Cruise, director Bird shine in Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol DVD (plus other reviews...finally!)

Greetings from my new hut, which is why it’s been a while since I cracked open the old DVD vault and filed a report.

But I’m back and ready to bring you reviews, previews and a look at some of the latest and greatest flicks on the market.

Let’s dive into the most recent big release first.

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, starring Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner is an enjoyable home theatre experience, especially on Blu-ray, which showcases some of the absolutely gorgeous locations director Brad Bird and crew chose for this action-spy flick.

MI is one of those rare franchises that seem to be getting better with each movie. Like The Bourne Trilogy that gave us Matt Damon: Action Star, Mission: Impossible has become more accessible, interesting and entertaining with each installment. And No. 4, Ghost Protocol, is by far the best of the bunch to date.

Maybe that’s because Cruise needed a bit of a career makeover after some recent PR stumbles. His image took a beating because of his religious-political views and he became a little too toxic for a while. But Ghost Protocol showcases that Cruise, the actor, is still likeable, watchable and engaging. Throw in his appearance in the upcoming musical Rock of Ages, based on ’80s hair bands and music and I think Tommy boy is going to find himself back in the pop culture good books so long as he keeps his wacko views to himself.

OK, enough of that stuff.

Bird is a remarkable director and this marks his first non-animated film. It’s one heck of a live-action debut. Ghost Protocol, which sees the Mission: Impossible team going rogue after being disavowed for their supposed participation in a terror-style bombing attack on the Kremlin, showcases some truly eye-popping stunts and solid character work.

Let’s start with the stunts. Cruise, in one of the real set pieces, dangles outside Dubai’s largest building, the Burj Kahlifa, having to move between several floors by using special spy gloves that stick to the glass. It is a breathtaking sequence, extremely well shot and taut. Cruise proves he still has great action chops and Bird, who is best known for directing The Incredibles and The Iron Giant, shows that he can hold an audience in the palm of his hand with real flesh and blood actors and images.

There’s also an amazing showdown in an automated parking garage in which Cruise takes an absolute beating while chasing down the villain, trying to secure proof that will exonerate him and his team. Between bouncing off cars, falling multiple storeys and a physically brutal fight between the two main characters, it’s another great action set piece.

Pegg, Paula Patton, Renner and Cruise form a great crew of spies. They have real chemistry between them. Pegg’s comedic chops as the gadget geek, Renner’s quiet intensity as a character whose allegiances and motivations seem suspect, Patton’s beauty and intelligence sparkle, while Cruise leads the way with his confident, take-charge demeanor. Characters in action-driven movies are often paper thin and their arcs usually play second or even third fiddle to the plot. Not so here. These characters are front and centre and make Ghost Protocol a much more personal journey than a typical action flick. Credit to Bird, producer JJ Abrams and writers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec. They have crafted a really spectacular movie from start to finish – one that was amazing on the big screen, but still packs plenty of punch in the home theatre arena.

I cannot recommend this DVD highly enough.

Extras include a look at the filming of the movie, the gadgets, special effects and stunts, as well as deleted scenes and an alternate opening.

* * *

Here’s a quick look at other DVDs currently on the market:

* The Descendants: Director Alexander Payne’s brilliant tale of a family in crisis, starring George Clooney as a man dealing with an accident that has left his wife brain dead, as well the knowledge that she has been having an affair that even his children were aware of, is deeply moving.

And yet, rather than being maudlin, Payne and Clooney inject bits of comedic genius here and there to keep the mood a little bit light while exploring a deeply upsetting plot.

Complicating things for Clooney’s character is the fact he has to come to grips with the idea of raising two daughters on his own, plus dealing with a family that wants him to sell off the last and largest remaining piece of pristine land on one of Hawaii’s islands – a deal that would give the family members vast sums of money.

This film was more than deserving of its multiple Oscar nominations as Clooney and Payne deliver a truly powerful movie that works on so many levels.

Extras include some great behind-the-scenes featurettes. One of them reveals why I love watching the extras and listening to commentary tracks. The last image of the movie always confused me. Clooney is sitting on a couch, surrounded by both daughters. One by one, as they are watching TV, they begin to share a colourful blanket, tucking themselves beneath it. When the movie faded to black, with none of the characters speaking in the scene, I thought that was a truly bizarre and, let’s be honest, stupid way to end a really smart film.

But in the extras, you learn that in Hawaiian tradition, they have a version of a healing blanket and that people give these blankets as gifts to help soothe the soul. So by seeing each character get under the blanket, it’s a statement that they have begun the healing process and, we presume, will be ok going forward. That gives the final scene so much more impact. Payne is a truly gifted filmmaker who lives by the ‘show, don’t tell’ rule and it’s obvious that one should always delve deeper into his movies because nothing gets in without having a reason for it.

* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Director David Fincher is a man with a dark vision, as his previous films such as Se7en, Fight Club and even Alien 3 have shown. Given the nearly impossible task of turning the Swedish Lisbeth Salander trilogy into a Hollywood production, Fincher dives in and proves adept at crafting a dark thriller that, while different in several ways than the original foreign film and novels, gets so much right that I’m ready to sign on for another two flicks if he’s at the helm.

Daniel Craig plays disgraced journalist  Mikael Blomkvist, who is hired by Canadian actor Christopher Plummer’s dying industrialist, Henrik Vanger, to unravel the mystery of who killed his beloved niece decades earlier.

The suspects are his family members, a twisted group that includes child abusers, wife beaters, former Nazis and truly psychopathic sickos.

Craig is outstanding as Blomkvist, which surprised me greatly as I’m a huge fan of the original foreign films.

But Rooney Mara is an absolute revelation as punk computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, a woman who has been subjected to one of the most disturbing on-camera rape scenes in film history. Mara, who is unrecognizable when you consider her most prominent role prior to this was as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s ex-girlfriend in The Social Network, sparkles. That’s no mean feat given how much love film fans have for Noomi Rapace, the original actress in the Swedish trilogy.

Fincher actually manages to bring out more of the richness and pathos of his main characters, which for a story nut like myself, actually elevates the film above the Swedish original – something I thought would be impossible when I first popped it into my Blu-ray player.

Stellan Skarsgard, Joely Richardson, Robin Wright and Goran Visnjic round out the superb supporting cast.

Extras include a great look at the making of the movie and some of the differences between the original and the Hollywood version.

* Chinatown: Director Roman Polanski’s brilliant 1974 classic crime story, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, gets the Blu-ray treatment and the studio has gone all out to give film fans a truly great disc.

Nicholson’s Jake Gittes is hired to investigate a California Water and Power engineer’s death, Gittes is drawn into a darker world of politics, sexual deviance and corruption as he tries to figure out the motivation of the woman who hired him, as well as solve the murder of Hollis Mulwray.

The film is gorgeous in high-def, with a cleaned up transfer that brings the crisp images to life in a new way. There’s also a whole bunch of extras that add tremendously to the enjoyment of this true classic, which was voted one of the top 100 movies of all-time.

A commentary track featuring screenwriter Robert Towne and David Fincher is a must-listen, as he reveals great bits about the plot and the characters. There’s a complete 90-minute documentary that looks at the history and the politics of bringing water to California’s big city, which has taken a huge environmental toll to this day. It’s fascinating viewing in its own right.

There are also extras looking at the film’s cultural impact and the shooting of the film.

Due to politics and legal issues, Polanski isn’t involved in the updated extras, which is a shame. I know he should face the music in the U.S. so that he can become a member of the Hollywood film elite once again, because he’s a remarkable artist and we’re missing out on so much because of his cowardice.

But there’s no denying the skill he has as a filmmaker because it’s on full display in this beautiful Blu-ray release that should be a must-buy for any true film lover.

* Monty Python and the Holy Grail: The British comedy troupe’s classic gets the Blu-ray treatment and while it’s not exactly enhanced by going high-def, there are some fun elements to explore on the disc.

There are outtakes and extended scenes, some lost animations, the priceless Holy Book of Days Second Screen Experience, as well as commentary tracks featuring the Python boys (John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones), a Lego Knights of the Round Table short, a special Japanese version of the film, as well as an ‘educational film’ on how to properly use coconuts.

* Bob’s Burgers: The Complete First Season: This two-disc set features 13 episodes from the animated comedy’s first TV season. The family-run restaurant is one I’d never eat at and this dysfunction family continues Fox’s long traditional of messed up parents and kids smart-mouthing one another through funny, but often distasteful situations.

Extras include commentary tracks on all episodes, audio outtakes and more uncensored material.

* Patton Oswalt: Finest Hour: The 20-year vet of stand-up comedy delivers his unique view on life and work in this funny 67-minute performance. A geek blessed with a cutting wit and snarky delivery, Oswalt is truly a joy to watch work over an audience.

Extras include his encore KFC bit, as well as a look at his pre-show superstitions.

* Alvin and Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: The boys and girls are back. It’s a family flick. I hate talking animal movies for the most part, but there are a few cute scenes in this family comedy, which sees Dave, Alvin and the rest of the group working a cruise ship.

* Ernie Kovacs: The ABC Specials: These five 1961 specials, featuring the soon-to-be-deceased 42-year-old comedian, are a real revelation about someone who was trying to push the boundaries of broadcasting while it was still in its infancy. The set features only five of the eight specials he made, but you can see how his work influenced others who followed, such as David Letterman and early Saturday Night Live comedians.

* And finally, something for the kids: Four sets of animated TV shows they can watch. Real Monsters: Season Two, The Wild Thornberrys: Season Two, Part Two, Hey Arnold: Season Two, Part One and Danny Phantom: Season Two, Part One, bring some smart, entertaining work to the home theatre environment, where your kids can enjoy these series.

Real Monsters aired back in 1995 and featured the voices of Charlie Adler and James Belushi, focusing on the upbringing of three young monsters. Lacey Chabert and Tim Curry starred in Thornberrys, which was a brilliant series about a family of wild life documentarians, their two daughters, an adopted jungle boy and a monkey. The hook was that daughter Eliza could talk to the animals, unbeknownst to everyone else, allowing her to converse with their chimp, Darwin, who has some great lines.

Hey Arnold was an underappreciated series, best known for the boy with the football-shaped head. This 1997 series features the voice work of Dan Castellaneta and Jamil Walker Smith.

And Danny Phantom, which was on the air in 2005, tells the tale of a boy who can turn himself into a crime-fighting apparition.

MLB 12 The Show a virtual grand slam

Being a Canadian, I know that I’m supposed to have hockey in my veins. It’s April. The NHL playoffs are going to full-tilt.

And I couldn’t care less.

Whether my work as a sports writer or three years of coaching hockey recently have just pushed me over the hockey edge, I’m truly hockey-ed out. My sports focus is on baseball and football these days, specifically the Toronto Blue Jays and Buffalo Bills.

And right now, I’m in full-on Jays mode.

Thankfully, as a gamer I can get a virtual fix courtesy of Sony’s ever-improving MLB franchise. This year, MLB 12 The Show (PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita) has somehow managed to once again top itself to stand firmly atop the virtual baseball mountain.

Let’s start with what The Show added to the mix a few years back: The Road to the Show mode. This time around, you can start at AA and play actual baseball, working your way up to the majors by playing well in any situation, rather than having to complete little in-game tasks that could take away from the flow of an actual game. For instance, as a pitcher you would often be tasked with striking out the side in order to score points. With a man on, it made no baseball sense to go for the strike out when a double play ground ball was what you needed. Yet you would be punished for doing that. Not now. And the mode is so much more true to life for it.

The season and franchise modes remain outstanding, thanks to amazing graphics and a revamped broadcast style presentation that makes use of multiple camera angles to try to give you the feel of taking in a real TV event. The broadcast play-by-play remains one of the weaker elements, but the game is so damn good that you can easily tune out the announcers and just enjoy the action and visuals.

Controls have been augmented, with more Move support added. I’m not a huge fan of this thing. If I wanted to burn my arm out, I’d reach for a Wii Remote. But if you want the gimmick of trying to swing or pitch like a virtual big leaguer, this game will give you a chance.

A new Diamond Dynasty mode that lets you build a franchise from the ground up with real and created players, having them for set amounts of games and short seasons is promising, although I didn’t spend much time with it. I’m more into The Show and the franchise modes.

Overall, MLB 12 The Show is a beauty, from top to bottom. It is truly one of the best sports games ever released and other developers would be well-served by taking note of Sony’s attention to detail.

You can also save a game to Sony’s Cloud system and continue playing on either the Vita or PS3, so you don’t have to play separate seasons anymore if you own both systems. Love this.

The score: 5 stars out of 5. Rated E.

* * * 

Here’s a quick look at some other sports titles currently available:

* Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 (Xbox 360, PS3; Electronic Arts): This year, it all comes down to two things: The good aspects of the new swing mechanics … and the bad aspects of it. How well you adapt to the more realistic swing mechanics will determine whether you enjoy this or not. It’s not easy, but once you get the hang of it, you are definitely more involved in the game. Shots feel a little less random. Not crazy about paying for all the extra courses, but that’s life in a DLC world. Avoid the Kinect function. Pretty weak The score: 3 ½ stars. Rated E.

* Grand Slam Tennis 2 (360, PS3; EA): A decent game for fans who want to learn how to play the virtual sport. Too simple for the hardcore, who are still best served by the TopSpin franchise. It’s solid, but unspectacular. The score: 3 stars. Rated E.

* SSX (360, PS3; EA): Realism in sports games usually isn’t a bad thing, but this snowboarding series is hampered by a distinct lack of fun and silliness. SSX used to be about insane tricks and cool moves. That’s been toned way down in favour of more realism and the game suffers greatly. The score: 2 stars. Rated E.

Mass Effect 3 one of top trilogies ever made

Hello faithful readers. I've had about a five-month hiatus from writing in the paper (although my work appeared online and on my blog) due to some personal issues.

But things are coming back on track and so I'm back to offer my insights and opinions on video games on a weekly basis.

There were several big issues during the past couple of months in the industry, including backlash attacks at gaming giants Electronic Arts and Activision. But the one issue that particularly drew my ire was the fan attacks on Canadian developers BioWare Ltd., over Mass Effect 3.

Many 'fans' took issue with the game's ending, specifically the fact it basically broke down into three general endings, with a couple subsets within those. Fans felt cheated because they said the choices they had made throughout the three entries - decisions totaling about 1,000 options that were supposed to have ramifications as to how the game played out - were essentially tossed out the airlock. But in Mass Effect 3 space, you could definitely hear the disaffected and the forum trolls screaming bloody murder.

Personally, I think it’s a crock.

As a story teller, you have to have the game’s hero, Cmdr. Shepard wind up in one place. So, this idea that there could be dozens of endings is a joke. And the choices people made were not meaningless. They affected how you experienced the game and how you got Shepard to his ultimate finish. Go on YouTube and search through the different Mass Effect 3 videos and you’ll just how varied the story can be depending on the choices you made.

But the end is the end. That’s where the writers determined Shepard’s journey would ultimately come full circle and culminates in what I personally thought was one of the best, most rewarding, truly emotional and fantastic video game trilogies in the history of gaming. Period.

To their personal credit, the good doctors, Ray Mazuka and Greg Zeschuk, the heads of BioWare, have promised to revamp the ending of the game via a downloadable piece of content in the near future. I think the guys caved - in a way - to pressure when they didn’t need to. I know they care deeply about their fans, but I think a special group like BioWare that is dedicated to story-driven gaming, could have made a statement here about standing strong by their editorial and creative decision because the three endings were effective and emotional.

* * *

Here’s a quick look at a couple games out now:

* Syndicate (360, PS3; Electronic Arts): A strong, interesting sci-fi shooter with a story that could have been fleshed out better. In a dystopian future, big business can sell you a lifestyle if you agreed to have a chip installed in you that can, in essence, control aspects of your behaviour. You play as a syndicate enforcer, an Agent, who discovers there may be corruption in this seemingly perfect world. The game has excellent shooter mechanics and looks great, but is hampered by some glitches that take you out of the gameplay at points. With more polish and a little deeper story, this could have been really special. Instead, it’s just a heck of a shooter. 3 ½ stars out of 5. Rated M.

*Yakuza: Dead Souls (PS3; Sega): OK, Japanese gangsters tackle a zombie infestation. Greatest game ever, right? Well, not quite. Enjoyable in sections and spurts, the lack of polish and the somewhat absurd storytelling detract from the experience. 2 ½ stars. Rated M

* NeverDead (360, PS3; Konami): A mix of hacking and shooting, akin to Too Human and Devil May Cry, this often times silly action title focuses on an immortal who can’t die, who is tasked with killing a bunch of demons. Ya, you can’t die. You’re immortal. So you can get stopped and have to reassemble yourself and then tackle sections again, so don’t sweat trying to stay safe or play strategically. Like this game, there’s really no point. 2 stars. Rated M.

Coming up: A look at the new PlayStation Vita and several sports titles, including MLB 12 The Show and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13.

Getting ready for the return of Jedi Aragorn

Hello, dear readers. Your jedi geek has been going through a lot of personal growth and change during the past 6 weeks. I will be back with gaming and dvd and book news, previews, reviews and videos in the coming weeks as life gets back to normal.
Please hang with me and get ready for some interesting pieces, interviews and opinions in the coming weeks, months and years.
But first, with this being Titanic week, let me recommend you pick up Matt Forbeck's excellent novel Carpathia, about vampires being on board the ship that rescued survivors of the Titanic disaster. It's a great time to check it out.
Carpathia novel at Amazon.ca

Temporary delay

Hello good readers. Sorry to say I'm going to be taking March off as I'm now in a position where I have to move by April 1. I will be unable to do the type of work I want to do this month while focusing my efforts on securing a place to live and all of that fun stuff. So, once I get settled in a new place (possibly a new city) as of April 1, then I will be back and doing this site the way I had intended to from the beginning.
I apologize for the hiccups. Recent deaths and issues have caused me to re-evaluate things and decide that a change is necessary. Please bear with me and I'll be back and, I promise, better than ever, in April when things have finally settled.
Sincerely,
Jedi Aragorn

Some classic films make their way to Blu-ray

Well, my friends, it’s time to crack open the DVD vault and take a look at some of the entertainment options currently available for your home viewing:

* French Immersion: One of my main complaints, both as someone who wanted to be a filmmaker and as a Canadian, is that Canadian films tend to be boring, overly moody and too introspective (and sometimes downright aloof).

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a classic example of a commercial film that couldn’t get made in Canada, despite the fact it’s a Canadian story. Nope, gotta set it in Chicago and its Canadian writer and star, Nia Vardalos, has to get Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson on board and suddenly the thing is a huge international hit. It should have been a Canadian film.

Enter French Immersion, a movie that follows in the tradition of Bon Cop, Bad Cop, in telling an actually amusing, entertaining Canadian story.

Writer Jefferson Lewis and co-writer/director Kevin Tierney deliver a feel-good story about five Anglos – four Canadians and a New Yorker, who move to the small fictional town of Saint-Isidore-du-Coeur-de-Jesus (St. Isidore with the heart of Jesus if my own French isn’t too rusty).

This group wants to learn French, so they travel en masse to the village with the idea of spending two weeks immersing themselves in the lives of the citizens and learning the language by diving right in.

Of course, there’s a hockey scene … has to be, it’s mandatory in Canadian films these day, but what is most impressive is that this film scores with its sense of humour, enjoyable characterizations and a real sense of love for the unique Canadian experience this country and its hard-working, honorable and truly funny people have to offer.

Colm Feore is about the only ‘name’ actor that most people will recognize, but this ensemble cast is quite fun and special, so don’t let the lack of ‘names’ deter you from 92 minutes of good entertainment.

Now, if only we could get some films like this made outside of Quebec. I know Toronto and Vancouver are in service to Hollywood for TV and films and I don’t begrudge them that. But there are talented storytellers in all parts of this country, not just Quebec, and this country needs to do something to give these people an opportunity to tell these stories and help entertain the world with our unique Canadian sense of humour and perspective.

End of speech. Watch French Immersion today. You won’t regret it.

* Mama, I Want to Sing: Singer Ciara stars in this film based on a play about a troubled African-American family.

Ciara plays a famous diva pop singer, while Lynn Whitfield plays her mother, a popular preacher who is angered at the fact her daughter’s life flies in the face of what she tries to teach her followers. Add in a son who feels ignored by both of the women, but he’s a talented photographer who wants to go to the Middle East to photograph the war, as well as the wise grandpa, played by Ben Vereen, who watches all of this drama unfolding with a sense of sadness.

A basic morality play, the film features a positive message about family and love and there are some great musical sequences as Ciara has a lovely voice and gets to show it off.

While the movie is predictable, it’s still a decent, family-friendly flick that is good for a family movie night.

* Paranormal Activity 3: The latest edition of Katie and Kristie’s excellent adventure with a demon and a cult continues in this found-footage prequel to the other two films.

This time around, we see Katie and Kristie as little girls, as their mom’s boyfriend, who runs a wedding video company, starts videotaping events around the house in an effort to find out what is going on in their home.

Honestly, the atmosphere required to make these films truly scary has long worn off. Thankfully they’re not going for gross-out moments like Hostel or other torture porn flicks. Instead, it’s just more of the same kind of jumpy moments we’ve come to expect.

The kids used in the film are decent little actors and do a solid job of trying to deal matter-of-factly with the uncertainty unfolding around them. The littlest one doesn’t find it strange that no one else can see her ‘invisible’ friend who lives in a closet in their room.

The idea of trying to string along a narrative stringing the three films together takes the form that one of the girls seems to be destined to be ‘the bride’ of this demon and the girls’ grandmother seems to be part of some coven.

But it’s mostly nonsensical stuff. The real appeal still lies in the little moments that make you jump and there are a few decent ones here, such as when a camera operator and the youngest girl play Bloody Mary, unleashing something wicked in their home, or when a sheet-wearing entity appears behind a babysitter.

Sadly, these moments aren’t enough to really carry the entirety of the film. Still, fans of the genre should find it a decent enough way to spend 83 minutes (or 93 if you opt for the extended version).

The extras are incredibly lame. A couple ‘lost tapes’ which are basically practical jokes, as well as a bad commercial for the guy’s wedding video business. That’s it. No commentary. No making-of. Nothing to try to piece together the narrative. Very lazy filmmaking and inattention to the fact many people like DVD extras.

* Transformers: Dark of the Moon:  The summer blockbuster returns to stores with a limited edition Blu-ray 3D version, as well as a Blu-ray, standard def and digital copy of the movie all together in one box.

The movie is certainly much better than the second Transformers flick. It’s a solid, balls-to-the-wall action extravaganza that features some amazing sequences, including the military’s jump-suit freefall into Chicago and the near leveling of the Windy City.

While director Michael Bay clearly remains far more enamored with visual splendor and CGI tricks than story, at least there’s a semblance of an actual plot to Dark of the Moon and the actors have something to do other than just run around, gape in awe at the destruction and giant robots and duck when appropriate.

John Malkovich, Patrick Dempsey, Frances McDormand and Rose Huntington-Whiteley join the cast this time around, with the latter replacing the departed Megan Fox. She is surprisingly good, doing more than just playing the damsel in distress. McDormand, as a government operative in charge of the Autobots division, eats up her scenes with verve, while Dempsey appears to have some fun playing the rich villain.

Malkovich, however, is completely wasted here. It’s like he watched Brad Pitt in Burn After Reading and decided to outdo the younger thesp’s silliness. Malkovich as some kind of Asian mumbo-jumbo philosophy-spouting buffoon is just plain sad and a horrible use of one of the greatest character actors alive today.

The highlight of this set, besides the great high-def visuals, are the extras. There are more than three hours of featurettes, looking at the making of the movie, the filming of key sequences, a look at the future of NASA … some really cool, fascinating extras that make spending extra time with this set worth the investment.

* Manhattan and Annie Hall (Blu-ray): Two of Woody Allen’s great early films, and let’s face it, many consider Annie Hall to be his Citizen Kane (although Sleeper and Purple Rose of Cairo are still my two faves), make their way to Blu-ray. And … that’s it. The films are in high-def now.

There are no extras. No commentary tracks. No looks at the brilliance of some of these works. No retrospectives on the man’s career or the place these films hold in his filmography.

Just the movies in high-def.

Colour me disappointed.

* The Apartment (Blu-ray): This classic comedy, featuring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray won five Academy Awards in 1960, including Best Picture, so it’s a great time to settle back for a classic as it makes its Blu-ray debut.

Director Billy Wilder’s comedy focuses on a young businessman (Lemmon), who earns a series of promotions simply by allowing the bosses at the company where he works to use his apartment for a series of affairs.

But things get complicated when he winds up falling for one of the mistresses, so he has to make a choice between risking the loss of the love of his life or his comfortable job.

Extras (yay!) include an audio commentary track from film producer and historian Bruce Block, a look at the making of the movie and a featurette examining the work of Lemmon.

* Rebecca, Norotrious and Spellbound (Blu-ray): Three of Alfred Hitchcock’s signature films get the high-def treatment. While not his most famous films, all are fantastic movies in their own right, made more interesting by the outstanding set of extras accompanying each film. With commentary tracks by critics or film historians, interviews, radio plays, making-of featurettes and more, these movies offer fans an interesting glimpse into one of Hollywood’s iconic directors.

* 5 Star Day: Cam Gigandet, who has appeared in Twilight and Easy A, headlines this film about a man whose horoscope forecasts a perfect five-star day the morning of his birthday. But life turns out not to be so grand and after events that upset things in a big way, he decides to go on a trek to prove that astrology is a hoax. He decides to find three other people who were born the exact same time and day as him and see whether their lives are perfect, five-star existences.  Jena Malone, Yvette Montgomery and Wesley Henderson co-star.

Extras include a commentary track featuring director Danny Buday, deleted scenes, a short film and more.

* Bizarre Foods: Collection Five, Part Two: Host Andrew Zimmern offers up more than 10 hours of unique foods from all corners of the globe on this three-disc set sure to please adventurous foodies and travel junkies alike.

With episodes set in Indonesia, Suriname, Morocco, Jamaica, Finland, New York, Rio and even Montreal, as well as dishes featuring the likes of piranha and water buffalo entrails, this is a journey that is truly unique and interesting. Tasty … well, that may be an entirely different matter.

Extras include four previously unseen episodes, including trips to Alaska, Taiwan and Vietnam.

* Wings: The first Oscar winner for best picture, this movie was released in 1927 and tells the story of two pals who go to war, as well as the woman they left behind. Richard Arlen, Charles Rogers and Clara Bow co-star and the movie, which is renowned for its First World War aerial fighter sequences, also features a cameo by Gary Cooper.

* The Big Year

* Mannix: Season Six

* Beavis and Butt-head: Volume Four

* The Adventures of Chuck and Friends: Friends to the Finish

* Father Dowling Mysteries: Season One

* Love Story (Blu-ray)

Baseball pool is open to fellow Wars fans

@swbookreport free baseball pool is formed. we need at least 10 teams. can accommodate more. email jesse@starwarsbookreport.com #StarWars

Last-minute geeky gift ideas for your Valentine

Valentine’s Day, of course, brings with it the traditional gift ideas of flowers, chocolates, lingerie, fancy dinners … blah, blah, blah.

Let’s face it, if you’ve got a geek in your life, traditional gifts aren’t exactly going to carry the day. Romance is a state of mind and a gift from the heart means more than just another box of chocolates.

Here are a few geek-friendly ideas for you last-minute shoppers to consider:

* Tooks: Hats You Can Hear: This is my favourite little gadget of 2012 so far. Being a Canadian who has a shaved head, I can appreciate the warmth of a great touque. But you don’t need to be folicley challenged or living in the Great White North to dig this.

Tooks come in eight different styles and what makes them cool is that they have slits cut into them that you can slide the little speakers that come with them.

Yep, now you can have a warm head and listen to tunes in a stylish way. Just turn the Took inside out, insert the speakers into the slots, slip the rest of the cord into the slit at the back of the touque and plug into your MP3 player.

The speakers put out 40 mW and the cord is 48 inches long, so you’ve got plenty of give to get active in the great outdoors, making this a great idea for any snowboarding geeks out there.

The Tooks come in a variety of colours and styles, for both men and women. And there’s even a simple black band for those of you with enough hair to keep your head warm … or if you just really want to look cool.

Check these sweet lids out at www.TooksHats.com.

* Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning: This Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC role-playing game is dripping with geek cred.

The culmination of the minds of writer R. A. Salvatore, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion lead designer Ken Rolston, this sprawling RPG (published by Electronic Arts) boasts dozens and dozens of hours of questing through a fully-fleshed out fantasy world.

You play as one of four races, a creature brought back to life by gnomes who rescued your soul from the ether and fashioned you a new body, all in the hope of creating a warrior who could help free the world of Amalur from a warrior race bent on wiping out all other forms of life.

Fate is a huge part of the citizens of Amalur’s belief system, for they believe you cannot alter destiny. But as one reborn from death, you have no pre-ordained destiny, and so the future is yours to fashion in whatever manner you see fit.

Like many traditional RPGs, there are main quests, secondary adventures and little odd jobs and tasks you can choose to tackle or ignore, depending on how deeply ingrained you wish to become in Salvatore’s fantasy realm.

Combat, skills, spells, character classes … everything is customizable depending on how you like to attack the problems facing Amalur.

Rated M.

Check it out at www.Reckoning.com.

* Anonymous: I love a good movie that makes you think and this bit of fanciful ‘What if?’ conjecture from acclaimed director Roland Emmerich and writer John Orloff certainly does that.

The duo deliver a drama that dares audiences to question whether or not William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright in human history, was a fraud. And there is actually scholarly debate about whether Shakespeare did author the plays and sonnets that have made him a legend.

Rhys Ifans stars as an earl, a member of the royal court who many believe was the actual author of the plays and sonnets. This is based on his education and travels, which, when contrasted against the historical record that shows Shakespeare was an uneducated, illiterate man who never once left England, makes one wonder whether there’s more than meets the eye to this fascinating political drama.

Ifans is simply brilliant in the role, surprising considering I knew him mainly for his role as Hugh Grant’s slovenly roomie in the rom-com Notting Hill. He plays the Earl of Oxford with style, grace and a sense of devious purpose that is mesmerizing.

Vanessa Redgrave is outstanding as Queen Elizabeth I, a woman slowly descending into madness and paranoid about losing power, unafraid to dispatch anyone who threatens her reign.

David Thewlis co-stars as William Cecil, while Edward Hogg is phenomenal as Cecil’s son, Robert, a hunchback. The duo are largely responsible for doing Elizabeth’s dirty work and scheming to manipulate events and people for their own gain, since they enjoy tremendous power by serving at the pleasure of the monarch.

Anonymous is a brilliant film, not at all what you’d expect from the guy who brought the world 2012, Godzilla, Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow and 10,000 BC.

* Nintendo 3DS Circle Pad Pro: This little peripheral is a slick add-on that serious handheld gamers are going to appreciate.

The 3DS slips into the pad, which features an additional circle pad on the far right of the unit to give gamers more control, making the handheld feel and play more like a console gamepad, which features two stick controllers.

As well, there are additional shoulder buttons built into the pad.

* Resident Evil: Revelations: This Nintendo 3DS game, from Capcom, is the latest chapter in the zombie franchise.

Set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, the action unfolds on an abandoned cruise ship, giving gamers more of the creepy atmosphere they have come to love from this series.

The game features two-player online and offline co-op, as well as a single player campaign.

Rated M.

* Star Wars: Darth Plagueis: This latest novel, from writer James Luceno, is garnering heady praise from fans of the Expanded Universe, thanks to a detailed plot that explores the relationship between Darth Sidious, the evil Emperor of the Star Wars films, and his master, Darth Plagueis.

Plagueis was alluded to in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, used by Sidious to further draw Anakin Skywalker to the dark side because it was said Plagueis could use the Force to prevent those he loved from dying.

But there’s a lot more to this novel than that. Luceno weaves a broad, decades-spanning tale which fits neatly into many of the gaps in the timeline and more fully explores how a young man named Palpatine was recruited to become a Sith apprentice and eventually became a master and ruler of the galaxy.

* Good old reliable gift cards: Whether it’s iTunes, Chapters/Indigo, Future Shop or Best Buy, or any other establishment of your choice, these are always a solid idea. Not really romantic, but if you don’t know what geeky novel, album, piece of hardware, DVD or video game is on his/her most-wanted list, this is better than nothing.

Wayne Chamberlain is an editor at The Sudbury Star, who has covered the gaming industry and reviewed games since 2003, as well as a film school graduate who majored in writing and directing. He is also the co-host of Star Wars Book Report, a bi-weekly podcast available on iTunes. You can follow him on Twitter.com @ChamberlainW or @JediAragorn. Join his blog at jediaragorn.blogspot.com. 

Geeky news and notes from the past week

Some weird, wacky and wonderful tidbits from the past week for you to chew on:

* The 11^th annual NAVGTR (The National Academy of Video Game Testers and Reviewers) will be announcing the final nominees for its awards on Feb. 15. The event, which honours the best of video game art, technology and production, will be presided over by actors Tom Sizemore and Tara Platt. Not sure if this qualifies as community service for Sizemore, who has had a few run-ins with the law, but as a game reviewer (though not a member of this group) I am always keen to stay on top of what’s going on in the gaming industry.

http://navgtr.org

* Feb. 28 marks the day that PlayStation 3 users who are members of the Call of Duty Elite Premium service will be able to get their first two DLC (downloadable content) packages.

Liberation and Piazza are their names.

Liberation, a militarized Central Park in the heart of NYC, features a vast landscape ripe for long-range sniper and LMG kills. Mounted turrets on opposing ends of the map offer overwhelming firepower to anyone brave enough to man them, says game publisher Activision in a release.

Piazza, meanwhile, is set in an idyllic seaside village, an Italian getaway gone rogue, where blind corners and a complex network of branching pathways pose danger at every turn. Visceral close-quarters combat dominates in Piazza, and attacks from above and below are an ever-constant threat.

www.callofduty.com/elite.

* I attended my first Fan Expo Canada in 2011 and enjoyed it, despite some rough spots with some of the overly aggressive and uninformed volunteers.

Patrick Stewart has been announced as one of the headline guests for 2012.  The Brit thesp is best known for his roles as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.

Fan Expo Canada 2012 is also going to play host to writer/director Kevin Smith and his actor/pal Jason Mewes. They will be performing their show Jay and Silent Bob Get Old on Friday, Aug. 24, at 8 p.m. Tickets for the show are $39 for general admission, or a $69 (hey, it’s Kevin Smith) priority package that nets you better seating, a limited edition 8x10 autographed photo of Kevin and Jason and a complimentary one-hour preview of Fan Expo Canada.

Fan Expo Canada 2012 takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from Aug. 23-26.

www.fanexpocanada.com

* Good news for Star Wars gaming fans this week as The Old Republic looks to be a success out of the gate.

The Massively Multiplayer Online game, from Canada’s BioWare Corp. and LucasArts, has sold more than two million copies and publisher Electronic Arts says in a press release that there are more than 1.7 million active subscribers playing the story-driven title.

“We’re truly honored and humbled by the incredibly strong support from our players who are enjoying Star Wars: The Old Republic,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare and general manager of EA’s BioWare Label, in a release. “Our entire team worked very hard over the holidays to deliver a smooth experience at launch and the resulting response to the game from our fans and critics has been exceptionally gratifying.”

Added Dr. Greg Zeschuk, co-founder of BioWare and general manager of the BioWare MMO Business Unit: “We’re actively listening to our community for ongoing feedback to help us ensure the game and service continue to improve, and we’re working to deliver spectacular new high quality content on a regular cadence going forward.”

According to EA, there have been more than 239 million in-game hours, or more than 332,000 months and 27,000 years of in-game time played in the first month. There were over 20 billion NPCs killed and more than 148 billion credits spent.

I’ve had some time with the game and it’s definitely enjoyable. I plan to publish a review when I’ve spent a bit more time with it, so stay tuned.

www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com

* In the mood for some arcade titles? Well, Xbox Live has launched a new campaign called House Party.

Starting Feb. 15, 360 gamers can access a new downloadable game every Wednesday through to March 7. As a reward, if you buy all four of the games, you’ll receive 800 Microsoft Points, Xbox states in a press release.

Up first on Feb. 15 is Warp, from Electronic Arts, which costs 800 MS Points. You will play as Zero, an alien with a big score to settle in this puzzle-based stealth action game. Captured by the villainous Commander and imprisoned in his underwater facility, Zero must plan his ultimate escape using his arsenal of alien abilities — warp, frag, echo, swap and launch.

On Feb. 22, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare goes on sale for 1200 points. In this stand-alone game, novelist turned action hero Alan Wake fights the evil Mr. Scratch.

On Feb. 29, THQ delivers Nexuiz for 800 points. An arena-based first-person shooter, the game explores a reality TV show where you can alter the rules of the match and the laws of physics while dominating opponents in ever-changing hostile environments.

And then on March 7, Ubisoft launches I Am Alive, for 1200 points.

One year after a worldwide cataclysmic event wiped out most of humanity, a man struggles for survival. Faced with an insecure, decaying and hazardous world, he scours a desolate city, searching for his long-lost wife and daughter. Survive the suffocating, murky streets covered in dust. Climb the teetering remains of last-standing skyscrapers to reach breathable air and find untouched resources. Explore the crumbling ruins of a once-thriving metropolis. Discover a changed human condition, punctuated by distrustful survivors, dangerous armed gangs and victims in need. 

Sounds fun.

* Capcom confirmed that Resident Evil 6 is a go. It will be releasing Nov. 20 this year. Can’t wait.

* And finally this week, if you like some arcade action before or after you take in a movie at the theatre, Canada’s Cineplex Entertainment announced it has merged its New Way Sales Gaming with the amusement game and vending assets of Toronto-based Starburst Coin Machines. 

The new venture, Cineplex Starburst Inc., will form the largest distributor and operator of arcade games to the amusement industry in Canada.  The deal is worth approximately $4.5 million.

Starburst has supplied and serviced the arcade games located within all of the original Famous Players brand theatres for many years.  They also supply equipment to numerous arcades, amusement centers, bowling alleys, amusement parks and theatre circuits, in addition to owning and operating Playdium, the Family Entertainment Centre in Mississauga.

New Way supplies and services the equipment located within Cineplex Odeon and Galaxy Cinemas in addition to a number of other businesses. Following the merger, Cineplex Starburst Inc., will supply and service all Cineplex Entertainment theatres across Canada and continue to supply and support numerous other third parties.

Cineplex is the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada and owns leases or has a joint-venture interest in 130 theatres with 1,352 screens serving approximately 70 million guests annually.

www.cineplex.com

Strong vocal cast to be a highlight of Mass Effect 3

Hey, hey, hey. It ain’t Fat Albert in da house, but rather Jedi Aragorn. Back from seeing a loved one become one with the Force (thank you to my friends and family, readers, listeners and followers who offered condolences across the spectrum of social media outlets I use to spread the good word) and ready to embrace all those geeky things that make life worth living here on this third rock from the big, burning ball of gas we circle.

So, let’s get down to business, shall we?

The countdown is on and console gamers like me are eagerly awaiting the third installment in the Mass Effect trilogy.

Mass Effect 3, available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, ships in North America on March 9, while the demo moves on both consoles Valentine's Day.

Developer BioWare looks set to deliver a triumphant finale to this remarkable role-playing game franchise, set around the adventures of Commander Shepard, the first human Spectre agent, as he helps defend the galaxy against an invasion by a terrifying race of machines.

Mass Effect 3's demo hits Feb. 14,
while the game launches on consoles March 9.

ME3 should continue the Canadian company’s legacy of delivering one of the most cinematic gaming experiences around. BioWare goes all out in securing outstanding voice talent for its projects because the good doctors who founded the company – Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk – are big believers in a truly artistic product being delivered to its appreciative audience.

You can see that commitment in games like the previous Mass Effect titles, where Martin Sheen was hired to voice the enigmatic human-centric character, the Illusive Man, as well as BioWare’s latest PC opus, Star Wars: The Old Republic, which features the likes of Jamie Glover (Malgus), Catherine Taber (Padme on The Clone Wars and Vette in the game) David Hayter (the male Jedi Knight, as well as Metal Gear Solid’s Snake), Grey DeLisle, Lacey Chabert, Tom Kane, Deborah Kara Unger … the list goes on and on.

Well, ME3’s voice cast is equally impressive. Sheen returns, as does Mark Meer and Jennifer Hale as the voices of the male and female Shepard, respectively, as well as Adam Baldwin, Seth Green, Tricia Helfer, Keith David, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lance Henriksen, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galactica).

“We are absolutely thrilled with the passion and emotion the entire cast brought to their performances in Mass Effect 3,” said Casey Hudson, executive producer of the Mass Effect series, in a press release.

“In a story where Earth and the entire galaxy are at war, we needed to take the performances to a level of dramatic power and intensity that we’ve never previously attempted. This extremely talented cast delivered.”

Sure, it’s easy to be snarky about someone like Prinze Jr. joining the cast. Hey, it’s Fred from those lame live-action Scooby Doo movies trying to sound like a bad-ass space marine … but cut the guy some slack. First off, it’s his voice you’re going to be hearing and the guy does have some decent pipes. So at least wait and hear what his character, a guy named Vega, sounds like before you draw the long knives, folks.

“I have always loved science fiction and I have always loved games and Mass Effect is really the first time both come together successfully,” said Prinze, Jr., in a release.

“It is a completely immersive game where you really feel like you’re part of this journey inside this universe. It will make you think, you will care about the character you are playing and you will care about the characters that you bring into battle with you.”

In Mass Effect 3, players will be thrust into an all-out galactic war to save the galaxy from an ancient alien race known only as the Reapers, the release states. Players will assume the role of Commander Shepard, a war-torn veteran who’s willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate this nearly unstoppable foe. With a team of elite, battle-hardened soldiers at your side, each player decides how they will take Earth back, from the weapons and abilities they utilize to the relationships they forge or break. Gamers can get their first taste of the galactic war when the Mass Effect 3 demo launches worldwide on February 14.

For more information on Mass Effect 3, please visit http://masseffect.com, follow the game on Twitter at http://twitter.com/masseffect,  or "like" the game on Facebook at http://facebook.com/masseffect.

Me, I can’t wait to get my hands on this baby. BioWare is a master group, like the Pixar of video games, and it’s going to be fun to see what they’ve got up their sleeves for Shepard’s last ride. 

Sorry for the delay

Hey friends and readers. Sorry for the delay in posting. Had a death in the family, so trying to work around things. Will be back to normal shortly. Thanks for your patience.

Seeing Red ... Tails, that is

There are times that I just have to sit back and look at the pop culture world and shake my head. Call it disbelief, sadness, disappointment ... what have you. Sometimes, the hate out there is so hard to understand.

Which brings me to Red Tails, a film George Lucas personally financed and helped usher to the big screen despite bigotry (at the least, outright racist attitudes at the worst) in Hollywood that saw studio executives decline to green light the movie because they didn’t think a ‘black’ movie with a predominantly African-American cast could be successfully marketed, or turn a profit.

Wow. Hearing Lucas say that on The Daily Show was a real shock, as money typically is colour-blind. I mean, selling a feel-good, patriotic war movie in the U.S. should be about as idiot-proof as it comes.

At the time of this writing, according to the website rottentomatoes.com (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red-tails) the movie has made about $33 million in just over 10 days of release. The movie has an abysmal 39% rating as far as the critics go, but the audience ‘like’ number comes in at a more respectable 69%.

OK, so that’s the politics at play here. What about the movie?

Well, I think some of the backlash being directed at this movie is because simpleton audiences truly believe this is a George Lucas movie and there are haters out there who want nothing to do but crap on the man, his films and his legacy no matter what he does.

The fact is that this film is directed by Anthony Hemingway and written by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder. According to their IMDB.com pages, Hemingway and McGruder are African-Americans. Ridley doesn’t have a photo up, so I’m not sure about his cultural heritage, not that it particularly matters.

What does matter is that Lucas didn’t write or direct this movie, but he’s being criticized like it’s his work. McGruder’s history as a director stems largely from doing second unit work, as well as working on TV series. And you can certainly feel that when you see Red Tails because the film does come off in many ways like a feel-good TV movie of the week.

Is the writing clichéd? Yep. Is the dialogue clichéd? Yep. Are the performances clichéd? Hell, no. Could the directing have been stronger? Possibly. It’s not always easy to overcome a hackneyed script and there’s no doubt this reads like a piece of 1940s propaganda, viewed through the lens of the political correctness of the modern era .

But the performances in this movie are quite engaging and are at the heart of this film. I was actually shocked at how character-driven Red Tails was. I went in expecting high-flying, gut-twisting dog fights. I knew that Lucas had said the film wasn’t a history lesson, nor a look at what negro airmen went through in order to fight for their country. Those films are already out there if you want a serious look at battling 1940s racism in the military.

Or, as Cuba Gooding Jr., who plays Maj. Emanuelle Stance, put it in a recent TV interview in Canada, they wanted to make a movie about heroes, not victims.

Well, mission accomplished.

Red Tails is certainly a heroic war film. Following the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, an all-Negro fighter group, during the final year of the Second World War in Italy and over Europe, Red Tails follows a group of pilots as they try to prove their worth to the military brass.

Using hand-me-down planes that are patched up with spit and elbow grease, the men are assigned secondary and tertiary sorties over Italy. They spend their day flying patrols over the coast and blowing up the odd German train or vehicle convoy.  It’s a far cry from being all that you can be.

In Washington, Col. A.J. Bullard, played by the always engaging Terrance Howard, is fighting to get his fellow African-Americans some decent equipment and real missions that will help in the war effort. They get their break due to a political play that blows up in the press, in which some racist members of the military brass leaked a report that says the fighter group couldn’t pull its weight because of skin colour.

So, the group gets a chance to fight, flying cover for a ground invasion that goes well. They shoot down eight planes and four of the pilots go off and lay waste to a German air base.

This earns them a shot at flying cover for the bomber missions over Europe. It seems white pilots were leaving the heavy bombers in order to try to shoot down German decoy fighters, leaving the bombers vulnerable to attack by other German pilots.

The fighter group is told that they are to protect the heavy bombers at all costs and the men are given new equipment, as well as a chance to prove just how disciplined and capable they are.

And that’s basically the action-based plot of the movie. There are character-driven subplots, largely surrounding David Oyelowo’s pilot, with the call sign Lightning, and his friend and flight leader, Marty ‘Easy’ Julian, played by Nate Parker. The duo clash over Lightning’s risk-taking in the skies and Easy’s drinking on the ground, which he claims helps him battle his nerves.

There’s also a subplot with Lightning romancing a white Italian woman (played by NCIS: Los Angeles’ Daniela Ruah), as well as Lightning battling white pilots at an officer’s club.

So, there is more than a passing nod to the racist attitudes these men had to overcome. But – refreshingly – this isn’t a film that ruminates about the racism. We’ve seen those films. There are myriad options out there if you want to look at the African-American experience, be it from the 1800s up to present day. So I’m not going to crap on these men for opting to make a movie about the actual work and performance of the men.

I will say, however, that I still find many of the character plots to be very movie-of-the-week-ish. The film has a somewhat amateurish feel to it. But the cast still manages to make you care about these men and see them as more than the somewhat cardboard caricatures the script foists upon them. They rise above and manage to put more meat on the skeleton, so they deserve kudos for that.

The film does tend to go for the easy moments, the clichéd moments, which harkens back to a lot of other Second World War movies. And I suppose there is some merit to criticize the filmmakers on this front if you are expecting more of a Saving Private Ryan instead of something akin to Raiders-esque portrayal of the Nazis and their war machine.

But I wasn’t looking for a historical documentary here. Nor a docudrama. I just wanted to be entertained and the film certainly succeeds on that level. The characters are memorable and interesting despite the clichéd writing and the aerial sequences are spellbinding. It’s some of the best aerial combat footage I’ve seen since Top Gun.

If you’re looking for a good time at the movies, a true park-your-brain, feel-good, popcorn flick, Red Tails is definitely worth a look.

And leave George out of it.   

Check out the Red Tails trailer by clicking on this link: http://youtu.be/BpA6TC0T_Lw

Brilliant ode to Star Wars by fans, 15 seconds at a time

This is something else and kudos to everyone who took part and to those who came up with this concept. Love it.
http://youtu.be/7ezeYJUz-84

Check out this amazing performance by Clone Wars performer James Arnold Taylor

James Arnold Taylor's one-man show
http://youtu.be/YXoWadKq5U4

A dozen ways to beat the post-Christmas gaming drought

Well, time to shake off the gaming dust and get back at it after a short break from my weekly console gaming column. 

This is, as gaming fans well understand, the worst time of the year as far as a new release drought. That's because of the deluge of titles released in the three months before Christmas. (And for those of you who don't have a PC strong enough to run Star Wars: The Old Republic.)

But rather than lament the lack of fresh gaming meat, why not take a breath, sit back and delve a little deeper into some of the great 2011 titles that maybe you didn't spend enough time with because of the Christmas rush. You know, savour these virtual meals a little more.

With that in mind, here are my picks for a dozen ways to beat the post-Christmas blues:

12. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (360, PS3; Namco Bandai Games): When it comes to aerial combat, there is no better console franchise, in my opinion, than the Ace Combat franchise. And Assault Horizon will blow you away with an awesome lineup of fighter jets and military attack helicopters that let you take to the skies and live out your Top Gun fantasies in stunning HD. Throw in a solid story, which is a little less cheesy than some of the previous Japan-centric anime-inspired plots that featured mind-numbing dialogue, and you've got a great reason to turn and burn. Features a solo campaign, as well as online co-op for 2-3 players and online multiplayer battles with up to 16 people. Rated T.

11. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (360, PS3; Eidos and Square Enix): I am a huge fan of single-player, story-driven games and one of the best of the past year was this highly anticipated entry in the Deus Ex franchise. You play as Adam Jensen, a man who augments his body with cybernetics in order to help him unravel a conspiracy that threatens humanity itself. Featuring open-ended gameplay in which your decisions actually do matter and help the story evolve, you will be challenged to figure out the best way to attack the various problems and enemies you'll come across. A great mix of role-playing and action that packs a real story-driven punch. Rated M.

10. Lord of the Rings: War in the North (360, PS3; Warner Bros. Games): As you can tell from my blogger alias, I'm a big LOTR fan and so it shouldn't really be a surprise that this game cracks this list. War in the North is an action role-playing game in which you play as one of three characters ... a ranger, an elf or a dwarf. The game unfolds at the same time as the epic events of the LOTR story, so you are tasked with helping to create a diversion in the North country that will help divert Sauron's attention, as well as defeating another threat to Middle-earth - the evil Agandaur. The combat isn't the strongest element of the game, but I absolutely loved the storyline, the fact you get to visit key locations and meet LOTR characters, as well as build your chosen fighter via a branching skill tree. And the story is the real reason to delve into the title and get lost in a gaming expansion of J.R.R. Tolkien's world. You can play solo or co-op, either online or off. Rated M. 

9. Gears of War 3 (360; Microsoft): The epic conclusion to Marcus Fenix's saga, this third Gears game delivers a good storyline, strong gameplay mechanics and memorable characters who have carved out a niche in gaming history with their chainsaw bayonettes. There's a great solo campaign here, which is longer than the other two, as well as strong co-op gameplay both online and off. And when you're done playing the story, you can dive into the multiplayer modes, including 10-player battles and five-player co-op. The Horde and Beast modes give you some great options when it comes to burning away the hours in this unique world. Rated M.

8. Saints Row: The Third (360, PS3; THQ): The story is ridiculous, let's get that out of the way off the top. The Third Street Saints have dominated Stillwater and for years, becoming part of the mainstream culture. Now, a group called the Syndicate is challenging them and demanding they bow down, so to speak. The Saints decide to take the battle to the Syndicate, invading the city of Steelport, determined to topple this Vegas-esque burgh. The true genius of this game is its over-the-top action, which can be played either solo or in an online co-op mode. The goal is to take over the sex, drug and gun rackets and the emphasis is on crazy weapons, costumes and antics. It's a circus freakshow, but it's also a lot of fun. Rated M.

7. Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection (360, PS3; Konami): The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection bundles together three MGS titles - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Besides upgrading them with high-def graphics, this set also offers Xbox users their first chance to tackle the adventures of Snake. Of course, the original PlayStation game and MGS4 are still out of reach to Xbox users, but this is a good way for those gamers to finally experience this iconic franchise. The storylines are the coolest things about these three games, as the actual gameplay mechanics are frustrating when you compare them to current day action shooters. But it's still well worth the effort.

6. GoldenEye 007: Reloaded (360, PS3; Activision): This classic title rocked the Nintendo 64 back in the day and it got a Wii update, but now 360 and PS3 gamers get a chance to drive one of the best 007 games ever made. The update features Daniel Craig's likeness replacing Pierce Brosnan, as well as high-def graphics and an upgraded set of gameplay and story mechanics. The result is one of the most addictive and entertaining James Bond games ever. You can play up to four players offline, or go online and take part in 16-person multiplayer battles. Overall, this one is a no-brainer if you love a good shooter or are a fan of James Bond. It's well worth diving into an update of a classic title. Rated T.

5. Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary (360; Microsoft): Sensing a trend? Like Hollywood, the gaming industry is maturing enough that we're starting to see developers revisit old titles and try to put a new spin on them, much the same way studios do with film franchises. I think that part of the reason for this game's release, besides the obvious economic and anniversary reasons, is to show gamers that 343 Industries can do Halo the way Bungie did. Now, that may not be true since this game is essentially a shot-for-shot remake of the original. It's just been given a high-def makeover and updated skins. The story and the action is still classic tried-and-true Bungie. But with 343 Industries taking control of the franchise as Halo 4 starts to appear on the horizon, I don't think it was a bad idea for the studio to get something out there in the Halo universe with its name on it, even if it is to allay even slightly any trepidation franchise fans might have about a post-Bungie experience. No matter, this game still holds up remarkably well 10 years after its release and there is no doubt that the new Firefight mission, an enhanced story, offline and online co-op and 16-person multiplayer battles will keep Halo fans quite entertained in the months to come. Rated M.

4. Battlefield 3 (360, PS3; Electronic Arts): Bringing Battlefield into the modern era showcases the amazing talents who work at DICE and this title builds on the success of the franchise and shines brightly, both in terms of its single player and multiplayer experiences. The single-player story, which puts you in the boots of a U.S. Marine tasked with stopping a terrorist, is spellbinding. Some of the missions had me gripping the controller so tightly that my fingers ached ... and that's a good thing because that means the game is incredibly engaging. And while long-time readers know I'm not a big multiplayer fan, this game certainly provides those who love the experience with great options and top-notch thrills and challenges that will keep them busy for weeks and months on end. The 24-multiplayer battles are epic. I only wish there had been offline and online co-op options as that would have added to the epic mix already assembled. Rated M.

3. Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3; Warner Bros. Games): The first Batman game rocked. This one is downright awesome. Rocksteady studio has crafted one of the truly great superhero games of all time on any console or gaming device. Arkham City is a walled-off area of Gotham City, in which the criminals and the insane masterminds of the comic world run riot. Batman does battle with all comers, using a combination of stealth and speed and brains to outwit and overcome all of the assembled baddies. Throw in the ability to play as the super sexy Catwoman, as well as the iconic collection of villains, like Joker, Harley Quinn, The Riddler and more, and you've got a dark world with a compelling story that offers a true must-play experience. Rated T.

2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3; Activision): With its awesome mix of single-player, story-driven gameplay, offline co-op, four-player offline battles, as well as 18-person multiplayer mayhem, there's not much more I can say about one of the greatest action shooters ever made. It shines in all departments and I really enjoyed the co-op special ops missions, with the much tougher (and obviously frustrating) survival mode which can be brutally unforgiving. That said, that's what war is all about. Overall, MW3 rocks, giving you a good single-player experience. And the multiplayer modes remain as addictive as ever for fans who are into that kind of thing. For me, I still enjoy diving back into the story and reliving some of the intense action sequences that this is the hallmark of this series. Rated M.

1.  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3; Bethesda): Let's be honest, if you're going to invest hundreds of hours into a game, story and experience are keys and this role-playing game delivers on both fronts. Skyrim adds another great chapter to The Elder Scrolls franchise and builds nicely off of the Oblivion experience. You dive into a post-Oblivion world, where dragons now roam the skies and you must find your place among them since you the Dragonborn, a prophesized hero whose decisions help determine the type of world you'll help forge. The character choices are impressive and the game simply hums along. What I particularly enjoy are the greater options and the increased number of vocal performances you'll find in Skyrim. Oblivion was an amazing game, but hearing the same people over and over got tiresome after the first 60 hours or so. Now, you'll find a larger array of characters with a larger cast bringing them to life, which helps to create a bigger, more immersive experience in what is truly an amazing world to explore. And when you're done one game, you can create an entirely new character with different skill sets and venture forth to play the game in an entirely different way, making different story choices and experiencing Skyrim in a new way. You could literally spend most of 2012 chewing your way through this game over and over and experiencing it from different perspectives until the virtual dragons come home to roost. It's a beauty. Rated M.

Wayne Chamberlain is an editor at The Sudbury Star, who has covered the gaming industry and reviewed games since 2003. You can follow him on Twitter.com @ChamberlainW or @JediAragorn. Join his blog at jediaragorn.blogspot.com.