Tim Burton is officially the Master of Dark and Delightful. In his latest goth-fest Burton once again makes black seem brighter than ever. Adapted from the musical Broadway play, Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet street, is a pitch perfect early Christmas gift. Burton once again teams up with Depp (this is his 8th collaboration with the actor) and Burton also reunited Johnny with his Corpse Bride (Carter). I went into the film with a preconceived notion that once again Depp would be quirky and in another of his “Look at how strange I am” persona. I’m glad he didn’t disappoint. He was nothing short of brilliant.

The film, which complements the musical, grows on you. The first hour is spent understanding the despair and demise of a once passionate romance (for the city of London and for Todd). The second act is a tale of vengeance, bloodletting, and tragedy. All this is set to music that is done in an almost Operatic fashion. Most of the songs fill in the story and set the mood of the film. However there are several numbers that you wont easily get out of your head. To make matters worse these numbers are set to a stunning visual reference that will haunt you each time you hum about mince meat pies.

Todd is also filled with an excellent supporting cast. From new faces (Jamie Bower, Laura Kelly) to unforgettable ones (Sacha Baron Cohen and Alan Rickman). I have had several friends state that Cohen is a one-hit-wonder. I have to say that I’m wondering how he hits every note just right in this role. His duel with Todd is like High Noon on a bad Mushroom trip.

Todd being released during the Holidays won’t be a gift for everyone. Even though it is garnering some Oscar buzz; Todd it is still a morbid, dark and skanky tragedy, with pie! So if you’re a fan of Depp, or you love Broadway, or even if the latter two don’t account for your movie dollar, go see this film. However if you you like your music and movies a-la fast food style:

Alvin and the Chipmunks is still showing.

Official Site of Todd

Recently I was involved in recording Live on Live, a gamers roundtable here at XBL Radio, and the topic “Is the Live Arcade falling short?” came up. It made for an interesting conversation. However the topic ended up in a united decision: The Arcade isn’t what it should be.

Just today I came across this article online :

 GameTap, Turner Broadcasting System’s “broadband entertainment network” will hit 1000 games available to subscribers on Nov. 15. A good portion of the games are new titles, while a majority are classic games you can’t normally play without dragging out the old consoles from mom and/or dad’s attic. GameTap also keeps a pretty solid list of free games available for non-subscribers .

Meanwhile computer owners can endulge in emulator add-ons. Usually giving the user the ability to play thousands of retro-arcade titles. And let’s not forget about all of the other sites that offer “free to member” gaming:

Free to play addictive and fun.

 Games and prizes. Free membership required.

 Known as Uproar a place to play for free online.

 Addictive puzzle games and tourneys.

 Tied to you MSN account.

Now I’m not trying to diss the Live Arcade; I’m just posing the question why US gamers would pay 10 to 15 bucks on average for one arcade title. Is it co-op play? Is it the hi-def graphics? Or is it the Achievements? Whatever it is I am losing interest. And most of my Online Friends seem to feel the same way. So whats the solution?

Here is my remedy. The word Arcade implies a nastalgic feeling of the Aracades of old. You remember; the time when a roll of quarters was all you needed to pass the day away. Why not offer the same with many of the Arcade titles on Live?

Examples

Convert the POINTS into tokens: One token per play. And just like days of old you would have to add credits if you wanted to continue after your lives are up. This would bring back the feel of the Arcade. It would also enable more gamers to enjoy a variety of titles and achievements. And if you’re truely  compelled to play offline, make the game still available to purchace.

Have varied/different pricing: Let’s face it, some games are worth more than others. However MS seems to think that pricing is simplistic. 800 and up for good games and 400 for crap. (Yes I said it CRAP-Games you shouldn’t be buying in the first place) Why not let the buyers dictate the Marketplace. If the game truely is regurgitated pixels, why not sell it as such. I would like to think most of the vintage games (Frogger, Pac-Man, Defender, Galaga, etc…) are not worth more than a game like Geo Wars. Pricing should reflect that!

And finally Reward your Fanbase: I think this goes without saying. There are many of us who whould gladly pay more per year to get more from their online gaming service. Those “Gold” members should be priority number one. Thus why not implement a “GOLD PLUS” package. Think of it as a privledged member card where if you pay a nominal fee you have access to the Arcade. This would mean (while signed into LIVE with the PLUS members gamertag) you can play everything. A true Arcade! It seems to work for GAMETAP.

Now keep in mind this is just my observation. However I really want to know how you feel. Which method, or name your own, do you think would satisfy our Arcade desires. Because if our only reward, as LIVE members, is a free game like YARIS, we are definitely running on empty!

     I wanted the Summer to end with a BANG. It ended with a thud (or dud). Shoot ‘em up, starring Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti, opened at my local cineplex and I (like a gamer with an avid FPS habit) rushed out to see it. I anticipated 300 minus 299 men and the abs of steel.  You know; action/blood/dis-membered limbs. All the forementioned with a great cast. I’m a huge fan of Owen (Sin City/The BMW commercials) and Giamatti (Priviate Parts/and meeting him on Broadway as he appeared in The Iceman Commeth) However even talent and the green-screen couldn’t save this bullet-ridden popcorn film. The plot had more holes in it than Pacino’s final Scarface scene.

     Heres the rub: A man observes a bad situation and becomes involved in a “protect the baby” device. Not a-la Raising Arizona style (although there is a grab the baby from the street scene). No this baby is used as a shock attempt to movie-goers. Consequentially the baby has the best lines in the film. So while were along for the ride, or in most cases shoot-out set pieces, Giamatti sets out to kill the baby and the boy scout.  All this allows us to have a shoot-out in an alleyway, a shoot-out in a brothel, a shoot-out in a warehouse, (can you see where this is going?) a shoot-out while making a baby, a shoot-out while jumping from a plane, and a shoot-out in a home. O.k. there are a lot of shoot-outs.

     So most of you FPS fans like me may think, “Wow this sounds cool?” Well I’m here to tell you: if it were a game it would be. However this is a movie. So I expect plot, plausibility, and some form of respect for my movie going dollar. I would have felt more satisfied eating raw carrots. Which by the way is how our protagonist passes the time and passes away several bad-guys. I for one wish Elmer Fudd had shown up with that shotgun.

It would have fit into the script seamlessly.                            

-Carpal Out

This was a impromptu interview that MrCarpalTunnel did with the folks from the upcoming hit Geometry Wars: Galaxies for the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS

Our very own Mr Carpal Tunnel getting interviewed by Godfree from GTR.

 Recently we did a story on XBL Radio about Roger Ebert and how he sees games. In his statement (which you can read the article here) he stated, “Although I haven’t played many shoot ‘em up video games (I find them as dull as rote gunfights and car chases in movies)”.

This week I had the honor of playing the demo for the upcoming 360 title: BIOSHOCK. So I wanted to let Ebert, and all of our listners know, THIS IS ART! It really bothers me that someone I respect cannot see it through those prescription lenses.

 Let’s face it: Gaming is moving into the mainstream media infastructure. Like their Film counterparts they incorporate direction, storyboards, actors, deadlines, promotion, and yes Ebert: Critical anylsys. That’s why it boggles my mind when you, and others in your profession, cannot see Art if it landed on your head.

 I understand the resistance. But just like the indie-film explosion of the Ninties, gaming is bringing a new stlylized, interactive aspect to our entertainment experiences. It’s time that we own up to it. Embace it. Not ignore it or pass it off as an immature pastime.

BIOshock will hit store shelves this month. After playing the Demo I felt the same way I have when I view a trailer for upcoming film attraction. I want to know what happens. The sets are georgous, the direction seemed flawless, and I felt the same emotions I’ve had endless times at my local cineplex. The only difference is I get to play a pivitol role in this adaptation. Film cannot offer that.

 So to those who criticize us or acknowledge that what we do is not art: I say stop playing Games!

-MrCarpalTunnel

Entertainment Critic for XBL Radio 

ROGER & Me (at the 2005 Film Festival)

I have been recently told that I never post in a positive way. Well I’m prepared to make amends. Here is a “pat on the back” for those who wag their finger at my criticism.

50 reasons to love the box:

1. It looks cool on your entertainment console.

2. Wireless controllers.

3. Halo

4. Geo Wars

5. Achievements.

6. Guitar Hero 2

7. Burnout Revenge.

8. Easy to turn on.

9. My wife doesn’t play.

10. My kids do play.

11. The community.

12. The blades.

13. Media Center tie-in

14. Crackdown

15. Splinter Cell

17. Affordable

18. Extended warranties.

19. Semi-portable.

20. My faceplate is cool

21. The ring around my vision camera makes people look at it.

22. Demos

23. Easy to replace batteries.

24. The controller works in Vista

25. Cross platform gaming

26. Halo 3 is coming

27. Uno

28. Poker

29. My dog isn’t afraid of it.

30. It’s only broke once.

31. 20 gigs is all I need

32. Chromehounds

33. The black controller looks nice

34. It has a nice soothing fan sound at night.

35. Its not too heavy

36. My gamertag

37. Voice messages

38. Live Eye

39. Can use pledge on it.

40. Controllers don’t hurt much (when tossed at you)

41. The remote is small

42. Updates are easy to install.

43. Can see what game is in disc tray.

44. The cool swoosh sound of the blades.

45. Doesn’t emit any odors.

46. Live on Live

47. Invites to games.

48. Cheaper than the PS3

49. Auto sign-in

50. My blade background of my kids.

I’m sure there are things I am missing. However I just wanted to verify to those, that think I’m a hater, that me and my box have an honest and loving relationship.

A lot can happen in a week. I was recently on Vacation, with my family,  this week. Gaming was the last thing on my mind. However with E3 and the Billion dollar warrenty situation; I may have picked a good time to take off.

Well now I am back, and something is eating away at me. So here I go with my “Conspiracy Theory” (or thats how it was reffered to on Major Nelson’s Podcast)

I will start by stating Peter Moore has done a lot for Xbox. As far as a figure-head goes, he promotted the console in a vibriant, intelligent manner. He made his name a staple on the MS team.  I tip my hat to what I concede as a job well done.

So why am I writing this? I want to let Major Nelson and Moore know why people will draw conclusions to his departure:

You’re the Captain of the Ship. In smooth sailing you stand at the helm and bask in the glow of those green rings. However when the dust hits the cooling fan; you don’t jump ship.

You’re on record as saying your a Family man first. That was a big reason for your departure. I saw Titanic several times. Isn’t it “Women and Children first” or were you just referring to your family?

You also said your Children wanted to move:

I, like you, have kids. They, like yours, want to eat. With that in mind my career comes first.

Finally the last thing you announce at your MS title is your taking up residense at EA. Isn’t this the same company that took micro-transactions to a whole new level? So EA goes from leaving the Xbox out of the loop (remember the early Xbox days) to owning the one person who spoke loudest for the console.

In the end it doesn’t matter to most why Peter decided to jump ship. However callingthose who post and blog about possible scenarios “conspiracy theorists” is just lame. Perhaps thats the reason you had a hard time relating to all those pissed off red ringed customers. You couldn’t read your own writing on the wall.

-There I said it!

As most of you may have noticed, some may not have, I was out-of-pocket this week. I visited the coast of Maine with my family. As you can see by the Characiture of my boys; gaming wasn’t far from my mind.  I just finished listening to the past casts. Great job on the .5 and .0 shows.

Looking forward to Gaming again this Saturday. So hit me up and let’s do some Bomberman! I hear it BLOWS!

-Carp Out

V.S.

Last year it was Penguins that topped the Box Office for the kiddies. This year it’s Surfing. (oh and Surfing with Penguins) I have to admit it seems as if Hollywood as run out of ideas. There is Pirates3, Shrek the Third, Oceans 13, and Now the Fantastic 4-2.

The latest Superhero flic (or as I like to call it: Stan Lee’s 401 k plan) is like a Beach Boys album. It’s Seaonal and Nastalgic. It is also very entertaining. The first film had to introduce the heroes and their powers. That sometimes works: Batman Begins. But more often it doesn’t: Superman Returns. With introductions out of the way, the 4 are back for more. More action, More Powers, and More effects. All of which make no sense on the surface but come together to create a great Summer Popcorn Hit.

On the other TIDE we have Surfs Up. Think Lords of Dogtown in CGI. It’s your basic underdog story with some comical fare and Napolean Dynomite. The voice acting is superb (expecially Bridges reprising his “Big Lebowski” schtic). However the appeal for kids is only feathers deep. There isn’t much for them to get into other than an occasional “Pee” joke.

There is plenty to see at your local Cineplex this June. So wax up those boards and catch the big one to the silver screen. But if you want my opinion; 4 heads are better than 1 cold Turkey. Or is he a Rooster?