Current Configuration

  • Tomb Raider: Legend

    Lara, seen from above, holding onto a ledge with one hand as she looks down and behind herself past a waterfall.

    Lara Croft sporting a new look, new graphics, and some new moves.

    The original Tomb Raider is one of Those Games. You know, a game that people remember. A game whose main character non-gamers know the name of; one that launched a franchise that cut a unique groove for itself and created its own sub-genre, in a way. However, the series began to flag as sequels became not only repetitive but also lacked quality and strayed too far from their progenitor’s strengths. Legend, which I played through a few weeks ago on a weekend, is a very clear move to reclaim the name of Lara Croft and bring it back to its place of prestige in gaming. Many have hailed it as a successful return with a rare shortcoming here and there. I’m not so sure about that. Entertaining and visually lush, Legend is also flawed and diminutive in the face of its heritage. I see this installment as a proof of concept: Tomb Raider is still an IP with life and possibilities. I do not see it as the revelation some are stretching to tout it as.

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  • Dun dun dun, dun DUN DUN, dun DUN DUN

    Vader's helmet seen up close, all shiny and black.

    Straight from the official site:

    This September: Original Unaltered Trilogy on DVD

    In response to overwhelming demand, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release attractively priced individual two-disc releases of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Each release includes the 2004 digitally remastered version of the movie and, as bonus material, the theatrical edition of the film. That means you’ll be able to enjoy Star Wars as it first appeared in 1977, Empire in 1980, and Jedi in 1983.

    This release will only be available for a limited time: from September 12th to December 31st. International release will follow on or about the same day. Each original theatrical version will feature Dolby 2.0 Surround sound, close-captioning, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish for their U.S. release. International sound and subtitling vary by territory.

    BAM. I am all over that. I feel bad for the poor shmoes who bought the lesser versions on DVD with Lucas’s tinkering and crap-ifying. They will make so much money from this, it’s ridiculous. Some say it’s because of the success of the Indiana Jones box set, others say it was Lucas’s plan all along to swear he’d never do it, then double his profits. I don’t really care. Han shot first, and now we’ll all have the proof on digital video discs.

    UPDATE: It’s being reported that Lucas is being an asshat about the whole thing and the originals are being anamorphically ripped from an old Laserdisc copy, instead of being done properly. Well, OK then, George. Also they’re packaging the new versions with the old ones. The theory is that they can’t have the old version outselling the new. I won’t comment, as I don’t know if that’s true. Personally, I just want to be able to watch the originals on my DVD player, and someday show the old versions to my children. I think someone knows this and is just working this thing like a money lever. The whole situation sucks, but Lucas, apparently, does not understand why he’s rich and famous and is making many moves to become unappreciated and hermitic. That’s my theory.

  • His Dark Materials, Book 1: The Golden Compass

    The Knopf trade paperback edition cover for The Golden Compass.

    I just finished Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, as recommended by Rebecca and Alisa, and I loved it. It’s a solid fantasy story that provides the character depth and internal workings of Ender’s Game, with a distinct and engaging world full of creatures, political intrigue, magic, science, and adventure. Even though this book is often shelved in the young adult or children’s sections, it sits in the general fiction section with equal aplomb. I recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone looking for a good read. Plus, each book has been reissued in a Knopf trade paperback edition, each with a gorgeous cover design featuring the work of Ericka Meltzer O’Rourke and lettering by Lilly Lee. With their comfortable size and inviting typesetting, there’s no reason not to pick these up.

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  • Dear U.S. Airways,

    Thank you for losing my luggage tonight. Having an arrival time after 10 PM makes luggage loss so much easier, so your timing was great. I guess by checking in early I gave you lots of time to screw up, which worked out well for you. You’ve now misplaced both my luggage and my wife’s in a three week span, in two totally different instances with completely different destinations. This has also strengthened my belief that the Philadelphia International Airport’s slogan should be: “If It Was Legal to Urinate On You, We Probably Would”.

    Idiots.

    Sincerely,
    Chris Rugen

  • The Death of a Thousand Cuts

    The annual springtime daylight savings time (DST) adjustment kills me. It’s one of those things that shouldn’t make such a big difference in my day, as it’s merely one hour, but that’s the thing. It’s juuuust enough to screw with my head and put me off at senstive intervals and the effect compounds itself (particularly since I have to get up around 5 AM more than once a week).

    For me, DST is worse than travelling to another country with a dramatically different time zone. The travel difference is usually great enough that I can make a dramatic change to my rhythm by staying up and just re-orienting. Plus, for me it’s often associated with vacation, rather than day-to-day, so there’s some wiggle room in my schedule. DST, on the other hand, is like waking up one morning to find that all of your furniture’s been moved over one foot. Instead of thinking “OK, it’s all different now, I need to reorient completely,” your mind is lulled by the lack of contrast from the expected and you end up banging your shins and stubbing your toes until you can’t walk. Your point of reference is just different enough at those corners and table legs that the repeated subtle jarring of your cycle adds up and you end up hobbling. For me, those corners and table legs are meals, bedtime, and waking up.

    Damn you, Benjamin Franklin!

  • The Matador

    I really don’t have time to write much about this great little film, The Matador, but you need to see it. It will surprise you at every turn, in subtle and unique ways. Brosnan’s character, Julian Noble, is quite intriguing, as are most of the characters, because they are all multi-dimensional and just when you think you have them and the rest of the plot pegged, they take another great sharp left turn. I admit, I had a hard time settling into the film because I kept worrying about where it was headed, but that slightly off-balance sensation ended up being great. I need to see this one again.

    Also, it takes the practice of putting location names at the bottom of the screen in little type and flips it around by making them huge and neon colored, which I think is pretty great (I like type).

    MPAA Review: Strong sexual content and language.
    Ad Exec Reviews: A hitman and a salesman walk into a bar…

  • V for Vendetta (the movie)

    V puts on his mask in front of a dressing room mirror.

    V, as we first see him.

    Alisa and I saw V for Vendetta last night, and it’s a good film. Should you see it? Absolutely. It’s thought provoking, doesn’t shy away from shooting over the audience’s head to get them to think, and is a resolute exploration of an idea rather than a plot or characters. I want to make that clear first, because it’s also a very ’inaccurate’ adaptation of the comic, and I’m having a hard time seeing past that. The first time I read V for Vendetta was around ’96 or ’97 and I’ve read it many times since, so my vision of the tale is fairly calcified. To truly see the film on its own merits, I’ll probably need to see it one or two more times. Having said that, I have to sympathize with the comic’s author Alan Moore and assert that the movie is not as good as comic, but only if you believe the difference in medium does not prevent comparing the two. I’ll try to give it a fair look here. But, for me right now, most of the movie’s strengths become its weaknesses when compared to Moore’s original. Though that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

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  • 4 Good Drinks and Where You Can Find Them in Philly

    I’ve been distracted from Current Config, so let’s call this a public service announcement to make up for it.

    1) The Buzz Aldren at The Continental
    One word, people: Tang. This drink has it not only in the mix (along with peach schnapps and vodka), but also rimming the martini glass it’s served in. Like many cocktails at The Continental, you get your full glass along with a petite shaker containing at least a refill’s worth. Cold, tangy, orangy and quite delicious.

    2) The Firecracker at Jones
    True to its name, the firecracker is a snappy variation on a dirty martini, featuring, in addition to vodka, olive brine, and olives, some pickled jalapeño brine and slices. If you like a little spice, this is your drink. A lot of bang for the buck.

    3) The Sicilian Lemondrop at Tangerine
    I love lemons, and this drink combines different lemony lemon-ness in a refreshing and crisp drink that we’ve started to drink at home. It’s a mix of limoncello (an Italian lemon liquer) and San Pellegrino Limonata (an Italian sparkling lemon soda) on ice in a pint glass with the extra Limonata in the bottle. I will be seeing a number of these this summer, no doubt.

    4) Tequila Flight with Sangrita at El Vez
    You get to choose, from a pretty full menu, one of each type of tequila: blanca, reposado, and añejo for $22. That’s a price that beats some of the per-glass prices on the añejos alone. Then, then, for four bucks more, you get a wonderful, kicky, tangy little drink called a sangrita you get your three glasses of tequila. Sangrita combines the juices of tomatoes, clams, limes, oranges, and some chiles (El Vez’s version). It’s very good and interacts wonderfully with the tequila. This setup is great for two people, which makes it a pretty good deal and a good time.

    All four of these places also have great food, particularly Tangerine, which is the most expensive of the bunch, but is extraordinary and the home of my Best Meal Ever. Also, I swear that I am not in the employ of Stephen Starr, who is the restauranteur behind all four. He just happens to do great work that we appreciate.

  • Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)

    Yegor, the young boy, falls backward in the dark crimson Gloom, his eyes leaving a cloudy red trail.

    Yegor succumbs to the Gloom.

    For those of you not familiar with it, Night Watch is the first of a Russian “epic horror trilogy” or “epic fantasy trilogy”, depending on which ads you read. Just check out the trailer. Then go see it, because it’s wild, original, and great.

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  • Ocean’s Twelve…Times Too Full of Itself

    Wow! So busy this past month. Well, I’ve got a lot to write about and many of those subjects deserve more time than I have now, so I’ll just start off with this look at a flick Alisa and I rented.

    Watching Ocean’s Twelve was like watching the second Matrix film. The unique feel and focus of the original, the very things that made it great, are eschewed for what seems like one-upmanship on every front. Ocean’s Eleven is a brilliant work of subtle, sly wit and grace. Ocean’s Twelve just trips on its own overly twisting and turning plot, largely because it also tries to be too clever and absract in the telling. On top of that, Soderbergh doesn’t seem to realize that we all don’t really get it or connect with it, so his nudge, nudge, wink, wink treatment that worked so superbly in the first film falls flat. Very flat.

    The film works best when it gets back to the basics of the original, which it rarely does, and focuses on developing the interactions of the characters and one well-developed heist. Otherwise, you get the sense that they skipped every third line of the script in an attempt to add quirk and film three movies at the same time. Many of the individual tricks and conceits probably would’ve made a great focused movie on their own, but together it’s just a mess. Caper films work when the audience feels like part of the team, not like the hapless detective or uptight owner of the stolen treasure.

    Don’t bother with this one and just watch Ocean’s Eleven again instead.