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Roger Ebert's Great Movies app hits iOS devices, pulls you from your Netflix-recommended slump
Struggling to decide on a few movies to watch this weekend? Then you can always peruse the solid suggestions offered by Roger Ebert's ongoing Great Movies series, which is now available in convenient app form for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch (though not optimized for iPad, unfortunately). In addition to over 300 reviews from Ace in the Hole to Yojimbo, the app offers stills and fully searchable details for each film in the series, plus links to add a movie to your Netflix queue or buy it from Amazon, and the ability to make your own lists of what you've seen and what you want to see. There's still no indication of a release for Android or other platforms just yet, but iOS users can grab the app right now for $0.99 via the iTunes link below.
Roger Ebert gives 3D thumbs down, shocking headlines two thumbs up
Apparently in need of something to take his mind off of the "are games art?" debate, film critic Roger Ebert has published "Why I Hate 3-D (And You Should Too)" in Newsweek. While standing up to "the biz side of show business," that only wants to see 3D succeed in order to sell new projectors and increase ticket surcharges, he instead suggests moviemakers focus on higher framerate solutions that would... require new technology and increase ticket surcharges. His often-contradictory nine points aside, the key to the success or failure of 3D will obviously be whether or not audiences think the difference is consistently worth the money, no matter what anyone says about it -- or how awesome it makes sports look. Until then, the choice of formats and how to make use of them is a decision best left to directors, like the 3D projects he mentions are currently under way from Martin Scorsese and Werner Herzog. Besides, the creative future of Hollywood is in great hands, just check out the trailer for Piranha 3D (embedded after the break.)
Ebert thinks games are 'getting a lot better', prefers knitting to gaming
Roger Ebert's feelings towards video games have been publicized in the gaming community as much as they have been criticized. That's why we feel that every time this cinematic adjudicator takes a step in our direction, its worth noting. Responding to a comment on his blog that references the second annual meeting of the Slate Year-End Gaming Club, in which New York Times' game reporter Seth Schiesel cited Ebert as an evaluational inspiration, Ebert conceded that he is "convinced that [video games] are getting a lot better." Before you start planning the first annual "Roger Ebert Thinks Video Games Are Art" parade, you might want to check out the first part of his response, in which he says that video games aren't art. In fact, you may want to read the end of his response, in which he suggests that if he'd been told to review video games instead of films during his long, industrious career, he "would have taken up professional knitting." We'd typically take a supercilious jab at this type of dismissal -- but we've spent more than a few evenings debating between a round of Left 4 Dead or finishing up that half-completed tea cozy.
Barker lays smackdown on Ebert about games not being art
Speaking with Scott Steinberg on the latest Digital Trends podcast, horror guru Clive Barker calls Roger "game's can't be high art" Ebert a "pompous, arrogant old man" and says "he's not going to stop us from making games or enjoying them or... making them art." Barker even says that he planned to write a nasty letter to Ebert, but then backed down after discovering Ebert had cancer. Well, at least Barker has a heart and isn't completely about ripping them out while they're still beating.Barker goes on to say that he thinks one day games will be viewed as art just like old Disney animated films are now. There's a lot more in the podcast about the topic. We're not that concerned about the "games as art" debate because we're sure in time the critics will come around. Although we're not too sure if Barker's Jericho would be on that art list before Shadow of the Colossus or Katamari Damacy.[Via GameDaily]
GameCritics.com and N'Gai talk art, criticism and censorship
We enjoy hearing the opinions of GameCritics.com and N'Gai Croal is well-respected around these parts, so when the two come together, such as in this new interview, we think it makes for a darn fine Saturday read. The topics are of the hot-button variety you'd expect (art, Ebert, etc.), but we thought that some of their takes on the issues were more than compelling enough to be worth your time. Consider, for example, this chin-stroker from N'Gai: "I thought to myself, hell, Lester Bangs couldn't even be the Lester Bangs of music today, let alone videogames. The critic is going the way of the dinosaur and the dodo bird; he or she is an anachronism in an age where anyone can publish an opinion." Feel that tingling? That's insight. We hope this story will be a jumping off point for some good discussions today, the debate club nerd in us still longs for a little intellectual interplay when Saturday rolls around. So, let's discuss.
