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In one of the earliest missions, Shepherd is reconnected with former teammate Liara, who has discovered blueprints to a Prothean device that may have the power to destroy the Reapers once and for all. Construction on the device, codenamed “The Crucible,” begins right away, and most of the game revolves around Shepherd and the rest of the Normandy‘s crew seeking out crucial components, especially “The Catalyst,” which The Crucible won’t function without.

On top of all this, Shepherd is battling an old ally in the form of the pro-human organization Cerberus. Their leader, the Illusive Man, is hell-bent on controlling the Reapers instead of destroying them, and is in search of The Catalyst as well, to promote this goal. If this weren’t enough, many of the galaxy’s other sentient races are reluctant to divert resources in the defense of the humans, forcing Shepherd to assist them in various ways to earn their promises of assistance against the Reapers attacking Earth.

One of the most satisfying aspects of ME3 is its fan service. Throughout the course of the game you’ll not only encounter nearly every notable character from the first two games, you’ll finally get closure to many of the recurring issues throughout the course of the series. For instance, whether or not to cure the Krogan genophage once and for all, or who to assist when the Quarians start a war with the Geth are just a couple of the decisions you’ll have to make as you prepare a galaxy for war.

Overall gameplay is very similar to previous Mass Effect titles, incorporating a combination of space exploration and third person shooting. The exploring and resource gathering has been shifted away from the tedious planet scanning from the first title, and instead uses a system not unlike sonar. A ping is sent out from the Normandy, and if there’s anything notable in the area it’s highlighted on the navigation map. Watch out though, too many pings and the Reapers will come to investigate the source of the scans, forcing you to flee the system for a time. Resources you gather go to the war effort, and your diligence in this matter will determine the Alliance fleet’s overall battle readiness.

As far as the shooting sequences go, the cover system has been improved, making it easier to advance on targets without exposing yourself to too much enemy fire. The friendly AI seems smarter, taking up flanking positions automatically and doing a fair job of protecting themselves. Enemy AI is similarly improved. They use their cover smartly, and some units will try to fall back if you charge forward for a melee attack, or attempt to outflank you if you hold one position for too long. This makes some of the enemies quite formidable, especially on the hard difficulty setting. In the end though, these are only tweaks to already established gameplay. If you enjoyed the firefights in ME2, you’ll find more of the same here, just smarter and sometimes on a grander scale.

The only real gripe I have with the game is the ending. In fact, after hearing several complaints about Mass Effect 3‘s conclusion, I was half tempted to write this review before finishing the game. With 25+ hours in, I had a pretty high opinion of the experience to that point and didn’t want to tarnish that. I thought better of it however, and went ahead and finished the game. Although it wasn’t as bad as I had prepared myself for it to be, it was disappointing. Ultimately this had to do with the stunted, cookie-cutter closing cinematic however, and not a deficiency in the nature of the ending itself.

If you haven’t played a Mass Effect game before, this is probably not the place to start. In fact if you haven’t played a Mass Effect game before, I’m surprised you’ve made it to this paragraph. All this talk of Reapers and Quarians, Krogans and Crucibles must be dizzying. If you’re a PS3 owner you should start with ME2, as it eases you into the mythology of the game at an easy to digest pace. Also because the first Mass Effect title was, and still is, exclusive to the 360.

Booster draft

$15 entry fee

Avacyn restored

Winners get FREE booster packs!

Contact the Alton store for more info: 618-462-2005

If you’ve never heard the name Rufus Wainwright, you’re probably not alone. He’s been an active part of the music scene for years now, but that particular sort of radio-heavy popularity has always eluded him, although he did come close in 2007 with Release the Stars, his most successful, high-profile album to date. After that, following the death of his mother, musician Kate McGarrigle, he put out a somber collection of heavy tunes entitled All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu. And now he’s back with an excellent return to his pop-based roots.

Out of the Game marks the beginning of a new era for Wainwright. As a recent father and soon-to-be husband, this new album is a striking rebound from the previous album’s grief-stricken songs. From the opening title track, we get the sense that Rufus is, if not completely healed, well on his way toward the future. The song’s jaunty rhythm and soaring backing vocals complement Wainwright’s voice even as it moves from low rumbles to the chorus’s powerful bellow.

It’s always impressive to me when albums can hold my attention. A lot of the time, more so nowadays, albums tend to carry a few standout tracks and quite a bit of filler. And some work the opposite way, packed to the brim with in-your-face radio-ready hits that become tiring after a few at-first exciting listens. So, to me what’s impressive is when an artist is able to walk the fine line between catchy and quality. Not that each can’t be a little both, but compared to an album like Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, with its beat-you-over-the-head collection of blaring radio hits, it’s nice to have an album that lets the pace slow to a more modest beat. Honestly, after the first few listens, I fell in love with the album. And the more I listen to it, the more I appreciate it.

Longtime fans of Wainwright’s will be able to pick up on elements of his evolving interest in the melding of pop and opera, but here, as opposed to albums like Want (both One and Two) and Release the Stars, it’s tempered a bit by the production of none other than DJ extraordinaire Mark Ronson, who works his magic throughout the twelve songs presented here.

One of my favorite tracks is “Barbara,” which pulls in the slick sounds of the 70s and moves with a funky rhythm beneath Rufus’s smooth glide up through the octaves. Also, “Respectable Dive” is a nice song that slows things down to a tempo reminiscent of slow dancing with someone you love, but with lyrics that set things in a junky bar. It’s a beautiful love song for suckers like me.

If you’ve never heard of Rufus, it’s understandable. He’s fairly low key. Odds are, you probably won’t hear him on any of the super popular primetime television shows or singing over the credits to a summer blockbuster. Instead, he’s one of those artists that you have to seek out. When you discover him, the bittersweet beauty is such that you immediately wonder how it is you’ve never heard of him before.

There are certainly some parts of this game that completely put Call of Duty to shame; in my opinion, the graphics are the best on any console game, bar none. Granted, you have to download an optional texture patch for the Xbox 360 version to make it look pretty. And not to beat up on the Xbox 360 version too much, but it comes in two discs, as opposed to the one disc PS3 version. It’s a minor gripe but it’s worth noting. In the win column, Battlefield 3’s multiplayer maps are vastly larger than those in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and this makes getting into a vehicle very appealing when starting a match. Other than the size of the maps, though, you can’t compare Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty’s multiplayer too closely, as they are very different.

Many of the first-person shooters currently on the market have guns that feel like peashooters. That isn’t the case at all with Battlefield 3. You actually feel the recoil hammer your weapon when you shoot down the barrel and you can even upgrade your barrel so you can have a steadier shot. Nothing is as satisfying as aiming down your sight, firing ahead of your target and seeing your bullet drop directly on their unsuspecting body. That being said, there is a bit of a learning curve to this game because of the bullet physics. You have to adjust your shots accordingly for targets at a distance. No longer can you magically shoot straight across the map.

The gameplay on the ground works very well but you’re probably wondering how you would travel across a huge battlefield. Don’t worry, you’re covered with an immense garage full of vehicles. You have your standard tanks, jeeps and boats but where it really gets interesting is in the sky. They have two different types of helicopters: one for attacking and another for support and transport. They’re both incredibly fun to zoom around over head in. I can’t mention vehicles and not touch on how awesome the jets are. Yes, this game has flyable jets. They’re not overpowered at all– in fact, they might be a little underwhelming for air to ground battles– but once you see another jet flying around you can definitely indulge all of your Top Gun fantasies.

Mutliplayer is such a big feature in games because it gives our beloved software more shelf-time. And if we can judge how long a game survives just by their online modes, Battlefield 3 just might be immortal. You have the standard game modes such as “Deathmatch” and “Squad Deathmatch,” but the real meat and potatoes comes from “Rush,” which pits one defensive team trying to defend a bombsite against an offensive team with limited respawns. Once the attackers successfully plant on two bombsites another two pop up and the multiplayer map gets even larger, which isn’t a problem with the dynamic spawning system. It’s not an entirely fresh idea but the way this game really sets it up with the engaging atmosphere you can’t help but be pulled in.

Now that we’ve covered Battlefield 3’s strengths, we definitely have to go over its flaws. The elephant in the room is the horrid single-player. It’s very similar to Call of Duty’s multiple character viewpoints, where you switch playable characters throughout the story. Unlike Call of Duty, though, Battlefield 3’s missions aren’t memorable and often times try too hard to blow you away. The only really cool set piece in the campaign is when you’re the gunner in a jet. Yes, you’re the gunner- you don’t actually fly the jet. Which is pretty damn lame. The single-player just feels like a watered down training mode for multiplayer.

This game does offer co-op, if you’re dead set on senjoying some sort of story. The missions are actually set up well but are mostly forgettable. Unlike Halo Reach, you can’t play with multiple friends. It’s just you and one other. It would’ve been cool to have three or four buddies helping you out, but it’s only a minor detraction. Though the only reason I trudged through the missions was to unlock more weapons.

If you like being rewarded you’re going to absolutely love how they set up the unlockables. As previously mentioned, you can unlock guns through the co-op by completing missions. Though where you’re going to do the most unlocking is online. You can pretty much have any scope on any weapon. Want a hunting scope on your M4? No problem! Want a red-dot sight on your Sniper Rifle? Okay. You can even unlock things for your vehicles, for instance, having flares for your attack helicopters. None of the unlockables feel unbalanced either, which is important for a game that thrives on its multiplayer.

For those looking for a decent change of pace to your close-quarter first person shooters then do yourself a favor and check this game out. Though the single-player lacks any memorable experiences, you’ll be blown away by the amazing multiplayer. There’s a learning curve when you jump online but if you have the patience to learn everything about the game then you’ll no doubt have a new favorite in your collection.

Offers for May – June 2012

25% More in Trade: All 3DS & Vita Games/Handhelds

Games must include full packaging to receive full trade value.

20% More in Trade: All 360, PS3, & Wii Games/Consoles

Games must include full packaging and be free of major scratches to receive full trade value.

Buy 2 Get 1 Free: All Loose Action Figures

Selection varies by location.

Free item is the lesser of the three.

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I’ve always been a fan of horror. Even as a child, I enjoyed being scared out of my wits by any number of goblins, ghosts, serial killers, or things from outer space that resemble someone’s thrown-up seafood. My taste in movies tends to shift back and forth on occasion, but one genre I’m always game for is a good scary movie. And Alien is one of my perennial favorites. And so, when the movie was released on Blu-ray awhile back, I picked it up. My DVD copy wasn’t in bad shape, but I had a few extra birthday bucks to spare and I thought my collection could use a little updating. So, I went with the Alien Anthology, an impressive grouping of all four canon films in the Alien series with some special behind-the-scene extras.

My expectations for the Blu-ray of the original movie were pretty tame. The film’s extras in this set were the same as the DVD, and for a classic film I’ve seen more times than the amount of people who have unfriended me on Facebook, I wasn’t exactly expecting any surprises.

When the movie started playing, though, I don’t think I could have been any more surprised if that chestburster itself had exploded out of me.

The movies I’d seen in high-definition had, for the most part, all been fairly recent ones, and while the clarity of the picture has been consistently impressive, I hadn’t seen many older films brought into the HDTV era. At least, not with much oomph. The transfer here blew me out the airlock (full disclosure: that didn’t actually happen), and made me drool on myself a little (full disclosure: that actually did). For a movie set against the backdrop of space, the deepness of blacks is an important visual element, and here the richness of the void of space felt formidable. Even in scenes on the ship, dark, shadowy corners looked like they could hide anything. Honestly, the increased sharpness and color saturation made watching the movie an engrossing experience, even though I’d seen it before. In full HD, I could pick out details from the film that I’d never noticed before. I could see wear and tear along the ship’s pipes and all the unsettling H.R. Giger design elements from the walls of the alien ship.

The sound was impressive, too, as Ridley Scott’s director’s cut on the Blu-ray has a modified, optimized soundtrack with 5.1 Surround Sound. If you’ve got a home theater setup, the little ambient noises of the ship and the desolate planet will make your skin crawl.

The standalone Blu-ray doesn’t come with any different special features than the recent DVD releases of the film. Besides the director’s cut (which reintroduces some interesting footage cut from the theatrical version) there are a couple of commentary tracks that are worth a listen if that kind of thing piques your interest. If you pick up the Anthology box set, you get some making-of features and a spiffy book that holds the discs.

Honestly, there’s probably not much that I can say about a movie that’s been around for thirty years that hasn’t been said before. That’s especially true for one as esteemed as Alien. But, if you haven’t seen this movie on Blu-ray, it’s worth seeing, and in my opinion, definitely worth owning. With the increase in visuals, it’s a no-brainer. And if that’s not enough for you hardened horror buffs, the movie’s iconic tagline might be “In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream,” but with the Alien Blu-ray, those screams come in even louder and more spine-tinglingly clear.

Contact your local Slackers to see if they have a copy, or if they can order one for you!

The only Pointfest of 2012 – 2 full days!

Slackers will be on hand both days with all the meet and greets you can handle.  Below is a list of confirmed band signings.

This list will continue to grow so check back often.

Saturday

• 2:00 – Janus
• 5:15 – Megadeth
• 6:00 – Hurt
• 6:30 – Taproot
• 7:15 – Trapt

Sunday

• 2:00 – Cavo
• 3:00 – Kyng
• 3:30 – Awolnation
• 4:00 – Middle Class Rut
• 5:00 – Foxy Shazam
• 7:00 – Neon Trees

Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to correspond with a real Star Wars actor!! Alan Flyng played several roles in Empire Strikes back and Return of the Jedi. The big two roles were a Stormtrooper during the Carbonite Freezing Chamber scene in Episode 5 and an Imperial Officer during the demise of the Executor scene in Episode 6. Alan’s other roles include films like Silver Dream Racer, An American Werewolf in London, Victor Victoria and Clash of the Titans. After discontinue his acting career, Alan began working in costume design.

Being a huge Star Wars fan, I thought it would be wonderful to ask Alan a few questions and to share them with everyone to commemorate the upcoming Star Wars holiday on May 4th!

Luke – With how popular Star Wars was when it hit theaters, what was it like to receive the call that you were casted to be in Empire Strikes Back?

Alan – It was not a huge deal, to be honest! I was working in continuity on other films at the same time and I was not sure how long they wanted me for Empire. I had obviously heard of the success of ANH, but this was two and a bit years down the line and there was no guarantee it would be as successful as the first. So, I duly turned up for my fitting and just launched into it…

Luke – Between being a Stormtrooper in Empire or an Executor Officer in Return of the Jedi, which role did you enjoy more?

Alan – The first role lasted a long time and was nearly always uncomfortable. The armor was tight on me and constantly split and stuck into me all over! But, apart from the heat of the closed studios and the real steam used instead of honey smoke, there was just the need to remain as attentive as possible and do whatever was asked of us. We were never told where inserts in tunnels fitted in, so it was a bit mechanical! We all were fitted as other characters too, as it was time wasted sitting around whilst they filmed close-ups of the principal actors or moved all the lighting and camera for other angles. So, I was also a Snowtrooper and a Hoth Rebel.

The second role, however, was executed (sorry for the pun) in a single morning wearing a uniform much too tight for me (which you can clearly see onscreen), but my face was on display and I had the chance to deliver lines to camera. So, I have to say the Imperial Officer was my favorite.

Luke – Were you a little short for a Stormtrooper?

Alan – Actually, no. I am 1/4 inch short of 6 feet and I had a muscular frame larger than most. Hence the fact I am referred to as ‘the chunky one’ in the Carbon Chamber set.

Luke – For which Star Wars character would you have preferred to be cast?

Alan – I have joked before I would have liked to have been Boba Fett, but in truth I would have rather have been the same Imperial Officer, but without the explosion and more scenes!

Luke – What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever had to autograph for someone?

Alan – I was once invited to sign a rather voluptuous young lady’s chest, but I couldn’t get a good grip! LOL! But I have autographed all sorts of body parts!!!

Luke – What’s your favorite part of being a Star Wars alumni?

Alan – Truthfully? Meeting the fans; getting the chance to travel and see places I’ve never been; making friends all over the world! I am blessed – for the little that I contributed; I am received all over with great warmth and friendship!

To learn more about Alan Flyng or to get info about purchasing a signed photo from Alan (proceeds go to charity), please follow these links

• www.alanflyng.com
• www.alanflyng.weebly.com
• www.sci-ficonventionsigners.co.uk

May the 4th Be With You!

Catch six movies for one low price:

• Iron Man
• The Incredible Hulk
• Iron Man 2
• Thor
• Captain America
• Avengers – Midnight premiere!

Chesterfield Galaxy 14 – Ronnies 20 Cine – St. Charles Stadium 18 – O’Fallon 15

Learn more

With Toadies and Lindi Ortega

Show at 7pm

$29.50 in advance, $32 day of show

British television shows are either hit or miss with me. I am a hardcore fan of The Office (David Brent is far superior to Michael Scott), but I can’t seem to get into the cult classic Absolutely Fabulous. My sister introduced me to a little British sitcom called The I.T. Crowd early last year and, I must admit, I wasn’t thrilled with the first season.  The concept is simple enough. Three people work in the I.T. department for Reynholm Industries (a corporation that does….something, but it’s never revealed what exactly). These people are Roy (Bridesmaids‘s Chris O’Dowd), a socially-inept fellow who likes to answer the phone with, “Hello, I.T., have you tried turning it off and on again?”; Maurice Moss (Richard Ayoade), who is a genius when it comes to computers and a little slow when it comes to damn near everything else; and Jen (Katherine Parkinson), who serves as their relationship manager with all of the other departments.

The first season made me laugh a few times, but ultimately it left me feeling like I had quite literally missed the joke. Was I supposed to laugh at Jen’s attempts to try on a pair of shoes three sizes too small? Or how about when Roy gets trapped underneath a desk (that’s right, I said trapped underneath a desk)? According to the laugh track, yes, I was supposed to be laughing. I took a leap of comedic faith by giving the second season a go (all four seasons currently avaialbe on DVD are just six episodes long), but I’m glad I did. The writing got much better and the actors clearly became more comfortable with their characters. By the end of the fourth season (a fifth season and final season is reportedly being filmed this year), I was a full-fledged I.T. Crowd fan. Now I can even re-watch that first season and find it– dare I say– hilarious at times. Here are my top five episodes:

1) “Jen the Fredo ” – (Season 4:Episode 1)

This is, without a doubt in my mind, my all-time favorite episode of this show. I suppose this is because it holds sentimental value for me. When I first watched this, I had just gone through a break-up (a sucky one at that), and it just so happens that the lovely Roy is also going through a break-up in this episode. His misery is on full display here, from his drinking wine at work to photoshopping his ex out of pictures they had taken together. The climax of the episode is a role-playing game a la Dungeons and Dragons in which Moss, pretending to be an elfin version of Roy’s former girlfriend, finally grants Roy bittersweet closure. This episode made me laugh when I needed it most, thus it claims the top spot.

2) Are We Not Men? (Season 3:Episode 2)

Moss discovers a website that nerdy men, such as himself and Roy, can turn to in order to sound like “real men,” particularly when it comes to sports. Phrases such as “Did you see that ludicrous display last night?” are supposed to help them appear more manly. They test this out at a local pub with some other men who are watching a football game and it works like a gangbusters. Things get somewhat out of hand, though, when this group of men begins inviting them to play poker, attend sporting events and rob stores. But, honestly, what’s manlier than that?

3) Friendface (Season 3:Episode 5)

Facebook is clearly spoofed in this episode in which Jen gets sucked into a social media site called Friendface. While she is playing catch up with old friends, Roy is tracked down on the site by a woman he briefly dated who took a cosmetic cue from a certain comic book villain.

4) The Work Outing (Season 2:Episode 1)

The three misfits join a coworker from a different department and they attend a musical called, “Gay!” Roy is mistaken for a disabled man who had his wheelchair stolen, Moss is mistaken for a theatre bartender, and Jen is mistaken for a man.  Also, for British sitcom nerds, you might recognize Ash Atalla (producer of The Office and The I.T. Crowd) as the wheelchair-bound man who hits on Roy.

5) The Dinner Party (Season 2:Episode 4)

The boys are invited over to Jen’s for a dinner party in order to pair up some of her single friends with her  romantically-challenged coworkers. As it turns out, Jen’s friends are just as hopeless as her coworkers. Oh, and Jen is dating a man named Peter File. Say his name out loud. What does that sound like to you?

Click on the links to download the episodes or full seasons of the I.T. Crowd from iTunes, or hop on over to your local Slackers to order you DVD copies!

Slackers is one of thousands of comic book shops around the world celebrating the comic book art form on Saturday, May 5th.

Check out these great specials we’re offering on Free Comic Book Day:

Cannot be combined with any other offer. Free item is the lesser of the two. Used discount offers replace standard Power Card Member discounts. Subject to manager approval. Some exclusions apply. See associate for details. No dealers.

Free Comic Book Day kicks off at 10:00 AM and runs until 9:00 PM at all

Slackers locations.

Hang out with these Super Heroes:

• Batman and Robin – Jefferson City
• Batman – South County
• The Joker and Batgirl – O’Fallon
• Wonder Woman and Spiderman – Mid Rivers
• Mario and The Flash – Alton
• Captain America – Columbia

Regular updates, information about comic books, and a list of participating publishers and their free comics are all online at www.FreeComicBookDay.com.

Spiritualized is a band comprised of a revolving cast of musicians surrounding lynchpin member Jason Pierce, who writes and sings all of the band’s material. He’s also credited on the album under the moniker J. Spaceman, a holdover from his previous band, Spacemen 3. Pierce’s alias isn’t the only relic from that previous outfit either. That band’s wildly inappropriate tagline, “taking drugs to make music to take drugs to” is a tenet that Spiritualized was founded on, and one that stands in stark contrast to the often religiously tinted lyrical imagery, hymn-like phrasing and gospel tinged background vocals that trademarks J. Spaceman and Co.’s sound.

Spiritualized’s experimentation with ‘spiritual’ song elements like these makes it a difficult band to pigeonhole, although calling them space rock is likely as close as you could get. Equal parts Velvet Underground, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and New York Philharmonic, they straddle a line between minimalist song structures and lush orchestration. On weaker efforts, their approach can sometimes lead to songs that are muddled, lacking focus and ultimately forgettable. This is not the case with Sweet Heart, Sweet Light, the group’s best collection of songs since 1997′s Ladies and Gentlemen…We Are Floating In Space.

No need to panic. Pierce hasn’t suddenly started penning tightly crafted morsels of pop. Far from it, as the excellent nine minute opener “Hey Jane” will testify. In it, Spaceman asks the eponymous Jane “Where you goin’ today?” as the band crescendos into screeching collapse about a third of the way in, only to rebuild the song anew, this time asking the question “Hey Jane when you gonna die?”. As he works into the finale, Spaceman nods to one of his heroes when he follows the latter question with, “You got wings like a butterfly. Meet death baby all alone. ‘Sweet Jane’ on the radio.”

The following nine arrangements are similarly paced, and although none of them are quite as lengthy as “Hey Jane”, a couple get close to or break the eight minute mark, pushing the 10 (11 if you count the intro). The total playing time to just under an hour. Still, it’s an hour that goes by quickly as you’re swept along by not only your standard rock ‘n’ roll guitar, bass and drums, but with piano, string quartets, assorted wind instruments, even banjo and glockenspiel. All the while you’re being serenaded by a choir steadily repeating hauntingly beautiful choruses alongside J. Spaceman’s own tenor.  You may even find yourself swept up in a reverent fervor and singing along as the album closes, belting out, “And all your dreams of diamond rings. And all that rock and roll can bring you. Sail on. So long. Sail on. So long.”

If you’ve heard Spiritualized before, and you’re not a fan, this album likely won’t win you over. On Sweet Heart, Sweet Light a case could be made for common complaints of the outfit, like too moderate a tempo and repetitive passages. However, if you are a fan, especially of the record Ladies and Gentlemen…We Are Floating In Space, you should be pleased with this one. Many of these songs were written while the band was touring, playing dates where they performed Ladies and Gents in its entirety. The influence can be seen clearly all over Sweet Heart, Sweet Light. And if you haven’t heard Spiritualized before, this LP is honestly as good a place to start as any. It is, in my estimation, as good a record as Spaceman has recorded. Any fan of bands that have a lush sound and use a plethora of instruments (like the Arcade Fire, Mercury Rev, or the Decemberists) could do worse than to check out Sweet Heart, Sweet Light. It’s the one that says ‘Huh?’ on the cover.

Lesnar comes out and begins a promo agreeing with Laurinaitis regarding legitimacy. If this segment wasn’t predictable already, John Cena cuts Lesnar off midsentence. After a few kind words, Cena slaps the guy like a little girl. All hell breaks loose as Lesnar jumps Cena and proceeds to throw punches at him, the first busting Cena’s lip open, filling his mouth with blood. It took all the referees and nearly the whole roster to pull the two apart.

We finally see the first match of the night between Brodus Clay and Santino Marella as tag team partners against Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger. It’s good to see that Brodus isn’t wrestling a jobber. It was a typical tag match. Brodus gives Ziggler a running splash and pins him for the win. We quickly move on to a backstage segment where we see John Cena and Teddy Long enter. Cena tells Laurinaitis that he isn’t afraid of Lesnar and sees Johnny’s plans to put Cena “out of business.” He then asks to compete tonight and allows Laurinaitis the pleasure of personally choosing his opponent.

After a few scenes with Santino looking for the guests, The Three Stooges, we have a match with R-Truth and Cody Rhodes. They do some basic moves for a few seconds until they are interrupted by Big Show with another Cody Rhodes Embarrassing Moment. This week, Big Show presents a video of himself presenting the Embarrassing Moment video of Rhodes losing his title to Big Show at Wrestlemania, last week to Rhodes. It was an Inception-esque moment. Of course R-Truth ambushes Rhodes while Big Show is wrapping up his presentation and gets the win.

We are then shown a little slapstick comedy from The Three Stooges and Santino. Nothing special goes down but it’s always nice to have a little comedy. This is followed by a match between Lord Tensai and Yoshi Tatsu. Just like last Monday, they have a literal squash match with Lord Tensai winning by TKO. Is this how his character is going to progress?

Next is the title match. CM Punk enters and goes straight to the ring and begins to tell us that Straightedge is a lifestyle choice, not because it’s cool. His promo is interrupted by a stream of Chris Jericho from backstage. Jericho pokes fun at CM Punk about last Monday’s segment. Punk says that he will take out his frustration by beating down Jericho. Finally Mark Henry enters. CM Punk lashes out at Henry, taking the fight out of the ring and smashing Henry with a monitor from the announcers’ table. Punk might have lost from a disqualification but he saved his title tonight. As Punk is about to finish Henry off, Jericho comes out with two cases of beer. The segment ends much like last week with Punk drenched in booze.

After this shocking segment, Zack Ryder enters for his match with Alberto Del Rio, who returned last week. It was a decent back-and-forth match, allowing Del Rio the win. It doesn’t seem like there is much of a feud here. Ryder is kind of floating around wrestling whoever hasn’t appeared yet.

Finally, The Three Stooges come up with an idea for their segment. Of course they crammed the premier date of their new movie into our heads. Curly, played by Will Sasso, did an outstanding impression of Hulk Hogan. It apparently didn’t win Kane’s approval; he came to the ring and gave Curly the chokeslam. This lead to the match John Cena proposed to Laurinaitis. Johnny chose for Cena to take on his lackey, David Otunga. It started as a usual match with Cena taking note of the immense amount of oil Otunga uses. Otunga gets good offense early, but Cena overcomes his oppression and presents Otunga with the Five Moves of Doom. Right as Cena gives Otunga the STF forcing David Otunga to tap out, Brock Lesnar comes out and gives Cena a low blow from behind. He follows up with an F5 to close out Raw just like last week.

This week was great as far as feuds were concerned, but it seemed a little repetitive. The Brock Lesnar and John Cena feud has a bright future as does CM Punk and Chris Jericho. I’m sure the WWE Universe is looking forward to next week’s episode airing from London, England.

Get ready to meet The Maine again like it’s the first time. You already know them as the band who blazed out of Phoenix, Arizona three years ago. On the heels of their major label debut comes the band’s third full-length studio album, written, produced and funded entirely on their own.

Enter to win two tickets to see them live at the Firebird Music Hall on April 27th.

The winner will also receive a signed poster and an LP

Contest ends April 23

Sorry, this contest has ended

Crazy comebacks, shocking promos, and the births of some sweet, sweet rivalries: post-Wrestlemania Raw is probably the best of the year so far.

Raw opened up with a promo from The Rock. The Miami crowd was looking forward to hearing what the hometown hero had to say about his match with John Cena the previous night. The Rock began by thanking Cena for a great match as well as the WWE Universe for their support. However, he made sure to note that this isn’t “the end; it is just the beginning.” He continued to tell The People about a vision of winning the WWE Championship again. The thought is definitely tantalizing, but is this really what is best for The Rock after a year-long feud like he had with John Cena? We all know he is still on top but is it smart for WWE to switch gears so quickly?

Following this stunning announcement, the United States Champion, Santino Marella, defended his title in a Triple Threat Match against Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger (pronounced “Thwagger”), who just so happens to be buddies of new permanent GM of Raw and SmackDown, John Laurinaitis. Swagger and Ziggler worked together against the champ throughout. Though this is typical in a heel-heel-face Triple Threat Match, Swagger turned on Ziggler when Dolph tried to steal the win. Santino took advantage of his opponents’ bickering and gave Jack Swagger the Cobra and the pin to retain the title! Although Santino was very over, the obviously internet-savvy crowd was heavily supportive of Ziggler as well. After the match, the disgruntled challengers chased Santino up the ramp. At the top, help arrived in a big way in the form of “The Funkasaurus,” Brodus Clay. Dolph tried to take on the ‘Saurus by himself, but his leaping attack was cut short, by a headbutt to the chest from Brodus, causing Ziggler to take a brutal bump on the steel ramp. Are we seeing the beginning of Team Funk-tino?

Then came the debut of Lord Tensai (aka A-Train/Prince Albert). The back of his head has been featured in promo videos for a few weeks. WWE has chosen to acknowledge his past with the company instead of ignoring it. He was greeted warmly with “welcome back” chants as he wrestled a standard squash match against Alex Riley.

Next we were treated to a surprise WWE Championship match as CM Punk put his title on the line against Mark Henry (another buddy of the new GM). Despite the standard David-versus-Goliath formula, Punk and Henry’s chemistry kept the match alive and the crowd hot. No matter how hard Punk fought, Henry fought twice as hard. Just as Punk was mounting a comeback, Henry threw him out of the ring and forced a countout.

Although CM Punk retained, John Laurinaitis and David Otunga made an appearance to tell Punk that he will be defending his title much more frequently from now on. The terms of said frequency were not specified, but that should be the least of Punk’s worries; out of nowhere, Chris Jericho, humiliated by his loss to CM Punk at Wrestlemania, appeared and decided he had to keep his promise to CM Punk and force the Straight-edged Superstar to take his first drink of alcohol. Jericho mocked Punk’s family as he poured liquor all over his exhausted body. Jericho even broke a large bottle over Punk’s head knocking him out cold. This attack was refreshingly brutal in the midst of WWE’s PG standards, and CM Punk did a great job of selling it. It looks like this rivalry is not over and with such intensity, why would fans want it to be?

World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus arrived to a hostile welcome from the crowd. Since his ultra-brief squash match at Wrestlemania with Daniel Bryan was considered a bad call by booking (understatement of the century), the audience was understandably very pro-Bryan and anti-Sheamus. The champ attempted to celebrate his win when he was interrupted by a returning Alberto Del Rio, who informed Sheamus that they would be going head to head that Friday on SmackDown. This segment fell flat due to the crowd’s dislike for Sheamus and disinterest in Alberto Del Rio. Maybe Ricardo could give them a few tips on mic skills!

Next we saw match between Kofi Kingston and Cody Rhodes. Big Show appeared and presented a video of the previous night when Big Show defeated Rhodes to become the new Intercontinental Champion. Of course this distracted Cody, leaving him vulnerable to Kofi’s Trouble in Paradise for the pinfall. This was a pretty predictable scenario, and the fact that Cody Rhodes was on his way to squashing Kofi is disappointing; despite the amount of talent and crowd support Kofi has, he never has the chance to do anything special.

Next was a backstage segment involving Mark Henry destroying the locker room until he was soothed by a persuasive Abraham Washington. Washington asked Henry to hire him as a manager. Though Henry gave no final answer it is obvious we haven’t seen the last of this pair. It’s nice to see A.W. back on TV and it will be interesting to see where his character goes from here.

The last match of the night was between the self-proclaimed Internet Champion, Zack Ryder, and The Miz. They had a good back and forth match but nothing special, with Miz going over. It’s good to see that Miz isn’t getting buried anymore as he has potential (and the same goes for Ryder). However, there currently isn’t any solid plan for either man going forward.

In the last segment of the night, John Cena finally appeared to give his comments on his loss to the Rock at Wrestlemania. He wanted to admit his loss and move on with a clean slate and continue to be the best he can. He invited The Rock to join him for a respectful handshake. But plans changed when John Cena and the entire WWE Universe was rocked with the appearance of Brock Lesnar! There had been internet speculation that Lesnar had been re-signed after his eight-year absence, but he was not expected for Raw tonight. Cena remained in the ring, waiting. Lesnar did his signature entrance before getting in and giving Cena the infamous F-5! The show went off the air with Brock Lesnar posing for the crowd.

Overall Raw-stlemania was outstanding. The audience was still very pumped from the night before. Nothing felt out of place and the end of the show left everyone hot. The crowd added a lot of energy with their continuous Daniel Bryan “Yes!” chants. The night was filled with returns and debuts and allowed for intense feuds to grow more interesting. WWE should keep this intensity up because it was definitely an A+ night.

My opinion changed, however, when I picked up a copy of Resistance 3, which was released late last year. Being a fan of the first one, I finally made my way around to buying this newest entry into the alternate-history series. The co-op aspect didn’t even enter my mind at first, as I was completely taken in by the stunning graphics and the engaging gameplay. One of the strongest aspects of the Resistance series has been the melding of historical elements (namely World War II) with science-fiction (aliens that will rip your head off if you get too close, for example), and this one was no different. From fighting aliens under a barely-standing St. Louis Arch to an intense battle in the middle of a war-torn Times Square, Resistance 3 uses real life locales to push the feeling of high stakes, like you could look out your window and see the buildings around you bursting with explosions.

After finishing the campaign, I immediately started on a second play-through, but on the main menu the co-op option somehow caught my eye, and I wondered just how much different it would be to play with a partner. The prospect of saving the world again seemed much more inviting with someone to cover me. So, I dusted off my second controller and invited a friend over to play.

The co-op mode is, story wise, exactly the same as the single player. But what a world of difference. Together, my friend and I were shouting at one another to take down alien snipers, whimpering our way through abandoned railway stations infested with creatures that looked like they’d just dressed themselves for display in a butcher shop, and then awed into silence (for me a second time) when the game’s stellar graphics would show us just how intense the PlayStation 3 can get. One particular scene involving floating up the Mississippi river and getting trapped under a falling bridge was particularly impressive, and by the time the thing collapsed, both of us looked like we’d just sat through a summer blockbuster.

Resistance 3 is from Insomniac Games, the same studio that produces the Ratchet & Clank series, and their influence can be seen especially in the
weapons the game makes available. Several guns (like the Bullseye and Auger) from the previous two games make return appearances, but they’re complemented by new guns like the Mutator, which grows explosive green pustules on enemies and turns them into walking time bombs. Also, the Cryogun gives a nice little inverse to the often played-out flamethrower by shooting a jet of ice at enemies and allowing you to smash them to pieces with either a melee hit or the weapon’s alternate firing mode, a concussive blast that shatters frozen enemies to pieces.

Overall, the game itself is very impressive. It’s a great title to add to your PS3 collection, especially if you’re a first-person shooter or sci-fi/horror fan. But even action gamers in general will probably find something here to enjoy. And, although I was skeptical of co-op games beforehand, the multiplayer aspect of Resistance 3 turned out to be pretty fun. I’m looking forward to trying out more games with a cooperative element. Now all I need is for Slackers to sell people to come play video games with me.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the album’s cover art (featuring the skeletons of the twosome in their London-hipster fashion). The artwork was actually chosen by White and De Martino from a contest they held for artists and graphic designers to create album artwork and music videos for them. I find it hard to believe there wasn’t something more original than the overdone skeleton theme that seems to be everywhere in music. But let’s jump back into the actual music review…

The first track, “Silence,” is a small synth-infused build-up to the otherwise mostly bold album, but it has an epic mash of drums, layered vocals and even flutes piping over White’s angelic voice. It’s a great lead in to the next two fast-paced, funky tracks: “Hit Me Up Sonny” and the new single “Hang It Up.”  Both have a California-funk/ska vibe with sunny vocals and plenty of White’s lady-rapping (which is somewhat a throwback to older No Doubt).  And then they change directions again with the more original “Guggenheim”– arrogant lyrics and an angry White combine for a perfectly sweet punk number.

The album continues to throw many curveballs with its different sounds, which, after listening to it a few times, left me sort of antsy. My favorite track overall, “One by One” was simple, super synthy and so dreamy. Think Depeche Mode remixed with the loveliest female vocals–   I kept thinking, why couldn’t the whole album be just like this track? The closing track, “In Your Life,” is strange and wonderful all at once, and completely out of the rest of the album’s league, with vocals reminiscent of Sia or Emiliani Torrini. The lyrics are haunting and mournful, accompanied by a cello and acoustic guitar floating in the background. This track would be my favorite if it wasn’t such a departure from the original sound of the Ting Tings I fell in love with.

Regardless of the ups and downs and mishmash of a dozen different sounds, there are some great tracks on Sounds from Nowheresville. The album as a whole is very short though (34 minutes!) and all of the tracks I did enjoy just weren’t long enough. I’d recommend this album for the fans, and for the rest of you, check out their first album We Started Nothing.

It’s 1966. The civil rights movement is taking national prominence. Thousands of young men are drafted into the Vietnam War. Pete Campbell now owns a red checkered suit. Welcome to a new season of Mad Men!

After a 17-month (!) hiatus, Mad Men returned on Sunday, March 25, with a two hour long episode titled “A Little Kiss.” As usual, some time has lapsed between the end of the last season (fall 1965) and the beginning of this season (summer 1966), and it was great to see what had changed since we last checked in with the suits and skirts of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce: Don really went through with marrying Megan, who now works in creative. Pete has a new baby and a house in the suburbs. Joan has a new baby and one really overbearing mother. Peggy seems to have gained a bit more power in the office, but now must tip-toe around the new Mrs. Draper. Inexplicably, Roger has not yet died of a heart attack, stroke, or alcohol poisoning. Betty, um, still exists. She is not seen, but we can presume she spent the duration of the episode smoking cigarettes on her fainting couch, distracting herself from a gnawing sense of ennui and dissatisfaction by dreaming up new ways to damage Sally.

There was a lot to unpack in this episode, including pointed commentaries on race, class, and gender. And yet, there’s one particular element that I just can’t get out of my head: “zoobie zoobie zoooo…..”

Alright, so the lyrics from Megan’s racy serenade are actually “zou bisou bisou,” and the song was recorded in 1961 by yé yé girl Gillian Hill. For those not familiar, yé yé was a European style of pop music whose name came as a translation of “yeah! yeah!” Most yé yé songs were simple and catchy with innocent-sounding, almost childlike lyrics. In this case:

Kiss kiss kiss etc.

My God, how soft they are!

But tell me, do you know

What that means, between us,

What does “zou bisou” mean?

It means, I confess to you,

But yes, I love only you!

As readily demonstrated by Megan, however, yé yé ‘s surface naivety belied an undercurrent of sexuality. In her lovely song Tous les Garçons, famous yé yé girl Françoise Hardy may have been only been singing about a pining, hand-holding sort of love, but there’s an unmistakable something more just below the surface. Don may not have appreciated the performance, but love Megan or hate her, you’ve got to admit the lady has moxie.

All in all, Don’s surprise party was kind of fantastic – that band! Those dresses! Not to mention watching the socially conservative SDCP gang being forced to mingle with Megan’s younger, hipper friends. (I loved the way that, unlike some of his younger cohorts, Bert Cooper adapted and fit right in, arguing politics with Abe. The man’s got style.)

Odds and Ends:

– What I’m coveting this week: Megan’s swinging mini-dress. Très jolie!

– Roger’s secretary Caroline is hilarious. I’m going to assume that, like Ms. Blankenship (R.I.P.), she was hired by Joan in an attempt to keep Don from dipping his pen into the company inkwell. Again.

– I used to like Harry Crane. I think he’s now officially made the transition to “unsympathetic jerk.”

– Still, I laughed out loud during Harry’s conversation with Roger. “You’re going to owe me.”   “No I’m not. I just gave you a lot of money.”

– Joan’s chat with Lane was sweet, but after his little stunt with the wallet, I was afraid he was going to hit on Joan. Please Lane, don’t hit on Joan.

– I loved Peggy and Abe’s little dance together.

– Does anyone really think Don and Megan’s marriage can work?

– Pete and Trudy are adorable. They want a beagle to chase the gophers!

– Speaking of whom, does anyone else think the new Campbell residence looks eerily similar to  the old Draper house? Hopefully Pete and Trudy aren’t doomed to become the new Don and Betty. I just want those two crazy kids and their baby and their beagle and their gophers to live happily ever after.

Are you a fan of Mad Men? Any predictions for the new season?

by Kate Passis

Let’s not get carried away. I’m not recommending that you track down episodes of the thankfully departed H8r or get into America’s Next Top Model. If Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill were your type of thing, you’d already be watching them. While some of the other programming on the network might be instantly forgettable, one genre the CW (and its predecessors, the WB and UPN) consistently does well is supernatural drama — especially the teenage variety.

The Vampire Diaries

There are 160(+)-year-old vampire Salvatore brothers and Elena, the 17-year-old girl they both love/love to hate. Plus werewolves, ghosts, witches and doppelgangers — luckily, the moody, voice-over journal-writing gimmick is abandoned pretty early on in the first season, as are the attempts to cram a new song down the viewers’ throats with each scene change. By the time the first few episodes are over, the show becomes a somewhat soapy and thoroughly enjoyably hour of television escapism.
Worth watching for: very attractive people in their twenties (or beyond) pretending to be teenage-ish undead; Elena’s younger brother searching Bing for “vampires” and “back from the dead.” Without irony.
How to catch up: It’s currently in season three, with seasons one and two available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

If you arrived late to the party, you might have missed the real reason for the Twilight season. Originally aired in 1997 on The WB and ending in 2003 on UPN, Buffy provided seven seasons of undead ass-kicking, sharp rejoinders and plenty of soul-searching drama without getting too maudlin.
Worth watching for: compelling storylines and main characters who are easy to empathize with. While there’s plenty of violence, the show keeps it to a prime time network level.
The show may be dead, but: All seven seasons are available on DVD.

Supernatural

Brothers, again. This time, it’s Sam and Dean Winchester, a pair of demon-hunting siblings who have more than their share of baggage and a trunk full of esoteric weapons. If you don’t like Kansas (the state) or Kansas (the band), you’d best steer clear. The show begins in Lawrence and is mostly set in and around the Midwest, and Kansas’s “Carry On Wayward Son” launches many of the episode recaps and all of the season finales. The acting’s a bit wooden at times, but there are some really funny moments —mostly because the show never takes itself too seriously.
Worth watching for: lots of pop culture references — literally, tons of ‘em —, a solid classic rock soundtrack and a plot arc in which a fictional series of books coincide with the storyline.
How to catch up: Supernatural is currently in its seventh season, with all of the previous seasons available on both DVD and Blu-ray.

Smallville

The beginning of the Superman saga is set in a small Kansas town. Picking up its main story when Clark Kent begins high school, the show follows him as he (eventually) matures into the familiar character of the DC comics. Framed by the turbulence of adolescence, this long-running show explored loss, betrayal, politics, dating and meteor-induced superpowers. Along the way, several familiar faces from the DC Comics Universe are introduced, including Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Hawkman.
Worth watching for: a cast that is very committed to its characters, and though you may know the end (Lois! Clark!), you don’t know how they’re going to get there …
How to catch up:  Seasons one through 10 are available on DVD and seasons six through 10 are also on Blu-ray.

Not a supernatural drama, but certainly deserving of consideration:

Veronica Mars

Kristin Bell plays a smart-mouthed high school detective who solves cases big and small while treading the dangerous waters of life as an ostracized teenager in a privileged town. The dialogue is snappy and the plots — throughout both the episodes and the series — are engaging. Despite its critical praise and devoted fan base, the show went into hiatus in its third season to make room for The Pussycat Dolls Present: and was eventually canceled.
This show may be dead, but: All three seasons are available on DVD.

You can either download seasons of these shows on iTunes, or check out your local Slackers to see if they’ve got them pre-owned!

Few things are more thrilling than being in the middle of an exceptionally rowdy concert. The tidal energy, the ocean of sound, the wave of sweat from people who are far more into the band than you are: these are the things that make concerts such attractive events. But what if you don’t have the income to spend buckets of cash on a concert? For teenagers, college students, or, in my case, people who just can’t manage money all that well, the answer lies in the live album.

Now, compared to standing in a stifling hot theater and shouting until your lungs give out, the experience of live-recorded music in your own home can seem tame to some people. And, true, unless you crank up the stereo and hire some kids in their twenties to come jump up and down in your living room, it’s not quite the same. But hear me out. Below, I’ve got a list (in no particular order) of ten of my favorite contemporary live-recorded albums that’ll get you that awesome concert feel on the cheap.

1. Brandi Carlile – Live at Benaroya Hall
You’ve probably noticed her songs on any number of television drama shows in the past few years, but until you’ve heard her live, you haven’t heard her. Brandi Carlile brings an edgy vocal rumble to her blend of old school country and rock, alternating it with a sweetness in the high-pitched notes. Track to hear: “Before It Breaks”

2. Alanis Morissette – MTV Unplugged
Ask any Alanis fan and they’ll undoubtedly have heard this album. Recorded for the MTV show of the same name, Unplugged showcases Alanis’s vocals against a stripped-down arrangement. While some live albums collect the best performances over a course of evenings, this one limits its selection to a single set; what’s impressive is the consistent flawlessness of Alanis’s voice, whether she’s hitting a soaring vocal in standards like “You Learn” or “Uninvited,” or playing out a soft vulnerability in “That I Would Be Good.” Track to hear: “Princes Familiar”

3. Regina Spektor – Live in London
In the realm of piano-playing alt-pop stars, few can keep up with Regina Spektor’s talents. Here, on a single night in the UK, she demonstrates her unique ability to craft catchy tunes and deliver them in person. Track to hear: “Machine”

4. Rufus Wainwright – Milwaukee at Last!
Canadian singer Rufus Wainwright delivers an impressive collection of piano- and guitar-based songs. One of Wainwright’s strengths has always been his distinctive voice, and here it rises into the ethereal and falls into intimacy, always in top form. Track to hear: “Leaving for Paris No. 2”

5. Sia – Lady Croissant
Recorded at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, rising Australian pop singer Sia delivers a small but worthwhile set collecting one of her biggest hits at the time (“Breathe Me,” featured on the series finale of the HBO show Six Feet Under) and showcasing her unique and moving voice via earlier collaborations with the group Zero 7 as well as her own material. Track to hear: “Destiny”

6. Radiohead – I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings
Alternative rock music’s favorite band collects eight tunes here, mostly (seven out of eight) from their albums Amnesiac and Kid A. The tracks frequently offer a different take — and sometimes a major departure — from their studio counterparts and make for an excellent showcase of one of the UK’s best bands. Track to hear: “Idioteque”

7. Tori Amos – To Venus & Back (Live disc)
To her fans, she’s a goddess. If you don’t like that description, you may not have seen or heard her live performances, which somehow take you beyond hearing music to a state of experiencing it. Hearing the dazzling piano frenzy of “Precious Things,” it’d be easy to imagine that all that work would be impossible for a single player to do. Until you discover that that’s just her two hands. Track to hear: “Precious Things”

8. Chris Cornell – Songbook
A collection of performances during Cornell’s 2011 US tour, Songbook is the first ever live collection from the established rock frontman. While the songs tend to demonstrate Cornell’s anthemic, gravelly projection, the restraint he chooses in parts of his John Lennon “Imagine” cover alone is worth the price of the album. Track to hear: “Imagine”

9. Joni Mitchell – Miles of Aisles
Saskatchewan native Joni Mitchell’s one and only live album gives a taste of her truly diverse voice. At times angelic, at other times brooding, Mitchell’s voice here is truly mesmerizing, capturing much of the essence of the 1960s and 70s. Track to hear: “Cactus Tree”

10. Martha Wainwright – Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, à Paris
One of my most surprising finds of the last few years has been this album,  by the Canadian singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright (whose brother, Rufus, appeared earlier in this list). Mostly known for her down-tempo pop, here Martha covers works from the legendary French singer Edith Piaf, tackling not only the French language with aplomb, but the nuance and power of Piaf’s performances. Track to hear: “L’Accordéoniste”

Do you have a favorite album that’s not listed? Leave a comment below and tell us about it!

April 29th - Scottrade Center

Enter for your chance to win two tickets:

Contest ends: April 20th

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*By entering this contest and if you are the winner of this contest you agree to let Slackers announce your  first name as the winner on Slackers.com, Slackers Newsletter, Facebook and Twitter *

]]> http://slackers.com/blog/2012/03/25/van-halen-ticket-contest/feed/ 0 http://slackers.com/blog/2012/03/23/nancy-mcdonald-reviews-dear-zachary/ http://slackers.com/blog/2012/03/23/nancy-mcdonald-reviews-dear-zachary/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:05:07 +0000 Nancy McDonald http://slackers.com/?p=18525 I watched this documentary sort of by accident a couple of years ago. I failed to update my Netflix queue after mailing off something or other, and before I realized my mistake, Netflix sent me what was next: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. I didn’t even remember adding it to my queue in the first place, but there it was in my mailbox. I read over the short synopsis on the sleeve of the DVD and took a chance. It has now become one of my favorite documentaries to date.]]> Stars: Andrew Bagby, Zachary Bagby
Director: Kurt Kuenne
Release Date: February 24, 2009
MPAA Rating: Not Rated

I watched this documentary sort of by accident a couple of years ago. I failed to update my Netflix queue after mailing off something or other, and before I realized my mistake, Netflix sent me what was next: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. I didn’t even remember adding it to my queue in the first place, but there it was in my mailbox. I read over the short synopsis on the sleeve of the DVD and took a chance. It has now become one of my favorite documentaries to date.

Documentarion Kurt Kuenne made Dear Zachary directly following the murder of one of his best friends, Andrew Bagby. The shocking death is chronicled, but the purpose of the doc is to let Bagby’s son (Zachary), who was born shortly after the murder, know exactly who his father was. Kuenne interviews Bagby’s parents, friends, ex-fiances, co-workers — and everyone agrees that Bagby was a tremendous guy who wanted to help people, making his death even more tragic. Who would want to kill such a beloved man? The unfortunate answer is the mother of his only child. Her relationship with Bagby’s parents and the struggle with custody over Zachary are also closely documented.

This is not one of my favorites because of its direction or cinematography. The sometimes irritating narration by Kuenne certainly doesn’t help either. It’s the story that makes this doc. Dear Zachary takes several twists and turns, one of which made me feel physically ill upon first viewing. In the end, however, I know that Kuenne wanted the viewer to walk away feeling somewhat okay with how everything turned out. And, I must say, the strength shown by Bagby’s parents is remarkable and I commend them for their ability to be courteous to the woman who gunned down their only son. This strength is what we, as the audience, were meant to focus on in the end. But I can’t say I turned off the DVD with a smile on my face. I couldn’t focus on the somewhat forced uplifting ending because I was still lingering on some of the more upsetting moments that had occurred.

I know I’m not really selling Dear Zachary (especially for those who like lighter fair like Super Size Me or The King of Kong), but documentaries aren’t Hollywood movies. Their endings can’t be molded into the perfection that focus groups crave. Now, me, I’m in favor of movies with realistic endings and wish there were more of them out there. The boy doesn’t always get the girl, the bad guy sometimes wins, and sometimes people die for no good reason and no real closure is granted. Even though I favor realistic endings in Hollywood movies, I wish that this documentary’s ending could have been . . . different. I guarantee that you’ll watch Dear Zachary and feel the same.

Contact your local Slackers to see if they have it in stock or if they can order it for you!

Have you ever wanted to know what was going on at your favorite Slackers store?  Want to know when they get some really cool items traded in?  Need to ask them a question?  Want to know what albums they just can’t get enough of?  Now you can visit your favorite Slackers store online!

To find your favorite Slackers store click here.

Rayman Origins is the latest in the long-running platforming series published by Ubisoft, and developed by their internal Montpellier studio. It’s also the first game to make use of the UbiArt Framework, a graphics engine that takes a lot of the technical aspects out of creating games with hand-drawn elements. With other engines, artists have to factor in movement and scaling to keep their images from being distorted. UbiArt Framework makes a lot of these factors moot as it handles them automagically, giving artists a chance to focus simply on creating great art, and then allowing them to animate the pieces by manipulating the individual object’s silhouette. The result is a truly gorgeous 2D platformer that may well be the crown jewel of the genre’s recent renaissance.

Rayman‘s gameplay is pure 2D platforming. It’s all about precision jumping and fancy footwork, navigating harmful obstacles and a myriad of colorful and offbeat baddies. All the while you’re collecting coins, or rather in this case sleepy little balls of light called “Lums.” Along the way you’ll cross a sea of punch, explore a mountain temple, and enlist the help of a flower king. Oh, but just so you know, there are piranha in the punch, the mountain temple is infested with swarms of bat-like creatures, and when you first meet the flower king he’s 25 feet tall, covered in thorns and wants to eat you. Cute and challenging are two words that would go a long way toward describing this game.

There’s nothing worse than a game that’s difficult enough to require precision, only to give you control of a character that floats around or whose jumps seem ever so slightly delayed. Luckily that is not the case here, as Ubisoft nailed the controls. Everything from sprinting to jumping feels tight and responsive, and Rayman (or Globox, one of the tweenies, or any one of a number of other unlockable characters) seems to go exactly where you mean him to go. Replayability is also good as completionists will find themselves playing each level multiple times in an effort to collect all the Lums, find all the hidden Electoon cages, and earn all the time trial trophies.

Amid all the stuff that Ubisoft did right with this game- and they did so much right- I think the real unsung hero is the soundtrack. From the music in the opening cinematic that instigates the Darktoons to attack the Glade of Dreams, to well-crafted scores that complement each stage’s theme and worm their way into your head with their sublime quirkiness, it all complements the art style so well.

In addition to being a great single player game, Rayman also features an up to four player co-op, a la New Super Mario Brothers, allowing you and three friends to navigate the hazards out there together. Luckily checkpoints are frequent, and since players that fall or get hit are ‘bubblelized’ and can get tagged back in by floating close to another player, progress is possible even if you have to carry a weak link. This will prove especially nice to those of you who like to game with your kids, or who have spouses who aren’t as good at games as they think they are.

All in all, I can’t think of much to complain about concerning this game. It looks and sounds great, the controls are solid and replayability is high. Lots of fun, lots of challenges, lots of heart, and lots of charm. In fact, the only negative thing I can even think to say is the game is 15 years too late to be a part of the genre’s heyday and get the attention it deserves. Rayman Origins has been out since November 2011, and so far its story has been one of critical success but commercial disappointment. I think that will change over time, though, because despite the decline of 2D gaming, Rayman Origins is in it for the long haul. Games this good don’t go unnoticed forever. If you are a fan of great platforming in the vein of classic Mario Brothers or Sonic the Hedgehog titles, you owe it to yourself to check this game out now.

Just recently I’ve become hooked on Jamie Cullum. I mean, what’s not to love? He’s a jazzy, poppy, bluesy dude who covers everyone from Rihanna to Jeff Buckley and he also covers old standards such as “I Only Have Eyes For You” and “I Get a Kick Out of You.” But he’s not just your standard cover artist. His original songs hold their own. He sings, plays piano and guitar and sometimes provides his own beat on the drums. If you haven’t given this talented Brit a chance, I suggest that you do. He’s got a little something for everyone. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. “I’m All Over It” – The Pursuit
This is one heck of a cheery break-up song. Adele could take a lesson from Mr. Cullum. Sure, she won six Grammys for her heartbreaking album 21, but not everyone is depressed when they break up with someone. Cullum happily sings about being “all over it,” although he drops hints that maybe his bright and happy mood is just a façade. He admits solemnly, “One dark morning she left without warning and took the redeye back to London town.” Then, as if to convince himself, he repeats the line, “I’m all over it now” over and over and over again. Okay, so maybe it’s a little depressing, but not Adele depressing.

2. “Mixtape” – The Pursuit
Jamie Cullum wants to make you a mixtape. Not a mixed cd, but a mixtape. He’s worried you might not even have a tape player, but that’s not going to stop him from making you quite possibly the best mixtape you’ve ever heard. It’ll range from Nine Inch Nails to Louis Armstrong. Maybe he’ll throw in Thelonious Monk or some Shangri-Las. He’s hoping that the mixtape’s going to make your heart go (cue drum solo). But mostly he’s hoping to get lucky. Yep.

3. “Twentysomething” – Twentysomething
Most of us go through a period when we have no idea what we want to do with our lives. Maybe you went to college to pursue a career in something that you don’t even like now. Maybe you could spend some time travelling. Or perhaps you could just sleep until you figure out what you should be doing with your life. Cullum lists all of his possibilities without ever picking one.

4. “Lover You Should’ve Come Over” – Twentysomething
This Jeff Buckley cover is probably my favorite cover Cullum does. I already loved Buckley’s version, but then Cullum comes along with his shortened, bluesy version. This is a perfect example of how to pay tribute to the original song, while at the same time making it your own. When his voice cracks while singing the line, “And he’s much too blind to see the damage he’s done…”, you can hear that this man’s in pain. All in all, Buckley will always be the king of this song, but Cullum serves as the saddened prince.

5. “Nothing I Do” – Catching Tales
A love gone bad is chronicled in this song. The fighting, the name-calling, the pleading for forgiveness, the regrets, the realization that maybe you’re better off – it’s all here. Once again, this is a cheery song (even ending with a chorus of catchy whistles) even though the subject matter is anything but. If only real break-ups could be this much toe-tapping fun.

6. “7 Days to Change Your Life” – Catching Tales
If Cullum were to go into late night informercials, this would be the song he’d play at the beginning and end of the program. He offers to completely change your life for just $19.95 (yes, he accepts all major credit cards). Not only will he turn your life around, but he’ll do it in just seven short days. By the end of the week, you’re going to be thinner, richer, happier, more desirable, a better parent, and anything else you want to be. He slows the song down as if to allow enough time to let all the false promises sink into his listeners. I tell you what, I’d buy his lies.