Shiny Things
By BOP Staff
February 11, 2005
Welcome to Shiny Things, where the BOP staff members take a little time to let readers know what's catching our attention this week. Whether it's film-related, a new musical group or a great book, we've got such an eclectic group that you're almost certain to find something that also suits your fancy.
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil is one of the most lauded franchises in videogame history. The original game’s release is considered one of the hallmark moments for the Sony Playstation. This lynchpin title in the survivor horror genre was one of the most popular of its day. It was a must-own game that helped Sony go from 0% market share to what feels like 100%. People loved them some zombie-killing, and that first game was infinitely satisfying in this regard. From that point on, the franchise has had its share of hits and misses. The sequel and its follow-up, Nemesis, both continued the financial success of the franchise. Unfortunately for Capcom, the developer for the series, a growing segment of players found the games dissatisfying. The fixed perspective camera angles prevented players from having the “off-the-rails” gaming experience many desired. Even worse, a lamentable foray into light-gun based shooters sullied the franchise further. Many critics were ready to dismiss Resident Evil as a game concept whose time had passed.
Capcom tried to redeem its flagship title by using next-generation console graphics to celebrate its realism. An exclusive deal was struck with the Sega Dreamcast to do the biggest Resident Evil title to date, Codename: Veronica. Unfortunately, they picked the worst performer of the new consoles to launch the latest rev. Soon afterward, Capcom limped back to Sony in order to release Veronica on the Playstation Two. From there, they tried to push the boundaries of GameCube graphics with an updated re-make of the original game, Resident Evil, followed by a prequel, Resident Evil 0. Both of the games were strikingly beautiful but players still bemoaned the dated structure of fixed camera angle game-play.
Enter Resident Evil 4.
The latest game in the series is a fully functional movement action game inasmuch as it’s a horror game. If you want a film comparison for the changes, it’s the change from Alien to Aliens. The horror stems not from a dimly lit room but from a seemingly endless onslaught of bad guys, all of whom are much more intelligent than in times past. For you see, the creeping undead are out and villagers with torches and pitchforks (and dynamite) are in. The manipulated locals have fallen prey to genetic research, which *ahem* changes their genetic code such that they hate all outsiders. You play an outsider. To say they hate you is a dramatic understatement. These people try to burn you alive, decapitate you with a chainsaw, and feed you to a troll. And if that’s not enough, there is a 4’8” guy with a severe Napoleon complex who sends his 50 foot robo-doppleganger after you. Resident Evil 4 has left the realm of survivor horror behind, moving into the genre previously occupied by Half-Life 2 and Halo 2. And it might be better than both of them. You simply must own this game if you have a Gamecube. If you don’t have a GameCube, you are stuck waiting until the end of the year when a PS2 version comes out…so, maybe you should buy a GameCube. Eight more months is too long to wait for such greatness. (David Mumpower/BOP)
Iron Chef America: The Series
For those of you who loved to follow the hijinks of Chairman Kaga and his Iron Chefs in all their horribly mis-translated Japanese glory, Food Network has now adapted the series that it made famous in the states and re-imagined it. Replacing Kaga is his "nephew", portrayed in the show by Mark Dacascos, whom you might remember as the marvelous Mani from the French film Brotherhood of the Wolf. His entourage of Iron Chefs includes the hateable Bobby Flay, the creative Mario Batali and Masaharu Morimoto, who also appeared in the original series. In fact, he replaced Wolfgang Puck, who was one of the original trio before the show actually took off as a serious, continuing series. The proceedings are narrated by one Alton Brown, who hosts his own show, Good Eats, on The Food Network as well. So far, the best moment of the show came when the charismatic Ming Tsai whipped up on Bobby Flay. Morimoto hasn't fought other than in the first Battle of the Masters, but we're really looking forward to his first effort as one of "our" Iron Chefs. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Lost in the annual avalanche of games released before Xmas was this top-notch item for the PS2 from developer Sucker Punch. Not nearly as high-profile as other Sony platform franchises like the Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank series, one has to hold out hope that there's still some room in the videogaming world for work like this. (Now me, I'd probably release the thing in March or June so that it didn't drown in the Yuletide onslaught, but heck - that just ain't the way the gaming industry seems to operate). Clearly influenced heavily by the classic Warner Bros cartoons, the game's character designs are full of vitality and the colorful and immersive environments are simply gorgeous throughout. To top it all off, the varied gameplay available here and the above average storyline keep the action interesting as you work your way through many entertaining missions that at times require stealth and at others brute force. Ultimately, Sly 2 is a real triumph of artistic skill and smart gameplay design, and to have it pass unnoticed by the gaming public would be a crying shame - so do yourself (and Sucker Punch) a favor by giving it a shot. (Chris Hyde/BOP)
The Polysyllabic Spree, by Nick Hornby
If you've ever become completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of books in your "To Be Read" pile, you're not alone. For the past year or more, Nick Hornby has been documenting his reading life in The Believer magazine, and now a number of those columns have been compiled into one book for your reading pleasure (that's right. I'm adding to your stress about your TBR pile by adding another book to it). The column is known by the simple title of "What I'm Reading," and each month he chronicles both "books acquired" and "books read". As you'll see, these two lists don't always precisely match up, which is a source of great comfort for those of us who have a nasty habit of picking up additional books even though our shelves are full of stuff that it would take us years to read. He's clever and fun as he goes through his own lists and quirks, giving readers even more books to add to the aforementioned pile. It's a vicious circle, and I love it. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
SciFi Channel Original Pictures
In today's theatrical distribution environment there is no room for the good old campy grade Z creature feature. Even the B movie type releases that get made tend to have fairly decent CGI and often feature a few recognizable actors. As far as movie theaters go, the shlocky, super low budget, bad acting, bad special effects, campy movies are no more. Now some people may consider that a good thing, but not me. I love those movies. If the shark roars, great. If the creature is badly rendered CGI, great; and if the creature is a guy in a costume then even better. That's where SciFi Original Pictures comes in. Killer bugs, killer fish, killer aliens, killer parasites, etc. are all represented and not one, but two snakehead movies have graced the the television screen thanks to SciFi Channel. Besides, the movies provide work for actors like Angie Everhart, Antonio Sabato Jr., Bruce Boxleitner, Rachel Hunter, Richard Grieco, Vanessa Angel, Corey Feldman, Stephen Baldwin, and Dean Cain. Kudos to the SciFi channel for keeping this genre alive. (Dan Krovich/BOP)
Persepolis Books 1 and 2 by Marjane Satrapi
These marvelous graphic novels are gorgeously drawn, but it's their subject matter that really makes them must-reads. They are the autobiographical stories of Satrapi's own life, and a fascinating study given the current geo-political situation today. Satrapi grew up in Iran, but not as a fundamentalist. Her family is really just like yours or mine - her life just took place amidst the events that unfolded in Iran in the 1980s, including the hostage situation and the Shah's flee into exile. The villains and heroes aren't always so easily spelled out as you might expect, as Satrapi's world exists much more in shades of gray than black and white. It's a graphic novel that even people who are normally averse to the genre should pick up. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
It Takes a Thief
The Discovery Channel has figured out the perfect combination of voyeurism, criminal behavior and reality television. The educational cable outfit has developed a new show with an unusual premise. Two former professional thieves have turned over a new leaf. They now work together to teach randomly chosen homeowners the dangers of lackadaisical home security. The concept is simple. One of the men knocks on the door and talks a person into allowing the other to attempt to break into his or her home. The “victim” and the friendly thief watch on a closed circuit monitor while the felon breaks into the house and takes all of their stuff. These segments are gripping television as the homeowners realize how close they just came to losing all of their sentimental items and valuables.
After the robbery has occurred and the homeowner has settled his nerves, usually through several alcoholic beverages, an attempt is made to secure the premises. The retired felon/host discusses all sorts of techniques for ensuring that a person would be a less desirable target for thieving. At the end of the show, a second attempt is made by the formerly successful burglar to work his way into the now secured home. It’s this attempt that oftentimes demonstrates how much in the area of home security is predicated upon user error. In the pilot episode, thousands of dollars are spent by the Discovery Channel to make a man’s home foolproof. Then, the robber approaches the unlocked front door and walks in. That’s good television right there. (David Mumpower/BOP)
iPod Shuffle
Elegant in its simplicity, this nifty little device is a terrific way to enter the realm of Apple's sleek mp3 players. I'll note right off the bat that if you have a problem with surprises, the shuffle is probably not for you. It does exactly what its name implies - puts your music in its own order. There's no display to show what's playing or what might be coming up next. Instead, the only controls are for play/pause, forward/reverse and louder/softer. You can, however, determine if there is a certain order you prefer as you create the playlist that will go onto the Shuffle. Additionally, if you rate certain songs higher than others, you can elect to have those played more often. The toy is the size and shape of a pack of chewing gum and just ever so lightweight. At $99 and seven hours of music, it's a terrific toy for those who make great use of the shuffle feature in the first place. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
Tilt
ESPN’s last attempt at televised serial drama, Playmakers, was deemed uncomfortably accurate by the NFL. So, the most powerful entity in sports pressured the network to shut it down. That left ESPN seeking a new subject matter. Trust ESPN to figure out a way to market themselves. These people raise synergy to an art form. What they have done is create a fictional drama about poker that will attempt to fill the void for fans of the real deal while they await this year’s World Series in May.
Tilt is the new television series from the creators of Rounders, the 1998 movie that was five years ahead of its time. Both the show and the film share the commonality of No Limit Texas Hold’em, the poker game craze that has swept the country. Tilt stars Mr. Blonde himself, Michael Madsen, as Don Everest, a T.J. Cloutier-esque lifetime poker hard-ass nicknamed The Matador. It seems the aging tough guy has crossed any number of people over the course of his career, and several of them are trying to get even with him. But The Matador is not a man to be trifled with. An out-of-jurisdiction sheriff whose brother met a similar end is also seeking to give The Matador his comeuppance, meaning that multiple story arcs are likely to cross at a later date. We are only four episodes in, and one of those insurgents has already found himself unexpectedly deposited four stories down in a slot machine because Everest wished it. Tilt has not gotten to the fireworks factory as yet, but the seeds have been placed for a significant payoff somewhere down the road. (David Mumpower/BOP)
It's Happy Bunny!
Created by Jim Benton, It's Happy Bunny has actually been making the rounds for awhile now; however, we feel terrible about having excluded it from our prior lists. This adorable but evil little bunny adorns stuff as varied as t-shirts, lunchboxes, bumper stickers, boxes of candy, notebooks, lanyards and magnets. It's the perfect way to subtly let people know what you *really* think of them. With sayings like "It worries me how dumb you are," "I Hate You So Bad," "Run along and die now," and "Please Go Suck Someplace Else," the little fella really sells the whole thing with his charming smile. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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