Bloglander

DVD

The Roommate
See super-fine Leighton Meester in My Roommate Is a Nutjob. Rated PG-13

The Rite
See super-fine (in a hot grandpa way) Anthony Hopkins in My Roommate Needs an Exorcism. Rated PG-13

The Mechanic
See super-fine (in a kiss-me-or-kill-me way) Jason Statham in My Murdered Dad's Intimidating Best Friend is Training Me to Be an Assassin So I Can Avenge Him. Rated R

MUSIC

Rome | Danger Mouse 
There was a time — call this time "2004" — when Danger Mouse was seen as an agitator, thief, enemy of the record industry, and quite possibly a genius (or at least a one-off savant). There was a time — call this time "since then" — when Danger Mouse has become an industry-beloved, Grammy-winning, world-conquering producer. (Granted, after 2009, EMI considers him a troublemaker again.) Here, he continues his singular project of making weird-ass pop music that is the spiritual offspring of Ennio Morricone and will still sell a billion records because Jack White and Norah Jones sing on it. The year 2004 was right: genius. 

Let Them Talk | Hugh Laurie
Dr. House makes a blues record. The generous end of the (mostly British) critical consensus is, "for a white, middle-class Englishman, Hugh Laurie plays a surprisingly convincing bluesman."

Give 'Til It's Gone | Ben Harper 
Another exact-same album from Ben Harper

VIDEOGAMES

Maybe I'm too hard on you, videogame industry. Maybe I'm the one to blame. "Luke doesn't like me," you say. This is true. Most of the time, I think you're all talk. And the cost for that talk is generally more than I care to pay ($59.99 MSRP for Lego Pirates of the Caribbean — really?). And when it's a reasonable amount of money (as in the Wii's $8 downloadable Chrono Trigger, out this week), it's for a game I played — and loved — 15 years ago. No, videogame industry, I think you're the problem. That said...

L.A. Noire | PS3, XBox
Looks pretty rad, and may be worth putting off that kitchen remodel for. A war hero-turned-cop tries to clean up 1947 Los Angeles after exposing corruption. Gameplay includes everything from gumshoeing to car chases to shootouts in a world that's not quite as open as Grand Theft Auto but big enough to feel complete.

Infinity Blade (Multiplayer) | iOS
This game costs, like, $6 bucks (if you've bought the single player edition, the update is free). It's no Lego Pirates of the Caribbean, but I also didn't have to take out a second mortgage for the five hours of absorbing gameplay here.