the other press ame Review evil May Cry 2 ublisher: Capcom eveloper: Capcomi enre: Action umber of Players: 1 SRB Rating: M Culture http://otherpress.douglas.bc.ca Nick Hogg OP Game Boy Dante is back for round two with the forces of evil, except this time he’s cooler than ever. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the DMC series, you take one half- demon, smart-ass with weapons skills that could put any John Woo hero to shame, and drop him into a precarious situation with an army of demons, and viola—you have DMC2. Though it’s basically a run of the mill sequel with a new character added for flavour, and some new moves thrown in to taste, the game play in DMC2 is highly polished, and a great improvement on the original game. Capcom has added a variety of new moves, such as double jumps, the ability to run up and along walls, as well as a wide variety of cartwheels and back flips. Okay, so now Dante is a very mobile guy, but you may wonder what's it all for? Well, there are demons that don't particularly like Dante who are trying to kill him, and with his high mobile skills he must defeat evil. Dante also has a sword and several guns, each having magical properties and unlimited ammo. Accompanying Dante on his battle with the forces of evil is Lucia, who wields twin blades and has a wide variety of magically- imbued throwing weapons. But just being proficient at killing demons isn’t enough, this game rates you on style, meaning that you better make it look entertaining, or else heatre Review Arsenic and Old Lace, at the Stanley Theatre, starring the incomparable Nicola Cavendish and directed by Morris Panych, flows like a vintage bottle of red. This post-mod- ern farce tells the sinister and satirical tale of two elderly sisters intent on sending lonely male widows to their early graves. Production values are exemplary, the actors give it their all—including hilarious moments of improviza- tion—and my attention was held with moody lighting, a seamless soundtrack and impeccable direction. Yet, a bitter aftertaste remained, and I’m hard-pressed to figure out why. It may have been the daunting length of this popular play (we took our seats at 7:45 and the cur- tains finally fell at 11:10) or our distance from the stage. It may have been the endless references to corpses and high jinks over their disposal, that at one time would have been shocking, even titillating, but now just seem old. Bodies buried in basements are all too real to elicit incredulous laughter from me. But the audience was generally rapt, attentive and appreciative of the many fine performances, especially from Cavendish as the jittery, playful Abby Brewster. Upon hearing of her nephew’s engagement, she strutted happily across the stage, then quickly passed her hand over some lit candles in a gesture both childlike and dangerous: February 12, 2003 it's going to give you a D. The graphics look amazing this time around with stun- ning outdoor environments, the lighting effects are done well and all the demons move fluently and realistically. Only bad point is the way the camera angles functions. The camera free form followes the action, but there are a few instances where you lose your orientation. As a result, there are times when you cannot see the enemies you are shooting at, or you lose your own position. The story does- nt read much better than a typical HK action film—evil millionaire is using demon powers to try and take over the world, in much the same way a certain billionaire uses his. It’s a solid action game; youd never expect much of a story out of an action movie and you can expect the same from an action game. You can pick up DMC2, play it for half an hour and not have to put an abundance of thought into it other than “Damn, that’s cool.” Adding to the replay value is a set of alternate casual clothing provided by Diesel. It’s rather odd battling the forces of evil in casual clothes. So demons are bad, and Dante is good; that’s the gist of the story. Don't expect a sweeping epic from DMC2, but you do get a thrilling action game with two separate char- acters that look good and will impress your friends. After all, there’s nothing cooler than running up walls. the epitome of an eccentric old lady who murders with a smile. Also impressive was Colin Heath as a whiney, reluc- tant “doctor” of cosmetics and torture. His physical expressions of fear, exhaustion and conflict were amazing. It's quite a talent to be a character actor and a slapstick comedian all in one. These two stood out in terms of sharp character definition and sheer physicality, but all others in the excellent cast were close behind. Panych has done a fine job here, clearly giving structure to the production, but allowing his players to move freely within it. An unfortunate low point for me was when the delu- sional character of Teddy (Roosevelt) Brewster, played by Stephen E. Miller, moved one of the many corpses from the window seat to the cellar. The “body” was so obvious- ly fake—and light—that his struggles became simply laughable. All in all, Arsenic and Old Lace entertains with a solid determination much akin to the sisters’ passion for gener- ous, and unsolicited, euthanasia. Evidence that it’s proba- bly still best to refuse candy—and wine—from strangers. Arsenic and Old Lace plays at the Stanley Theatre until February 23. page 11 ©