TOP PICK
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
(Twentieth Century Fox)
The third movie in the hit CGI series about a trio of prehistoric
buddies finally gets around to the real stars of the Jurassic period:
dinosaurs! It looks great on Blu-ray, especially the wide-open vista
scenes. But the real fun is picking out the voices of Bill Hader,
Kristen Wiig, Jane Lynch and Simon Pegg as old-school critters.
CD
The Carpenters: 40/40
(A&M/UMe)
These soft-rock siblings got hipsters’ seal of approval in the ’90s,
when everyone from Sonic Youth to Sheryl Crow sang their praises and
songs. This two-disc collection gathers 40 songs from their brief
career (they recorded for only a dozen years). Some are unbelievably
sappy; others ride hooks as big as their legacy.
CD/DVD
Duran Duran: Rio, Live at Hammersmith
’82
(Capitol/EMI)
The synth-pop dandies’ breakthrough 1982 album gets a two-CD
“Special Limited Edition” release, complete with demos, B-sides and
U.K. mixes. Even better is the Hammersmith DVD, which gathers a
previously unreleased 1982 concert, some TV performances and all of the
groundbreaking music videos from Rio.
VIDEO GAME
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
(Rockstar)
Available for the DS for the past six months, this fun outing from
the hit videogame series finally makes it to the PSP. And the results
are every bit as time-sucking. This time around, you’re a member of the
Chinese mob tracking down your dad’s killer and a missing sword. Best
of all, there’s plenty of totally awesome carnage along the way.
DVD
SpongeBob SquarePants: Truth or
Square
(Nickelodeon/Paramount)
In the latest SpongeBob adventure (they call it a movie, but it’s
really just an extended episode), the yellow sponge, Patrick,
Squidward, et al., become trapped in Mr. Krabs’ freezer, leading to a
bunch of flashbacks that never happened. It’s just an excuse to drop
the characters into funny what-if? situations. Real-life LeBron James
and Tina Fey makes cameos.
This article appears in Nov 18-24, 2009.
Hey, I have an idea!
Why not change the title of this rag from “Scene” to “Crap Michael Gallucci Likes” ??
Seriously, dozens upon dozens of column inches are wasted by Gallucci’s self-serving “reviews” and, honestly, who gives a crap what this guy thinks?
What is it with you, Gallucci? Pathological urge to prove you’re hippest guy in the room? You’re a failed musician? Tiny dinky?
Less Gallucci-an pontificating would be a wonderful thing for “Scene.”