Hall of Fame

What we (did I say ‘we’... I meant me) lack in punctuality, we make up for in quality of picks in this weeks Hall of Fame inductees.  Better late than never, right.  This week three sexy men bring you three sexy picks.  Matt gets bitter over gritty Bond, Pat sings in his car, and I mope about a childhood that has passed me by.

The Movie: Goldfinger

I’m going to throw out a controversial statement here: Bond is dead. Sure, some idiots without taste will run around praising the Daniel Craig movies for reinventing the series, but you know what, they’re wrong and the new movies are Borne rip-offs. I say this without hesitation, if you liked Quantum of Solace, you have about as much taste for Bond flicks as vegetarians do for veal. Bond is about fulfilling everyman’s dream in one film: whether it be saving the world from a near unstoppable villain, landing three hotties in a day, driving the best car, having the best gadgets, being witty, being tough…the old flicks had a perfect mixture of these qualities. In the new ones, Daniel Craig just beats shit up. It is with this in mind that Goldfinger should be the ONLY Bond flick ever inducted into a hall of fame. Period. There is no Bond without Goldfinger. Whereas the first two flicks brought Bond to the big screen, Goldfinger made him the staple that he is today, introducing the world to vodka martinis, gadgets, and Q. As film, Goldfinger is brilliant, giving us iconic characters like Auric Goldfinger (one of the greatest villains of all time) and Pussy Galore (the dame who pushed the limits of 60’s censorship). Goldfinger is THE Bond flick because it somehow gives us everything we want while remaining incredibly balanced and well paced; all other Bond films struggle with maintaining this equilibrium, oftentimes leaning too heavily on gadgets, one-liners, or brutality. I say to the world that Sean Connery is the best Bond, and Goldfinger is the best of his flicks. To think otherwise is absurd and frankly laughable.

-Matt

The Album: Coldplay - Parachutes

I might have said this earlier, but I love an album that you can just put on, listen to the whole thing and really enjoy it. Coldplay has done it for me with this album. I’m a big fan of these guys and they have some amazing songs all around and all their albums I think are very good, but Parachutes just has so many songs and a flow that just makes me crave for more.  Like I said albums like “Rush of Blood to the Head” make it really hard to nit pick these guys, they just have a sound that the more you listen to it the more you fall in love with the lyrics and Chris Martin’s particular voice that just makes the songs feel like they have so much emotion. If you don’t believe me listen to “Sparks” or their big hit “Yellow”.

Parachutes has many great songs throughout the album, but in the end is really the sum of all its parts which makes for an album the flows consistently and with a sound the listener won’t tire of. Its really just one of those albums that if you need to you can pop it in the car and drive until the disc runs out. I think its time for a drive…

-Pat

The Game: Final Fantasy VI

Originally released in the US as Final Fantasy III on the SNES, this game marked the first role playing game (RPG) that I ever played.  I remember playing through the 60-plus hour game over the course of countless Thursday to Saturday rentals at the local video store, AMB Video.  FFVI stands as the pinnacle of gaming.  For my money, it is the best game on the best gaming system.  Going back to it now, after 6 or 8 or 11 playthroughs, the game is pure nostalgia.  The music reminds me of a more whimsical age where I could spend three times a games actual value re-renting it from the video store while pumping countless hours.  What I’m saying is; either this is the best game ever, or I really just wish that I never had to grow up.  Could it be both?

-Anthony