Vol. 3, No. 5, May 2007
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May 2007
DVD Review
Children of Men
Starring Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Julianne Moore; directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Imagine a world in which no human has been born for the past 18 years, where all females are infertile and mankind is confronted with its own extinction. This is the premise of Alfonso Cuarón’s riveting and relentless futuristic drama Children of Men. An adaptation of a P.D. James novel, the movie takes place in the year 2027, where violent nationalistic sects skirmish with government troops in a world turned to chaos and anarchy. Clive Owen plays Theo, a disillusioned London bureaucrat who is contacted by his ex-wife Julian (Julianne Moore) to carry out a mission for a band of revolutionaries. His assignment is to escort a woman to safety, a woman who has miraculously become pregnant and may hold the hope of mankind.
By setting the film one generation from now Cuarón is able to keep his epic story anchored in reality. London is faithfully recreated, with just enough futuristic touches to make it believable. The plot works as a biblical allegory, with Theo’s journey paralleling the nativity of Joseph and Mary, but the point is never heavy-handed. It works on us subtly and we are treated to touches of visual genius.
By using long, continuous takes Cuarón places us right into the center of the action. Theo, the woman and her baby travel the British countryside in hopes of making contact with the Human Project, a government-sponsored program that may hold the key to perpetuating the species. They get help from an aging hippie (Michael Caine, in one of his best performances in years) and other unlikely sources.
Children of Men is a dark and unconventional road movie told at a breathtaking pace with indelible images. The extended DVD has some welcome extras on how Cuarón and his crew filmed some of the action sequences. It also includes a bleak documentary on the plight of Third World countires which seems out of place (applaud the filmmakers for their good intentions, but skip it). Entertaining and thought-provoking, Children of Men should not be missed.
By Robert Rossiello
CD Review
Return of the Mac
Prodigy, Koch Records
I like my suits tailored, my hats fitted and my Prodigy teamed with havoc, his Mobb Deep counterpart. Since signing with G-Unit, Mobb Deep has lost some respectability from a fan base that has supported the duo for the past 14 years. This record, an independent release from Koch Records, is an attempt to reclaim the grimy New York sound that brought Prodigy to prominence. Return of the Mac was entirely produced by The Alchemist, Eminem’s DJ. The beats are catchy but Prodigy can’t lay down a decent hook and his adlibs are laughable with trite phrases like “the mac is motherf---in’ back.”
We get it, you’re here, now make some music.
“Sex, money and murder are the things we want, power and longevity allow me to stunt.” That lyric comes from “7th Heaven,” but is the essence of
the record and manifests itself on every song with subtly different phrasing. The only tracks worth listening to are “Stuck on You,” a street sonnet to himself and being hood rich, and “Mac 10 Handle,” a four-minute death threat that has a certain sincerity that the rest of the record lacks.
Prodigy explains, “Too much of that gangsta music, nah this is reality rap, really go through it. Eventually it happens like this at the club with his boys, at the mall with his (chick)… I’m so impulsive, I’ll start gunning right in front of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.” Music shouldn’t be about glorifying violence but if an artist does choose guns as his subject matter, at least Prodigy does it in an interesting fashion on this track.
Despite much anticipation and G-Unit executive 50 Cent’s controversial comments about the indie label that released the record, Return of the Mac fails to leave a strong impression on the listener. It really is just another gangster rap record.
By Christopher Borino
Video Game Review
Guitar Hero 2
Xbox 360, Playstation 2
Game, glory, and rock ’n’ roll; this game has it all. Red Octane unites wannabe rock stars around the globe with Guitar Hero 2. Like the original Guitar Hero, the goal of the game is simple: play the guitar parts of rock songs, and your score depends upon your accuracy. You play with a unique controller that looks like a simplified version of a guitar. Instead of strings, though, you press large buttons along the fret and strum a single button with your other hand.
Gamers can jam to a number of rock songs ranging from “You Really Got Me” to “Sweet Child of Mine.” Players can also choose from a variety of outlandish rocker characters and play in a number of different venues.
The main feature of Guitar Hero 2 is the guitar controller. Though smaller than most actual guitars, you feel like you’re playing the real thing once you throw the strap over your shoulders and start watching the TV screen.
It makes you feel like an expert guitar player, even if you have never even touched a musical instrument before. The controller also has features such as a whammy bar that can be utilized at certain points in a song, and the ability to be tilted upward for bonus points when the player’s “star power” is high enough.
Guitar Hero 2 is one of the coolest and most unique games available today. Plus, there are so many songs to jam along with that you could just sit there listening to the music as other people play.
And with awards such as one of PC World’s “Best Products of 2006,” you wouldn’t be surprised at all the attention it’s getting. Guitar Hero 2 is definitely worth trying out, and who knows? It could be your first step to actually making it big.
By Joe Legato
Book Review
Company
Max Barry, Vintage Books
Max Barry, the man whose satirical analyses of modernity have filled two other books, has added a third. This time, he’s dropped the extra “x” from the end of his regular pen name, but his articulate observations on the ridiculous habits of people in today’s monotonous office culture remain intact. Company, like his other works, is another dose of observational humor. Company illustrates the absurdity in corporate politics in the fictional corporation of Zephyr Holdings, Inc.
Stephen Jones is the fresh face in the Training Sales Department and he has everyone’s attention. He’s enthusiastic and energetic. He’s good-looking and very smart. He’s also very aware that something isn’t right at Zephyr Holdings.
While embarking on his climb up the corporate ladder, Jones notices some very interesting things: No one knows exactly what the company does and it doesn’t appear there are ever any customers. How can Zephyr make money without any customers?
The company continues to downsize to maximize its internal efficiency, but with a mission statement as vague and generic as Zephyr’s it’s hard for Jones to imagine what goals he has. Unfortunately for him, remaining ignorant is not an option.
Through diligent (and career-risking) detective work, Jones discovers a twisted truth. Our hero is thrown into arguments of morality, helping others as he works to figure things out for himself. Co-workers swooning in blissful ignorance warn him to stay away from such “dangerous thinking” and continue to debate petty office politics and struggle for promotion.
Australian-born Barry gives every character, or “headcount,” as they are known to senior management and the ever-elusive CEO, unique problems. What Jones finds necessary is the realization by the six-figure bigwigs that everyone under them is more than a mere prole.
After Syrup and Jennifer Government, Barry continues to find humor in the insanity of corporate greed. If you can laugh at movies like Office Space, or TV shows like The Office, you will appreciate Max Barry’s approach to the white-collar economy.
By Brendon Costello
