Need for Speed: Shift Preview

Hello all. I had the opportunity to try out the new Need for Speed: Shift video game courtesy of Screwattack.com. Check out the blog I wrote, gameplay video, and interview with the online community manager.

http://screwattack.com/node/28515

Bioshock 2 Marketing Beach Event Jones Beach August 8 2009

For those that do not know, marketing has taken a new face. New innovative ways are being thought of to get a product's name out and generate interest. What 2K Marin, the developers of Bioshock 2, did was bring Rapture up from the sea so to speak. 2K Marin strategically went to beaches around the world, planting bottles and rocks from the Bioshock universe. I went to one of the beaches, which happened to be at Jones Beach. You should also know all these beach events happened at the time of sunrise. For Jones Beach on August 8th 2009, it was 5:56 am. Surprisngly around 30-40, mostly young people around 20-30, dressed for anything but a day at the beach came to check out what this mysterious and cryptic event was going to have. We eventually found our way to a small mountain of sand where marketing from 2K Marin were standing. On the ground around the hill were bottles of wine stuck in the ground. While they were bottles, they are made of plastic. When the cork is removed, there are three pamphelts inside. Two are for Electro-bolt and Decoy plasmids and the other is a double-sided advertisement for Rapture, the iconic underwater city from Bioshock. Someone else reported that they found a symbol painted under a rock. Though it was short, it was fun to be a part of this strange, yet unique marketing event.

For more info about the event, click here and here. These articles are courtesy of video game blog Kotaku. I am thankful to Kotaku for using some of my photos.

Resident Evil 5 Contest News Story

Resident 5 Contest

Click the above link and check out an "Arm and a Leg" to see my Resident Evil 5 contest news story.

An Alternative To Graduate School

http://www.thesomervillenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=302

Wrestlemania XXV Predictions

The biggest event of the year for the WWE Universe happens on Sunday. Our Stanley Cup, our Heisman Trophy, our... well you get the point. Wrestlemania rarely ever disappoints and this one will be no exception. Wrestlemania XXV promises to be night of great wrestling and entertainment.

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels in a Singles Match:
I think the Deadman will go from 16-0 to 17-0. I don’t see any plans to make Taker lose at a Wrestlemania anytime soon. While at first I was disappointed to hear this match booked, on account that the two have fought each other countless times, I have to say, the way the two have acted trying to intimidate the other has been absolutly excellent. The stakes of the match are great: Undertaker’s streak, HBK being beaten by the Undertaker. It should be an exciting bout.

Verdict: Undertaker

CM Punk vs. Kane vs. Mark Henry vs. Montel Vontavious Porter vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Christian vs. Finlay in a Money in the Bank ladder match:
Wow. All of these superstars have their own fan base (yes, even Mark Henry.) I enjoy watching all of them (yes, even Mark Henry.) But I think MVP will be MITB. CM Punk already had it, Kane has no chance, I doubt Henry can even climb that ladder without breaking it, Benjamin despite having a great last name, always seems to get pushed but then reverts back to mid-card status, it is too early for Kofi Kingston, but I think but he will be a future winner, Vince doesn’t take kindly to Christian so it’s said, and Finlay is to busy training the newbies. This will be the year of MVP, with his recent US Title win, face turn, and inevitable push.
Verdict: Montel Vontavious Porter

Triple H (c) vs. Randy Orton in a Singles match for the WWE Championship:
Just like the Taker HBK match, I was originally skeptical of this one as HHH and RKO have fought each other numerous times. I originally thought HHH might take it, but with the new stipulation of disqualification and countout on HHH, I think RKO will take it. Then again, it could just be used to make it seem like the odds are stacked against HHH and he once again comes out looking like Superman. Something has to happen with the McMahon family. I don’t know what, but I feel something will go down.
Verdict: Randy Orton

Edge (c) vs. The Big Show vs. John Cena in a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship:

This was a potential main event match ruined by a stupid love triangle angle. Barring that, I don’t think Show and Cena are worthy having the belt (ESPECIALLY CENA.) I hope Edge retains and then this love triangle BS is done with. I just had a thought. Imagine if Batista came out and turned heel by siding with Vickie Guerrero. I’m just sayin…
Verdict: Edge

25-Diva battle royal in which the winner will be crowned "Miss WrestleMania":
I honestly don’t care about this. The women’s division isn’t living up to what it could be. I remember the great matches with Lita, Ivory, Chyna, Sable and so many better divas.
Verdict: Don’t care, probably Gail Kim. I hope Santino gets in though and steals it.

Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy in a Extreme Rules match:
I had a feeling these two would fight at Wrestlemania. However I was hoping it was for the WWE Championship against each other. But alas no. I think the obvious winner will be Jeff Hardy. I just hope whoever loses isn’t kicked to the curb and forgotten. Hopefully both go to main event statuses.
Verdict: Jeff Hardy

The Colóns (Carlito and Primo) vs. John Morrison and The Miz in a Tag team: Lumberjack match to unify the WWE Tag Team Championship and World Tag Team Championship:
To be honest, I haven’t been paying too much to these two. Not out of disinterest, but they just have been under my radar. I think it’s a tough one to choose. But I’m foreseeing a breakup of the Colóns after they loose. Morrison & the Miz are both entertaining and they make a great tag team. It isn’t time for them to breakup yet.
Verdict: John Morrison and The Miz

John "Bradshaw" Layfield (c) vs. Rey Mysterio in a Singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship:
Well this one started off without any fanfare. I didn’t even know there was still an Intercontinental Championship. I mean when was the last time it was defended by JBL. Regardless, I think Rey Mastreo will take it. Why? Because I want JBL to go back to announcing so why not have Mastreo retire him twice.
Verdict: Rey Mastreo

Chris Jericho vs. Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat and Jimmy Snuka (with Ric Flair) in a Handicap elimination match:
This will be the most exciting match for me, being the Jericho mark that I am. As it is, I will answer this prediction as a mark: Sometimes legends need to keep their mouths shut. Yes they are important to the business, but I don’t need to hear it every second. Good for them they attained that status. But I hope Jericho slaps their mouths shut.

Verdict: Chris Jericho

Getty Images Gallery Review - Itchy City Guide

http://www.itchybirmingham.co.uk/article.cfm/11/33/6821/London-City-Guide/article/Getty-Images-Gallery

An Arm and a Leg… and Heads and Torsos for a Trip to Africa

An Arm and a Leg… and Heads and Torsos for a Trip to Africa
By Andrew Benjamin

LONDON -- A trip to Africa would cost the average person an arm and a leg. In this case, it cost not only an arm and a leg, but heads and torsos. To promote the release of Resident Evil 5, Capcom held a treasure hunt, only the treasure was replaced with severed limbs. The people running the contest strategically placed heads, arms, legs and torsos throughout Trafalgar Square, which contestants found through cryptic clues in emails after registering. When a contestant found the body parts, they were asked to bring them to Westminster Bridge and scream “Kijuju,” the fictional African town where Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar face off against hordes of infected people. Each body part won the contestant points, with heads being the most at five. The contestant who had the most points would receive a free trip to Africa.


A representative of Capcom, who was on hand to declare a winner, confirmed that at least 100 people registered for the contest. Around 15 people showed up on the bridge carrying at least one body part. “We wanted to organize an event that would really give people a chance to be involved in the world that the game represents,” the spokesman for Capcom said. “We needed to do something that fitted in with the values of the game and was suitably horrific.” And indeed it was horrific. Not only were contestants carrying body parts in full view of the public, but the body parts also bled, leaving some contestants with messy clothes and hands. “The main thing is that everyone has had fun,” the spokesman said.


Even though it was a harmless contest, the possibility of police being tipped off was a concern. “It’s been a little bit worrying thinking about the police and people getting the wrong idea about the body parts,” the spokesman said. “We’ve done everything we can to make sure everyone doesn’t get the wrong idea.” Police and the House of Parliaments were not notified of the contest.


Regarding the possibility of a future contest for Resident Evil 6, the representative didn’t want to speculate. “I’m sure for every future release of Resident Evil more and more incredibly exciting things will happen to mark the release.”


The winner of the contest was Stephen Long, 26, from Finchley. He gathered four of his friends and woke up around 6a.m. They then headed to Trafalgar Square to search for the body parts. “It was a once in a life time opportunity and I was glad I was able to get my friends in on this,” Long said. “I really did not think we would win. It looked like such a different event that we would never be able to do anywhere else.” As the winner, he will be going off on a trip to Gambia for 7-10 days. Long was looking forward to one aspect of the trip. “I’ll be amazed at how hot it is.”


Eventually, two police officers did come by and ask the body parts be removed from public view.

Chris Jericho is not to blame for what happened

It seems that WWE wrestlers and abuse of women go hand in hand (that's a joke har har). The latest fracas of a WWE wrestler beating up a woman is now with Chris Jericho. Now I am very biased in a situation like this. I had once had the great opportunity to interview Chris Jericho when he came to Boston University to do a book signing for his autobiography. I did a phone interview with him and found him to be cordial, pleasant, and a great interview. At the book signing, he was chatting casually with fans and answered more questions from me. Also, he signed a book of Shakespeare's plays for one fan who didn't have enough money to buy his book. You have to be a really cool dude to do that. I am also a Jericho mark. He is the best wrestler working today.


Now on to the incident. The video is all over Youtube so feel free to watch and make your own assessment. The video doesn't show it, but from eyewitness reports, it was said that Jericho is trying to leave in his vehicle. It was then the fans take it too far. They blocked his vehicle and he is forced to get out and tell them to move. He is arguing with someone, probably that idiot guy who calls him "motherfucker" and "disgrace to Canadians." Someone puts his hands on him, don't know who though. He then tries to get back into his car and is then pushed into by that blonde lady (that's the nicest term I'm willing to call her.) Jericho then snaps back and pushes and punches that lady. Security in the meantime is off in la-la land.


And so it happened. Jericho was attacked physically and he defends himself. Questions arise from this: did Jericho even know a woman pushed him, did he attack the first person he saw and it just happened to be her, when Jericho realized he punched someone was he playing his role as a heel by showing little emotion?


I don't think questions like this will be answered. The local police who responded to the scene called it a "minor incident," so this is as probably as far as the incident will go. However, I think it is clear the lady provoked Jericho and what happened was a result of frustration. No I don't think "the bitch deserved it" as I bet some have said on some message boards. It happened as a matter of circumstance. Had their been past revelations of Jericho beating up women (not including the incident with HBK's wife har har), I would have a different assessment of this. But nothing has come about of this. I therefore have to believe that Jericho's actions were that of a man who was provoked and nothing else.

The Pop Culture Wizard is in London

Hello loyal followers. The Pop Culture Wizard is here. Where you might ask? In merry ol' London. Starting tomorrow, I will update all of you wonderful people of my travels, trials, and tribulations as I take over Europe starting tomorrow. So far PCW has seen the much smaller than originally pictured Buckingham Palace, the eerie Tower of London (and by eerie I mean the fact that it has those stoic soldiers who aren't supposed to react), Westminster Abbey (without going in ironically), and a few other assorted venues. Despite study abroad being my goal, I will be travelling to other European places. I will try to post pictures of my wondrous odysseys but I will mainly update all you wonderful people on my goings-on. I am off to bed to another full day in London. Ta ta.

WWE Survivor Series 2008 Predictions

It's 2008 and Survivor Series will be at the TD Banknorth Garden live tonight at 8pm. It will be a powerhouse Pay-per-view that will be exciting and memorable. Here are the predictions:

Chris Jericho (c) vs. John Cena for the World Heavyweight Championship: I don't think Cena will get the belt (I truly hope not). It will be interesting to see how the Boston crowd reacts to Cena's awaited return. I think the match will end in a disqualification for either Cena or Jericho.

The Undertaker vs. The Big Show in a Casket Match: Undertaker without a doubt. I need not say anymore.

Triple H (c) vs Vladimir Kozlov vs. Jeff Hardy for the WWE Championship: If the news about Jeff Hardy being found unconscious in his hotel is not a storyline, which I hope it is not, it goes to Triple H. My god, my god, I hope it isn't. I want this to be Hardy's time to finally achieve that gold.

Team Michaels (Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Cryme Tyme (JTG and Shad), and The Great Khali) vs. Team JBL (John "Bradshaw" Layfield, Kane, Montel Vontavious Porter, John Morrison and The Miz) in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match: You know, with MVP's 6 month losing streak, perhaps he will be the sole survivor. Or maybe he will be the first one eliminated. Regardless, I think Team HBK will take this one.

Team Batista (Batista, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy and R-Truth) vs. Team Orton (Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin, William Regal, Cody Rhodes and Mark Henry) in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match: I think Team Orton will take this. This is RKO's first truly big match since returning from his injury. Not to mention, the members of Team Batista haven't been faring well in the individual matches they have had.

Team Raw (Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Candice Michelle, and Jillian Hall) vs. Team SmackDown (Michelle McCool, Victoria, Maria, Maryse, and Natalya) in a 5-on-5 Diva Survivor Series Elimination Match: I don't know why, but it seems like Smackdown tends to win these Raw vs. Smackdown type of matches. While I think Raw has the better overall wrestling talent, I think it will go to Smackdown.

Nader stops in Somerville

http://www.thesomervillenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=82

"Miracle" is a Mess of a Movie

Spike Lee will have to deal with negative criticisms of his newest film, Miracle at St. Anna, mainly in reference to the word “Miracle.” Picture the headlines: “Miracle is Anything but a Miracle,” “St. Anna Needs a Miracle of a Writer,” and so on. While those critics may find fault with the film, they will be wrong, somewhat. Miracle at its heart has a great story, but its heart is not in the right place. Instead, it is a mess of a movie that tries to swallow more than it can chew.

Miracle is told in flashback (and later in another flashback), with four survivors of an all-black army company after an ambush from the Nazis. They take in a wounded Italian boy and hold up in a small village hoping for reinforcements to arrive. However, are they survivors out of pure fortune or does a statue head that one soldier carries keep them safe?

While the plot description sounds hokey, explaining anymore would ruin a few surprises of the film, though if attentive, you will guess in advance as to what they are. Essentially the movie tries to tell three stories: the black soldiers, the Italian boy they befriend, and an Italian resistance group. Each could have their own film. Yet, at a running time of 2 hours and 46 minutes, it still is not enough. Undeniably, director Lee and writer James McBride (who also penned the novel) feel the most important story is about the black soldiers. Their story is engaging, but not enough. He merely uses the story of the Italian boy and Italian resistance as afterthoughts. Their stories are just as intriguing as the soldiers are and it is a shame the writer and director chose to ignore that. Had they given focus to those two other stories, the film would’ve clocked in at four hours. Length, however, does not dictate a good or bad film. It’s the final product that does.

Director Spike Lee also has an intentional tendency to get preachy in his films. We come to learn that the Italian village people treat them better than at home back in the USA. That itself is an interesting fact. However, Lee has to tell us that. We know it already and he just keeps hammering it in us as if we are stubborn children who refuse to pay attention. In addition, we know it’s a war where blacks were sent in as guinea pigs on the more dangerous missions. Again, the characters, or I should say the filmmakers, feel they have to announce these things as if we did not know. Lecturing is for professors to do, not films. It alienates the film goers who do not like to be spoon-fed the messages or themes of the film. Also, it is generally insulting.
What the director and writer do get right is the compelling relationship between the Italian boy and one of the soldiers, whom the boy calls by a funny pet name. Watching the relationship grow between this boy and young man, who is a kid at heart, is both beautiful and emotional. Seeing them break communication barriers and come to an eventual understanding of one another is done elegantly by the filmmakers. It is not treated in a sappy, force fed way, but with truth and honesty.

Miracle could have been, and should have been a great film. The stories of black soldiers are one that needs to be told and Lee had an opportunity that failed. He should have either stuck to one story or fully fleshed out all three. Instead, it is a muddle film that thinks it is a masterpiece, but ultimately, it is not.

Rating: 6/10

WWE 2008 The Great American Bash Predictions

I will be attending the 2008 Great American Bash tomorrow at the Nassau Coliseum. I am truly looking forward to this event. The card will have some great matches and perhaps some history will be made as well. To that, here is my predictions for the Pay-Per-View.



Matt Hardy (c) vs. Shelton Benjamin for the WWE United States Championship:

I think they will keep the belt on Hardy. Regardless I think this could be a great match. Shelton can show off some good moves of his. He's improved a lot in the ring since his stint on Raw where he did absolutely nothing. I think they'll keep the belt on Hardy for a few months before it's decided to drop it to Shelton.



John Morrison and The Miz (c) vs. Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder vs. Jesse and Festus vs. Finlay and Hornswoggle in a Fatal Four-Way match for the WWE Tag Team Championship:

Finlay and Hornswoggle. Morrison and Miz have surprisingly made a competent tag team. It's interesting to note that their characters don't seem to care about each other, but only in keeping the belts. I like that new twist on a tag team. The Edgeheads and the team of Jess and Fest I don't think have shown enough to warrant a win for tag team gold. I think we will see the disintegration of the Morrison and Miz to a loss to Finlay and Hornswoggle. It's Team Ireland's time.


Mark Henry vs. Tommy Dreamer in a singles match for the ECW Championship:

Mark Henry. Tommy Dreamer unfortunately has been held back. I don't think it will be a squash match (I hope it isn't), but if anyone will be beat Henry, it certainly won't be Dreamer.



Natalya vs. Michelle McCool in a singles match for the WWE Divas Championship:

Natalya. Honestly, I haven't paid much attention to the Smackdown! women's division. However, I will say both are capable talents. I think this one will go to Natalya based on that she'd be a better champion but also is a member of the Hart family.



John Cena vs. John "Bradshaw" Layfield in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl:

Though I don't want it to, John Cena. It's simple. The WWE is marketing John Cena as Superman. No one can beat the man the kids love and the grownups love to hate.



Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho in a Singles match:

Chris Jericho. I think this will be a great match and may possibly the best on the card. We got two great technical wrestlers who have a limited high-flying repertoire. They both have past wins and loses to each other. Both of them have their respective fans who cheer and boo them. While the two have fought before, I think they will both put on a good show.



CM Punk (c) vs. Batista in a Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship:

CM Punk. I don't think that Batista is going to win back the belt just yet. I give CM Punk perhaps until the end of the year before he drops it to Batista or someone else. This should be an interesting match considering the two different styles with Punk's martial arts expertise and Batista's power moves. Perhaps some interference with Kane I predict.



Triple H (c) vs. Edge in a Singles match for the WWE Championship:

Triple H. Triple H rarely ever jobs. I think this will be no exception. While I hope Edge wins, I don't think he will. I get the feeling that there will be some sort of interference. Perhaps Undertaker or Vickie Guerrero?

An Ode to Stan Winston

Stan Winston, special effects wizard.

"I don't do special effects. I do characters. I do creatures."

Stan Winston was certainly right with what he said. Though the casual film viewer may look at a film with Winston's name in the credits and think of the directors, actors, writers, Winston left a distinct mark for creating his own characters. Winston's repretoire of projects ranged from dramas to gory horror films, from W.C. Fields and Me (the first film he worked on) to Predator. You knew that if you walked into a movie with Stan Winston's name on it, that while perhaps the acting would be bad, the directing stilted, or have a badly written screenplay, his on-screen creations would compensenate the viewer.

Not much credit is given to the artists who create the robots, aliens, or other creatures that are characters in the films along with the actors. The AMPAS didn't even have an award for Makeup until 1981. Rick Baker won that year for American Werewolf in London, but the only other nominee was Stan Winston for Heartbeeps, which should come as no surprise. Winston gave the special effects medium a face. It wasn't tinkering with remote controls anymore or trying to make the creature have the most disgusting teeth with blood dripping down. He elevated it to a new level. The films he worked on, perhaps the most famous being Predator, Jurassic Park, and Terminator 2: Judgement Day, all used effect creations as characters.

In Predator, Winston created a unique looking figure that is mysterious, yet intruing. Why is the alien here? What does it look like without the mask? When the mask is finally pulled off, we get a look at the creature that has been hunting for Dutch. It's weird mandible that opens not like a regular mouth, but like something not of this earth is perhaps it's most notable characteristic. And we do agree with Dutch when he exclaims "You're one ugly motherfucker."

Winston made his movies memorable. It's as simple as that. Would T2 have been as good a film had the effects been subpar? Would Jurassic Park even be watchable without a T-rex staring into a van with a single flashlight on it's eye? In a field that is dominated now with CGI, the true special effect art is dying. Soon, there won't be need for anymore Stan Winston's. Hopefully, it won't come soon.

A Fan's Account of Million Dollar Mania NY Press Conference

John Cena with Million Dollar Mania winners Sarah Fuhrmann and Steve Rosenzweig with WWE Diva Maria

I arrived at the Hard Rock Cafe to get the opportunity to witness the WWE press conference on Vince McMahon's Million Dollar Mania. I got there at around 8:30 a.m. and already there was a line of about fifty people. The first people in line had camped out the day before. We waited by the sidewalk and the line gradually became longer. At around 11 a.m., Vince McMahon arrived in his limo. The crowd of people, sacrificing their places in line, ran to the limo to get a glimpse of the Boss. McMahon was quickly whisked away through the back of the Cafe. Fifteen minutes later, Maria arrived. A little while later, John Cena. He received a mix reaction with a good amount cheering for him and others jeering him. Then last but not least, the King of Kings arrived. He quickly entered the back way avoiding autograph requests from fans. Though the conference was advertised to start at 11 a.m., fans wound up having to stand for a very long time outside in the sun. The fans were getting restless and many started to have a little fun by attempting to start random chants of past wrestlers (IE Rocky chants). At 11:51 a.m. the doors were opened to the cafe, but first we were told we couldn't bring in food or drinks and to make sure we didn't, an employee went around with a trash bin. The line started to move and security asked people with bags to open them to show what was inside. No metal detectors or pat downs.

Inside the cafe, seats near the stage where already filled up so everyone else pretty much chose to stand as close from where they could see. Those who couldn't improvised by standing on chairs and tables. Members of the media were there including My9 News. The WWE video crew were also filming shots of crowds going nuts and yelling to put up on the website most likely. During the time the crowd was pouring in, two video screens on the walls played Raw flashbacks and WWE's work with the troops and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Hard Rock Cafe said the first 500 people would be allowed inside the press conference. Though it didn't look like 500 people total, the room was packed to the max. It was impossible to move without hitting someone or not get in the way of a person taking a photo.
Todd Grisham walked on the stage and that's when the festivities started. The crowd was all riled up that despite Grisham was speaking into a mic, you could barely hear what he was saying. He introduced John Cena, who came out to his theme music and titantron clips playing on the TV screens. As expected, he received cheers from the younger members of the audience, but got a handful of boos and "Cena sucks" from the older members. Cena laughed off the negative chants and thanked the fans for their support of the WWE.
Grisham then introduced a man who worked for E-Prize, which is conducting the contest. I could not catch the name as the crowd was so loud. He received chants of "Who are you?" Pretty much, the fans talked loudly over him so much of what he said was unintelligible.
WWE Diva Maria was the next person introduced and she received quite a loud pop. She did her pose where she bends over and blows a kiss to the audience. She told the audience how much the divas are like a family and mentioned how they do everything together including showering, which she said there was a video of. Members of the crowd were chanting to see the video.
Introduced next was the woman who won $2 from Raw. The crowd was not interested in what she had to say so they talked over her. The crowd was really hot for Triple HHH as chants of him started.
It then finally came. Triple H's trademark Motorhead theme struck. The pop was astounding. Triple H walked out and everyone started chanting "TRIPLE H!" It was at least five minutes before everyone quieted to let Hunter speak. Hunter made some cracks at Cena's expense which the crowd enjoyed. He also gave the winner of the $2 three more dollars making it a grand total of $5. About the fans Hunter said "We have the greatest fans in the world."
After Hunter took his seat, the man who won $250,000 came out. The fans didn't care a bit what he had to say and he quickly finished his "thank you" speech to make way for the man of the hour.
"No Chance in Hell" hit and people went berserk, including yours truly. McMahon came out to a rapturous pop from the crowd and he ate it up. He thanked the fans and plugged the Million Dollar Mania and the upcoming episode of Raw.
After it was all over, the employees kicked everyone out and over a hundred people waited behind security gates to get a glimpse (and hopefully an autograph) of their favorite superstar. Maria came out and signed a few, then got into her limo.
Everybody was clamoring for Triple H's autograph. To the dismay of fans, he left without signing one.
The press conference (not the right words to use as it was not one in the traditional sense) perhaps was unnecessary. But knowing Vince McMahon, he enjoys publicity. After all, it's all about the money.

Vince McMahon and Triple H with the Million Dollars at the Hard Rock Cafe

"Indy" May Not Be "Crystal," but it's a Fun Ride

Walking into the midnight screening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull gave me such a feeling of exhilaration. A film that was nineteen years in the making, that seemed to be in development hell, I would finally get to see with my eyes. When the film ended, I felt I had seen a great film. It wasn't perfect, but I had been entertained. Then, after a few days of thinking about it, I felt that the movie was not as good as I may have thought it was. Yet despite these flaws, the positives outweigh the negatives.

Dr. Henry Jones (Harrison Ford) is back and with World War II over, Russian communists become the bad guys for Indy to defeat. A badly accented Cate Blanchett plays Col. Dr. Irina Spalko, who is on a quest to find the Crystal Skulls, which is said to have the power of mind control. Indy meets up with a young rebel (Shia LaBeouf), who comes complete with a switchblade, leather jacket, and motorcycle. He wants to find his father and his mother who went missing looking for the skulls. Eventually, Indy finds himself once again facing off against the forces of evil and along the way, learns a secret he may not be prepared to handle.

A lot of personal hype was riding on this movie. I don't sugarcoat the fact I'm an Indiana Jones fan. I have the box set and have seen all three films numerous times. My personal favorite is the first one. Keeping with the tradition of the Indy films, the film has great action. There is a great motorcycle chase, a chase through a mysterious jungle, and a fight scene involving killer ants. The scenes are wonderful and just fun to watch. They don't have the Michael Bay style of editing so we get to focus on the action instead of being distracted by the technical aspects of the film.

One addition that turns my heart to gold is seeing Karen Allen back as Marion Ravenwood. She is an unrecognized actress who never got her due in Hollywood. She didn't do much after the 80's, and I can't name off the top of my head anything noteworthy after Starman, but she brings back the strong will and fierceness that she gave to her character. Despite her age, she is not a helpless woman. She can hold her own against the main cast in the film. Another talent is Shia LaBeouf. This kid has a great future in movies. He will be going on to great things. He's smart, funny, and tough who plays the role of a rebel just right.

All praise aside, I for some reason feel more inclined to discuss the downsides of this film. First off, this movie doesn't look like an Indiana Jones film. It has a new cinematographer, which is the reason why. The first three were filmed by Douglas Slocombe, while this one was filmed by Janusz Kaminski, a favorite of Spielberg's. The first three films had this unique comic book look to them. I can't explain that well how this one looks, but it doesn't look like an Indiana Jones film. The film is also too long. Some scenes go on with too much yap and not enough zap. A scene with Indy talking to the dean of the college he works at in his office really was just more of a nod to the fans of the series and it should have been handled with less time consumption.

It is well noted that director Steve Spielberg has claimed this film would use little CGI. To be honest, it was producer Frank Marshall who said this: "Steven (Spielberg) is very aware of the process and we're not cheating with CG (computer graphics) at all. It keeps the B movie feel." It doesn't seem like they kept their word. The film seems to be heavily laden with computer effects from backgrounds, animals, sets, and other entities that probably could've been used with traditional effects. It's disappointing to see these effects. I am sure that some scenes had to be done with CGI, but that doesn't give the filmmakers the excuse to use it ad nauseum.

Perhaps my biggest problem is the ending. This a minor spoiler for those reading. I think Spielberg has an affinity with aliens. Aliens are his deus ex machina. It was great in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., but it gets very tiresome. Aliens did not have to be answer to this film's conclusion. It doesn't fit into the Indiana Jones arc. There have been elements of fantasy in these films, but they fit well into the films. The aliens don't. It feels very forced, as if the director said "I have to make a reference to aliens and UFOs somehow." It should be in a scifi film. Not an action-adventure-comedy.

Was the fourth installment of Indiana Jones worth it? I say yes. It's got flaws. It's a much different movie than the other three. It could've been a lot better. Maybe I'll even say the movie was not necessary to make. Indeed, Spielberg could have just re-released all three films ala Star Wars, without the updated effects of course. But I can't hide that I did enjoy the film. It's got great action and the nostalgia is just too much to turn it down.

Verdict: 7/10

"The Deed to Hell" is Low Budget Filmmaking Worth Your Time

It's unfortunate that the current theatre going experience seems to be only saturated with big budget comic book adaptations, lame romantic comedies, or films graced with the presence of CGI anthropomorphic lions. Just some days it's great to get away from the big multiplexes with the barrage of previews and commercials that precede the film and heading out to your local art house dive where you can see a well crafted. That might just be the medicine worth taking. Enter The Deed to Hell.

Long Island independent filmmaker Glenn Andreiev has created a film not with a single narrative, but instead takes the approach of multiple character stories and then interweaving them at the end. Lynell Campbell (Shawna Bermender) is determined to get revenge on heavy metal rocker Zad Zolock for drugging one of of her friends. A husband and wife (Roy Frumkes and Wendy Marquez) are facing a marital discord stemming from the wife's struggle to create a perfect family. She is reminisicent of Mary Tyler Moore from Ordinary People. Two men rob a million dollars, leading to one of the men betraying the other. It leaves one man wounded (Frank Franconeri) and the other (Glenn Andreiev) hiding out in Europe. Eventually the lives of all these people come together for their own unique trip to Hell.

It's great to see a little film with such a big heart. It succeeds in the areas that many other low budget films tend to fail in. With low budget films, performances can either be really good or really bad. There isn't a middle ground. The acting by the performers in the film is top notch. I get a lot of motivation and feeling from each of the protagonists (or antagonists depending on how you view main characters). Shawna Bermender feeds her character with hate for Zolock, but yet despite her actions, you feel sorry for her and that does come into play at the end. She is not an evil person, but a scorned woman who feels that she only has one way of dealing with Zolock. Many of the other actors are first time performers and you would not be able to guess that. None of them under or over act their performances, something that trained actors do quite often. Instead they each bring their own unique nuances to the characters they play. But the one who steals the show is Roy Frumkes as Vince Cataco, the cheating husband. His face speaks wonders when he is dealing with his stubborn wife putting him down or yelling at him. It is both funny in a tragic way and tragic in a humorous way.

Something this film does really well is the merging of three different genres. You got a heist, a thriller, and a family drama all rolled into one movie and they interweave so fluidly. Many films that take this approach get it wrong. A lot of them have one story which is given priority over the others, the stories do not seem to fit, or all three stories are just plain bad. But each story in this film is given an adequate amount of time to flesh itself out and nothing feels rushed or overdrawn.

However, the most intriguing aspect of the film is its vision of Hell. Ever since Dante's Inferno, people have been mystified of what Hell must be. Is it a place where fire and brimstone burn the flesh away from your body, is it having to relive your most painful memories, or is it ruled by a demon who is having a homosexual affair with Saddam Hussein? The film's interpretation of Hell is unique, and I don't want to give too much away on it. I'll just say, it is creepy and extremely gory.

According to the Internet Movie Database, the budget is estimated to be around $70,000. You would not guess that from watching the film. Locations from Long Island to Greece are used as the backdrop of this film and nothing is against a blue-screen as far as I can tell. And if anything was, I was fooled. A bigger budget film would have filmed in Canada for the tax breaks, but the film has an authenticity to it that is missing from most films. Nothing seems "fake" in that CGI or some trickery was used to for the location shootings.

I had the pleasure of seeing this film at an early morning screening at my local art house cinema. It is refreshing to see a film that is pure guerrilla film making. I hope the film is picked up by a good distributor and can release it so others at some point can enjoy it as much as I did. To put it in a food perspective, seeing all those blockbuster films would be akin to eating candy everyday. Not a lot of people can live on candy only. Sometimes you got to pick the fresh fruit to keep yourself in balance.

Verdict: 8/10

New Addition to Blog

Hello all. I've decided to add a new feature to my blog. It will most likely be a weekly feature. It's going to be called "What's the Deal?" I will focus on a topic or topics that has been given a lot of press, media, attention, etc. and try to decipher why or why not it should be a big "deal." This shall start next Sunday. Have a good night all.

Border Security Debated at BU

Border Security Debated at BU

By Andrew Benjamin




BOSTON - A somewhat sparse crowd gathered in the Tsai Center to hear six distinguished guests speak on the importance of border security.

Based on the Cambridge-Oxford debate rules, both sides had the chance to explain why they were right, and then there were audience comments and feelings on the issue, then rebuttals from the lead speakers.

In choosing this semester’s topic, moderator Bob Zelnick, a journalism professor, stated that it was chosen after having a discussion with a politically astute friend of his.

“It’s the defining issue about us and who we are, what we are,” Zelnick said, quoting his friend to the 250-plus audience members. “And it will decide the presidential race in more states than any other issue.”

The lead speaker on the side that called for stricter security, Mark Krikorian, executive director of the think-tank Center for Immigration Studies, explained the way to solve this problem was through attrition of businesses and the border through enforcement.

“In our studies, this would create a realistic, gradual reduction in the size of the problem,” he said.

Second-year law student Stephanie Hoffman agreed that securing the borders would quell the vigilante groups at the borders.

Louis J. Barletta, mayor of Hazelton, Pa., spoke of his city’s problems with illegal immigrants. He was also the only speaker on either side to use the term “illegal aliens” to describe illegal immigrants. He mentioned his city was the first to crackdown on businesses and landlords that hired and rented to illegals. He also complained about lack of help from the federal government in dealing with the issue.

“Hazelton was the first city to go after businesses that knowingly hired illegal aliens and fined the landlords who rented to them,” he said. “The government was doing nothing. The drain on our resources was destroying the quality of life in small town America.”
The other side started off with B. Lindsay Lowell, the director of policy studies at the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University. He supported border enforcement, but said it has to go beyond that to guest worker problems. “Yes, there are criminals, yes there are bad components, there are a lot of
problems. But they aren’t the majority,” he said. “The majority of these people want to work, and that’s the human dimension we have in mind.”

The student speaker of the negative side, SMG senior Anuj Shelat, reasoned that America had to help the country of Mexico economically to stop the influx of illegal immigrants, citing NAFTA and farm subsidies as problems. “To us, subsidies mean slightly lower prices for food,” Shelat said. “To 15 million Mexican farmers, that means that their livelihoods are being wiped away.”

The last speaker was Shuya Ohno, the director of communications of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). He argued that America has been protecting the borders sufficiently. “Stricter border patrols and workplace enforcement are no longer needed,” he said.

The audience then got to chime in. The most striking speaker was Jim Rizoli of Framingham, Ma on the affirmative side. “The town where I live has been taken over, and no one does anything, including cops,” he said. “It’s a problem no matter what they [the negative side] say, and something must be done and it is not amnesty.”

In the end, Zelnick declared the winner the negative side. Not everyone agreed. “I thought the negative side made good points, but the affirmative side made even better points,” said COM junior Lyle Moran. “The negative side ran too much on emotion and not enough hard facts to back up their claims.”