What Time is It? Adventure Time!

If you have read my post on Cartoon Network, then you will understand what I mean when I say that Adventure Time is on that channel and it is probably one of the strangest shows I have ever seen. Random things always happen involving lumpy princesses, shape-shifting dogs, and creepy ice kings. Despite all of this, I love it, and I hope I am not judged too harshly for enjoying such a bizarre show. I am ashamed. Anyway, here's the plot:

13-year-old human boy named Finn and his magical dog Jake, are adventurers living in the Land of Ooo, a setting full of surreal characters, with fantasy and post-apocalyptic elements. The duo's typical adventures involve saving princesses, fighting evil monsters, exploring dungeons, helping people in need and stopping crooks. Along the way, they frequently have adventures relating to characters such as the Ice King, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, and Lady Rainicorn.

Since there's not much else I have to say, I can just show you the magnitude of the craziness of this show:

Enough said.

Pee-Wee Herman

Pee-Wee Herman is my favorite. Yes, he messed up (he was arrested for indecent exposure in an adult movie theater) but I think that the media has blown the whole thing way out of proportion and he has suffered enough. I, for one, am glad that he has made a comeback. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is seriously one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. It's one of those childrens' movies that everyone seems to love. Pee-wee loses his beloved bike and, with the help of his friends, he sets out on a journey to find it. On the way, he meets many obstacles, but he gets by handily. His childish mannerisms make him kid-friendly, but his hidden innuendo makes him hilarious to all ages.

When he was arrested, the majority of the population came to his defense. Just goes to show his popularity. He disappeared through much of the 90's but now he is back. Recently, he has made appearences on several comedy and talk shows, including Saturday Night Live, and is working on his new Broadway Show: The Pee-wee Herman Show. What I like best about Pee-Wee Herman, though, is how much he reminds me of my brother-in-law.

Pee-Wee Herman with Andy Sandberg on SNL

All I can say is, yes.

And Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson

In case you didn't know the origins of the song Mrs. Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel, it was first featured in the 1967 movie The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman. The movie is about a young man who has just graduated from college and is still trying to figure his life out. He is trying to find a way to escape the smothering pride of his parents and their friends. His escape? Mrs. Robinson, an attractive neighbor and acquaintence to his parents. She seduces him and they end up having an affair, that is until he meets her daughter, Elaine. As it turns out, Ben (Hoffman) and Elaine are perfect for each other, and Ben decides that he wants to marry her. Mrs. Robinson finds out and is furious, so she tries everything in her power to break them up, including telling her of their affair.

The Graduate is one of my favorite older movies. It's a classic. The funny thing is that the movie is actually incredibly awkward. Only three songs play throughtout the entire movie, (Sound of Silence, Scarborough Fair, Mrs. Robinson) though there are refrains and different versions. The acting is also very awkward. At the beginning, Ben is a confused, shy young man incapable of conversing with confidence. The filming is perhaps the most awkward aspect, however. There would be prolonged scenes where nothing is happening. The camera just zooms in on something inanimate, random, or someone's face with unchanging emotion. Despite this bizarre cinematography, I really enjoy this movie. Again, it's a classic, and it's fun to see how different the technology was back in the late 60's. It has a great plot and great actors and I suggest watching it at least once in your life.

The famous seduction scene:

Paranormal Activity 2

Last summer, I saw the first paranormal activitiy movie. I liked it, but I didn't understand why people found it so terrifying. Recently I saw the sequel, which, weirdly enough, happens before/at the same time as the first movie, this time focusing on the main character's sister and her family. The movie started off excruciatingly slow. Nothing happened during the first half of the movie other than a few pots and pans falling down every once in a while. Things finally get interesting when the family discovers that what the demon wants in the family's firstborn son, who happens to be an infant. As the mother fights hard to protect the baby, her husband continues to live in denial, but the demon prevails...

What I enjoyed most about this movie was how much it explained about the first movie as well as this one, even though it took quite a while for the explanations to come. There were only a few brief scenes where the history of the family and the curse was discussed between the two sisters, but it was good to know that the topic would be explained further in upcoming sequels. I, for one, am excited to see what happens next. As for you, don't be expecting anything too scary, it will disappoint in that category. I would describe it as spooky, interesting, and creative.

Review fro Los Angeles Times:

Just when you thought it was safe to auto-record your McMansion existence, along comes "Paranormal Activity 2" to make static video grays, a corner time stamp and well-placed bumps in the night further cause for audience nervousness.It's the sequel to last year's DIY horror hit "Paranormal Activity," a housebound creeper built on some marginal if appreciatively unslick and non-gory jitters. In true indie-explosion fashion, writer-director Oren Peli's $11,000 feature went from midnight-screening word-of-mouth to $100-million hit upon release from Paramount (which had the good sense not to stick logos and credits on what was intended to play like found footage of a ghost capture gone wrong).Any lingering questions, however, as to whether the follow-up represents a "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" scenario — in other words, what gives real shivers to Hollywood: killing a franchise with one bad sequel — can be easily laid to rest. This "Paranormal," set once again in a roomy two-story suburban house, is more of the same, for all the good and acceptably routine that that implies.
First off, there are more characters, in this case a Carlsbad, Calif., family composed of a dad (Brian Boland), second wife (Sprague Grayden), perky teen daughter from the first marriage, boy toddler, Latina nanny who senses bad spirits and German shepherd (whose alertness to things unseen is one of the movie's new goose-bump-raising assets).
There are also more visual perspectives, from the hand-held camcorder that various family members use to document initially happy — then increasingly worrisome — household events, to the six security cameras installed in the wake of an unexplainable burglary. Katie (Katie Featherston) is back, too, as the sister of this movie's young mom. If that sounds odd considering how the first film ended, this one's narrative is craftily arranged around its precursor's timeline, and on that front, that's all the plot you're getting here. (Robert Abele, 23 Oct. 2010)

Black Swan

Most people that I know that have also seen this movie have not liked it. They describe it as "boring and weird" but I disagree. Sure, it moves slowly at times, but that is because there is something that the director wants you to see, something you wouldn't normally see without actually "interacting" with the movie, so to speak. The movie is also strange, i'll give them that, but that is also why I think it is such a good film. It embodies the raw mentality of an obsessed human being and her struggle to find herself. For those of you who have not seen the movie and therefore have no idea what I'm talking about, here is the storyline and preview:

Nina (Portman) is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica (Hershey) who exerts a suffocating control over her. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side - a recklessness that threatens to destroy her. (IMDb)

The movie is dark and disturbing and raw, which is what makes it so interesting to watch. I would highly recommend seeing this movie if you have not already.

Seeing Stars

In my opinion, Stars is the best band in modern existence. They have good (an untampered with) voices, deep and emotional lyrics, and just an overall good sound. The best way to test how good a band really is (at singing) is to go on to Youtube and look up a live performance. Or better yet, several live performances. Even better than that, live performances in small studios or NOT in front of huge crowds. Torquil, the lead male singer and Amy, the lead female singer, thoroughly aced that test.


Amy's best song.


Torquil's best song.

This Canadian band is listed as indie, and though they are not very widely known, they have been nominated for album awards and have opened for Coldplay, though they have become more reknowned since then. Here is a little different style of song from Stars:

Alien Invasion!: Part 2

Earlier this year I did a post on the Sci-Fi 80's mini-series V: The Final Battle and I said that I would let y'all know when I finally got around to watching the updated version on ABC. Well, my friends, that time is now. The newer series is just as good as I expected it to be (Juliet from Lost is the main character!) The whole plot is different, primarily because it is a TV series rather than three short films. The characters are different too, though the basic idea is the same. Instead of Diana, Anna is the evil reptilian Queen. Erin Evans is the equivalent of Juliet. The rest of the cast includes Erin's son, Tyler; rogue V Ryan; his PREGNANT human girlfriend Val (remember the whole hybrid baby thing from the 80's series?); Jack the priest; Kyle Hobbes, gunman for hire; Lisa, Anna's daughter (assigned to seduce Tyler); and a plethora of other characters that either don't matter, or that I don't care about. Here's a picture of the new cast:

Tyler Evans, Lisa, Chad Decker, Erin Evans, Jack Landry, Anna, Ryan Nichols, Valerie

Even though I am quite fond of the cheesy acting and horrible special effects from the 80's version, I like this newer take on V better. There is a more confusing plot, complex characters, and a constant sense of confusion (as in people that matter will actually die). Almost every episode ends with a cliff hanger (Lost anyone?), which is unfortunate because I just finished the first season and the second season is still on TV/I never know when it is on. Preview!:



The special effects could still use some work, but they are a huge step up from the earlier version.

I'm looking forward to the second season as Diana from the original V will be an added star (playing the part of Anna's mother) I'm hoping that you will try out this new series too! 

Alien Invasion!: Part 1

Lately, and oddly enough, I have had an urge to watch Sci-Fi TV shows about aliens, the two shows in question being Roswell and V: The Final Battle. Since attempting to talk about both at the same time would be both difficult and confusing, at least for me, I will focus on Roswell first. Roswell is a 90's TV show targeted at a teenaged audience. (like me!) Here is the overview of the show:

Living among the citizens of the infamous New Mexico city of Roswell are some who are not there by choice. They are there to follow a destiny given to them by the members of their dying race, a race that they are someday destined to save. This is the background behind the WB series "Roswell". Max Evans, Isabel Evans and Michael Guerin are teenage humans with extraordinary gifts - gifts that are "not-of-this-earth". They are human/alien hybrids, sent here to complete their destiny. Their counterparts have already perished in a war of attrition, thus one day, they will return to their home planet and save their race. Before a fateful day in 1999, the teens hid their gifts. The event that forever changed their lives was when Max healed Liz Parker (a classmate) after she was fatally shot in the stomach in a dispute between two customers at the restaurant where she waitresses. A close relationship then develops between Max and Liz. Central to the first season were the relationships between the hybrids and their human companions. That focus has shifted during the drama's second season. "Roswell" is now distinctly a science-fiction show built on the relationships between humans and aliens. (IMDb)

As you can see, this show is distinctly teenaged. The great thing about it is that it is also distinctly 90's. There is no recurring theme of sex and drugs (MTV) or the life of an undercover pop star (Disney Channel). The theme is trivial adolescent problems, with a twist. Despite the fact that yes, three of the main characters are aliens and they're biggest problem is being discovered and used as lab rats by the government, they are just like you and me. They have relationship problems, family problems, school problems, and so forth. The blandness is what makes the show awesome, not the extravagance.

The thing that I love most about this show is not the theme, however that does play a big role, but the music. The music that is chosen to accompany each scene fits the mood  PERFECTLY, not to mention that it is actually good music. The only problem I have is that a lot of times it cuts off suddenly and randomly, but usually it isn't that big of a problem.

I lied. My favorite part of show is the opening. I can honestly say that the opening of this show is my favorite out of any show ever. See for yourself:


(it's not usually this fast)

The best part about this is that there is an actual title sequence. Some shows (like Lost) just flash the title without introducing the characters and they're general personalities. A good opening is one that you never get tired of.

As far as the episodes of Roswell go, they are addicting. Multiple plots are being built up within each episode, Max and Liz's relationship, a clue about their home planet, Sheriff Valenti finding evidence of Max and his friends being aliens, and so much more. True, sometimes the plot can be a little bit ridiculous or even superficial, but overall the plot seems to move along at a nice pace and without too many flaws.

The setting also adds a lot to the show. It takes place in the dry desert terrain of Roswell, New Mexico (hence the name) and includes the alien themed Crashdown Cafe, Roswell High, The Sheriff's station, each character's house, and several other interesting places, one being the actual pod chamber in which the aliens were "born."

The characters in this show... well, they could use some improvement. Most of them are pretty one-sided, with the exception of Michael and Tess. Max could use a sense of humor and a huge serving of moral failings. No one is a saint. Not even an alien king. Liz is pretty likeable, but she could use some more personality as well. Other than that, I think the characters are adequate.

I hope that my review of this show has caused you to consider watching this show. If not, then I really wish I could force you. Roswell definitely ranks up there as one of my favorite TV series and it will hopefully be the same for you.

I am a Guitar Hero and I Just Dance

Please try to abstain from making fun of me, I can think of nothing else to blog about. So here I go. I love both games. They are excellent for parties. Guitar Hero involves pressing buttons on a guitar shaped controller in time with the notes that are going past on the TV screen. It involves using a lot of hand-eye coordination, which is good for some and bad for others. The best part about the game, though, is that you get to play to some of the best songs, some more difficult than others. As technology enhanced and Guitar Hero got some competition from Rock Band, other instruments were added. This was a good addition involving partner play, but the songs are lacking now. Not lacking in overall quality, but in the difficulty of the guitar part. It is, after all, still called Guitar Hero, but I feel that the guitar part has been left in the dust. Also when/ is there going to be a Guitar Hero 6? I never know. Guitar Hero 5 was unheard of by me until I looked it up to see if it existed last Christmas. No one else knew it existed. Will the Guitar Hero legacy finally end? Do I care? I don't know.

Moving on to Just Dance. My friend first introduced me to this amazing game last summer. It was crazy fun. It was a revolution. And best of all, it included my favorite song at the time: Acceptable in the 80's. The gameplay is simple: hold your Wii remote in the standard position and follow the dance moves on the screen. Only it's not that simple. Besides the fact that the dance moves are shown beforehand by an awkwardly posed stick figure with a mess of arrows, the game is very picky when it comes to where your remote is and when. Not only do you have to hold it at the exact correct angle to begin with, but you are expected to keep it at that angle while doing difficult dance moves. Despite these grievences I still love the game, and the gameplay and song list has gotten better from the first to the second song. Here is the preview for Just Dance 2:



*Update. As it turns out there is a Guitar Hero 6. Who knew? Well now I do. And looking at the song list is making me angry. If the majority of the songs weren't so terrible, I might be able to overlook their use of an Interpol song. But the majority of the songs are terrible. So I am angry. Guitar Hero has gotten progressively worse and I get very protective of bands like Interpol when it comes to being used in movies, or games. Grrr. Here's the song list: Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock song list

V: The Final Battle

My first day back from Winter Break was spent watching all three parts to an 80's sci-fi mini series called V: The Final Battle. Though the Special effects were quite mediocre and some of the acting was less than stellar, I was hooked. The series is about seemingly peaceful aliens who visit Earth asking the humans for help. The real reason for the visit of these reptilian extra terrestrials is to take all of the food and water from Earth due to a shortage on their home planet. Did I mention that by food they mean the humans? Creepy, right? Well luckily for the humans, not all of these aliens are bent on destroying humanity. Some want compromise. Together, a group of rogue aliens and humans join forces to defeat their leader, Diana, and her strong military force equipped with powerful laser guns. Not an easy feat. And that's about all I can tell you without giving something away. Sorry, but you are going to have to see this for yourself.

Now for my thoughts on the series. I thought is was pretty good for an old series with minor actors, by minor I mean not widely known. I even sacrificed sleeping to find out what happened in the end, which was finally revealed at midnight. I have to admit I was a little disappointed by the ending. After 6 hours of watching several different interesting plots build up and mesh together I think I have a right to be. Don't get me wrong, the ending wasn't bad, just not a surprise. And there was a cliff hanger. Now that's just unfair. If you're going to make a sequel then go right ahead and hang, but after two sequels I think it's a little unfair for it to end that way. I'm just being whiney though. That was the only exciting part of the end.

You all might have heard of the new TV series called V starring Elizabeth Mitchell from Lost. Well sadly I know about as much as you do, if you know anything, about this updated version. Though now more than ever I feel the urge to watch it. As soon as I do watch it, which I will be sure to, you can bet your boots that I will do a post on it.

Now, since this post is getting quite long with no picture or video breaks, I will show you my favortie scene, which also happens to be the most ridiculous/hilarious scene:



I commend the producers for the effort, but the special effects just ruin the dramatic effect.

Remix

Remixes. Some are good, some are bad. Some make me want to shoot the DJ responsible for the abomination, some make me want to leap for joy whenever I hear them. How do you know when a remix is good you might ask? Well, it is somewhat a personal decision, you could simply decide whether you enjoy the original version or the remix better. But that takes work. And most people are lazy. So I will save you the effort by telling you which remixes you should stay away from. The worst, and unfortunately the most often listened to remixes are usually the ones that you hear on your local maintream radio station, surprise surprise!

You know a remix is bad when:
1. It is by children (yes Kidzbop, this is directed at you)
2. It is by an annoying rapper and/or group
3. It is a cover of an already amazing song (take for example Disney movie songs covered by Diseney channel "stars")
4. The beat does not match up with the original song
5. It is worse than the original.

Now you know which ones to avoid. But which ones am I allowed to listen to, you may ask. Well, faithful reader, you will listen to the remixes I deem good. How do you find the good ones with so many bad ones? You could start by looking up one of your favorite bands on Youtube and simply add "remix" to the end of your search. Secondly, and most importantly, make sure that the remix is done by a good artist. If you don't know, look it up! Any stupid or mainstream rapper name should be discarded immediately. Still need help? Here is one of my favorite remixes, the first video is the original and the second is the remix:



Good, but it could use some improvement:




Much better. I hope my vague expertise will be enough to rescue you from any bad remixes you may encounter in the future.