TOP PICK
The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s
Edition
(Warner)
It would take you days to go through everything on this gorgeous
Blu-ray set: the books, the archival material, the extras (including
silent-movie versions of Oz) and of course the film classic, making its
high-def debut. The scene where Dorothy first steps into Oz now bursts
with splendor. Plus, the flying monkeys are super-creepy in HD.
VIDEOGAME
The Beatles:
Rock Band
(MTV/Harmonix/Electronic Arts)
Now that you’ve had time to settle into the remastered CDs, step
into John, Paul, George and Ringo’s Beatle boots for this fun game
— for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 — which gathers 45
songs from their entire career (sadly, “Revolution 9” isn’t one of
them). Best of all, you get to play venues like Shea Stadium and Apple
Records’ rooftop. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MUSIC
Hymns: Appaloosa
(Blackland)
This Brooklyn-based band sounds nothing like its NYC hipster
peers (probably because the two guys who started it are from North
Carolina). On this five-song EP, they come on like a cross between the
Band and the dB’s, layering their rustic folk-rock with an indie-style
jagged edge. Best: the horn-speckled title tune.
BOOK
Waiting for a Train:
Jimmie Rodgers’ America
(Rounder)
Inspired by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 1997 American Music
Masters program, these essays (edited by Case Western Reserve
University’s Mary E. Davis and the Rock Hall’s Warren Zanes) gather
writings by fans like Bob Dylan. Some are historical, some are
critical; all put the country-music pioneer’s short career in
perspective.
VIDEOGAME
Wet
(Bethesda)
This third-person shooter (for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3)
has one cool thing going for it: tons of kick-ass weapons. There are
plenty of guns here, but there’s also a samurai sword for your heroine
to wield as she seeks revenge against a former boss. It’s all very
cinematic (and kinda like Kill Bill) and loads of bloody
fun.
This article appears in Oct 7-13, 2009.