Author: Jason Zingale

When EA announced that they had secured the exclusive NFL rights for their latest “Madden” release, the gamer community responded in an uproar. And while it’s mostly true that when it comes to sports games, EA is king, it still doesn’t sit well knowing that the gaming giant was looking to take out its competition…for good. Gamers like the reassurance of having a wide variety to pick from, but now that EA is the only NFL-licensed developer this year (and through 2010), consumers are stuck with two choices: “Madden 06” or last year’s rosters. And while the “Madden” franchise has…

Now that Electronic Arts has secured the exclusive rights to the NFL for the next five years, gamers have a few important questions ahead of themselves. Namely, (1) Will “Madden” suffer from a decline in ingenuity, and (2) Is Midway’s newest offering, “Blitz: The League,” a worthy substitute? If you answered “no” to both of these questions, than you’re on the right track, but this doesn’t justify buying the latest “Madden” because it’s the only true-to-life football game on the market, nor does it mean that “Blitz: The League” shouldn’t be a part of your collection. Think “Burnout” meets “Fight…

Ready or not, the next-generation of gaming has arrived, and with it comes a formidable launch title in the form of “Perfect Dark Zero.” Originally in development as a sequel to the first “Perfect Dark” game for the N64, developer Rare then dragged “PDZ” through a series of setbacks that had the title jumping consoles to the Nintendo Gamecube, and finally, to the HD-ready Xbox 360. You won’t hear fans of the series complaining, though, because the amazing graphics and tight controls are well worth the wait. As a prequel to the original “Perfect Dark,” the player assumes the role…

Probably the closest Hollywood will come to making a big screen adaptation of Rockstar’s popular “Grand Theft Audio” video game series, “Crank” is an 87-minute surge of unadulterated testosterone that never slows down; and quite honestly, would never want to, if only to prevent the audience from thinking too far into things. It’s a lot like a video game in many ways – the story is rubbish, the characters are beyond stereotypical, and the action is so violent that it borders cartoonish elements – but for those of you who consider themselves a proud member of the A.D.D community, “Crank”…

When it was announced that Mike Judge’s latest comedy, “Idiocracy,” would no longer be opening in theaters, many people thought that Fox was making a huge mistake. This was the same studio, after all, that gave up on “Office Space” only weeks into its theatrical release, and the film is now widely considered to be one of the greatest comedies of its generation. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of “Idiocracy,” which may just be the dumbest film you’ll see all year. Of course, in the eye of Mike Judge’s dumbed-down America, “Idiocracy” would probably win the Oscar for Best…

The sheer fact that this movie almost didn’t get made due to heavy studio criticism is more than enough reason as to why “Good Morning, Vietnam” should be seen by everybody at least once before they die. The film, which stars Robin Williams in his first semi-serious role, isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but its ability to push through the solemnity of the war effort with heavy doses of humor is what makes the film such a unique experience. And while other Vietnam features released during the same time – like “Platoon” (1986) and “Full Metal Jacket”…

This is not the Year of Superman, no matter what Warner Brothers’ publicity department might suggest, and despite the studio’s drastic attempts at re-launching a successful movie franchise, releasing old TV series on DVD and spreading rumors about a possible Lois Lane spin-off, they’d be wise to take advantage of such a perfect marketing spin: director Allen Coulter’s debut film, “Hollywoodland,” which takes a unique look at the famous superhero through the tragic life of one of the many actors who donned the cape. Perhaps best known for his work on the hit HBO drama “The Sopranos,” Coulter’s murder-mystery surrounding…

Let’s get one thing straight: there’s only one “Grand Theft Auto,” but if you were to grade the makers of “Saints Row” on their shameless rip-off of the notorious Rockstar franchise (namely the most recent installment, “San Andreas”), they’d probably receive a perfect score. Located in the same free-roaming world of crime that appears throughout the popular “GTA” series, “Saints Row” is brandished with plenty of similarities, from the “Fuck You” street gang mentality all the way down to the goofy radio commercials blasting from your recently jacked car. And what can only go down in the history books as…

Think of whatever taboos you thought were broken by those edgy R-rated comedies from last year, “Wedding Crashers” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” Got those thoughts locked in your head? Good, now watch “Beerfest” absolutely obliterate them. It’s more vulgar, there is even more gratuitous nudity, and the main characters are drunk in nearly every scene. Simply put, this is going to be every college male’s new favorite movie. Shocking to me, though, that this is the work of the same man responsible for “The Dukes of Hazzard.” Sure, it helped him land a three-picture deal at Warner Brothers for his…

It’s no big secret that “Idlewild” – the first cinematic collaboration featuring the hip-hop superstar duo of Outkast – has experienced its share of problems on the way to theaters, but after riding the shelf for nearly a year, it doesn’t look like any of them have been remedied. The film is still a giant mess, from it’s hackneyed gangster plotline to the scanty performances by its two stars, and finally, to the scatterbrained soundtrack that accompanies it with every beat. And what was once considered a much-anticipated film within my circle of fellow critics, now feels like a piece…