Nirvana - With The Lights Out
(Universal/Geffen)

There was a time not too long ago when Nirvana seemed to be the only band that mattered, and now some 10 years after Kurt Cobain’s death they are largely forgotten, all but erased from the musical landscape. It’s depressing to think that there is a whole new generation of teenagers growing up who may never have even heard of this band that essentially defined my own formative years as a music fan.

With Courtney Love’s own career slowly filtering down the drain, she has finally given in to Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic’s request to release a box set of b-sides and rarities to the fans. With The Lights Out is something many people have been waiting for years to have in their hands, and I’d like to think it serves as a reminder to the band’s greatness and a final tribute to their legacy. And yet, now that I’ve pored through this collection and its contents, I can’t help but feel pretty let down by the whole thing. I’m not sure how it’s possible with so many great rare and unreleased songs at their disposal, but this collection is not the definitive proof of Nirvana’s genius I was hoping it would be. Not even close. It just feels like a cash grab and the thought of the $60 I spent on it going towards Courtney Love’s lawyer fees or drug habits or whatever else does not sit well with me.

With The Lights Out is a 3-disc collection of mostly unreleased music from Nirvana, along with a DVD that includes an assortment of live footage that spans from a very early rehearsal in Krist Novoselic’s mom’s basement to shows during their final tour. The truth is, there is a kick-ass collection of rare Nirvana songs within this box set that could easily fill up one CD. Unfortunately, the decision to go with 3 discs allowed for too much filler, bogging down the good stuff so that you almost forget it’s actually there.

The songs are essentially compiled in chronological order, with the first disc featuring the bulk of songs that have never been heard anywhere other than on some bootlegs. Disc One starts off with a couple of Led Zeppelin covers, including one recorded at a house party where Nirvana had their very first live performance. Another early song “Anorexorcist” sounds like it could have been a Bleach outtake with Cobain’s unintelligible grunts and growls and the chugging metallic guitars that were heard so often on their first album. This disc also contains a number of tracks from the band’s first demo, including the memorable “If You Must” and “Blandest”, both of which could previously be obtained on the Outcesticide bootleg. “Pen Cap Chew” is another song from this first demo recording, but the version here is different from the Outcesticide version.

One of the weirdest Nirvana songs makes an appearance here, the rather annoying yet mercifully short “Beans” which features Cobain’s voice pitched way up so it sounds like he’s on helium. Some other previously unreleased songs include “Token Eastern Song” (known as “Junkyard” on some bootlegs) and “Don’t Want It All” (also known as “Misery Loves Company”). The first disc is rounded out by a handful of Leadbelly covers and early versions of Bleach songs. One other highlight of this disc is a demo recording of “Even In His Youth”, which would later be released as a b-side to the Smells Like Teen Spirit single. Why they couldn’t include the actual b-side recording instead of a demo version is beyond me, and an annoyance that comes up again and again on this box set.

Disc Two moves into Nevermind-era material. It opens with some solo acoustic recordings including a catchy song called “Opinion” and a toned-down rendition of “Sliver”. It continues on to low quality recordings of songs that would appear on Nevermind including “Drain You”, “Breed”, “Teen Spirit”, “Lithium” and “Stay Away” (originally titled “Pay To Play”). The end of the Disc Two is where some of the collection’s best moments come. “Return Of The Rat” and “D-7″ are blistering covers of songs by Greg Sage And The Wipers, the latter of which appeared on the limited edition Japanese “Hormoaning” E.P. and also the Lithium single. “Curmudgeon” was the other b-side to the Lithium single, and “Oh The Guilt” was released as a split single with the Jesus Lizard. “Oh The Guilt”, perhaps one of the greatest Nirvana songs bar none, finds Cobain straining his vocal chords to a fever pitch while the band puts forth an interesting stop-start dynamic. But on this new mix of the song they removed the most unique thing about it — the use of a cigarette lighter as a percussive instrument! With all the crappy quality recordings on this disc, why would they think it necessary to remove such a cool little element of this song? I am baffled.

Also included on this second disc is their cover of Velvet Underground’s “Here She Comes Now”, but notably absent is their chaotic and ear-splitting rendition of “Do You Love Me” by Kiss. One can only assume royalty issues kept this one off the collection.

Moving on, we have Disc Three featuring tracks from the In Utero time period. Most of the stuff on here is pretty forgettable (particularly the 10 minute jam on the Scentless Apprentice riff), but there are still some decent b-sides including “Marigold” (Dave Grohl’s poppy singing/songwriting debut) and “Sappy”, a catchy tune which could have been a great single for the band had it been given a proper release. (As it was, the song was relegated to existence as a secret track on the No Alternative compilation.) “I Hate Myself And Want To Die” and “M.V.” (Moist Vagina) are two other noteworthy b-sides but unfortunately the original recordings are not preserved here — only shortened and lower quality demos.

As for the so-called final Nirvana song “You Know You’re Right” that was released on their greatest hits album last year, we only get an acoustic demo version of this song. Couldn’t they have given the hardcore fans the actual full recording instead of just leftover scraps?

The quality of Nirvana’s b-sides during their Geffen days is perhaps the greatest reason to own this collection, but unfortunately they screwed this up by neglecting many of the original studio recordings of these songs and replacing them with crappy home demo versions instead.

The DVD that is included with this set is okay, but again, not reason enough to buy it. It contains a bunch of live footage and some bits and pieces of video shot while on tour. The early rehearsal video is kind of fun to see, with the band ripping through a 9 song set consisting mostly of Bleach songs and another Zeppelin cover, “Immigrant Song”, while friends walk through the house drinking beer and only partially paying attention to the band that would soon be selling out arenas worldwide. It’s also worthwhile to see a song from Grohl’s first show with Nirvana and an early live rendition of Teen Spirit where it was still just another new song in their set list and not a smash mega hit. A few of the performances were shot on film, but most of it is pretty grainy and poor quality video. The original “In Bloom” Sub Pop video is on here, but what about the rest of their videos? I have a feeling they’re saving that stuff up for yet another release. Honestly, I would much rather have had a DVD version of their Live! Tonight! Sold Out! video with this set.

The biggest problem with the box set is that it feels like a bunch of random crap just thrown together. Although it strives for chronological accuracy and historical perspective, it doesn’t really play well as an album. None of the CDs are actually listenable because all the good stuff is buried among redundant, low quality versions of songs we’ve all heard a million times before. Do we really need to hear early demo versions of Rape Me or Polly? They’re nice to have for posterity’s sake but I will never actually sit down and listen to them. I only want to hear a demo version of a song if it’s significantly different from the original, and if anything, this set proves that Nirvana’s songs almost never changed over time except for the lyrics, proof of Kurt Cobain’s raw natural talent and musical intuition.

It just feels like this box set was put together by someone who wasn’t really a fan, who didn’t know what was worth including and what wasn’t. I’m not sure what involvement Grohl and Novoselic had but it doesn’t seem like they had much to do with it. I wouldn’t recommended spending the money unless you are a completist — even then, the most irksome thing about the whole collection is that it’s not really complete at all. For something that’s been in the works for years, With The Lights Out isn’t everything it should have been, and it’s a bit of an insult to the fans who have looked forward to it for so long. — Sean

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie
Directed by: Stephen Hillenburg
Written by: Stephen Hillenburg, Derek Drymon, Tim Hill, Stephen Hillenburg, Kent Osborne, Aaron Springer, Paul Tibbett
Starring: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, David Hasselhoff, Jeffrey Tambor, Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin

In case you haven’t been paying attention the last couple years, Spongebob Squarepants is huge. The manic yellow bastard is every piece of merchandise you can think of, as well as a childrens favorite, college cult hero, even a gay icon.

So it would make sense that with the huge success of the television show, like other Nickelodeon cartoons before him, it would end up with a big screen adaptation. The question is, can a carry normally squeezed into 9-14 minute episodes carry an entire film? The answer is yes, but unfortunately, there’s some easy picking away at this sponge.

As with most dimwitted, innocent, naove characters of little depth, Spongebob ends up in somewhat of a road movie. Spongebob’s (voiced by Mr Show’s Tom Kenny) boss, Mr. Krabs, has been framed by a plankton named… Plankton for stealing the crown of King Neptune (Jeffrey Tambor of “Arrested Development”). Neptune wants to execute Krabs, but with the nagging of his mermaid daughter Mindy (Scarlett Johansson), Spongebob and his starfish friend Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke of “Coach”) are given a week to travel to Shell City and get the crown back.

There’s an ongoing subplot where Spongebob is denied a promotion by his boss because he’s too much of a kid. So at the same time we see Spongebob’s quest to be a real man.

Unlike Beavis and Butthead Do America and South Park, the Spongebob adaptation feels a bit slight. It feels like a long episode in widescreen. It isn’t big or as bombastic as it could have been, so in this respect the movie is a disappointment. However, it is funny and the characters are good enough for so many ages there is enough value in the film to warrant a thumbs up.

Spongebob’s popularity among so many ages is easily explainable. Its off the wall and bizarre. A talking sponge? Who bathes in water… underwater? A pet snail that meows? Secondly, its incredibly bright and cheery and a kind of cute that is hilarious in how over the top innocent Spongebob is. There are also bad sea jokes and puns that don’t really work. It doesn’t seem the writing is what brings fans in. A big part of the humor relies in the facial expressions. Because of the nature, shape, excitability and dimwittedness of the characters, we are often treated to some of the funniest, most unique and creative facial expressions on these characters that bring most of the laughs, not only in this movie but in the TV show as well. And then theres the pop cultural references and music. David Hasselhoff makes one of the best cameo appearances ever in film in this movie, and the soundtrack (though sadly not included enough in the actual film) includes Wilco, Flaming Lips, Ween and Motorhead.

Basically, if you were a fan of the show already, see the movie - though it doesn’t matter if you see it on big screen or DVD. Because of the bright and simple animation style you’re not really missing much visually if you wait for the small screen, in fact it might be better and right to see this extended Spongebob adventure on your TV - his natural environment.

– Goon

Showgirls: VIP Edition (DVD)
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Written by: Joe Eszterhas
Starring: Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon

When people think about bad movies nowadays, Showgirls is one of the first that come to mind. Every person involved in this film is making bad decisions at one point or another, the dialogue is bizarre and inhuman, the situation and world these characters live in isn’t believable at all, the nudity is unsexy, over the top and gratuitious, and every other line is so stupidly wonderful you’ll remember it forever.

And its amazingly watchable. It’s a beautifully shot film that with its 2 hours length moves by veryquickly. It’s these factors that have put Showgirlsbeyond the average bad movie scrap heap into a short list of absolute favorites among the cult movie crowd.9 years after its initial release, the studio finally realizes what a treasure they have, and have finally released a deluxe edition of Showgirls. In fact, they over-released it.

The Showgirls DVD itself is of course, the centerpiece. If you don’t care about special features at all and want a Showgirls DVD, forget about this deluxe edition entirely and grab the 10 dollar version you can get at any store anywhere. Because the extra 20-30 dollars you spend on this DVD relies entirely on the shoulders of the quality of the commentary track.

And it delivers. Presented by a Showgirls fan who has seen the movie hundreds of times, the commentary track is among the best to ever grace my ears, almost as funny as the movie itself. It bluntly mocks with catty viciousnessness - and love - the entire 2 hours of the film. There are many gaps in the track as even the host is drawn in by the movie, but even then its fine since the host is not one of those types to keep talking when theres nothing to be said. There is also a commentary track in the strip club scenes by the girls of SCORES, a popular strip club chain. The strippers are watching the scenes for the first time and deliver nothing, other than “we don’t do that”when Berkley’s character licks the pole (no shit!).Their contribution is entirely “we don’t do that”/”she’s pretty”/”she’s moving too fast”.

The box set edition also comes with some party games. A deck of “Showgirls” playing cards - unfortunately its not a nudie deck. Theres also a couple shotglasses, a blindfold and a “pin the pasties on the Showgirl” game/poster. Yes, and that’s it. Basically, I can only recommend this set based on what you pay for it. Don’t pay much more than you would any new special edition DVD unless you really want the commentary track, or are actually planning on having a Showgirls party sometime in the future. — Goon

Halo 2 (X-Box)
Developed by: Bungie Studios
Published by: Microsoft

Say what you will about the original Halo, but I always thought it was a little bit overrated. The fact that it was basically the only worthwhile game on Microsoft’s console for its first year of existence was, in my mind, what propelled it to such a highly worshipped status. Don’t get me wrong — the game did a lot of things right.The team A.I., vehicles, physics and checkpoint level loading are examples of areas where they excelled, and in some cases broke new ground. The two weapon carry limit and easily thrown grenades are also small innovations that made it more fun to play. But at the end of the day it was still a pretty routine first person shooter with a mediocre story and repetitive level design.

The sequel to Halo, for all intents and purposes, had the potential to be a lot more interesting. Building on top of an already solid game engine would free Bungie up to come up with new gameplay elements and more dynamic content. Most of the anticipation for this game was well warranted in my opinion and I was hoping they could take first person shooters to a new level. Unfortunately, the reality is that for a game that was 3 years in the making, Halo 2 doesn’t seem to carry quite the massive upgrade many had anticipated. As long as you have X-Box Live or friends to play with, Halo 2 is still a must-own game for the X-Box, but it just feels like the single player campaign is more of the same.

To be fair,the story is more ambitious this time around, and one of the surprising things (I hope this isn’t a spoiler for anyone) is that there are two dual storylines that you participate in, one of which involves a member of the Covenant known as “The Arbiter”. So this means that for part of the game you do not play as the Master Chief but instead as this alien character. And although you might think it would be cool to fight against the good guys, you unfortunately never get the chance to. You are fighting against renegade Covenant members instead, so the feel of these chapters is pretty much the same as the Master Chief’s.As “The Arbiter” you can turn invisible briefly, which is kind of neat, but other than that the controls and abilities are no different.In the past, games that force the player into multiple roles have been mostly frowned upon — Metal Gear Solid 2 lost a lot of fans when they pulled the whole Snake/Raiden switcheroo. Since people are so attached to the Master Chief (which I find puzzling, considering he has no real personality) and they may be annoyed by this additional sideplot to the game. On the other hand, they may barely even notice a difference. I guess Bungie was trying for something new here, and expanding on the backstory of the Covenant. I am anxious to see how the two stories will interweave by the end.

Bungie have also definitely made an effort to spice up the environments a bit with more detail and more variety.The integratedphysics allows various crates and objects to be kicked around, stood on, and destroyed, and some levels have conveyor belts and other moving elements that you can interact with. The opening levels that take placeon earth are, in particular, extremely fun to play, doing away with the generic space craft corridors that Halo 1 ran into the ground. There are a ton of new types of enemies too, and an attempt is made to deliver the Halo equivalent of boss fights at the end of each level.

Where Halo 2 truly upgrades the original is with the new weapons and abilities. I’m sure you’ve probably heard about the dual wielding capability in this game; this adds a whole new strategic dimension to the game as you can only combine certain weapon pairs, and while dual-wielding you are temporarily prevented from throwing grenades too. Choosing when to dual wield and what weapon combinations work best is crucial to your survival. Hijacking vehicles is another fun addition; why blow up an enemy’s sweet ride when it’s so simple to just pull him off and use it against him? Among the new weapons in the Master Chief’s arsenal are a Battle Rifle that shoots in bursts, and a smattering of new Covenant technology including the Particle Beam rifle, Brute Shot grenade launcher and the deadly Energy Sword that can take enemies out with a single well-placed lunge attack.

Another change is that the shield system has been simplified so that there is only one gauge to monitor. Whenever your shield level runs low, all you need to do is find cover briefly and wait for it to recharge and you will be completely healed again.

Surprisingly, Halo 2 is not as graphically polished as you might expect. It generally looks a lot nicer than its predecessor, but there are some huge graphic pop-inissues that are almost immediately noticeable, both during cut scenes and in game. Low detail models are swapped for high detail ones as you approach objects, causing jarring visual transitions.The problem is even more ugly in the cinematics where you may start to think your CD is defective or dirty as a result.I would not normally harp on such things, especially since they don’t detract from the gameplay, but when a game is in production for 3+ years you’d expect them to address problems like this.

But let’s face it, the real reason for Halo’s longevity and popularity is the multiplayer mode. The original Halo was never X-Box Live compatible since it was released back before Live was even deployed, so X-Box Live Halo multiplayer has been long overdue. A whole bunch of great new multiplayer maps have been created, along with some reworked classics like Blood Gulch. The number of options for online player are staggering. While you are playing the single player campaign, you can at any time pause the game and with the touch of a button view your friends list and join an online game that might be in progress. You can create clans and customize logos for your players. You can set up your own games, or use the Halo 2 matchmaking system which will automatically rotate you through a series of online games against with other random players of a similar skill level seeking similar game types. You can even have multiple participants playing split screen on the same X-Box join online games via a single X-Box Live account. “It’s good to play together.”

As if that wasn’t enough, every single Halo 2 match on X-Box Live (yes, even unranked ones) has detailed statistical tracking information archived by Bungie. You can view where you were killed on the map, by whom, and with what weapons, the path that flags were carried, and all lots of other stuff, all for free from Bungie’s website at any time after the match has been played (some info requires an MSN Passport account to access however). Bungie really went all out creating a multiplayer community for Halo 2, and it paid off. People will be playing this game for years… at least until Halo 3 is released, if not longer.

One of the biggest reasons why Halo has caught on is that it is easy and intuitive to play, and Halo 2 continues to streamline the gameplay. The first person shooter controls may be getting a little stale by now but at least they are predictable and just about everyone has some experience with the dual analog style by now. The game is also appealing for a wide audience because you can jump in and play even just for a short session. With the checkpoint system you never have to worry about quitting at a moment’s notice and losing a ton of unsaved progress.

Most importantly though, Halo 2 truly succeeds in creating the video game version of a big blockbuster action movie. The huge explosions and powerful weapons and vehicles make it an enjoyable experience to just sit down and plow through this game. There’s no thinking involved, just reflexes. There’s no puzzles and no real exploration either… the game is straightforward and linear and the only time you aren’t running and gunning is when you’re searching for the proper path to follow that will unleash the next wave of enemies. At a time when a lot of games are concerned with offering a multitude of side quests and optional secrets to discover, Halo 2 cuts straight to the point. In some ways, this simplicity is what kept me from being completely wowed by Halo 2’s single player mode, but it is also what currently has me addicted to playing through it every chance I get.

I seriously doubt that the release of Halo 2 will be seen as a pivotal event in the history of games, and it almost certainly does not live up to all the hype that Microsoft has fostered and fabricated. But at the end of the day, this is a game that basically every X-Box owner will play and there’s a lot of good reasons for that. Halo 2 takes its place firmly at the top of the pile of console first person shooters, and even if it doesn’t necessarily take gaming to another level, there’s still no other competition out there that even comes close. — Sean

Le Tigre - This Island
(Universal/Strummer)

About 5 years ago when Kathleen Hanna decided to break her post-Bikini Kill silence and start another politically-charged all-female band, Le Tigre were on the cutting edge of cool. They were among the first to kickstart the electro-clash trend, taking punk rock aesthetics and incorporating bits and pieces of electronics and multimedia performance art to make a style that was both retro and fresh. Since then, the band has been through a line-up change and grown in popularity, but continued to incorporate their feminist views into the music.

The mainstream was slow to catch on to what these girls were doing, and only now after much persistence has Universal/Strummer Recordings finally brought them on board for their major label debut. So is the timing right or are they already past their prime? Their last full-length album “Feminist Sweepstakes”, although still as political and vibrant as ever, seemed musically flat and had many fans worried that they would not be able to create the infectious hooks found on their self-titled album twice. Co-produced by Nichoas Sansano (Sonic Youth, Public Enemy, Ice Cube), “This Island” is Le Tigre’s attempt to keep the dance-floor sensibility alive without sacrificing their message. For the most part, it is a return to form and a step back in the right direction, but the fact remains that very few of these songs can match the catchiness and anthemic power found on their first record.

Songs like “On The Verge”, “TKO” and “After Dark” are examples of Le Tigre back at the top of their game; the fuzzed-out guitars, stripped-down drum machine loops, swirling synths and electrified choruses will get just about any party off on the right foot. “Seconds”, on the other hand, harkens back to Kathleen Hanna’s Bikini Kill days as she fumes over George W. Bush, vehemently exclaiming “You make me sick, sick, sick!” over and over again.

“New Kicks” is another anti-Bush track on the album, this one consisting of samples from a peace rally that the band participated in. As a political statement and the subject for a music video, the song does its job admirably. However, as a commercial single and an attempted new dance club hit, the song is a terrible choice and has no hooks to speak of.

A large percentage of “This Island” contains mainly chilled-out electronic songs with the band members trading off lyrics in a laidback talk/rap style. Sometimes this works, as in the song “Nanny Nanny Boo Boo”, which recalls the style of “What’s Yr Take On Cassavetes?”, or “Viz” a song about acceptance and visibility of butch lesbianism. Other times, the results are less interesting and contain little value other than the clever and confrontational lyrics.

Perhaps the most confusing track is the band’s cover of the Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited”. Despite its role as a live opener for the band over the past year, it seems tacked onto the album merely to add some pop appeal and make up for the more bland songs.

The idea of Le Tigre on a major label is something that will take some getting used to. If “This Island” is any indication, the corporate system has not tainted their sound or their vision and they continue to write fun songs with that are focused on feminist and gay issues. However, the fact that the song “Deceptacon” from their first album is now being heard in Telus commercials makes it clear that their first album is still their strongest and most essential work to date. If they are going to attract a larger following and keep people interested next time around they will need to focus a little less on their politics and kick the songwriting up a notch instead. — Sean

The Incredibles
Writte and directed by: Brad Bird
Starring (the voices of): Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Vowell

I’m convinced that Pixar Animation Studios must be the most fun place on earth to work, and the love that these people have for what they do comes through in every single one of their films. There’s just so much talent and creative energy bottled up within the company that I tend to think it is virtually impossible for them to produce a bad movie. The Incredibles is yet another stellar film to add to their impressive portfolio, and was there ever any doubt that it would rule?

My only real concern about The Incredibles was whether or not the superhero theme would still be relevant by the time it came out, and whether or not they could pull off the satirical elements without being seen as just another comic book spoof. Fortunately, the timing of the movie is perfect, with Hollywood still at the height of its current comic book fever, and the humour brings a fresh new angle that hasn’t really been done before: the superhero as an average all-american family. It’s kind of like Spy Kids meets the Fantastic Four, but with director Brad Bird’s (The Iron Giant) own unique sensibilities shaping it.

In the movie, superheroes are outlawed after causing too much damage to public property and saving people “who didn’t want to be saved”. Superheroes like Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl are forced to assume a normal married life trying to raise a family of superpowered kids. Mr. Incredible is hopelessly depressed and unfulfilled working his job as an insurance adjuster. When a mysterious employer offers him an opportunity to get back to saving the world he just can’t resist. Little does he know it’s part of an elaborate plot concocted by an old acquaintance who harbours a grudge.

The Incredibles takes a while to really get going in terms of action, but once it hits its stride, it’s easily as thrilling as anything else similar that I’ve seen this year including Spider-Man 2 or any other comic book movie. You’d think we’d be at a point now where fully computer generated films wouldn’t be such a big deal but the technological breakthroughs continue to astound and the animation in The Incredibles is pretty mind-blowing stuff. Although the art design is obviously cartoony, a lot of the scenery is beautiful and things like the water are uber-realistic.

Pixar’s movies are always the most fun because of their sense of humour, particularly the high-brow comedy aimed at the parents. The Incredibles is not a laugh-a-minute film but it is still filled with a lot of clever jokes and amusing characters. A lot of the fun comes from the voice performances, where Pixar always excels at picking the best person for the role, without necessarily resorting to the most bankable celebrity. Which is why we get someone like Jason Lee in his first ever voice performance as the evil Syndrome; someone at Pixar obviously had the foresight to realize he would make such a great villain with his smug overdramatizing. Then there’s “Coach” himself, Craig T. Nelson, who gives a solid performance as Mr. Incredible: booming and heroic but with just a touch of fragility underneath. Even Brad Bird himself voices one of the most memorable characters in the film, Edna Mode, the fashion consultant specializing in superhero costumes.

It might have been nice to have a bit more of a supporting cast in the film. Samuel L. Jackson’s Frozone is one of the most fun characters but he’s not in the movie nearly enough and his funniest scene was previously spoiled in a trailer. In Pixar movies we’re used to having a million different characters inhabit the worlds they create (partially, I’m sure, so they can sell more toys), but this time around there didn’t seem to be the usual plethora of wacky personalities. Brad Bird decided to keep things simple, and while I’m sure the temptation was probably there to go nuts with the superhero schtick and create a cast of thousands, perhaps it was better to stay focused on the family unit after all. It helps reinforce the fact that The Incredibles is at its core, a story about middle-class family values.

The subtle little details in the characters and the environments are also part of the movie’s genius. Mr. Incredible with his thinning hair and bulging waistline, or Elastigirl with her exagerrated child-bearing hips — these clearly aren’t the superhero archetypes you’re used to seeing in movies and comic books. A lot of the barely noticeable mannerisms and movements are what end up making a huge difference in how well the characters are brought to life on screen.

Really there’s not much to say about The Incredibles that hasn’t already been said or, in fact, doesn’t even need to be said.Pixar are one of the only truly consistent entities in Hollywood right now and you know that everything they do is going to smell like quality. They’re in a league of their own, and even among their own films I’d rank The Incredibles up there as perhaps the best thing they’ve done to date. I’m already thinking I’d like to see it again in the near future. If you’re one of those people who still thinks that Pixar’s movies are only for kids, it’s time to get over it man, cause this movie shouldn’t be missed. — Sean

Explosions In The Sky - Friday Night Lights soundtrack
(Hip-O)

If you’re familiar with Explosions In The Sky, you know it was only a matter of time before they were tapped to provide music for a film. Their epic instrumentals are packed with emotional power and intensity that truly feel as though they are taking the listener on a sonic journey. I’ve often found it fascinating how appropriate the band name is, as their songs are like the audio equivalent of watching fireworks: beautiful, gentle, sparkling melodies that build to a thundering crescendo. Rumour has it they have previously written music for some indie films in the past, but if you would have told me that Explosions In The Sky’s music would one day be the backdrop for a big budget Hollywood football movie, I never would have believed you. How they ever got hooked up with Brian Grazer, Peter Berg and the movie Friday Night Lights is beyond me; the only connection I can see is that Explosions In The Sky hail from Texas, and the movie Friday Night Lights is the story of the Permian High School Panthers based in Odessa, Texas.

This soundtrack has been billed as a new Explosions In The Sky album, even to the extent that the band has been playing songs from the film’s score on their latest tour. When viewed in that light, this collection of songs is a little disappointing. Technically there are 11 new Explosions In The Sky tracks here, but two of them are versions of the song “Your Hand In Mine”, which appeared on their last album “The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place”. One features strings while the other sounds pretty similar to the album version, but this is probably the most interesting and fully formed song on the album and it was already previously released.

Most of the other songs feel like short fragments of a larger whole that don’t really go anywhere. Perfect for use within the movie I’m sure, but they won’t completely hold your attention on their own. Although the last Explosions album was definitely more mellow than their previous ones, there’s not a single song on this soundtrack that leads to one of the cathartic explosions of noise that the band is known for. In fact, with the exception of a couple tracks, there isn’t even any drumming here… simply soft, shimmering guitars and occasionally some string section accompaniment.

“An Ugly Fact Of Life” is one of the more memorable songs, with its sad bending guitar refrain.”To West Texas” features about as much of a build up as you get on this album, with some faint bass drum thumping followed by a cascade of cymbals, while “Lonely Train” slowly develops a sense of urgency with a haunting guitar progression. Producers Brian Retzell and Justin Stanley co-wrote “The Sky Above, The Field Below” with the band, but it hardly feels like anything profound as it is little more than a fog of ambient guitar hums and what may or may not be an e-bow.

It should be mentioned that there are a few non-Explosions In The Sky songs on the album as well. Daniel Lanois contributes a southern flavoured instrumental “Sonho Dourado”, while experimental rock-jazz guitarist David Torn’s “Do You Ever Feel Cursed” is as aimless and low key as music gets. The sole vocal track “Seagull” is an old Bad Company song and actually kind of breaks the mood set up by the rest of the score.

While I haven’t seen the movie, I can only guess that the dreamy, introspective score must give this movie a little more artistic flair and authentic sentimentality than your typical sports drama would have. As a soundtrack, I think the music here succeeds admirably. Explosions In The Sky may very well have a career ahead of them in the movie business. Unfortunately, as a stand-alone album, their score is not nearly as interesting and dynamic as their other material.

It’s too bad that this is such a high exposure soundtrack and yet I doubt the music will inspire many listeners to check out any other material from such a compelling band. Interested parties should definitely check out their own albums before looking into this soundtrack as it doesn’t completely represent what the band is capable of. There is still some beautiful instrumental music here but it lacks the energy and complexity that would make it truly noteworthy. — Sean

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
Developed by: Rockstar Games
Published by: Take 2 Interactive

I’m pretty sure most of you people have heard of the game Grand Theft Auto. Whether it’s from the legion of fans, or from moms who say their kids killed a whole wack of people at the Avondale because they were exposed to this game. Well now they have more to bitch about, now that San Andreas in finally out. “Look ma! I learned a new word today it’s MUTHAFACKER!” Okay, well I’m not going to debate the effects of the game on kids, so I’ll just tell you about this game.

Carl Johnson finally returns home from after 5 years, when his mom is murdered by rival gang members. You basically live his every day life trying to gain respect from your homies and gang members. The more respect you gain, the more things you are able to do, like start your own gang and eventually own everyone’s ass. Missions open up and other parts of town get opened up also as you progress.

San Andreas is loosely based off of Los Angeles. It is filled with its upper-class to ghettos areas and the streets are engulfed in gang warfare. For those of you who have played Vice City, the previous installment in the series, you will notice that San Andreas is 3 times bigger, 3 times better, and 3 times more fun. Some of the newest features in the game are the abilities to; swim, perform home invasions, customization of clothing and hair, ability to work out and eat food to gain muscle/fat and other attributes, and the list just goes on. There is more variety in missions including the stealth missions (think Manhunt) and new modes like pimpin’, where one has to drive around picking up hookers. The amount of things you can do in this game is the equivalent of owning 20 games in one. You can even walk into a store and play arcade games. Basically the city is your bitch and you can do what ever you feel like, whenever you feel like. There are even rumors you can find Bigfoot walking around in the desert and aliens flying around if you look closely. It’s pure madness the amount of content they managed to pack into this game. There is just way too much stuff to go over, like all the celebrity voiceovers and all the cool cars you can punk, so I’m going to just shut up and get back to capping da police.

I can’t really think of anything I didn’t enjoy in this game except maybe a few bugs here and there and maybe have camera movement slightly faster when turning corners. All I can say is this game will be on every gamer’s Christmas list and it will continue to sell and spread like aids. So if you don’t have aids… I mean the game yet, you better run and go buy it. Or else I’m going to send some big black dude to your crib so he can “best be getting propa on yo punk ass.”

9.75346 out of 10 on the ass kick meter.

– Chian

Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (PC)
Developed by: High Voltage Software
Published by: VU Interactive

If there’s one thing movies and TV have taught us over the years, it is that sex sells. Sad but true. In its early years the video game industry was too simplistic and naive to be corrupted by this kind of thinking (okay, so maybe the graphic limitations had something to do with it as well), but eventually a certain loveable, libidinous loser by the name of Leisure Suit Larry crashed the party and changed everything. His game franchise flourished for years under the guidance of creator Al Lowe and was widely worshipped alongside many of Sierra’s other “Quest” graphic adventures. But let’s be honest, in those days you couldn’t be too risque with a videogame, and the appeal of Leisure Suit Larry was more about the sense of humour than the explicit content… although the odd digitally rendered boob didn’t hurt either.

It’s been 8 long years since Larry’s last adventure, and games have pretty much caught up to movies in just about every way. Sex sells more than ever, and hot on the heels of recent games like BMX XXX and The Guy Game, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude aims to modernize the franchise for a new audience. As we all know, graphic point-and-click adventures are dead, so the development team at High Voltage Software had to come up with a new way to package the innuendos. Their solution was to woo a younger demographic by basing the game around Larry Laffer’s nephew Larry Loveage who happens to be in college… and what better place is there to score chicks than on campus? Lucky for Larry, there is also a reality tv dating show looking for contestants at his school. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to get some lovin’! As you can probably guess, though the game may sell more than a few copies based on 12 year old boys’ thrill at seeing 3d artistic renditions of the female anatomy, the game itself has little to no lasting value.

The end goal in Magna Cum Laude is the same as always… to get laid. And of course, Larry Loveage is every bit as inept and social awkward as his uncle, and he needs your help to guide him in his quest for female companionship. This is accomplished through a series of conversations and challenges, all of which are driven by mindless reflex-based mini-games. Apparently High Voltage came to the same conclusion that most women arrived at eons ago — the fact that horny guys are pretty much incapable of actually using their brains.

The most common mini-game you will run across is the interactive conversation game where you must maneuver a sperm up and down to avoid obstacles while Larry’s dialogue responds to your movements. This is an interesting alternative to the typical adventure game style dialogue where you pick from a list of responses. When you hit an obstacle you may fart or belch, detracting from your heart meter, or sometimes Larry will start down strange and unexpected paths of discussion. It can get rather difficult though, and after a while you’ll start thinking that you probably have something better to do with your time than sit there dodging bare asses.

The other common game is quarters, that loveable pasttime of bar hoppers everywhere. The idea is to get your opponent drunk before you are, but the actual throwing of the quarter is performed by sliding your mouse up then down. Other than that, you’ll encounter simple rhythm games where you perform dance moves by pressing the proper combinations of keys in time, or chase and escape games.

Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude is fully 3D, allowing you (in theory) the ability to go anywhere and do anything. The fact of the matter is that there is little interactivity involved in the game, and a very linear progression. Some of the college environments are pretty amusingly real and encourage further exploration, unfortunately you can’t do anything except look around at most of the objects and people in them. Well, except for the utterly useless application of physics in the game that allows Larry to actually kick beer bottles and other garbage around. Wow, it feels like you’re really there!

To make the game a little more interesting, you have a confidence meter and an alcohol meter that affect your performance. The more confident you are, the more girls are impressed by you. The more intoxicated you get, the more inaccurate the controls for the mini-games will be. Luckily, you can also freely urinate throughout the world which immediately sobers you up. Urinating in public does knock your confidence down though, so you definitely have to strategize about where and when to take a leak! Not really though… whenever your confidence is lacking simply retreat to your room and engage in a hearty game of Whack-A-Mole! Wow, such variety. You also have a camera which you can use to photograph women and sell the highest rated pictures for cash.

Although the mini-games are strangely addictive for an hour or two, they get repetitive rather quickly and it doesn’t take long to realize that Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude has nothing else to offer. The game holds your hand from each goal to the next, and the dialogue with anyone other than the main characters is sparse and recycled all over the place. There aren’t even any secrets to hunt for with the exception of hidden tokens which are found by randomly clicking the action button in certain locations. These tokens can be exchanged directly for unlockable bonuses like naughtier load screens featuring the girls in the game.

The one thing Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude has going for it is the sense of humour. But for every funny, out-of-context remark Larry stumbles over, and every pathetic situation he finds himself in, there’s an equally lame and cliched joke that just falls flat. Aside from that, there’s only so much enjoyment you can get out of farting and urinating on characters, but I guess the wonderful open-ended design leaves it up to you exactly how much time you want to spend doing such things.

It may or may not interest you to know that Leisure Suit Larry’s original creator Al Lowe had nothing to do with this game, and is probably pretty pissed about the whole ordeal. Old school Sierra fans will not be too impressed with the lack of puzzles and exploration, but at least they did capture the spirit of the original games for the most part… which is to say it is immature, juvenile and degrading to women. It might be worth a rental just for a laugh, but with all the worthwhile stuff out there in stores nowadays I don’t think I could ever recommend purchasing a game as shallow and utterly flaccid as this. — Sean