An interesting and unexpected episode involving Ben Linus, a study in contrasts.

Spoilers from tonight’s episode and more after the break.

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Ok, so this is mostly so I can brag, but also because I thought it would make an interesting conversation.

Last Friday I did my weekly run to the local Thrift Store and found the greatest treasure trove I have ever seen and perhaps ever will see. I walked down the aisle full of puzzles and boardgames (What did you expect? I’m the board game geek around here!) and found a neatly stacked row of old Avalon Hill games in pristine condition, just sitting there, all by themselves with no one to care for them. (Avalon Hill was the premiere game publisher for decades before the current renaissance instigated by the advent of the all powerful Internets) Being the cautious cheapskate that I am I quickly snapped a photo and sent it off to two of my gaming buddies. One of them promptly called me back and told me to grab them all quickly and without hesitation. I obeyed. Two games are missing some key components but otherwise they’re complete and in excellent shape.

Total price for 10 games–$30.

Total approximate value–$200-$250

Needless to say, I’ve been ecstatic even if a little unnerved that I have turned into my mother in a way I most hated as a child. However, what I want to know is what all of YOU think or have experienced with thrift shopping.

What’s your greatest find?

Is thrifting part of your lifestyle? Why or why not?

What’s the deal with our cultural obsession with finding a great deal?

Other thoughts?

Actually, this isn’t a true “trilogy.” It’s more like “Omnibus edition of the only three licensed books that were ever released.”

I needed a BSG fix, and someone got me this for my birthday, so I read through it. Interesting, but hardly essential. The three books in this omnibus edition are:
* The Cylons’ Secret, by Craig Shaw Gardner
* Sagittarius Is Bleeding, by Peter David
* Unity, by Steven Harper

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Meh.

Don’t get me wrong … this remake of George A. Romero’s 1973 flick of the same name (which I haven’t seen) is actually pretty good.  By which I mean, I enjoyed myself well enough while watching it.  No unforgiveably crappy dialogue, no egregious plot flaws, no interminable stretches of boredom, punctuated by zombie attacks.  And best of all, there is plenty of suspense, a good helping of crazed zombie attacks, and lots of genuine scares.  I actually put my hands to my eyes a couple times, which is embarrassing to admit, but usually a sign that the film is working as intended.  And there are some pretty memorable gore scenes — the attack at the carwash is decent, the pitchfork attack in the hospital is quite well-done, and I felt like I hadn’t seen these scenes 1,000 times before.  The film is gory at times, but it isn’t going to set any records, and I appreciated both of these facts.

That said, my problem with the film is that it seems entirely derivative of other zombie movies.  This was 28 Days Later in a lot of ways, with a hefty dose of Outbreak for good measure.  It wasn’t horribly dark like Evil Dead, nor was it rip-roaringly funny like Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland or Evil Dead II, but it does have its comedic moments.  With few exceptions, you won’t see anything new, and you’ll find yourself saying “This is like X, but not quite as memorable.”  Also, the zombies themselves aren’t that interesting.  But that’s OK.  The film still mostly works, as it does what it needs to do competently and effectively.

If you need a zombie fix this weekend, you won’t go wrong if you catch this flick.  But when your friends ask you next month what you thought of the movie, you won’t remember, and you’ll have to tell them that.  You’ll still be thinking about 28 Days Later, or Zombieland.

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OK, I know a new Lost post will be up tonight. And this isn’t the ideal time to do this. (And yes I’ll be chiming in on BTD Greg’s always excellent summaries that seem to contain more information than I thought possible) That said Lost isn’t the only show in the universe, even if it is among the best. So here’s our irregular commentary on other shows going on. Feel free to chime in with comments on other shows I missed.

First up 24.

What? 24? Didn’t you stop watching that last year? Yes. Last season started with a bang with a purportedly more realistic style but by the time the Africans attacked the White House FROM THE RIVER the show was so stupid I didn’t think anything could save it. So I stopped watching. Then a couple of weeks ago I decided to rent the remaining episodes from Netflix. (Oddly it wasn’t on streaming) What a surprise. The second half of the season was actually quite good. It kind of lost it and got a tad silly the last two episodes, but overall I was pretty happy. Happy enough to start watching this season.
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I don’t know about you all, but I love a good crowd-pleasing rock anthem. I think a good rock anthem needs a chorus you can sing along with, lyrics that can be applied to just about anything, and a sense of uplift. These are songs that give you a bit of hope for the future.

Therefore, I posit that the prototype of anthems is Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run.

He makes a life spent running from your problems seem positively enticing. Turning sadsacks into symbols of the American Dream? That’s an anthem.

Alanis Mourrisette’s One Hand in My Pocket is obviously going for anthem status.

Hand In My Pocket

Alanis Morissette | MySpace Music Videos
I really like this song and think it comes close to actual anthem status (it described me in my twenties pretty well). But she’s clearly trying too hard; setting the video at a parade in a small town? This isn’t a Jerry Bruckheimer movie.

Finally, there are those who aspire to anthem status, and who fail miserably. Guns and Roses knew how to write an anthem (see Paradise City), but once Axl was given free reign to pursue his demons you got schlock like November Rain (which I used to claim was deep). I don’t deny that the schlock is fun, but too much really is too much in pursuit of anthems.

Finally, since the genre is easily identified, there are those who choose to distort it. I hold that Jonathan Coulton’s song “Re: Your Brains” is an anthem in musical spirit, but it’s content removes it from widespread appeal. However, for a certain demographic (you know who you are), it must be hella fun to sing along with at top volume in the car.

So, care to dispute my takes on these epics? Or have favorite anthems to add? Or wanna comment on my ignorance of the music of the past 10 years (or in general)? Do it below.

More Lost. That’s a good thing. Tonight’s episode wasn’t as exciting as the finale—the pace was considerably slower—but it wasn’t terrible, either.

Spoilers from last night’s episode after the jump.

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What is most likely to be the last episode of Heroes aired last night (recap available here). I didn’t watch it, and you probably didn’t either. Heroes represents in my mind the biggest waste of TV momentum ever. A very nice Season 1 led to a huge fanbase, enormous creative freedom and virtually zero budgetary constraints. But then the show got worse with each episode. Heroes was virtually unwatchable by the end of Season 2. And yet it carried on for two more full seasons, propelled by sheer momentum, throwing away the opportunity to make a science fiction show that was creative and smart. The end, by all accounts, was an enormous crapball, the capstone to a disastrous final season.

Rest in peace, Heroes.

Well, anyone who thought the final season would be less confusing than the last was in for a shock this evening.

Discussion and spoilers from the final season premier below.

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Last night was the first episode past the pilot movie, and I have to say they are taking it in some interesting ways I wouldn’t have anticipate.
However, I won’t be reviewing new episodes each week (at least for now). This show is tonally very different than BSG – and not much happens arc-wise each episode, as this show is much more character driven. It could easily turn into a soap opera (it’s kinda sorta already halfway there), and the acting is mixed. However, I was fascinated anyway.

I recommend y’all watch the series. Last night’s episode was good enough that it gets my tenative recommendation. We’ll see if it lasts.

Brendan Benson is a different sort of cat. He has a pretty folkie image, plays an acoustic guitar a lot, lives in Nashville. But every now and then, he picks up his electric guitar and reminds you that he grew up in Detroit and hangs out with Jack White. (more…)

Take a bunch of high-concept ’80s action TV shows (e.g., the A-Team, The Equalizer, MacGyver) and mix them together with some genre action movies (James Bond, Die Hard), throw in a good cast and some decent effects and stunts, stir with with the depth and sensibilities of a comic book and what do you have? A pretty decent show. Entertaining enough, certainly, provided you can turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.

I kind of like it.
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I’ve picked the most popular (or unpopular) of your nominations. Vote now! Poll is open for a week.

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I’m back for more abuse!

For those of you new to our little game, I announce a theme, you name the worst movies ever made on that theme (that are available via Netflix). We hold a poll, and then I watch and review that horrible movie. The last one was, I believe, Gymkata (the theme was Martial Arts).

The theme this time is: Disaster Movie. I nominate the Howie Long vehicle, FIRESTORM. Nic Cage’s KNOWING and M. Night’s THE HAPPENING are also in the running. Your picks?

OK, I just had to rant on this one. The Writers Guild of America has announced its nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen. Up near the top is Avatar.

Now there is a lot to praise Avatar for as it races to beat the billion dollar mark in sales. However best screenplay just isn’t one of them. I’d say worst screenplay, except I think Transformers has a lock on that one.

Two recent customer service experiences have highlighted for me the delicate art of taking care of the customer. You’d think it would not be a complicated experience, and yet so many companies completely fail at the task! As consumers it is easy to just take whatever you’re given, like a mindless automaton in some cafeteria line, but our money is powerful and we shouldn’t hesitate, in my opinion, to get what we pay for with it.

So for your amusement, two customer service experiences: one with Regal Entertainment movie theaters, and the other with McDonald’s. (more…)

The top ten films that I saw this year:

10. Duplicity (more…)

AVATAR is a huge gamble — a big special effects work, huge budget, big promises of groundbreaking cinematic work. Does James Cameron deliver?

Yes, he does. AVATAR is an amazing show, an immersive world that is wonderous and wonderful to watch. (more…)

We have talked about Christmas music before, but I thought I’d try a little different tack this time around. My question is, what’s the one performance you just can’t do without at Christmastime? (more…)

I’m not going to be able to see tonight’s elimination, so I thought I’d post my thoughts about last night’s performances.  I’ll be checking back later to find out who got booted. (more…)

It’s another list of the Top 50 movies of all time. More than anything these critics’ lists tend to show the disconnect between critics and the viewing public. Even I, cinephile extraordinaire, have only seen 37 of these. That said, I have to admit that I really love each of those 37, and my own Top 50 would likely include them. What’s your count?

Well, the series makes a whole lot more sense now.

And a whole lot less sense. (Spoilers below).

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Ok this is pretty great.