CD Review: Crank - High Voltage, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Mike Patton is one interesting character, and one who has been making more and more in roads into the film world. Or course, he is bringing his musical mastery along with him. Actually, that should probably be more his mastery of sound rather than music, as his talents seem to involve anything that makes sounds or noise. Since the dissolution of Faith No More many years ago, excepting their upcoming reunion shows in Europe, Patton has done nothing but keep bus. He brought his old band Mr. Bungle back for a while, and worked on new projects such as Tomahawk, Fantomas, Peeping Tom, and Mondo Cane, along with countless others. Well, a couple of years ago saw his focus broaden somewhat, bringing the world of film into focus.

In 2007, Mike Patton lent his vocal talents to the film I Am Legend, giving a voice to the zombie/vampire creatures. That same year, he also provided voices for a couple of video games, The Darkness and Portal. He would return to video games again in 2008 working on Left for Dead. 2009 has him turning back to the big screen as the voice of Mixmaster in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

That certainly is a lot of voice work! Fortunately, that is not all he has done. Earlier this year Jason Statham returned to the big screen as Chev Chelios in Crank: High Voltage, the unlikely sequel to the live action cartoon that was Crank. Along with him, Mike Patton came on board to provide the score, taking over for Paul Haslinger, who returned to the Underworld series. This score follows the first film scoring work he did on last year's short A Secret Place.

It is definitely an interesting piece of work. Patton never seems to go about anything with what would at least appear to be a normal approach, everything is attacked from askew. This is a good thing, it allows us a bit more creativity and allow artists to escape the norm and try to break through boundaries of what is normally considered acceptable.

Patton's score for High Voltage is not your standard strings and brass, orchestral score, oh no. Something tells me the orchestra route will be the road less traveled for this particular artist. His work here comes across as something of a cross between a score and a soundtrack. There is a theme that recurs throughout, first appearing in the second track, "Chelios"; however, that is the exception and not the rule. Patton bounces around a variety of approaches based on the needs of the scene.

That said, the score encompasses industrial metal, heavy electronica, world music, and techno as it drills itself into your head. It comes across as schizophrenic as the movie does, always jumping to and fro, never settling in any one area for too long.

Something that is interesting about this album, and scores in general, is that when they are one well, they become more than just background sounds to a film. This becomes a good test for the quality of a score. If it does not work standalone, it is not a good score, it may work for the movie, but a good score does more than that. A good score can take you back to specific scenes and events in the movie. Beyond that, the good ones can transport you to other places in your mind, they can spur your imagination to create new visuals to accompany them. Patton's work here is one of those transporting scores. It is far from my favorite, but it is terribly effective and stands apart from many other scores out there.

Mike Patton performed all of he instruments and did all of the programing for the album. Quite a feat, all adding to his accomplishment. So, when you give this a listen, marvel at his work and be sure to check out such standouts as "Chelios," "Chickenscratch," "Tourettes Romance," "El Huron," "Chevzilla," "Triad Limo," "Pixelvision," and "Epilogue - In My Dreams."

Recommended.

V - Trailer

The trailer for the new version of V is here. I like. It has the girl from Lost, guy from The 4400, girl from Firefly, and a few others I recognize amongst its number. Would it be too much to ask for an appearance from Robert Englund or Marc Singer? Not sure when this is airing, but I will be watching.

CD Review: grief of WAR - Worship

It was last year that I was first introduced to grief of WAR and their inventive use of capitalization. It was a wonderful introduction, both parties got along well and there was definite chemistry and hope for the future. Of course, this was all through clenched teeth, raised fist, and a rather prominent attitude, but you could still sense the love in the air. The reason this meeting came about was Prosthetic Records was bringing the band across the ocean to the West, introducing them to a band from the East that had a love for the music of the West. Yes, a Japanese band playing thrash was invading the shores where the style originated. They may not have made a big splash, but it was memorable for me.

grief of WAR's debut album, 2005's a mounting crisis... as their fury got unleashed, came to American shops in 2008. It was not an album that everyone lined up for, but those who found it knew they had something special. It was raw, aggressive, and pure. Of course, such an auspicious debut brings up the question of whether or not they can keep it up. Four years after their debut, and one scant 15 months since my discovery, the band is back with their sophomore effort, Worship.

I am happy to report that the raw aggression, in your face attitude, and pure thrash sound is still here. Time has not diluted or softened their desire to deliver the metal. Their sound has been dubbed "Samurai Crunch" and it is definitely crunchy, just as it slices through the air like a samurai sword.

Formed in 2002, grief of WAR have the stated purpose of being "the true heir of real thrash metal." Now, I do not know how far along that road they will get, but this new album does not hurt them any. The biggest problem is that this is nothing that we haven't heard before. It certainly has been awhile since we have seen a new band come around with the finely tuned and seriously focused talent of grief of WAR to play it so convincingly. In their favor, we do not always need new and cutting edge, a band that has the skills to turn out solid music in a familiar genre should not be ignored. grief of WAR is no mere copycat, they took the sounds of yesterday and have made them fresh again.

The album opens to what sounds a little bit like the tuning of a radio with the sounds of a storm building up. In the matter of a few seconds. a drum hit and a furious guitar riff welcome you to the opening track, "Crack of Doom." From this moment forward, the fast and furious sounds of thrash do not let up, not even for a moment.

This is not an album about melody. You can throw that right out the window. The guitars of Ken Sato and Hiroyuki Inoue are raw, gruff and incessant. The riffs are more like a punch to the face than a caress of the jaw and are the centerpiece of Samurai Crunch. They are backed by a solid, if mediocre, rhythm section of Masatomo Otani on drums and vocalist Manabu Hirose handling the bass. As for the vocals They are of the barked variety and fit the style perfectly.

So, when you start up Worship, here are a few tracks to key in on: "New Kind of Wicked," "Built My Brain," and "Lost."

Bottomline. While not moving into uncharted waters, grief of WAR does a great job of navigating the waters of the past. This is thrash of the old school variety, no frills,. straight ahead, and angry. Press play and be prepared to rock!

Recommended.

New Movies & Box Office Predictions - Terminator: Salvation, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Dance Flick

Week four of blockbuster season is here. It is also a holiday weekend, so expect some big numbers. This is shaping up to be the biggest one of the season, with its two potential big dog features duking it out for supremacy. Of course, my main focus is quality entertainment with dollars a distant second, but it is fun to see gaudy numbers on movies I like. In any case, this weekend should be fun!

Terminator: Salvation. (2009, 130 minutes, PG-13, science fiction/action) Early word for this big money sequel is not good. Most seem to be praising the effects, plus the fact that there is a lot of daylight action, while deriding the muddled structure and general poor story. Will this have an effect on the box office? Probably not. Those who want to see it, myself included, will see it regardless of what reviews say. I hope it is not as bad as it seems, I hope to see something different. In any case, this movie takes us where we've wanted to go since the original film. We get to see the future war with John Connor leading the fight. The cast includes Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, and Bryce Dallas Howard, working for director McG.



Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. (2009, 105 minutes, PG, comedy) The original film proved to be a big hit over the Christmas season. Will the sequel do the same for the summer? I am sure the suits hope it will. I enjoyed the original, it was funny, clever at moments, and was just a good time at the movies. This new movie shifts location from the Museum of Natural History in New York to DC's Smithsonian. It also features the return of the mystical tablet and a number of our favorites from the first film. The trailer looks pretty funny, especially the moments with Bill Hader as General Custer. The cast also includes Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Jonah Hill, Amy Adams, Hank Azaria, Steve Coogan, Owen Wilson, and Ricky Gervais.



Dance Flick. (2009, 83 minutes, PG-13, comedy) Seriously? Do I really have to comment on this? When I first saw the trailer on the big screen I groaned. I also felt sad for everyone around me who seemed to think it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen. I think this one will be safe to skip.



Also opening this week, but not near me:

• The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story
• Burma VJ
• Easy Virtue
• The Girlfriend Experience

Box Office Predictions
Last week we very nearly had our first upset of the blockbuster season. Star Trek nearly retained the top spot in the face of the relatively soft open of Angels & Demons. This weekend I think the sci-fi film will outdo the religious thriller. Neither, however, will take the top spot as this weekend sees a pair of top shelf box office draws hitting the theater. One is a family film and the other may be a wide drawing sci-fi action film. Which will take the top spot this weekend? My bet is on Terminator: Salvation, although I would not be surprised to see it go the other way.

Here is how I think it could play out.

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	Terminator: Salvation	$82 million
2	Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian	$68 million
3	Star Trek	$24 million
4	Angels & Demons	$22 million
5	Dance Flick	$15 million
6	X-Men Origins: Wolverine	$7.5 million
7	Ghosts of Girlfriends Past	$3.5 million
8	Monsters vs Aliens	$2.75 million
9	17 Again	$2 million
10	Obsessed	$1.5 million

CD Review: Seventh Void - Heaven is Gone

Seventh Void is one of those bands I am surprised we aren't hearing more about. I mean, it took me nearly a month after its release to hear the name for the first time, if I had known, I would have been all over this release the moment it hit the shelves. To be sure, they are not a band out to change the world and the album will never be able to be penciled in as a game changer, but it is still a darn solid album that I can find myself turning to time and time again. It is the sort of album that will put a groove in your head and a smile on your face. You will not be disappointed.

Seventh Void is a project first conceived by Type O Negative guitarist Kenny Hickey back in 2003, but it wasn't until a few years later when the line-up was finalized and writing began. The band is signed to Big Vin Records, the label begun by Pantera/Hell Yeah drummer Vinnie Paul. Joining Hickey, who also handles vocal duties, is his Type O Negative band mate Johnny Kelly on drums, along with Matt Brown on guitar and Hank Hell on bass. Together, they form a tight unit of rock and roll aggression.

The sound is nothing that we haven't heard before, but it has a little bit of a spin on it. I have decided to call it post-goth. You see, Kenny and Johnny are integral members of Type O Negative's dark, sludgy goth sound, a style the have modified here. Combine that style with the early metal doom of Black Sabbath and the 90's grunge of early Soundgarden and Alice in Chains and you will get a pretty good idea of what Seventh Void is all about.

No sooner has Heaven is Gone begun, it drags you under with a doomy dose of hard rock that is sure to get to you. "Closing In" gets the ball rolling with its slow, dark groove, with Kenny's grungy wail coming over the top. It definitely gets under your skin as it begins to prepare you for what is to come.

The guitars from both Kenny and Matt Brown are solid. They are locked together as they churn out the sludgy, bluesy riffs that go a long way to creating a foreboding atmosphere. It is not quite like the material Type O Negative turned out. This is much more accessible by a general audience while also allowing Kenny to work out some different styles.

While Kenny and Matt's riffs lead the charge, the rhythm section is downright thunderous. Johnny Kelly is not a fast drummer, and we are all better for it. The guy pounds the drums hard and keeps the beat interesting. Hank Hell's bass follows along keeping the low end think.

Finally, we have the vocals. Anyone who listens to Type O Negative is no stranger to Kenny Hickey's voice, as he often provides a counterpoint to Peter Steele's deep, doomy voice. Here he gets to step to the front and show what he's got. While he does not have a lot of range, he puts his heart into it and is generally very effective in his delivery.

Bottomline. What it comes down to is this band delivers a strong dose of rock and roll with just the right amount of attitude. They bring a new flavor to a familiar style, resulting in an album that is rock solid from start to finish. This is a rock album to play angry and loud!

Recommended.

Box Office Update 5/15-5/17: Angels & Demons Takes the Top Spot

Last weekend, Star Trek dominated the box office, buoyed by strong reviews and positive word of mouth it took the top easily. The question as we headed into this weekend, the question was asked whether or not it could have the strength to rise once again to the top. The film standing in its way? Angels & Demons. It seemed to be an almost foregone conclusion that Trek would dip. Then there was the weekend itself. The drama built up through the weekend as Trek was seen to perform stronger than expected, going so far as to win the Sunday, believe it or not.

In the end Star Trek did not quite have the juice to pull off the upset, although the difference between it and Angels & Demons was much smaller than I was expecting. I am quite happy to see it doing well, not to mention it is knocking on Wolverine's doorstep with its overall take so far.

As you could probably guess, Angels & Demons took the top spot, coming in under expectations but still respectable. I have to wonder if The DaVinci Code left a bad taste so as to sour the reception here? Neither one is a terribly good film, but I must say that this new film is a step in the right direction. I have a sneaking suspicion this movie will crumble in the face of the oncoming summer onslaught.

Overall, the weekend was quite strong. Most of the returning films showed good holds from last week. The closer we get to the end of the school year, the better the box office begins to look and the happier the studios get.

One of the biggest stories this week for me, is the fact that in the same amount of time, Disneynature's debut documentary has made more at the box office than the highly touted drama The Soloist. Sure, the numbers are pretty close, less than $2 million between them, but it is still a pretty interesting note. What does it mean? Probably nothing, it just struck me as something notable by reason of being.

The next couple of week's will be bringing such highly touted films as Terminator: Salvation, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Up, Drag Me to Hell, and Land of Lost that will all but dominate the box office charts. So, say good bye to the drama or most serious films of any manner until the Fall rolls around.

One movie dropped off the top ten this week: Hannah Montana: The Movie (11).

This Week	Last Week	Title	Wknd Gross	Overall	Week in release
1	N	Angels & Demons	$46,204,168	$46,204,168	1
2	1	Star Trek	$43,034,547	$147,645,384	2
3	2	X-Men Origins: Wolverine	$14,702,425	$150,993,169	3
4	3	Ghosts of Girlfriends Past	$6,653,384	$39,855,222	3
5	4	Obsessed	$4,588,973	$62,610,148	4
6	5	17 Again	$3,368,189	$58,363,111	5
7	8	Monsters vs. Aliens	$3,182,085	$190,733,766	8
8	7	The Soloist	$2,402,801	$27,505,154	4
9	6	Next Day Air	$2,244,878	$7,613,221	2
10	9	earth	$1,697,956	$29,088,771	4

Box Office Predictions Recap
Mark your calendars, boys and girls. You are not likely to find a better week of predictions out of little old me. Some how, some way, I was on point when I penned these predictions. I was able to got the top ten in the correct order, but the fun does not stop there. On the predictions side of the board, I was almost equally good. My worst guesses were the weekend's top two films, and while they be my worst, they were still pretty close. Next week? Well, let's not think about that just yet.

Here is how the field matched up:

Actual	Prediction	Title	Wknd Gross	Prediction
1	1	Angels & Demons	$46,204,168	$53 million
2	2	Star Trek	$43,034,547	$38 million
3	3	X-Men Origins: Wolverine	$14,702,425	$15 million
4	4	Ghosts of Girlfriends Past	$6,653,384	$7 million
5	5	Obsessed	$4,588,973	$4 million
6	6	17 Again	$3,368,189	$3.25 million
7	7	Monsters vs. Aliens	$3,182,085	$3 million
8	8	The Soloist	$2,402,801	$2.5 million
9	9	Next Day Air	$2,244,878	$2 million
10	10	earth	$1,697,956	$1.5 million

DVD Pick of the Week: Friday Night Lights

Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope that this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.

Full disclosure: I have not seen many of these titles and what follows are not necessarily reviews, but opinions based upon what I know of the titles I pluck from the new release lists that I peruse. The opinions I give based on the new releases are my own, and my recommendations are based on my personal interest. In any case, I hope you enjoy and perhaps find something you like or a title to point me towards.

Friday Night Lights: The Third Season. I love this series. When I first began watching the first season, I was not sure I would. I mean, it isn't like I am a football fan or a fan of angsty teen dramas or anything like that. On top of that, the pilot was not all that great. For some reason I stuck with it and found a wonderfully written and acted drama that portrayed a very real feeling community. That continued through the second season,despite the introduction of a couple of new elements as it tries to court a wider audience. It survives those missteps and is as compelling as ever as it moved into its third season, a season afforded by a new deal with DirecTV. If you have not seen the show, I encourage you start with the first season and get yourself caught up before season four rolls around.

True Blood: The Complete First Season (also Blu-ray). This HBO series, starring Anna Paquin. I have not seen a single episode but have heard good things. It concerns vampires living openly in our world and is set in Louisiana. So, any fans out there that can put the sell on me?

24: Season 7 (also Blu-ray). Talk about quick turnaround, the season ends on Monday and the season set is available on Tuesday. I guess they want to strike while the iron is hot. The season has been good, although it has not lived up to seasons 1 or 5. I am also beginning to wonder if the shelf life for this series drawing near an end. As much as I have enjoyed its run, how many other ways can be concocted to have Jack save us? Are we far away from seeing Jack in space?

Valkyrie (also Blu-ray). Not nearly as bad as I was expected, not nearly as good as it could have been. This Tom Cruise starrer tells the story of one of the many failed attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler. It is a film that relentlessly surges forward, often at the expense of the audience and any human growth.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (also Blu-ray). This is a surprisingly enjoyable film that is safe for the entire family and is genuinely funny. Kevin James stars as a dedicated mall cop who longs to be a police officer. He gets his shot when a gang takes over his mall.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Skynet Edition (Blu-ray). Yet another release for the classic science fiction action film. It arrives just in time to help you get ready for the arrival of Terminator: Salvation. Now, whether or not this version is worth it is yet to be seen. That said, I do not have it on Blu-ray yet...

Fanboys. It is glorious. Yes, you read that right, this movie is glorious. So it is a little light on character development, a lot implausible on the plot side, and not terribly complete in any respect, but that does not stop it from being thoroughly entertaining. All right, let me be completely honest, I love Fanboys. The humor works completely for me. It is goofy, outlandish, and I find it so completely endearing.

A Bug's Life (Blu-ray). Probably one of the lesser Pixar releases, this early outing is still highly entertaining and likely looks great in high definition.

My Bloody Valentine 3D (also Blu-ray). This release includes both the 3D version as well as the flat. I can guarantee that if/when I get this, I will only be watching the flat. The 3D is of the red/blue variety and is sure to be about as enticing as staring at mud while hitting yourself in the forehead with a reflex hammer. As for the movie? Much better than expected, a lot of fun for the horror fan.

Outlander. I could have sworn this science fiction film was going to get a big screen release, or did it and I completely missed it? It stars Jim Caviezel and tells of an alien who crash lands on Earth, followed by an alien predator. It is the age of Vikings and the alien fuses his tech with current standards to lead the fight back.

Enemy at the Gates (Blu-ray). This World War II set film centers on a battle of wits between a German and a Russian sharpshooter. It has been awhile since i have seen this, but remember it being very good, with a very real feel and a tense showdown where neither man can see the other.

The Machinist (Blu-ray). I have had this on DVD forever and have not yet watched it. I am not sure why, but surmise it could be subconsciously related to the weight loss that Christian Bale put himself through. I can just imagine how irritable he must have been to be around.

Eden Log (Blu-ray). This science fiction film looks pretty interesting. It centers on a man who wakes up alone and with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He then finds he is not alone...

Circle of Iron (Blu-ray). Here is a film I learned of not terribly long ago and wanted to see it, I just have not done i yet. The movie is based on a story that was being developed by Bruce Lee prior to his death with, I believe, James Coburn. David Carradine took on the starring role in this martial arts tale.

Sherlock Holmes - Trailer

Our first look at Guy Ritchie's take on the Sherlock Holmes character is here. I must say that I like what I see. There is a dose of humor I was not expecting, but I like the style. Hopefully the project will pay off.

Blu-ray Review: Underworld - Rise of the Lycans

As 2006's Underworld: Evolution ended, we left Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and Michael (Scott Speedman) alone to pick up the pieces as the war between vampire and lycan took a new turn. With the elders of both sides dead, they were left without leadership, as well as the revelation that their forefather's, William and Markus, deaths their lives were able to continue unabated. There was also the revelation that Selene could walk in the day, perhaps a result of her blood mingling with that of her father, the immortal Alexander Corvinus? There was definitely potential for an interesting further tale of these two on the cusp of a change in immortal dynamics. However, rather than take this route, the creators chose to go to the past, give us a bird's eye view of how the war started by filling in the gaps of what we have already been told.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans leaves Selene and Michael behind in favor of the forbidden, Romeo and Juliet style romance of Sonja (Rhona Mitra of Doomsday) and the original lycan Lucian (Michael Sheen of Underworld and Frost/Nixon). It is a tragic tale filled with betrayal, politics, lust, revolt, and of course a little blood soaked action. It is also a story that finds the combatants turning in their UV-round equipped pistols for pointy-tipped arrows and crossbows. Whatever the tools of war are, the fighting is sure to be fierce.

The first two Underworld features told a compelling story of vampires and werewolves that was laced with history adding depth to the newly created universe. This third entry steps away from the layers in favor of a straight up story. This does not help deepen the Underworld franchise, but it does a good job of showing us the events that led to what we know.

Rise of the Lycans chronicles the rise of Lucian, from his birth to his place as head vampire elder Viktor's (Bill Nighy) pet, his romance with Viktor's daughter and his subsequent escape from slavery and position as leader of the lycans.

Now, any veteran of the Underworld franchise knows how this story is going to turn out. The screenplay from series co-creator Danny McBride and the Outlander writing team of Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain do not offer any surprises, so don't be expecting any. What they do provide is a solid, slightly melodramatic telling of the romantic and political origins of the war.

So, without the story to deliver the real goods, we are left with the look, action, and performances to pick up the tab, so to speak. For the most part, it delivers. The action is fierce and frequent, the look is right in line with what we have come to see, and the performances, well, they are delicious.

The performances are not great, but the two male leads know exactly how to deliver what is needed. Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen chew ravenously through every scene. In particular, Bill Nighy is marvelous as he adopts the clipped, vicious manner of speaking he began in the first Underworld. The man is simply amazing to watch as he takes his performance and pushes it clear over the top. Michael Sheen is likewise wonderful as the wild-eyed charismatic lycan leader. Rhona Mitra is fine, playing the equivalent of the Kate Beckinsale role.

Len Wiseman, director of the first two films, stepped aside from the chair, allowing production designer Patrick Tatopolous to step up and make his directorial debut. Tatopoulos does a fine job of keeping the film moving forward. However, the film feels incredibly short. It clocks in at 92 minutes, but feels less than that. I have to wonder how much was chopped and if we will ever see a longer cut?

Audio/Video. The 2.35:1 aspect ratio is preserved on this Blu-ray release, and just like the first two films, the dark, blue-tinged look is represented in fine fashion. There is great detail in every scene, although the high definition image reveals some of the effects work. This film's budget was less than that of Evolution, and it shows, particularly early on when there are a lot CG werewolves on the screen, and in the forest background, which looked like a reject from Sleepy Hollow. Not really bad, just noticeable, as a whole, the film retains a slick look that is hard to fault.

On the audio side of the coin, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track sounds spectacular. This disk truly shines whenever there are arrows flying through the air, creaky doors opening, chains rattling, or whips whistling through the air. Combine that with the effective score by Paul Haslinger (returning to the franchise, having scored the first film) and you have an audio track that will draw you in. I particularly liked the climactic battle sequence with the thundering approach of the lycans on the right, and the lighter, shoe-wearing clatter of armor-clad vampires on the left, culminating in a clash of roars and metal clangs.

Extras. This release, available separately or as part of a trilogy box set, comes with a nice selection of bonus material. (*Blu-ray exclusive)

• Commentary. The track includes producer Len Wiseman, director Patrick Tatopolous, and a few other producers. The track is informative, not quite as fun as the ones on the first two films, but plenty of information about the shoot.
• From Script to Screen. This featurette takes a look at getting the script right, due to the stories place in the world of the first two films. They also discuss how they had to rush a little due to the Writer's Guild strike.
• The Origin of the Feud. This discusses the relationship of Lucian and Sonja and its role in the start of the war.
• Re-creating the Dark Ages. This goes into the production design and look of the movie.
• Music Video. This is for "Deathclub" by William Control. This is a remix by Wes Borland and Renholder. This gothic tune is kind of cool, reminds me of The Cure crossed with Orgy.
• *Cine-Chat.This lets you can send messages to friends and others who are also watching the movie. I tried launching this a couple of times, but was unable to get it to load.
• *Behind the Castle Walls. This is pretty cool, it is a picture in picture feature that has interviews and behind the scenes footage play in a small window on screen with the feature.
• *Lycanthropes Around the World. This is an interactive map that provides information on werewolf sightings over the past 5000 years.
• *Digital Copy. The second disk contains a standard definition copy that can be transferred to iTunes or Windows Media Player to

Bottomline. Not as fulfilling as the first two films, this still delivers on its promise of action. Much like the first two, I found it to be more fun at home on Blu-ray than it was when I saw it on the big screen. I am also happy to see that the franchise has not been watered down to the PG-13 level like so many other franchises have.

Recommended.

Mastodon - Oblivion live on Letterman

Not who I would traditionally think of as a band to appear on Letterman, but it was good on them.

Nine and 9 - Trailers

This coming fall season will be seeing two movies share the same title. One is the number nine, written out, the other is the numerical 9. They could not be any more different. One stars Daniel Day-Lewis and is a flamboyant musical, the other is an animated tale in a post-apocaluptic world populated with rag dolls and featuring an ensemble voice cast. However, they both look rather entertaining and look forward to both. Oh yeah, don't forget District 9, to cover all our bases.

Movie Review: Angels & Demons

Back in 2006 Ron Howard, hot off the success of 2005's Cinderella Man, teamed with actor extraordinaire Tom Hanks to tackle a novel whose popularity was off the charts. It was Dan Brown's controversial thriller The Da Vinci Code. The film features Hanks as Dr. Robert Langdon, a symbolist, who becomes embroiled in a thriller that is ultimately a chase for the Holy Grail, plus the possibility that Jesus had a love life and was involved with Mary Magdalene. The tale is utterly preposterous, but the pieces of fact that Brown folded into his fiction helped make the story a moderately interesting one. I felt the film failed to live up to its pre-release hype (which seemed to rile up the Catholic community), although I would likely enjoy it a bit more now that it has been separated from the hype.

In any case, the formidable duo have returned to the Dan Brown catalog. Angels & Demons was selected, another thriller centering on Robert Langdon and the Catholic Church. This time around, it does not appear that the marketing team has taken the same route as they did for Da Vinci. Yes, this is a big release, but it still seems to be sneaking into theaters, wedged in between Star Trek and Terminator: Salvation. Now that it is here, does it stand up to its predecessor? Should the hype machine have gone full bore in promoting it? Yes to the first and no to the second.

Angels & Demons is not a perfect film, but it is definitely more enjoyable upon first viewing than The Da Vinci Code was. Sure, I was a bit skeptical going in, but cannot say I had any serious thoughts one way or the other with regards to the potential success. This lack of expectation did nothing but help, as I was willing to go along with whatever the film had to offer. As for the promotion, this is not your traditional blockbuster. This is a thriller that does not really target teens and twenty-somethings the way a film like Wolverine, it casts a wider net and brings in a larger number of older film goers. The audience will find the film. It will not open as large as the first, but it will likely show some good endurance.

The movie begins with the death of the Pope and the gathering of the College of Cardinals to select the next Pontiff. However, before this happens, four of the most revered Cardinals are kidnapped and message left in their place. This leads the Church to turn to Langdon, a man with the symbology knowledge that could help them track down those responsible. It turns out to by the return of the Illuminati, a scientific sect following Galileo that were hunted and killed by the Catholic Church. They vowed revenge, and this appears to be the time that they have chosen to strike.

Along with the kidnapping, a canister containing recently harvested antimatter. A powerful and explosive substance that could destroy the Vatican and a chunk of Rome in one fell swoop. A touchy situation has gotten decidedly hairier. Can Langdon find the kidnapped Cardinals and save the Vatican?

The tale plays out in a rather straightforward manner, and reminiscent of the Indiana Jones series. It is sort of like the Jones series has split into two beasts, one being the family-friendly pseudo-historical National Treasure films, the other being the pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-historical Langdon films.

One of the elements that failed this film, particularly early on, is the screenplay by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman. They had the challenge of packing a veritable ton of exposition into a relatively short period, they tried, but the end result is a film that is overly talky, ultimately dragging down the films pace. Seriously, whenever Hanks as Langdon got going I began to zone out a little. I am not against talky films, but this one made Hanks look like he just wanted to hear hims own voice.

The film does pick up as we get into the latter stages. The plot clicks along as our hero deduces the clues that no one else can see. Tom Hanks is not really in top form, but he looks more comfortable than he did in The Da Vinci Code. He is joined by Ewan McGregor, playing Father Patrick McKenna, the deceased Pope's aid. He does a fine job bringing depth to the role of the priest.

Overall, I would be lying if I did not say I was entertained, particularly in the second half. Once you get through the talking, the story is quite interesting. There is a blending of fact and fiction that could spur on the right individual to look into the truth behind the fiction. Besides, the production values are excellent. While the direction may not stand out, the cinematography does, there is always something interesting to look at.

An interesting note is that the Church has deemed this movie "harmless entertainment" and "no danger to the Church." This comes in stark contrast to the reactionary nature they had for the last film, where churches (including my own) made pamphlets available explaining how wrong the movie was as Church officials spoke out against it. I guess without the Hollywood hype machine behind it, there was no need for such an explosive reaction. Also, I am surprised that the most basic argument was never used: "It is a fictional novel!"

Bottomline. This is not a great movie, but it is one that will hold your attention. The performances are good, the look is slick, and it is above all else harmless. I'm kidding, it never posed a threat aside from attempting to tell a thrilling story with a few real world elements tossed in.

Recommended.