I’m not going to lie to you guys… It was very difficult to decide what deserved to be in the top spot this week, i.e. what’s most deserving of your entertainment dollars. The question really came down to: am I a gay man, or am I a mentally repressed man-child, with both sides of my personality fighting for dominance.
I think my selections make it pretty obvious which side won:
1) Madonna – Hard Candy ($10, Amazon)
But Why? Because it’s a new Madonna album, and I am a gay man trapped in a straight man’s body. A very, very gay man. “Four Minutes,” the first single off the album sounds like a mess the first time through, and then, slowly but surely, you can’t get it out of your head. Plus, the video is creepy in all the right ways. Also, I’ve bought every Madonna album the day it came out since I’ve been old enough to dance, and will do so until the day Madge dies. Or die. Probably me first.
2) Grand Theft Auto IV ($90, Amazon)
Lock & Load? This is a game so big that articles are being printed wondering whether it will affect Iron Man at the box office this weekend. And it will… Grand Theft Auto is one of the most influential gaming series of all time, and by calling this installment “IV,” (previous installments have been an expansion of GTA3’s engine, released in 2001), Rockstar Games have thrown down the gauntlet, telling nascent gangsters that this is where gaming is going. There’s a ton of options how to get the game, but the Xbox 360 version gets the edge for more online play and downloadable content (though not until the Fall). Pick up the special edition, and you’ll get a hunt guide, duffel bag, lock box, and more. Though, I hear these may be already sold out, if you don’t buy online…
3) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ($19, Amazon)
Noooo… This is probably one of the saddest movies ever made, but it’s made very, very well. When a man has a stroke, the only thing he can move is his left eye, and through his left eye he learns to communicate, speak, write, and create art. Heartbreaking, beautiful, and excellently made, you can probably miss this unless you want it to live in your head for weeks afterwards.
4) Songs From the Sparkle Lounge, Def Leppard ($10, Amazon)
Really? This is rapidly becoming the hilarious "eighties hair band releases a new album” slot, but hey, it is what it is.