The Rock of Life

Rock Band 3

With Rock Band 3, Harmonix has reached the logical conclusion for music games. Guitar Hero popularized the genre, Rock Band made it a party game, Rock Band 2 showed how one game could be a platform for content. Now they introduce keyboards and a pro mode to teach gamers how to really play their instruments. While I probably won’t ever actually get to play with the special Rock Band guitar or drums, I am certain that those modes are as competent as everything else in this package, which is easily the greatest music game of all time.

Not that the title was hard to win, since in my mind the previous holder was Rock Band 2 (yes, The Beatles: Rock Band was very special too). The way Harmonix has kept the Rock Band platform interesting with DLC while Neversoft has destroyed the Guitar Hero franchise like a 1,000 lbs pumpkin smashing a car, meant that basically they had to not fuck up Rock Band 3 to make it great. And they did.

You’ll notice things are different right from the get-go. The opening video, usually an exciting CG venture in these games, is this time real life people jamming out in some city. The game’s interface, usually very clean, has sacrificed some of its sleekness to offer more options. Players can now drop in and out whenever they want (even in the middle of songs) and it is super easy to move what instrument your profile is signed in on or change your character. The process of playing music has never been simpler, and that streamlining makes this the ideal party game.

Since the first game you’ve always been able to make your own band, but your group has a bigger presence this time around. The members are usually chilling in the background while you mess with options and of course they still are the ones playing the music under the clutter of four instrument tracks and vocals. This gives you the sense that you are always playing as your band, like everything you do counts toward something – and it does. The other two games had discreet tour and quick play modes, where quick play didn’t count toward anything but high scores. In Rock Band 3 there still is a tour mode, but you’ll only have to play a few gigs until you finish a tour. The real focus is on challenges, which you can complete at any time. This was an extremely intelligent design decision, basically giving players the career mode if they wanted, but also making it so it never feels like your time is wasted.

Besides the pro modes (and vocal harmonies, which aren’t really new) the biggest new addition is the keyboard. The device itself is great, two full octaves of keys that feel like proper keyboard keys that you can wear like a keytar or just sit with it on your lap. You can play using just five keys, which is a lot like playing guitar or bass, or you can play in pro mode, in which you have to use all the keys, which is a lot like actually playing piano. The regular stuff is easy enough to get into, but playing on pro is quite the challenge. I could see people using the game to develop the basic skills to get into playing the real instrument.

So there are 83 songs on the disc. It’s a pretty crazy mix of songs, with really the only unifying theme being that a lot of them seem to have been chosen because of they’re keyboard part. Which is good, since none of the existing DLC supports keyboards yet, although supposedly you will be able to upgrade that at some point. I was able to find plenty of songs I love (seriously, “In a Big Country,” “Walk of Life,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “Space Oddity,” I could go on) and even the stuff I don’t care so much for isn’t that bad. With a great mix on the disc, plus the ability to export most of the songs from Rock Bands 1 and 2, AC/DC, Lego and Green Day and the amazing selection of DLC plus the stuff on Rock Band Network, surely you’ll find more than enough to keep yourself entertained.

Seriously Harmonix, I don’t know where you guys go from here. I guess you could try more single band games, but I still think only The Beatles could really get away with that. Rock Band 3 is just too good. You’re done. Keep putting out DLC. We could still use some My Morning Jacket up in this business.

Shocktober: Day 27

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990)

Dir: John McNaughton
Cast: Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, Tracy Arnold
There’s hundreds of serial killer movies out there but you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s more disturbing and realistic than Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. A controversial indie thriller based on the crimes of the real murderer Henry Lee Lucas, Henry is significantly scarier than any Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street. This as a real a portrayal of malevolent violence as you’ll ever see on the screen.

Henry (played marvelously by Michael Rooker) is a quiet, cold man who enjoys killing people, most notably his own mother. Living with his equally disturbed roommate Otis (Tom Towles) things get awkward when Otis’ sister moves in. It’s not long after this Henry introduces Otis to his way of life and soon enough the two begin to indulge on a spree of sorts, what follows is simply chaos.

This film was no stranger to controversy when repeated disagreements with the MPAA held it back from release. Technically Henry was complete by 1986 but it’s content made it a hard sell until it finally achieved a limited release in 1990. What happened when it did finally surface? Critical acclaim and a cult following, just goes to show that the MPAA knows nothing. This isn’t just another slasher it’s actually closer to a brooding drama with it’s complex emotions and excellent performances, check it out if you’re feeling brave.

Shocktober: Day 26

Hellraiser (1987)

Dir: Clive Barker
Cast: Andrew Robinson, Claire Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman, Doug Bradley
When you think about the big Slasher baddies who comes to mind? Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, and chances are someone will mention Pinhead. I don’t know exactly how this outer dimensional monster made his way into the mainstream but he’s been a favorite of horror fans for years.

What makes Pinhead a memorable villain to so many? First of all look at him, he’s got freaking nails pounded into his head! Then he’s got all these supernatural powers and he’s dressed like some S&M fanatic. He’s certainly a disturbing guy, could disturbed people possibly relate? I don’t know but he’s a creepy and completely relentless villain.

Personally I’ve never had much interest in author Barker’s style of sadomasochistic violence. People call Saw torture porn, wait until you see the “Cenobites” in Hellraiser. Before I go any further let me fill in the uninformed. So Hellraiser is about this prick named Frank who buys an ancient puzzle box in Morocco. Back home in the U.K. Frank solves the puzzles which releases a series of chains that rip him to shreds. These demons called the “Cenobites” appear and are like “Ha ha you’re dead!” and put the puzzle back together and leave for some reason. Later Frank’s brother Larry and his family move in to Frank’s old house and what happens when Larry cuts himself in the room where Frank died? Well the blood reforms fragments of Franks gored body in a spectacular effects seen. From there on Frank falls in love with Larry’s wife, she has to get random men for Frank to consume and reform and blah blah somehow Larry’s teenage daughter enter’s Pinhead’s world and it’s really violent.

Actually it’s not a bad story just kind of gross, cruel, and sad. I guess that’s an effective horror film, but it’s never resonated with me. I actually think this movie is more notable for some outstanding makeup effects. This is one to check out if you are in a very bitter and dark state of mind, enjoy!

Shocktober: Day 25

Evil Dead II (1987)

Dir: Sam Raimi
Cast: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Danny Hicks, Kassie Wesley, Ted Raimi
Is it a remake? Is it a sequel? Whatever it may be it’s just about one of the most ridiculous horror movies you’ll ever see. Like if the Three Stooges wandered onto the set of a slasher movie, Evil Dead II might be the first of only a few films you could truly categorize as “Slapstick Horror.”

After the flop that was Crimewave, Sam Raimi and his motley crew (Bruce Campbell, Scott Spiegel, Robert Taper, etc) decided to return to their roots and revisit the Evil Dead franchise, but now with more money, more effects and more twisted humor. Star Bruce Campbell would take the character of Ash and propel him to cult hero status and did anybody say “chainsaw arm?”

So Evil Dead II is supposed to take place where the last one left off, Ash still being trapped at the cabin but it’s also kind of confusing. They do a flashback sequence that changes details from the first (now it was just Ash and his girlfriend who visited the cabin) I don’t know whatever, that’s not really point here is it? What is the point? How about a series of beyond bizarre set pieces that include; Ash fighting his own hand, a sideways fountain of blood, and a house of laughing furniture. It’s beyond ridiculous and is an all out laugh riot.

More or less it just took all the best ideas from the first one and kicked them up a notch… A huge notch! It basically turned the whole franchise into a comedy series and I don’t think anyone was complaining about that move. It’s become the ultimate cult movie and I’m proud to be a part of that cult. From then on it would only get wackier with Army of Darkness but I think this one found the best balance, groovy baby.

World Series 2010: Battle Of The Bengie

I still don’t believe it, I really don’t. This entire postseason has been one big ball of tortured awesomeness, and I can’t even describe the feeling I had after seeing Brian Wilson throw that final strike to Ryan Howard last night. There’s just something about seeing two full-grown men embrace each other in front of a bunch of angry Philly fans. Now they can suck it.

In my experience as a baseball fan, really the only moment that I can compare to last night’s Giants victory was when I was six years old, watching Randy Johnson strike out the final batter in the ’95 one game playoff. I guess it’s because that was the first time “my team” had ever reached the playoffs, and this is the first time I’ve had “my team” reach the World Series. I know the Giants aren’t really my team, but it just makes me think how incredible it’ll be when the Mariners finally make it to the World Series, even if it’ll be a little like inviting an ex-girlfriend to your wedding.

So what now? Well the Giants will be playing the Texas Rangers in the World Series on Wednesday night. At this point I don’t think it’s even worth trying to predict how this match-up will turn out. The Rangers are probably a better all-around team, but as we’ve seen, this Giants team defies logic. Their line-up may be the equivalent of baseball’s unwanted scraps, but they’ve managed to come up with big hits time after time and right now this team feels unstoppable.

What we’ve seen throughout this whole season from the Giants of course is how far good pitching can get you, and last night’s game was just another example of how deep this Giants pitching staff is. Of course now the Giants will be going up against another solid pitching staff, this one being led by one Cliff Lee. I don’t know why, but when the Giants were going up against Halladay, I felt like they still had a chance, but the idea of that Giants line-up going against Cliff Lee kind of scares me. God I hate rooting against Cliff Lee.

Any way you look at it though, this is an exciting matchup. These are two fan bases that in the fifty years that their clubs have existed, neither of them have ever won a World Series. No Yankees, no Red Sox, no Phillies, none of that east coast bullshit. This is the kind of stuff that makes baseball the greatest game of them all. Now Go Giants!

Shocktober: Day 24

The Fly (1986)

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Dir: David Cronenberg
Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz
I like to include at least one original and remake version of the same film in Shocktober so here’s one of the best. A remake that maybe even surpasses the original. What comes to mind when you hear the name David Cronenberg? Exploding heads? Mutant killer dwarves? James Woods pulling a gun out of his stomach? Cronenberg has done some “intriguing” projects” which in the horror world has resulted in the nickname the “Master of Body-Horror”. Whether it’s deformities or mutations, this film takes that title to the extreme showcasing Cronenberg’s skills at making our skin crawl… By watching someone else’s skin crawl.

The premise is similar to the original but in a significantly more graphic fashion. Instead of the scientist (this time named Seth Brundle) hiding his deformity, we get to follow Jeff Goldblum every step of the way as he mutates from man to monster. Picking out teeth and nails, vomiting on his food to digest it, this film is no holds bar when it comes to showing you ever single detail of Seth’s terrifying transformation.

The effects are so absorbing that you often forget about what a great performance Jeff Goldblum is giving under all of it. Or is that the effects and the man become one so well that it blurs into one engrossing spectacle? Whatever the matter it’s hard to watch on a full stomach but it’s also hard to look away. Really you can’t do the images justice by attempting to describe them, they simply must be seen.

Shocktober: Day 23

Re-Animator (1985)

Dir: Stuart Gordon
Cast: Jeffery Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale
From the brilliant mind behind Robot Jox and Space Truckers I bring you “Re-Animator”! Seriously though, Stuart Gordon has definitely had a hit or miss career but there’s no denying that this was his finest hour. Adapted loosely from the H.P. Lovecraft story “Herbert West-Re-animator” this tongue and cheek puke-o-rama has become a classic with it’s skin crawling effects and endlessly entertaining anti-hero, mad scientist Herbert West (Jeffery Combs.)

It’s basically the perfect idea for a horror film. A mad scientist (Herbert West) has created a serum that can “re-animate” the dead, the only problem is how these corpses act when revitalized. Struggling to perfect his experiments West moves in with a medical student Dan (Bruce Abbott) and converts the basement into a mad laboratory. What follows is an endless eries of experiments gone wrong, complete with dark humor and off-the-wall violence.

This is a horror film chocked full of gory glee that just happens to have an interesting story under the surface. The conflict and troubles between Dan and Herbert and where it leads them is fairly engrossing. It’s a bit campy but a lot of it’s played for humor so I guess thats what they were going for. Though I do enjoy the vintage makeup effects with all it’s messy goodness.

An 80s cult classic that’s spawned a great mad scientist character, this film wouldn’t be the same without the talented Jeffery Combs. He’s gone on to play the character in two sequels and there’s even talk of a fourth installment House of Re-Animator where West would move into the white house to re-animate the vice president (George Wendt) and William H. Macy would play the president. Sounds dumb but I’m glad to see re-animator still lives on.