BEST VIDEO GAME THAT SOUNDS LIKE THAT ANNOYING COMMERCIALTwisted Metal: Head-On, Extra Twisted Editionby Daniel Alexander Nigro, Staff Writer
One of the major franchises to launch with the original PlayStation back in 1995 was Twisted Metal. The unique driver-shooter blend hit big with gamers, and a franchise was born. Now the latest title is out, and it’s more of a love letter to fans.
Twisted Metal: Head-On, Extra Twisted Edition is actually an enhanced remake of Twisted Metal: Head-On, a launch title for the PSP handheld. In that regard, expect the same core game play mechanics the franchise has been known for: driving a heavily-armored car in a last-man-standing battle.
Cars range from a dune buggy to an ice cream truck to a bulldozer, among others. Input button combinations for special moves that are unique to each vehicle. For example, the bulldozer can pick up another vehicle and slam it repeatedly against the ground for maximum damage.
Battle arenas are as equally varied as the vehicles, ranging from a baseball stadium to the rooftops of Tokyo. Rest assured that multiple vehicles on the screen at once equals maximum carnage.
But where this TM title exceeds the original PSP version is in the bonus content. There are several levels unique to Extra Twisted Edition – an original on-foot adventure allowing you to explore the environs, plus a video documentary that explains the history of the franchise.
On top of that, the price is only $20, making it a candidate for “gaming bargain of the year” – if there ever was one.$20 / PS2 / Out Now
BEST PLACE TO CHOW DOWNLittle Moir’s Food Shackby Tania Stoose, Staff Writer
Don’t let the strip mall fool you – Little Moir’s Food Shack might as well be in Palm Beach if we’re talking about quality dining. Luckily, the prices aren’t what most Palm Beachers would expect.
Most customers would say PLEASE stay home if the constant line outside the door bothers you. Thankfully, long padded benches outside give you somewhere to rest your hungry bones, so enjoy a huge glass of Native Lager or a glass of chardonnay purchased from the bar inside while you wait.
Don’t expect a valet or special treatment either, because all people are created equal at the Food Shack. That means they won’t seat incomplete parties and – if you’re not present when they call your name – too bad.
So you’re probably wondering if it’s all worth the trouble. Answer: yes. Just sink your teeth into the sweet potatoes and the crusted Cobia over spring greens, drizzled with an indescribably kick-ass dressing. Or, may we suggest the Sweet and Spicy Shack Bowl filled with steaming coconut broth, fresh veggies, toasted garlic and your choice of fish or chicken.
While wait times are minimal, try killing a few minutes checking out the décor. The diner’s got a multitude of viewing oddities, from the life-sized tropical landscape painting to hundreds of photos plastered along the walls. Come hungry, leave in love with the best fresh fish in Palm Beach County.
103 S. US 1, Jupiter. Call 561-741-3626
BEST CD TO GET YOUR ANGST ONIII: Architects of Troubled Sleep by Cursedby Alex McKenzie, Staff Writer
Cursed reminds me why I fell in love with punk and hardcore back in high school. This band knows the limitations of their musicianship and embraces it – they ooze raw emotion from every distorted guitar strum and throaty growl provided by vocalist Chris Colohan.
Cursed is one of the most important modern hardcore bands today, and they solidify this claim with III: Architects of Troubled Sleep. Rising from the ashes of hardcore legends Left For Dead, Cursed scream and torch their way through eleven new tracks on their sophomore release.
The production is dirty and grimy, spitting in the face of their genre contemporaries who choose polished work over the rusty sound of yesteryear’s punk bands. The lyrics are dark, desperate, evil and chock-full of sociopolitical commentary, exploring those deep, nihilistic feelings even the most faithful of us delve into sometimes. Thankfully, the members of Cursed are intelligent enough to pull it off.
This album is extremely diverse. One moment, Cursed is blazing through a crusty punk song at breakneck speed, while another comes to a screeching halt with vicious Neurosis-esque doom metal. I can’t recommend this band or release enough.
Check out Cursed’s Myspace page and sample tracks at http://www.myspace.com/cursedhardcore. The release date is March 11, so there’s a short wait to get your greedy mitts on this gem. Favorite Track: Friends In The Music Business
BEST TV SHOW TO GET YOUR FIX OF HOT STEAMY KISSING Cashmere Mafia by Amanda Leth, Staff Writer
This week’s episode of Cashmere Mafia, strangely enough, wasn’t about lesbian affairs or sexy mistresses. In fact, this episode wasn’t really about sex at all – it was all about the sexy kisses.
Mia (Lucy Liu) gets interrupted right in the middle of a lip-locking session with her friend’s man-nanny. The embarrassed Mia flees the scene, only to find herself forced to walk the streets of New York with smeared red lipstick all over her face.
On the plus side, Mafia now holds the award for the best quote during an awkward kissing scene ever: “It’s not what it looks like – okay, it’s exactly what it looks like.” And who can blame her after you take a look at the man-nanny (William Abadie)
On a more touching side, Juliet Drapper (aka the sexy red head) has a bonding moment with her daughter after she finds out that she could be doing drugs.
For a mid-season replacement, Cashmere Mafia is much better than the show it replaced, Dirty Sexy Money.
Cashmere Mafia airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. on ABC
BEST MOVIE TO ROCK YOUR WORLDGuitar Hero in HarmonyA blues guitarist rocks the joint in rural South in Sayles’ Honeydripperby Phillip Valys, Staff Writer
Tyrone “Pine Top” Purvis’ (Danny Glover) juke joint is one cotton-pickin’ minute away from foreclosure in director John Sayles’ backwater bluesy drama, Honeydripper.
Or at least, that’s what Purvis’ lone customer drunkenly bellows to him after the electricity slurs to a halt. But faulty fuse box wiring and his dilapidated tavern aren’t his biggest hiccups. Both the liquor distributor and the landlord are squeezing him dry for back payment, attracting the unwanted attention of the local white sheriff (Stacy Keach).
His roadhouse (Honeydripper) failing and his wife (Lisa Gay Hamilton) toiling away as a silver polisher in a white family’s estate, he takes notice of regional crooning sensation Guitar Sam. His make-or-break scheme carries one problem – Purvis can’t afford the up-front appearance fee, and the Louisiana hot-licker misses the train.
Departing the train simultaneously is country bumpkin vagabond Sonny (Gary Clark Jr.), a starving musician toting an electric wooden guitar he carved from scratch.
So, Purvis and club partner Maceo (Charles S. Dutton) pass off the itinerant songster as the lionized Guitar Sam, knowing the community has never seen him before. Their subterfuge – draw a huge gate to a one-night-only performance, cut the electricity mid-song and escape with the cash box.
Viewers should skip talkative subplots like the bickering cotton pickers and the wife’s soul-searching dilemma, and instead embrace the several vignettes smacking of authentic racism issues that bite the heels of the civil rights movement.
Director Sayles fashions a solid, laidback blend of blues, politics and black rural strife. Also, performances from Glover and Dutton make Honeydripper a pleasant splash of Southern Comfort.
Honeydripper screens now through Feb. 10 at Cinema Paradiso (503 SE 6th St., Fort Lauderdale) and through Feb. 14 at Lake Worth Playhouse (713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth). Call 954-525-3456 and 561-586-6169, or visit www.fliff.com and www.lakeworthplayhouse.org.
BEST SHOW TO MAKE YOU LAUGH ABOUT MIDLIFE CRISES The Man Tears of Scott Baioby Irene Medina, Staff Writer
Every time I watch this man’s show, I can’t help but laugh at how scared he is about having a baby girl. You guessed it – I’m talking about Scott Baio.
This time around, he goes back to Brooklyn to remind himself what kind of childhood he had. However, the only productive thing to come out of this trip was that he got a sandwich at his old deli named after him. Whoopee.
He does manage to cry some heartfelt man tears, though, after a long run in Brooklyn. There, he hits the local church and admits he’s still sad about his dad’s death. It was nice to finally see he does in fact have, you know, feelings And he’s, you know, not always complaining about his life – which he does, inexhaustibly.
The sensitive side of him was nice to see, but what I like about Scott Baio is that he keeps asking questions like, “What am I going to do with a girl?”
Ah, there’s nothing better than watching this tearful 46-year-old dude go through his midlife crisis. Scott Baio is 46 and Pregnant airs on VH1
