Wednesday, November 28, 2007

I normally don't like writing about music. It's not something that comes easy to me. I feel like music is just something you feel, like, or dont like...rather than something that needs to be critiqued. But here I go anyway...


OneRepublic just released their debut album “Dreaming Out Loud” last week. My take on the new album: its somber, reflective, and intense. It opens with the “Say (All I Need)” which sets the mood of the whole album perfectly. They sure do know how to tug at the core of your soul when they sing, such passion! I am very much impressed. I have to say, there’s not a single clunker on this CD.


Its not a full-on rock out type of rock record… there are only a few fast-paced songs on here… the rest are mid-tempo to slow but as I said, intense. The album is very song-driven, with very emotive vocals from Ryan Tedder and top-notch but not over-the-top production. I like that the piano and the cello are very prominent on the CD.


I do have one tiny issue about it though… I believe they named the album after one of their songs that didn't make the cut. Whats up with that. The phrase does appear on “Come Home” but I’m pretty sure the title came from “Dreaming Out Loud” the song which is also brilliant. Other than that, the CD is awesome. Sounds similar to The Fray and Snow Patrol, but not really.



Standout Tracks

Stop and Stare
Come Home
All We Are
Won't Stop
Prodigal
Say (All I Need)

A-






Remember when TLC ruled the airwaves? Or the early days of Janet Jackson, back when her music was actually good. Or even when there was still a debate if Christina was more talented than Britney? That's what Jordin's self titled debut CD reminds me of, but in the best way.

Music is seriously lacking a serious young female R&B star. Sure, we have JoJo and Paula Deanda and the like, but cmon, they really aren't talented and come a dime a dozen. Thank God for Jordin, because she fills the void in a big way.

The 17-year-old gets credit, first of all, for staying in her expected lane; there are no puffy pop confections or stilted, sex-starved-songs. That's a good thing, since Jordins vocal ability would've been cheapened otherwise. She has the ability to sing her ass off, as displayed in the anthem "Now You Tell Me," in which samples a Coldplay song, and on the danceable ditty "Freeze" (which she co-wrote). The duet "No Air," featuring label mate Chris Brown, is probably the most R&B friendly track on the CD, and its a great one. The only disappointment comes in the last song of the CD, "God Loves Ugly," which is just a boring song with no melody and stupid lyrics. You arent ugly Jordin, what the fuck? You shouldn't be saying things about God loving you because you are ugly.


Standout Tracks

Next To You
Freeze
No Air
Just For the Record
Now You Tell Me

B+

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Enchanted Mists of Beowulf

Enchanted

The sweet silliness of the Disney animated fairy tale landscape meets the rough reality of New York City? Why didn’t someone think of this sooner and pull it off as perfectly as Enchanted does? Don’t expect any grand philosophies on life beyond "ain’t true love grand?" and "there's no reason to be so damn bitter about everything," but as a way to pass a couple hours in movie bliss, you can’t go wrong. Plus, Enchanted is an example of an even rarer cinematic creature: the movie completely suitable for both kids and grownups. Everyone’s happy, and it doesn’t even suffer from that terrible tinge of being "good for you" in any way. It’s like junk food you won’t get a tummy ache from eating too much of.

Banished from her animated kingdom by a wicked queen (Sarandon), chirpy young princess Giselle (Adams) is thrust into the real world where she awaits rescue by her charming Prince Edward (Marsden). But an encounter with a single father (Dempsey) and his young daughter (Covey) brings her down to earth.

Beginning as a so-over-the-top-it’s-genius parody of Disney’s own back movies, the cartoon section introduces Giselle as a parody of every animated heroine in the studio’s history. In our world she’s less fish out of water
than nut out of rehab, the adorable conceit being that the rules of her realm still apply in ours, so that a whistle-while-you-work style song with real vermin instead of cute forest animals is a genuinely funny highlight.

Some out of nowhere casting choices enliven the movie. Clearly bolstered by his Grey’s Anatomy resurgence, Dempsey is in his romantic leading man status and the hilarious Amy Adams, who owns this film, makes for a winning and extremely likeable heroine. Sarandon doesn’t get much to do, but who knew James Marsden was so damn funny? Call me crazy, but I think Adams should be nominated for something for this.

Only a somewhat overcooked dragon finale that threatens to tip us into King Kong territory disappoints, but there’s always room for that happily ever after, leaving Enchanted as a hugely enjoyable slice of fun, cute without being annoying and clever without being overly sarcastic.

A-


Beowulf
Like Angelina Jolie in permanent gold CGI high heels, the computer animated epic of Beowulf will get your blood pumping. While not a flawless film, Beowulf has accomplished something great. Not only has Zemekis proved that animation can transcend audiences, assaulting viewers with its adult content, but with Beowulf he proves that computer animated films can be very adult, and actually quite scary.

Adapted from some story or poem long ago, or whatever, Beowulf (Ray Winstone) tells the story of a legendary Viking hero who arrives on some shore somewhere to purge the kingdom of a horrid monster, Grendel (Crispin Glover). However Grendel is far from the darkest creature plaguing the countryside, and Beowulf soon encounters a being far more manipulative, promising through its treacherous evil hedonistic pleasures of lust, riches, strength and power. Like King Hagarth before him, Beowulf’s greed plunges the kingdom into misery and darkness, forcing the unrelenting warrior to atone for his sins in order to protect what he holds true in his heart.

Translating the dense, highly symbolic tale into mainstream, popcorn entertainment will most likely cause 7th grade English teachers to cringe, but with their tight adaptation and Zemeckis’ awesome vision, Beowulf comes to life in a way that not only anyone can enjoy, but will leave audiences having fun.

Structurally the film doesn’t flow as smoothly as other modern epics, like Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy; in fact the film’s opening is rather jerky. It isn’t until the first appearance of the title character that the narrative begins to settle, after which point the picture come into itself.While the performances are solid, especially Ray Winstone’s captivating presence as Beowulf, one can’t help but feel there was something lost in translation after the layer of computer animation was applied to the actors. While Zemeckis has honed his technology, correcting many of the mistakes found in Polar Express, there is one thing the motion capture process has still not been able to capture, and that is the emotive presence of horses, or rather humans moving on horses. If you've seen this film, you know what I'm talking about. They still havent perfected people looking normal or realistic riding on animals.

This is not your parent’s 3D computer animation; this is something wholly new, and seeing a seasoned filmmaker take advantage of the extra dimension is a joy for anyone who has ever found pleasure in going to the movies.

A visual masterpiece, Beowulf makes up for its narrative flaws by creating an experience the moviegoer has never seen before.

B


The Mist

In The Mist, writer-director Frank Darabont’s third adaptation of a Stephen King work, the awfulness of acting that is-Thomas Jane, plays illustrator David Drayton who we meet on the night of a horrible storm in the small Maine town where he lives with his family (in the film's most clever nod to King fans, Drayton is seen finishing a drawing for a Dark Tower book in the opening scene). After the storm, Drayton and his son head with their neighbor (Andre Braugher) to a local store to buy supplies and prepare for the clean-up. While they're shopping for necessities with nearly half the town’s population (including Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, and William Sadler) who all apparently had the same idea, a bizarre mist rolls in from out of nowhere.

When a man emerges from the freaky fog screaming and bloody, the shoppers start to get nervous. When the giant bugs and tentacles show up quickly thereafter, it’s a blue-light-special on fear, Alien-style. And then things get interesting in the store itself, which, is really the last thing that Drayton and his embattled neighbors need at that point.

The Mist is, essentially, King and Darabont’s attempt to blend elements of Lord of the Flies with classic horror clichés and B-movie scares. They want us to ask ourselves: What happens to humans under life-or-death pressure? Is there ugliness inside humanity that’s even scarier than the monsters in the mist?

One man's "old-fashioned horror" is another man's "redundant cliché," and, regrettably, The Mist straddles that line more than any other film in recent memory. One could easily argue that Frank Darabont's take on this classic Stephen King short story is a clear descendant of 1950s horror matinees or classic episodes of The Twilight Zone, and that alone is going to be enough for many genre fans to adore this movie and recommend it to their friends. And they're not wrong. But you could just as easily argue that the old-fashioned elements of The Mist make for a film that feels surprisingly unambitious, and ultimately stupid.

The Mist is far from a disaster, but there are so many moments throughout that feel like wasted opportunities, scenes that could have taken something old (the story was written almost a quarter-century ago) and made it fresh for the new millennium. When a film is constantly reminding you of better Stephen King stories, Twilight Zone episodes, or even goofy fun B-movies, at what point does that become a bad thing? At what point do all of the homages get in the way? The Mist doesn't do anything that wrong - Darabont is too talented a filmmaker and King too good a storyteller - but "not doing anything wrong" doesn't make a good movie.

Darabont breaks The Mist down to its most basic elements, even shooting most of the film without a musical score. With its one setting, The Mist almost feels like a stage play, as actors huddle in store aisles and start to divide into angry, frightened subsections of humanity. Some want to escape. Some want to stay and wait it out. Some even think a human sacrifice might be in order. The human interactions in the store and the way Darabont shoots them are the stand-out strengths of The Mist, especially thanks to strong performance by the always-great Marcia Gay Harden. The sense of human intimacy, of watching life during wartime, is what gives The Mist it’s best moments, and Darabont tries to keep the tone as believable as possible which, unfortunately get fucked up by some awkward effects work in the second act.

Pointing out one main problem - one fatal flaw - with The Mist is about as hard to put your finger on as the subject matter itself. There a million things these people do that have you yelling at the screen. They are stupid people.

It starts with a bagboy being dragged underneath a door by a tentacle, answer: close the fucking door.

The large bugs attack the store because the lights are on, answer: turn the fucking lights off.

A group of fucktwads travel next door to get drugs or something and are attacked by large spiders, answer: leave..duh.

The main character gets in his car towards the end of the film and sits there, answer: fucking turn the key and put a move on it..christ.

What it boils down to is - everyone kind of feels like they're on cruise-control. The Mist was a good King story, but it plays with themes that King has used so many times before, from The Stand to Cell. The scenario itself has such an intense sense of "been there, done that," and the material has been paired down to such a level that The Mist simply never justifies its existence. Darabont, King, Jane, Harden - they're all doing variations on things that have worked for them in the past.

Fans will notice that The Mist clearly reminds you of old horror movies or The Twilight Zone, but it will also remind you of the numerous Stephen King mini-series that get pulled from the ABC vaults every other sweeps season. The Mist might have been a great TV movie, but I dont give a shit because I was at a movie theater, not my living room couch. Like the sad, doomed shoppers in The Mist, if movie-goers are going to be trapped in a dark room for several hours, surrounded by a who’s-who of humanity, the experience should count for something more.See, there's always more to say about bad/mediocre films.

C










Friday, November 23, 2007

The Glass Castle

Jeanette Walls doesn't pull her punches. She opens her memoir by describing looking out the window of her taxi, wondering if she's 'overdressed for the evening and spotting her mother on the sidewalk, 'rooting through a Dumpster.' Walls's parents, just two of the unforgettable characters in this excellent, unusual book, were a matched pair of eccentrics who chose to be homeless, and raising four children didn't conventionalize either of them.

The Glass Castle is a memoir of Jeanette Walls. Growing up with parents whose ideals and nonconformity were both their four children's curse and salvation. In the beginning, Rex & Rose Mary Walls and their children, lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was charismatic, brilliant and, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted & wrote & couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town, and the family Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money & disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her siblings had to fend for themselves and support each other as they weathered their parents' betrayals and finally found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts, tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

Rex inspired the title of the book with the plans worked out on paper for his "glass castle" that he aspires to build some day. He often reassures his children with the promise of this fantastic housing. It is to be a solar-powered house, but first he needs to raise the money to build it, which entails numerous gold prospecting schemes that are doomed to failure. There always seems to be something setting him back to actually build this glass castle. Rex also finds work as an electrician or handyman. He is smart and mechanically talented, but his earnings inevitably are washed away in the floods of drinking that ultimately leave his family burnt out.

The moral of the story, and Jeanette's life? There is no glass castle, at least not one anybody else can build for us, even our own parents. We must create our own. And even then, glass castle's aren't even necessary.

A-



Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Heroes Ep. 2.9 "Cautionary Tales"


Every once and a while, an episode of television comes along that totally deserves your full unbiased attention. When an hour of TV can be left unscathed by my own sarcasm, it must have been pretty fucking fantastic.

This episode of Heroes was the most emotionally jarring yet of the season, and quite frankly, the entire series. It left me with a feeling I haven't had about TV since last season's Lost and season two of Greys Anatomy. It carried the same sincerity of the best episodes of Felicity and Everwood, while packing the same punch as the most daring episodes of Six Feet Under and Nip/Tuck.

Mr. Bennett’s death has been foreshadowed for several episodes now, so the general direction of this episode was never really in doubt. Once Claire was in the blue cheerleading outfit, the clock was ticking. This leads to a growing sense of desperation for both Claire and her father, and that becomes one of the more intriguing aspects of the episode. The writers have done an effective job of taking a sinister presence and making him sympathetic. As well as taking a seemingly shallow girl and giving her much depth. As always, Mr. Bennett is doing everything for Claire’s sake; his motivations haven’t changed.

This presents an interesting parallel, one that was clearly at the heart of the episode. Bob delivered his daughter into the hands of the Company, and Elle is psychologically twisted as a result. Elle’s damage gets better treatment this time around, as we get to see more of the conditioning that went into her development. Elle is a grown woman with massive gaps in her memory and a selectively replaced memory by her father. She’s used to seeing people as objects to be used. The child-like aspects are still annoying, but now that she sees what kind of father Bob has been, compared to Mr. Bennett, things could get very interesting. Elle actually seems like a real character with depth. Plus the rivalry the writers created between she and Claire was awesome. Elle seems to be jealous that Claire had the life she never did. Please keep Elle around for a while.

On the same lines with the father/daughter drama is the latest turn in Mohinder’s descent. Mohinder began his alliance with Mr. Bennett in the hopes of using the Company to develop a cure for the Shanti virus before bringing it down entirely. Instead, surprisingly, Mohinder has been forced to compromise his morality again and again, all thanks to Bob’s manipulation. This episode brings him to apparent murder, and the effects on his character should be pretty intense.

Matt is treading a similarly slippery slope, one that was foreshadowed in the season premiere. Matt has already used his abilities to his advantage for his detective exam and in the field, but now that he knows how to use his abilities to control others, he’s stepping into darker territory. His treatment of Angela Petrelli is interesting, because his decision to strip away the identity of Victoria Pratt suggests obsession, and as always, obsession can lead to some disturbing mentalities. Is Matt becoming like his father, who he hates and dreads becoming? Their scenes together showed some real talented acting from Cristine Rose as well.

Hiro’s story was particularly heartfelt, finally getting the fuck out of ancient Japan, considering that it was mainly a means of delaying Hiro’s realization about Kensei/Adam until the final act. It was a strong resolution to the conflict between father and son, and a good paralel to the Mr. Bennet/Claire, Bob/Elle and Matt/Matts dad (dont know his name) dynamics. The second to last scene of Hiro speaking at his father's funeral, cutting to voiceover and images of all the characters no doubt thinking about their own fathers was seriously affecting...I almost cried a little. Most of the discussion, of course, will be on the final scene. I’ll admit to being a little surprised. I had assumed that Claire’s ability allowed her to survive death through some subtle effect of the regeneration process. If she can bring people back from death with a little bit of her blood, even after several hours, that has enormous potential for abuse (both within the story and on the part of the writers). Mr. Bennett may soon find himself wishing he had died, considering what the Company might do to him.

By the end of the episode, I found myself wondering if the writers had re-watched the first season for inspiration. This felt like one of the best episodes of the season and quite possibly one of the better episodes of the series. The theme of father/child relationships was fantastic. We saw paralels between characters who on surface level, seemingly have none. But they gave us well thought out paralels between Claire, Matt, Hiro and Elle. To put it bluntly, this episode was frigging brilliant. After a lacking second season slump, if the writers continue to build the next two episodes as they built this one, its possible this season could turn out to be amazing television.

A


Sunday, November 18, 2007

August Rush


August Rush couldn't be more of a cheesy fairy tale if it started off with "once upon a time." And it'll leave you feeling just as warm and fuzzy inside as the classics you read as a child. Either that, or reaffirm why you hate holiday films.

Eleven-year-old orphan Evan (Freddie Highmore) knows his parents are out there somewhere because he can "hear" them. He is weird and bullied and determined, like most kids who tell other children they think they could "hear" their parents. Meanwhile, we get the back story on said parents, a pair of star-crossed musicians, a classically trained concert cellist (Keri Russel) and the singer of an Irish bar band (Jonathan Rhys Meyer) who meet under a full, New York moon and spend one wonderful evening together, falling hopelessly, and sort of stupidly, in love. Yes, this is the kind of world where people can fall instantly in love and it will last an eternity… even if that night is the only one they have. Because you know, its a family movie released the night before Thanksgiving, so what else would it be.

Evan makes his way to New York and meets Wizard (Robin Williams), a creeper pedophile who awakens the huge musical talent within the boy, renames him August Rush and looks to him to be his own ticket out of the city. (Okay so he's not a pedophile, but he sure fucking acts like one. He takes care of all these musical prodigous children in this warehouse and pimps them out musically. And then my parents tell me I"m insane when I say this dude is a little too into the children. Jesus. He's the freak of the film, not poor Evan.) And that's as much of the plot as you're going to get from me. Not because I dont care to tell you, but because it's pretty obvious. I think it'd be safe to say Evan eventually reuintes with his parents. But the way they meet up is actually pretty interesting.

This film is just a big cheeseball. Maybe because I'm a 22 year old over analyitical cynic, but come the fuck on. The crowd seemed to love it. I suppose if you can open your heart a little and believe in the good in people. This film can be something rare in today's cynical film scene - it's ridiculously sentimental. And I'm not gonna lie, I cried a little...shut up. It wears its heart on its sleeve and isn't ashamed of doing so. There are total logic problems, and you are required to suspend your belief in reality in order to enjoy this film. Plus some of the dialogue is just horrid. But I guess if you are something like me, who's both a cynic and a person willing to suspend belief at times. It can ultimately be a nice film to enjoy with your kids or your parents.

Plus Keri Russel is in it, who I adore from her Felicity days. So I'll see anything with her.

B-

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Project Runway: Pooing Fabric

For Project Runway fans, Season 4 has been a long time coming, but this Wednesday it finally got underway, or should I say, RUNderway. Muahaha. Ok sorry I was just trying to make a runway joke cause the show is about fashion and shit like that. Whatever. We have been waiting for this premier for months and, as sad as it may sound, Wednesday night was probably the most exciting night we have had in a long time. (Well, since the whole shitting in a hot tub Julia fucked Christian, Matt and Kimber are on heroin thing on Nip/Tuck Tuesday night.)

For those of you who aren't familiar with the show (have bad taste in reality TV), here is a quick synopsis: 15 contestants (I think it's 15, it might be 14) are given fashion design challenges to be critiqued by a panel of judges. The designer with the worst design will be cut. The grand prize for the last designer standing is $100,000 cash to start his or her own line, the opportunity to sell a fashion line on Bluefly.com and a 2008 Saturn Astra. But what really drives the contestants to win is the final 3 get to have their own line showed in New York's Fashion Week, or something.

We've always liked the fact that Project Runway manges to find the most diverse and outrageous, yet real cast of any reality program.

One the most interesting cast members from the premier was Elise. A former marionette puppet designer, Elise doesn't exactly have a fashion background. Not that there is anything wrong with designing puppets, there is however something wrong with designing a dress that resembles someone "pooing fabric" (Heidi Klum's words, not mine). She's most likely the 'freak" of this season.

While we are on the subject of casting stereotypes, let's meet a few more cast members (by stereotype of course):

The "loveable fat guy": The "talented" Chris is a former costume designer who can design a dress out of anything (including a head of lettuce).

The "sassy black girl": This reality show staple is being played by former model Carmen A. Webber (don't forget the "A"). Carmen believes her ex-model status will give her an advantage over the competition. Eh.

The "punk rock wannabe": No group of designers is complete without a punk rock wannabe. Kit "Pistol" Scarbo has us covered there. Yea, she calls herself Pistol. Her stand out line from the premier had to be "life is too short to have on a bad outfit." Ah, self righteousness at its dimwitted finest.

There are of course more cast members on the show; including a woman named "Sweet P" who has an alter ego called "Mean P." ...?...

Oh, and of course the always fabulously fantastic mentor Tim Gunn was back.

Watch Project Runway every Wednesday night at 10PM (if you aren't watching Dirty Sexy Money, and lets be honest, who the fuck is?). Or just catch it when its replayed every 5 minutes on Bravo. I'll be back with more Project Runway as the season continues.

B+

Friday, November 16, 2007

Questions That Dont Make Any Sense

Courtesy of boredom. I bring you...questions that dont make any sense.

How many hours a week do you wake up?

What type of television shows do you listen to?

How much do you not get paid at work?

As a Republican, which Democratic candidate will you vote for in the primaries?

What is your favorite CD you have seen in the movies?

The last sitcom you saw on tv that made you laugh was on what radio station?

What song does your favorite actor sing?

Between Target and Walmart where would you go to select Sears hand tools?

Out of green and blue. Do you like the colors red or orange better?

Will, Jack, Grace, and Karen....which of these is your favorite Friends charactor?

If you had to choose Facebook or Myspace, would you choose to not have either?

What tv show will you vote for in the next predidential election? John McCain or The Sopranos

Star Wars, The Godfather, or The Lord of the Ring. Which of these is your favorite three coarse meal?

Barbra Streissand, Celine Dion or Bette Midler? Who is your favorite rap artist?

What is your favorite article of clothing? A dish, a fork, a knife, or a pez dispenser?

Kimberley, Elizabeth, Sofia, Jaclyn. Which of these is your favorite boys name?

Your Child Being Stolen, Raped, and Eaten by a Pack of Wolves
Witnessing Your Best Friend Being Murdered by Man in a Costume With a Cape and Mask
Birthing a horse/rat/child mix by accident
A Harvest of Spiders Harboring in Your Loins...

...Which of these are you looking forward to the most?

From Midget Humpers to Carpet Munchers

So Justin has been bugging me to write a review for the FX Network show, Nip/Tuck for about a week now and being that I didn’t take my lunch break today, I’m going to take some time to write something for him and all of you amazing Nip/Tuck fans out there.

I started watching this crazy show almost 5 years ago and I haven’t missed an episode, yet! Even from the beginning the writers have been able to draw my attention, keep it and force me to always want more! First off, plastic surgery has become so huge with the coming of the new millennium! Everybody’s doing it. So why not have a TV show about it, right? I am just thankful that they didn’t pitch the show as a reality show! GROSS!

For those of you who are not familiar with Nip/Tuck, from the beginning Dr. Christian Troy and Dr. Sean McNamara, played by Julian McMahon and Dylan Walsh, have been best friends since they started medical school and since then have opened their own plastic surgery practice in Miami. Christian is a character who is charismatic, very materialistic and is seen as one of Miami’s biggest playboys!! He uses his charm to seduce women and his business deals are always shady. On the other hand, Sean is a character who is perceived as a family man with all kinds of morals. He takes his work very seriously and is mostly a crutch for Christian in work and in life. Only it seems that with the passing of every season, he is becoming more and more like his best friend Christian. Best of all there is never an episode where Christian or Sean aren’t getting into some kind of exhilarating dilemma and some of the things that have happen are just unbelievable. For me to even give examples would make you say to yourself, "That is totally absurd! What the hell is wrong with those people?" But in order to really get the gist of it, you have to start watching. Believe me, you will not be disappointed!

Okay so maybe I will give you one example. Christian is riding down a dark street when he picks up a blond prostitute by the name of Kimber. They get it on in his sports car and somehow begin having a valid relationship with each other. Throughout the seasons, they get engaged but before they get married and she gets kidnapped by The Carver (a serial killer). For some reason, he keeps her alive and she eventually ends up back in Miami in a hospital. She and Christian never do get married and she moves on to Sean. Yes, that’s right! She starts things up with Sean, which let me remind you is Christian’s best friend. And Sean only becomes interested in her because Kimber has a rubber doll made to match her liking and she asks Sean to test it out! For some reason, he’s unable to differentiate between the two and begins a careless relationship with Kimber.

To bring it all up to date, Kimber is now with Matt, who is Sean’s step-son and Christian’s real son! But wait, it gets even better! Matt ends up getting Kimber pregnant and they get married and join a Scientology church, but if you watched this week’s episode you would know that they are now living out a scummy hotel room in L.A. and shooting up on heroin. I swear this girl is a virus. Either that or it’s just good TV because I’m still watching.

Just recently the Doc’s have moved to L.A. Both with their lives in shambles and totally broke. How will they make it? Sean is now an actor/surgeon and Dr. Troy has resorted to modeling for smutty magazines and turning back into the heartless man he once was before Kimber. I can only imagine what will be in store for us this season. Guaranteed, I will be on my couch every Tuesday night at 10 sharp and then again at 11 for the repeat showing! So if you haven’t seen an airing of the infamous Nip/Tuck, take a seat and enjoy the ride! Let us know your thoughts about the antics of these characters and crazy story lines!--Ali


Thanks Ali!







Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Hatred for the Holidays

The following is a guest opinion published in a local college newspaper. I agree with every word. It only seems right I put this on my blog, being that the author was a inspired to write it because of a situation related to yours truly.


Let's face facts: some people, regardless of their pedigree, are just stupid.

Case in point: In 2005, Prince Harry appeared at a costume party dressed as a member of the Nazi party, wearing a shirt that was adorned with Nazi military rank, as well as the immediately recognizable red and white swastika that was emblazoned on an arm band. The incident caused an immediate uproar, prompting Prince Harry to publicly apologize for the choice of dress, on the grounds that it was insensitive, in bad taste, and just plain idiotic.

Honestly, how could someone of his ilk be allowed to walk out of the house (or castle, as it were) without having someone stop him and say, "Excuse me sir, but your costume is in poor taste and might embarrass the Queen Mum." Right?It was indeed an embarrassing moment for Prince Harry, the Royal Family, and anyone else with a pulse. His costume represented one of the most hateful periods in the history of this world; forever a spot on his reputation and that of his family.

That said, it came as a bit of a surprise to learn that something of a similarly indefensible nature has occurred in our backyard of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Just a few weeks ago, a local college student (read: not Wilkes) attended a Halloween party in a costume that echoes Prince Harry's idiocy in nearly every sense of the word.The student was dressed in brown material from his neck down, with his arms clad in woodland camouflage that is commonly seen on hunting jackets. So far, so good, right? Keep reading.

Hanging from his arms were three white ropes, dangling down about a foot or so. Almost there.

Those ropes, however, weren't just hanging down innocently. No, instead they were tied into a noose, completing his costume, which he referred to as "The Jena-6 Tree."For those unaware, the moniker "Jena-6" refers to a group of black teenagers from Louisiana who were recently charged with the beating of a white teenager. The beating stemmed from an earlier incident in which nooses were hung from a tree on school grounds. A black student asked permission from a school official to sit under the tree, a spot which was normally inhabited by white students.
The day after he and two others did so, nooses were discovered hanging from its branches. The noose incident touched off racial tension, fights, and eventually led to the beating of a white student. Six black youth were charged with attempted murder, though charges were later reduced. Their incarceration and the lack of action taken by authorities against the white students who allegedly perpetrated the noose incident, also touched off widespread national criticism and a significant protest march earlier this fall.

Whether or not you believe that the black students were right or wrong is your opinion; that's not what this is about.This is about a much larger problem that has been looming in this country: an apparent regression in race relations. Recently we have read of several incidents in which nooses have been found on doorknobs, in front yards, and the like. In each case, the noose is regarded as a threatening symbol of racial hatred dating back to this country's bleakest moments when white mobs hunted down and lynched black men.Whether these recent incidents were done out of hate or were the result of pranksters looking for attention remains to be seen. Nonetheless they forgive rise to racial tension that remains alive and well in this country.And now we come to the issue of the Halloween costume.

The student, who will henceforth be referred to as "Smartsy," posted pictures of himself in costume on his Facebook page, in which one of the pictures had him posed with three other party-goers with their heads in the nooses, apparently smiling and laughing.Similarly, Smartsy has received several comments on his page about the costume, many of which were complimentary in nature, which raises the question of the intelligence of both Smartsy and those who find it necessary to praise him for a costume which, like Prince Harry's, represents a culture of hatred and intolerance.

A sample of the comments:

"Personally... your costume... offensive? yes..... funny? yes.....completely creative and you? most definitely..... I laughed.I think you should go as a cotton field next year. =)"

Really? A cotton field? Here's an idea: Why don't you don a white hood and burn a cross on someone's front yard and get it over with.

"I had to take a closer look at the picture to see why anyone would consider it racist. Personally, I think its absolutely amazing."

Were your eyes closed when you looked at the picture? Because that's the only possible scenario in which you couldn't see why it would be considered racist.

"I think somebody is being intolerant of [Smartsy's] right to enjoy dressing up like a tree with some rope around it."

This comment was in reference to a person who voiced their displeasure with the costume.

After reading those comments, you have to wonder if the writers even understand why something like that would be offensive to anyone. Seriously, what kind of idiot do you have to be to wear a costume like that, especially following recent events? Suffice it to say, some things just aren't funny, no matter how they are presented. Furthermore, how can anyone leave comments like those in which they praise Smartsy's costume, knowing full well of what it represents?It is not only stupid to wear a costume like that, but it's also irresponsible, morally reprehensible, and ignorant. And the attitude, "Well, it's just a joke," doesn't make it okay to dress like that. It just makes you look like an even bigger fool.

What if someone went to a party dressed as Matthew Shepherd, the man who was pistol-whipped and left tied to a fence because he was gay? Would that be funny? Or what if someone went as a holocaust victim? Or if they went dressed as any other victim of hate? Would that be funny?The answer is no, and it will always be no. Of course, it was only a rhetorical question, but in light of these events, it can't be assumed that everyone knows that.

-- Tim Seigfried

Thanks Tim!

And I like to call that...validation. So maybe I piss a few more people off by posting this. This is exactly how I felt at the time.

The Stolen Child

My first attempt at writing a book review:



The Stolen Child was a poem about changelings written in 1889, now, this novel by the same name expands on the theme in an ultimately unsatisfying way. Keith Donahue's novel immediately intrigues the reader with the tale of Henry Day, a seven year old boy kidnapped by a group of forest dwelling changelings (mythical creatures who never age and form a secret society on the outskirts of the human world), when he runs away from home. Henry is replaced in his own home by a changling boy with a past life of his own. Henry is now a hobgoblin named Aniday, and the hobgoblin is now finally a child again. But can this carbon copy, who is identical yet so different—for example, he suddenly displays extraordinary musical talent—truly become something he isn't?

The novel goes back and forth between two narratives, the boy Henry Day who is now a changeling named Aniday, and the changeling who is now living as Henry. Just as Henry must adjust to being trapped as a changeling, the changeling must now re-adapt as a human being, for he was once a boy himself who was taken by a changeling. Yea, I'm confused too.

Both stories deal with the same topic, "who am I?" The new Henry Day eventually becomes an adult with a son of his own, but constantly lives in fear that changelings will steal his son. Eventually these fears become obsessions. He can't seem to ever escape his past. The new changeling must suffer through almost a century of living as a changeling before he can take his place to become a human again.

I suppose this is a sort of fairy tale for adults. Apparently this book is a metaphor for an unsentimantalized childhood, but it could have been so much more. This book is definitely unique, however, we never completley get swept up in giving a shit about either character. What starts off as an interesting novel, falls flat about 2/3rds in. While there are some interesting aspects that touch on childhood and adolescence, in the end we were a little disappointed.

B-/C+ (I can't decide)

Monday, November 12, 2007

Sunday, November 11, 2007

This Weeks "Get Fucked"




Disloyal people who treat their friends poorly...get fucked.
Traffic...get fucked.
Too attentive sales people...get fucked.
Last week's Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy...get fucked.
IRB...get fucked.
People who makes comments when I leave the room, comments which are not funny, but others think are for some reason, if the person isn't in the room, you are just talking about someone...get fucked.
Insomnia...get fucked.
Ignorant drivers, in particular ones who pull out in front of me and drive 5 miles an hour, when they could have waited a whole extra second to just pull out after me...get fucked.
People who think their style of music is superior to others...get fucked.
People who make big deals out of dumb things, like the rules of miniature golf, for their betterment...get fucked.
Friends who cant respond to a text message, an i/m, or a phone call...get fucked.
Artists who release second versions of their CD's a few months after the original is released and already purched by everyone...get fucked.
People who cross the street without looking, you are making me nervous, so...get fucked.
People who bring their kids out in public and continuously apologize for their behavior, leave them home, and...get fucked.
Migraines...get fucked.
People who are always visibly upset - slamming banging sighing...get fucked.
People who are so obsessed with the status quo of weight and body type that before everything they eat they declare something like "i'll be good today" or "i'm going to eat bad today"...get fucked.

Military Hospitals

In case anyone decides to take their heads out of their asses and maybe give a shit about someone other then themselves for four minutes...I thought I'd post this. I got it from Rosie's website. It's from a woman speaking about the conditions of military hospitals in our country.


Keep speaking the truth Ro. Civilians have ZERO idea what its really like. Walter Reed? I’ve been there. Its mold covered and they’re drastically understaffed. Prescriptions Line? It takes hours. Active Duty gets to go first, but there are usually hundreds of veterans waiting in line waiting. Veterans who gave their lives and some their sight, hearing, body for this country don’t get to get their pain medication in a timely period? What is wrong with this system. It’s not just Walter Reed, I’ve been to every military hospital in the DC area now, since we’re stationed at Andrews AFB. Malcolm Grow, Bolling, and Walter Reed. All are drastically understaffed and the prescription situation is the same. It takes weeks to get an appointment. They say to call just a couple days before the start of the month to fight for an appointment that month. What if you’re sick? Well you can try calling early in the morning but if its urgent make a trip to the ER where you get to wait with a bunch of other sick people for hours.

My son, who is one, was bleeding from the head and we weren’t seen for 3 hours. 3 hours! You want to know what we see on a daily basis? Med buses medivac sick wounded soldiers from the flight line at andrews afb to walter reed. Those buses are generally filled and during the week I see at least 2 a day. AT LEAST! Thousands of men are coming home wounded and all we hear about are the dead. Yes, we need to honor the dead, but people need to know how many are hurt and what their care is like. I’ve seen those rooms at Walter Reed. We stayed in one. It looks like a time capsule. Metal beds, slates of metal as mirrors, bathrooms so old the pipes creak whenever you turn on the water, mold, grit. Its not clean. It doesn’t smell like other hospitals, that clean sanitized smell. It’s sick! It’s sick.

For those veterans who need care after, and for us military families there are wonderful signs on the door of the family care offices. They read “one issue per appointment please”. That’s right. Those people who fight for this country and us families left behind can only bring up one issue per appointment. If more then one make another appointment which is IMPOSSIBLE to get. Our hospitals are out of date and our doctors are deployed. I see veterans every day at the commissary and the BX on the base where we live. I’ve seen men burned so badly they’re unrecognizable as human. I’ve seen men who recently found themselves blind. I’ve seen families whose husbands gave their lives who can’t get a doctors appointment for a sick child and sit in the ER for hours. It is not right. Sure, we get “free” health care, but look at the price. This is a disgrace.

Please keep speaking out Ro, no one else will. We can’t have a voice or we risk the consequences. We need a voice. That man they call our president sits by and does nothing visiting privately funded hospitals. He gets to have all his appointments at National Naval Medical Center; which is REALLY nice, but impossible for the underlings to get into. I don’t think he waits months for an appointment, hours for prescriptions, can only talk about one issue per appointment, and gets medical care in these conditions. That’s whats wrong with this country.

American Wanksta...In Real Life

American Gangster


I'm sick of Denzel Washington playing the same role in every movie. It's always the same over-the-top, no frills, take no prisoners, I dont give a fuck about anyone, look how badass I am because I just shot someone in broad daylight role. This movie never takes off into the fun gangster movie it could have been. There's just something dull about this movie.


When we first meet Ridley Scott's Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) in 1969, he's a discreet driver and occasional hired hitman for Bumpy. Bumpy dies of old age in Frank's arms, mumbling about his disdain for the new chain stores that are taking over the neighborhood: "What right do they have cutting out the suppliers … buying direct from the manufacturer?" As the soft-spoken but merciless Frank takes over Bumpy's operation, that's exactly what he proceeds to do, eliminating the Mafia middleman and smuggling his dope direct from Vietnam in the coffins of dead soldiers.

This brings Frank to the attention of Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a New Jersey cop who's so clean that when he came upon a stash of $1 million, he turned it in—an act that's earned him the pussy reputation of the entire department. Roberts is named head of a federal drug task force to investigate the source of Blue Magic, Franks big drug or something, and although Frank soon emerges as a suspect, there is no evidence to back it up.

So, unfortunately, does the character of Frank Lucas, who should be the heart of this movie. Instead, Washington's gangster is the same role we've seen him play in countless other films (Training Day, Man on Fire, Out of Time) to name a few. I dont care enough about the film to delve into Russel Crowe's character, suffice it to say that he is more likeable than Denzel, but barely.

The only positive I have on this film is that it raises some interesting questions why the men and women of our army are so big on drugs. Plus once Denzel and Russel do finally meet up, their scene at the prosecution table is the most interesting and well acted of the film.

What should have been a clash of two opposing moral universes instead comes off as a lame and boring. Plus is takes literally the entire movie to get Russel and Denzel to finally meet. When they do, it pays off, but its way too little too late. What exactly is the story of Frank's rise and fall supposed to have shown us about gangsters, or about America? Nothing, apparently.

It's almost incredible anything amazing could be said about this film. The fact that it's generating so much Oscar buzz is befuddling to me. It's a poor man's The Departed, which is a poor mans Scarface. So basically it's a poor mans flick twice removed, which is sad.

C


Dan In Real Life



I like Steve Carrell. I really do. I enjoy The Office (even though I'm sick of everyone talking about it).

Dan In Real Life involves the uncomfortable goings-on at a family reunion, in this case the annual gathering of the Burns clan, a tight-knit tribe that gives new definition to the term exhausting. Led by Mom (Dianne Wiest) and Dad (John Mahoney), the family does everything together: communally exercising, putting on talent shows, playing games of trivia and touch football, and openly and therapeutically discussing their hopes, dreams, problems, and desires. All of this makes the film a cliche. It's the same thing we've seen in every other family movie, ever, seriously.

For this year's gathering, however, Dan (Carell)—a Dear Abby-style columnist (at least thats what the movie wants us to believe, we never actually see him write), widower, and single father to three girls—finds himself the unhappy man out, primarily because of the discomfort that arises from his falling for French beauty Marie (Juliette Binoche), and almost immediately discovers that she's the new girlfriend of his brother Mitch (Dane Cook).

Even without the casting of the reliably insufferable Cook (who is yet again ridiculously annoying) Dan is envisioned as such a purely good person that no conflict about his motivations or actions regarding Marie ever arises. Hello, you are crooning over your brothers girlfriend. That makes you the asshole Dan, not your bro Mitch. Carell gives off heartache and longing during corny scenarios that dont make any sense. He only knew this chick for three days, christ, get over it. Moments of humor do randomly come about, but it's not worth it. This film is a complete cliche. It's a poor mans Family Stone, which is a poor man's (insert every other family get together film here). So basically this is also a poor mans flick twice removed. Sad, yet again.

C-

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Pushing Daisies

The following was taken from an article in this weeks Entertainment Weekly. It's an interesting look at Pushing Daisies and why it's one of the only shows with functional relationships between men and women.


By Gillian Flynn

ABC's fantastical new series Pushing Daisies tends to unsettle cynics to such a degree they may be compelled to ruin the show for everyone else. (You with the smirk and the folded arms: Please just leave the room.) While a modest hit, Daisies attracts a shocking number of hecklers. People sniff and groan about pie maker Ned (Wonderfalls' Lee Pace), who can bring the dead back to life with a single touch — but kill them again with the next one — and his newly revived childhood sweetheart, Chuck (Anna Friel), whom he loves but can never touch. Well, skeptics, sarcastics, defenders of disbelief…phooey on you. Not to make this an oh-grow-up pissing contest, but those who can handle an irony-free hour will find Pushing Daisies a sweet, unabashedly romantic, flower-filled fable. And, despite its puppies and pies and blue skies, it's a deceptively mature one.

What makes Pushing Daisies unique isn't that it's about two nice, unassuming people. After all, this TV season is about the underdog: Chuck, Reaper, Aliens in America, even Samantha Who? are all, ultimately, about decent people struggling to do the right thing. But these formulas generally involve a lead mensch and his or her same-sex best buddy, who assists the hero on the path to rightness. Girlfriends, boyfriends, and spouses don't really figure in, except as objects of consternation. Members of the opposite sex, in fact, tend to be treated with a distinct otherness. That's fine for Aliens; they're teenagers. But wow, most of these characters are deep into their 20s (or, in the case of ABC's Big Shots, 30s and 40s), still professing an unseemly naïveté about basic human interactions. That's because, aside from a few lovely exceptions (Jim and Pam on The Office, Coach Taylor and wife Tami on Friday Night Lights), TV has no interest in functioning relationships. Men and women stay on opposite sides — comparing notes, strategizing. If they do come together, they turn into one of those screeching, bickering, eye-rolling sitcom duos. It's as if the majority of TV shows were written by people who never dated past 10th grade.

Think couples who actually like each other aren't dynamic enough to hold interest? Check out a Thin Man movie. Or an old Hart to Hart episode. Or better yet, watch Daisies, in which Ned and Chuck solve mysteries and adore each other — they're like Nick and Nora without booze or sex. It's a start. The duo dote chastely, but that's appropriate for this cartoonish world, created by Heroes' Bryan Fuller and exec-produced by Men in Black's Barry Sonnenfeld (with, one supposes, a bit of influence from Howard Berman's ubiquitous photo, Pie in the Sky). Ned and Chuck and gruff detective Emerson Cod (The Nine's Chi McBride) chase bad guys through a make-believe town that's wondrously anachronistic, packed with woody station wagons and morgues painted like candy canes. People don't e-mail here, they write letters; Ned doesn't own an iPod, but a phonograph; Chuck, clad in clip-ons and swirly skirts, is like a brunet Grace Kelly in Rear Window. She'll dash headlong into danger and look swell doing it. Happily, even pop culture references — those lazy signposts of cool — are verboten in Daisies, except for a Star Wars line so jarring it almost ruins its scene. Otherwise the most au courant joke involves Winnie the Pooh.

The whole thing is done more with a twinkle than a wink: Narrator Jim Dale — best known for the Harry Potter audiobooks — lends a fairy-tale tone but isn't above setting up dry, omniscient jokes. ''The pie maker felt a mixture of happiness and trepidation,'' he says, to which Ned mutters, ''Why is it always a mixture?'' McBride's hilarious air of fed-upness undercuts most of the remaining sugar. The balance isn't perfect yet, and when Daisies oversells its cuteness, it's like a preening toddler at a tap-dance recital. For instance, Broadway crooner Kristin Chenoweth is peachy as Olive Snook, Ned's besotted pie waitress. But her name is Olive Snook, and she's a besotted pie waitress. She shouldn't be singing ''Birdhouse in Your Soul'' on top of it, tempting as it is. Mostly, however, Daisies is just the right level of adorable, and almost daring in its sincerity. You have to smile at a smitten couple who find ways to touch through dishwashing gloves and cellophane. You have to like a show that makes being in love an act of heroism. Stop smirking.

A-

Friday, November 9, 2007

Holy Chenbots!


It was just announced that CBS is working on a winter Big Brother for this upcoming January, acting as a midseason replacement. This is only because of the writers strike, and will only happen if the strike continues through the holidays. Apparently the producers cast throughout the year, so this shouldn't necessarily be a problem.

Anthony says "Grodner should lock herself in a room until she realizes how awful her producing is. Does this mean the cast will somehow be less impressive than the last?'

My thoughts are: perhaps because they will have had less time to cast, there wont be such gimmicky nonsense and will have to rely on real people, rather than young actor types. A rushed season might be just what Big Brother needs to get itself credible again, to bring back the reality aspect of the show. Of course Julie Chen will be host, and who's going to argue seeing more of everyones favorite hot zombie on TV?


Movie Trailers

I love trailers for films, or previews or whatever you wanna call them. If I knew how to edit, I would possibly seek out a carreer in making such previews. Here's a look a three we're interested in.

Juno




Iron Man




Margot at the Wedding

Thursday, November 8, 2007

CMA Awards....I Lurve Country Music


The following was taken from ABC news. :)

By JOHN GEROME AP Entertainment WriterNASHVILLE, Tenn. Nov 8, 2007 (AP)


Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood picked up where they left off last year at the Country Music Association Awards. Chesney won his second straight entertainer of the year award Wednesday, while Underwood made it back-to-back trophies as female vocalist of the year.
"God has blessed me with so many wonderful things," said Underwood, the former "American Idol" sensation who also won single of the year, for "Before He Cheats."
"If you told me a few years ago I had been nominated with the people I'm nominated with, I would have called you absolutely insane."
Chesney, who also took the music association's top honor in 2004, was humble in his acceptance.
"I can't believe that I get to stand on the stages that I stand on every summer and get to sing the songs that I sing," the star said. "I love country music and I love doing what I do."
Brad Paisley, who won in the male vocalist category, teared up as he thanked his father, who he said carried amplifiers and ran sound "even though he didn't know what he was doing."
"I can't tell you what this means to me to win this. I always wanted to win this award at least once this will do," said Paisley, who also won music video for his hit "Online."
Earlier, Sugarland won vocal duo of the year, breaking Brooks & Dunn's long-standing lock on the award they had won the duo category 14 of the last 15 years, including the last six in a row.
"If we're standing up here, we have this lofty view because we're standing on the shoulders of giants who've come before us," said Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles.


The award for newcomer of the year went to 17-year-old Taylor Swift. She gave a tearful speech in which she joked, "This is definitely the highlight of my senior year."
Rascal Flatts won top vocal group, and George Strait took top album for "It Just Comes Natural." Strait's hit "Give It Away" won song of the year.




Jordin Sparks' Album Cover
This CD cover blows. It's as simple as that. This is not the Jordin American fell in love with on American Idol. This is not the cute, bubbly, talented Jordin we all voted for. (Well, I didn't vote)This is the oversexed, sell-out, Beyonce-ified version. Jordin, you are sexy and beautiful in your own way, you should at least be smiling on the cover of your first CD. Ugh, hates it.
Fortunately for Ms. Sparks, her first single Tattoo is pretty fucking awesome. Hopefully her CD will resemble her single, and less her cover. Your cover gets a D-. Who the fuck are you?





Jordin's video for Tatoo. Kinda cheap, but whatever. And who is that dude?

Stupid cover, stupid video, awesome song. I like the Blake cameo at the end. He's annoying but it's sort of cute.

so what's yo' AIM screenname?


My first guest blogger is the GLORIOUS Lisa Jefferson. She has thoughts on screen names. Here are those thoughts.
I've always wondered why people use other messanger systems besides AOL
Instant Messanger (abbrev: AIM). Do they have greater preference options? Do they allow for a full fledged non-character limited profile? Do they have a HEX CODE area input so you can choose non-specified colorz as your font color?

I've used several of these faux-messangers and all have truly come up lacking for me. ICQ, MSN, YAHOO!, (even...) MySpace IM. But this is not my point. My point is the overall importance of a screenname.

On topic but not focus topic question:
Is screenname 1 word or 2?

"Hey, what's your screenname?"
"Hey! What's your screen name?"
"Hey what's your AIM?"
"Heeeey, what's your sn?"

... Does anyone know, truly?

A screenname defines you to others in a weird way. You have the choice of which words you would like to best represent you in a non-emotional, non-physical way. Through words on a screen (literally!), you alone via your screenname have the immediate power to make a first impression by the name identity you choose.

No matter how much you might be scoffing at this statement at the present moment, think about it. You're judged by your screenname automatically.

If reading a random screenname outloud, you would indefinitely use a different tone of voice when saying: "SeXiiMaMii143 (phonetically pronounced: SEX-ee/MAH-mee) just IMed me" as opposed to "HockeyGrl126 just IMed me" would you not? Don't deny.

Screennames make lasting impressions.

--Lisa

Thanks Lisa!

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Banned XBox 360 Ad: Best Ad Ever!



My friend posted this on her Facebook page and I'm stealing it. I think this ad is fantastic. I usually dont pay attention or care about ads, but this is worth a look.

Month In Music

I'm a music freak, among other types of freaks. I buy CD's when I can easily download them. I download tracks on a daily basis and am constantly checking out new and old music. I'm a fan of everything, seriously. I listen to literally any kind of music. But I will say that I'm not a big fan of music reviews. Music can't really be reviewed in my opinion, its about what you feel when you hear something, not the technicalities of it. Regardless, I'm doing it anyway. For right now I'll give my reccomendations of music I discovered recently.


Jimmy Eat World
Chase This Light






Doesn't this cover look like a vagina? No?

It's fair to say that everyone I've spoken to who has heard this album or just a few songs agrees this album is solid. Chase This Light is a big record with big songs and actually quite diverse. It has pop flavor radio friendly tunes like Always Be. But we don’t get overdosed on rainbows and butterflies, as the middle of the record exposes a darker tint to the group’s trademark pop sound. “Carry You” is a more restrained acoustically felt song. When Jim belts out, “I could never be the one that you want/ Don’t ask/ So here’s to living in the moment/ Cause it passed” his angst and emotion are palpable in a perfect voice – this small-time pop number becomes so much more than it otherwise might have been.

Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues is a dark song more likely to be found on their previous cds. The song is ultimately less likeable as a result, but is still a fair break from the bubble-gum tone otherwise set by the record.

My favorite track is Dizzy, a guitar anthem ballad if their ever was one, reminiscent of Snow Patrol and U2.

Standout Tracks:
Carry You
Always Be
Dizzy


Grade : B+


Rilo Kiley
Under the Blacklight





Every song on the album is awesome and distinctive. The first single off the album is the sexy and fun The Monkeymaker which is my current favorite. The title track Under The Blacklight is a contemporary song that allows lead singer Jenny to really show off her voice. Dreamworld is dreamy mashed-duet between Lewis and Sennett, the other singer in the band. The last track Give a Little Love is a perfect ending track that gives us a little 80’s love.

Standout Tracks:
Smoke Detector
The Moneymaker
Give a Little Love
Dreamworld

Grade: B+


Alicia Keys' single No One




While I've never been a huge Alicia Keys fan, I always considered her to be a true talent who is known for nothing else other than her work. I appreciated her for being famous because of a true gift of vocals and piano playing. I've never been completely encaptured by any of her music, until No One came out. No One is completely different than her past work..just fucking genious! This single has a heart-pounding beat that encapsulates you in her message. You feel like you are one with Alicia and the music. What a friggen feeling! The way she sings this song is honestly unlike any woman who has ever sang a song before her. She belts this out with true emotion to the point you feel like shes crying as shes singing. If her new album is anything like this song, I cant wait.


Grade: A



Linkin Park's single Shadow of the Day







When you think Linkin Park, you think baggy jeans, black hoodies, crooning, sweeping, rapping, possible suicide. What you dont think is effective and sad Snow Patrol esque stadium anthem. I told my friend Linkin Park sang this song and her response was "Linkin Park? Really?..Linkin Park sings this???" Yes, and thank fucking God, because we were sick of all that unfounded bitterness coming from grown ass men. This song is fantastic to blast loudly when driving somewhere. Its unfortunate their entire CD isn't like this.



Grade: A

"Heroes" Creator Apologizes to Fans

Because I am an insignificant 22 year old college student from nowhere. I don't have the opportunity to speak with creators and head writers of TV shows. I'm a huge fan of Entertainment Weekly. It's basically my bible (no offense Jesus). So without their permission I will probably post a few of their stories on my blog with my own little take. I obviously don't have their permission, but hopefully a magazine with such calibre wont mind if I take their stories and run with them. Of course credit will be given where credit is due. But you know, sometimes other people just say it better.


The following was taken from their website. I'm a huge fan of Heroes and agree this seaason is suffering from the inevitable 2nd season slump.






By Jeff Jensen
Jeff Jensen
Jeff Jensen, an EW senior writer, has been despondent since the cancellation of ''Twin Peaks''
On the chilly Monday morning that Hollywood's writers went on strike, Heroes creator Tim Kring called from the streets outside the Hollywood studio where his NBC series is shot. ''Yes, I'm picketing my own show,'' says the 50-year-old writer-producer. ''So surreal.''
But Kring wasn't calling to discuss labor woes — he was calling to explain why Heroes, suffering a creative decline and a 15 percent ratings drop from the same period last year, went from Human Torch hot to Iceman cold. The good news? A turnaround appears to be under way. After weeks of sluggish storytelling, the Nov. 5 episode recaptured some of last season's fanciful energy. We've also seen the next two episodes — and we like them, too. The cliff-hangers are back. Narrative purpose has been discovered. Old favorites like Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and Horn-Rimmed Glasses (Jack Coleman) take center stage. Even more encouraging: Kring himself is keenly aware that Heroes is broken. Here's his candid critique:

THE PACE IS TOO SLOW ''We assumed the audience wanted season 1 — a buildup of intrigue about these characters and the discovery of their powers. We taught [them] to expect a certain kind of storytelling. They wanted adrenaline. We made a mistake.''

THE WORLD-SAVING STAKES SHOULD HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED SOONER The premonition of nuclear apocalypse created a larger context that unified every story line last season. Kring now sees that Volume 2 (the first 11 episodes of season 2) would have been better served if Peter's vision of viral Armageddon had appeared in the season premiere rather than episode 7. ''We took too long to get to the big-picture story,'' he says.

THE ROOKIES DIDN'T GREET THEMSELVES PROPERLY New Heroes Monica (Dana Davis), Maya (Dania Ramirez), and Alejandro (Shalim Ortiz) ''shouldn't have been introduced in separate story lines that felt unattached to the show. The way we introduced Elle (Kristen Bell) — by weaving her in via Peter's story line — is a more logical way to bring new characters into the show.'' (That said, Kring says a few newbies won't make it beyond this second volume, which wraps Dec. 3.)

HIRO WAS IN JAPAN WAY TOO LONG Hiro's (Masi Oka) time-bending adventure in 17th-century Japan — where he mentored samurai hero Takezo Kensei (David Anders) — finally came to an end on Nov. 5. But Kring says it ''should have [lasted] three episodes. We didn't give the audience enough story to justify the time we allotted it.''

YOUNG LOVE STINKS Kring regrets sticking Claire (Hayden Panettiere) with a super-dud boyfriend and forcing Hiro to moon over a cutesy princess. ''I've seen more convincing romances on TV,'' he admits. ''In retrospect, I don't think romance is a natural fit for us.''
Yet while Heroes has finally found some dramatic traction, this second volume is pretty much a wash. The Dec. 3 episode has been retooled to function as a potential season finale — a move inspired by the writers' strike and a desire to give the show ''a clean slate'' when it goes back into production for Volume 3. At that point, Kring wants to craft a rebooted Heroes that can attract new fans and win back those who've tuned out: ''The message is that we've heard the complaints — and we're doing something about it.


I agree the pace is too slow this season. Hiro absolutely needs to get out of Japan. It's just an awful storyline that makes no sense whatsoever. I half agree about the rookies not being introduced in the right way. Micah's cousin and Kristen Bell are positive additions to the program. But those mexicans, what the fuck. I mean no disrespect towards mexicans, but that is what the viewers know them as. Instead of starting off with their story, we should have been following Sylar on his journey toward finding them, not their journey toward finding Sylar.


Overall though, this season isn't so bad. I like the darker tone. It's less fun and more creepy than season 1. Now it just needs to find a balance.


Oh, and can we please get Claire to leave her father already.

Grade: B-


Along For the 'Ride'




I admit it, I am a huge country music fan. I'm not a hick, I'm not a redneck and I'm certainly not Republican. In fact I'm pretty liberal, but I love all music. There are two kids of music, good and bad. Country just so happens to be included on the list.


I don't believe it's necessary to discuss Carrie Underwood's year on American Idol, because it's irrelevent to her music today. But, because I have the opportunity, I'd like to say that Underwood's pivotal moment (the moment I fell in love with her) is when she belted out the power ballad "Alone" in just the second week of the final twelve in season four of the show. The irony is that Carrie never wanted to be a pop star, she wanted a career in country music and this was sort of inevitalbe.


She managed to please both pop and country fans with her 2005 debut, Some Hearts, which went six times platinum, something unheard of in today's world of music. Her success raised the bar for her follow up album Carnival Ride. Usually second albums are a place where artists fuck up, to put it bluntly. They cant figure out if they want to continue in the direction they were headed with the first album, or they want to show growth by veering towards something different that wont pigeonhole them. Carrie Underwood manages to pull off both. She creates a record that is purely country, but still has an adult contemporary/pop feel to it. She seems to effortlessly reduce the childish drama that her first cd was filled with. Instead singing about vulnerability, smalls towns, and big dreams. She even attempts to spice things up a bit with a song called Last Name about a one night stand. "I dont even know his last name," she sings. Yowza, we'd expect to hear such language from Britney, not miss America's Carrie Underwood. I love it. She can even laugh at herself in the song The More Boys I Meet, in which she sings about never being able to find the right guy. She's willing to give anyone a shot once, but ends up realizing the more boys she meets, the more she loves her dog. Ha. We're with you Carrie.


The fantastic thing about Carnival Ride is how Carrie manages to fill the void left behind by Shania Twain and Faith Hill. She hasn't become a sole pop star (although last album's Before He Cheats was all over pop radio), she's made a career for herself in country. Her approach is completely contemporary country, blurring the lines between classic Deana Carter and arena rock filled Kelly Clarkson.


I belive all CD's survive on the strength of their songs, and this cd is filled with strong tracks. Even if you aren't a fan of country music, a song titled I Know You Wont is the standout of the album. It's a ballad about vulnerability and owning the fact that you know your significant other is unhappy, but you choose to stay anyway. This song in particular is what makes classic music, not just country, and is quite possibly the best country song I've heard all year. Her voice is unbefuckinglievable and shows such control, you'd think she's been singing for a lifetime.


The CD is fantastic. The appealing thing about it is that Carrie manages to sell these songs to the listener, thus taking us along for the ride. It's a tad cliche, but she makes us believe her. This album has genuine heart and genuine emotion and realness, something we don't often hear from country artists.


Grade: A-

Standout Tracks:

I Know You Wont

Last Name

The More Boys I Meet

You Wont Find This




The moment I fell in love with Carrie...<3

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Superbad Wildfires

For some reason, I want a blog. I feel the need to rant on things and allow others to do the same. I can safely say this blog will cover film, television, books, music, politics, and my sarcastic take on everything from work/school to my experiences of everything and everyone in life ever. The end.

I feel like writing a blog on films I've seen recently, the good ones. Needless to say, all you "Good Luck Chuck" and "Saw 47" (or whatever number it's ran into the ground) needn't bother reading any further. You wont find that so called cinema in here. Here are my reccomendations.


1. Into the Wild
Turning a true story into a feature film doesn't always translate well. Sometimes, though, a drama based on not only a real life account, but also a book, unfolds in a brilliant and natural form of storytelling on the big screen. This film is "Into the Wild," which is based on the hypnotizing story of a man named Christopher McCandless, who breaks away from the monotonous wealth of his family after graduating college to seek out a life in Alaska. The movie is shot on location in places of amazing beauty which brings the viewers a sense of freedom. What's haunting about this film is that McCandless sets out without a word to his parents or sister. The film goes back and forth between narrations from his sister (Jena Malone) who feels betrayed, to Christopher living his life without his family. Jena Malone's narration gives us the background story as to what the family is feeling. Emile Hirsch's fantastic performance as McCandless is natural and unforced. Director and writer, Sean Penn, gives us a story and film that could have turned preachy, but instead lets us decide for ourselves whether or not McCandless was a selfish fool for doing this, or if he was courageous and admirable. All I know is days later I'm still thinking about this unforgettable film.

Grade: A


2. Superbad





Switching gears completely, another unforgettable movie is Superbad, a film about three teenagers on a chaotic quest to buy beer for a party. Yea, thats the plot. But what makes this film effing hilarious (I said effing) is the comic performances of its three leading stars (Michael Cera, Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Make no mistake, this comedy from Judd Apatow features some of the most offensive and crudest dialogue since, well, high school. It also makes its teenage boys as honest as possible, which means the entire movie is a a quest for sex and alcohol. But there's a genuine kindness and emotional reality lurking underneath the crude teenage boy surface, making this film both funny and strangely touching (hehe, touching)
Seth (Jonah Hill) is an overweight loudmouth, one might say asshole, whose only friend is the quiet and shy Evan (the adorable Michael Cera). They are in their last 2 weeks of high school and need to get laid before they head off to college. When Jules (Emma Stone) invites Seth to a party and gives him money to buy booze, he is convinced if he can get her drunk, she will have sex with him. Evan also makes sure Becca, his crush, will be there. The key to pulling off this adventure is Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a nerdy friend of Evan's who Seth doesn't like. Hilarity ensues. All characters are played in realistic high school form by their actors. There are no Jessica Biel-Jake Gyllehnhaall types, just teenagers in all their acne, self conscious, awkward and insecure glory.

Both Seth and Evan are scared to death of women. What they share is a platonic love for eachother and seem to say the words when they are drunk together. It's not only a film that says something about friendships between men, but gives the audience some of most genuine laughs we've seen from a teenage film in years. Yes, its offensive. Yes, its ridiculously crude at times. But lighten the fuck up, because the movie has heart at its core and if you let it, you'll laugh your ass off at, quite possibly, the best teenage movie of its generation.

Grade: A



3. Things We Lost in the Fire




Halle Berry and Benicio Tel Toro give absolutely stunning and Oscar-worthy performances in this drama about a widow who takes care of her late husbands best friend. Every once and a while I am completely thrown and surprised by a film. This is that film. After her husband is murdered, grieving widow Berry invites her husbands best friend, a heroin addict, to live in their spare room, a room she and her husband never finished becuase of a fire years earlier. Berry believes if her husband was so willing to never give up on his friend, she cant either if she ever wants to move on with her life. The fact that this film is slightly over-the-top at times falls flat because of its actors. Movies about grief are usually unfounded in their heavy-handedness(not sure if thats a word), but this film feels completely validated in that it's two lead actors are really acting. They are acting in a way that doesnt make us seem like we NEED to feel for them, but we do anyway, and that is fantastic. The stuff you think will happen (Berry and Del Toro getting together romantically), doesnt happen, which makes the film all the more genuine.

Some critics have claimed this movie is glamorized and false in its portrayl of grief and addiction. But, I believe it shows how a genuine care for others can ultimately benefit not only the other person, but also yourself. Because in simple terms, by helping Del Toro fight his addiction, Berry's character was ulimately helping herself. But what makes this work is that the film never portrays it to be that easy or so simple. The film is about things lost, material posessions, family, friends, neighbors, identity and past judgements, remembering to have fun, and ultimately a connection to ourselves. Unfortunately it requires a tragedy to bring these things together. Things We Lost in the Fire is about our human turmoil. As the cast battles their separate wars, the one message that is most prominet is that we need eachother, however separate the battles might be.

Grade:A-


In the off chance that last review didn't make you head to the bathroom and slit your wrists, I have a few more reccomendations in the B+ category.
Gone Baby Gone
Rendition
Michael Clayton
Sicko
Hairspray

Peace....bitches.

P.S. If you'd like to guest blog or have any ideas or suggestions. Let me know. :)