Revealed From Under Thy Tongue

When did lying become a sport?

2009-07-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

(i found this in my...British Lit. II notebook, because apparently I was constantly bored...)

I never signed up for all this,
the highschool drama that's attached
itself to every breath I take
like a third unnecessary lung.
Oh please, no apologies.
You're grown as hell sweetheart
and if you don't know what I'm talking about,
it's probably you.

Acknowledge all the faults.
Who ever said love was unconditional?
Use them and leave them
and come out the victim.
The path less traveled
is strewn with blood and hearts,
shattered pieces of the lives
of broken lovers.

Walking on the glass from
the mirror you shattered
when you didn't recognize your eyes
gives you seven years bad luck
that started ten years ago
when you took a wrong turn,
unknowingly staining the sheets
from pristine white to nonexistant.

(I know this has been neglected! I'm sorry! maybe I'll review "Orphan", which I saw last night. we'll see.)

Watchmen

2009-03-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

I got the awesome opportunity to see Watchmen at the theater last night, thanks to my wonderful friend Cassie. We arrived two hours early to wait in line, because we knew this one would be big. And it was.

I don't even know where to start. This was definitely an actors movie. There was some really, and I mean really good acting in this movie, and some really good talent too. Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Morgan, Jackie Earle Haley, Carla Gugino...there aren't words to describe how much I loved (and in Jeffrey Morgan's case, hated) their characters. There was just the right amount of action, as well, and these scenes were very entertaining and well orchestrated. The film makers even found a way to make the beginning credits a part of the story, as they were integrated into flashbacks.

Of course, I came into this movie with a blank slate, not knowing anything about the comics, so the story was new to me, and it was very well developed, taking place in an alternate world in which Nixon was elected for President many terms in a row, and the world is on the brink of nuclear war. Most of the film was narrated by Rorschach, and a bit was narrated by Dr. Manhattan, and while sometimes I don't like narration because it sounds forced, that was not the case here. Since the movie starts off in sort of the mid story, the voice of Rorschach fills us in on the important stuff, and Rorschach himself was pretty awesome. As were all of the other costumed heroes. Though it did come to my attention that none of them, except Dr. Manhattan of course, had super powers. At all. Except maybe super strength, and the ability to kick ass really hard. But that's neither here nor there.

And to give it a little something extra, there was a bit of romance thrown in. Yes, romance. Not to mention some pretty nice sex scenes - or at least one long one that was pretty graphic. In a good way. And Dr. Manhattan didn't like to...well, you'll see.

So, overall, a pretty awesome movie, where the acting and cohesive storyline made this alternate universe believable. And it wasn't stilted by any un-witty one liners and horrible or prolonged dialogue, which I say makes it a win win situation. I didn't know what I went in there expecting, but I came out completely satisfied, and entertained, and maybe wanting to be a superhero myself. Maybe. I would've actually paid money to see it, and I can't say that about a lot of movies. Definitely worth the sore ass I got for sitting in that seat for almost three hours. Yes, three hours.

Go see it! It hits theaters in the U.S. on March 6. I leave you with my favorite:

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

2009-01-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is supposed to be a sort of prequel to the other two Underworld movies. When I headed out for the screening last night, I have to say that I was kind of excited to see it. I was curious as to how they would go about it.

Well, first of all, the effects were great. The lycans looked the same as in the other two movies, and so did the vampires. The fight scenes were really good and engaging. Overall the movie was pretty much action packed, while the story line was just ok. Not really disappointing, because I did enjoy the movie, but you already knew the basic story before you came in, so you can't expect it to give you any sort of twists.

In the non-action packed parts I got a bit bored, I have to admit. The beginning part was good, though, with the explanation of Lucian's birth, and the love story between Lucian and Sonja seemed a bit brief, but that was only because it wasn't the central part of the story, so I was releaved that it wasn't overly romantic and gushy and sickening. I was glad to see Michael Sheen playing Lucian again. Another wonderful surprise was the appearance of the character Raze, played by Kevin Grevioux, who appears in the first Underworld.

Now, of course, you spent the whole time hoping that Sonja and Lucian will get away, and hoping that Viktor would die (I love Viktor, though!), even though you know what's going to happen to them, but that still doesn't stop you! Which was a great thing, I think, because it showed that the audience could get so involved in the story that they could forget that they already knew the ending.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans opens in theaters today.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2008-12-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to attend a screening for The Day the Earth Stood Still today, which officially comes out tomorrow. Now, firstly, in case you didn't know, this is a remake of the original 1951 movie of the same name. I've seen the original, granted it was a long time ago (not when it came out! I'm not that old!), so I don't really recall very much, but I remember that it was creepy, yet totally unbelievable. But I can't compare the plots, though I've heard that they were different.

However, what I can say is that it was easy to suspend disbelief while watching the plot unfold. Keanu Reeves was just...Keanu. I mean, alot of people think he can't act, but I think this was a great role for him; he played the "alien with no emotions" part really good. Now, wearing a suit and walking towards the camera in slow motion? Just a bonus. He looked mighty delicious and scrumptious. I also love Jennifer Connelly, and her acting in this film was as good as I was expecting it to be. The special effects were pretty good as well. The "robot" looked believable, and so did the orbs.

On the negative, this movie was slow at parts. Many parts. I got a little bored during these, which made it hard to concentrate on what was going on. Jaden Smith's character, Jacob Benson, really needed a good, swift kick in the ass. He was extremely annoying, but, like all movies, learned his lesson in the end. On another bad note, some of the dialogue was lame, but, frankly, it's really easy to look past.

All in all it was good, if slow, entertainment, and I definitely don't regret seeing it. I think that the trailers are slightly misleading because they project this image of the movie being really exciting at all times, keeping you in anxious suspense, and while it's not a bad movie, it doesn't do any of those things. It's not a movie that has alot of action, nor is it a thriller sci-fi movie, so don't go in expecting to see that, because you'll be sorely disappointed. And I'm not going to say don't go see this movie, but I will say that I, personally, wouldn't pay $10 to see it. I would wait for the weekday discounts, because it is good enough to see, but not good enough to wait in a line and pay a ridiculous amount for.

There's something living in the closet!

2008-12-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

So I'm sitting here in my dad's recliner, (yes, I'm being that specific), with my laptop in my...well, lap, waiting for my videos to upload onto myspace and youtube. When I got up out of my comfy, if slightly hot, bed and used the guide to find something other than the Holiday Season Music Channel to watch, I turned to the old tried and true Sci-fi Channel. And what was on?

Tales From the Dark Side.

Yes, that's right, an oldie but goodie. Sci-fi always has these little marathons of random awesome shows, and of course this isn't the first day that they chose to show Tales From the Dark Side, but it was the first day that I watched it and remembered how great the show really was.

And how scary it was.

Now I'm not saying that I cringed and cried and screamed through the whole 30 minutes, but it was pretty creepy and definitely kept my full interest.

I don't remember ever watching it when it was on in the 80's, not like Tales From the Crypt. I mean, hell, I was only 4 when the show ended. It's just impossible for me to remember that far back. But watching it today, with it's bad lighting, forced dialogue, and sub-par effects by today's standards, really brought back the feeling I used to get as a kid, watching scary shows when I knew I wasn't supposed to. Watching scary shows, trying to be brave, pretending I wasn't afraid. It's crazy, but oh how I yearn for those days again.

Transporter 3

2008-11-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

Alright. I'm going to try to do this without giving any spoilers. But I wonder if that's even necessary. The trailers pretty much show it all.

If you've seen even one Transporter movie, you should pretty much know what you're going to get with the third installment. Frank Martin drives around in his awesome car, comes across a problem, gets shot at alot, then overcomes said problem through bunches of defensive and reckless (and ultimately awesome) driving. Does that mean you shouldn't see the movie? Of course not! You should buy your tickets, sit your ass down, and watch the movie without having unnecessarily high expectations. It's still a good and exciting watch.

Jason Statham is, well, Jason Statham. He exudes everything that Frank Martin is supposed to be, perhaps effortlessly on his part. It also doesn't hurt that he takes off his shirt about three times, wakes up in his boxers once, and gives the audience a somewhat staccato strip tease...you'll see what I mean when you see the move.

The action scenes were great. Exciting, riveting, and kept you on the edge of your seat. There was enough of them to not get bored, but not too many that it became unbelievable (well, more unbelievable than movies usually are). The plot was pretty decent, and the dialogue was witty, even if there was too much talking at times.

Frank broke one, or a few, of his own rules. Because what would this movie be without a love story? Yes, there was a little bit of romance in the background. It teetered on the line of too much, but never went over. I found myself enjoying it though, just like the undertones of romance in the second Transporter. However, the object of affection, Valentina, played by Natalya Rudakova, became annoying within the first 30 minutes of the movie. I will say that I was quite happily surprised that I did not see her chest...not even once. But even so, while you sat there and hated her, it didn't distract too much from the movie, and wouldn't be enough for me not to see it again. Like I said, semi-naked Jason is a ginormous bonus. And even if you're not into seeing sexy men's bodies, I would still recommend going to see this movie anyway.

As long as you keep in mind what kind of movie you're seeing, and don't expect over and above, you will leave the theater satisfied.

Transporter 3 comes out on November 26. Go see it.

The Zombie Apocalypse

2008-11-05T19:41:00.001-08:00

I'm waiting for it. But am I ready? Are you?

Really I just wanted to say that I forgot about this blog. I'm sorry! I know! you've been waiting on the edge of your seats for the better part of six months, and what have I been doing?

Working. Alot. And not making any money either.

I don't think there's really any hope for us. It's too late.

Since this has been neglected...

2008-03-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit of insomniac writings:

The first thing she notices as she looks around are the green numbers flashing 12:18 in the darkness. Sleep hadn’t come nearly as much as it used to in the past few months, years, so this sort of thing is relatively normal. Except for the fact that this time she was woken up from her light sleep by some sort of noise, a thumping or a knocking or a beeping. She waits for a moment, struggling to see in the black as her eyes adjust to the faint glow from the clock. Nothing is out of place, her door is still shut, and no one else seemed disturbed by whatever had woken her.

After a few moments, it sounded again, making her heart beat faster as the muscles in her body jumped to alertness. Her eyes frantically darted to the sound, heart still racing, blood still pumping adrenaline through her veins. A shaky hand reached out into the pitch towards where the sound had emanated, toward the object her eyes beheld. As she opened the phone, the screen told her she had a new text, and after clicking it, her frantic heart seemed to still in her chest, frozen in what some might call fear but was more like shock-confusion-denial-humor. Because surely the words from her best friend, “Fuck. It’s the RAGE!” was some sort of joke that was entirely not funny at twenty past midnight, and as she hit the call button with “you fucking asshole, that’s not fucking funny,” on the tip of her tongue, she had this vague feeling in the hole in her stomach that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t a joke at all.

Now I'm off to see how hooking up the turntable I got my dad for christmas is coming along. I also feel like me and mine didn't make up "the rage". I feel like they really did call it that in the movie.

Every Little Bit Helps!!

2008-02-15T23:04:00.000-08:00

Bring your empty plastic bags on over to Wal-mart, because they now have a place where you can recycle them!! Isn't that marvelous? It's probably only the Super Wal-marts, maybe, and I'm not really sure that it's a new thing at all, I might've just missed it all this time. But now that I know, I can bring all my bags in.

Now if I could only find out where to recycle cardboard and hair dryers and curling irons. Hmmm...

I'm tired of being afraid of everything and everyone...

2008-02-04T19:57:00.000-08:00

Social phobia is debilitating and crippling. It sucks when you're afraid to talk to people on the phone, let alone go to a job interview. This is my life. And I'm feeling the repercussions.
I remembered that I pretty much hated everyone in my highschool, except for the 5 people I still keep in touch with, but I can't help but wonder what some of them are doing right now, but I don't care enough to find out.

So this isn't a total waste of time, go get Atreyu's "Lead Sails Paper Anchor". It's really good. A nice musical progression for the band, I think. It's more mature, but still with some edge and great riffs. And not to mention Alex croons alot more on this album as much as he roars. And, of course, Brandon's vocals are completely awe-worthy. So go buy it.

Sweeney Todd (No Spoilers)

2007-12-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough to attend an advanced screening of this highly anticipated movie. Firstly, let me say that this is a musical. If you do not like musicals, do not go see this movie. There were plenty of people there last night who commented "there was too much singing" as they exited the theater. Again, it's a musical.
The acting was superb, but what else would you expect with a cast including Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Helena Bonham Carter, and, of course, Johnny Depp? Ed Sanders, who plays Toby, has the potential to become the next Freddie Highmore or Haley Joel Osment (hopefully without the rehab). The singing, too, was great. Personally, I was slightly annoyed by the character Johanna's voice, but fortunately she only had one short song. Johnny, however, swooned and crooned with the feeling of a rock star. It was, to say the least, very pleasant to the ears (and of course, the eyes). The songs were really great as well. They were dark and foreboding, but some were soft and sweet, and a few only had dark undertones. The score flowed well with both the songs and the cinematography, as well as with the overall look and feel of the movie, which was dark and dirty and industrial because, hey, it's set in London, and this is a Tim Burton movie, and his movies are simply dark and awesome at the same time. My favorite parts were the duets, when one actor would sing behind another, sometimes even two different songs that blended in so well together. (I want to point out that they did this in August Rush too, which was a great movie as well).
The story line was good too. Having never seen the play, I was still able to guess what would happen next sometimes, but there were still some surprises and twists in the plot which kept it interesting. There were also some comedic elements throughout the film, which is always a plus.
Also, it's rated R for "graphic and bloody violence". Did I mention there was blood? Yes, lots of blood and gore, but of the best kind.
Overall, this movie was delightful. I would give it an A, definitely. Those who don't like musicals or gore might disagree, but I thought it was appropriate for the kind of movie that it was: a musical about a demon barber.
So go see it when it comes out on Christmas. It'll be worth it.

A Christmas With Michael Buble

2007-12-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

With a voice that sounds like he should be singing with the likes of Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra, how could you not love a Christmas album from Michael Buble? His deep, soulful swooning can make any holiday bright, and gives the favorite Christmas songs an old school, yet refreshing air. The CD, promptly titled "Let It Snow!", only has six songs, which is perfect for that trip to the store, or even those thirty extra minutes of free time from your hectic day.

Tracks include "Let It Snow", "The Christmas Song", "Grown-up Christmas", "I'll Be Home for Christmas", "White Christmas", and a live version of "Let It Snow", and styles range from jazzy to traditional. You can listen to a preview of all the songs on Amazon here. It's an overall wonderful, soothing experience, and one thing is definately for sure, there is no way you can listen to this and not feel the holiday spirit or long for the days of yore. Michael's voice is just so incredible that it will leave you breathless.

And while you're in the store picking this up, you should also pick up his other albums too, because this man will sweep any girl, or boy, off their feet.

Jonathan Davis goes Acoustic

2007-11-29T10:20:00.001-08:00

Random? Yeah, kind of, but we'd expect nothing less from a man who has pretty much done it all. Skeptical about the singer from a hardcore band doing a whole tour of songs containing no meaty guitars, instead opting for double violins, upright basses, and, of all things, bongo drums? Well, even some of us were a tiny bit skeptical, to be honest, but since it is Jonathan Davis, swarms attended anyway, because Kornkids will pretty much do and endure anything if they get to see Jonathan upclose and personal, and if they have to endure obscure techno/pop singers to do it, then so be it.

Me and my friends were lucky enough to get to go to this show. Godhead opened up for Jonathan with an acoustic set of their own. It was great, to say the least. Seven songs were on their set list (which I could see from my lovely spot in the front row), varying in intensity from acoustic renditions of furious rock songs, to softer songs suited especially for the concert's vibe. The band was on point, enthusiastic, and into the atmosphere. The singers vocal approach was nowhere short of amazing, which is sadly becoming a rarity in a world where studio magic helps musicians sound good on records, but leave them sounding like strangled cats on stage, (which sort of makes me wonder if that's why it's hard to hear the singer over everything else at a show). Granted, with the whole "sit down and hold hands" atmosphere, one is tempted to close their eyes and possibly fall asleep to the mellow sounds of the strings, but it is not really in a bad way, just more in a relaxed way.

When the house lights go on after Godhead has disappeared off stage, the kids roar and scream, thinking that Jonathan himself is about to come onstage. The screams are only combated with the sounds of confusion when a slightly older, skinny dark-haired man in a suit appears onstage after a quick announcement from the, well, announcer, that introduces the violinist/vocalist that worked with Jonathan on the Queen of the Damned. This still does nothing to ease the confusion, but Shenkar walks on and starts his set anyway. Shenkar does around five very catchy and melodic songs of the techno/electronica/dance variety, all the while looking like he's in his own world, because he's undoubtedly nervous about performing, practically unannounced, infront of all of these supposedly angry and depressed scene kids, as the stereotype goes. Said scene kids, though, for the most part, nod their heads to the beat, cheer in all the right spots, and generally try and make him feel welcome and warm-heartedly recieved, which it seems Shenkar appreciated, and after his set was finished, he waved, thanked the audience profusely, and left the stage.

Now the moment everyone had waited for all night was upon us. Venue staff come onstage, to the delight of the fans, with the elaborate, red velvet upholstered throne that will house J.D. for the next hour and a half. When Jonathan does, finally, come onstage wearing a three piece suit, the screams seem to go up ten decibals, if that is at all possible. He stands there, in front of his throne, thanking the fans with a gracious smile and a few nods of his head, before he sits and takes the mic, waiting for the crowd to come to a dull roar, and thanks everyone for coming.

The show continues in the awesome way that the beginning of the night had, and delivers a few delightful surprises, including the addition of pretty much every song that J.D. wrote for the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. Also included were some covers of bands such as Duran Duran, which, Jonathan admits, he is a fan of and he doesn't care what anyone else thinks, and Orgy. Definate Korn classics were transformed into the acoustic set while still maintaining their hardcore vibe, while others were softened from the original to create almost different songs, and even some never before performed Korn songs were played, to the delight of the kids.

When the show was over, and the lights turned on, the smiling faces of the fans could be seen, excited and in awe of what they had just experienced. And when Jonathan showed up thirty minutes later to sign autographs and take pictures with the Kornkids after taking a quick shower at his hotel? Priceless.

The sound was definately wonderful that night. No one drowned anyone else out, the sound was balanced, and every professional member of the back-up band seemed to be as equally important as Jonathan himself, which was very refreshing to see. All of these points made for a very very awesome and pleasing show, almost one of a kind. And the added bonus of a hug from Mr. Davis himself wasn't bad either.

The End is only the Beginning

2007-11-28T19:54:00.000-08:00

I finally gave in to the blog bug.
So this blog will be me, well, talking about stuff...like music, concerts, movies, video games, various devices I get my fingers on, and maybe a few rants that people need to know about.
My first real post will be about the Jonathan Davis Acoustic Tour, and that will be up sometime tomorrow.

This is what I think.

Until then...