For this week's Sandbox column, I look into why games based
on movies - titles that always arrive in large quantities during the
summer - generally suck.
The Sandbox: License to Infuriate (IFC News)
As for the week's reviews, two are mixed-positive and two are negative, though one of the latter still has its merits.
Now Playing:
The Hangover (Slant magazine)
Land of the Lost (Slant magazine)
Away We Go (Slant magazine)
Tennessee (Slant magazine)
Check back next week for my thoughts on, among other things, a quite-masterful return-to-form for an American filmmaking legend.
"A quite-masterful return-to-form for an American filmmaking legend."
Quite agreed on that one. (I assume you mean Tetro.)
Posted by: Andrew Schenker | June 06, 2009 at 02:46 PM
Yes, I do. It's one of the year's best, I'm beginning to think...
Posted by: Nick | June 06, 2009 at 10:47 PM
I thought maybe you meant Harold Ramis for "Year One."
My dreams are dashed.
Looking forward to "Tetro" though, missed it at Cannes.
Posted by: Sam C. Mac | June 07, 2009 at 07:25 PM
Good call with The Sandbox article Nick; I think you covered all the craptacular, cash-grab tie-ins I've encountered, from the hilarious jumping midgets from Total Recall to the wolves and their tinny, 8-bit roars from F-13th. (Pro tip: Pick Crissy or Mark!) The E.T. game was godawful, but Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Ghostbusters were even worse! For what it's worth, the SNES Aladdin was a decent platformer.
Posted by: J | June 07, 2009 at 07:30 PM
Sam - I hope Year One pans out. But I have my doubts.
J - Thanks. There were a number of other decent movie tie-in games that I considered for the Top 5 (including Aladdin). I don't think I ever played Roger Rabbit or Ghostbusters, but I figure that's no huge loss...
Posted by: Nick | June 08, 2009 at 09:05 AM