Any way to make iCal calendar notifications modal again?

I realize this is a "first world problem", but my desktop computer's monitor is so huge that I don't often notice the little Notification Center boxes that appear in the upper right corner. I get enough of them from other processes that I'm starting to tune them out, which means that it's easy to miss calendar reminders.

I really liked the modal alerts that earlier versions of the OS used - they demanded that I notice and dismiss them explicitly. The new notifications are not catching my attention enough, and it's only a matter of time before I miss an important one.

Are there any products out there, or a way within the system itself, to have iCal events display a modal window when reminding me of an event or meeting?