JBO: Joystiq Box Office, January 4 - January 8, plus Joyswag!
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Today we're giving away 5 copies of Moon on Blu-ray, and to enter you just need to leave us a comment telling us what you're watching. Doesn't matter if it's on your PS3, Xbox 360, PSP, iPhone, PC, Mac, or at the theaters.
Recommendation of the Week:
($37.95 suggested retail, lower at many retailers)
I was lucky enough to see this film at Sundance last year, and it blew me away. Duncan Jones has crafted a science fiction movie without laser beams, massive explosions and space aliens that is as gripping and addicting as 2001 or Alien. Sam Rockwell plays astronaut Sam Bell, the only man on the moon harvesting a rare mineral and living a lonely existence. As always happens in sci-fi movies, something goes wrong and shakes Sam's world up completely. The film looks gorgeous, has an incredible score and a bevy of extras. For an ultimate double-feature, pair this movie with Sunshine, and you have two fantastic sci-fi movies representing orbs in our solar system. We're also giving away five copies of this, so be sure to comment to be entered in the contest. Sony may (sadly) not be backing this movie for an Oscar, but you'll love it.
Read on after the break for the rest of our recommendations, and let us know what you're watching!
Xbox Live Video Marketplace (Xbox 360)
9
(480
($6) HD, 320
($4) SD, to rent, 1200
($14.99) SD to own)
Director Shane Acker turned his 2005 short film of the same name into this feature film after Tim Burton saw it, and it's a wonderfully imagined, animated fantasy film that takes in a fully-realized world. The ragdoll "stitchpunks," as they're called by fans, look like they're distantly related to the Sackboys in LittleBigPlanet, and without giving too much away, let me sum it up like this: Post-apocalyptic world, Humanity = almost dead, stitchpunks to the rescue. Okay, it's not quite that simple, but it's close. It's very surreal, beautiful, sad and has impressive voice talent like Christopher Plummer, Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover and more. Watch Acker's original short film right here, it'll put you in the frame of mind to give the feature a whirl this weekend.
Netflix Watch Instantly (Mac/PC, Xbox Live, PS3, subscription required: starts at $8.99 per month)
Some parts of the country are buried in snow (just ask our own Griffin "Mr. Plow" McElroy), so what better time to dream of warm temperatures and tropical beaches? If you can get past the bizarre artwork on the Netflix page featuring a shirtless and incredibly hirsute Robin Williams, Club Paradise is a kooky film straight out of the 1980s: directed by Harold Ramis and co-written by Ramis and Brian Doyle-Murray. It doesn't have a deep plot, it's not going to change your life, but damn ... Rick Moranis and Eugene Levy are the highlight of this thing. Levy's line about diarrhea is a classic that I pull out every time I go diving. Which, thankfully, is not that often. Save it for a snowy couple of hours this weekend, and wonder why in the world Robin Williams made Old Dogs.
PlayStation Store (PlayStation 3 or PSP)
($2.99 HD, $1.99 SD, to own)
Heroes is like that scab you just can't stop picking at. You know it's bad for you, yet you keep going back to it, picking away. There's just something disgustingly addicting about it. That's Heroes for me. I keep saying "Enough, I'm giving this show up," yet I'm always back for more every Monday. This year has been just like the others with ups and downs, and I'm still on the fence about this whole carnival/circus thing. But all of those moments with Sylar somehow seem all the more perfect since Star Trek came out. "Look! Spock killed someone!" Anyhow, the storyline with Sylar out of his own body wasn't that bad, and it'll be interesting to see what happens now that he's back in it. With any luck, he'll continue his head-opening, power-eating rampage.
Blu-ray Disc (PlayStation 3)
($48.99, much lower at many retailers)
I saw this movie at a film festival without knowing much about it, and it scared the bejeebers out of me. I don't think I've been scared in a theater since Friday the 13th Part 2, or perhaps 27 Dresses, so that was fun. But is this going to go down the same road that The Blair Witch Project did? That movie built up to a fever pitch, and then people late to the game were underwhelmed. If you haven't seen it yet, pick this up and invite some friends over. It was made on a shoestring budget (you'll see why when you watch it) and shows why story is more important than special effects. Lack of CGI aside, the night I saw this I kept hearing creaky noises around the house. Spooky? Yes. Good movie? You bet. Now someone, somehow, please turn this into an enjoyable game. Please.
What are you watching? Let us know to enter for your chance to win a move prize detailed below:
Leave a comment telling us what you're watching (on any format).
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec).
Limit 1 entry per person (replies to other comments won't count as entries, so feel free to chat it up).
This entry period ends at 12:00PM ET on Monday, January 11.
At that time, we'll randomly select five winners to receive one copy of Moon on Blu-ray ($37.95 ARV).
For a list of complete rules, click here.
What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. For more info on our policy, click here.
