TOP PICK
Resident Evil 5
(Capcom)
The best zombie-blasting videogame series ever returns — now
in HD for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. So the undead look even more
lifelike when you blow off their heads. This time, the action takes
place in Africa. There are also cool multiplayer and co-op modes, so
you don’t have to face all the scary parts alone.
VIDEO
The Silence
of the Lambs
(MGM)
One of the best, and creepiest, movies ever made comes to Blu-ray
with a disc that intensifies the looming dread (you’ll never want to go
into a dark basement again). The extras are almost as good —
especially the 20-plus deleted scenes and the making-of docs, which
probe the method behind Hannibal Lecter’s madness.
DVD
Cadillac Records
(Sony Pictures)
Chess Records was the greatest blues label ever. Chuck Berry, Etta
James and Muddy Waters released their best work on Chess. This movie
— starring Adrien Brody as founder Leonard Chess — tells
the company’s history. Best of all, there’s plenty of music by
Beyoncé (as James), Mos Def (Berry) and others recreating the
classics.
VIDEOGAME
MLB 09 The Show
(Sony Computer)
The world’s top baseball sim (for the PlayStation 3) checks in with
its best-ever outing. There’s tons of new features this year, including
valuable interactive training, a super-intense legend mode and (yay,
finally!) a 40-man roster. Plus, game-time analyses of your pitches and
swings can help you pull off the mother of all comebacks.
CD
Wild Light:
Adult Nights
(StarTime International/Columbia)
Little surprise that this New Hampshire band’s debut sounds like the
Arcade Fire — they spent part of 2008 opening for the Canadian
collective. But there are other alt-rock reference points too, from
R.E.M.-style jangle to Ryan Adams twang. Best: opener “California on My
Mind,” whose chorus goes, “Fuck today, fuck San Francisco, fuck
California.”
This article appears in Apr 1-7, 2009.