Theaters Spider
The first twist in David Cronenberg’s latest film is that it’s not the kind of bizarre technology story (eXistenZ, The Fly) that built his cult following. This psychological thriller, based on the novel by Patrick McGrath, is particularly notable for its refined acting and careful timing. Dennis “Spider” Clegg (Ralph Fiennes), a schizophrenic who lives in a halfway house after being released from an asylum, can put together only a few coherent words. Unpacking his conversations and flashbacks is tough and thrilling.
DVD Gorillaz: Phase One Celebrity Take Down
Attention multimedia junkies! More than four hours of the animated hip hop band’s content is crammed onto two discs. The DVD features five music videos (including storyboards), a mockumentary on the group’s “success,” and shorts about the band members’ lives when they’re not “performing.” The CD-ROM contains games, keys for opening Web pages, a remix machine, MP3s, and more. Cheeky monkeyz.
DVD XXX
It made XXX cool, but not even Vin Diesel diehards could believe the epic bike jump over the exploding farm. In a DVD first, extreme sports cameraman Todd Grossman documents the movie from pre- through post-production. All five of the major stunts are described in detail, including the rigging of eight cameras for the barn sequence. Plus, there’s a documentary on how Digital Domain enhanced the avalanche by building the mountain out of pixels. Pretty soon it’ll all be digital, even Diesel.
DVD Minority Report
Having doubts about your free will in a seemingly deterministic universe? Worry not. Mr. Spielberg gives you more than enough variety. This jam-packed set takes you through nearly every aspect of the movie’s story and set design – and the 481 effects that brought it all to life. Opt for behind-the-scenes footage of hunky Tom Cruise driving a maglev car, or go for a plain old explanation of how to construct CG retina-scanning spiders. Either way, it’s all there and, as the precogs say, “You can choose.”
The Sea and Cake
One Bedroom
This is easy listening for lab technicians. The Chicago quartet accents jangly guitars with synths and drum machines to fuse soul, jazz, and electronics. Sam Prekop’s delicate whisper rides along a samba groove on the lighthearted title track, while a love for ’60s psych rock comes through on “Interiors.” The Bowie cover, “Sound & Vision,” connects the group with a tradition of pop compositors. At just under 40 minutes, the disc is a short but sweet trip through the minds of four eclectic geniuses.
The Smashing Pumpkins
Earphoria
Remember Vieuphoria – the Siamese Dream-era concert video that captured the band’s ferocious live act? Its remastered soundtrack is finally on CD. Earphoria includes 15 songs recorded at various venues during the group’s 1993 tour. Complete with impromptu stage rants (“I Am One”) and squirrelly guitar solos (“Soma”), this set’s breakneck energy more than makes up for any lack of virtuosity. Don’t expect copies of the studio versions. Do expect the Pumpkins in all their tortured, adolescent glory.
The Roots
Phrenology
Named for the “science” of gauging smarts and character by the shape of one’s skull, the Philly-based hip hop collective’s latest album debunks the practice with some street-tested group chemistry. Cody Chesnutt guests on “The Seed,” a guitar-driven rock-and-roll jam, rapper Talib Kweli pays his respects on “Rolling With Heat,” and vocalist Nelly Furtado smooths out the edges with some radio-ready moves. The effect: skull-reshaping grit and emotion.
PJ Olsson
Beautifully Insane
Like Beck, neo-troubadour PJ Olsson mixes folksy pop with acoustic strumming and atmospheric sound effects. One problem:
A number of tunes here are overproduced to the point of being sickly sweet. “Ready for a Fall,” for example, was slick enough to be mood music on an episode of Dawson’s Creek. Still, tracks like “Three Light Years & a Day” are so infectious you’ll quickly forgive the studio indiscretions.
xbox Panzer Dragoon Orta
Sega has extracted every ounce of graphical power from the Xbox, and it shows. In one of the most beautiful games ever, you ride a laser-equipped dragon, shooting everything in sight. While it’s tempting to strafe a farm from a mile up just to watch the livestock flee, lay off the controller for a few beats and drink in the rain-swept cities and moonlit cloudscapes. The view isn’t just for aesthetics – the ability to see 3 miles into the distance gives you perspective when fighting a battleship that’s equally as long.
PC Impossible Creatures
On an island of genetics lab escapees, you become a mad scientist. With more than 50 predators to choose from, swap limbs to form entirely new and deadly warriors – say, a polar bear with eagle’s wings or a wolverine with a scorpion’s tail. Organize your fin-, fur-, and feather-covered soldiers for 15 missions in the South Pacific. After mastering the lethal mutations, fight the online armies of five other players. Not enough creative freedom? Tap into Relic’s free engine and development tools to build a mod all your own.
ps2 Devil May Cry 2
The sequel to last year’s sleeper hit has arrived, bigger and more stylish than before. Dante takes on netherworld denizens once again, but he no longer goes it alone – the playable heroine, Lucia, helps him along. In Crouching Tiger-inspired moments, the demon hunters jump off the walls of the impeccably detailed city and, with blades and firearms, defeat their enemies. As a last resort, Dante turns into a monster and does serious damage. The adrenaline-pumping action gives me goose bumps every time.
cube Resident Evil 2
It’s time to revisit the chilling classic that defined a genre. Capcom has ported its pivotal survival horror game to the GameCube, adding bonus modes and frighteningly realistic graphics. The scare factor doubles thanks to the rich 3-D scenery, like a garbage can teeming with maggots. Newbies and old-school fans pick up your shotgun, stock up on Green Herbs, and return to zombie-infested Raccoon City. But keep your eyes peeled: Resident Evil 3: Nemesis also comes back from the dead this month.
What Should I Do With My Life?
The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question
Po Bronson
Longtime Wired contributor Bronson hits the road to find out if Generation Equity has found a new path after the bust. Of the 50-odd people whose life stories he recounts, only a handful feel they’ve answered the book title’s Ultimate Question. An industrial heir finds his calling as a beat cop. An investment banker flourishes as a catfish farmer. Disenfranchised dotcommers, don’t despair: You may have lost your company, but you’re in good company.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom Cory Doctorow
In a world of affluence and immortality, the big battles will be fought over culture, not politics. That’s the starting point of Wired contributor Doctorow’s daring novel set in a futuristic Disney World where talent cooperatives vie to run the attractions. One faction wants to convert the Haunted Mansion into a theater that “flash-bakes” sensory impressions into patrons’ minds, offering them the thrill without the ride. Few challenges to copyright giants are as entertaining as this book.
Our Modern Times: The New Nature of Capitalism in the Information Age Daniel Cohen
Explaining capitalism in a scant 124 pages is a daunting task, but Cohen cuts to the quick – the battle over commodities, whether it be gold or labor. Squaring Sartre’s individual against technological efficiencies, the French economist dissects the conflicts that drive markets: assembly lines versus autonomous workers, standardized versus personalized products. His argument in favor of humans over financial capital is sure to appeal to today’s downsized employees.
A New Deal for New York Mike Wallace
Whither Manhattan? Ask historian Mike Wallace, whose pithy effort enlivens the chary proposals and tepid white papers that would guide the city’s future. Read it first as a cheat sheet to the manifold designs already on the table. Read it again as a manifesto all its own. Applying a “touch of Jane Jacobs and a dash of Robert Moses,” along with a dose of “the Internet’s virtual agora,” Wallace would rally the city with 21st-century innovations, using green technologies and an inspired rewiring of the transportation grid.
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