side notes
Vampires Who Don’t Suck, Detectives Who Don’t Scowl, and Games Without Purpose‘Daybreakers’ makes vampires badass again; ‘Bored to Death’ brings a new gumshoe to HBO; and ‘Trine’ brings beauty to puzzle-platforming while leaving story in the dark.
1 commentside notes
Summer Jamz: 2009 Edition
One of the many consequences stemming from the death of hip hop is the complete fucking absence of a summer jam in 2009. Luckily, tons of other genres, musical and otherwise, happen to be alive, breathing, and flourishing.
watching
Big Laughs at LAFF: ‘In the Loop’ and ‘Humpday’
Even if you missed the LA Film Fest, both of these clever little films are worth tracking down when they arrive in a theater near you.
podcasts
Under Culture Podcast #4: Verbally Attacked by Dogs
Brian and Spencer discuss Up and the pros and cons of 3D, InFamous on PS3, Punch Out! on Wii, albums by Grizzly Bear and The Rural Alberta Advantage, plus Friday Night Lights and the book House of Cards with bonus guest, James. And fart jokes.
playing
Living with Sequel-itis: The Most Promising Follow-ups of E3 2009
Tired of the same old games? Here are the top 7 sequels shown at this year’s E3, and why it may be worth revisiting them instead of just wishing their creators would move on.
3 commentspodcasts
Under Culture Podcast #3: A List of Injustices
Brian and Spencer discuss Animal Collective, The Decemberists, and The Thermals in concert, plus new albums by The Dirty Projectors and Coalesce. Also, the movies Drag Me to Hell, Dead Snow, Anvil: The Story of Anvil, Tyson, and Dreams with Sharp Teeth.
watching
Fool Me Once: Falling for the ‘The Brothers Bloom’
Rian Johnson’s follow-up to Brick works like a con itself: as long as there’s a part of us that’s willing to be taken on a ride, we’ll end up feeling like we came out ahead.
1 commentplaying
The Perils of an Open World: What Far Cry 2 Can Learn from Burnout Paradise
Far Cry 2 is an exceptional game buried beneath a pile of inconveniences. Burnout Paradise is a decent game condensed down to the purest, most concentrated fun.
podcasts
Under Culture Podcast #2: Gun with Truth Bullets
Brian and Spencer discuss Star Trek, Free Comic Book Day featuring Atomic Robo and Ex Machina, Richard Price’s novel, Lush Life, new music by Japandroids, digging out old music after a hard drive crash, and the application of Newton’s laws to celebrities. But not in that order.
4 commentsside notes
‘The Brothers Bloom’ Arrives, ‘Chuck’ Struggles, Celebrity Twitters
The long-awaited follow-up to ‘Brick’ finally comes to theatres, fans rally to save a failing show, and good and bad tweets from famous people.
watching
Breaking Through Defenses: How ‘Friday Night Lights’ Will Make You Care About Football
FNL isn’t just worth watching despite the time spent on the field; it’s so well crafted, you might even find yourself suppressing the urge to cheer out loud.
1 comment
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