarizing myself with it and finding all sorts of free software I can use. A buddy of mine said that after using the Mac for a month I'll wonder why I ever had a PC in the first place, so I'm interested to see if it will really be THAT easy to use. Although, so far, it's a pretty nice beast of a machine. I bottomed out my savings to pick it up and have already started doing some freelance graphic design stuff on it and it really motors. So far, I'm happy with it....granted it's been all of a day.

I was SO excited to see that the new (& much anticipated) Futurama DVD movie is on it's way in just a few weeks. Entitled, Bender's BIg Score, the entire original voice cast is back - which is a feat in itself - and the storyline is definitely a sci-fi set-up to appease the masses (I won't spoil it here). It should be fun seeing how the talented writers justify the fact that they've been gone for so long (like Family Guy did on their return), and I'm sure the commentary track will offer insights into that as well. Needless to say, I can't wait to check it out once it streets on November 27th.

Plus, the first season of the smash HBO series Flight of the Conchords was released on DVD this week as well. I have been praising this comedy duo for quite awhile now as a folk answer to Tenacious D and am glad to see that they've found so much success over here (and making the term, "Ginger Balls," a household phrase). If you've not seen this yet on YouTube or wherever, this is definitely a solid holiday purchase for yourself or someone you knew that has a quirky sense of humor.

We're getting into CSz remote-time so I'll be doing a ton of shows, I'm sure, but I'm hoping that I can do blog updates while on those trips with the new laptop and that may make posting on here easier and, subsequently, more frequent. I wish all of you well and hope you have wonderful Thanksgiving's if I don't post again before then.

2007 Boston Red Sox - How Sweep It Is!

In similar fashion, the Boston Red Sox repeated the feat they accomplished in 2004 and swept their World Series opponent in 4 games claiming the title of world champions for the 2nd time in 4 years. A group of us have been following the Sox all season (going so far as to start an Official Red Sox Nation of the Quad Cities page on Facebook) and are so happy to see them win it all (again) in such convincing fashion.

It was a drama-filled season going all the way back to when the Red Sox had a 16 game lead in their division culminating in a mid-season moment versus the rival New York Yankees that saw back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs. However, the early success made them relax and, in their complacency, saw their lead dwindle and eventually ended up winning the pennant by a mere two games. Then the Sox found themselves down 1-3 in the American League Championship Series against a hot Cleveland Indians team.

They never lost another game.

8 wins later and they are the world champions.

It was eerily similar to what they did back in 2004, finding themselves down 0-3 in the ALCS to the New York Yankees, and then winning 8 games in a row and knocking off the St. Louis Cardinals in route to their first world championship since 1918. The Colorado Rockies, winners of 21 of their last 22 games heading into the fall classic, had the unfortunate task of sharing the Cardinals fate.

On a personal note, here's also a bit of interesting karma for you: last year I took a tour of the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis and the Cardinals subsequently won the 2006 World Series. As mentioned in an earlier post of mine, I drove a friend out to Boston for a job interview a few months back and ended up taking a tour of Fenway Park while there.......and now Boston has won the World Series.

Coincidence?

Yes. Very much so.

But if you are superstitious, (for the right price) I will happily make arrangements to come to your town and tour a professional stadium in hopes that the good karma will follow your team there as well (I'm looking at you, various Seattle pro sports franchises).

In the meantime, let's go Red Sox!

By the way, I've totally been listening to "Tessie" on repeat as I've been entering this post (if you're a Sox fan, you'll get that reference).

(all photos appear courtesy of MLB.com)

Othello wraps & a Red Sox'tober

Othello is officially in the rearview mirror and was quite a success as we sold out every show our final weekend. It was a fun experience, but taught us that matinee's aren't always a good idea. Plus our venue was double-booked with a Scott County Wrestling event on Friday and a potentially disasterous situation was, due do some last minute conversations with the venue, avoided as the wrestlers were moved to a later date. We received really strong reviews (again) and are looking forward to bringing The Taming Of The Shrew to the stage in March of 2008.

Another positive is that the marketing pieces I did for the show were really well received and I may end up with a few freelance gigs out of it, so keep those fingers crossed.

I did see a few more movies...

The Brad Pitt/Casey Affleck western, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, was a pleasant surprise as I haven't seen a solid western film since Tombstone. While it was a bit drawn out at times as we are firmly following Robert Ford's side of things, the suspense and great acting tends to even out the slow pacing. Knowing little about James' story (or Ford's, for that matter), I was captivated to find out what really happened as well as the fallout for Ford's actions on that fateful afternoon. Was James really the folk hero history has made him out to be? The film does take a look at that and does show that Ford was, technically, the 'good' guy in this scenario as he was taking out a wanted criminal, but the way in which he did it is what makes this story legend. I would definitely say rent this one as it needs to be viewed while you can take a break, but is definitely worth a viewing nonetheless.

The other film I caught was Shoot Em Up, starring Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti returning to the bad guy role he does so well (see Howard Stern's Private Parts). You pretty much have to check your reality at the door the minute the opening credits begin as this film gives Speed a run for its money in terms of action per minute. It's an action film that's self-aware that it's an action film and proudly takes liberties and makes fun of that fact. Clive Owen's delivery is spot-on...and, dare I say, has a twinge of, "I could've been James Bond, y'know..." feel to it (taking nothing away from Daniel Craig's amazing take on that franchise despite Owen being the fan favorite for the coveted role). I can honestly say, I had a lot of fun watching the insanity that is this film as did the group I saw it with. As I said, you need to be in a loose, care-free mood before viewing it - or in that angry, "I want to hurt something," mode. Plus, you'll never look at carrots the same again.

Let's see......what else?

Oh yeah....

THE RED SOX ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES! What an amazing ALCS for them to come back against the Cleveland Indians in similar fashion to the way the did against the rival New York Yankees in 2004. While admittedly not following the Sox as well as I could've been during the 2005 & 06 seasons, this year I was able to visit Boston and tour the legendary Fenway Park and have been following them like a hawk ever since. I remember being in a friend's dorm room watching back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs in a game against the Yanks and knew that this season would be special. Granted, we need four more wins for another title and that the Colorado Rockies are a formidable opponent (winning 21 of 22 games), but I feel we've got the momentum and hope for another well-earned championship will make it's way to Beantown that doesn't have the words "Patriots" attached to it.

My best bud Casey (Jeff Award nominee from a previous post) is now an engaged man now as he proposed to his girlfriend at Disney in Orlando, FL, this past week. I've been informed that I'll be splitting best man duties with another friend of mine and we couldn't be happier for them.

And finally, since it is Halloween, I thought I'd close out by mentioning a fun thing that our local theater is doing. They're showing old horror movies as double features for only $5 - and some of the ones they've got slated are classics....in that Boris Karloff kind of way. Many of them have been spoofed by Mystery Science Theater 3000, but it was just as fun to see them in their original formats and the joking and laughter was made by pretty much everyone in attendance. It's a great idea and I can't believe that more theaters in the area aren't doing this as well.

Last week, a group of us got to see The Terror, starring Karloff and a very young Jack Nicholson, and the second feature was the original House On Haunted Hill (not the crappy Taye Diggs remake). They were both very campy, but great reminders as to why I enjoy this time of year so much. Halloween is that one time of year where it's acceptable to dress up as something you are not or something that you've always wanted to be, but obviously can't - and yet our imaginations all let go for one night and allow us to just be whatever we want, and I think that's really cool (and maybe why I enjoy theatre as well...?).

Plus, women just look all hot and stuff dressed up in costumes.

That's about all that's exciting from this neck of the woods. What's up with you?

Othello & a Tuxedo

So in the completely random department, I bumped into some pledge/fraternity brothers on my way to a ComedySportz show Saturday and it turns out the one of my pledge brothers was getting married and a bachelor party was underway. Having not seen said fraternity brothers in nigh on 6 or so years, I decided to meet up with them afterwards, but it timed out that the only place I could find them was at a strip club....a place I had never been before in 31 years. So I cave & I went and, much like your first time at a Hooters, it's very surprising for about the first 3 minutes and then it's just kind of....eh. I guess I made a bigger deal out of not going to these places in the past, but having finally cracked the preverbial cherry and finally going into one, I didn't really feel like I was missing out on much.

It was great catching up with those guys and I was also able to reconnect with my closest friend in that group, Troy, who's blog has moved to a new address (see link to the right - I've had a bad link for the past 6 months). He's doing well, is now a father, and I genuinely hope to stay in touch with him more in the coming months.

Besides that, Othello is right around the corner and I will leave you with a couple of marketing images from the show (done by yours truly) as I need to get to practice.

So excited for this...

That should be hilarious.

I went to my 32nd Dave Matthews Band concert in Alpine Valley, WI, and it was the best seats I've ever had - 8th row (even better than on my birthday in Chicago when I had 10th row)! He played a great set and debuted a lot of new stuff, including my new addiction, "Cornbread." That song is GREAT & is also on the new "Live at Radio City" Dave & Tim CD that just came out. Plus, there's a very bizarre DMB video for "Eh Hee" available on iTunes right now that's just.....out there. If you watch the DVD of the concert, you'll get it though.

I was cast as Cassio in the Prenzie's upcoming "Othello" this October, which should be fun. I'm debating doing the second show of the season ("Taming of the Shrew") b/c I've already been in it before at Genesius Guild and think maybe I'll try out for a New Ground show or something instead.

What else? Let's see...

My buddy Hannon & I went to Chicago for a CSz tournament and got to play with and stay with Corey & Mo, which was a blast. And now, thanks to Cory, I own Tiger Woods 08 for the Wii. The show was fun, but their temporary stage is VERY tiny & it was crowded with 8 players and a ref up there. Plus, the show felt very theatrical and not so much as a 'sports' show, which is the facade I thought we were trying to present. Maybe that's a Chicago thing, I guess...

AND my friend Casey was nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actor in Chicago for his performance in "Oklahoma"! So send good thoughts his way next month when the awards are handed out.

courtesy JeffAwards.org

Plus how cool is the recently announced iPod Touch? I've been itching to upgrade mine for some time (I've got a 2nd generation) & it seems like a good time to do so - especially with the low price for the holidays.


That's about it from here. Hope you're well!

The Tounament Ultimatum

So the 2007 CSz World Championship has come and gone and CSz-QC is standing tall as we captured our 4th title overall, but 1st world championship. I got to Mr. Voice the championship match (as well as the one preceeding it) and it was a blast. It's so much fun seeing what the other cities bring to the table, whether it be new games or variations of games we already play or simply just their passion for improv - tournament is a very unique experience. Plus fellow blogger Corey ran a great workshop at the tournament as well, so it was nice to catch up with him. Plus I'm headed to Chicago this weekend to team up with Corey and Mo representin' the Q.C. (we officially adopted them some time ago) for a CSz midwest tournament. So that should be fun.

I bore witness to two of the finest movies of the summer as well. We'll begin with the completion of one of my all-time favorite trilogies as The Bourne Ultimatum made it's way to the cineplexes. While the second film had an admittedly convoluted plot, this film was very to the point - we're going to find out where he came from and David Webb came to be Jason Bourne.....and the trip is SO much fun. Like the previous film, Paul Greengrass choose to film this like a documentary where you just happen to be running alongside everyone as everything goes down. The action is incredible and the story never slows for a second, yet you're able to easily follow it as well. Granted, I'm a touch biased as I've seen all of these films multiple times (yes, I've seen Ultimatum more than once already), I think anyone can follow what's happening even if they have no familiarity with the series. Dare I say, I believe this is my favorite film of the summer, just ahead of the new Die Hard.

The other film I just saw was the long-awaited The Simpsons Movie. Now the major complaint I've heard so far is that, "oh, it just feels like another episode of The Simpsons."

Right. And the problem is...?

It's a freakin' one and half hour episode of THE SIMPSONS! Come on! I thought it was hysterical and the creators said they put every character in the film in some way, and if you've seen the mob scene yet, you know that to be true. The story is a great jab at the whole issue of Global Warming and the environment, but also has some really strong messages about that subject, marital problems, father/son relationships, and self discovery. All of that with the wit of the talented writers and voice actors of the most successful animated series of all time. How can you go wrong? If you're even remotely a fan of The Simpsons and you haven't seen this yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Besides that, I'm working on a side project with a buddy of mine for a company out of Chicago that I don't want to talk about or potentially jinx, but it is eating up a lot of my time right now. I'm still job hunting as well. Good times.

This weekend is the CSz Chicago tournament and the week following we're going to Wichita and Topeka, Kansas for a couple of shows. The weekend following, I'm of to Alpine Valley for my 32nd Dave Matthews Band concert.

Speaking of my favorite band, they announced the release of an upcoming Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds acoustic album which I am SO jazzed about. The first one was recorded the night before I saw them on tour and was entitled Live At Luther College. This one is at a little bit bigger venue called Madison Square Garden. They're also releasing a DVD/Blu Ray of it as well so you can have the visual experience as well as the audio one.

That's it from here. Hope you all had a great July and will have a rainy August. (we need rain)

Watch this show.

This is a band I was made privy to almost a year ago and they've been on my iPod ever since. They currently have a show on HBO that's hysterical and a 2-part audiobook called 'Folk the World' on iTunes which the show is loosely based around. I added links to the right so click away and enjoy.

Boston and back & movies galore

My buddy Matt and I have returned from our jaunt out East and it was a blast, albeit a long drive. We went through the U.S. on the way there and came back through Canada. We had a brief stop in Chicago on the way out to see my friend Casey in a show at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater as well as seeing Stephen Ouimette in the show too (he's from the hilarious Shakespeare show on the Sundance Channel called 'Sling & Arrows'). Luckily, we did not have to provide passports yet at the border to Canada, but everyone will in 2008 - you have been warned.

(**I'm putting just a few photos on here, but I've also set up a Kodak Gallery so send me your e-mail if you're interested in seeing the rest.**)

In our two days in Boston, we did the Freedom Trail tour and I also took a tour of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. I was shocked at how easily it was to navigate and how walkable the city really is. I went from Brookline to downtown Boston in 45 minutes. I really liked it out there, but it was really chilly, which was an apparent anomaly as the summers there are supposed to be REALLY hot. We stayed with a friend of Matt's from the Peace Corps and their hospitality was very appreciated.

As I mentioned, we wrapped our trip up by coming back through Canada and made another stop at Niagra Falls to enjoy nature in all it's majesty. They hadn't changed since the last time I saw them, but we saw them from the Canadian side last time so we saw them from the U.S. this time. All in all, it was a nice week traveling and we had no real weather problems at all. Boston was fantastic and I could totally see myself living out there some day.

Upon returning, a couple of friends of mine decided to give the middle finger to 'the man' and do something I've always wanted to do - sneak into movies for free. But not just "a" movie, mind you, but make a day out of it and sneak into a couple of movies. We used free passes to the first film so technically the only money we spent was on overpriced pop & candy (hence, sticking it to the aforementioned 'man').

First on the agenda was Live Free or Die Hard. I am so pleased to tell you that this was a nice return to form for a franchise that I think was starting to get away from itself with it's last outing - which was not lost on the producers as well since it had been 11 years since hearing a peep from anything having to with another Die Hard movie. Bruce Willis is "on" again as an older, wiser John McClane and just seems to glide right back into where we left off with him. The backstory was a touch confusing at the beginning, but it soon gave way to the amazing action and crazy scenarios that he undoubtedly finds himself stuck in. Len Wiseman helmed this outing and following the gunplay and obvious grasp of the action genre he displayed in the equally praised & panned Underworld movies, I thought they nailed the nostalgic feel yet were able to bring the franchise up to date at the same time.

Next we found ourselves sitting in the Judd Apatow comedy Knocked Up. Seth Rogan stars opposite Kathryn Heigl as a stoner nobody that beds an amazing hottie after a drunken night at a club and, as the movie hints at, gets her pregnant. It's very much a story that's been told before about one person being out of the other person's class, but they fall for each other and find a way to make it work, but Apatow is able to put in language (albeit highly vulgar) that seems to relate to people today. Dare I say, these Apatow & Adam McKay films - Old School, Anchorman, Talledgea Nights are perhaps the younger generations Stripes, Meatballs, Ghostbusters, etc.? I enjoyed it, but not as much as I did Apatow's previous offerings.

After a jaunt to el restroom (and killing a half an hour in Oceans Thirteen...which I REALLY want to see the rest of now), we found ourselves giving comedy a second try and ending our escapade with Dreamworks Shrek 3. Unfortunately, we should've just stayed in Oceans Thirteen. I would actually say that this is my least favorite of the trilogy. Something just seemed off, whether it be the story or maybe a sense of "we've been through this before." Plus, without giving much away, the ad campaign and storyline of Shrek being a father throughout the film is very misleading. The regular cast is all still back and do well, but I found myself really only laughing out loud at the Gingerbread Man parts. The addition of new characters failed to create a sense of excitement as I just felt very disengaged. I think it's safely time for this troupe to step aside for awhile to either generate more interest for a later film or just let Dreamworks create a new franchise.

So that was it for Sunday's movie excursion, but were we finished? Oh no. They were doing a preview special the following night for easily the most anticipated film of the summer and we bought our tickets as soon as we saw the ad for it.

With the Great Escape Cinema's quickly becoming our second home, we joined a sold out crowd to see a preview of Transformers. I will admit, hearing Optimus Prime speak on the big screen (for technically, the second time) and having it be not only live action, but the same actor that did the cartoon AND hearing that trademark 'transformers' noise as the robots change into their respective vehicles (and a sound that everyone has their own interpretation of) created a smile on my face the had vaulted itself forward from my inner-child stuck somewhere in the 80's. Just hearing that voice saying things as simple as "eBay" was just awesome. This was very much a Michael Bay movie with tons of action and things blowing up, but the fact that Spielberg was the producer actually set my heart at ease that this franchise was in good hands. I read on Best Week Ever that the fight scenes were akin to, "putting two Transformers in a blender and turning it on," and that is fairly accurate to a point. It was a bit confusing at times watching the Autobots and Decepticons spar and trying to figure out who just clocked who as they tumble down the side of a building, but it wasn't enough to take me out of the moment. The understated star in this blockbuster was the performance of Shia LeBouf, as he did fantastic and has great comic timing (if you haven't seen his SNL appearance yet, YouTube it - it's worth it). The rumor mill is that he'll play Indiana Jones' son in the forthcoming Indy movie and after seeing this performance, he's easily gets my approval.

So there you have it. That's all I've been up to besides prepping for the CSz World Championships and (still) trying to find a job. I hope all is well with you and drop me a line if you want to see more Bostonian pics.

Oh, and if you haven't checked out Will Ferrell & Adam McKay's new website, Funny or Die, do yourself a favor and click on the link to the right. It's awesome - especially the Landlord sketch.