Chatterbox Video Game Radio

Chatterbox Video Game Radio

Podcast Review

Doing a weekly, hour-long, talk-radio show devoted entirely to video games may sound like a tall order. But I'm sure that each and every week the companies that make the games release enough information, news, and PR materials that, combined with reviews of the new software actually coming out, you would have no trouble filling that hour. This, as far as I can tell, is what the vast majority of video game-related podcasts do. They gather together the latest news, undoubtedly culled from a few (or, possibly, just one) websites devoted to gaming news, throw it together with some music, and toss in an opinion on whatever games they can afford to buy. What makes Chatterbox stand out, is that they don’t do any of this.

That’s not to say that they don’t report on news, but that reading off the headlines and reiterating whatever ey can afford to buy. lated you would have no troulieralyou could have found out yourself (if you had simply bothered to visit the websites they keep telling you they go to) is not a feature of the show. And while you may also hear what they think about a game, be it new or old, reviews are also not something they focus on. Instead, the show tries to be something entirely new: an actual talk radio show devoted to discussing video games. Each week the host, Alon Waisman, and co-host Ara Shirinian (along with regular guest/intern/guy who laughs at all of the jokes, Rich Crawford) discuss topics concerning video games such as industry trends, societal effects, and how the format fits into our current concepts about art and entertainment. Rather than being just another cog in the wheel that is the industry's attempt to sell us all as many games as they can, Chatterbox tries to actually discuss that wheel, and thereby elevate this relatively new media to where it can be considered alongside others like film and literature.

The problem is that they tend to only get halfway there. Because the show is actually broadcast on terrestrial AM radio they have to take regular commercial breaks. So it happens pretty often that, just as an issue has been explained sufficiently and a real discussion is being broached, a commercial break interrupts and the momentum is lost. The best talk radio hosts (whether they are sane or not) are masters of picking back up after the break with a quick recap and reminder, and then plowing ahead as if nothing had happened. But the relative inexperience of Mr. Waisman and crew shows through each week as they flitter from topic to topic, hardly ever reaching something even resembling a satisfying conclusion. Interesting ideas, arguments, and theses are reliably raised every week, only to flounder and die when the (admittedly awesome) bumper music kicks in. Believe me, I really want to rate this show a four out of five, and I honestly believe that one day I'll have to revisit this review and change it. And I will, once the Chatterboxers learn to revisit their discussion topics.

Suitable for kids?: Ara’s regular (joking?) drug references, a habit of using abbreviations for curse words, and frank discussions of sex and violence will probably make a lot of parents balk at kids younger than high school age listening to it.

Rating: 3/5

Rambo

Film Review

The awesomeness of any given scene in Rambo is inversely proportional to how much dialogue it has. When there’s nothing coming out of the characters’ mouths except for panting and grunting as they run and shoot and fall down, the movie’s action sequences are almost breathtaking. But as soon as the characters start yapping the enjoyment level begins to drop, and in those moments when they begin to expound upon human rights or dignity or religion or anything with any level of importance it just becomes cringeworthy.

Still, no one should be going in to see this with the expectation that they’ll be getting any kind of profound statement on... anything. If you're like me then you simply want some well-paced action, big explosions, and (I'll admit it) lots of blood and guts. And you’ll get that. Boy, will you ever. Rambo makes The Passion of the Christ look like Jesus Christ Superstar. When the bullets are flying, it's at the top of its game and everything is great. The problem arises from the fact that the bits in between all the killing are just so bad. The obvious plot and poorly written dialogue are to be expected, sure. And the main villain being cartoonishly evil is nothing new either. But did he have to be this cartoonish? A guy who silently watches from his car, while smoking non-stop and wearing reflective sunglasses like something straight out of Smokey and the Bandit? Oh yeah, and he also rapes a young boy. So, now he's a gay, pedophile smoker with state trooper sunglasses. If they'd given him a Russian accent I think they would have hit every villain cliché ever. But even this didn’t actually bother me so much as make me chuckle and roll my eyes.

What did bother me was the underlying racism throughout the movie. Basically, John Rambo has given up on life. He knows atrocities are being committed in Burma, near where he lives, but he doesn’t care about anything. Until a white woman asks him to do something. Then it matters. And when she gets kidnapped, he has to go after her. And when she’s in danger of being sexually assaulted, he kills the guy doing it with his bare hands. In fact, her well-being and sexual purity are of paramount importance to seemingly every person in the movie, good or bad. It's like every single character said, "Yeah, we know that Burmese women and children are being brutally murdered, raped, and who knows what else. But we can't do anything about that. Holy cow, is that a white chick?!?! Well, now some people gotta die!”

Of course, just as this is starting to bother you, some stuff blows up. Real good. And that’s why you’re there, so you’ll be back to enjoying it pretty quickly. You might want to make a donation to a charity for relief in Burma or Darfur afterwards, to help wash the taste out of your mouth, but you'll probably enjoy the trip. I mean, seriously, that stuff blows up REAL GOOD.

Rated: R

Suitable for kids?: No, not at all. Earns every aspect of its “R” rating.

Anything after the credits?: Nope. No reason to stick around.

Rating: 3/5