SITE SPECIFICAnd the Award for Best Web Site Goes to …
With the 71st Annual Academy Awards less than three weeks away, Oscar pools around the country will soon be filling up. To get a leg up on the competition, we turned to the Web to evaluate a few sites. The envelope, please.
Oscar.com
THUMBS UP The official Oscar site. History and trivia sections; chance to win a trip to the 2000 show. THUMBS DOWN No film clips? And the online store sells only one poster (a lithograph of previous best-picture winners). C’mon, guys.
Variety.com
THUMBS UP Old reviews of past winners (loved “Silence of the Lambs,” found “The Godfather” overlong). THUMBS DOWN Insider jargon may be confusing to novices, but this industry bible can help give you a boost in your Oscar pool.
Film.com
THUMBS UP Film clips galore: past winners, previous hosts and more. Snarky writing has a welcome edge. THUMBS DOWN Splashy multimedia, yes; lists of previous winners, no. The daily Oscar Almanac makes up for this oversight somewhat.
GAMESLooking for a Few Good Men
Like any good thriller, 989 Studios’ PlayStation game Syphon Filter ($49.99; 888-426-3702) quickly pulls you in and doesn’t let up–think “Crisis in the Hot Zone” meets “Patriot Games.” As Special Agent Gabriel Logan, your job ranges from tracking down viral bombs to eliminating terrorists in the nation’s capital. What sets this apart from games like Goldeneye is its third-person perspective; you can see all of Logan’s slick moves. He can crouch, climb, roll and even fire weapons while he’s running. The game also has realistic details like puffs of breath in cold air, gunshot damage to walls and shattering glass. This is one license to kill worth getting.
