tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16882876751107128902024-03-12T20:42:45.946-07:00Radtacular Reviews!Warning: Posts on this blog contain excess levels of awesome. Enter at own risk.Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-18606771237226525642016-01-12T06:45:00.004-08:002016-01-12T06:59:35.725-08:00REVIEW: Crazy, Stupid, Love starring Steve Carell<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: magenta; font-family: inherit, serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This movie is indeed stupid,
but I'm in love with Steve Carell! </b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: magenta; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: magenta; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Warning straight off the bat:
you will be cringing 90% of the time during this film.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: magenta; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: magenta; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don't get me wrong, I laughed
plenty of times through this movie. Most of the plot is utterly ridiculous
nonsense involving fully grown adults acting like dopey idiots, but its easy
enough to sit through if you don't mind feeling terrible about not doing something
better with your time. Is this film worth sitting through the runtime? Only if
you a.) are watching it with a significant other or b.) have nothing better to
do. There is, however, a third option...If you LOVE Steve Carell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: magenta; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Steve Carell is the number
one reason I watched this. He was great in The Office, Little Miss Sunshine,
and Dan in Real Life. If you are like me and you respect this widely loved
comedy (and dramatic) actor, listen up: THIS WILL SATISFY YOUR STEVE HARVEY
CRAVINGS! He is in A LOT of this movie, and it utilizes his distinct
personality and goofball wit soon well!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: magenta; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Crazy, Stupid, Love gets
credit from me for not being afraid to be sexy! Emma Stone is great eye candy
for us guys with a cute face and tight body, while Ryan Gosling turns up the
heat for the ladies with hot abs and a trademark swagger. They have great
chemistry! Academy Award winning actress Marisa Tomei also appears in the film
as a psycho lady. I thought she was great but was underutilized.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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the babysitter crush was simply uncomfortable to watch. Sexualizing an underage
girl is simply wrong, add that with a thirteen year old boy talking about
masturbation (played for laughs, mind you) and you get a really, really
cringeworthy feeling. The ending to this little romance was the most sickening,
wrong part of the whole thing. I hung my head in shame and disgust.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: magenta; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: magenta; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I also HATED the stupid
reveal involving Emma Stone's character and who her family is. It made my eyes
roll to the back of my head. It wasn't even funny in a tongue-in-cheek way, it
was just maddening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: magenta; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Overall, watch this movie if
you're a Steve Carell fan or a fan of low-brow romantic comedies masquerading
as high-brow, do not watch this movie if you're a fan of decent human behavior.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-26166541558083603452016-01-12T06:39:00.001-08:002016-01-12T06:54:01.016-08:00REVIEW: Navel Gazing: True Tales of Bodies, Mostly Mine (but also my mom's, which I know sounds weird) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">A triumph! If you love to laugh, you NEED to get this book!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Boy did I love this book! It was funny and touching in all the right places. I found myself laughing out loud on almost every page! Michael Ian Black has done it again! His often-times silly and every-time witty reflections on life are addictive. I read the whole book in only a few days! Literally couldn't put it down. Michael Ian Black has been one of my favorite comedians for years; now he's one of my favorite authors.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red;">You may know Michael Ian Black from movies such as Wet Hot American Summer, The Baxter, They Came Together, and Wanderlust. In addition, he has been in many great TV shows including The State, Stella and all those amazingly funny 'I love the...' shows on VH1 (my personal favorite was I love 1983 Strikes Back). On a personal level I have been a fan of his since I first fell in love with his dry and acerbic commentary on chicken nuggets.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red;">Michael Ian Black's intoxicating yet extremely neurotic personality shines through the pages. You feel as though he's whispering in your ear as you read. He has masterfully transitioned his finely honed comedy skills into a writer's voice anyone can read and relate to.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red;">My personal favorite tale covered in the book had to do with a punk band Michael Ian Black started in high school. As someone with many, many regrets throughout my own life I really connected to his self-reflection during this section of the book (and every other section as well). I found that chapter VERY funny and therapeutic in a way.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red;">Overall, this is an outstanding book comedy fans of all ages will read and enjoy. Hopefully it will go down as one of the all-time classics of humor literature. For now it will be regarded as another triumph for Michael Ian Black, now undisputedly one of the greatest comedic minds of our generation.</span></span>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-34081486075336177542014-01-25T16:22:00.002-08:002014-01-25T16:22:08.002-08:00Virtues of a Warrior: Dragonball Z, Japanese Militarism, and the Bushido Code<br />
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In feudal Japan, the Samurai represented the highest echelon of military nobility. Samurai were skilled and highly respected warriors who were supremely dedicated to a set of moral guidelines called the bushido code. Primarily influenced by Buddhism and the writings of Confucius, bushido stressed the importance of honor, courage, wisdom, and mastery of martial arts and can be loosely equated to the western concept of chivalry. The virtues of bushido were deeply instilled within the collective conscious of Samurai through the generations, and over the years parts of the code were written into formal law, expanding its influence to the whole of Japanese society through to the 20th century. During World War 2, the bushido code was fully embraced by the Japanese military, who indoctrinated their soldiers and Japanese society as a whole to prefer an honorable death over surrender or defeat. When the war ended the constitution was rewritten to eliminate any reference to bushido in an effort to reduce Japanese militarism, but the code still maintains significant influence in modern Japanese society and culture, including one of its most popular exports, manga and anime.</div>
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One of the most well known figures in Manga is Akira Toriyama, who was born in 1955, ten years after the end of World War 2. Starting out as a poster designer, he made the move to Manga in 1978 and found huge success with his comedy series Dr. Slump two years later. However, his biggest success came with the release of Dragonball in 1984. It is the story of a young boy named Goku who goes on a quest to find mystical Dragonballs that have the power to grant wishes. As the series progressed, the comedy was gradually replaced with a far more action-oriented plotline and eventually transformed into an entirely new series, Dragonball Z. The series introduced a vast array of characters to the Dragonball canon, including Goku’s son Gohan as well as his new rival, the Saiyan prince Vegeta. DBZ is the most popular series in the Dragonball franchise due to the detailed and engaging storyline, consistently exciting action sequences, well developed and complex characterizations, as well as its various themes and how they can be applied to everyday life.</div>
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Recurring themes of Dragonball Z include honor, sacrifice, and morality, all key components of the bushido code. The two main characters of the series, Goku and Vegeta, have vastly different interpretations of the code and what it means to be a noble and honorable warrior. These differences not only inspire a bitter rivalry between the characters that lasts throughout the series, but also represents the philosophical divide between militarism and pacifism in 20th century Japan.</div>
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One might think Vegeta as the ultimate representation of the values of the Bushido code based on his warrior pride and eagerness to improve his martial skills, but in actuality his views represent a skewed version of the code. In addition to being courageous and honorable, Bushido also emphasizes the importance of righteousness, benevolence, and wisdom. Vegeta’s skewed interpretation of Bushido combined with his over-reliance on racial dominance (saiyan elite) often lead to his defeat in the series.</div>
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Vegeta’s version of the bushido code is similar to the version the Japanese military used to indoctrinate citizens and soldiers into believing war was purifying and that sacrificing their lives for the Emperor was supremely honorable. During the Meiji period, Japan became increasingly nationalistic thanks to modernization and success in foreign wars such as the first Sino-Japanese war and the Russo-Japanese war. During the occupation of China and the second Sino-Japanese War which began in 1937, Japanese troops were pressured to achieve victory or die with honor. Soldiers who died on the battlefield were glorified on the Japanese home front, further cementing the importance of militarism in their society.</div>
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Although the Japanese soldiers’ adherence to the ideals of honor and courage emphasized in the bushido code gave them early success on the battlefield, at the same time they were also committing horrible atrocities on ordinary citizens. During the Rape of Nanking, the Japanese soldiers slaughtered hundreds of thousands of citizens in a cruelly sadistic manner, and sadly that is only the tip of the iceberg. Similar massacres were committed elsewhere in China as well as in other territories such as Singapore and the Phillipines. This brutal wave of violence throughout the region is similar to the reign of terror the Saiyans brought to the galaxy they inhabited. Like the Japanese in the 30’s and 40’s, the Saiyans thought of themselves as a warrior race. Their entire society is built around conquering planets both for profit and for the service of their emperor, Frieza. Saiyans are shown taking great delight in slaughtering civilians with the same sadistic intent displayed by Japanese forces in East Asia. The parallels between Saiyans and Imperial Japan don’t end there.</div>
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The Japanese treated prisoners of war as subhuman due to their strict belief in honorable death before capture or defeat. Mistreatment of POWs was widespread, and nearly 30% of those taken prisoner by the Japanese would not survive the war. Vegeta displays this same mindset when he cold-heartedly killed his longtime friend Nappa because he had been dishonorably defeated by Goku. The complete disregard for morality and disrespect for the value of human life displayed by Japanese soldiers and by Vegeta is in direct conflict with some of the most important components of Bushido, which in addition to honor and sacrifice also promoted benevolence and righteousness. Both the Japanese soldiers’ and Vegeta’s strict adherence to the same corrupted interpretation of Bushido caused the deaths of millions of innocent lives.</div>
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Like Vegeta in Dragonball Z, the Japanese would eventually suffer their downfall due in part to their blind confidence in their own superiority militaristically and racially. While Vegeta’s overinflated pride caused him to underestimate and lose to opponents such as Goku, Android 18 and Cell, the Japanese also underestimated the fighting capacity of their own opponents such as Great Britain, Australia, and the United States for essentially the same reasons. Years of political propaganda from the military caused overconfidence in the Japanese ranks, regularly resulting in disasterous outcomes. For example, their version of bushido encourages rapid advances in the face of overwhelming odds at the expense of defense. While this idea is honorable in principal, it goes against conventional military strategy and often resulted in suicidal banzai charges and eventual defeat. In Dragonball Z Vegeta displays this same attitude emphasizing bold attacks over common sense and strategy. During the Cell saga he even invites Cell to grow stronger for the challenge of defeating him. This lapse in judgement and overestimation of his own abilities caused him to be defeated, just as it did for the Japanese.</div>
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In addition to military pride, racial pride played a significant role in causing the atrocities throughout Asia. Under Imperial Japanese rule, racial propaganda claiming the racial superiority of the Japanese people, specifically the Yamato, was omnipresent. Being a very homogenous nation, Japan is very uninviting to foreigners even to this day, but especially back in the 30’s and 40’s. Even before the Second Sino-Japanese war, the Japanese committed a violent pogrom against Koreans who they believed had poisoned water supplies. Over 3,000 innocent people were slaughtered in that event, and the racial hatred only got worse as the years passed. It is believed that the belief of the racial superiority of the Japanese over all other Asian races is one of the major factors that contributed to the widespread atrocities committed during the second world war. Like Imperial Japanese soldiers, Vegeta believes himself racially superior based on his Saiyan blood and nobility. This factors in to his disrespect for other species and races he encounters throughout the series, and his cold hearted murdering of innocent people without a second thought such as on Namek.</div>
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Vegeta’s short stature may be another parallel. Japan is a comparatively small nation with limited resources compared to China. It could be argued that their aggressive attitude towards domination in the region is a reaction to being the underdog, in a way. Like Japan, Vegeta is small in stature, but compensates with a tough guy persona and an over-emphasis on increasing his power level, which could be equated to the Japanese building up their arms. Regardless of its connection to Japan, I believe Vegeta’s short stature is a major reason for his aggressive and showboating personality. Both he and imperial Japan had little mans syndrome.</div>
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So we’ve explored the parallels between the philosophies of Vegeta and Imperial Japan, but who is Goku supposed to represent? I believe he represents the ideal state of pacifism, non aggressive but extremely capable of handling diversity should it come his way. At the end of World War 2, the Japanese adopted a new constitution that renounces war as a right of the nation, forbids the threat of force in international conflicts, and also forbids the maintinence of land, sea and air forces. The Japanese military today consists of the Japan Self-defense forces, which is typically used in peacekeeping efforts and disaster relief. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century to the present day there has been much debate over the capabilities and scope of the JSDF. With recent tensions high in East Asia, the debate is currently as active as ever, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggesting radical changes.</div>
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Although free from state-sponsored militarism, Japan is a country with deep-seeded warrior traditions, and the spirit of bushido still exists under the surface. Goku represents how the virtues of Bushido can still be upheld while maintaining a peaceful attitude. Goku’s benevolent respect for life, selfless acts of bravery and sacrifice, and disciplined restraint despite tremendous power make him an ideal follower of Bushido and a role model for Japan as a whole.</div>
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The rivalry between Goku and Vegeta represents the struggle between nationalistic militarism of the first half of the 20th century with the pacifism of the second half. It is a struggle that plagues the national conscious of Japan to this day. Subconsciously, I believe this is one of the major reasons the series is so popular in Japan. Further than that, the struggle between pride and morality is something every individual struggles to balance. Vegeta is villain, but he is still relatable because pride is a natural component of the human condition. We are all proud of ourselves to some degree, but pride is selfish and blinds us to the truth of our condition. Dragonball Z condemns Vegeta’s pride by having him constantly lose to his morally superior foe Goku. In essence, Dragonball Z is a morality tale warning against blind pride and overambition, promoting instead righteousness, courage, and reverence to family and friends.</div>
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Dragonball Z is more than a fantastic action series. It is rich with well-developed characters, fleshed-out themes, and intriguing subtexts that are endless in their interpretations. The story and values promoted in the series appeals to both the conscious subconscious mind on a carnal and spiritual level. The series has resonated with millions of fans worldwide not only because of its amazing action sequences, but also because it is relatable to our condition as a species and our place in the modern world. I hope this analysis opened your eyes to some of the deeper meanings behind Dragonball Z and its characters.</div>
Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-62887581155398960382013-10-30T18:19:00.000-07:002013-10-30T18:19:24.786-07:00Crash and Burn by Artie Lange (2013) Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>A Highly Engaging and Often Disturbing Account of One Man's Journey to the Darkest Depths of Depravity</b><br />
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As a long time fan of the Howard Stern show, I was well aware of Artie Lange's problems with drugs and alcohol even before reading his first book, Too Fat to Fish. I found that book a good read, although I found myself bored with some of Artie's stories that were rehashed from the show. As a knowledgable Stern fan, this book went into greater detail about Artie's mental and emotional state and taught me many things about his personality that I had not known beforehand. I found the behind the scenes stories to be, for the most part, informative and insightful, and sometimes even disgusting. One of the best stories included was his account of an embarrassing night at the playboy mansion, a hilarious tale that reminded me of how talented a story-teller Artie can be.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />This book covers the time period from after his first book came out in 2008 to the present day. During that time period, Artie Lange went through a personal hell, cycling through drug binges and withdrawals, constantly trying to dupe and outwit his friends and family so he could continue his destructive habits until it all came to a head in a most disturbing way. Some of this book is very hard to read, especially if you are a fan of Artie and wish to see him well. I actually saw Artie Lange when I went to a book signing for Too Fat to Fish in 2009, and can personally attest to the fact Artie looked totally out of it. At the time I had no idea how bad off he was.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O6Ic1wNk3xk/UnGu8Zf-4lI/AAAAAAAAAHY/6PT-DhJUQk4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-30+at+9.07.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O6Ic1wNk3xk/UnGu8Zf-4lI/AAAAAAAAAHY/6PT-DhJUQk4/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-10-30+at+9.07.00+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The book is a fantastic and highly emotional account of a man who lost everything due to his own demons, but some parts of the book made me a little frustrated. Even though this was written after his crash and burn, he doesn't seem very regretful for the horrible things he's done to himself and others. Sometimes he regrets his actions, but then a paragraph later he will defend them or even praise his own contentious and irresponsible behavior. In the book he also bashes many celebrities and normal people who, in my opinion, didn't deserve to be ridiculed in such a way. A sarcastic wit is what makes Artie's humor so great, but at some points it seemed to me like he was being too harsh, and that made me sympathize with him less.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">That aside, he does say nice things about some of his fellow comedians who have passed away such as Greg Giraldo and Mitch Hedburg, which I found very informative and nicely written. These comedians struggled with addiction and lost their battle. Their passings effected Artie deeply, and that hurt resonates with the reader in a profound way. It was in these passages where I felt he was being the most genuine.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uCmOLgLnoj8/UnGu8bDJ-BI/AAAAAAAAAHI/bNqdoWSiINY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-30+at+9.08.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uCmOLgLnoj8/UnGu8bDJ-BI/AAAAAAAAAHI/bNqdoWSiINY/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-10-30+at+9.08.38+PM.png" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For fans of Artie Lange, this book is a must read. For fans on the outside, as a stand alone book of an addict who descends into an abyss of drugs and booze, the book is still effective. However, it does have a tendency to become redundant as he tells one too many stories of getting high on airplanes and his general disdain for flying. I did find his rituals of scoring drugs while keeping it a secret from his friends and family very intriguing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Overall, I must say I enjoyed this book more than Too Fat to Fish, and besides a few minor complaints I had a great time reading.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Artie, if you read this, I hope you stay clean man.</span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uCmOLgLnoj8/UnGu8bDJ-BI/AAAAAAAAAHI/bNqdoWSiINY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-30+at+9.08.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
<br />Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-1675792382332559442013-10-30T18:13:00.000-07:002013-10-30T18:13:02.758-07:00American Movie (1999) Review
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What makes Mark Borschardt so
relatable is that we all know someone like him. He is slightly mad and socially
awkward yet assertive and intelligent, a fast talker with a quick wit and a big
mouth. He is at some points self-confident and optimistic of the future, and
other points hopelessly down in the dumps or drunk out of his already wacked
out mind. He is also passionate about his life’s ambition, to fulfill his dream
of making a feature horror film inspired by his own favorites Night of the
Living Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the pursuit to complete the film
Mark undergoes a series of hurdles and setbacks that succeed in making bad
situations worse, prolonging an already drawn out production and frustrating
his family and friends. In order to secure funding for the film, he must coerce
his notoriously stringy elderly Uncle Bill to help finance the project,
resulting in quite a few scenes of comedy gold. Interviews with Mark’s family
are candid and revealing, shedding light on some factors that may have
influenced Mark’s obsession with cinema. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Mike</div>
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The colorful cast of characters is
filled out by his long since burnt out friends Mike and Kenny, who have been
helping Mark make his films since they were all kids. Mike Schank in particular
steals the movie with his slow moving, soft-spoken voice delivering some of the
funniest lines in the movie. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UeNPz3Rkbfs/UnGuU_M0NpI/AAAAAAAAAG4/2j0RLrNTWi8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-30+at+9.06.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UeNPz3Rkbfs/UnGuU_M0NpI/AAAAAAAAAG4/2j0RLrNTWi8/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-10-30+at+9.06.25+PM.png" width="218" /></a></div>
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American movie is a fantastic
documentary that paints a thorough and engaging portrait of a man inspired by
passion and driven by obsession. It offers a glimpse into the life and psyche
of a flawed yet sympathetic character in both his darkest and brightest
moments. If you’d like the learn something about the power of peserverence, I
suggest you watch this film.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-587610109719372212013-06-19T00:44:00.001-07:002013-06-19T00:44:36.774-07:00Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX (2002) Gameboy Game Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thestrong.org/online-collections/images/Z006/Z00642/Z0064269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://www.thestrong.org/online-collections/images/Z006/Z00642/Z0064269.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Since the original NES classic, the Contra franchise has produced many high-quality action shooters characterized by smooth controls, quick action, and a high level of challenge. Contra The Alien Wars was a title originally released on SNES back in its heyday. Konami decided to reissue the game on the Gameboy Advance with great results.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The action playing on the gameboy advance is as fluid as ever. The controls are easy to master as you blast your way through the levels. The first level isn't too hard, but the game cranks up the difficulty real quick. For those who don't know, your character in Contra dies in one hit, die three times you lose one of your three continues. There are two difficulty settings: Normal and Novice, but the only difference is that you get more lives on the lower setting. Some parts are crazy hard, but for the most part it is easy to memorize the patterns of gameplay after a few times playing through. In the end, I consider the intense challenge to be more of a positive than a negative.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The level design of this game is absolutely stunning for the GBA. There is always something interesting going on in the background, and the game always has a new setting ready to throw you for a loop every once in a while. For example one level you're fighting on a train, moving between the inside and outside as you fight off baddies in every direction. It's very exciting and I never get tired of playing it through!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In terms of gameplay, Contra has always kept it simple, and thats one of the reasons I like the franchise so much. What more do you need in a video game besides a muscled up action hero and a new host of evil villains to destroy. Much of this game you'll be fighting boss battles. There may be up to 4 per level! The boss fights are awesomely fun though. The most incredible boss fight in terms of fun factor and visuals would have to be the level 3 boss you see on the cover of the game. He is probably the coolest looking boss I've ever fought, and he's fun to take down as well!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you're looking for a fast-paced action game that will provide a healthy challenge and keep you constantly interested, then I highly recommend picking up this game. It is a great addition to any gamers collection.</span><br />
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Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-84492261029769459542013-06-19T00:43:00.000-07:002013-06-19T00:43:01.411-07:00Angela's Ashes Movie Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTL-yg0X9NAHrGDey58JkjfYdXAnKITkbC_8VzuBb68TkDgNClfxQ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTL-yg0X9NAHrGDey58JkjfYdXAnKITkbC_8VzuBb68TkDgNClfxQ" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I first saw Angela's Ashes when I was a little kid about the same age as Frank in the beginning of the movie. Seeing it at such an early age had a profound effect on my outlook on life. Recently re-watching it as a 21-year old was like reliving an old dream. I couldn't believe I was having the same thoughts and feelings as I did so many years before. I'm not familiar with the book, but watching this film is like an endurance run for your emotions. There are so many devastating moments that by the end, you'd think you'd be numb to it, but there always seems to be another heart-wrenching moment around the corner. Some of the images in this movie have stuck with me for life.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Angela's Ashes put my life into perspective at an early age. I was emotionally invested in the characters, and through their struggles I learned a lot about life. All I could think was how lucky I was that all my family members are alive and we have a roof over our heads. Its easy to take those things for granted, and this movie does a good job of making you appreciate them a whole lot more.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The production value of Angela's Ashes is top-notch. The film does an extraordinary job of taking the viewer on a journey back in time to Limerick, Ireland in the early 40's. It was a time of great hardship, especially for Frank McCourt's family, who suffer greatly throughout the film. I personally love the imagery of old Ireland with its rustic stone structures and foggy weather. The settings are accurate and well-detailed, contributing greatly to the overall realism of the film. The tone of the film is very dark, gray, and mundane, and that dark tone is reflected in the bleak color palette. There are very few vibrant colors to be found, only gray, black and the occasional green. It truly succeeds in painting a bleak portrait of the McCourts life.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The actors in the film are mostly very good. Of course when dealing with child actors you always have to consider the fact that they're, well, children. So there's only so much they can do in a heavily dramatic film like this that requires some serious acting chops to pull off. I think the child actors do a good job in their roles, especially the little kid who plays Frank in the beginning. Like I said earlier, I really identified with his character as a kid, so that makes a good performance in my book.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For some reason this film slipped under the radar both critically and commercially. It was overshadowed by the book and as a result has been mostly forgotten it seems. It's a shame because this is a seriously dramatic film that is one of the most emotionally effective stories I've ever experienced. The scenery is beautiful, the score is absolutely fantastic, and there are moments that will make you laugh and then cry.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It's definitely a movie worth seeing.</span>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-57647784897116101472013-06-19T00:40:00.002-07:002013-06-19T00:40:58.007-07:00Black Sabbath- Master of Reality (1993) Album Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/3253/cover_3433162272009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/3253/cover_3433162272009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sometimes the formation of a band can be compared to the aligning of the stars in heaven. When the members of Black Sabbath came together, it was the beginning of musical history. With their combined musical and songwriting talents, Bill Ward, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, and Geezer Butler created deep and powerful music that broke new boundaries in terms of musicianship and song-writing, helping open the musical spectrum to a new level of heaviness.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">After the success of their first two albums Black Sabbath and Paranoid, the band came back stronger than ever with Master of Reality, an album brimming with classic songs from front to back. There is one heavy riff after another on this record, each one as memorable as the last. Looking at the track listing one can easily recognize many of Sabbath's most well known tunes such as Children of the Grave, Into the Void, and Sweet Leaf. This is an essential addition to any heavy metal fan's music library.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In the early 70's Black Sabbath were at their prime in terms of musicianship and chemistry as a band. Bill Ward is one hell of a heavy and powerful drummer with an incredible feel as jazzy as it is driving. The riffmaster Tony Iommi is at his best here, especially on the masterful track Lord of this World. Ozzy Osbourne is obviously a legend with a highly distinguishable voice that gives the songs a lot of energy and personality.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Master of Reality is one of the greatest rock albums to come out of the 70's. It features some of the greatest performances ever captured on tape, and listening to it provides an experience like no other. Black Sabbath are legends for a reason, and its because of albums like this. Get it already!</span>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-26274884985174965192013-06-19T00:39:00.003-07:002013-06-19T00:39:52.483-07:00Municipal Waste- Hazardous Mutation Album review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5C2j3gWGp3Y/ToOM9bLK8sI/AAAAAAAAALg/tpWwKH6r0fk/s1600/Municipal+Waste+-+Hazardous+Mutation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5C2j3gWGp3Y/ToOM9bLK8sI/AAAAAAAAALg/tpWwKH6r0fk/s320/Municipal+Waste+-+Hazardous+Mutation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This album changed my life. That might seem like an exaggeration, but believe me, it's the absolute truth! Municipal Waste introduced me to the outrageously awesome world of old-school thrash metal. They are the ultimate purveyors of the party vibe that defines a lot of old school thrash, and luckily they are young enough to still be active! Finally, a good heavy metal band my Dad didn't grow up listening to.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The songs are very fast and very catchy. The riffs are quick fire and scientifically designed to drive people crazy. Municipal Waste are notorious for their rabid live shows, and its no wonder considering how unforgivingly manic their music is. From the very beginning the album kicks you in the face and grabs you by the throat with the intro. As the drum rolls thunder into Deathripper, you can't help but start banging your head uncontrollably and banging your arms into anything that might be in your immediate vicinity.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">There ar many great songs on the albums that have since become all time favorites of mine. Unleash the Bastards is an obvious highlight as it is probably the band most well known song. Another great track off the album is Mind Eraser and the tongue in cheek numbers Thrashin of the Christ and Terror Shark.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Hazardous Mutation is a very fun record. If you want to kick a party up a notch, put this baby on right as people are starting to get really drunk. I guarantee things will get wild quick!</span>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-91510143362912341232013-06-19T00:38:00.002-07:002013-06-19T00:38:28.646-07:00Crash Bandicoot 2 (1997) Video Game Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/Crash2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/Crash2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I can't even begin to imagine how many hours I've spent playing Crash Bandicoot 2 throughout my lifetime. Ever since the game came out I've been addicted to it, playing through every level over and over again like a crack fiend trying to smoke every last bit of resin out of their pipe. Truth be told this is one of the funnest games I've ever played. No matter how many times I've beaten the levels, I can never resist popping the disc in a few years later and getting into another phase of Crash madness!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I think one of the reasons I loved Crash Bandicoot so much is that out of all the video game heroes he was the most cartoonish and funny. It was fun as all hell to jump on those cute little animals that wanted to kill you, or to spin attack a pile of boxes into smithereens. The villains in the game are so over-the-top and silly that it becomes a delight to take them down one by one.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In terms of gameplay, Crash 2 gets it right in almost every area. Crash is easy to control and moves at a cool, quick pace. It is easy to take out enemies, but at the same time its easy for them to take you out as well! The levels are consistently challenging without ever being frustrating (well, maybe except for those dang bees!). The graphics are very cartoonish and the level designs are awesome. As a kid I was blown away by the amount of details in some of the levels such as on 'Ruination', where you can see characters moving in the background that are only accessible through an alternate route in the game. Graphics like that are great for a PS1 title.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I could never get tired of playing Crash Bandicoot 2: The Wrath of Cortex. Collecting all of the items was a challenge that took me many years. Eventually I mastered the game and got every crystal and gem. I highly recommend this game to gamers of all ages, but especially to kids. If there's a way to download this game, or even if you want to but it on ps1 and play it on a PS3, I highly recommend doing so.</span>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-43178677981984777762013-06-19T00:37:00.000-07:002013-06-19T00:37:19.891-07:00Blood In, Blood Out (1993) Movie Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I first discovered Blood In, Blood Out in the bargain bin at Best Buy. It looked like a generic gangster movie without much appeal, but I decided to give it a shot anyway since it was so cheap. I had no idea it would become one of my all-time favorite films. Watching it for the first time was an incredibly epic experience. I found myself completely enamored in the story from the very beginning and my attention did not stray in the entire 3 hour runtime. The film builds and builds into an intense climax that chilled me to the bone.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The film tells the saga of the three men you see on the cover. Miklo is a half-white half-hispanic young man who has been struggling with his racial identity his entire life. He moves back to East L.A and gets involved with his two cousins in local gang turf wars. We follow the stories of these three men across the decades as they face struggles and hardships on their journey through life.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The film is dense with heavy themes of death, pride, sacrifice and redemption. Not only is it entertaining, but also thought-provoking and deals with very controversial subject matter. You will have a lot to think about in the days after watching this film, and believe me it will stay with you that long.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Since this is an Amazon review I won't go into any further detail of the plot or themes of the film. All I can say is that it is a monumental achievement in cinematic story-telling and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Goodfellas or even The Godfather.</span>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-12542707614933503142013-06-19T00:36:00.000-07:002013-06-19T00:36:01.073-07:00Queensryche- Frequency Unknown (2013) Album Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.queensryche.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/QRFU.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.queensryche.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/QRFU.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I won't go into the politics behind this record. I won't dwell on the fact that Geoff Tate has been dragging the Queensryche name through the mud for years, but I will point out that not only is Frequency Unknown a continuation of that tradition, it exceeds all previous efforts by a mile in tarnishing their once-great reputation.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Frequency Unknown is a disaster. From the lousy songwriting and bored performances to the piss-poor production and cover art, the record is an uninspired and contrived piece of garbage not even worthy of the plastic that holds the cd. It lacks any semblance of musical or creative ability, and displays a huge error of judgement on the part of everyone involved from Geoff Tate and the hired guns he passes off for Queensryche, to the record execs too blinded by their own greed to see how big of a mistake releasing this album was.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">They rushed through this album in order to give Geoff Tate leverage in court over his former bandmates. they knew that by releasing their album first they would sell more copies, giving Tate a reason to retain rights to the name. This is a shrewd business tactic that resulted an album that sounds thrown together. The production of this album is absolutely horrendous, with the mixing in particular being one of the worst in the history of recorded sound. There are points in the album where the guitars are so loud and distorted it becomes impossible to listen to. Your ears get bombarded with an undecipherable wall of sound intermittedly throughout almost every song. They could have fixed this issue, but they had to rush the album out as quickly as possible. Why would I care to listen to something when the people who made it didn't care about it themselves?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The songs themselves sound cut-and-pasted together. They are structured around Tate's vocal performance, which is unfortunate considering he gives the worst performance on the album. He has absolutely no musical range and lacks any trace of emotion or conviction in his voice. They tried to make up for this fact by piling every effect in the pro tools repertoire onto his vocal track, but in the end it comes out sounding more lifeless than ever. If you still aren't convinced Geoff Tate lost his soul, look no further than the song Weight of the World where Tate sounds like he's singing through the drive-thru microphone at McDonalds. I didn't know if it was Geoff Tate singing or if it was my computer asking me to put it out of its misery. And If you have any faith in Tate as a lyricist, or if you want to have yourself a good laugh, listen to the song Dare.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.queensryche.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Band-Top-Photo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.queensryche.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Band-Top-Photo.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Geoff Tate deserves most of the blame for this turd of an album, but the musicians attached to it didn't help matters whatsoever. Simon Wright was a horrible choice for a drummer. He plays a more straight-forward, rock n' roll style which he displayed in AC/DC, but that playing style does not fit at ALL with Queensryche, who have traditionally leaned more progressively. Scott Rockenfeld was a great drummer who constantly kept things interesting with his innovative playing, but Wright simply plays the same beat throughout the entire song regardless of what the guitarists are doing (not that they are doing much anyway). This makes for a very disjointed and confusing listening experience that suggests they didn't take enough time to rehearse as a band before going into the studio.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In terms of song structure, this offers absolutely no variety or innovation. A lot of the songs sound like b-sides to Dedicated to Chaos, while the rest sound like a rip off of Jet City Woman. They didn't care about writing good songs for this crap. Don't get me started on the re-recordings, they are just depressing to listen to.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cleopatra records should be ashamed of themselves for releasing this train wreck. It is an unfinished product. The songs are not mixed properly whatsoever. You'd think they would have some standards of quality, but apparently not considering they released the album even though they knew it wasn't mixed correctly. They knew that fans would be ripped off, which is why they are now offering replacement copies for any fans dissatisfied with the sound. How about getting it right the first time?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In this day and age this behavior from a record company is abhorrent. it is exactly the reason why the record industry is dying, because of the irresponsible people at companies like Cleopatra records who have no problem shoveling this horrible product out to the buying audience. Disgusting.</span><br />
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Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-29886603646201340472013-03-18T20:39:00.000-07:002013-03-22T19:19:07.171-07:00Warning... This album rules!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yaS2DOrMlS8/UU0Pjc25E1I/AAAAAAAAACo/feQZ8MC9PSg/s1600/51mh-HTDcrL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yaS2DOrMlS8/UU0Pjc25E1I/AAAAAAAAACo/feQZ8MC9PSg/s320/51mh-HTDcrL.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Queensryche's debut EP was a stunningly accomplished slab of pure, heard-hitting heavy metal that impressed both fans and critics alike. Metal maniacs the world over were instantly drawn to the precise riffage and complex time changes that define Queensryche's unique sound. The EP also gave fans what is perhaps the greatest performance ever captured from singer Geoff Tate, whose crisp, powerful voice and grandiose style perfectly compliments Queensryche's epic heavy metal assault. The world waited in hot anticipation for the full length debut of this promising new band, but many feared it wouldn't live up to the expectations set by the phenomenal EP.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 1984 Queensryche finally released The Warning to a hungry public, but the initial reaction was lukewarm. It was viewed as a slight departure from the straight forward, Maiden-esque heavy metal of the EP and into a more progressive sound offering a wider variety of musical styles. The band's progressive tendencies would grow more apparent with each successive album, culminating in the band's magnum opus 'Operation Mindcrime'.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In terms of musicianship, The Warning proves Queensryche were some of the most talented players the heavy metal genre had to offer. Drummer Scott Rockenfeld takes a page out of Neil Peart's book with his complex fills, patterns, and time changes. His brilliant playing adds a whole new dimension to the music, simultaneously keeping it heavy and precise. Eddie Jackson does a great job laying down the hard and stomping baselines that drive the songs forward like a freight train.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chris DeGarmo was a masterful guitarist and songwriter whose heartfelt music and accomplished ability defined the band's early sound. Some of the best examples of his songwriting can be found on the album, including one of the most epically powerful heavy metal song ever put to tape, the masterfully executed En Force. DeGarmo contributed a lot of material to the album, but an equal amount is credited to the band's other guitarist, Michael Wilton, who wrote another one of my favorites off the album, the fast and heavy hitting Deliverance, the only track I would have expected to find on the debut EP.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Perhaps the most famous quality of Queensryche's music is the phenomenal vocal performance of Geoff Tate. His voice is so unique and iconic that it's hard to imagine Queensryche's music without it. Tate's thought-provoking lyrical concepts, highly emotional deliveries, and massive banshee screams are the highlights of the album. There was simply no other voice like his in metal. There's really no good way to describe why his voice works so well, all you have to do is listen then you'll know.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This album inspires my imagination like no other. The lyrics are so descriptive and the music so majestic that its hard not to get caught up in the intense emotions coming out of the speakers. The story-telling element is an important component to Queensryche's appeal, and that started on The Warning with experimental songs like NM 156, which was a precursor to the style the band would adopt with their next album, Rage For Order.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Every track on this album is like its own separate adventure. The opening title track features a larger than life riff with thrilling gang vocals. It is an incredibly exciting beginning to the album. After the heavy metal assault of En Force and Deliverance, the band cools down for a slower song named No Sanctuary, which could be equated to Iron Maiden's 'Remember Tomorrow'. NM 156 and Take Hold of the Flame are fan favorites, the latter being the ultimate example of Queensryche's unmatched power and competency as a heavy metal band. Child of Fire is a heavy metal song typical of the galloping style popular at the time, and Roads to Madness serves an an epic closer.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Warning helped make Queensryche one of the frontrunners of the heavy metal scene and established themselves as some of the best musicians in the genre. The bands fortunes would only grow with Operation Mindcrime and Empire, but for me the classic period of Queensryche will always be the very early days of the EP and The Warning. Back then, Queensryche was a hungry new band waiting to prove themselves worthy of heavy metal stardom. They certainly proved themselves with The Warning, and it remains a classic to this day.</span><br />
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Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-16125990001437830832013-03-17T23:56:00.000-07:002013-03-17T23:56:58.172-07:00An Engrossing True Crime Must-have<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Zodiac by Robert Graysmith</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Fans of true crime books know how to appreciate a creative serial killer, and the Zodiac was most certainly that. The truth proved to be stranger than fiction when the elusive Zodiac killer first started taunting the public with his infamous coded messages intended to inspire confusion and fear. He was a brutal and ruthless yet intelligent killer who remains at large to this day.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This book was written by a man who was in the thick of the Zodiac investigation from the very start. Through his eyes the reader sees the mystery unravel one grisly murder at a time. The descriptions of violence in the book is the stuff of nightmares. It's really incredible when the description in the book effects you more than seeing the murder actually acted out in the film adaptation. The book does a perfect job of combining its investigation story with detailed and vivid descriptions of the Zodiac's various crimes and the many people involved.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I picked this book up at a Goodwill store, and once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I literally read it in one day, and believe me that makes it something special. I highly recommend any fan of crime novels reality or fiction to check this book out.</span>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-65196488876506198612013-02-08T14:46:00.000-08:002013-02-08T14:46:49.528-08:00<br />
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Iron Maiden- Killers</div>
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I can't think of another album cover that better represents the content of the music than Iron Maiden's Killers. Take one look into the beady eyes of Eddie as he lifts his bloody hatchet for a finishing blow and you'll know you're in for a lethal dose of heavy metal horror. Filled with dark and majestic imagery, Killers delivers just that, but it doesn't end there as Killers also features the best and most consistent musicianship, song-writing, and production of Iron Maiden's long and illustrious career. </div>
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By the time Killers was released in 1981, Iron Maiden had already established themselves as one of the premier NWOBHM bands with their early demo 'The Soundhouse Tapes'. After becoming local heroes, the group then hit a global audience with their debut album, the self-titled masterpiece 'Iron Maiden'. Boasting such classic metal cuts as 'Phantom of the Opera', 'Prowler', and 'Transylvania', the album perfectly captured the raw power and energy of a band on the brink of world domination. However, the album suffered from a cheap production job and, in my opinion, a few tracks that dragged on longer than they should have, 'Remember Tomorrow' for example.</div>
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Touring in support of their first album helped Iron Maiden further develop their sound and grow tighter as musicians. Following the departure of Dennis Stratton, axemaster Adrian Smith was hired as the second guitarist. It turned out to be a wise choice as Smith's heavy and rough-around-the-edges playing style perfectly accentuated Dave Murray's precise and complex riffs and solos. Paul Di'anno serves his duty well enough, delivering a signature raspy, wailing, punk-like performance. His voice fit the tone of the songs perfectly, but its easy to hear that Iron Maiden were progressing past him as musicians. Although this is his final album with the band, the personality he gives the early Maiden songs earn him major credit for their worldwide success. </div>
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Now that we've gotten all that out of the way, let's get down to what really counts- the music. </div>
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Killers hits the ground running with the thundering march of 'The Ides of March', a brilliant and powerful instrumental as heavy as it is beautiful. The track leads into what is perhaps the most well-known song off the album, 'Wrathchild'. Now considered a Maiden classic, Wrathchild is a hard-hitting rocker with a driving bass line and some incredible rhythms from drummer Clive Burr, a bonafide master of the skins. It's worth noting that Killers-era Maiden had the greatest heavy metal rythym section in the genre's history. </div>
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'Murders in the Rue Morgue' embraces a song structure that has proved to be a favorite of the band continuing to the present day, the slow and mellow opening leading to a heavy, crushing song. Although in later years the format would grow tiresome, it works very well on this track. The opening is just the right amount of time, gradually building up in intensity until a barrage of snare fills launches right into the opening verse. The track is frantic yet melodic, a balance that defines Iron maiden's music. </div>
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Perhaps the most musically accomplished track on the album, 'Another Life' begins with a hypnotic cacophony of opposing guitar solos on top of a steady driving beat. Dual guitar harmonies dominate this song, and represent the most addictingly melodic and expertly executed of the band's career. The instrumental 'Genghis Khan' follows as a sort-of sequel to 'Transylvania'. Although not as good as its predecessor, Genghis Khan still contains Maiden's signature galloping heavy metal style that makes you want to charge into battle.</div>
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'Innocent Exile' was an early song in the band's career that makes its debut on this album. It begins with an intense drum fill and doesn't let up from there. It is another quality metal song that displays a mastering of the craft. My personal favorite part is near the end after the guitar solo when there is a pounding break and Di-anno screams 'Lord I'm RUNNNNNNIIIIIIINNNNNNN'!!!!!! YEEEEEAAAAHHH!!!' to an eruption of guitar shreds and cymbal bursts. Now that's metal!</div>
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Flipping the album over to the other side gives you the title track 'Killers', which follows a similar format to 'Murders of the Rue Morgue' with a slow-building into that explodes into the main driving riff. The lyrical content is dark as the title suggests, and Di-Anno delivers them perfectly with his rough vocals. The song is very fast once it starts going, and is sometimes referred to as an early influence of thrash metal. After that is 'Twlight Zone', another quality hard-rocking track that has my personal favorite opening riff on the album. This is also perhaps the most melodic song on here, with a very catchy and fun-to-sing-along-to chorus that serves as a precursor to the song-writing that would dominate Maiden's later efforts in the 1980's. It is a great song that proves Paul Di'Anno can actually sing. </div>
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The next one is kind of an oddball. 'Prodigal Son' is a soft, ballad-style song, one of the very few in Maiden's career. Although it can be initially off-putting, there's still plenty here for heavy metal fans to appreciate. Clive Burr hits just as hard here as he does on the other tracks, and the intermittent heavy chords in addition to the acoustic-sounding main riff gives the song a unique dynamic. I believe this song represents Maiden attempting to show their mellow side in a heavier context with shaky results. I personally like the song, but it simply doesn't fit the tone of the record and disrupts the flow. </div>
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Things get back to normal quick enough with the frenzied opening riff of 'Purgatory', another earlier song, previously called 'Floating', reworked for this album. For a long time this was my favorite track on the album. It perfectly combines an exciting, fist-pounding rythym with an infectious vocal melody and brilliant harmonies during the chorus. </div>
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'Drifter' follows 'Purgatory' as an ending to the album, and what an ending it is! From the very beginning it hooks you with a unique bass line and a harmonious guitar part then kicks you in the face with a manic scream from Di-anno on top of some ripping solos from Murray and Smith. It's another hard-hitting rocker (my favorite type of song, in case you haven't guessed by now) that breaks into a dreamy and mesmerizing mid-section that features the most melodious guitar solos yet. For the final run the band goes full force in what definitely feels like a fitting conclusion to such a heavy album. Every member of the band shows their chops in the closing minute of 'Drifter', easily one of the most exciting songs ever recorded. </div>
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With their sophomore album 'Killers', Iron Maiden had fully defined their signature sound , a combination of the bluesy hard rock of Deep Purple, the metal edge of Judas Priest, and the complexity of Prog masters Yes. Killers represents a band at the peak of their creativity and skill set, ready to conquer the world through the power of their music. Needless to say their journey has been a success, and the early albums are very much a part of that. Killers features some of the best album cover, the best songs, and the best line-up in the history of Heavy Metal. It is a masterpiece, and my personal favorite record. </div>
Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-22957058576615070982012-06-11T03:41:00.002-07:002012-06-11T03:41:42.449-07:00Bad Manners (1984)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Bad_Manners_Region_2_DVD_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Bad_Manners_Region_2_DVD_cover.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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From
the mind of someone severely demented comes Bad Manners, a wacky, outrageous,
over-the-top comedy film from 1984. The film centers on four troubled
adolescent friends who escape their crazy orphanage and set off on an adventure
to save another friend whose been adopted by weirdo yuppies. The film more than
lives up to its title with the kind of crass and borderline-tasteless humor one
could only find in an 80’s movie. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Featuring plenty of kick-ass music, funny one-liners, naked breasts,
fighting, cursing, beer-guzzling and general madness, Bad Manners is a truly
entertaining and endearing 80’s cult comedy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently rediscovered the film
after several years of searching for it with no luck. My parents had rented it on
VHS when I was a kid and the movie stuck with me not only because it was so
funny and outrageous, but because I felt a real connection to the characters. I
got a real sense that their friendship was genuine, and I felt the same way
after finally re-watching it ten years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quentin Tarantino defined these types of films as ‘hang-out’
movies, as in movies that make you feel as though you are friends with the
characters, like The Big Lebowski for example. A ‘hang-out’ movie is a perfect
way to describe Bad Manners.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8HEXb80h2uU/TITE1LwIacI/AAAAAAAAA1s/NeAOLsdSLq0/s1600/vlcsnap-5061152.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8HEXb80h2uU/TITE1LwIacI/AAAAAAAAA1s/NeAOLsdSLq0/s320/vlcsnap-5061152.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future voice-actor Pamela Adlon as 'Girl Joey'<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>The
beginning of the film is mostly episodic, focusing on how the main characters
spend their everyday lives causing havoc and mayhem in the “Home of the Bleeding
Heart” Catholic orphanage. They have declared war on the gung-ho head mistress
Sister Serena and ex-Nazi Mr. Kurtz, who zaps misbehaving children with a
cattle prod. The place is turned upside down when the eternally cool and
antisocial badass Piper arrives to stir things up. Intent on escaping, Piper
reignites the rebellious spirit of his peers and befriends the tall and lanky
Whitey, the token black kid Blackey, the rude problem child ‘Mouse’, and a
tomboy named Joey played by a young Pamela Adlon who would later go on to voice
Bobby Hill. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mouse
is soon adopted by a psychotic couple of yuppies played by Karen Black and
Martin Mull with absurd campiness. As Mouse wreaks havoc on their home and
life, Piper and the gang manage to escape the orphanage and set out on an
adventure to rescue him. Their journey leads to several hilarious scenes including
mayhem at a bus station and being threatened by a taxi driver with a pick-axe. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3nbSu9wdzX0/T9XLNNh37nI/AAAAAAAAACI/a4ljp81stTc/s1600/growingpainsstill4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3nbSu9wdzX0/T9XLNNh37nI/AAAAAAAAACI/a4ljp81stTc/s320/growingpainsstill4.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to Right: Sister Selena, Martin Mull, Karen Black</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
acting of the kids is actually the high point of the film, which is surprising
considering the great majority of child actors suck. Like I said before, their
friendship seems genuine and fun, which makes for a very entertaining viewing
experience. Maybe the only reason I felt a connection to the kids is because I
saw it when I was a kid and could relate to them. I could understand how an upstuck
adult could see this film and consider it complete garbage. Let’s just say this
movie is for the young and the young at heart.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
hesitate on calling this a cult film, because as far as I can tell it doesn’t
have any following at all. For some reason this film has slipped through the
cracks into near-obscurity, but it deserves so much more. It is a truly funny
unique film full of personality and a spirit of rebellion. I love this movie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9/10</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-85152959895873974272012-06-10T23:59:00.001-07:002012-06-10T23:59:50.204-07:00Hardware (1990) Movie Review<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Perfect Storm of Awesomeness</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hardware (1990)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rating: 8/10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.deep-focus.com/images/1920_hardware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://www.deep-focus.com/images/1920_hardware.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Any
movie featuring Lemmy Kilmeister of Motorhead can’t be bad. Any movie featuring
violent kill-bots gone beserk, bad-ass space marines, and smokin’ hot sex
scenes has to be fucking awesome. Hardware contains all of those elements and
more, blending sci-fi and horror into one hell of an exciting ride. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.scifi-movies.com/images/data/0001070/affiche-hardware-1990-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.scifi-movies.com/images/data/0001070/affiche-hardware-1990-1.jpg" width="135" /></a>Dylan
Mcdermott, of “Hamburger Hill” and “In The Line of Fire”, stars as Moses, a space-marine
on leave of duty from an intergalactic war. Having just returned to the now
radiated world, he visits a Junker and acquires a strange, dismembered robot
from a scavenger. He gives the robot to his inventive girlfriend Jill, played
by Stacey Travis, who reassembles the bot by herself. Unfortunately, the robot
turns out to be built specifically to exterminate enemies, and goes on a
killing rampage. Also in the film is the voice of Iggy Pop as the hilarious
radio DJ ‘Angry Bob’.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The true strength of Hardware lies
in its outstanding visuals, especially its use of light and color. It’s a film
best viewed in a darkened room where the viewer can be completely immersed in
the images on the screen. The orange glow of the radiated outer world give the
viewer a perfect idea of the stale atmosphere and intense heat, while the blue
and gray lighting of the indoor scenes give it a chilling and claustrophobic
ambiance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A common shot used in
the film is one of bright lights reflecting off an actors face, representing
how humans have become one with technology, and also just looking really cool.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
special effects in this movie are great for a low budget 90’s sci-fi horror.
Nothing beats a man being ripped apart at the waist, blood shooting from his
torso. The set designs are great as well. Very quickly the viewer is introduced
to the rustic futuristic, cyberpunkish world the characters inhabit. The
costumes are convincing and don’t look fake or cheesy at all. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hardware
contains all the elements of a great cult film. A sci-fi horror from the early
90’s with likeable characters, an engaging plot, great special effects and visuals,
a kick-ass soundtrack, top-notch casting, and epic deaths. Hardware is a gem
worth checking out. </div>
<!--EndFragment-->Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-40920113386163550762012-06-10T23:35:00.003-07:002012-06-10T23:37:20.855-07:00Mercyful Fate- Melissa (1983)A Raw and Frenetic Dose of Old-School Black Metal<br />
Mercyful Fate- Melissa (1983)<br />
Rating: 95%<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://blackwaxreviews.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/mercyful_fate-melissa-front-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://blackwaxreviews.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/mercyful_fate-melissa-front-cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Exploding through speakers like a heavy metal blitzkrieg
from hell, Mercyful Fate set turntables on fire with their debut album Melissa.
With uncompromising heaviness, impressive musicianship, and shocking satanic
imagery, the album became an instant hit with metal fans the world over. The powerful and sinister style the
band showcased on Melissa came to define the genre of black metal and exists
today as a classic example of old-school 80’s metal. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Featuring
the unique vocals their corpse-painted lead singer, the great King Diamond, as
well as the rapid, skillfully-executed duel guitar stylings of Hank Shermann
and Michael Denner, Melissa scorched like no other and helped push forward the
boundaries of extreme metal. The band had already garnered cult status among the
underground metal scene with their seminal EP Nuns Have No Fun, which featured
a big-titted nun nailed to a burning crucifix on the cover, but it wasn’t until
Melissa that the band refined their style and gained significant popularity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/d400021975daa9f45e86f7a3cd9aceed/63927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/d400021975daa9f45e86f7a3cd9aceed/63927.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Nuns Have No Fun' EP</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like
an explosion of thunder crashing down from the heavens, the heavy-hitting
crunch of Shermann and Denner’s duel guitar assault kick-off the album opener
‘Evil’, a track that more than lives up to its name. King Diamond’s high-pitched scream soars over the opening
riff, introducing the listener to his uniquely sinister vocal style in a most
epic fashion. ‘Evil’ is a driving
metal song that manages to be as heavy and shocking as Venom while maintaining
the hard rock groove of Deep Purple. It should also be mentioned that drummer Kim
Ruzz offers an absolutely frantic and pounding performance on the song that
gives it an extra boost of energy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The more traditional, NWOBHM-inspired song ‘Curse of the Pharaohs’ follows,
offering the listener a chance to catch their breath and immerse themselves in
an ominous and wicked realm. King Diamond truly shines on this track, showing
off his wide-range of vocal prowess.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
following song ‘Into the Coven’ gained notoriety in the mid-80’s when it was
included on the PMRC’s Filthy Fifteen, a hitlist of 15 songs recommended to be banned, cited for
its occultism. Honestly, they chose the correct song to go after, because ‘Into
the Coven’ is a powerful descent into madness, taking the listener on a ritual
to sacrifice their soul to satan. The band continue their winning streak with
two more ferocious slabs of metal in ‘At the Sound of the Demon Bell’ and
‘Black Funeral’, the latter featuring perhaps King Diamond’s greatest ever
vocal performance. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.roadrunnerrecords.de/media/E_WXf2lNoC4l8yiGRDdGrweq3lXZGkbf5QPmgiIFTA4LCSSZj9Hg9zGW-SgtFYYM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://www.roadrunnerrecords.de/media/E_WXf2lNoC4l8yiGRDdGrweq3lXZGkbf5QPmgiIFTA4LCSSZj9Hg9zGW-SgtFYYM.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mercyful Fate in 1983. King Diamond on far-right without make-up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
epic ‘Satan’s Fall’ kicks the album up a notch in what can only be described as
11-minutes of pure Armageddon. The musicianship truly shines on this track,
Shermann and Denner have a field day serving up their most devastating arsenal
of riffs while the rhythm section drive the song forward with a perfect balance
of power and groove. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The somber
and doomy ballad Melissa closes the album in a depressing way. Melissa is
technically great featuring outstanding vocal melodies by King Diamond and a
complex structure and musicianship, but I feel as though the album deserved a
more scorching and high-energy song to close with and that Melissa should have
appeared earlier on. Personal opinion aside, ‘Melissa’ is a masterfully
composed and performed song by a band in their creative prime and easily holds
its own among the other classics on the record.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mercyful
Fate are universally respected in the Metal community from fans across the wide
spectrum of subgenres precisely because their music features so many different
elements and cannot be confined to any specific genre besides heavy fucking
metal. Melissa stood out during heavy metal’s most prolific period and
established Mercyful Fate as some of the most cutting edge music on the scene.
The album still holds up to this day, influencing musicians and recruiting
listeners to the legiance of satan.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/Mi_mrNsamd8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Mi_mrNsamd8&fs=1&source=uds" />
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Besides
the original vinyl print, I recommend the 2005 Roadrunner Cd set which includes
a bonus DVD and several bonus tracks one of which, Black Masses, is good enough
to have been on the album itself. </div>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-10710947580774799042012-06-10T23:23:00.001-07:002012-06-10T23:38:50.331-07:00Metallica- Death Magnetic (2008)<br />
An Impressive Return to Form<br />
Metallica- Death Magnetic (2008)<br />
Rating: 70%<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kkmultimedia.com/musictravels/images/stories/music/metallica-death-magnetic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.kkmultimedia.com/musictravels/images/stories/music/metallica-death-magnetic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Metallica’s newest record, Death Magnetic, is a rip-roaring return to classic form, and re-establishes the band as the reighning kings of commercial Heavy Metal. Impressive guitar work, progressive song structures, and lyrics dealing with themes of death and redemption are elements that echo the late 80’s ‘golden’ era of Metallica. Specifically the progressive thrash classic ‘…And Justice For All”.<br />
<br />
Since their landmark commercial smash “The Black Album” in 1991, Metallica have been caught in a creative and popular decline that has lasted over a decade. This trend reached its climax with the disastrous St. Anger in 2003 and the release of an all- too revealing documentary titled ‘Some Kind Of Monster’ in 2004.<br />
<br />
In the years since, old school metal has experienced a major resurgence in popularity. This can be attributed to the appeal of bands such as Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium, both of whom consider Metallica to be their biggest influence. Another factor in this phenomenon are the video games Guitar Hero and Rock Band, who introduce hordes of new fans to the music of hard rock and metal bands everyday.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01131/arts-graphics-2008_1131428a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01131/arts-graphics-2008_1131428a.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The public’s newfound interest in heavy metal prompted Metallica to dig themselves out of the creative grave and redeem themselves with a record that brings new life to the monster. In September 2008, they released the incredible ‘Death Magnetic’. Tracks such as ‘That Was Just Your Life’, The Judas Kiss’, and the album’s frantic closer ‘My Apocalypse’ are all evidence that Metallica still possess the thrash metal chops that made their first three albums masterpieces within the genre. ‘Cyanide’ and ‘The End Of The Line’ are a bit more mellow and rocking songs, but are just as effective and memorable, having melodic and fluid verses that flow into catchy choruses that sound larger than life.<br />
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Perhaps the greatest song on the album is the incredible ballad ‘The Day That Never Comes’. Beginning with a touching vocal line and lyrics dealing with lead singer and guitarist James Hetfield’s troubled youth, the song picks up near the end, before evolving into an all out assault complete with an impressive guitar solo from lead Guitarist Kirk Hammet. The song is similar to their grammy award winning epic ‘one’, which appeared on ”..And Justice For All”.<br />
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The album isn’t without its flaws though. ‘The Unforgiven III’, while not a terrible song, doesn’t quite live up to the power and beauty of its predecessors, ‘Unforgiven’ and ‘Unforgiven II’. ‘Suicide and Redemption’ is a ten-minute long instrumental that seems overlong and plodding in some areas, but still features marvelous guitar playing from James and Kirk.<br />
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Redemption plays an important part in the lyrical and musical themes of this record. The advertisements promised Death Magnetic to be ‘The Return Of Metallica’, the record that would rescue Metallica from the grave they dug themselves into over the years. That’s exactly what this record represents, the redemption of Metallica, the rebirth of their creativity, and the hope for new life and music to continue in the future. <br />
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Overall, Death Magnetic is an exhilarating dose of Metal that seems custom fit for the changing culture of the new millennium. It is the true return to form the fans have been waiting for, complete with thoughtful lyrics, riffs, and actual guitar solos. With a running time of 75 minutes, this record reveals new secrets with every listen, and never grows dull or old. With a North American tour planned for this winter, the future seems bright for Metallica, fans can only hope it doesn’t take another five years to produce a follow up.Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-41445681303138599102012-06-10T23:17:00.002-07:002012-06-10T23:39:38.686-07:00Toxic Holocaust- Hell On Earth (2006)<br />
In League With Venom<br />
Rating: 80%<br />
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Have you ever gone to Ebay and typed in 'thrash' in the search box, just to see what appeared? I can tell you from experience that you can find a ton of new bands this way. Most notably for me was Toxic Holocaust. An auction was held for the Hell On Earth cd and a free patch and poster. I won the whole lot for $6.66 (how creative of the seller). I had high hopes for this album, vintage logo, vintage art, vintage influences, I prayed they had a vintage sound.<br />
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My prayers were answered.<br />
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The Intro should give you a pretty good idea about what the album has in store, but it still comes as a total surprise when the slaying 'metallic crucifixion' kicks in. This is my favorite song on the record. Its brutal, heavy, fast, unforgiving, and strangely melodic. The only real problem with this song is the campy lyrics ("penetrate your fucking cunt with a crucifix"- beautiful) but what were you expecting when you looked at the incredible Ed Repka cover? The fucking Beatles!?!<br />
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Hell On Earth doesn't let up. Track after track is a raw heavy metal assault that reminds the listener of what a true thrash record sounds like. The title track and 'Send Them to hell' are two examples of main-man Joel Grind's ability to take early black metal to new heights of blistering ferocity.<br />
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You might sense that Im getting a bit excited about this record, but its a record worth getting excited about. Consider it the true follow up to "Under The Sign Of The Black Mark", consider it "Black Metal Part Two", or consider it the best blackened thrash metal album of the decade, which is what it truly is.<br />
<br />Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-54135149754901045422012-06-10T23:01:00.002-07:002012-06-10T23:40:25.313-07:00Violator: Chemical Assault (2007)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">To Love Thrash is to Love Violator</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Dedication to music is rare these days. Illegal Downloading and sub-par musicianship make this extremely evident in American culture. From the very beginning metalheads have had to dig deep underground for bands that truly embody the spirit of a metal warrior, to have pride in what they do, and to wear their music like a badge of honor. Violator from Brazil have redefined what it means to play the music they love. They walk the walk and they talk the talk, the talk being some of the most impressive thrash I've ever heard.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Their sound can be compared to a buzz saw thats gone off the fritz. Its a frenzied assault of blasting metallic fury specifically designed to whip the audience into a thrashing rage. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Violator strive to become the thrash metal juggernauts they've learned to love. Taking influence from a wide spectrum of speed and thrash bands from Forbidden, Testament and Exodus to Sodom, Destruction and Kreator. Hell, just look at their denim vests for a complete list. They do it right, and they do it well, extremely well. The guitars are heavy and ripping, the vocals are high-pitched to perfection, and their Troma-esque image fits extremely well with their sound. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The primitiveness of the production make this all the more brutal and all the more vintage sounding, kind of like digging up that old Exodus record and playing on the old stereo you havent touched in 15 years.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Dedication to music is rare these days, but Violator prove that if you believe and love the music you make, you can realize your goals, even if that goal is to thrash yourself into a coma. Mission accomplished!!!</span>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-64714237526657463112012-06-10T22:53:00.002-07:002012-06-10T22:53:10.802-07:00Fueled By Fire: Spread the Fire (2006)<br />
The Spinal Tap of Thrash Metal<br />
Rating: 45%<br />
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<a href="http://www.cmdistro.com/images/xlarge/25541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://www.cmdistro.com/images/xlarge/25541.jpg" width="320" /></a>After becoming a huge fan of Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, and Merciless Death, I decided to look for more of these 'retro-thrash' bands, since they seemed pretty good. First I found Violator (amazing), then I found Evile (awesome), then, well, then I found Fueled By Fire. I had been hearing things for a while about this band, most notably in the liner notes to Merciless Death's Evil In The Night Cd. I decided to check em' out after I found Spread The Fire at a used record store for $3.99. I was reluctant though, looking at the tracks I noticed the first song was called "Ernest goes to Hell". Ernest Goes To Hell? What the fuck is that? Is that supposed to be funny? The only thing that made me laugh was that every member of this band looks like a talentless Chuck Billy!<br />
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The rules say not to make fun of a bands image, but seriously, this band takes it WAAAYYY overboard. Their cover depicts a thrasher choking an emo kid. Okay, thats pretty cool. Also on the cover is a sticker proclaiming "THE RETURN OF OLD SCHOOL THRASH!!!!". Ummm, okay Im aware this is a thrash metal record, thank you very much. Then there are an over-abundance of lyics in the vein of "The Return Of Thrash". It gets extremely ridiculous looking at the band members posing on the inside cover. Almost as if this band is trying to convince the listener that they're thrash metal by saying it over and over and over and over. Theres an Aerosmith song I think these guys should hear, its called "Let The Music Do The Talking"<br />
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Now to the actual music itself. Its really not too bad. Pretty generic riffs, mid-paced, campy lyrics, un-inspired blandness. Actually, this is really bad. Not one track stands out. The only ones I can remember is 'Ernest' and 'Thrash is Back', only because they were insanely stupid and lame.<br />
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All in all, FBF are one of the leaders of the retro-thrash movement (yes, its a fucking MOVEMENT!), but its surprising considering there are much better bands in the genre. Just looking at FBF, its no reason why people dont take retro-thrash seriously. Theyre posers, plain and simple. They take the image, the lyrics, and the music into new heights of heavy metal mediocracy. FBF have no power, nothing that makes them stand out from a crowd, and leaves the listener with a bad tase in their mouths, like theyve just listened to 45 minutes of a new spinal Tap album, only its more depressing then funny.<br />
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I want my $3.99 back.<br />Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-43951163666428681672012-06-10T22:45:00.001-07:002012-06-10T22:45:55.308-07:00A Genuine Assault of Uncompromising Thrash<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Merciless Death- Evil In the Night (2006)</span><br />
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Another brutal album cover by legendary artist Ed Repka </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">In a sea of heavy metal repetitiveness and mediocracy, few bands actually achieve the status of true defenders of the thrash metal faith. With their debut album, Evil In The Night, Merciless Death cement their position on the forefront of the retro thrash movement, along with Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, and Fueled By Fire.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Many dismiss these bands as trendy posers rehashing old-school thrash. Evil in The Night proves these accusations to be false. The members prove to be true fans of the genre by paying tribute to their thrash metal heroes (the liner notes even include a list of bands that have influenced them). Knowing this, its easily assumed that there is a lack of creativity occurring on Evil In The Night. These assumptions are proved correct when the listener is hit with the retro vocals extremely similar to Zetro (of Exodus fame).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The fact that this band is simply a tribute to the metal giants of the 80s is quickly forgotten as Merciless Death thrash out song after song with aggressive power. Through the madness of these incredible tracks, one becomes instantly aware of the genuine love the members have for the music they play. Its obvious that the power that Merciless Death possesses is impossible to fake and its simply ignorant to think otherwise.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Overall, this is a fantastic album that thrashes from start to finish without any mercy or remorse for the posers that may be listening. Its music FOR metalheads, made BY metalheads. Its extremely impressive to know that this is the bands debut album. It will be very exciting to see Merciless Death grow out of the thrash metal tribute band they are today and find their own identity as musicians. Either way, you better bet your ass its gonna kill em' all.</span>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-28078631743015607842010-08-11T20:28:00.000-07:002013-03-17T02:19:27.189-07:00Sick Animation- Sex Drugs and Rock n' LOL music review<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61sfufbcUeL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61sfufbcUeL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 280px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 280px;" /></a><br />
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In an era dominated by political correctness, where American culture has been rinsed out and squeezed dry like a dirty washcloth, true, no-holds-barred and independently produced comedy, unrestrained by pressure to appeal to a broad audience, can be truly refreshing to those seeking something different. Sick Animation’s new album, ‘Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ LOL’, offers just that, an escape from the sterile and edgeless humor of our time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lyrics are awash with one obscenity after the next, referencing almost every sexual taboo known to the western world, all the while retaining a sharp wit and a playful demeanor, even when shouting ‘You a Dike Ho! Now get the fuck off of my porch.’ It’s offensive, and it’s utterly wrong, but it’s all in good fun. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the cover of the album is a drawing of the mustachioed creator and mastermind behind the album, Marc M, who has gained a cult following on the internet with his cartoon animations and comics. He released his first album, ‘The Ultimate party Collection Vol. 1’ a couple years ago. While the album contained some of his best material to date, highlights being the smooth ‘When I Lay You Down’ and the thigh-moistening ‘Black History Month’, with over 40 songs, it was hardly consistent. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>‘Sex, Drugs, Rock n’ LOL’, on the other hand, is leaner, with only 18 tracks (including four skits), and all together more satisfying, in a narrower sense. What is truly spectacular about the record is its level of musical competence. One only has to listen to the infectiously hummable chorus to ‘Summer Rain’ or to the catchy vocal harmonies on ‘Put it on the Table’ to realize the true quality of the songwriting. Elsewhere, Marc M. recreates the magical flow found on ‘When I Lay You Down’ on the brilliant ‘This Slut’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With such reckless and taboo lyrics as ‘Osama got pissed off, cause I fucked his bitch with my infidel dick on soft’, and with a heavy and melodic chorus, the track is a true gem in the world of comedy. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sick Animation is an underground hero in American comedy. This independently produced record, although crude and not tailored for mass consumption, is a testament to creativity and the ability to express oneself. With a distinctive style and personality, ‘Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ LOL’ should be on the shelf of anyone who has ever saluted an American flag, or has laughed at an anal sex joke.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1688287675110712890.post-77595746410045632592010-05-05T15:17:00.000-07:002010-05-05T15:19:56.700-07:00King Of The Dead: A Romero Retrospective<a href="http://www.filmreference.com/images/sjff_02_img0827.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 518px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 392px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.filmreference.com/images/sjff_02_img0827.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>George A. Romero is considered by many horror fans to be one of the most accomplished and widely influential filmmakers of the genre, his specialty being the congested yet ever-popular sub-genre of zombie films. With his now-classic independent horror film ‘Night of the Living Dead’ in 1968, Romero established himself as a rare and indispensable innovator of the seemingly tired horror genre. By effectively mixing violent terror and campy sci-fi nightmare scenarios with genuine social commentary and quality film-making, Romero produced a horror film unlike any others of its time. Romero would build upon his legacy in the years to come, directing such major films as ‘Creepshow’ and ‘The Dark Half’, but what the films he will forever be associated with are those which comprise his acclaimed ‘Dead’ series. Although the ‘Dead’ films take place in the same universe, each installment is unique in its own regard, retaining their own separate merits and faults, distinguished by their methods of inspiring terror and fear. With a new Dead film, Survival of the Dead, lurking on the horizon, now would be an appropriate time to take a look back on these genre defining films.<br /><br />Night of the Living Dead (1968)<br /><br />Romero’s first film, produced on a meager budget of $114,000, has remained a fan favorite and midnight movie staple since its original release. Throughout the years the film has been widely praised for its serious, realistic tone, its documentary style black-and-white film stock and cinematography, and its bold yet refreshing observations on human behavior in times of crisis. What the film is arguably best known for is its ground-breaking depiction of violence, considered tame by today’s standards but horrifying in the 60’s. Theaters which screened the film upon its initial release would distribute barf bags to the audience members. It’s also worth noting that this film was brave enough to utilize a black man as its hero in the height of the civil rights movement.<br /><br />Dawn Of the Dead (1978)<br /><br />Romero’s follow-up to Night is often considered to be not only the best of the ‘Dead’ series but also one of the greatest horror films ever made. In it, four police officers take refuge in a shopping mall during a zombie invasion. Dawn of the Dead retained a great deal of its predecessor’s best qualities, including its role as a social critique (this time as a condemnation of American consumerism), but it took its depiction of violence and carnage to another level of extremity, thanks in no small part to the make-up effects by industry legend Tom Savini. Bright red blood can be found in almost every frame of this movie, and the blue zombie make-up, new at the time, makes them look truly realistic and grimy. The violence can be excessive at times; resulting in moments which can be either terrifying or hilarious, depending on the perspective of the viewer. For example, in the opening scene of the film some poor guy’s head explodes in grisly detail after a crazy cop shoots him on a rampage. I guess that’s a pretty easy way to get the audience’s attention. The 2004 remake is also pretty good, but needless to say not as good as the original.<br /><br /><br /><br />Day of the Dead (1985)<br /><br />This film is hated by many fans simply because it doesn’t share the non-stop action and carnage of its popular predecessor. Instead, its main focus is on character, specifically on the human response to constant isolation and imminent death, one which will almost inevitably be of sheer panic and eventual self-destruction. It’s more similar to Night in that regard. In the film, several survivors of a zombie invasion, comprising of a mixed bag of scientists and army personnel, hide from the zombies in a military bunker underneath the Florida everglades. Throughout the film the soldiers, specifically the psychopathic Captain Rhodes, demand respect and immediate results from the unruly scientists, who want only to find a solution to the zombie problem. The film is slow-burning and talky, but it results in an exciting climax which features some of the most insane kills in the history of zombie fiction. The terrible 80’s synthesizer soundtrack and bizarre side-characters with wacky ethnic accents nearly ruin the tone of the film, but it is salvaged by one of the most loathsome villains in film history, Captain Rhodes, who steals every scene he appears in with his psychopathic rage and unpredictability.<br /><br />Return of the Living Dead (1985)<br /><br />This one isn’t technically part of the ‘Dead’ series and it wasn’t directed by George Romero, but because it considers itself to be an alternate sequel to the original Night, and because it’s so awesome, I feel it deserves a mention. Return tells the tale of two inept medical warehouse workers who accidentally release a gas which triggers an unexpected zombie awakening. Unfortunately for a group of partying teenagers (a strange mix of Brat packers and Lost Boys), the zombies interrupt their wild graveyard rave. Bogus! With hilarious writing and improve style acting, as well as the constant 80’s cultural references and unique zombie design (especially the classic ‘Tarman’), this a truly enjoyable zombie classic. Stay clear of its sequels.<br /><br />Land of the Dead (2005)<br /><br />It took Romero 20 years to produce the fourth installment of his Dead series, and many fans believe it wasn’t worth the wait. Land of the Dead tackles both social and political issues while retaining a constant sense of suspense and excitement, but the viewer is somewhat distanced by the over-stylization absent from Romero’s previous films. The film revisits the familiar idea that zombies have the ability to learn and will eventually adapt to the conditions around them, but some of the scenes in which a giant zombie pumps another zombie’s gas is just too silly to take seriously. That being said, Land of the Dead is a solid zombie flick, but it is not the same caliber film as its three predecessors.<br /><br />Diary of the Dead (2008)<br /><br />Filmed in the handheld style of Cloverfield, Diary of the Dead follows a group of aspiring filmmakers who document themselves as they run away from zombies. The film is exciting and continues the familiar social commentary one would expect from a ‘Dead’ film, but it lacks originality, perhaps because zombie films are so common nowadays and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd. Although it is by no means bad, the film simply doesn’t live up to the first three of the series.<br /><br />The new Romero film, Survival Of The Dead, will be released on May 24th. </div>Shamus McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13995392130593387489noreply@blogger.com0