A Slice Of Our Time

RIP, Billy Powell

2009-01-28T14:40:00.000-08:00

A plane crash could not finish him, but a heart attack may have. Billy Powell, the on-again, off-again keyboard player with Lynard Skynard, died early this morning in Orange Park, FL at age 56. He had had a recent history of heart problems.

People of a certain age (meaning, those of you who grew up in the 1970s and/or were listening to rock music), will remember him as one of seven shaggy guys who first got the public's attention with the anthemic song "Free Bird." (Those of you who grew up and/or were listening to rock music in the 1990s will remember it became a joke to shout this as a request at any live music show, no matter who was on stage. If you're still doing that, it's long past time to stop.) Powell was originally a roadie with the band, but the work he did crafting the intro to Free Bird impressed founding member Ronnie Van Zant so much he was invited to perform full time. Lynard Skynard went on to have other hits with "What's Your Name," "Gimme Three Steps" and "Sweet Home Alabama."

The 1977 plane crash that took the lives of Van Zandt, guitarist Steve Gaines and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines marked the end of the band's performing days. For awhile. Powell and the other survivors went their separate ways until 1989, when they reunited for a series of concerts. Ultimately Powell decided to stay on, and had remained with the group up to the present day. His death leaves guitarist Gary Rossington as the only original member.

WWE Smackdown: Rourke vs. Jericho!

2009-01-27T23:09:00.000-08:00

Maybe it was inevitable. Professional Wrestling is as much theater and performance art as it is an athletic contest. More really. A lot more. So why shouldn't an actor climb in the ring with a wrestler and have a smackdown?

That must be Mickey Rourke's thinking on the matter, because he just signed on to go up against WWE superstar Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 25 in Reliant Stadium. That's on April 5, so you've got a couple months to prepare.

Rourke's career has made an unexpected recovery in recent years. You might say he was almost down for the count but has risen from the mat. In 2005 he was brutally convincing as an avenging thug in Sin City, and last year he earned wide acclaim for his portrayal of Randy The Ram, a washed up pro-wrestler in (what else?) The Wrestler. Now he wants to try the wrestling gig for real. Or for whatever counts as real in the WWE. Should be worth a laugh.

But at 56, one hopes he has sense enough not to make it a permanent career change. He already looks like someone smashed his face into the corner turnbuckles one time too many.

Afro Samurai: Resurrection (It's a game, it's a movie)

2009-01-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

The end of January is providing a flood of riches for fans of Samuel L. Jackson and Afro Samurai: a two hour movie AND a game for XBox 360 and Playstation 3. The movie, alas, premiered on Spike TV last night (Jan. 25, 2009), so you're too late for that. But still ahead is the game's debut on Tuesday, January 27th, and the DVD release of the movie on February 3rd. Jackson once again lends his distinctive voice to Afro, the haunted, nearly mute samurai, and to Afro's talkative alter ego Ninja Ninja.

The Movie:
Of all the movies Jackson appeared in last year (there were six, but who's counting?), Afro Samurai: Resurrection has by his own admission a special place in his heart. The story line is what you would expect from a comic book melodrama: Afro walks a shattered, post-apocalyptic earth, avenging the desecration of his father's grave by the sadistic mastermind Sio (voiced by Lucy Liu). The important thing is that he looks and sounds really good doing it. And thanks to the stylized vision of Manga artist Takashi Okazaki, combined with the music of Wu-Tang Clan alum RZA, he does. Through every lightning crack, sword slash, and gush of blood.

The Game:
Is the game a movie, or is the movie a game? Well, either way it all fits. With a story based on a character thirsting for vengeance, you know there's going to be a whole lot of bad guys to chop up. And OK, sure, you've encountered that before. But once again, it's about the look, the design, the movement. The use of dynamic cross-hatching visuals give a captivating pen and ink hand-drawn feel to the environments you explore, and the characters you meet. These work seamlessly with an innovative combat system that enable you to execute your foes with fluid yet elegantly precise fighting moves (imagine that!). Raw, irreverent dialogue and RZA's hip-hop score complete the experience. If you ever wanted to inhabit Afro's world, Publisher Namco Bandai Games America Inc. has delivered.