Heck Yes: Avatar

I ignored watching the trailer for this new movie Avatar because I was under the impression that it was going to be a movie based off of that anime-wannabe nickelodeon series. Boy I could not have been more wrong. Turns out this film is actually a BIG deal. It's directed by James Cameron (Terminator, Terminator 2, Titanic, Aliens) and the visual effects alone are going to be worth it. Unlike that giant disappointment whose name I won't mention, this film looks (and by everything I've read on it) sounds like it's going to be one of those revolutionary films that is going to set the bar even higher for special effects and filmography.

The film is about a marine who is in a wheelchair, and gets stationed on the jungle moon of Pandora. Then he....well I'll just post the trailer. Aren't I a great friend? Yes sir I am. Prepare to be utterly dazzled by the visual effects. With a track record like James Cameron's, I don't think the plot will suck either. Sure, it might be predictable once you see the trailer, but I think you willl agree that this is going to be a movie that is certainly worth watching. So sit back and enjoy Avatar, and don't forget to thank me for posting it.

Oh, before the Trailer, I will say that in reading about this, I discovered that the anime-wannabe nickelodeon series IS going to be made into a film. Sleep in fear.

Artist Spotlight: TV on the Radio

I keep forgetting that I can blog about whatever I want to. It doesn't have to be new, or original, or anything of the sort. Hell, I'm still not convinced this gets read half the time, so what the hell do I care what I put up here? This is supposed to be a therapeutic outlet dammit, so I'm going to make it just that.

Sorry, I think someone laced my morning granola bar with PCP and we all know I'm allergic to nuts. Kidding. About the nuts thing.

ANNNYWHO, one of my recent favs in the music world has been this wonderful band called TV on the Radio. I know they've been around for a while, and I had their album 'Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes' sitting in my itunes library for quite some time before I gave it a real honest listen. Even then, I didn't find anything all that great about them. It wasn't until a good friend of mine recommended I pick up a copy of their latest album 'Dear Science' that I really began to dig their sound. Dear Science really began to grow on me, so I started listening to their older stuff and by this time, they had already received mention in several facebook status'. That's how you KNOW a band is good. So late one evening, I was having a Youtube night with me, and I decided that I would see what they were like live just for giggles. I found them preforming their song 'Wolf Like Me' on David Letterman, and was blown away. I officially loved these guys now. After watching, I purchased 'Return to Cookie Mountain' (the album that 'Wolf Like Me' was on) and haven't looked back since.

TV on the Radio remains one of my favorite bands and I hope you will enjoy them as well.

Here is the fateful clip that boosted them into 'favorite' status with me.

My cereal is dead: Dexter Season 4

If you're not already an obsessed Dexter fan, than I suppose it's time you run out to Blockbuster and rent the first three seasons so you can get caught up for season four. If you're already a Dexter fan, that it is without a doubt you know that the fourth season starts in just over a week on Sunday September 27th on Showtime.

Personally, I thought the ending to the last season was a little weak, but as a whole, I enjoyed it very much. Well-written, as all the seasons have been, I have no doubt that the fourth season will be even better and more exciting than all the other seasons thus far. I'm still really mad Doakes is gone, though. I don't know if I can forgive Showtime for that one. Oh well.

Here is a preview of Season four, and as you can see, it looks like it'll be quite the ride. I can't wait.

The Resistance: Muse's latest musical musings.

One of the greatest modern rock n' roll bands of this era is undoubtedly Muse. Muse blends modern rock with classic symphonies, and new age electronica to create a sound worthy of the label 'progressive rock' because it is most certainly progressive. Muse isn't afraid to explore and experiment and their sound is unique and easily recognizable. An asset to any music snob's library, Muse can rock hard, or play it soft, ripping at your emotions like a riptide, or gently plucking the heart strings. Whatever the case, Muse's music will always be a potent vibe in the ears, and the power trio re-defines the limits of what one band can achieve in their style and sound.

So then WHY is it that I'm not overly impressed with their latest work? I'm not saying it's bad or painful to listen to, but it just didn't deliver the same knock-out punch to the brain as past albums have. At least initially. I've owned the CD for about an hour now, and am on my third listen, and while some elements of a few songs are quite creative, I feel like it's not covering as much new ground as I've come to expect from a Muse CD. So, in the back of my mind, I am a little disappointed. I still think Absolution was their crowning jewel though.

Yeah, it's worth having a copy, because it's Muse and Muse is an awesome band, but the CD doesn't stand by itself. The opening track and first single 'Uprising' is actually a little annoying and isn't a song that I want leading the way into new Muse territory. Also, the closing of the CD is quite weak and after hearing the ending song of Black Holes and Revelations, I've automatically been expecting a killer closing song, which didn't happen with this one.

By the way, if you don't click my hyperlinks, you are missing out on some of the best tidbits of blog, and you're also making me angry.

Oh well. Maybe next album.

New Moon: Sadly looks entertaining.

The Twilight Series. If you've spent any time here on earth, you've most assuredly heard the name, and if you're an american teenage girl, you know the names Bella Swan and Edward Cullen like they're your relatives. The Twilight Saga has re-ignited the vampire craze in america especially among adolescent females. Over a year ago, the first book in Stephenie Meyer's cult series was made into a movie that exploded in the box office, but was sadly, a terrible movie as far as production value goes. It also didn't follow the book as closely as I had hoped (Yes, I read the book. And the second one. I'm in the middle of the third right now...) and I was disappointed in some of the Director's choices.

Then I saw this brand new trailer for the New Moon movie. It looks exponentially better than the first film. The production value, the acting, everything just looks so much better. I am actually looking forward to seeing it. I won't be in line the night before dressed as a werewolf, but I do plan on going eventually.

Less talk more Rokk right? Here's the Trailer

LEGO Star Wars: Blow you to pieces

I haven't posted about a video game in a long time. Probably because I haven't been an avid gamer until a few months ago playing games like Fallout 3, Halo Wars, Star Wars the Force Unleashed, and one of my all time favorites, LEGO Star Wars. That's right. LEGO Star Wars.

This game has been out for a good while, but I hadn't picked it up until a couple of weeks ago when my friend and I were looking for a good co-op game to play. I had seen LEGO Indianna Jones being played once, and I figured that the gameplay would be similar, minus being chased by giant boulders and adding a more PEW PEW PEW. I will go on record right now and say that LEGO StarWars (and judging by the game play, all the games in the LEGO series) is the best co-op game I have ever played. Seriously. It's a game that is fun and it draws you in, yet not in the cinematic over-theatrical games like those in the HALO series (even though I love games with huge long dramatic cut-scenes). LEGO Star Wars is very clever and tasteful and it's flaws are outnumbered greatly by it's selling points.

First of all, the game has tons to do. You don't just play through the stages and then throw it in the pile of junk to take to Disc Replay (you know, like all your games from the Crash Bandicoot series). No no no. There are multiple different things to accomplish in each level that you most likely won't get the first, second, or even third time through. You can achieve 'True Jedi' for each stage (which is obtained by getting a score of at least 100,000), you can find minikits (10 are well-hidden in each level), find the Red brick (which unlocks bonus features) and more! Everything in this game is fun, so even if you're stuck and can't figure out where to go, exploring the area to find out where to go is fun, as opposed to frustrating. So if you're looking for a game that is fun and engaging, yet not overly serious and dramatic, pick up a copy of LEGO Star Wars. Even better yet, play it with a friend because whether you have second player or not, there will be a second character that follows you around regardless.

Here is a Trailer from before its release. The narrator sounds like he's going to announce the new episode of That 70's show, but it's a good trailer.

This is the Cat's Pajamas

I haven't blogged since July. I'm pretty sure all the potential posts that have been building up in my head have formed some sort of cancerous tumor on my frontal lobes, and I will probably die here very shortly. No sympathy for the devil.

I was stumbling around the dark corners of cyberspace when my browser (The U.S.S. Firefox) landed on a strange unexplored world where I found a very cool animated short. It is called 'The Cat Piano' and is beautifully written (it's one big poem), narrated (the guys voice is like an afternoon love-making session), and the artwork is unique and eye-catching. It's only eight minutes, so that means let this buffer while you check your facebook in a new tab or new window and then come back in a few minutes to enjoy 'The Cat Piano'.

As for more posts coming soon, I'm not going to promise anything, but I think that I have forgotten how much fun it was to blog, and now that I am re-igniting the flame, you may see more to come in the future. Anyway, enjoy!

The Cat Piano from PRA on Vimeo.

No Thank You Jacki Chan.

I love Arcade Fire. I love asians. Not so much together though.

As much as I'm appreciative that asians exist and provide us with such commodities like Poky and giant fighting robots and best of all, drivable toy cars, I don't think it is necessarily wise for them to attempt to cover great american indie-rock bands.

I have to say a few words on how I feel about watching an Asian band covering Arcade Fire. You'll see that this could never be made to sound good right from the get-go when the singer begins to sing. And by sing, I mean open [his] mouth and try to sound like someone who has his nuts stuck in bicycle spokes. I don't know if any of you are familiar with the song, but its not supposed to be sung like that. I apologize if this is, by some chance, the first you've heard it.

So let's see. We start off nice and slow. 'This is how Ahhcade Fi-oh do i' right?' Yes. You've seen Arcade fire's frontman. The Elvis wannabe in the blue jumpsuit? You've got the look down great!

Oh, and look at that. We got mom and sisters to play the violin(snicker). Yes, we need all four violins to sound just like Arcade Fire. Here, I printed you out some sheet music. Don't bother listening to the song first, just read your music. Maybe if Mom and Sisters would have listened to it, they would have tried to stop the poor boy from gettin the band together and trying this song.

3:45. That's my favorite part in the video. ]

Also the Epic Ending.