Guys and short shorts, and how it's all Magnum P.I.'s fault.....

So yeah. I don't get this whole guys wearing short shorts thing. I would blame Wham!, but they had more of a female audience (I guess that includes gay guys) than a male audience. No, there's one man to blame for this and his name is Magnum P.I. I know, I know the show ran in the 80's, but come on! Who hasn't watched this show?! I mean the main thing that should be taken away from this show is of course the magnificent mustache. I'm pretty sure Mags' stache was hand crafted by Leonardo and blessed by Odin himself. It saddens me that the other thing taken from this show was Magnum's unfortunate choice of wearing short shorts. I'm sorry Magnum P.I. is supposed to be a bad ass, and bad asses don't wear short shorts. I give Magnum the benefit of the doubt since it was the 80's, which had better music than fashion. Today though,  we are in the year 2011. The 21st Century. A time where the only acceptable length is 2 or 3 inches above the knee, and maybe long enough to cover up the knee a little or completely, but no longer. The weird guys who wear shorts that are really long to the point that they look like their wearing capris falls into the unacceptable category. Magnum P.I.'s success in the 80's affected the male audience who watched judgements into wearing short shorts that has clearly carried onto their children and whatever fraternity they were a part of. You see douchebags in Buckhead and some parts downtown wearing their short khaki shorts (and visors, which is a rant for another day) looking like they're going to a Revenge of the Nerds Tribute Costume party celebrating the douchebagness of the Alpha Betas. As bad as those idiots are though, nothing compares to the most offensive perpetrators. We all know these type of assholes. The dreaded Guy who likes to run who wears extremely unnecessary short shorts. You know, the shorts that only hot chicks who go jogging should wear. Why do these idiots wear these? And they wear them at the pool! Where children go to swim! It's terrible and they always make you uncomfortable. Plus if one of them decides to talk to you, there's the risk of them being close talkers (shudder). It's unfortunate that a great show from the 80's like Magnum P.I. ends up having something as awful as the guys wearing short shorts trends connected to it. I think if Magnum could do it all over again I think he would rethink his wardrobe choice. I mean jeans go well with hawaiian shirts right?

Sometimes TV series need to know when to quit you instead of dragging it out....

So I'm currently re-watching my seasons of Weeds and it's occurred to me that this show, as much as I love it and others, need to know when it's time for them to end. I know that the studios that produce these shows pretty much control this issue, even though in interviews the creators claim that they ultimately decide when their shows come to an end, but sometimes it doesn't seem like the case. It's hard to pass up a big contract promising more money to keep your show going. And also I'm not going to try to understand how all this shit goes down in Hollywood, I'm just a simple man on his laptop voicing my opinion. From re-watching Weeds and some of the new episodes, I've come to conclusion that this show should end this season even though it hasn't been announced and I think they're planning an 8th. Much as I love watching Nancy Botwin and all the situations she puts her family and friends in leading to disastrous results, the show has in my opinion, reached all the possible storylines they could do with this show. That includes what I've seen of this season so far. Which makes me wonder if creators really do have an ending mind when they create these shows or it's all bullshit when the say so in interviews. A perfect example of this is Lost. The creators always went on record of having an ending and it was going to last five seasons, but they ended up dividing the 5th season to do a 6th season and drag out the story. The last season, as much as I enjoyed it, just seemed to add more mysteries to an already long list of mysteries. The final episode didn't close out a lot of them. I have a love/hate relationship with the final episode. Love how all the characters stories ended, but hated how the mystery of the island was never even answered or any attempt was made to answer it. Which made me conclude that they never had any explanation for it and was banking on people caring more about what happened to the characters than the overall mystery of the island. Which, if true, is pretty fucking stupid. This is what worries me about Weeds and other shows I enjoy that are ending this year.
Take for example Rescue Me. One of, if not my favorite show of all time. Season 6 should of been the final season of that series. Did I enjoy the season? Sure, but I have a feeling that after this final season we'll look back and say, "Maybe they should've combined seasons 6 and 7 to be the final season." I say this because some storylines weren't too terribly interesting or just seemed like it's been done before. The Shield was guilty of this. Season 6 wasn't that bad, but overall it seemed sort of directionless and the finale was flat. Season 7 was much better than 6, but also dragged out storylines more than they should have. I think the show would've benefited from combining the two into one 13 to 15 episode season. I mean, the Shane and family as fugitive arc went on longer than it should have and made you stop caring about what happened to them. Other than that minor quibble, The Shield had a satisfying series finale. The fact that in two episodes they were able to change the tone of the show from you rooting for Vic Mackey to thinking he's an evil son of a bitch who just used people, was pretty incredible.  Also, isn't it an interesting dichotomy in our society that a majority of us hate cops, I mean we respect their profession, but we just dislike them. With that feeling in mind we also love watching shows and movies about them. I find it interesting. I know right? Sorry I was talking to my inner monologue. His name's Montgomery and we have a rollicking good time together (to quote the Joker, "I'm not crazy. I'm..... not.)

So I guess what I'm getting at is we all have a fear that shows we have invested in either wear out their welcome (That 70's show, X-Files) or end up ending in a disappointing or conflicting way (Lost, Seinfeld). As long as Entourage and Rescue Me don't fall into the latter category I'll be happy. Friday Night Lights proved they can end with an amazing finale. As long as they don't sell out like Scrubs did when they came out with that bullshit "Final Season", when they became teachers after the year before's finale should of been the series finale. That was one of the most satisfying finales I've ever seen, but was ruined because they rather drag the show out and end it on low note because ABC thru some cash at them. I mean shit, you're already rich from the successes of the previous seasons! Don't be money grubbing whores. Aw well, Hakuna Matata!

Nerd Alert #11 - The movies are popular for a reason..... Jump on board if you dare...

Grant Morrison's Batman Run (plus other books that add to the story)
Taking cues from the Nolanverse of Batman movies and the out there concepts of the sci-fi era of Batman books, Morrison has weaved an epic (that concludes at the end of 2012) that has reinvigorated and made the Batman line of books the most interesting and original they've been since the No Man's Land era from way back in '99. From a character study of Bruce Wayne and the Joker (who is at his best in this run), to expanding on the history of the Wayne family and Gotham itself, to taking a character, Damian Wayne, who everyone hated to becoming one of the most unique and interesting Robin's ever, and finally, adding more and showcasing how awesome Dick Grayson and Tim Drake are. Also not to forget the fantastic new status quo with the creation of Batman Inc. Batmen in every country and all the new interesting characters that have come out of this. It's true the first half of the story is kinda confusing at first, with the inclusion of Final Crisis, but that's part of the fun of the whole story. It makes you think and really invest in the story and being rewarded with the outcome. So if your looking for a original and fun Batman experience than check out these books.

Batman and Son, Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul, The Black Glove, Batman R.I.P., Final Crisis, Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn, Red Robin: The Grail, Red Robin: Collision, Batman & Robin: Batman vs Robin, Time and the Batman, Return of Bruce Wayne, Batman & Robin: Batman & Robin Must Die, Batman Inc. Vol. 1, Batman Inc: Demon Star, Batman: Gotham's Most Wanted

Pride of Baghdad and Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn, Niko Henrichon and Pia Guerra 

Pride of Baghdad is the story of a Pride of lions that escaped the Baghdad Zoo during the American bombing raid in 2003. This story is mainly about survival and the desire to be free, also using the interactions between the different animals as a metaphor for the political nuances that happen in the modern world. The book does a great job of establishing these lions' character and make you care about what happens to these lions. If you know the news story of what happened to these lions then you already know the end, but the journey that gets you to that end point is what makes this an incredible read. Also, make sure you take time to appreciate the amazing artwork by Niko Henrichon. His artwork is absolutely beautiful. Highly recommended.

Y: The Last Man is one of the true classics to come from DC Comics' Vertigo line. It's takes the last man on earth concept and makes it into a globetrotting mystery of trying to figure out how all the men died. Also it's an interesting study of how the world would be like if there was only women in the world. Starting with the shock and trying to adjust to the chaos that has just been put on their doorsteps and how they begin to make steps of trying to bring peace and order to this new world. All the while Yorick, Agent 355, and Dr. Mann (the main characters) try to find out the reason the men died and how they can possibly clone Yorick so humanity can continue to live on. The series is completely heartwarming, hilarious, action packed, and engaging that keeps you wanting more as you read the collected books. Also, around the third hardback collection, I realized that Yorick and I are close to being the same person, with the humor, pop culture references, and overall personality. Except all the escape artists stuff. Do yourself a favor and read this series. If it doesn't make you a fan of graphic novels and show you how amazing a medium this is then there is something seriously wrong with you.

Paperbacks - 10 Volumes Hardbacks - 5 Volumes 

Sleeper by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

Sleeper is an amazing crime noir/espionage book that follows the character Holden Carver as he's gone undercover in a supervillain terrorists group run by Tao. As it gets deeper and deeper into the organization he sees him get more conflicted and questioning his morals as he begins to question his loyalty to the government he works for and even Tao himself. It has ties to other comic series in the Wildstorm universe (that's now defunct and mixed into the DC line of superheroes), but you really don't need to know about any of those to enjoy the book. The book does a great job of immersing you into this world and it's characters and takes you on a journey that has twist and turns you don't see coming and keep you coming back for more. Highly recommended.

Paperbacks - Sleeper Season One and Sleeper Season Two

If you're looking for a good movie adaptation you're probably smurf out of luck...

So with the announcement I read today that they're going to make a Captain Planet movie, even though I thought the show sucked as a kid, it got me cringing again at the fact that Hollywood's going to fuck up another childhood cartoon we all used to enjoy. First it was Scooby Doo, which was beyond awful. I don't count the Flintstones movie, because  I liked that. I mean you got John Goodman and Rick Moranis, what's not to love? Anyway, first Scooby, then Garfield, which somehow both of these have churned out sequels carrying on the corny awfulness. I mean did anyone watch Underdog or Fat Albert? You probably didn't, cuz the trailers, thankfully showed you how awful the movies were going to be. Plus any movie starring Kenan Thompson you just know is going to suck cuz the man is NOT funny. I'm not even going to get into Alvin and the Chipmunks. My disdain for those movies and how the chipmunks are portrayed still angers me. If I wanted to watch a movie with talking chipmunks I'll watch Chip n' Dale.  I mean they were the size of children in the show! Also, what the hell happened to Jason Lee? Seriously? How irrelevant has that guy become? Sometimes I forget that he played one of my all time favorite characters, Brody, in Mallrats. Guess that's what happens when you decide playing a redneck in a bad TV show is a good career move. Now this brings me to the Smurfs. The Smurfs, one of the cornerstones of cartoon shows we all watched as children, and if your one of those pretentious jerk offs who claim you never watched it cuz "you were outside all time", making it sound like playing outside wasn't common place when we were all kids and that your better then every one because you were outside all time, then you are a fucking liar and can go fuck yourself and you're going to probably die of skin cancer anyway. Whew! Anyway, looking at the trailer, not even NPH can save this movie. I don't get what goes into the mind Hollywood screenwriters when they adapt these movies. It's like they've learned nothing from the Pixar or Shrek movies. Or for that matter, all the Looney Tunes shows that have been out. If they paid attention to how they handle humor and actually making it funny for the entire audience they would make better movies. It's like their overly trying to dumb down the material because they think children won't be able to handle the movie if they made it a little more sophisticated. I mean I know nowadays we have more overbearing and close minded parents who feel the need to censor everything from their children like their amish or something, which come to think of it is probably why these movies suck so much. I finally figured out why these are done so poorly and make you feel dumber after watching them! I was wondering why because it seems like more and more these days that people have lost all sense of imagination and wonder and are more concerned with everything being more realistic. It's like they've lost that sense of enjoyment when you take a minute or two out of your day (or longer) and just escape into your imagination, whether it be a book, comic, or movie. Anyway, I wish Hollywood would just leave these shows alone and actually come up with original ideas. What a concept....

Jukebox #19 - Albums that have been awesome since Feb. 26th.

Iron On - Oh the Romance
Alexander - Alexander
Arctic Monkeys - Suck it and See
Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Foster the People - Torches
Friendly Fires - Pala LP
An Horse - Walls
The Sounds - Something to Die For
The Strokes - Angles
Taking Back Sunday - Taking Back Sunday
TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light

Ah Joker, you embody the whole "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R'Us kid!"

Vents and Ramblings Reborn!!!

Yeah so it's been since Feb. 26th since my last rant or post (whatever). A lot has gone on since that point. Like my realization that lesbians love soccer. Yeah, I thought they just liked basketball, color me surprised. Plus they are still keeping that idiotic faux hawk look relevant and the whole no shaving their pits thing. They must really like that Dawson's Creek song. Another thing I learned, is that apparently women like to role play rape! Yeah, didn't see that coming. To be fair I heard this from a guy who only had one woman he did this with, so me thinks that this lady was just fucking weird. I mean I'm sure there are plenty of women out there that like rough sex, but I doubt there are women who would want to role play that. But, the world is a messed up and weird place so who knows right? I mean people like fucking animals, so anythings possible. I started my Graphic Design classes and been doing some photoshop pieces (I might post some of this later), so yeah, this my attempt of being an artists, if I would call myself that. Also, I think depending on how next summer goes, the superhero movie might be on it's last legs. I mean, other than Captain America (which hasn't come out yet), X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern (despite you negative nancies thinking it was bad), and Thor were fun and enjoyable movies in my opinion. Thor was a GREAT movie despite someone I know, who has apparently lost their mind and thought that it sucked, continued the Avengers momentum, but all three of those movies didn't, money wise, do all that spectacular. I mean Transformers 3 did better than all three of the superhero movies, and that was coming off a horrendous sequel. Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel and Amazing Spider-man are pretty much givens to do well at the box office and draw attention to the genre, but these three characters will always have a draw from mainstream non comic fan audiences. Which means they don't need a Superhero genre. The Avengers is probably the most important superhero movie ever to be released. It's taking a concept that only geeks truly appreciate, which is the teaming up of their favorite heroes into one book, in this case a movie, and putting them in an all out epic adventure. This movie is either going to amazing or completely suck. There is no in between or gray area. This is one of the hardest concepts to translate to movies or live action TV, what makes this difficult is that it's hard to pull this off and not make it corny. Thankfully most of the current superhero movies aren't following the model of the original Spider-man trilogy, cuz if it did it would be incredibly corny. Some great special effects and action sequences to be sure, but have you really sat down and watched the original movies. Those films have some of the corniest lines, jokes and b movie quality shots (also they don't capture the fun that Spider-man brings). So, Avengers more important for the genre than Dark Knight Rises. You heard it hear first. Also if I don't get an NFL season this year rage will be unleashed.  Stayed tuned for my next rant, whenever that will be, will focus on how Hollywood keeps ruining my childhood by making shitty movies of my favorite saturday morning cartoons. I.E. The Smurfs, Garfield and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

The Jukebox #18 - Mix for a nice drive during a sunny day.

1. Freelance Whales - Hannah
2. Film School - Time to Listen
3. Iron & Wine - Tree by the River
4. Cut Copy - Take Me Over
5. Young the Giant - My Body
6. Yeasayer - Madder Red
7. School of Seven Bells - Camarilla
8. Ryan Adams &  The Cardinals - If I am a Stranger
9. Ra Ra Riot - Shadowcasting
10. Radiohead - I Might be Wrong
11. The Naked and Famous - Punching In a Dream
12. The Joy Formidable - Llaw = Wall
13. Cold War Kids - Royal Blue
14. The Decemberists - Rox in the Box
15. Bright Eyes - Shell Games
16. The Black Keys - The Only One
17. Metric - Help I'm Alive
18. Linkin Park - Robot Boy
19. Mumford & Sons - The Cave

Movie Box #4 - Superman works on his bucket list....

Kind of a simplistic way of looking at Grant Morrison's amazing All Star Superman as a graphic novel and now as a movie, but it felt like a good title. Anyway, this post is about the new movie that was just released on Blu-ray/ DVD. The movie, like the graphic novel, is a showcase of why Superman has been the standard of what a superhero should be. It also showcases all the things that makes Superman and his world amazing. Combining all the different eras and interpretations of the characters and combining them all into a extremely entertaining and deeper more personal look at Superman than I think people are used to seeing in a Superman movie.
The movie opens up exactly like the graphic novel, telling the all familiar origin story. The only difference from the same old same old is that it's told in one minute in amazingly creative way (Take notes Zack Synder). As Superman races to save a group of scientists trying to take some flame samples from the sun, on Earth Lex Luthor has booby trapped the ship of scientists which caused Superman to intervene. By being this close to sun and absorbing that much solar radiation has overloaded Superman's cells. This ends up giving him new powers, but also overwhelming his cells which is slowly killing him. At this point Superman decides to keep this secret to the public and begins to start taking care of loose ends before he dies. That's the gist of the story. I'm not going to go into the rest of it as to not spoil anything for people who decide to watch this after reading this (here's hoping).
What makes this such a great movie is how this story really brings out the best qualities of why people have loved this character for so many years. Whether it's finally revealing his identity to Lois and then showing his love for her by making her birthday the best one she's ever had, finding a home for the bottle city of Kandor, or trying to find the good of Lex Luthor so he can finally show the world all the good he would have done if Superman wasn't around. Superman's always looking out for others and still trying to show best in all of us. There's also the personal moments that we see with him. When he meets his mother at Jonathon Kent's grave. That's actually my favorite scene in the movie. You can see the struggle Superman has with his face and words about telling his mother that he's dying. And with animation that's quite a feat.
Another highlight in the movie is Anthony LaPalagia's Lex Luthor. He captures everything that makes Lex an amazing and intriguing character. He captures all the narcissistic, ego driven and delusions of grandeur that we've all come to know from old Lex. Other than the DC animated movies, none of the live action movies have come close to capturing these characteristics of Lex. Much as I love Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor, from the animated series and the Superman/Batman movies, Anthony LaPalagia's performance is at the top of my favorites for Lex.
As an artists (I'm alright, I guess) and a fan of comics, the animation in this movie is phenomenal. How closely they come to capturing Frank Quietly's art is amazing. Really amazing. I can't recommend this movie enough to people. Whether you're a fan of Superman or if you just enjoy a good action/drama, do yourself a favor and get over your preconceive notions of what a animated movie is supposed to be like according to the mainstream (i.e. the completely closed minded and unimaginative) and gives this movie a try and experience a truly fantastic Superman movie. When was the last time, recently, you've heard that said about a Superman movie?

Do you really need to wear headphones while driving? Really?

What's with the insanity of wearing headphones while your driving? Seriously? Is there even a law for this? I mean there's already enough bad drivers in Atlanta and I don't really need for these idiots to have the added distraction of the music in there headphones. What's going to happen if an ambulance or police car is having there sirens on? Yeah they got the light show and everything, but there not that very visible during the day. So since you can't hear the siren that's going to cause even more problems on the road. Also, has anyone notice that the jerk offs that do this all have pretty new and nice, probably a little more expensive than most cars? They can afford their Iphone and their overpriced designer clothes, but they can't afford a $15 audio cord for there ipod or phone? You fucking kidding me? Sometimes I just want to wave these idiots over to side the of road and slap them in face and yell "Fail!" at them. This degree of failing is equivalent of outing yourself as a Jason Mraz fan. He's not creative or a good song writer and all his songs sound exactly the same. He's a hack, so stop living in denial and except the truth. Off topic but oh well. Such is life.

Why Ron Swanson is the greatest character ever. EVER.

Ron Swanson. A true american with the greatest mustache to ever walk the face of the earth. Yeah, I'm saying it's better than Tom Selleck's. Don't agree? Than you're an idiot. And if you're response to that is to call me an idiot, then all I have to say to you is I know you are but what am I? Why is Ron Swanson awesome? Well for one he has created the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness.  The awe inspiring pyramid to reach greatness in your life. A better explanation for the pyramid would be How to live like a Swanson. I'll just share a few gems from this pyramid. Torso - Should be thick and impenetrable. Body Grooming - Only women shave beneath the neck. B.O. - Cultivating a manly musk puts your opponents on notice. There are more below. What makes Swanson awesome also is that he appreciates a good meal. Like his creation of Turf n' Turf. A meal consisting of a T Bone with a Porterhouse. Sounds delightful. Let's not forget the turkey leg with bacon wrapped around it, or as it's also called a Swanson. Greatest Combo Ever. Now let me get to Ron's mustache. Seriously, I wish I could grow a mustache that commanded that much respect. It's amazing. The fact that Ron thinks that the government should be privatized and follow a business model like Chuck E. Cheese is what? You're right. BRILLIANT! Along with the woodworking, his shop is legendary, he has an alter ego called Duke Silver. Yeah he's a jazz musician. Awesome. So bottom line everyone should strive to be a Swanson. I mean, why wouldn't you want to be?

Drunk Rant #1 - What I want to see before I die.....

is an epic Kung Fu, Martial Arts and yes, I know that they are the same thing, epic battle just happen randomly in front of my eyes in real life. Not in a movie or tv show, but actually happening in front of me! Think about this. How awesome would it be for you to come out of a restaurant or bar and instead of seeing a normal boring brawl between some overly muscle bound guys, but instead see a full blown epic martial arts battle! I'm talking the likes of Ip Man, when he fought like 20 guys and beat the shit out them. Now I don't want to see anyone get their arms or legs broken or worse a fatality (yeah, Mortal Kombat reference. What!), but I do want to see all the kung fu awesomeness happen before my eyes. It would literally be the most amazing thing I will ever see in my life! Right now. Anyway. It would.... I really don't think there are enough coherent thoughts that can convey how much I want to see this and how amazing it would be to actually see that happen live in front of me. On the street. In front of a crowd. Man, it would be amazing! The only thing that would make it better is if before the fight starts there's a guy dressed in old school hip hop wear with a boombox and when the fight finally starts the boombox starts playing Pendulum's The Island Parts 1 & 2. It would be magical.

Faux Hawks. Why?

Seriously, why? I don't understand why this hairstyle is so popular. First it looks ridiculous. It does. Think about it, the only outcome of this hairstyle is that you'll end up looking like a porcupine that dresses like a douche. Plus, I bet the geeks that have this hairstyle take longer to get ready than their girlfriends. What do they have to use, like, half a bottle of gel to get the style correctly? Second, if they're trying to look like David Beckman, then they need to grow up and get a life. Also, if you're over 35, I don't want to see this hairstyle on you. All you're doing is acting like that midlife crisis guy in Varsity Blues that Tweeter hits in the balls with the whiffle ball bat. You remember that scene? Hilarious. Anyway, do you want to be that guy? Really? No one wants to be that guy. Unless you're a punk rock kid in high school trying to show how you don't conform to societies rules, then there's no reason to have any type of hawk on your head. I wonder if the hairstylist laughs at them when they ask for that cut, you know? I would. I mean it's like asking for the old surfers haircut you had back in middle school, but you're asking for it in your 20's or 30's. You know, the haircut that you shaved the bottom of your head and your hair hangs over it or grows over it. Whatever. You know what I mean. The faux hawk is on the same level as the surfer haircut. Don't believe me? Trust me. Time will prove me right.

The Jukebox #17 - Best Albums so far... and it's only February.

It's only been a month, but there have been some incredible albums to come out in 2011 so far. Here's the buy list.

The Get Up Kids - There are Rules
Cold War Kids - Mine is Yours
The Decemberists - The King is Dead
The Boxer Rebellion - The Cold Still
Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting
MEN - Talk About Body
The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
White Lies - Ritual
Penedulum - Immersion (Deluxe Version)
Joan as a Police Woman - The Deep Field
Talib Kweli - Gutter Rainbows
J. Pinder - Code Red 2.0
The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar
The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You
Yuck - Yuck (Believe me it's really good)

The Jukebox #16 - Post Game show - Tokyo Police Club, Two Door Cinema Club and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. Masquerade Jan. 25th 2011.

Jan. 25th I left work extremely excited. Met up with the girl I'm dating to check in at Highland Inn and then went to Camelli's for their fantastic Monster Slice, a pitcher of Yuengling, some good conversation and was told an awesome story that reminded me of the movie Go. Then we embarked on our walk to the Masquerade to see a show that I knew was going to be amazing. With that line up how couldn't it? Add in some PBR's and we were ready to rock. First up was Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. They opened with Back of the Saddle which was awesome, then they went into a set that was mostly material from the most recent album and a couple from their first two albums. The highlight for me was definitely Modern Mystery, since that is my favorite song from them. The sound was amazing and their vocals were perfect. I felt like I was listening to the album right there. The only downside to their show was that it was to short. I think they were on only 30 to 35 minutes. Which is understandable since they're the opener. Other than that fantastic. My date, Teresa, even said she was going to try to book them for a show at Georgia State if it was possible. Next up was Two Door Cinema Club. I was really excited for this show because I've heard so many things about how awesome they are live. They did not disappoint. They opened with Cigarettes in the Theatre and then continued with songs from Tourists History and their Eps. They even debuted a new song that was fucking killer. Their entire show was just a big dance party and had just an amazing energy to it. Along with the opener and Tokyo Police Club, the sound at the show, vocals and everything, were fantastic. Highlights from their show were What You Know (the slow build up to the start of the song makes that song even better), I Can Talk (closer), and the new track. I really loved the new song. Next up was Tokyo Police Club, after a random debate about PDA and what's appropriate and what isn't (I won, possibly?) they opened with Favourite Colour, which is one of my favorite tracks, and did a great job of juggling new tracks and playing old tracks from Elephant Shell and A Lesson in Crime. Bambi was fantastic live as well as Your English is Good (the closer before the encore). Now I was lame and didn't stay for the encore, it was late on a tuesday and I'm old, but I was more than satisfied by what I saw. Police Club definitely continued and matched the energy that Two Door Cinema Club started before they performed. All in all the show was amazing and I recommend that if they bring their tour to anywhere near you then make sure to buy a ticket and be prepared to have your face rock off!

Not the performance from Masquerade, but this is the rendition that they did for the show.

CGI blood. Needs to go.

Am I the only one that fucking HATES CGI blood? It is awful. Totally awful. Anything that takes you out of the moment of a movie sucks. Take for example the movie I watched tonight, Harry Brown, a fantastic gripping drama starring Michael Caine. Every scene that featured Harry Brown enacting violence on the drug dealing thugs that killed his best friend, which all came off as incredibly intense and engrossing, were ruined somewhat by the use of CGI blood. You can't help but be taken out of the scene looking at how bad this special effect is. With all the money Hollywood puts into these movies and all the advancements in CGI technology, you would think that the blood they add into the movie would look less jarring then it does. Even though 300 and Watchmen use a lot of digital effects and backgrounds, the blood still looks incredibly fake. The fact that I can believe and barely notice Harry Potter carrying or holding Dobby at the end of Deathly Hallows part 1 makes me even more frustrated with CGI blood. How can they make that so realistic, but when it comes to a guy getting shot in the neck and blood pouring out in Harry Brown it looks like the type of special effects you would see in 70's sci-fi flick. Now I don't know the specifics of how much prop blood is, but whatever the price studios need to start investing more money in it. As fantastic a movie Harry Brown is, which I highly recommend, the CGI effects took some of the greatness away. Now I love 300, Shoot 'em Up, Watchmen, and Ninja Assassin, but, BUT, the fact remains CGI blood makes some of the scenes in these movies look like B-movie effects. The fact that directors would put something in their movies that would hurt it is something I still can't grasp my mind across. Whatever the reason, they need to realize that this is a failed experiment and it needs to go. Seriously......

The Jukebox #15 - Better Than Ezra. Still Awesome.

Discography (Albums I own)

Deluxe
Friction, Baby
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Artifakt
Closer
Before the Robots
Paper Empire

Better than Ezra are just plain awesome. Every album of theirs is kick ass and should be owned by everyone. I'm still confused that they're not one of the biggest bands in the world. What makes them great is that they are consistent with their albums and that you're always guaranteed something to rock out too. They have so many instantly catchy and classic songs, like, Desperately Wanting, Good, Sincerely Me, King of New Orleans, At the Stars plus many more. Also, the icing on the cake is that they are absolutely amazing live. If you ever get a chance to see them live then immediately buy a ticket and run to the show! You will not be disappointed. Trust Me. 

Nerd Alert #10 - The Dark Knight Rises: Bane and Catwoman.

So today we were given the casting news that Anne Hathaway has been casted as Catwoman and Tom Hardy is playing Bane. Now Catwoman should be known by everyone by now. I mean, I'm pretty sure everyone has watched the 60's show and Batman Returns. Selina Kyle should be interesting in the movie, I wonder if they'll do the classic thief angle or do that, but also try to tie in her new urban vigilante status quo. What will definitely happen is the sexual tension between her and Batman. I'm still curious who the other female role will be played by and also who the character is. Since it's the conclusion of the trilogy, I'm betting Talia al Ghul will be the other female character. Ra's al Ghul's daughter in the comics. Also if you're worried about the casting of Anne Hathaway all I can say is,  In Nolan I trust. Everyone gave him shit for casting Heath Ledger as the Joker, which I thought was stupid since he was an awesome actor, so just give Hathaway a chance. Nolan brings the best out of his actors.
What I'm really interested in seeing is Tom Hardy playing Bane. Bane is more known for being the brainless henchman of Poison Ivy in the god awful Batman & Robin, or as I call it The biggest piece of shit interpretation of Batman and Robin EVER! In the comics, Bane is one of Batman's most physical and mentally formidable foes. Which is why I'm so excited to see Nolan interpret Bane in the movie, whether it's an interpretation that mainly focuses on his brains then his brawn. The first storyline that got me into comics was the Batman story Knightfall. Knightfall was about a new villain Bane that comes to Gotham to take it over. Bane was a prisoner that was forced to take part in experiments that tested a drug called Venom on him. Each time Bane injects himself with Venom he gains more strength. Also he has a very cunning mind almost on par with Batman. In the story, Bane comes up with a plan to defeat Batman by staging a prison break of all his enemies. Knowing that fighting all these villains will leave him physically and mentally drained, Bane waits for when he's at his weakest to attack. At the end of the fight Bane ends up breaking Batman's back leaving him temporarily paralyzed. Anyway, this half summary of the storyline should give you a good idea about how Bane will be used in the movie. I think they will have Bane come to Gotham to take advantage of Batman missing or being a fugitive and try to take over Gotham. If Talia al Ghul is in involved in the movie, which is not certain yet, then he could be a member of the League of Shadows. Who knows? All I can say is that this should be an epic finale for an amazing film trilogy. In Nolan I Trust.

50th Post Celebration! A Vent, a Jukebox, a Movie Box, and a Nerd Alert! Oh My! Plus a special guest star!

So 50 posts. Yes, I'm making a big deal of it so get over it. I celebrate every accomplishment I have no matter how minor or insignificant it is in the grand scheme of things. So back to the celebration, I've decided to put in one giant post of all my different segments that have compiled this blog. So, enjoy.

First off, It's time I've tackled the most ridiculous style trend in the history of man, Skinny Jeans. The skinny jeans fad has gotten so out of control, that men in their 40's, let me reiterate that, MEN IN THEIR 40'S, have started to wear this shit. Granted, their the douche yuppy assholes you see in the city, you know the guy desperately trying to stay relevant and dress like whatever's popular on MTV or Vh1, yeah, that guy. Which just adds to ridiculousness of the trend. Now don't confused the slim straight jeans with the skinny jeans. There is a difference. The difference is that the slim straight jeans don't suffocate your entire lower half and look like someone painted jeans on you. Which brings me to my next point, how the hell can people be comfortable wearing those? I mean seriously? I made the mistake a couple years ago buying some jeans on Urban Outfitter's website. They looked like normal relaxed fit jeans in the picture and when they came in I put them on and the pant legs felt like suction cups grabbing my legs. I was pissed! But, to answer your question, yes I did wear them for awhile until I gave them to goodwill. They cost $30 bucks! Of course I going to wear them and get my money's worth. Am I proud of it? No, but we all make mistakes in life. It's how you learn from them that makes you the person you are. Anyway, I feel we as a society need to nip this trend in the bud. When fat people start wearing skinny jeans, then that's when you need to rise up and stop the madness! Fat people in skinny jeans is like that inconsiderate bitch at the pool that wears a bikini when clearly she shouldn't be. I don't go to the pool to see stretch marks and rolls upon rolls of fat. Sorry, I'm a man of simple tastes. The main offenders of the fat people wearing skinny jeans dilemma is the fat dudes of course. I mean they already have a none too flattering physique, but when you add skinny jeans into the mix, then all you're doing is accentuating all that fat. One, your gut sticks out more. Two, Every guy in skinny jeans looks like they have fat misshaped legs. With the fat people though, when their jeans sag it looks like they're walking around with a full diaper of shit in their pants. The only people that are aloud to wear skinny jeans is hot chicks. It may be a shallow thing to say, but it's true. I mean who wouldn't rather see a hot chick with a nice body in skinny jeans? Especially if they got boots on? Hell yeah I would! Also if you don't like boots on a chick then you are fucking stupid and should be condemned to watching nothing but reality Tv shows for the rest of your idiotic life.  So to conclude, skinny jeans are like bell bottoms, there not cool and they never will be. END IT.

The Jukebox #15

So in continued celebration here's my favorite albums to well...... celebrate too.

Apples in Stereo - Velocity of Sound

Better than Ezra - Closer

Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet

Cobra Starship - Hot Mess

CSS - Donkey

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into

Justice - Cross

Saves the Day - Through Being Cool

The Knux - Remind Me in 3 Days

Ludacris - Word of Mouf

New Politics - New Politics

Ratatat - LP 4

Reggie and the Full Effect - Greatest Hits '84 - '87

The Movie Box #3

Movies (to name a few) that are just plain awesome and need to be owned by everyone! A beginner's list.

American Beauty

Princess Bride

Shoot 'Em Up

Predator

St. Elmo's Fire

Wayne's World

Ghost World

Demolition Man

Mallrats

Lucky # Slevin

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Best of the Best

Big Lebowski

Bulletproof

Nerd Alert #9

Recommended Graphic Novels

Green Lantern: Secret Origin. If you're wondering what to expect from The Green Lantern movie than reads this book. The movie may not adapt everything page for page, but Ryan Reynolds did say that this was their "bible" while working on the movie.

Superman: Earth One. If you're looking for a modern take on the man of steel than check out this book. It's well done and the artwork is fantastic. 

Sleeper: Season One. If you love grim and gritty, super villains, noir, espionage and a thriller of a story then check out Sleeper. The writing is phenomenal and the characters are extremely entertaining and compelling. Must Read.

Well this concludes the celebration! Oh wait, I forgot our special guest star! Ludacris come on in. How are you today? "I'm phenomenal. Out promoting my new movie Fast Five and heard bout you're 50th. Decided to come by and congratulate you." Well thanks Luda, I appreciate it. But, I've got to ask, you honestly don't think Fast Five is a terrible name for a movie? I mean really? You're better than that! You were in Gamer, Hustle and Flow, Crash, and RocknRolla. What's up? "Paycheck baby. Why else? Every actor does a movie like that." Well at least you're keeping it real. Thanks for stopping by man. Lata. "Peace!" Aaaaaand Scene! This was brought to you courtesy of the voices in my head and a few vague moments from a dream that I had a couple weeks ago. So that's it. Bye.

Nerd Alert #8 - Will Warner Bros. ever find someone willing to put Robin in another Batman Movie?

Spoiler Alert if you haven't read Batman: The Long Halloween


Put your stones away! As much as I love, LOVE, the current Batman movies from Christopher Nolan, as a hardcore Batman fan for 19 years now, Robin deserves another chance on the big screen. Yes, I know Batman Forever was tolerable and Batman and Robin led to the apparent death of the superhero genre of movies (until Blade, of all characters, came in to save the motherfuckin' day!), but as Tim Drake (Robin III) says, "Batman needs a Robin." I will never forgive the bullshit, atrocious job that Joel Shumacher (as I like to call him the real He who should not be named) did with the franchise and killed it till 2005, but at least he had the balls enough to incorporate Robin into the movie mythology. And that's the last time I will ever give that piece of shit a compliment, I still want my money back for Phone Booth. What makes those movies so horrible is that Forever somehow fucked up one of the best origin stories with Dick Grayson. I mean they made him like, what, 18 or 19 in the movie? Why the hell would Bruce Wayne make him his ward? Seriously? Also Dick didn't have a brother, I'm still trying to understand why that was put in. Stupid. Then Batman and Robin comes along and turns Dick Grayson into whiny spoiled brat, which is beyond ridiculous. Then gives him a new symbol and darker costume that looks like his Nightwing costume with a cape. One of many epic fails with that movie.
I know after reading all that you're probably wondering, "How is this guy going to convince anyone that putting a sidekick into a movie can work after mentioning all that?" Hold on Tonto! I'm not finished yet. The new Batman movies, or as some have called the "Nolanverse", is conveyed extremely realistically. Well, as realistic you can make a world with guy fighting crime as a giant bat can be. Other than The Killing Joke, the current Batman movies have been following (loosely mind you) two seminal Batman books, Year One and The Long Halloween. Year One was mainly only used in Begins, but in Dark Knight, however, resembled a lot of Long Halloween. It doesn't have the fantastic year long murder mystery, but the gangster element being shifted to the freaks taking over Gotham part of the story is definitely there. Even the ending was somewhat similar to The Long Halloween. At the end of the story (spoiler alert!) Harvey Dent officially becomes Two-Face and kills Maroni and destroying everything that he's stood for. Batman and Gordon arrest Two-Face and Batman decides that the loss of Harvey would never have happened if he had just went about his war on crime alone. In Dark Knight, Harvey became Two-Face after manipulation from the Joker. Harvey dies as Batman knocks him off a construction site, saving Gordon's son, which leads to Harvey falling to his death. Batman decides no one can know what Harvey did and tells Gordon that Batman committed all those crimes so the city wouldn't lose hope. The movie ends with Batman riding into the night as a newly labeled fugitive and killer. He's now more alone than ever, except for Alfred of course.
So, my point in all this, with all that comparison to the comics, one can assume that they would continue following the comics and perhaps loosely adapt the sequel to The Long Halloween, Dark Victory. Dark Victory is a reimagining of Dick Grayson's origin, but also how integral a role Two-Face had in the mob leaving Gotham and the ushering in of the type of villains we know of the Batman Mythology. The gist of this story is showing why Bruce needed Dick Grayson as his partner in fighting crime and why Robin was so important for bringing a light to Batman's ever growing darkness. In Dark Knight, Bruce is alone. He's lost an ally in Harvey and the woman he loves in Rachel. He's in a dark place, plus he can't continue his mission without being hunted by the cops. I don't know what type of story The Dark Knight Rises will be, but this just strikes me to be the perfect moment to introduce Robin in the finale of the trilogy. Make Dick Grayson 15, 16 or 17 in the movie. Also handle Robin like they're handling Bucky in Captain America, which is don't make him feel like a sidekick, make him feel like an equal. This is a brilliant chance to forever wipe away the 60's Tv show version of Robin. Dick Grayson is one of the most storied characters in comics. He's the first sidekick! He's been around as long as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Captain America! Treat the character with respect and stay true to the character. He's an amazing acrobat with fighting skills on par with Batman. He's a detective and natural born leader. Plus he cracks jokes and talks shit to his enemies, which is all used in the team dynamics that Batman and Robin use while in battle. Also, there's a perfect actor who has utilized all of Dick Grayson's character traits on way or another in his movies. Logan Lerman, from Gamer and Meet Bill, would be perfect for Dick Grayson. He has the wit and swagger that Grayson has and would be phenomenal as Robin. Since it's The Dark Knight Rises, you know that sequel to one of the highest grossing movies ever, he would sign on in a heartbeat. If he doesn't, well........ he's just dumb then. Think about it. It's time Warner Bros. introduces Robin back to mainstream society and finally make a movie that shows why this character has been loved for almost 70 years and why he's completely bad ass. Yeah I said bad ass. Don't believe me the read Dark Victory and any New Teen Titans books. If you like those then check out his Nightwing books. Also, if Dick Grayson wasn't awesome do you really think DC Comics would allow a writer to make him Batman while Bruce was away and then when he came back let him still be Batman and star in 3 Batman Books?

 

Georgia VS Snowpocalypse. Epic Fail.

Ah Georgia, yes we normally only get like maybe 1 inch of snow when were expected to get a "storm", which leads to everyone freaking out and schools closing for no reason, but this year you had the chance to finally be somebody. To show all the jerk offs that scoff and laugh at your residents for being complete morons and pussies when it comes to snow and all the mass freak outs and increases sales of milk and frozen pizzas that happen in the ensuing panic and tell them to go fuck themselves! But, alas, no, you don't do this. Your Department of Transportation did an absolute worthless job of making your roads safe for people to drive. It took you 3 days to make any progress of clearing the interstate of ice! Are you kidding me!? I mean seriously, I know we haven't had this type of snow storm since like '93, but still, you have to be more prepared then the shit that happened with this storm. I mean come on! Did the DOT only have like 2 snow plows or something? Ridiculous. What's more ridiculous is all the dumb asses I had to deal with on the road. Whether its rain, snow or ice all the stupid dumb ass drivers that live in Georgia come out to play. It's like they hibernate in their parents basement waiting in baited breath for the weather to turn bad so they can emerge from their dungeon of World of Warcraft, Reality TV, no friends lair and go out and fuck up everyone's day with their lack there of driving capabilities. It never fails. Literally you have to go into hero mode while on the road and risk going into another lane that's icey so you can pass this dumb shit who actually believes that they're going to make it up that hill moving at 5 mph. Best of all, the people who start breaking when their car starts to shift, instead of just taking your foot off the gas and NOT PANICKING and straightening up your steering wheel. I'm not even going to get into all the ridiculous traffic you suffer at 11 am, because it will just infuriate me more than I already am. So, whew, any back to you Georgia, seriously, get your shit together. Your looking like that kid in high school that people think is nice, but don't think is cool enough to invite to the big friday night party. You're better than that! Have you forgotten you're theme song "Welcome to Atlanta"? What would Luda or Dupri think?

Free Tibet. It's the cool thing to do. right?

Is it just me or has the whole Free Tibet cause turned into a trend? To the point where I feel no shame in saying that I'm bored with this hippy trend and want it to end? I know it sounds terrible to say, but does this have any relevance with anyone anymore? I mean seriously. This has become a cause for 18 year olds who have just entered college and feel the need to protest something because they started listening to records from the 60's or found out the Beastie Boys do a concert for it. Personally, I think people just want to buy the bumper stickers so when they drive around town they can try to make people think they're all worldly and "helping to change it." Which in reality they're probably NOT thinking about that and are more concerned about what's going on in one of those CW shows and just like wearing the hippyish type clothing because it makes them look more alternative and non-conformists (Yeah Jeff Evans. I'm talking to you!). I really just want to pull these people over and tell them they're the reason no one thinks about this cause anymore and they're a douche who puts bumper stickers on their car. I've already vented on my hatred of bumper stickers, so no need to relive that. To conclude, hippies are dirty smelly people that no one likes.  Sorry Flower Children.

Nerd Alert #7 - 1/11/11 Edition. 11 Favorite Issue 1 Covers.

   

 

 

The Jukebox #14 - Countdown to TPC, TDCC AND SSLYBY Show Edition: Tokyo Police Club. One Best Things Going Right Now.

Discography (Albums I own)

A Lesson in Crime
Elephant Shell
Champ

Tokyo Police Club are one of the best new bands to come out in awhile. Listening to their first full length album, Elephant Shell, was like a breath of fresh air with it's up beat sound and their marriage of  guitars and keyboards that create a sound all of their own while still being able to hear hints of their influences. Dave Monks vocals remind me of Ben Gibbard. Other than that I think they take a sound that might be common place in today's indie rock scene, but they tweak and add a new sensibility to it that's makes some truly wonderful albums. Their new album Champ is fantastic from beginning to end. With stand out tracks "Bambi", "Favourite Colour", and "Wait Up (Boots of Danger)" to name a few. The entire album is great and promises more greatness from this band just like Elephant Shell did when it first came out. 

Nerd Alert #6 - Why the hell can't Warner Bros. and DC Comics get Wonder Woman right?

Wonder Woman, created in December 1941 debuting in All Star Comics #8. Like Superman and Batman she quickly became one of DC's most popular characters. For those of you living in a cave or completely ignorant to pop culture, Wonder Woman, Diana Prince (her secret identity), is an Amazon Princess from the island of Themyscira where her mother Hippolyta leads as Queen.  As the story goes, Steve Trevor crashes on the island, a Contest is started to choose a representative for the island to return him to the states. Diana disquised herself and won and was named the new champion to represent Themyscira. Diana comes to America and establishes herself as a champion for the world, co-founds the Justice League, fights some Greek Gods and other villains, and overcomes costume changes. There's more to her story, but that's not what were here to talk about. What were here to talk about is how one of the most storied characters in comics can't seem to catch a break in comic sales, movies and just recently being denied a new television series. I'm making this argument because Wonder Woman gets a bad rap especially from the male population who thinks she's just a character women can enjoy. Which is far from the truth. Wonder Woman, for one, has one of the most fascinating origins of any superhero mainly because of the strong ties to Greek Mythology. To quote Mercedes Lackey from her introduction in Wonder Woman: The Circle. "When you need to stop an asteroid, you get Superman. When you need to solve a mystery, you call in Batman. When you need to end a war, you get Wonder Woman." Wonder Woman is a Princess, Warrior, Diplomat, and Goddess. How can you not make this concept work?!
Whether she's dealing with Zeus and Ares or looking for guidance and honoring her mission for Athena, the Greek Mythology ties (plus other mythical characters she's interacted with, check Gail Simone's run on the book) is what makes Wonder Woman a truly unique superhero compared to her counterparts. Which is what boggles my mind why we don't have a movie yet! First off, Wonder Woman's costume is a staple of the women's wardrobe options for Halloween. You can't find me a guy out there that doesn't think about or want to have his wife or girlfriend walk into the bedroom with that costume on. The point I'm making here is a Wonder Woman movie will bring you money if you get a hot actress to play her wearing one of the most sexy outfits out there. Now I'm not saying make this a T&A cheesecake movie. Sex sells we all know this. You can still keep the sexy mystique of Wonder Woman in the movie while following in the footsteps of The Dark Knight and Watchmen and staying true to the character and story material and make a gripping, relatable and relevant movie.
Hell, you could use the new costume DC has debuted in last couple months. Just get rid of the leather jacket, which is a horrible addition to her costume.  Here it is.

Which as much as I have a soap box about Warner Bros. inability to make a Wonder Woman movie or television series, I have just as much of a soap box about DC and there inability to make her comic a top ten selling book. Much as I love Gail Simone's take on the character, towards the end of her run left a since of disappointment after a strong beginning. Maybe, it's because DC might of cut her run short because J. Michael Straczynski came up with a brand new radical take on the character that supposedly retcons her origin and give her a new costume that will probably last maybe a year longer than the hair cut she had couple years ago. The problem with this is this isn't really good storytelling. It's laziness on the writer and editors part because they can't figure out how tell an engaging epic story with all her continuity and great characters while putting a new twist on it. What's even more ridiculous is that if DC would just look at what Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Flash) and Grant Morrison (Batman) are doing with there books they can apply the same strategy to Wonder Woman.

First off, Geoff Johns is DC's go to writer and one of the main architects of their universe. Why this is is because he knows how to tap into the best qualities of his characters and find their voice. Also he finds ways to honor the stories of the past while offering new ideas to help the mythology grow. Grant Morrison does this also, but with a way more imaginative take that takes characters on new adventures that you never would of thought plausible. Look at his current run on Batman, Batman & Robin, and now Batman Inc. and you'll see what I'm talking about. Which in my opinion, Grant Morrison would be my choice to take over Wonder Woman and just have free reign on her book and unlock all that untapped potential. Give him an artist like Ivan Reis, Nicola Scott or bring Phil Jimenez back on the book. Sales juggernaut trust me. If you don't believe me check out Morrison's JLA Deluxe Editions and see how awesome he makes Wonder Woman. The fact that Wonder Woman, out of all the major superheroes, has only had one main book in her existence boggles my mind. Green Lantern has 3 books and the Flash will eventually have 2, yet the one member of DC's trinity (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman) has never had more than one book is shameful. 

So to conclude my rant about this, Warner Bros. meet me at camera 3. Thank You. Buddy, listen, I love the movies you come out with (most of them), but you're being a real douche about this movie. Fuck the television series. This isn't The Hulk. This is Wonder Woman. The first female superhero. TV's been done already. You are missing tons of money that will be thrown at you if you make this. Find an unknown or a popular attractive actress that can convey the beauty, strength of character and the overall presence that Wonder Woman brings, add in a good script that follows in the example of Batman Begins and Dark Knight, hell, I haven't seen it, but add in Green Lantern too, and you have the makings of a successful movie. Even a franchise if you don't fuck it up.
DC comics all you need to do is stop worrying about making drastic changes and getting media attention. What I'm trying to say is don't be the media whores that Marvel can be more times than I like. Just follow my suggestion and get Grant Morrison and one of the artists I mentioned and get him on her book ASAP! If not her regular monthly book, then give him the chance to write a Wonder Woman Earth One graphic novel. Hey, it worked for Superman.

Movie Box #2: High Fidelity. A Must See of every sense of the word..

High Fidelity came out in March of 2000. It stars John Cusack as Rob Gordon. He's a record store owner who at the beginning of the movie has his girlfriend break up with him. Then this leads to Rob going through his Top 5 Break ups of all time. Each story chronicling how in Rob's mind he was screwed over by each of the women in his list. What's great about this movie is that John Cusack still comes off as likable heartbroken guy looking for love character that he always plays in his movies (which he always does well), but in High Fidelity they add the fact that Rob Gordon is also a complete asshole. In some of the Top 5 stories, in the segment of the movie where he starts revisiting his old ex's, you come to find out that it was Rob that was the problem for his break ups. Also, as the movie starts moving towards the point where Rob starts getting his priorities straight and maturing as current ex Laura has been waiting for him to do, you start to really pull for Rob even though he does some of the hypocritical things in between. What also makes this an amazing movie, outside the main story, is the supporting cast. Jack Black was relatively new when this movie came out playing one of his best supporting characters, which I think we can all agree on is where he's strongest instead of being the star of the movie. Jack's character Barry and Todd Louiso's character Dick are two polar opposites, but work brilliantly together as Rob's two employees he "hired for three days a week and they just started showing up everyday. That was four years ago."
Which leads to the scenes in the record store, which showcase the elite atmosphere that accompanies owners and employees in a record store. Whether the guys are sharing there special monday morning mix, Top 5 lists, or just being rude to customers that come in with their taste or lack there of of music. Which bring laughs threw out. Add Cusack's sister Joan, Tim Robbins (who plays Laura's New Agey creepy rebound), Lisa Bonet (who I think is just playing herself it looks like, also her character enjoys getting lost in the fuck) and some other surprise appearances that I won't spoil here, you have just a throughly enjoyable movie. Overall, High Fidelity is about showcasing a certain scene in society that people know very little about and a guy that's coming to the point in his life that he's found the one woman for him and coming to the fact that in order to be with her and to make himself more happy, not just for the sake of being with Laura but also to himself, that he has to change of little bit of himself, but still staying who he is and finding that balance. This movie has something for everyone to enjoy whether it's dealing with heartbreak, fighting for the one you love, finding your path in life, or trying to get everyone to except the fact that you know more about music and they just need to except that, High Fidelity has it all.

The Jukebox #13 - Countdown to TPC, TDCC AND SSLYBY Show Edition: Two Door Cinema Club. Will Dance your ass off!

Discography (What I own)

Four Words to Stand On EP
Tourist History

Two Door Cinema Club is one of those fun bands you put on at a party and just rock out and dance your ass off. They're the result of Vampire Weekend and Bloc Party fucking and having a baby. Which is probably impossible since all the members in both bands are guys, but Schwarzenegger and DeVito pulled it off in Twins so anything's possible. Anyway, their debut album is one of the best I've listened to and every song is fantastic. Just listening to the record you tell that their live show is going to be a blast.

Stupid People. A Universal Dilemma...

Stupid People. We see them everyday. On television, on the road, in the grocery store, you know EVERYWHERE! You see them and at some point every day they do something to just fuck your day up somehow. It ranges from just a few minutes, maybe a couple hours, or just your entire day. Hell, maybe a week or longer. You have to deal with their idiotic questions, which usually involve giving them an answer  that anyone with common sense would of known the answer to before asking the damn thing and wasting your time. Then you got the classic stupid person. The stupid sports guy. You all know the stupid sports guy, he's the moron who's so desperate to be one of the guys that he jumps into any conversation that involves whatever game was on the night before or during the weekend. What makes him stupid is that he never knows what he's talking about, easiest example (which I was actually witnessed to) this one guy is talking about the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Duke won the national title the night before and this jackass starts talking about the game and asks us who we think is going to win the national title. What did we do? What else would you do in this situation? Fuck with the guy and make him look dumber for the next hour and a half until you get bored and tell him Duke already won that's what you do! I would delve into the stupid driver part of this rant, but I could go on all day about how much I hate the stupid driver. The stupid driver must be destroyed and vanquished for my life forever. Annihilated like Milli Vanilli's career. The biggest offender though, other than the before mentioned stupid driver, is the stupid person in line.
The stupid person in line is by far the most frustrating motherfucker of them all. Why? Because, the stupid person in line is actually seen and heard in plain view. Unlike the stupid driver, where you don't have to actually interact with the person or here his/her voice, you have to listen to the stupid person in line and their stupid argument or whatever waste of time bitching that they're doing. What makes them suck at life so much is the fact that you don't get to sit in driver seat while dealing with this, no, you are fucking standing while this is going on! You have to stand there, for what feels like forever, listening to the stupidest argument or conversation that's going on and getting uncomfortable to the point that you start rearranging your stance to the point that you look like a pop singer that's singing with attitude at guy that did her wrong and she's just not going to take it anymore. What we need to do is take all the stupid people, all of them (except the mentally challenged people since they can't help it and are usually smarter than the people I've mentioned), and ship them off to the worst place on earth. Like Antarctica, Wyoming, Delaware, Canada or Finland. Then make them watch rerun upon reruns of Power Rangers, Fraiser, Mad About You and worst of all Saved by the Bell: The New Class! No mercy to these offenders of common sense and normal brain function.