Simply Dazzling: True Blood Clip

I love the show True Blood.

I hate it when people tell you that a band is really good, or a show is really good, or a movie is really good, but they don't quite sell it to you. People (at least in my experience) tend to just tell that something is worth it, and then walk away without leaving you semi-interested.

This clip is one of the many reasons that True Blood remains one of the most bad-ass vampire shows ever.

Game-gasm: Star Wars Battlefront 3

In case none of you already knew, today is Nerd day. Actually, every day is nerd day here at BIOTM. B.I.O.T.M. Bio-Tem. BOM. Bomma your Momma.

Moving right along, I was given a tip yesterday from a very good friend of mine who is knowledgeable in the field of movies, technology, and general media. He told me about this new leaked demo of Star Wars Battlefront 3. Now I myself have not played any of the Star Wars Battlefront series, but after watching this leak (if it turns out to be real) makes me very excited for it's release.

The current status of the Game is unknown. There is a lot going on as far as the development is concerned, and no one can seem to get a straight answer from the creators as to how far they are into the project, completion dates, publisher, etc. The only conclusions we can draw come from this video that was leaked into the treacherous and hostile network of rumors and misnomers know as the interweb by a laid-off employee. The video is low-quality (because it is a video of a video) but still gives us a look at the potential for Battlefront 3.

After watching, I hope you too will be as excited for the release of this epic looking game as I am. Make sure you watch at least the first minute, because there is a sequence in which the player if flying a ship from the surface of a planet and lands in a star destroyer in one seamless motion with no loading. It's all in real time. Pretty impressive.

Star Wars: Battlefront 3 'Leaked Off-Screen' gameplay

Also, there is rumor that a dark-side Obi-Wan will be making an appearance as well.

The Good, The Bad, and The Reeves: Cowboy Bebop

Let it be known that I am a fan of Anime. It's unfortunate though, that anime does not have as many fans as it could due to its reputation from terrible shows like Pokemon, Dragonball Z, Naruto, and other completely westernized shows. All of these above listed shows were quality until America (and especially Cartoon Network) destroyed them by making them safe for kids to watch. Anime was never meant for American children. Anime was never meant to be dubbed into the english language. Anything done to an anime series (besides adding subtitles for those of us that don't speak Japanese) is taking away from the purity of the series and essentially destroying it.

All this to say that I came across some rather disturbing news durring my morning web-surfing. One of my favorite anime series, Cowboy Bebop, is being turned into a live action movie. Fox is doing the deed and I was actually quite intruiged until I learned who is going to be playing the main carachter of Spike. Keanu Reeves.

Let me say a little bit about Keanu Reeves. First of all, the only movie that he has ever done well in was The Matrix. Wanna know why he did good? Because he was playing the part of a clueless moron. Well, as it turns out, he is a clueless moron! He cannot act to save his life, and the fact that he has been given the chance to play one of my favorite anime heroes is depressing to say the least. I want to shoot whoever cast him in this movie.

The movie is still in it's primary developing stages and I'm praying that Reeves has a stroke or goes into a coma before filiming begins. That way, they will be forced to find a different actor. The only decision that Fox could make that could possibly be worse casting Reeves as Spike, would be to cast that god-awful Hayden Christiansen.

Happy 30 posts to me: Slumdog Millionaire

Over the weekend I went to go see this beautifully put together film called Slumdog Millionaire. I had never heard of it, but was forcefully dragged by a group of heartless savages to sit and watch this movie. Not really. I went to go see it with a couple of friends. 

The basic plot is about an boy named Jamal Malik who live in India. Jamal winds up on the hit TV show 'Who wants to be a millionaire' and ends up getting through the questions. Suspected of cheating, he is kidnapped and interrogated. Through this interrogation, Jamal relays to his captors his life story, and how each event in his life gave him the answers to the questions on the game show. 

It's a fairly simple plot, but the story is fantastic. I would recommend it to pretty much anyone because the story is not one that would only appeal to certain groups of people. It's a story for everyone.

The film was based off the novel Q and A by the Indian author Vikas Swarup. The Director (Danny Boyle) did a wonderful job with character development and made you want to cheer the heroes and boo the villains. I haven't been this into a movie since the Dark Knight. I'm not putting it on that level, but it's worth seeing at least once to make your own evaluation. 

Special Treat: One Man Zelda song!

Someone with a lot of time on their hands has filmed himself playing several different instruments and put them together in order to make up the theme song from The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker. While it probably took him all week to make, the end result is actually quite impressive and makes me wish that I would use all the time on my hands for something productive like this instead of spending all my time at work.

Ugh. My life sucks.

Thank you Geekologie writer, and I promise this is that last time I'm stealing from your blog.

Since it's chilly outside: Arcade Fire

Damn it's cold. This morning I was greeted with ice caps on my toes and a -12 on the thermometer. Not the coziest things to start your Friday morning off. Since it is cold, we need some fire. Arcade Fire. Was that a good transition? Perhaps not, but I'll take it and run with it anyway.

I've had this band sitting in my itunes library for the longest time before I actually decided to give them a proper listen. As I recall, I was at a friend of mine's house (that sounds weird) stealing a handful of albums off of his willing hard drive. Many of the artists, I had only heard good things about, so naturally they were drafted to join my army, my 'brothers of band' so to speak. Or write.

About two months ago, I decided that it was time I gave them (Arcade Fire) a fair trial. The first song I fell in love with, and listened to it several times every day. The whole CD (Funeral, not Neon Bible) grew on me right away and is now one of my favorites. Especially after watching their live performances, which are very entertaining. But you know what? You don't have to take my word for it, you can see for yourself because I am a nice enough person to drive all the way out to youtube and come back with some juicy videos. The work's done for you, so their is no excuse not to watch at least the first minute of these videos.

Happy Friday everyone.

Star Wars, the official condensed summary.

थिस इस अ विडियो ऑफ़ अ गर्ल व्हो As I was saying, there was this girl who was asked by her (Boyfriend? Father? Brother? Mailman?) to give a summary of the three original Star Wars films from the 'bits and pieces she had seen from the same room that the movies were playing. She did a terrible job, of course, but managed to provide the foundation for a very entertaining video




Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Dear Hollywood, cut it out: Bride Wars

That big boiling kettle labeled 'ideas' in the kitchen of everyones mind is starting to run dry. It seems all that's left are the hardened vegetables at the bottom of the unforgiving cast-iron bowl, and every once in a while, we get a fresh carrot, but most movies these days are rotten tomatoes. Which brings us to the topic of this post, Bride Wars. 

For those of you wondering, Bride Wars is the newest movie from Gary Winick (have you even heard of him? Me neither.) and features Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson. The premise is that two women who have been best friends (and possible lesbian lovers....no? Okay, just making sure) are planning to have their dream wedding at this fancy hotel in the month of June. Well, due to some crazy creativity from the movies writers, both girls are scheduled to have their wedding on the same day! Oh no! What will transpire now! Hilarity ensues when Hathaway and Hudson engage in an all out Bride War! Hahahaha! Funny!

I'll tell you what happens. The two women (who now hate each other with a burning rage after having learned that their weddings were scheduled for the same day)train rigorously in the martial arts, then join the military for some 'big gunz 101' and spend the entirety of the movie chasing each other all over the planet not resting until the other has been mutilated into an unrecognizable pulp. The corpse of the loser is displayed at the winner's wedding during the reception. Later, the guests each get to take home a piece of the losing bride.

Okay, so that's not exactly what happens, but I'm sure it's at least somewhat close to plot line. I'm sure that's what the writer had wanted the movie to be like originally, but due to censorship, he had to turn his once action packed gore movie into a romantic comedy. So instead, he had to settle for 'Comic Mischief' and 'Mild Language' as opposed to his dreams of 'Comic Mutilating' and 'Heavy Drug Use' and my favorite 'Mild Cock Envy'.

But in all seriousness, I don't have to go see this movie to know that I will be on the worst of 2009 list. It got terrible reviews and Roger Ebert said "[there were] no lines that were smart or witty."  Carrie Ricky wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer, 

"How bad can a movie be, with Goldilocks Hudson and Cinderella Hathaway? So excruciating that Hudson's sunshine can't warm it and Hathaway's rose redolence can't mask its stink." 

You tell 'em Rickey. Sorry Anne, we know you're a beautiful girl with lots of talent, but you're starting to take the slippery slope that Steve Martin did when he decided to accept his fatherly role in 'Cheaper by the Dozen'. Hey speaking of Steve Martin, did anyone that there is a second Pink Panther doomed to come out? Did any of you remember that there was a first one?

Best of the best: A look back at the media of 2008

It is already 12 days into the brand new year. 12 days, and I'm still writing 08 at the end of everything, and I'll probably continue to do so until well into April. I'm one of those people who learn by repetition

Anyway, I thought I would throw together a list of my top five favorite movies, albums, and video games of the year 2008. Maybe you'll agree, maybe you won't. I would love to hear from you guys what your favorites were as well. 

MUSIC:

5. Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes

4. Coldplay: Viva La Vida or Death and All his Friends

3. Sigur Ros: Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

2: The Faint: Fasciinatiion 

1: Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree

MOVIES:

5: Yes Man

4: Twilight

3: Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

2: Iron Man

1: The Dark Knight

VIDEO GAMES:

5: Guitar Hero: World Tour 

4: Soul Calibur IV

3: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

2: Super Smash Brothers Brawl

1: Fallout 3

I missed the first two apocalypses...: Fallout 3

I am lacking on Video Game postage lately. That's because I lack the funds to run out and buy every cool video game that comes out. Some of you (well, not my regular readers) can run out to the store and just buy whatever you feel like because Mom and Dad both went to college and got high paying jobs and can do things like run out and buy you an Avalanche. 

There I go again. Anyway, I picked up a copy of Fallout 3 for my 360. Bethesda Softworks (Morrowind, Oblivion) is the developer behind this much-acclaimed FPS/RPG (that's nerd-talk for 'first-person shooter' and 'role playing game' respectively). I have heard countless good things about it, so I decided to bite the bullet and give it a shot. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where people are struggling against life in the harsh wasteland-like remains of the planet earth.  There are towns that are thrown together out of junk and cities that look like one huge shanty. The player starts off as a child and much like Oblivion, you go through the trivial task of creating your character (I never understood this, maybe it's because the nerds that play these games all night are the same people that wish they could've chosen what they look like...) and deciding whether or not his forehead angles forward or backward and whether or not his chin could club you to death or open a tin can. 

The gameplay itself is also fun. You go through the game making decisions that effect your karma (good or bad choices) and all actions have consequences. The first time I played it through, I just killed all the ugly and annoying people. Now, I'm trying to be a good guy.  If you've ever played Morrowind or Oblivion you will feel right at home. In fact, you'll feel in a much nicer home than you're own, because gameplay has been cleaned up to a near-perfect. Yes, it is that good of a game.

Ratatat: No, it's not a pokemon...

Ratatatatataaatraatttaa.

Whenever people see a large amount of the same letters next to each other, the tendency is to ignore everything you ever learned in the educational system regarding pronunciation and sounding out words. People miss-pronounce the name of this band (and the pokemon too. In fact, that's the reason I got out of the whole pokemon thing because of all the dumb-asses who could not read) all the time, which is a shame, because it is band worthy of having it's name said properly. Here I go again, starting a blog post with incoherent gibberish. Well, I suppose it is coherent, but it's pointless rambling for sure.

-TAKE TWO-

Hi, my name is [original post contained real name; removed at author's request] and I'm here to blog about this sweet band called Ratatat.

-TAKE THREE-

Okay, so to make this as short as possible I'm just going to put it all into one GIANT word. IdownloadedabandcalledratatatalongtimeagoandthoughttheyweregoodbutnotamazingthenIdownloadedsomemoreoftheirworkandlikeditawholelotmorethantheCDIdownloadedinitially.

Lady Gaga has me coocoo for coco puffs

I made a disturbing discovery on the waves of the internet this evening. I was informed that Lady Gaga's CD was "Out Now" and that I should immediately "Get My Copy Today". All of that to say, this didn't make me happy. I didn't even know who Chicky Boo Boo was until I saw that her ONE SEMI-CATCHY SONG (also called "single") was that drunken chick favorite "Just Dance."

We all know what happens now. People rush out to Best Buy....wait, that's not right. People rush to their computers and log onto itunes (or whatever method you choose to download) and slap it on the ol' hard drive. Then the hit single ('Just Dance' for those of you who are skimming) is played 127 times before anyone even thinks about listening to any other song on the CD. So one day, you play the CD from the begining and come to find that all the songs sound strangley like their hit single (which you now skip, after having heard it a total of 3,591 times) and skipping through till the last (ten, there are always ten on these fake albums) and you realize you paid ten dollars....I mean 9.99...for basically the same song. Now you're wishing you would have actually bought the CD because then you could go to places like Disc Replay and get three bucks for it.

*deep breath*

That felt like one sentence to me and I am quite winded from writing it (especially with all of the things in paratheses) so I'll stop now.

Please comment if you're still with me. It's the equivalent of a hug to me.