In Music: Brandon Flowers - Crossfire

So Brandon Flowers of "The Killers" has gone solo with his first single, "Crossfire."  I actually really like it, and if this is the direction he's going, he may have a shot.  Not only is the song great, but the video is amazing.  It's a bunch of scenes of him tied up, sweaty and beat up and Charlize Theron comes in and rescues him by kickin' some ass.  It doesn't hurt that Brandon is sexy as hell by the way.  Overall, a great first solo song/video!

★★★☆☆

In Music: Who Did It Better? Nikka Costa vs. Kelly Clarkson

To be fair, Nikka did it first, and also no one has the funk like Ms. Costa!

In Games: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2011 for PS3

The newest release in the Tiger Woods franchise is a mixed bag of improvements and drawbacks.  Some of my favorite things about the series have gone missing in 2011.  For instance, one of the parts of the game that was the most fun was getting sponsored and earning money by wearing your sponsor's gear.  Not only is this gone, but so is the money!  You now use XP for gear, animations AND your skill upgrades.  That's a lot of crap to use XP on and you probably won't ever be able to afford the animations you want without sacrificing your game play.  Another great thing about this franchise that fell short with this release is the ability to create your own characters and have them look like you.  The "Photo Gameface" lets you upload pictures, takes about 20 minutes and then ends up looking nothing like you.  The standard gameface lacks a lot of customization ability.  Overall, the graphics should have come along much further and have not progressed as much as they should have from the last version of the game.

Although there are a few negatives, the game play itself is actually true to the franchise and in fact is really fun to play, even though I get so frustrated I want to hurl my six-axis through the TV!  In 2011 EA Sports has implemented True Aim which makes the game feel much more accurate and allows you to play the whole thing from the first person angle.  The power boost and ball spin are still here, but now require Focus, which you build by not using any power ups and make the game better knowing you have to use this strategically.  The putting is similar, but EXTREMELY touchy and probably one of the most frustrating and rewarding parts of the game.  In golf they say that putting is 3/4 of your game, and that holds true in this game as well.  Probably the best feature of this game is Online play which allows you to play multi player and match games online and build teams with friends or random players.  Honestly, I haven't done this yet because I'm still building my stats, but from what I hear it is awesome and I can't wait!

So overall, there are some drawbacks, but the fun of the series lives on even in 2011!

★★★☆☆

Hump Day: Edilson Nascimento

Hope everyone has an amazing Wednesday! Happy Humping!

In Film: Where The Wild Things Are

"Where the Wild Things Are" ended up being everything I hoped it would and more!  Adapted from the children's book by Maurice Sendak, the movie keeps true to the book with it's stunning visuals.  The monsters look amazing and the voice acting is incredible.  This movie is sure to be a classic.

The Good: Visually breathtaking! The scenary is amazing and looks like they were taken right out of the book.

The Bad: It gets extremely sappy and weepy, so be prepared.

The Ugly:  While the kid they chose to play max, looks and acts the part, I feel he sometimes fell short of the impish qualitie of the character.

Synopsis: A must own, especially if you have kids, or are a kid at heart!

★★★★☆

In Life: 4th of July

Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful 4th of July! I know I did!

In Film: The Devil's Backbone

Guillermo Del Toro has done it again!  Another scary yet intrepid film.  "El Espinazo del diablo" or, "The Devil's Backbone," is set at the end of the Spanish Revolution.  Tensions are still high between the rebellion and the socialist sect.  The story takes place at a boys orphanage and asks the question, "What is a ghost?"  The question itself is poignant and thought-provoking, and throughout the film, there are many answers.  Aside from the philosophical agenda of the movie, there lies a ghost story.  Overall, I would highly recommend this movie.  I still prefer "The Orphanage," but this film is great as well.  I think I'm becoming quite the Guillermo Del Toro fanatic!

The Good:  The plot and story are beautifully crafted to make you think, question and ultimately understand.  All things are answered and come full circle, which is something that I love when a movie ends.  I hate having more questions than answers when the credit rolls!

The Bad:  Although the cinematography is amazing, the sets and captures aren't as thrilling as I've come to expect from Guillermo Del Toro's films.

The Ugly:  Nothing really stuck out as awful in this film.

Synopsis:  Watch this movie! Especially if you're in the mood for a good scary movie, but also want to think a little bit!

★★★☆☆