Odds and Ends

Hello readers, it's been too long. My semester is nearly over, and it is time to blog again. Indeed, a few topics require discussion. First of all, I finished Grand Theft Auto IV. After spending about 35 hours with the game, I can stand by my 9.5 score. A few problems still exist, but don't let that stop you from experiencing one of the most engrossing stories in entertainment, period. GTA IV had a $100 million budget, and it really shows. The story is truly outstanding all the way through and subtle details like car and body physics are impeccable. It just goes to show that when you make a quality title, people will buy it. Take-Two announced earnings of over $500 million in the first week, breaking the all time entertainment record previously held by Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The game sold over 5.9 million copies in its first week, with 3.3 million units being moved on the 360 and 2.6 million units sold for the PS3. Hats off to the folks at Rockstar North and Rockstar NYC for making one of the finest games in years.

In other news, I caught a showing of The Counterfeiters, the 2007 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film. It tells the tale of a group of counterfeiters, led by the legendary Salomon Sorowitsch. This group of brilliant Jewish prisoners orchestrated the largest counterfeiting operation in history, perfectly replicating the British pound and the American dollar, and funding the Nazi war effort for several months during World War II. Although the film tells a fictionalized story, Sorowitsch is a very likable character his story is poignant and moving. The film is mildly depressing, but it gives a good message and a stern reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust. I highly recommend this Austrian tour de force.

I also went to Iron Man and had a good chance to geek out and enjoy a sweet superhero movie. I am constantly skeptical of superhero films after being disappointed by the last two Spiderman disaster- ... *cough*... films. Indeed there is very little I can criticize about this film, as John Favreau does a wonderful job of making Iron Man into a charming character while appealing to hardcore comic book fans with outstanding action set pieces. Iron Man is a film with broad appeal and is a perfect summer movie to enjoy with some friends. I must join the bandwagon and tip my hat to Robert Downey Jr. for an immensely entertaining performance as Tony Stark. His snarky humor and sharp wit make the film so much more enjoyable than what it would have been in the hands of a less skilled actor.

Finally, I'll leave you with this, considering I did almost the EXACT SAME THING on the day of my prom:


/end

Blu3