Showdown: PSN vs. Xbox Live by Brian Paterson on 6.30.08

After a year and a half of waiting, Playstation Nation has finally received what they asked (or rather, begged) for. Just last night, Sony rep Eric Lempell premiered the Playstation 3’s in-game XMB system along with their answer to Xbox 360’s “achievements”, the PS3 trophy system. Jubilant PS3 owners can now listen to their favorite tracks during those marathon CoD4 sessions, message their friends without leaving Snake in the cold, connect Bluetooth headsets in-game and even enter a different game – all without quitting back to the XMB. True, 360 owners have had the privilege of using these exact features for the past two and a half years, but with an ever expanding market for Blu-Ray, a wealth of excellent titles for ’08 and Playstation Home on the way, Sony’s now burgeoning online service can now compete directly with Microsoft’s. (more)

 

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Video: Top 10 Most Controversial Games by Bennett White on 6.29.08

 

 

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Review: Wall-E by Brian Paterson on 6.28.08

I’m upset. Upset that I’m not sitting in the theater watching Wall-E rove through a post apocalyptic wasteland in his Chaplain-esque manner bringing smiles to every audience member who lays their eyes upon his rusted metal core. Upset that Pixar has once again managed to make me forget about Nemo, Remy and Woody and one-up their past films with a piece that makes the recent Kung Fu Panda, a film I thoroughly enjoyed, look near shameful in comparison. Most of all, I’m upset that I may never see a true sequel to Wall-E, as Pixar rarely follows up their creative works with a second (save for Toy Story). You will not remember Wall-E for its story or lavish visuals, but for a tiny Waste Allocation Load-Lifter • Earth Class (Wall-E) who will steal your heart within the film’s first minute. (more)

 

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Wisdom through Filth: A Tribute to George Carlin by Hawke Culbertson on 6.27.08

In a 40th anniversary celebration of George Carlin’s work, John Stewart spoke one of performance’s foundational truths, “There are two things that comedians of all stripes have in common…a belief that someone that is not as funny as they are is doing better than they are…and…a sincere love and respect for George Carlin and his work. He is a member of our Holy Trinity...” The venomous aftertaste to Stewart’s script is that, like the religious figures he was so oft to mock, our last great funny man exists now only in his remnants left in our praising hands. George Carlin lost his life to heart failure this Sunday, June 22nd, 2008, at a Santa Monica Hospital, he was seventy-one. It’s hard to believe stand-up comedy existed before him, and it’s even harder to conjure up its future after him. (more)

 

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Review: The Incredible Hulk by Griffin Queen on 6.27.08

Does anyone remember the Hulk movie that came out a few years back, starring Eric Bana and directed by Ang Lee? If you answered yes to that question, I'm also assuming that you remember how stupendously bad that movie was.  You may have, like myself, sworn never to go seen another Hulk movie after that travesty.  But fear not, as I did relent, and see The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton, opening night,  and it was like a big affirming nod from the Heavens that yes, Marvel knows what they're doing with this franchise. (more)

 

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Remembering Stan Winston by Matthew Watkins on 6.27.08

Visual effects legend, make-up artist, and producer Stan Winston died at the age of 62. A lot of the casual movie-going population probably doesn't even recognize his name, but trying to quantify Stan Winston's effect on my childhood (and adult life) would be nigh impossible, not to mention his effect on film industry. (more)

 

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What's Wrong With Kids' Television? by Allyson Clark on 6.19.08

I never noticed how lame kids shows have become.  Now that I am spending days babysitting elementary school kids, I have the pleasure of suffering through some of the Disney Channel and Noggin’s poor excuses for quality children’s programming.  I’m probably going to sound like I am a ninety-year-old grandparent saying this, but back when I was a kid television was better.  So, submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this story, What the F*** Happened to Kids TV? (more)

 

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The Top 10 Disney Villians by Hawke Culbertson on 6.18.08

I credit Disney Film Studios with making the Hero figure so damned unappealing. With the inflexible goody-to-shoes qualities never leaving the constant straight-forward motivations of the attractive yet oh-so-charmingly flawed protagonists, viewers like myself reached out to the villains of Walt’s films for some form of variance and depth. Strange thing is, for a company priding itself on family values and cheery tunes; Disney has a wonderful love for its bad guys, often giving them the better themes, outfits, and character design. The antagonist of a Disney movie thus becomes more entertaining, and definitely more fun to imagine yourself being. (more)

 

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