COMMENTARY: SOPA/PIPA, E3, and Video Games

I’m almost 100% certain that the management at TRR would like to stay out of politics, and I certainly agree with that. Only on a rare occasion should we as a news and entertainment outlet should make an opinion. I want to draw a line here, what I’m about to write represents my performance as TRR’s Gaming Editor.

I’m more sure that readers of TRR are aware of the PROTECT IP (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), two bills that are making their way through the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, respectively. TRR is not in the business of commenting on these bills (hint: they will be bad for TRR, by the way).

Instead, I want to talk about the Electronics Entertainment Expo, or E3 as it is called in the industry. E3 is run by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). I hope you are still with me, I realize the logic pattern is (legislation)>(law)>(effect)>(ESA)>(E3)>(TRR).

Merry Tuba Christmas, Baltimore

Photograph by Alissa Parsons

Last Saturday, the Christmas spirit took musical form at Baltimore’s Harborplace Amphitheater where over 200 tuba and euphonium players converged for the city’s 28th annual TubaChristmas event. To people standing up front, it felt like the group had enough combined lung power to rattle the windows off of the nearby shops as they played classic melodies like “Silent Night,” “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” The mild December afternoon invited hundreds to gather and appreciate this unusual spectacle, a concert that resembled an enormous brass-wielding group of Christmas carolers.

SPOOKY MOVIE INTERNATIONAL HORROR FILM FESTIVAL 2011: Reviews From Halloween Heaven

A FOUR DAY INDULGENCE OF ZOMBIES, SLASHERS, PSYCHOTIC DEVIANTS (AND FEW THINGS I’M NOT SURE THEY HAVE A NAME FOR YET), THE FESTIVAL BOASTS AN ECLECTIC AND TWISTED SELECTION OF HORROR FROM A BEVY OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS. AND JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN – MY REVIEWS OF THE WATERMEN, THE MILLENNIUM BUG & THE DEAD

According to the Oxford Dictionary, horror (noun) is defined as ‘an intense feeling of fear, shock or disgust.’

As a lifelong genre fanatic, I share the plight of discerning horror junkies whose need for fresh material is rarely satisfied in mainstream cinema. Recently, I had about the same reaction to the remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street as I did to the sticker price on a package of organic blueberries at Whole Foods; disheartened, but not shocked.

INTERVUE: THE RAVEN Director James McTeigue and Star Luke Evans Honor Edgar Allan Poe

Actor Luke Evans(front) and director James McTeigue at Westminster Hall

On Friday, October 7th, at Westminster Hall in Baltimore, a commemorative wreath laying ceremony took place at the grave site of Edgar Allan Poe, honoring the enigmatic author on the 162nd anniversary of his death. Participating in the event were James McTeigue and actor Luke Evans, director and star respectively of the upcoming period thriller The Raven, a fictionalized account of Poe’s final days in 1849 Baltimore. The film incorporates the life of the author, played by John Cusack, into a story about a serial killer whose murderous spree is inspired by Poe’s own writing.  Mr. McTeigue and Mr. Evans met with us in the catacombs of the historic gothic church to discuss the legendary poet of the macabre and satisfy our morbid curiosity about the production of The Raven, which opens nationwide on April 27th, 2012.

Red Tails Intervue: Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard and Tuskegee Airmen, Part 2

From left to right: Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr.; Tuskegee Airmen Roscoe Brown and Charles McGee

There is still so much that the average history-savvy American doesn’t know about the significance and impact of the Tuskegee Airmen, both domestically and as an effective instrument in Europe during World War II. Double Victory captures the hardships and the triumphs of an incredibly strong willed group of men through their very own stories in some tremendously disadvantaged circumstances. Cuba Gooding Jr., who narrates the documentary, talked about education, supporting the Tuskegee Airmen and the importance of Red Tails.

Red Tails Intervue: Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard and Tuskegee Airmen, Part 1

Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding, Jr.

There has been much talk about the upcoming Lucasfilm production Red Tails, an adventure story based on the exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. The airmen, made up of the 332nd Fighter Group and 477th Bombardment Group, were the first squadron of African American pilots in U.S. history, and considered to be some of the best in the world. In 1941 Tuskegee Alabama, racism was prevalent and the U.S. military was segregated in accordance with Jim Crow Laws. These soldiers had to face adversity both at war and at home, and the Double Victory campaign encompassed the endeavors of these men who fought both for their country and for their civil rights as Americans.

St. Baldrick’s: 46 Mommas Shave for the Brave at Union Station

On Wednesday night, the west main hall of Union Station in Washington, DC was filled with hundreds of people supporting The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money to fund research for childhood cancer. More specifically, they were there to help kickoff the second annual 46 Mommas: Shave for the Brave event, in which 46 women from around the country shave their heads with the goal of raising $1 million for St. Baldrick’s. Each of these women has a child that has been impacted by cancer, some in remission, many undergoing treatment and some who have lost the battle with the disease.

Cirque du Soleil: Behind the Scenes at Quidam

Cirque du Soleil marked its much anticipated return to Baltimore with Quidam, which premiered Thursday night at 1st Mariner Arena and will continue through August 28th.  Encompassing a veritable dream team of top athletes, dancers, singers, musicians and actors from around the world, Quidam (pronounced “Key-dahm”) is an interpretive departure into a little girl’s fantasy world, a story as unique in its dark exploration of the human psyche as it is in colorful, physics-defying beauty.

5.9 Earthquake Rocks the DC Metro Area

DC never saw it coming. It seems like it happens only in the movies… A 5.9 Earthquake rocked the Nation’s Capital for a mere few seconds. This is my take on the event. I hope you read it with an open mind

Cirque du Soleil Sneak Peek: Adrienn Banhegyi Skips Rope In Quidam

Cirque du Soleil is coming to Baltimore for the sixth time with Quidam, the introspective and emotional story of a young girl’s escape into an imaginary world. Quidam (pronounced “Key-dahm”) has been running internationally since 1996, recently integrated into Cirque’s arena division and will be performed from August 24th-28th at 1st Mariner Arena.