How to part with your cash this week

We all work hard for our money, and money just doesn't seem to stretch as far as it used to. Usually the slog until pay day is stressful and demoralising, with seemingly every penny we accumulate disappearing on taxes or food or food taxes. At times it can seem tempting just to give up on everything and sob in a corner, of course that would be quitting. No, there is only one way to numb the pain... BUY STUFF! 

So here is a look at the new and wonderful (and not so wonderful) things to spend that blood-money on.

MUSIC

AC/DC - Iron Man 2

AC/DC don't have an official 'best of', but until the coffers run dry again this will be the closest we're likely to get. It's got all of the classics, and to be brutally honest is the only AC/DC album as casual fan will ever need.

Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation

Jam front man Paul Weller rejoins with former bandmate Bruce Foxton, and has a ball in the process. You can hear in every song that this is just Weller having a great time, and he doesn't care if you don't like it!

Meatloaf - Hang Cool Teddy Bear

A return to form for Meatloaf, it's not exactly everything you expect it to be, but to be honest it's nice to hear an old dog has learned new tricks.

Katie Nash - My Best Friend Is You

Nash seems to have grown up a little for this album, just a little, the lyrics do seem a little less childish but still delve back into brit-pop clichés. Its Lilly Allen mixed with Tori Amos by way of Chas & Dave... Take from that what you will!

GAMES

Monster Hunter Tri - Wii

If it has the words 'Monster' and 'Hunter' it will sell insanely well in Japan, so success is guaranteed. Its by far the best looking game on the Wii meeting almost current-gen graphics. It's also a lot of fun and one of the best mature online experiences on the console.

After Burner Climax - PS3 (PSN)

A port of one of the best arcade games you've never played. It's an arcadey flight sim with emphasis on shooting down hundreds of enemies and leaving beautiful smoke trails all over the sky. 

Various Game and Watch Titles - DSI

Some classic gameplay ported over to the DS for DSIWare. Unfortunately they've split these into individual titles and not bundled them together which makes them a little on the expensive side.

MOVIES

The Men Who Stare At Goats - DVD, Blu-Ray

Comedy staring a wealth of big names, its funny and just a little bit odd. Wasn't every well received on release due in some part to its length and being reviewed by people without any sense of humour.

Nine - DVD, Blu-Ray

The Striptease of of our generation, in that its a film that every teenage boy wants to see thanks to the posters, and everyone, regardless of age, leaves feeling confused and disappointed.

Date Night - Cinema

Competent comedy starring two people who both have the capability to be far funnier than they are on screen here. It's a fun film, but will never be an absolute classic.

COMICS

Black Widow and the Marvel Girls - Marvel

Trade Paperback collection of the origin story for sexy super spy Natasha Romonova, just in time for Iron Man 2. The plot doesn't really work, and the art is impressive yet cutesy, which doesn't gel with the writing.

The Walking Dead: Book 5 - Image Comics

The unstoppable juggernaut comic hits it's fifth trade paperback, the quality is as high as ever and the plot continues to entertain, following the survivors as they try and fight off the inevitable.

Captain America: Reborn - Marvel

The ending may have been spoiled thanks to poor timing on release dates of comics, but if you only read graphic novels and keep your ears plugged when comic news is being broadcast you'll want to read this book. 


More 'How to part with your cash' next week.