ICE AGE 2 GREAT FOR ALL AGES

What happens when you place Denis Leary, Ray Romano and Jay Leno in a sound studio? Answer: one of the most entertaining cartoon movies of our time. The main characters of Manny, Sid and Diego are facing both the good and bad aspects of the end of the Ice Age and trying to adjust accordingly to this unprecedented event. Even funnier than the original, “Ice Age 2: The Meltdown” is guaranteed to satisfy every member of the household from the youngster right up to granny and gramps. The animation is spectacular and the writing and voices are sure to crack up almost anyone who watches it. Never being a huge fan of cartoon movies, I was admittedly shocked after seeing this one. This DVD is certainly a breakthrough in the world of animated comedy; so if you are looking for a lighthearted flick that is fun for the whole family, look no further than “Ice Age 2.”

— CHRIS CURRY

ANGRY VIOLENCE NOT COOL

There is a place in my heart for total insanity and bone-crushingly heavy music. Speedcore acts like the Agorophobic Nosebleed or Toronto’s the First Seed fall into this category, as do over-the-top schlock rock bands like GWAR. But bands like Hatebreed and Cannibal Corpse annoy the hell out of me. I mean, come on — do these guys actually take themselves seriously? Unfortunately, it seems they do. And equally unfortunately, Solace of Reform’s “Utopia Reborn” falls into the latter of these two categories of heavy music. I know it’s probably not a good idea to knock a group as apparently angry and violent as SoR sound, but the last thing we need right now is another band of testosterone-fueled psychopaths acting like angry violence is cool. There’s enough of that in the world already and it definitely sucks. Solace of Requiem: your name and album art may look like a Delirium CD, but it’s fooling no one. You’re on notice! If you want more information check out www.solreq.com.

— JAMES SANDHAM

LIGHTER SIDE OF SPORTS

Everything needs to have a lighter aspect to it. If not, we would become an incredibly boring society and never leave room for joking around. Thankfully, sports aren’t able to escape fickle humor either, with the advent of www.sportspickle.com. This hilarious site is perfect for any sports fan looking for a lighter side of the sporting news. Although, the news won’t be true, it’s still hilarious. Whether its football, baseball, basketball or hockey that you like, you are sure to find some hilarious parodies and fake news stories about your favorite players and organizations. The site makes sure that the readers are informed that the stories are not based on any facts at all and are for comedy purposes only. So from the “fake quote of the week” all the way to the “who’s been pickled” section, any sports fan is sure to find something to tickle the funny bone from this site.

— CHRIS CURRY

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