Gorillaz's third time is a charm, Up in the Air gets all up in your DVD player, and honestly, if you're up to your 13th installment, is it really a "final" fantasy? Here are your new releases for Tuesday, March 9.
MUSIC
Plastic Beach -- Gorillaz: Damon Albarn's "virtual band" releases their third studio album with a stellar lineup of guest performances from every corner of music's stratosphere; from Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, and Mos Def to Lou Reed, Gruff Rhys, and The Clash's Paul Simonon and Mick Jones.
The Brutalist Bricks -- Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: The flawless songsmith and unstoppable indie punk vegan finds a home at Matador Records and releases his best effort to date, which is sayin' a whole lotta somethin'.
Valleys of Neptune -- Jimi Hendrix: The first in a slew of releases set to drop this year in honor of the 40th anniversary of Hendrix's death, this collection of rarities is a must-own for die-hard fans, casual music listeners and people who have at least one functioning aural cavity.
Battle of the Sexes -- Ludacris: Each song features a different producer (The Neptunes, Swizz Beats, The Legendary Traxster, etc.) and guest MCs (Shawnna, Lil' Kim, Flo Rida, Ne-Yo, etc.) in what is sure to be a cohesive album with a singular vision that is not just two or three passable singles padded out with a bunch of filler. Or the complete opposite of what I just said.
DVD
Precious: Bring home the feelgood hit of the season!
The Boondock Saints II: You know what action movies need more of? Dudes wearing dusters jumping sideways in slow motion, double-fisting handguns and firing them in mid-air.
Capitalism: A Love Story: Michael Moore tells us a bunch of stuff we already know. Life sucks and is unfair, rich people control everything and us common folk are completely helpless, and Michael Moore loves the sound of his own fat voice.
Old Dogs: If only the sideways-jumping, duster-wearing, Boondock Saints dudes were pointing their double-fisted handguns at John Travolta, Robin Williams and Seth Green in this terrible, awful, laugh-free film, then, well, The Hurt Locker would've had some serious best picture competition.
Up in the Air: George Clooney is pretty. Also, brooding. And pretty.
GAMES
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Xbox 360): Destined to sell a million gazillion bobillion copies, the popular role playing game returns to break new ground, further distance die-hard gamers from their friends and loved ones for at least a few months, and rake in mountainous sales.
Assassin's Creed II (PC): The superior sequel released last year on PS3 and Xbox 360 finally comes to Windows gamers; a breed of gamer who makes your garden variety nerd look like a regular George Clooney, who is pretty even when he broods.
Yakuza 3 (PS3): Essentially Grand Theft Auto with more kicking. And what's not awesome about that? I'll tell you what: Nothing.
Calling (Wii): Who needs machine guns and missile launchers when you have flashlights and cell phones at your disposal. Japanese puzzling-solving, object-interacting, survival horror...uh, action?