Click here to view the embedded video.

We were able to spend about 30 minutes with God of War III, and what we played was very impressive. Be sure to read our full preview of the game here.

God of War III hits store shelves on Tuesday March 16th.

My column for this month is a special edition in honour of the upcoming Canadian Music Week: a five-day festival showcasing great Canadian music acts as well as conferences, lectures, award shows and films. It’s going to be a wild ride, and I want to show you which events will make you lean forward, flail your arms and smile.

CMW runs March 10-14, with events during the days and concerts/films in the evenings.

Canadian Music Week (and Fest – the music portion) require that you purchase passes to attend events (obviously). You can purchase weekly or daily passes. For more information, go here. However, if you want to go to just one concert, tickets can be purchased here.

This is the third part in a trio of articles in preparation for CMW. Today, we tackle the heavy conference schedule.

So, the TuneUp Conference seems to be the one with the most potential this year. There are a few other ones that focus on radio and digital sales, yadda yadda, but TuneUp is where you’ll get to see the talks that are the most interesting—plus some really random stars. “This conference is designed to help the creative talent – artists and recording professionals – hone their business skills and mesh them with their artistic muse,” states the website. Now, I may not be an artist or professional, but if I still find some of the lectures interesting, you probably will too.

On March 11:

Slash

• Slash (of Guns & Roses, Velvet Revolver fame) gets interviewed by CNN Anchors (one is actually a former Much Music VJ). I mean come on! That is all that needs to be said. 11:15 a.m.
• Five CEOs/Directors talk about the future of music distribution (cough, downloading). 12:20 p.m.
• “Social Media and Online Tools for the Music Creator.” Pretty easy to figure this one out too. I do want to see what they have to say about what bands should be tweeting and putting up on their Flickr. I’m also confused as to when Red Bull started having recording artists (one of their speakers is Curtis Santiago).
• Jamie Cullum will be interviewed and also be performing. He’s a jazz musician from the UK, but really unique since he covers Radiohead, Pharrel and more. 3:30 p.m.

On March 12:

Bob Lefsetz

• Day Job? What’s That? David Stopps’ ‘How To Make A Living From Music.’” Stopps, a big-time manager from the UK has written a book with of the same name, and it might be interesting (this one mostly for musicians) to hear what he has to say. 12:30 p.m.
• “The Fan Is Always Right…” I know this. You know this. Now everybody knows this! A few people from American companies are coming up to explain how they’ve actually incorporated their fans into their business models. And while that sounds interesting, it also sounds dangerous. 1:40 p.m.
• Bob Lefsetz, who writes The Lefsetz Letter by email subscription and blog a few times a day (and in lengthy amounts), is coming to speak. He’s only scheduled one hour, but I predict this will go overtime. 2:45 p.m.
• “Indie Super Session.” A huge panel of label guys are going to talk about the difference between indie and mainstream acts, plus the internet’s role in that. It sounds really obvious, but I still think this could be a good talk. 5 p.m.

On March 13:

• “Songs in the Key of Light.” This panel is about how music gets onto film, TV and advertising soundtracks. I’ve always been curious about this job since I was a kid (always thinking I could pick better songs than the people who do it) so it’s time for me to go school myself (or find a way to get one of those jobs)! 1:45 p.m.
• “Primp my Performance: How to Own the Stage.” You know, I may have stage fright, but this might just be worth seeing. Unless the presenter makes all the audience members do stuff. In which case, you’ll see me running out of the room, without any grace whatsoever. 4:15 p.m.
• The Indies. This is pretty much the award-finishing (for real) finale of the festival each year. There are ten awards – including for Best Music Critic (I’m not on the list, sadly) and ChartATTACK’s favourite album. Performances by Desperate Union, Plants & Animals, Great Lake Swimmers, The Rural Alberta Advantage and The Constantines. 7 p.m.

For more information, go here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I wrote up a detailed description of the teaser trailer a few weeks back and tried to give my best recap from memory. Needless to say, I was wrong with about 40% of it.  My biggest mistake was thinking Michael Sheen was the red suit: it’s actually CLU 2; a younger version of Kevin Flynn (Bridges). Director Joseph Kosinski recently did a Q & A session for Legacy and let slip two very interesting tibits: Jeff Bridges would be digitally de-aged to appear as his younger self in the movie. Bruce Boxleitner will be going through a similar process showing up as TRON himself.

What’s cooler than this teaser trailer?  The fact that it’s a just a teaser trailer and that we can expect an even longer one before the movie premieres this winter!

The trailer (which is available for download here) is currently playing in 3D with Alice in Wonderland.

TRON: Legacy hits theatres December 17, 2010.

My column for this month is a special edition in honour of the upcoming Canadian Music Week: a five-day festival showcasing great Canadian music acts as well as conferences, lectures, award shows and films. It’s going to be a wild ride, and I want to show you which events will make you lean forward, flail your arms and smile.

CMW runs March 10-14, with events during the days and concerts/films in the evenings.

Canadian Music Week (and Fest – the music portion) require that you purchase passes to attend events (obviously). You can purchase weekly or daily passes. For more information, go here. However, if you want to go to just one concert, tickets can be purchased here.

This is the second part in a trio of articles in preparation for CMW. Today, I’ll point out a number of bands that are more than worth just checking out.

On March 10:

Damian "Pink Eyes" Abraham of Fucked Up

Fucked Up will play at 1 a.m. at the El Mocambo, which is bound to be one of the sweatiest events you will ever go to. They recently played Toronto’s The Opera House, and that is a considerably larger venue than the El Mo. So if they can pack huge venues like that, be sure to try and squeeze into the spectacle that is Damian “Pink Eyes” Abraham dancing with no clothes on to really fast and fun punk music.

All night at Lee’s Palace will be a charmingly fun showcase of crooner Bahamas (Afie Jurvanen, who used to back up bands like Feist’s), Jason Collett (also in Broken Social Scene) and Zeus (Collett’s former backing band, now with an album of their own). It’s safe to say there will be a lot of harmonies!

At the Opera House will be two bands that I used to listen to a lot in high school and still hold a bit of love for: I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody’s Business and Copeland. The former is the side project from Ace Enders, who used to front the Early November and the latter will actually be presenting this as their farewell tour. If you’ve still got that soft spot for sad boy music, this is the show for you.

On March 11:

Green Go

The Audio Blood showcase, presented by Exclaim!, has some of the country’s hottest young pop talent these days all in one night. Start at 9 p.m. and going until about 3 a.m., there’s the Ottawa-based folk artist Leif Vollebekk, the pop/soul mixings of We Are the City, Toronto pop/rock band The Darcys, then Clothes Make the Man, Make Your Exit and Sandman Viper Command. It’s sure to be one power chord-filled night. And they seem to be the kind of record label that has fun, as shown in a video they released this weekend in preparation for the Fest.

Another indie label, Arts & Crafts, will also be putting on a showcase. Taking place at the Great Hall, they have Australian pop princess Sally Seltmann (formerly known as New Buffalo), West Coast gentleman Dan Mangan and the haunting works of Timber Timbre. From 9 p.m. to 12 p.m.

Sneaky Dee’s, the home of some of Toronto’s best nachos with cheese, is a veteran of eager shows on their second floor that always make the floor shake. The MuseBox showcase has some great artists lined up for the night, including Language-Arts, Everything All the Time, Parlovr and Green Go. Be sure to get there early so you can be close to all of the fun. From 8 p.m. to about 4 a.m.

On March 12:

Metz

Billions Showcase includes Winter Gloves, The Acorn, Plants & Animals and Think About Life. I’m glad it’s at Lee’s Palace because this is going to be a packed show, and Lee’s is one of the more spacious venues compared to the Horseshoe or the El Mo. Most of these bands released amazing albums a couple years ago and are at it again this year, so there’s a lot of anticipation. From 9 p.m. to about 3 a.m.

The Music Gallery, which is in the St. George the Martyr Church, is always home to exquisite and calm performances. Indie musicians on the solo path at the moment will take over this night: Julie Fader (who worked with Chad VanGaalen, Tony Dekker and Justin Rutledge on her new album), Brian Borcherdt (of Holy Fuck) and Postdata (Paul Murphy of Wintersleep). From 7:30 p.m. to about 10 p.m., this is bound to be beautiful.

At the Garrison, there will be an interesting mix of folk, pop, and noise rock. From Ghostkeeper to Silver Starling to METZ, your nerves will be on high voltage, but I don’t think that would be a bad thing. From 9 p.m. to about 2 a.m.

On March 13:

Joel Plaskett

Every year, ChartAttack puts on great showcases at the Horseshoe Tavern. This year is pretty solid, but no doubt is their best night this night. They have a long roster of artists: Yukon Blonde, The Balconies, The Beauties, The Wooden Sky, Two Hours Traffic, The Junction and The Stanfields. It will be a very dancey night, with pause for more country by The Beauties and The Wooden Sky in the middle, which seems like a pretty neat sandwich. From 8:30 p.m. to about 3 a.m.

Joel Plaskett is playing at the Mod Club, but the interesting thing is he’s opening for acts like Jeff Martin, Default and The Trews. A weird combination, it might just be worth it to see if you can get into Joel’s set, but it might already be sold out. I still have yet to really see him play, that’s a huge bummer. At 7:30 p.m.

New Teeth will play at the Neutral Lounge at 8 p.m. This band is kind of on the up-and-coming list at the moment, deservedly so. They’re an interesting-sounding band with pointy guitar notes and sharp synth strokes. I think they would be really interesting to see live, probably even better than their recordings.

Alright! I think you’ve got a great schedule set up. But if you want to find more, go here to see the full schedule. If you want to know where I’ll be headed to cover, go here. Have fun!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The film is directed by Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson.

Iron Man 2 hits theatres May 7th 2010.

I recently had a chance to sit down and play God of War III, the third entry in the franchise from Sony’s Santa Monica Studio. After playing through the first 25 minutes or so, I only had one thought: Where the hell can this game possibly go from here?

Spoilers to follow.

God of War III starts where the second game left off. Kratos, the brutal Spartan warrior turned God of War, has been betrayed by the other Greek deities and stripped of his godly powers. Hell-bent on revenge, Kratos has allied himself with the mighty Titans, with their help he begins his assault on Mount Olympus the stronghold of the Gods.

Epic does not even begin to describe the opening of God of War III. The player is immediately thrust into the fray, riding on the back of Gaia, a massive 100-story tall Titan, as she scales Mount Olympus. As Gaia and the other Titans ascend the peak they face the full fury of the Olympian Gods defending their home. After dispatching several dozen minor minions, Kratos is confronted by none other than the god of the sea, Poseidon. The ensuing fight against Poseidon is a lengthy, multi-stage boss battle that constantly changes its orientation. The whole battle takes place on the aforementioned skyscraper-sized Titan as it lumbers up the mountain.

Part of what makes the visuals in God of War III especially impressive is the fact that 98% of the action is being rendered in real-time by the game engine. And as for the 2% of the game that isn’t in engine, the pre-rendered bits are seamlessly integrated with the rest of the game; you won’t even realize these moments are not being rendered in-engine. While battling smaller foes, you’ll observe the other battles going on in the background. You may become distracted while fighting skeletal warriors when you see Helios in his flaming chariot take down a Titan in the distance. Graphically, the game has come a long way from the 2009 E3 demo that became available in February. God of War III is easily one of the best looking games on the Playstation 3, and that’s saying something when you consider the cababilities of the hardware.

God of War III is pure hack-and-slash action at its best. If you’ve played any of the previous entries in the God of War franchise, then you know what to expect in terms of game play; the controls and moves are nearly identical to the earlier God of War games, with some noticeable tweaks and additions. My favourite new move has to be The Battering Ram, where Kratos grabs an enemy and uses it as a shield to plow through other enemies. Overall the controls feel tight and responsive, I never once felt confused or that I was button mashing. One major, but subtle improvement involves the quick time events that the God of War games have become famous for. When the buttons appear on screen, they don’t just appear in the centre of the screen like in the previous games; instead they appear in the same position the button is on the controller. For example, when the game needs you to press the square and triangle buttons in a sequence, the square button will appear on the left side of the screen and the triangle button will appear on the top of the screen. It’s really a simple change, but it makes the quick time events much easier to execute, since the game is clueing you in as to which side of the controller the button is on.

I guess I’d forgotten how violent the God of War games were, and God of War III certainly lives up to its predecessors in that respect. After defeating Poseidon, the player enters a quick time event from the perspective of the god of the sea. Kratos pummels Poseidon mercilessly, with the scene culminating in the player gouging out the god’s eyes and pushing his body off the mountain — pressing down L3 and R3 with my thumbs really added to the immersion. If you’ve ever wanted to see someone beat a god to death with their bare hands, then this game is probably right up your alley. Then again, if you’ve played the previous games you’ve already seen multiple gods take a beating at the hands of Kratos.

Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of the God of War franchise. I’d tried the first two games, but for whatever reason I just couldn’t get into them. It was a little odd, since I’m a huge fan of other hack-and-slash games like Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden. It’s the snooty indie gamer in me; maybe I just couldn’t stomach Kratos’ perma-sneer, hyper-machismo and his cookie-cutter anti-heroism. And while he still looks and behaves like he belongs in the WWE, that sentiment behind me now. Thirty minutes with God of War III totally converted me. In fact, I’m playing through the first God of War now and will probably pick up the second game at some point soon. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m really looking forward to God of War III. I just hope the rest of the game is as good as what I’ve already seen.

Be sure to stay tuned for our interview with Edmonton’s own John Palamarchuk, Lead Cinematic Designer on God of War III.

My column for this month is a special edition in honour of the upcoming Canadian Music Week: a five-day festival showcasing great Canadian music acts as well as conferences, lectures, award shows and films. It’s going to be a wild ride, and I want to show you which events will make you lean forward, flail your arms and smile.

Canadian Music Week (and Fest – the music portion) requires that you purchase passes to attend events (obviously). You can purchase weekly or daily passes. For more pass information, go here. However, if you want to go to just one concert, individual tickets can be purchased here.

CMW runs March 10-14, with events during the days and concerts/films in the evenings.

This is the first part in a trio of articles in preparation for CMW. Today, I’ll tell you which films I think are worth seeing.

On March 12:

Streets of Fire, National Film Board of Canada, 7 p.m.

This looks like the Watchmen of rock operas (excuse my lame comic book joke. Or don’t, and send me hate mail). Just read the following sentence and see for yourself why Streets of Fire is ridiculous and awesome at the same time: “A mercenary (Michael Pare) must act to free his rock star ex-girlfriend (Diane Lane) from the clutches of The Bombers, a motorcycle gang led by Willem Dafoe in one of the most charismatic roles of his career.” What?! This sounds too epic to be true.

Phantom of the Paradise, NFB, 9 p.m.

The website says this is a re-working of the Phantom of the Opera, except as a 1970’s rock opera and with a musician getting mad at his producer. Paul Williams stars in the film, composed and made the soundtrack. Williams will also be speaking during the conferences.

On March 13:

Seperado!, The Royal Cinema, 1 p.m.

Made by Gruff Rhys, the front man of Super Furry Animals, this is a journey through Welsh communities in South Africa as a portrait and a discovery.

When You’re Strange, TRC, 7 p.m.

It’s a documentary about The Doors. Narrated by Johnny Depp. It also promises to have “hundreds of hours of rare, personal footage.”

Nowhere Boy, TRC, 9 p.m.

Sam Taylor-Wood, a photographer, is making his film debut in a big way, by profiling the “early story” of John Lennon before The Beatles. I’d say this would be great to see, but of course I still love Across the Universe.

For more information check out the CMW Film Festival page.

Travis Touchdown and the Rose Nasties. Sounds like a band.

Looking for a game where bloody assassin massacres and cutesy kitten playtime are equal priorities?

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is one of the biggest, and strangest, releases for the Nintendo Wii in the first quarter of 2010. Its predecessor No More Heroes won critical acclaim back in 2008 for its adult themes and stylish visuals, but the sequel hopes to match and exceed the former in both overall design and unit sales.

Let’s get one thing straight: Desperate Struggle is about as adult a game as you can find on the Wii System – a system generally designed with Family Game Night in mind.  Before you can even save for the first time the game features blood fountains, self-mutilation, sexually suggestive weaponry, and about half-a-dozen or so ‘questionable’ pieces of language not fit for print in this website (Okay, that’s a lie, but hey, there are kids around). Not a bad list. Only potty humour could make the opening any more visceral, and for that, well, just wait for the first save point. It won’t disappoint.

Playing as Travis Touchdown, the mission is to climb the ranks of the resident assassins in the city of Santa Destroy. Travis is basically a Japanese version of Johnny Knoxville, that is, if Knoxville was a remorseless killer in addition to being an infamous jack-ass. As blunt in his demeanour as his beam katana blade is razor-sharp, Travis ends up back on the assassin circuit, seeking vengeance for the murder of his best friend, Bishop.

Of course, a mere revenge plot isn’t nearly enough to sustain most gamers. So rest assured that Desperate Struggle also comes equipped with a sexy pledge, that should Travis succeed then French coquette, and United Assassins Association agent Sylvia Christel, will show him her latest yoga move – the conveniently vague ‘downward dog.’ Simply put, Travis’ job is to get on top (literally and figuratively) as quickly and as recklessly as he can.

Director Suda51 has honed his signature style since the original No More Heroes, and as a result, the sequel has refined his art with a little help from his development studio Grasshopper Manufacture. The graphics are tighter, the lines are cleaner, and the pixellated 3D environment is smoother than ever. Alongside these enhancements, Travis, is finally free to slice and dice his way through some truly awesome enemy-rich landscapes in what can only be described as a series of satisfying bloodsplosions.

Make no bones about it, Desperate Struggle is crude, but purposefully so. Its intent is to provide immediate fulfillment to a specific target audience. So, if humorous sex and gratuitous violence is not your cup of tea, then let this game pass you by. However, if you are not the sort of person prone to bouts of prudish nausea, then Desperate Struggle just might offer you a welcome respite of immersive vulgarity.

For instance, the original No More Heroes required cash to advance the action, forcing players to toil through a frustrating collection of odd jobs in order to pay for the next ranked assassin battle. Desperate Struggle keeps the odd job structure, but two key things have changed: Travis no longer requires cash to move on and the odd jobs are now retro-style bit-graphic games reminiscent of the original Nintendo.  By making it easier to advance and recognizing the appeal of a retrofitting, Desperate Struggle endears itself to more experienced gamers who just want to keep it simple and kick some ass.

Travis executes a... uh, something awesome.

Also new are a few katanas, most notably on the ‘Peony’ and the ‘Rose Nasty,’ as well as two new playable characters, Henry and Shinobu.

‘Peony’ is purchasable from Naomi (the returning doctor from No More Heroes) and is an expensive two-handed piece of work that grows and shrinks depending on how much damage Travis has taken or delivered. Though it is brutally powerful, it is somewhat slow and unwieldy. The ‘Rose Nasty’ is actually two red-beamed katanas that appear sharper and more serrated than Travis’ standard issue. You do not receive the blades until late in the game, but with them Travis can deliver some high-velocity hack and slash.

The two new playable characters come out of nowhere mid-story to give Travis a bit of a rest and I found they threw the game’s pacing off.  First, Henry. Your American-born Irish-raised twin brother is certainly cool, but in-game he is far less interesting to control than Travis. What’s more, you only have him for one mission – and it’s an immediate boss fight versus a little kid in a dream world (she’s chipper, can hover around, has gigantic robot arms. This is standard No More Heroes fare). Far from my favourite level, it seemed like, and most likely was, a late-production throw-in. Shinobu is much cooler.  Shinobu helps Travis kill two assassins on his list, and in addition to having more unique lunges than Henry, she can jump and perform aerial attacks.

Wait, she can jump? B-B-But th-that means – Yep, you guessed it. The gamer’s ultimate bane: terribly annoying jumping puzzles. I thought games had finally learned that not being able to progress through a level because you keep missing a jump is tantamount to fifty slaps to the face. Okay, so it’s a small part of the game, I’ll admit. But even rearing its ugly head once was enough to make me curse the TV.

There are other downsides to the game: all in all it is rather short (I clocked in at about eight hours), the levels themselves are simple repetition and the humour seems to dry up halfway through the story. That said there is nothing else out there like No More Heroes, and Desperate Struggle makes some critical improvements on its predecessor.  Its strong cult of fandom will also likely extend the lifespan of the franchise. Suda51 has suggested Nintendo’s follow up to the Wii as a platform for a prospective No More Heroes 3.

*This review is courtesy of C+G Monthly, a new video game and comic magazine by the Lucidforge Network meant for an adult audience. No More Heroes certainly fits the bill. Check out the website for C+G Monthly right here.*

I want to take this opportunity to thank my co-founders Jeff and Lucas and all of our contributors for the hard work they’ve put in over the past year. We’ve got something special here, be proud of it guys!

I’d also like to sincerely thank all of our readers, without you guys there would be no Dork Shelf. As always, we appreciate your readership and your comments!

Our second year at DorkShelf.com is going to be even better. Expect new features, new contributors, some events and that long awaited site redesign!

Stay tuned…

First official photo from HBO's Game of Thrones - Click to Enlarge

The Hollywood Reporter and several other outlets are reporting that HBO has given the greenlight for a ten episode order of Game of Thrones. The TV series, which is based on George R.R. Martin’s extremely popular A Song of Ice and Fire novels, shot its pilot in the UK and Morocco late last year. Thrones stars Sean Bean (Goldeneye, Lord of the Rings) and Lena Headey (300, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as well as a whole host of recognizable actors, including Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent) and Jason Momoa (Stargate: Atlantis), who was recently cast as Conan in the new Conan the Barbarian film. The series is being produced by novelist and screenwriter David Benioff, the man behind 25th Hour, Troy and more recently Brothers.

Game of Thrones is set in the medieval world of Westeros, where rival houses vie for control of the Iron Throne that controls the seven kingdoms. The fictional medieval setting doesn’t necessarily mean high fantasy; there are no elves or orcs in Game of Thrones. The focus is less on the fantastical or magical and more on political machinations and brutal battles. Game of Thrones was pitched to HBO as “The Sopranos meets Lord of the Rings” and that’s not far off from what Thrones is.

I’m not a big fantasy guy, but I count the Song of Ice and Fire series amongst my favourite books. Television critics have been amazed by the unprecedented amount of hype that the pilot for Thrones has generated; based on that fact alone HBO was wise to pick up the series. Great writing combined with the wonderful cast they’ve assembled for the show and HBO production values makes Game of Thrones the must watch show of next year.

Game of Thrones is set to begin filming in June on track for a television debut in Winter 2011.

I was part of the lucky group of people who were invited to a sneak peek at the first theatrical trailer for Disney’s upcoming Tron: Legacy. The online viral marketing campaign for the film has kicked into high gear in the past two weeks. FlynnLives.com was the first site to pop up, which invited people to scour London, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney and Toronto for clues that would reveal the name of a website where intrepid scavengers could register for the screening event.

Tron: Legacy follows Sam Flynn (Garret Hedlund), the son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who is looking into his father’s mysterious disappearance 25 years ago.  His search leads him to his father’s old haunts and ultimately transports him into the same cyber-universe that his father was once trapped in and now resides. Check out the full trailer description after the jump.

Spoilers to follow.

I’ll break it down into three parts:

Description of the trailer based on all that I can remember.
What I thought worked.
What I thought didn’t work.

Tron: Legacy Trailer Shot-By-Shot Description

-       Screen opens with the Disney Logo that slowly transitions into the dark blueish Tron logo seen in the previous trailer.

-       We see a far away shot of the Encom Building; view is from the top of the building looking onto a helipad.

-       We then get a shot of an aged Alan Bradley (played by a returning Bruce Boxleitner) decked out in a full out business suit and trenchcoat speaking to Sam Flynn about his father in what looks like an abandoned warehouse during the day.

-       Alan tells Sam that he knows Sam and many others think that his father is dead because he’s been missing for 30 years, but he promised that if he ever hears any news about Kevin Flynn he would let Sam know immediately.

-       Alan says that he received a call from a number originating from Flynn’s Arcade the night before and Sam brushes it off. Alan states that no one has stepped foot in that building in over 23 years; Alan says he believes that was Kevin trying to get in touch with the world but more specifically Sam

-       Sam is reluctant to listen and states something along the lines of why would he want to speak to his father and what would he say in a pissed off manner.

-       Alan gives him the keys to the arcade and tells him to just go and find the answers for closure.

-       The next bunch of shots are in the real world but its Sam on a motorbike gunning through traffic on a highway and even taking a jump off an exit ramp going towards the arcade.

-       The arcade is the same as it was before and when Sam enters its covered with dust surrounding machines covered in plastic.

-       He turns on the power and hits the lights that lead him to the Tron machine at the back wall; he basically says something along the lines of “Here goes nothing” and puts a quarter in but it falls out onto the ground to reveal grooves on the floor like there is a hidden door.

-       The next shot is the Tron machine slowly turning to reveal a door and then shutting behind Sam; it leads him into a dusty room with a computer desk.

-       Sam sees a dusty touch screen monitor that has a bunch of computer language on it and removes the dust; the computer isn’t frozen but working at an alarming rate.

-       The next shot is from behind Sam showing the same machine that derezzed his father from the first film and its powering up.  Screen goes blank.

-       The next series of shots are all done from inside the cyber-universe:

-      Starts off with an awesome shot of a Recognizer (Big floating robot from the first movie that fly around trying to crush things); its an updated version of the machine landing on a platform in the rain with three people awaiting it.

-      We see a shot of Sam in what looks like the observation tower of an arena looking down with an audience around him; he’s in a Tron suit now.

-      Light cycle going full blast on that bridge from the teaser into the city.

-      A shot of Olivia Wilde in a black suit lying down on a couch.

-      An updated disc battle in which the fighting looks like its done in a squash court type setting; it’s within a closed off room that is clear all over and surrounded by a huge audience.

-      A quick shot of actor Michael Sheen with a white slicked back mohawak with two robots behind him (I thought about it and maybe it was Daft Punk).

-      Actor James Frain comes from an elevated platform in a yellow suit followed by two unknowns in red suits.

-      More shots of the disc battling; One guy is evening tossing duel discs.

-      Followed some blonde lady in a white suit walking towards the screen.

-      More light cycles battling it out.

-      At this point, you can hear (not see) Kevin Flynn talking but it sounds simlair to that of the Master Control Program from the first movie. He says something along the lines of “It’s been a long time… Good to finally see you.”

-      We see the shot of Sam walking in his suit towards a big beam of light (like the picture above) while his father is talking.

-      Quickly see a digitized version of Jeff Bridges eyes like from the teaser and then into the title Tron: Legacy and a release date dropping into blackness.

-       The ending shot is Sam Flynn on a light cycle battling it out with a red cycle going in a straight line side by side like the first film; this immediately breaks into the next scene by which you see Sam powerslide  his bike and create a curved light wall.

-       The red cycle can’t take the turn quick enough and flies into it exploding and derezzing (The camera angle is from the front of Sam’s bike looking at him smiling with relief).

What I thought worked:

The music was very dark and had a great beat to it.  It wasn’t a slow beat, but it was very deep and had a digital feel. I can’t wait to hear more from it.

Imagery and colors were intense. The real world looked very light and promising, but you were totally aware of the cyber-world. Very deep blue and greenish-grey colors paint the screen with great shadowing off the lights of the buildings and the suits.  The shot of the Recognizer landing on the rainy platform was about 10x more vibrant in color and it showed.

Acting was pretty solid. The only serious acting was from Boxleitner and Hedland, but I remember hearing from people around me saying that Hedlund was solid. He didn’t come off as cheesy.

Pacing of the trailer: Very intense.  The cyber-world has clearly updated itself from previous incarnation and as a result is much more deadly. You got the impression that survivial is an every day battle there. If the film experience is anything like how I felt after watching the trailer, its going to great.

The trailer was in 3-D and it looked amazing. I can’t imagine seeing this movie any other way now.

What I thought didn’t work:

Camera angles were really weird at some points. For example when Sam and Alan are speaking, the camera went from high up in the rafters to below their waist in the next shot.  Another instance was when we see Sam in the disc battle getting ready, a couple shots felt like a four foot tall person looking up at action from a 45 degree angle.  It happened enough for me to notice and make it a point to state.

The trailer focused totally on Sam Flynn. We had no shots of CLU 2 from the previous trailer or even Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, other than recycled eye shot from the teaser. I wanted to see  shots of Bridges looking down at CLU 2, similiar to the official still that was released a few weeks back.

The Real World Marketing: I feel bad for the people who showed up two hours before for the screening. I showed up roughly thirty minutes before and managed to get great seats. It was internet speculation that the event would be either a) The trailer, plus 10 minutes of actual footage (as some people found out the IMAX screens were rented out for 20 minutes) or b) The trailer plus the original film remastered in 3-D.  To add insult to injury, they didn’t even show the trailer twice!  It was played and then we were cleared out of the cinema to be given a “FLYNN LIVES” shirt.  Many left upset and were colourfully vocal about it.

I was not complaining. I was very happy to see this trailer; it made me an instant fanboy, plus the t-shirt has definitely upped my dork rep. I can’t wait for the trailer to go online, I’m sure I’ll watch it many more times. Seriously, you’ll be blown away when you see this movie in action.

Tron: Legacy is out in December 17th 2010.

Radha Mitchell in The Crazies

Breck Eisner’s The Crazies is a film that makes no bones about what it is. I had expected another run-of-the-mill horror film going in, but left the theatre pleasantly surprised. The Crazies is a tightly wound ball of suspense that will manage to unsettle and entertain you. The film is loosely based on George Romero’s 1973 movie of the same name; that film focused on both the civilian and military response to a deadly outbreak in a small town. Like Romero’s other work the film contained timely social commentary, in this case the film was a satire of the Vietnam War. The 2010 version of The Crazies is a little different, with the focus on squarely on the civilians, their dealings with the infected and the brutal military containment of the town. Now I’m sure you could draw out some kind of analogy relating to the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq, but if there is any underlying message it doesn’t feel nearly as ham-handed as some of Romero’s efforts. The Crazies is a rare example of a Hollywood horror film that is not only a good genre film, but a pretty decent flick period. Unlike many other horror films, you’ll feel invested in the movie and actually root for the characters to survive.

Spoilers to follow.

Welcome to picture perfect Ogden Marsh, an ordinary farming community in rural Iowa. This is a town where nothing really exciting ever happens, and that’s just the way the residents like it. Here we meet the local Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his pregnant wife Judy (Radha Mitchell), the town doctor. When a local man unexpectedly shows up to a high school baseball game wielding a shotgun, Sheriff Dutton is forced to shoot him in self-defense. In the wake of this incident, more townsfolk begin to acting strangely; what was another painfully normal Spring in Ogdgen Marsh slowly begins turning into a nightmare for the residents. As things spiral out of control, Dutton and his Deputy (Joe Anderson) discover that a military aircraft containing a biological weapon recently crashed into the reservoir, contaminating the local water supply. Before the two are able to warn the residents the military cordons off the town and begin rounding up the infected families with brutal efficiency.

Joe Anderson and Timothy Olyphant in The Crazies

Small towns are generally kind of creepy, more so when their residents are all homicidal maniacs. The Crazies latches on to that small town paranoia and runs with it; your friends, your family, your neighbours and coworkers all have the frightening capacity to commit horrible acts of violence, you just don’t know it yet. One thing I really liked about The Crazies was how well it was shot; it’s not something I usually even consider when watching a horror film. This is likely thanks to cinematographer and horror veteran Maxime Alexandre (Haute Tension, The Hills Have Eyes), he makes the most of the open spaces provided by the mid-Western United States. Every location is transformed by the outbreak, the more mundane the locale, the more sinister it becomes: A massacre in the schoolyard; murderers at the truckstop; psychotic mayhem at a carwash! You’ll never look at a small town the same way. The Crazies has been marketed as a zombie film, which is only half true. The characters spend more time worrying about the military than their infected former friends and neighbours. The film is true to its survival-horror roots though, there are definitely some very intense, claustrophobic scenes involving the eponymous crazies. However, I found the prospect of my own government trying to hunt and kill me for reasons beyond my control far more frightening than any crazed infected maniacs could ever be. A maniac you can fight. A heavily armed gunship or a nuclear weapon, not so much.

Anyone who watched HBO’s Deadwood knows that Timothy Olyphant is perhaps one of the most underrated and under-utilized actors working today. Olyphant has had a pretty storied career so far, he’s been involved in some great projects and some real stinkers. However, its roles like Sheriff Dutton in The Crazies that remind you of what a solid actor he is. Olyphant really deserves to be a bigger star than he is. The same is true of Radha Mitchell, who has carved out a niche for herself in the horror genre. Mitchell is a talented actress who brings a lot to any project she’s involved with, particularly this one. Both Olyphant and Mitchell are great as a husband and wife who are pillars of their small community. Thrust into an unimaginable situation they’re both very believable; there are no heroes in The Crazies, what makes the viewer sympathize with the Dutton family is the fact that they’re so average.

The Crazies is one of the better horror films Hollywood has produced in a long time. The film executes its disturbing premise very well and doesn’t cop out on the ending. It’s not overly gorey, but still manages to get under your skin. You can’t really ask for much more from this kind of film, it’s a prime example of horror done right. If they have to keep remaking George Romero movies, I’ll be glad if they turn out as well as The Crazies.