I saw that, but wasn't sure if it included holding down the actual power button, which often has some kind of hardware attached to it that will force the computer off even in the case of a bad hang. Note that this is different from just pressing the power button, which I guess is something left for the operating system to handle these days. I don't know if most people shut down their computers this way or if they still use the menu option.

With the screen fading in and out, I can imagine that it was messed up enough to require more drastic measures.