August 4, 2008 Archive

Gaming

• Wii Virtual Console News and Releases for 8/4/2008

  Splatterhouse 2 leads the charge of releases this week.

  News in Gaming — by Brian Szabelski — on Aug 04, 2008

• PSP review: R-Type Command

  R-Type as a turn based tactical game? A great concept that is, unfortunately, an average game.

  Review in Gaming — by Michael Prince — on Aug 04, 2008

• Wii Review: Space Chimps

  This action platform title has plenty of movie based basic monkey business plus some new characters and 13 new enemies.

  Review in Gaming — by Tall Writer — on Aug 04, 2008

Music

• Up Close With The American Idols - Carly Smithson

  Carly Smithson wants her new album to be "Skid Row meets Celine Dion."

  Interview in Music — by Sherry Lipp — on Aug 04, 2008

• Satire: Indie Music Fan Hopelessly Unaware of Current Pop Culture

  An indie fan wrestles with pop cultural ignorance

  Satire in Music — by Eric Dennis — on Aug 04, 2008

• Music Review: 65daysofstatic - The Fall Of Math (U.S. Release)

  The long-awaited U.S. release of this Sheffield, England group’s acclaimed 2004 debut is way overdue, but totally worth the wait.

  Review in Music — by Charlie Doherty — on Aug 04, 2008

• Music Review: H.E.A.T. - H.E.A.T.

  Melodic rock is alive and well and living in Sweden

  Review in Music — by Jeff Perkins — on Aug 04, 2008

• Music Review: Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum

  Blue Cheer's first album was historically important and very loud.

  Review in Music — by David Bowling — on Aug 04, 2008

• Music Reviews: Journey, Kansas, Oxygene8, Sugar's Cane, Three Miles Out, Your Highness Electric, Straight Line Stich, War Tapes, Zebra and Ted Nugent

  Pomp, prog, a little modern rock with a reggae kicker. What else you want?

  Review in Music — by Marty Dodge — on Aug 04, 2008

• B.B. King, T Bone Burnett Team Up For One Kind Favor, Aug. 26

  It's "Back To The Future" for The King!

  News in Music — by Josh Hathaway — on Aug 04, 2008

• Music Review: Sam Phillips - Don't Do Anything

  Sam Phillips does more than enough...

  Review in Music — by Stephen Foster — on Aug 04, 2008

• Concert Review (NYC): Butthole Surfers at Webster Hall, July 29

  The Butthole Surfers fulfilled their volatile reputation at their first New York concert in years, forcing themselves back into the spotlight.

  Review in Music — by Ethan Stanislawski — on Aug 04, 2008

• Music Review: Passenger - Wicked Man's Rest

  'Captivating' (Q Magazine), 'Intelligence' (New Musical Express) - BC's Eurorock adds its own superlative to UK band Passenger.

  Review in Music — by Jeff Perkins — on Aug 04, 2008

• Concert Review: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Gillette Stadium, August 2, 2008

  The Boss brings it to Boston...

  Review in Music — by Lisa McKay — on Aug 04, 2008

• Concert Review: Metro Station - House of Blues, Orlando, Florida

  Metro Station Live, amazing or life-changingly bad

  Review in Music — by Terry Bartley — on Aug 04, 2008

• Retro Redux: Whippoorwills And Whippersnappers

  Hank Williams and Johnny Cash -- masters of a special kind of country music song.

  Opinion in Music — by Big Geez — on Aug 04, 2008

• A Controversial New Poll About American Idol

  This is an in-depth look at the controversial effects of public opinion polls, and their worth in the marketplace.

  Opinion in Music — by Ultimat1 — on Aug 04, 2008

• Concert Review: George Michael, 8/2/08 at St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL

  While his showmanship was superb, what Michael didn't sing seemed more prevalent than what he did perform.

  Review in Music — by Donald Gibson — on Aug 04, 2008

Books

• The Early Word: New and Notable Fiction for the Week of August 4, 2008

  New Fiction from Robin Cook, David Ebershoff, Andrew Davidson, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Arthur C. Clarke.

  News in Books — by Kevin Eagan — on Aug 04, 2008

• Book Review: When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

  This is Sedaris' deserved bestseller and an uplifting and unpretentious work of nonfiction.

  Review in Books — by James O'Neil — on Aug 04, 2008

• Book Review: First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader

  If you're missing 24, try this.

  Review in Books — by Catherine Tuckwell — on Aug 04, 2008

• Book Review: The Smart Woman's Guide To Midlife & Beyond - A No-Nonsense Approach To Staying Healthy After 50 by Janet Horn and Robin Miller

  A reference for those of us facing fifty.

  Review in Books — by Gerry Weaver — on Aug 04, 2008

• Book Review: Burn Notice - The Fix by Tod Goldberg

  The hit television show becomes a novel series. Tod Goldberg serves up suave, bone-crunching spy action like a pro.

  Review in Books — by Mel Odom — on Aug 04, 2008

• Book Review: The Story Of A Widow by Musharraf Ali Farooqi

  For a woman to become a widow somebody does have to die, but it doesn't mean she has to as well.

  Review in Books — by Richard Marcus — on Aug 04, 2008

• Book Review: The Dawn Patrol by Don Winslow

  San Diego PI has to be one of Philip Marlowe's illegitimate children. He's got the same patter, brass, and stubbornness.

  Review in Books — by Mel Odom — on Aug 04, 2008

• The Early Word: New Non-Fiction Books for the Week of August 4, 2008

  Freddoso's case against Obama, Frank on "How Conservatives Rule." Also: Kate Brennan, Run Simmons, Sherman's March, Iwo Jima, the "First Act of Nuclear Terrorism."

  News in Books — by Gordon Hauptfleisch — on Aug 04, 2008

• Book Review: The Wild Places by Robert Macfarlane

  For a book that is celebrating the wild, it is ironic that these essays seem to be bundled up in cages.

  Review in Books — by Jessica Schneider — on Aug 04, 2008

Video

• Blu-ray Review: The Ruins

  Gory, intense horror, all in the glory of hi-def.

  Review in Video — by Matt Paprocki — on Aug 04, 2008

• DVD Review: Morella's Blood Vision

  A direct-to-video horror hostess presents three "bone chilling chillers" for lovers of cheapie horror fare.

  Review in Video — by Bill Sherman — on Aug 04, 2008

• TV Review: P.O.V. - Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music

  A magnificent job in preserving and documenting this moment in time and the life of a legend.

  Review in Video — by Cinema Sentries — on Aug 04, 2008

• TV Recap: Project Runway Season Five, Episode Three

  Tim Gunn's vocabulary is corrupted. Sandra Bernhard is nothing without you. The designers get wet, and somebody goes home.

  Review in Video — by Brandy — on Aug 04, 2008

• DVD Pick of the Week: The Counterfeiters

  Looking to pad out the queue? You may find something here.

  News in Video — by Chris Beaumont — on Aug 04, 2008

• Movie Review: The Hudsucker Proxy

  Just another example of the Coens' wonderfully unique mentality.

  Review in Video — by Ross Miller — on Aug 04, 2008

• Movie Review: Son of Rambow

  A delightful tale of youthful fantasy.

  Review in Video — by Chris Beaumont — on Aug 04, 2008

• Reality TV Casting Call Weekly Wrap-Up: Millionaire Matchmaker, Top Model, MTV's StarMaker, Game Shows, and More!

  Are you ready for your 15 minutes? This week's reality TV opportunities are knocking!

  News in Video — by RealityWanted — on Aug 04, 2008

• DVD Review: a/k/a Tommy Chong

  A comical but scary documentary showing us that our government will take you down if they want to.

  Review in Video — by Cinema Sentries — on Aug 04, 2008

• DVD Review: Sisters of '77 (The Spirit of Women)

  When it comes to equal rights, as this award-winning documentary illustrates, Sisters in ‘77 were “doing it for themselves.”

  Review in Video — by Jen Johans — on Aug 04, 2008

• DVD Review: The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet – Best of Ricky and Dave

  Classic television as its best.

  Review in Video — by Cinema Sentries — on Aug 04, 2008

• Movie Review: Pride and Prejudice (2005)

  Jane Austen's charming, entertaining novel gets a faithful movie adaptation.

  Review in Video — by Catherine Tuckwell — on Aug 04, 2008

• Blu-ray Review: Rambo

  Overcooked but intense send off for this action hero.

  Review in Video — by Matt Paprocki — on Aug 04, 2008

• Woo-Who

  Who are you? Who am I? Who are any of us?

  Opinion in Video — by Josh Lasser — on Aug 04, 2008

• Movie Review: Swing Vote

  Better than expected comedy tale.

  Review in Video — by Chris Beaumont — on Aug 04, 2008

• Movie Review: French Postcards

  American college students send you French Postcards with love in this overlooked 1979 comedy classic.

  Review in Video — by Jen Johans — on Aug 04, 2008

• Blu-ray Review: Untraceable

  Well, at least Diane Lane is still something to look at. The rest of the movie sure isn't.

  Review in Video — by Matt Paprocki — on Aug 04, 2008

• Movie Review: Joy Division (2007)

  Grant Gee's documentary on the influential post-punk rockers is a must-see for fans, and a great introduction for non-fans.

  Review in Video — by Andy Sayers — on Aug 04, 2008

• Preview of the Teen Choice Awards and Secrets From The Red Carpet

  The Teen Choice Awards are Monday, August 4th at 8PM ET/PT on FOX.

  News in Video — by Maddy Pumilia — on Aug 04, 2008

• DVD Review: Freakazoid! Season 1

  From the creators of Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs comes their most uneven animated series: Freakazoid!

  Review in Video — by Sombrero Grande — on Aug 04, 2008

Politics

• Smoke, Mirrors, and Our Energy Policy

  The energy crisis is not a Republican vs. Democrat issue or red state vs. blue state or us vs. them. It is a crisis that impacts all of us.

  Opinion in Politics — by Lisa Solod — on Aug 04, 2008

• Change: Can You Believe It?

  The Obnoxious American's plan for true unity and post-partisanship.

  Opinion in Politics — by The Obnoxious American — on Aug 04, 2008

• Left Wing Tax-and-Spenders and the Rose-Colored Dream of John McCain

  With McCain pulling even in the polls, the Conservative dream of a perfect world is at hand.

  Satire in Politics — by Baritone — on Aug 04, 2008

• Sandbox Politics

  The Republican "revolt" in the House is no way to advance a sound energy policy.

  Opinion in Politics — by John Bambenek — on Aug 04, 2008

• Joy Riding In Honest Dubya's Used-up Car Nation

  It's got power and style - and the foreigners got it for a steal because we left the keys in it.

  Opinion in Politics — by Realist — on Aug 04, 2008

• Bills Introduced to Combat Organized Crime on Auction Sites

  While retailers are behind two bills being introduced to curb fraud on auction sites, a lot of other people might be interested in seeing them passed, also.

  News in Politics — by Ed Dickson — on Aug 04, 2008

Sci/Tech

• Technology Review: iPhone 3G

  The second-generation iPhone comes with performance enhancements, added functionality, and a more robust network.

  Review in Sci/Tech — by Cindy Collins Smith — on Aug 04, 2008

• Nvidia Needs to Learn How to Count

  Two is greater than one, and three is greater than two; if Nvidia could learn and follow this simple concept, they'd stop confusing their customers.

  Opinion in Sci/Tech — by Mark Buckingham — on Aug 04, 2008

Sports

• Beyond Just Manny Being Manny

  Manny Ramirez can talk. And this time he talked himself right out of Boston.

  Opinion in Sports — by Gary D. Benz — on Aug 04, 2008

• Steve Smith and Ken Lucas Fight: Fantasy Football Effect

  How does the recent Panthers fight affect your fantasy team?

  Opinion in Sports — by Forrest Kobayashi — on Aug 04, 2008

Culture

• Comic-Con International 2008: Day One

  Day One of Comic Con 2008 offers vampires, serial killers, and puppets

  Review in Culture — by El Bicho — on Aug 04, 2008