Phil's picks
By Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.26.2008
Watch
"The Happening." Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan is all over the place as a filmmaker, capable of making classics ("The Sixth Sense") and wretched disasters ("The Village"). Regardless of what you think of his work, it's rarely boring. This one stars Zooey Deschanel and Mark Wahlberg and tells a fresh, often frightening story that builds momentum until the finale.
Rent/Buy
"There Will Be Blood." Out on Blu-ray now to follow up an earlier DVD release, this tour de force stars Daniel Day-Lewis as a people-hating early-20th-century oil tycoon. Lewis not only won the Oscar for his role, he metaphorically grabbed the little statue by its throat and choked it into submission. Extras include a 1920s promotional film about the wonders of the oil industry.
Play
"Death Jr: Root of Evil." Another in a long line of "Wii-makes" attempting to cash in on the hot console, this reinvention of a PSP platformer utilizes the Wii's motion controls to superb extent. You guide the middle school son of the Grim Reaper through hill-hopping, puzzle-solving, demon-swiping fun. It's a game intended for kids but drips with enough ironic humor to tempt adults.
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