Media reviews of the oft overlooked:

Shenry is not a professional critic and does not put a terrible amount of effort into his reviews. Shenry believes that readers who want objective, thoughtful, and knowledgeable reviews should use a search engine.

CD: BoA, Twilight
Review: I don’t understand why BoA doesn’t have at least two U.S. hit singles. Duvet and Rain are solid songs with driving guitars, warbling female vocals, hooky refrains, and the potential for mass appeal. If Lilith Fair was still in full swing, BoA would have a perfect opportunity to showcase their talents. Please don’t take this to mean that BoA sounds 1990-outdated. On the contrary, the melodic layers they utilize are very cutting edge. The only detracting remark I can make is this: Songs begin to blend together as the CD nears the end, one song begins to sound like the next. But, who cares if you like it?

Mandate: Go, now, to your local record store. Choose a store that lets you pre-listen to your perspective purchase. Listen to tracks 1 (Duvet) and 4 (Rain). If you like, buy. If you don’t like, don’t buy.

DVD: May
Review: This gets my highest DVD rating: Ownable. Yes, I’m putting this movie on my backlogged Christmas list. This movie is hard to categorize; it’s funny in an offbeat way, sad in a misfit way, thrilling in a “holy fuck” way, and terrifying in a psychotic way. When all is said and done, I’ll file it away as a psychological thriller/horror. The movie starts psuedo-normal, which lulled me into a false sense of security, but it gets more and more twisted as it progresses. At one point I was leaning forward, rubbing my temples, and shouting "No no no no no no NO!" at the screen like I could actually change the inevitable outcome.

Mandate: Rent it. I’d demand you buy it, but it’s a new release and the $20 price tag is a little steep (at least for me).

PS2: Soul Calibur II
Review: This is the best 3D fighting game of all time. I’d rank it as the best fighting game ever (regardless of 2D/3D), but my heart will always belong to Street Fighter II. The advertising slogan should use the cliché: An hour to learn, but a lifetime to master.

Mandate: If you’re a fan of fighting game, go get it.

Books: The Book of Shenry
Review: I haven’t read a truly great book recently, so I have nothing to rave about. Instead, indulge me in a moment of narcissism. The Book of Shenry is the greatest web log ever! Shenry takes the standard blog formula and elevates it to the level of fine literature. This blog is consistently inconsistent in a good way. One day it’s potty humor, the next day it’s a treasure trove of wisdom. You can’t go wrong with this book.

Mandate: Wear a yellow shirt to work next Friday.
...and so it was written, shenry at 9/05/2003 12:58:00 PM.
...and so it was appended with .