Spectacular.

That’s all that needs to be said, truthfully.

Spec-tac-u-lar.

Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland enthralls and inspires. The CG effects (that literally pop in 3D) and the acting of Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter), Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen), and Mia Wasikowska (Alice) draw you in.

There’s no escaping Wonderland here.

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Alice in Wonderland, entertainment, Johnny Depp, movies, Tim Burton

Mighty big, this. 2010 glimmers with all the potential a new year can bring, but for a reason that extends well beyond the gratification of New Year resolutions: video games. I like them. You might like them too. Which works really pretty well, as we’ll both share good humor over the next ten months as an absolute ton of games start storming the shelves.

Mighty good ones, too. Click that little link down there to see the best and brightest coming your way in 2010.

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2010, big names, march is an expensive month, Video Games

So. I’m still sick.

Now mind you, I’m not sick enough to condone skipping another week of blogging…I’m currently sitting up at work wearing clothes other than pajamas, and that means my responsibilities to Unwind must again be met.

But I’ll warn you now, my brain is still not working on all 4 or 6 or 8 cylinders (which one is it? I think it’s 6), and writing is like pulling teeth without Lidocaine. I’m just not myself right now; I fell asleep yesterday during an episode of “Friends,” for God’s sake. Normally I would never commit such an act of irreverence.

And the most infuriating thing about all this is, when looked at objectively, I’m not that sick. I have an upper respiratory infection, otherwise known as the common cold. So on top of blowing the contents of my head out through my nose every 4th minute and feeling as if my eyes are going to pop out of my very skull, I get to feel bad about feeling bad. If I’m being unproductive at work because my brain is pulsating, I feel bad. If I opt to sleep open-mouthed and snoring on the couch instead of having a sushi date with Hunter, I feel bad. It’s a lose-lose situation, people. And I’ve been lose-losing for TWELVE STRAIGHT DAYS.

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Airborne, Mucinex, self-pity

Free movie night at the Meacham Auditorium in the Union.

2012  will show at 4, 7, 10 and midnight tonight (February 26^th).

This movie shows us the end of the world with politics and the average Joe trying to survive.

We’ve all heard the Mayan legend/prediction/interpretation of 2012, and we may or not genuinely experience it – but this movie gives us a taste of the total destruction of the world. With lots of BANGS and BOOMS. Great fun.

Can you survive?

 More upcoming movie events are:

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2012, Book of Eli, entertainment, free movies, Invictus, Meacham Auditorium, Sherlock Holmes, Union

Gamers know that their particular hobby is always an expensive one. The agony we’ll be inflicting on our wallets throughout 2010, however, is of spectacular proportions – God of War 3? Final Fantasy XIII? Mass Effect 2? Bioshock 2?

Big names require big budgets. And while I’ve already raved about the service cheapassgamer renders for the careful consumer, Gamestop has stepped up too to help stretch your dollar as far as it can go. Running until March 14th, all trade-ins will net an additional 50% bonus on their value, making a trip up to your local Gamestop a pretty viable alternative to getting the best deals online.

The store has built a reputation on offering little cash for your trade-ins, but this additional bonus – combined with the long list of game trade-in values provided by cheapassgamer – might be the best way to lighten the load on your wallet this year and prep for the incoming storm of big name releases.

And speaking of great games, what are you all looking forward to? Next week I’ll round up some of the more promising titles coming our way just to show how awesome 2010 – aside from that whole graduation thing – will be.

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cheapassgamer, gamestop, my hobbies are so expensive, sale, used games, Video Games

In the past, I’ve written a bit about my love of all things Leonard Cohen.  He’s one of those artists whose work is so profound and immense that it’s hard to even scratch the surface.  Most know him as a musician and a poet, but few acknowledge the accomplishments of his prose, particularly his two novels:  The Favorite Game and Beautiful Losers.  With this post, I wanted to write a bit about the latter, which was my first foray into Leonard Cohen’s prose work.  Beautiful Losers is jarring, shocking, beautiful and crafted with incredible precision.

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beautiful losers, divine, leonard cohen, poetry, prose, sexuality, the favorite game, unnamed

I believe the title to be self-explanatory.  And if you were curious, I find the fact that I can’t breathe or smell or sleep or eat a valid excuse for not blogging this week.

Theretofore, I bid you good day.  Until next week…

Much love.

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sick

Martin Scorsese latest movie, Shutter Island, is a dark, devious, punch-in-the face brain tease. And it’s spectacular.

This intense psychological thriller will leave you shaken, shocked, thinking and talking. The wicked atmosphere alone of this movie will leave an impression, let alone the plot and characters.

From the opening scene, where you meet a sea-sick Leonardo DiCaprio “Teddy” and Mark Ruffalo “Chuck”, to the end scene, where you’re wide-eyed and not sure what to believe, you are enthralled.

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entertainment, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Martin Scorsese, movies, Shutter Island, thriller

Okay, okay – this is the last time I’ll mention it. Promise.

My obsession with Popcap’s latest and greatest game is well–documented on Unwind, but this last bit of news warrants delivery, folks, so swallow that righteous disgust and buckle up for some math.

20 > 3. This is true. $20 < $3, however, when we’re talkin’ PvZ on your iPhone or iPod Touch (warning: iTunes link). That’s right! Why shell out twenty bucks for the original (wonderful, magical) game when you can get the same experience for significantly cheaper on your iPod?

I’ve been playing it all day. And while these words have been spoken before, you now have literally no excuse not to snap this one up, especially at the new glorious price point of three glorious dollars.

Do it. And then click this link. I’ve got studying to do.

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cheap, iphone, ipod touch, plants vs zombies, popcap games, soil your plants