So new year, new look, new posts. Should probably start with something new and fresh, right? WRONG!
For some of us, the tolling of the new year leads us closer and closer to some undesirable landmarks--the final days of high school or college, the first steps into the terrifying working world, the time our children leave the nest, the moment you realize it is no longer okay for a man your age to play a never-ending lineup of video games (sigh). Yes, the joy and grandiose scale of New Year's Eve comes with a certain somber undertone in tow; a haunting feeling that you are on a runaway train heading further and further from the warm memories and familiarity of yesteryear. But we can reminisce, can't we? And what better way to do so than through the lens of popular culture? It wouldn't be a stretch to say that the fads and entertainment phenomenons of our youth stick with us as strongly, if not with more adhesion, than do our own memories. So here are my picks for some new pieces of pop culture that will help us remember the best of generations past as we begrudgingly move forward into 2011.
Anyone who grew up with a Super Nintendo most likely remembers a few games with particular fondness: Super Mario World, TMNT 4: Turtles in Time, Contra III, Street Fighter 2 Turbo, F-Zero, Super Metroid, and the list goes on and on (and on and on and on). But if you are like me, one series stands out in particular: Donkey Kong Country. The original DKC was one of the first games to utilize charming pre-rendered 3D graphics, and it's visual prowess was matched in spades by unique and challenging 2D platforming gameplay. And though the sequel slightly edges out the original as far as overall quality in my opinion, few gaming memories resonate with me as strongly as collecting the K-O-N-G letters, crushing Kremlings, and riding Rambi the Rhino off into the sunset. Recently, Nintendo has handed over the series' reins to Retro Studios, who adapted this genius formula for the Wii's advanced hardware. And the results are truly jaw-dropping. This is a game that balances past and present with amazing precision, simultaneously reminding us of the original while introducing creative new elements in every level. Add to the mix gorgeous real-time 3D visuals, fun cooperative play, and a clever use of the foreground and background, and you get one of the best Wii games available, and a fantastic reminder of the Super Nintendo classics. Pick this up now and let the memories come flooding back.
Sports movies have been a staple of cinema for a long time. Many of my favorite childhood films have been sports movies: The Mighty Ducks, Little Big League, Rookie of the Year, The Sandlot, Cool Runnings, etc. Yet while movies about team sports like baseball and hockey often have a lighter tone, boxing movies have always had a palpable level of drama and tragedy. Some truly classic films have been about boxing--Raging Bull, the Rocky series. And while recent flicks like The Fighter have been highly acclaimed in their own right, perhaps the best way to relive these classics is by watching the serialized drama of FX's new show "Lights Out". "Lights Out" stars Holt McCallany as Patrick "Lights" Leary, an aging, out-of-shape once-champion boxer who had his title stripped from him in a fight decided by a questionable judge's decision (a la De Niro's Jake LaMotta). Leary is now broke and struggling to support his wife and three daughters, forced to take demeaning jobs such as acting as a collector/thug for a local loan shark (a la Stallone's Rocky Balboa). The stakes are high and the drama is realistic as Leary decides to step back into the ring, making "Lights Out" the perfect small-screen adaptation of the themes from those big screen classics.
If you are like me, multiple-camera sitcoms make up a substantial chunk of your DVR space. And while some are new--"How I Met Your Mother," "Rules of Engagement," "The Big Bang Theory," "Two and a Half Men"--my favorites are the ones I watched when I was a kid. My all time favorite? "Friends." Laugh if you will, but few shows captured the same level of comedy, chemistry, and relationship drama as the David Crane and Marta Kaufman classic. It's hard to believe that the show first aired in 1994, 16 years ago. And while the syndicated reruns still play on multiple networks, I also enjoy reminiscing about the show by checking out what the actor's are doing now. Most have enjoyed fruitful careers in TV and movies. However, one "Friends" star--Matt LeBlanc (Joey)--has kind of fallen off the map since his ill-fated spin-off series (not to mention that awful monkey-baseball movie Ed). However, LeBlanc has finally made his way back to TV in ShowTime's new series "Episodes," a vehicle that is probably 300 times smarter than the two terrible jobs I just mentioned. "Episodes" (created by Crane and "Mad About You"'s Jeffrey Larik) is about two British writers whose acclaimed BBC comedy series gets picked up for an American adaptation, and the nonsense that ensues as the US studio begins to bastardize their original masterpiece. The first bastardization? The choice of LeBlanc to play the lead role (which is supposed to be a quick-witted elderly headmaster of a prestigious boarding school). Watching LeBlanc play a caricature of himself is great fun (apparently his character has a humongous "little general"), and makes "Episodes" a nice lens through which to view his time playing the daft Joey on "Friends.
If my sister has taught me one thing it is that 80s pop music is just the best. How can you listen to acts like Men Without Hats, Wang Chung, Tommy Tutone, Hall & Oates, Outfield, and Toto without feeling an uncontainable need to dance and sing along? You can't, I say! And what band better captures the sense of the 80s than pop paragons Duran Duran? Yes, with songs like "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio," Duran Duran all but defined 80s pop-rock, with their sophomore album Rio standing in particularly high regard amongst 80s aficionados. What's even more impressive is that the band has been consistently firing out albums ever since. And their most recent effort (All You Need Is Now, their 13th studio album) is a near-flawless LP of 9 original tracks that is a fantastic return-to-form for the band, mixing 80s musical sensibilities with some modern production values (thanks to Grammy Award-winning producer Mark Ronson). So hit the iTunes store and click download, then comb up your Flock of Seagulls haircut, sling on your pink blazer, pick up your keytar, and sit back and enjoy this trip down memory lane.
Honorable Mentions:
Tron Legacy (12/16/10)
Pinkerton (Deluxe Edition) (Weezer) (11/2/10)
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (PS3/Xbox 360) (2/15/11)
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