Jim's Fear

Real Life Goldeneye N64

2012-02-25T18:12:00.000-08:00

it's funny because...this game was my life in the 90's!

Movie Review: Hugo

2012-02-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge Martin Scorsese fan but for whatever reason, I was in no rush to see his latest film Hugo. A kids movie in 3D just didn't seem up my alley. My bad. I finally got around to seeing Hugo and cannot stop raving about this movie. It's amazing. Like, one of my favorite Scorsese films ever type amazing.

Hugo is a young orphan living in a Paris train station in the 1930's. When he isn't operating/maintaining the stations many clocks, he passes the time stealing food from shops, dodging the police and picking up spare parts to fix an old automaton that he and his father dreamed of fixing together before his death. One day he crosses paths with the stations elderly toy shop owner and after becoming friends with his young goddaughter, embarks on an heart warming adventure that somehow ties together themes like longing, death, redemption, family and the power & history of early cinema...and robots, into a nice little tear inducing package. I'm not kidding, this old grinch came close to crying several times during this film.

So first thing's first. I HATE 3D. I think it's lame and a sad desperate attempt for Hollywood to make an extra buck and herd the masses back into theaters to watch their (mostly) sub par piles of dog crap they play in multiplexes these days. Now that we've got that out of the way, Hugo is easily the best looking 3D film I've ever seen. Don't mention that Avatar crap in the same sentence as this. Even James Cameron is all wet over Hugo's 3D presentation. Next, I'd like to say how awesome the film's cast is. Asa Butterfield, the little dude who plays Hugo, gives an amazing performance as this downtrodden yet optimistic orphan. His eyes and facial expressions are priceless not to mention he looks like a clone of Elijah Wood from the early 90's...but even sappier! Chloe Moretz is the next Natalie Portman, I'm calling it now. Ben Kingsley, he's already regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time so I should have known he would knock this role out of the park, but I honestly didn't expect him to be this good in a "kids film" you know? I even liked Sacha Baron Cohen as the bumbling police inspector and I usually hate that guy.

Lebowski achievers

The most powerful thing about Hugo is Scorsese's genuinely earnest love of film and all the many aspects of the art form. The audience follows Hugo through a crash course in cinematic history and although the plot of Hugo focuses on a different director in the early 20th century...it's basically Scorsese's love letter to his craft. From the costumes, camera work, editing, art direction, acting, to the sound of film stock running through a projector and the overwhelming experience of sitting in a dark theater, Hugo is basically Martin Scorsese shouting I LOVE MY JOB from the mountaintops. In 3D.

So now it's Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas...Hugo. It's that good folks.

The Black Dahlia Murder's new NSFW video

2012-02-22T02:12:00.000-08:00

Although their album Ritual is almost a year old now, The Black Dahlia Murder have finally released a video for their song, "Moonlight Equilibrium." There's a werewolf, some douche-y 18th century dudes in powdered wigs, boobs and good ol' fashion gore. Whats not to love?

Click Here To Watch The Video

My Favorite Candy:

2012-02-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here it is, my favorite candy/sweet snack: Haribo Gummy Bears. People might wonder why I'm not into drugs or anything like that and I say it's because I already have one addiction...these suckers.

I can't remember when I first got the gummy bear bug but I do know that it's all I want. It's the first thing I look for at markets, gas stations, inline at Blockbuster and what I wish they carried in theaters when I get a sweet craving. Whats even more crazy is that these things actually upset my stomach a bit...and I don't care!

I'll take the red and green ones...all day everyday son!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the previous post. Lots of love for the chocolates I see. I dig random posts like those and the answer they bring. We may all live in different parts of the world and blog/rant about different topics...but who doesn't love eating junk food? Horrible eating habits, the great unifier.

What is your favorite candy/sweet snack?

2012-02-18T15:12:00.000-08:00

Quick question bloggers...what's your favorite candy/sweet snack? Some of you might remember my previous survey about people's favorite soft drink, so now I'm back asking the all important follow up question: favorite sweet.

Here's the situation, you're inline at the concession stand at the movie theater and are super stoked to see whatever new Michael Bay movie is hogging 5 of the 20 screens at the multiplex. Basically, you're going to need A LOT of comfort food to prevent a suicide by cinema. You're prepared to really break the bank with this over priced binge of popcorn, hot dogs, nachos, soda, water, and rat poison (in case the film is Episode I horrible you know?)....what is the ONE candy/sweet snack you want to gorge yourself with??? GO!

The Answer Is...(6)

2012-02-16T16:06:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Bonjour Tristesse, for winning yesterday's Take a Guess Challenge. This shouldn't have come as a surprise, since Bonjour runs a blog dedicated to foreign and cult cinema, one I recommend everyone check out for all you cinematic needs. Kudos to Yeamie Waffles and the unstoppable Pat Hatt for guessing, just a tad too late though. So the answer to yesterday's question is:

Richard Linklater's 1995 film, Before Sunrise. Some movies entertain you, others might touch a nerve or make you really think. Before Sunrise does all these, but most importantly of all, it haunts you.

Before Sunrise stands as one of the greatest romance stories of all time. The plot may seem a little cliche, boy meets girl on a train and they sweep each other of their feet, but Linklater's film has become a modern day cult classic because it breaks through most conventions of romance genre films (or any films for that matter) and creates an intoxicating sense of realism, inviting the audience into Jesse and Celine's exclusive little world, one that you'll never want to leave.

Très bien

The film centers around two young lovers who spend one magical day together on the streets of Vienna. Ethan Hawke is Jesse, a wondering American riding the rails across Europe before flying back home to the States. By chance, he encounters Julie Delpy's Celine, a beautiful young Frenchwoman on her way back to Paris. What follows is one of the most engaging and original tales of romance and life you'll ever see.

Jesse charms Celine into spending the day with him in Vienna. Fully aware that they both must return home eventually, Jesse and Celine entertain each other as a lark knowing that the hands of time have doomed any potential romance of theirs from the start. This Cinderella effect forces them to cut through the usual getting to know you type bullshit facade people usually project during first dates and you see the intense chemistry between the two is not only instant, but real, and they revel in it throughout the entire film.

I use the term real because at times, Before Sunrise feels more like a documentary than a regular movie. Linklater's script is genius. The dialogue, dear lord the dialogue. Kevin Smith, Tarantino they have nothing on this script. Not only do Jesse and Celine talk a mile a minute in this film, but thanks to Hawke and Delpy's amazing delivery it all sounds natural and again...real! Their performances are uncanny. Even when they aren't talking and just vibe off each other with little glances or gestures. I've never seen such chemistry between actors. Watching two people sitting in a streetcar, in a restaurant booth or park bench has never been so enthralling. Here is the scene that featured the song from the previous Take a Guess Challenge, Jesse and Celine in a record store listening booth:

Not a single word was spoken in that booth but their eyes and mannerisms said it all. Subtlety George Lucas, look it up.

The film takes place in the course of about twelve hours. It's called Before Sunrise for a reason. As soon as morning comes their fairytale must end. Linklater's 2004 film Before Sunset takes place nine years later and we see what's become of Jesse and Celine as they've grown into adulthood. It takes all the awesomeness of Before Sunrise to the next level, (dialogue, acting, camera work...Sunset even feels like it's playing out in real time) but that's a different post for a different day. If you've never seen Before Sunrise and my ranting has peeked your interest I'd urge you to check this film out for yourself ASAP. I'll guarantee you'd be fiending (yes FIEND) to see Before Sunset immediately afterward and never want to leave the pocket romantic European universe Jesse and Celine inhabit.

Take a Guess 6

2012-02-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

Can any of you bloggers tell me what movie features this song?

Feel free to answer below in the comments section. Please refrain from using google/wikipedia/browsing the youtube comments to find the answer...cheating gets you nowhere! I'll post the answer tomorrow (or the next time I update) and the winner gets my total movie nerd respect and a shout out/link for being awesome.

Check out previous editions of my Take a Guess Challenge HERE.

Awesome Photo (6)

2012-02-14T02:48:00.000-08:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone in the hospital as they both await shoulder surgeries...together. These action icons of the 1980's are now in their 60's, and STILL bro-ing it up!

*BONUS PHOTO*
Arnie and Sly: Glory Days

R.I.P. Whitney Houston...and just say NO kids.

2012-02-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

R.I.P.

So Whitney Houston is dead. Bummer. I remember hearing her music seemingly everywhere when I was a little kid in the late 80's/early 90's. Back in her prime she was beautiful (a model actually) and of course, you know, had an AMAZING voice.

my God, it's like she wasn't even trying.

Too bad that all went to shit. Whitney's career started to mimic her personal life, all messed up. If you aren't familiar with her long and tumultuous relationship with Bobby Brown, her battle with drugs and knack for insane public behavior, have fun with Google afterwards. In short, I'll just say that Whitney was like a walking D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education for you non-USA'ers) advertisement =/ Such a waste of talent. Of course she wasn't the first, and sadly, won't be the last.

At least her music will live on...through young boys from Taiwan.

*NOTE*
When news of her death broke I immediately thought of two things:
X-Men: The Animated Series

and my homie Patrick Bateman...he was a HUGE Whitney fan =p

Iron Maiden Return

2012-02-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

I let a friend borrow one of my Iron Maiden DVDs back in December (maybe even November) and totally forgot about it. They gave it back the other day. I'm in Iron Maiden mode now all weekend.

Movie Review: Miss Bala

2012-02-09T00:39:00.000-08:00

Beautiful girl caught in a ugly situation. It's always tragic, and Gerardo Naranjo's latest film exemplifies this adage to a tee. Miss Bala (or Miss Bullet, thanks Google translator) exposes the horrors of Mexico's long and bloody drug war, and the havoc it has reeked on the nation's innocent population for decades.

It ain't easy being sleazy

Newcomer Stephanie Sigman stars as Laura, a gorgeous young beauty pageant contestant who, by a cruel twist of fate, becomes the reluctant accomplice of a criminal drug lord. Sigman's performance is amazing. She literally carries the entire film on her shoulders and doesn't miss a beat. Not quite as mesmerizing as Elizabeth Olsen's turn in Martha Marcy May Marlene, but damn close. As the carnage of Miss Bala unfolds, Laura remains true to herself and tries to do what she believes is right. Putting the welfare of her friend and family before her own, Laura even tries going to the police, but doing what's right is next to impossible in Mexico's ultra corrupt landscape, completely engulfed in the cloud of it's drug war.

Naranjo's direction is superb. Although his script is a bit spartan, his choice of shots and most of all, his ability to create tension is amazing. From the disco hall massacre in the beginning, to the shoot out in the streets of Tijuana (very Michael Mann-ish a la Heat) and the final narco hotel attack scene, each of these action set pieces should have you at the edge of your seat. For large parts of the film, Naranjo's camera stays over Laura's shoulder. This allows for a disorienting, yet gripping fly on the wall perspective. The audience is as clueless as poor Laura, descending further into suspense and madness together. My only problem with this is, I started getting annoyed with the back of people's heads. When an actor's haircut starts intruding into the world of the film, I don't consider that a good thing.

I'd wife that

Either way, small grievance aside, Miss Bala is still a great film and accomplishes it's goal of shedding new light on Mexico's brutal drug war. In a world where cops and government officials can be bought and sold (even pageant officials as well!) no one is safe from the violence, rape, death and misery of Mexico's all encompassing narcotics trade. Not even a beauty queen.

*NOTE*
Thanks to DM over @ classy-films.com for giving me the heads up about this movie. Although I saw the trailer for Miss Bala before watching Shame, it was the blog post at classy-films that first peeked my interest. Thanks again!

"We have a Hulk:" Avengers Super Bowl Trailer

2012-02-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

So I worked Sunday night. Didn't see the Super Bowl (didn't really care either) or Madonna dancing around the field like a mummy, but unfortunately I DID miss the brand new, mouth watering trailer for the Avengers film. I'm sure most of you have seen this by now but I can't stop pushing "replay" so I guess I might as well post about it.

"We have a Hulk." SOLD. Done deal. Count me in. I'm there. Front row with an inhaler to help me breathe through the sheer excitement.

Crunch Time: Nile

2012-02-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

Darkened Shrines lineup.

*Welcome to the latest edition of Crunch Time, where I swoon over some of my favorite HEAVY riffs.*

Nile. Technical death metal juggernauts, with a knack for Ancient Egyptian themes. Usually, Nile songs blaze through at a 1000mph (or 250+ BPM for drum geeks) but today, we feature one of their slower, yet heaviest tunes of their catalog.

I first got into Nile back in 2003. This was my senior year of high school and I was already listening to all the cool metal bands of the day...or so I thought. Hearing Nile's 2002 album In Their Darkened Shrines smashed my skull (via disc man) to pieces. Three distinct vocalists, rapid fire riffs, dazzling lead guitar work and lets not forget my personal favorite, the drums. I was sold instantly. Saw them twice in concert that year and could not wait for their next album. Then their bassist/vocalist and drummer quit. I was bummed. Sure, Nile added drum phenom George Kollias to the fold (easily one of the fastest drummers on Earth) but I didn't dig their following two albums as much as Shrines. People may thing I'm crazy but I prefer Tony Laureano's playing to Kollias any day of the week. As this song illustrates, speed isn't everything:
(Crunch Time riff begins @ 0:18 mark)

Damn that still gets almost a decade later. This song makes me want to command a legion of soldiers, conquer a foriegn land, then bang my head slowly as I ride a pack of elephants through the streets of my victory parade.

It's so simple, so haunting and so, so heavy. I've never abandoned Nile though. In fact their last album, 2009's Those Whom The Gods Detest, was amazing and almost as rad as Darkened Shrines in my book.

Drive on Blu-ray

2012-02-03T10:29:00.001-08:00

Drive, my favorite film of 2011 is out on Blu-ray. I picked up my copy earlier this week and have been loving it ever since. I implore you all to do the same. I used to hate on the Blu-ray format, but damn if this flick doesn't look amazing in high def.

Also, that soundtrack = pure win.

Female Obsession: Natalie Portman

2012-02-01T17:23:00.000-08:00

Oh Portman. Beautiful, intelligent, and one hell of an actress. Is there anything she can't do? I think Episode I was probably my first time seeing Natalie Portman on the big screen. Not her finest hour, but then I saw Leon: The Professional on DVD. I was SOLD. I've kept up with my Natalie (or Portman as I affectionately refer to her) ever since.

Although born in Israel, Portman moved to the states when she was a toddler. While attending school, she performed with local theater groups before getting her big break in 1994's The Professional, at the ripe old age of 13. If you've never seen Leon: The Professional....shame on you! It's an awesome little movie about a hitman and his relationship with a 12 year old girl. It's violent, funny, touching and even a little creepy at times, but it's Natalie Portman's debut film performance and therefore, a must see!

she wants to clean

I could go on about Natalie's adorable performance in Beautiful Girls, or her snarky turn in Mars Attacks!, but I'm trying to stay out of Chris Hansen territory so, let's just talk about Star Wars. George Lucas cast Natalie Portman as Padme in the Star Wars prequel trilogy of utter crap and almost ruined her entire career. Natalie's first two acting roles showed she had chops, pity that none of that was needed for her character in Episode I-III. Dear Lord, a malfunctioning T-800 Terminator could show more depth. It's not her fault though, I really think Natalie tried her best with this role it's just, the dialogue man! That and the plot. Alright, let's NOT talk about Star Wars.

Luckily, Portman was able to bounce back with films like Garden State, Closer, and V For Vendetta. Oh yeah, and she was also going to Harvard during this time. She graduated with her BA in psychology in 2003. Movie star, Harvard grad and as of 2011, Academy Award winner. Oh yes, Portman won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role as Nina in Black Swan.

Harvard Grad/Oscar Winner

In 2011 Natalie Portman gave birth to son. Yes, little Mathilda from The Professional is now a mom. Crazy, since I've been into Portman since I was a young lad myself. Time flies, yet Portman keeps getting better. Here are some photos of her hotness throughout the years:

And now, the greatest moment in Natalie Portman history:

*Bonus Portman Overdose clip*
Natalie Portman, growing up before your eyes on The Late Show w/ David Letterman.

fingers in the air

2012-01-31T14:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the nap time advice. Now I don't feel as crazy. Next time I'll set an alarm and try to cut it down to 45 mins. or less.

Had a long night last night. This video, aside from being wildly entertaining, sums up how I felt:

Nap Time

2012-01-30T15:22:00.000-08:00

Why so serious...ly sleepy?

Ok. Random post topic today folks.

The other night I closed and got off work around 2:30am (ish). Had a meeting the next morning at 8:50am (because 9:00 would be to much to ask for right?!?). By the time I got home, showered and finally knocked out, I'd say I got about 4.5 hours of sleep tops. Yes, I felt like a damn zombie the next day. Either way, afterward I had breakfast with some co-workers then headed home and SLEPT.

Problem is...I HATE taking naps! They make me feel like garbage after. So while that 3 hour nap seemed like a great idea, I wound up feeling more exhausted when I woke up later on. People think I'm nuts when I openly declare my disdain for napping.

What's your take? Do you people enjoy nap time? Am I insane or do I just need to perfect my napping technique?

Kids and Extreme Music

2012-01-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

So little 8 year old Juliet created quite a internet sensation with her brilliantly amazing, "My First Hardcore Song" video on Youtube earlier this month.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching this. The trampoline breakdown & flying stuffed animals is the raddest thing I've ever seen in my life!

A lot of people were talking about this video last week. Everyone seemed to get a kick out of it and I see why, the girl is adorable. Of course some people seemed to dig it more than others. Normal folk without any knowledge of modern hardcore/metal see a little girl rocking out over some loud instruments and chuckle. What they don't seem to get are the major lulz derived from lil Juliet taking cliches from this music genre and showing just how ridiculous they really are.

The stuff she references like "opening up the pit," "getting your two-step on" and even singing about her most cherished friendships (replacing her "crew" with dog and fishes) are usually reversed for dudes like this...only they're dead serious when they do it!

Anyways, seeing Juliet's rapid rise to internet stardom reminded me of a video I saw years ago. Allow me to introduce, Death Metal Rosie!

Lol @ her coughing/spitting at the end! She's basically doing her best cookie monster impersonation...and it rules!

That's it. Kids listening to & loving metal/hardcore with their folks. Brings a smile to my face.

500+ Followers!

2012-01-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

I spit out my water just like this when I heard the news!

With all the fuss of New Years, being sick, and best of 2011 compilations...I sort of forget to commemorate my 500th follower milestone! Shame on me, but thanks to all you. I really was stoked when I saw that. Here's to 500 more, and slow but steady internet domination!

Cops Gone Wild? So This Happened...

2012-01-25T11:14:00.000-08:00

Monday, Jan 23, 2012: Some whacked out dude with a crowbar/pipe starts smashing the windows of a local Carl's Jr. fast food restaurant. Patrons and employees flee the scene. The police arrive and order the man outside. Mr. crazy man exits, weapon in hand and takes a taser to the face without flinching. He then turns toward the officer who tased him which causes the other cop (who happened to be holding a k-9 police dog as well) to shoot him 5 times at point blank range. The first officer ditches his taser and then he fires another 5 five shots. Two cops (with a k-9!) shoot one guy 10x at point blank range...and it was all caught on video.

I used to eat at the Carl's Jr. just about every other day when I attended East Los Angeles Community College in the mid 2000's. That restaurant is directly across the street from campus. If it was a good day, I'd munch on some Carl's Jr. then head over to Tower Records and not catch up on readings. It's kind of surreal seeing something like this happen at one of my old haunts.

No doubt the guy was either insane or on drugs. He had a weapon and the instant he charged the first cop he basically sealed his own fate. But really...TEN SHOTS?! I'm not saying the cops should have tried mace or batons or mud wrestled the guy, they can shoot to kill if threatened. But one, two or three shots to oh I don't know, the face perhaps would have done the job right?

*WARNING*
Here is the FULL UNEDITED video.
*GRAPHIC*

10 rounds. Really? I think they were justified in shooting him...but even then, this is flat out overkill.
The guy died at a local hospital shortly after. Which was to be expected, after the cops turned his chest into Swiss Cheese.

Mankind in a nutshell

2012-01-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

"We are not what was intended" -John Doe

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://wearedangers.bandcamp.com/track/opposable"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Opposable by DANGERS&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Base.
How low can we go?
Fuck the Beatles, I'm an animal
An upright ape with opposable thumbs
To hold the clubs
To hold the guns
Swing low sweet chariot
God bless my DNA
Drunk drive my Chevy to the levee
Let the flood come and sweep me away
No this ain't the apocalypse
It's the way shit has always been
From Sodom to Saddam
Attila to Tienenmen
A quarter million years of human being
A quarter million years as a human stain
We use ten percent of our gorgeous brains
And leave the rest up to cocaine
Lucy in the sky
Got her hands on a new shotgun
Lucy in the sky
Got her hands on a Remington
Lucy in the sky
Her shiny diamonds drenched in blood
And I know where the wild things are
Don't look far
Don't look far
'Cause I got wisdom in my teeth
And terror in my wars
Yes, I know where the wild things are
Don't look far.
Don't look far.
There's a reason that it's hard to look in the mirror.
There's a reason that it's hard to go to the zoo
And there's a reason you want to pry open the cage
See, you should be there, too.

or basically...THIS:

The Dillinger Escape Plan, Nails & Dangers @ Center For The Arts, Eagle Rock. 1/18/2011.

2012-01-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

destroyers!

Best show of the year. I know it's still January but really, I'd have to be invited onstage by Slayer or have Refused unite in my living room or some shit for anything to top this. I've already said many times before, but The Dillinger Escape Plan is my favorite band and in fact, this here blog is named after their song, "Jim Fear." Anyways....it had been a long while since I last saw Dillinger perform a headlining show, and never in a venue like this.

The show took place inside the Eagle Rock Center for The Arts. The place was meant to house art exhibits, yoga classes, community meetings and now, sweaty mosh pits. We arrived just as the first opening band finished up. Dangers, was up next. This was my first time seeing these guys live and they did not disappoint. Fast paced hardcore meets rock & roll vibes, with lots of energy on stage and some witty stage banter to boot.
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://wearedangers.bandcamp.com/track/stay-at-home-mom"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Stay-At-Home Mom by DANGERS&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

My losing streak finally came to an end. After 3 failed attempts, I finally got to see Nails live. Their music is fast, ugly and ridiculously heavy. Like a monolithic slab of caveman brutality. The area in front of the stage, affectionately referred to as...the pit, started getting nasty during during their performance. If Dillinger wasn't immediately following them onstage, I wouldn't have wanted Nails set to end.

And then there was Dillinger. This was my 11th time seeing them live since 2004 and it's safe to say that this show stands as one of my favorites. The venue's small floor area kept the crowd's energy high, and it's high ceilings gave the band some more room to work on their acrobatics. They opened with "Panasonic Youth" and my sanity/better judgement went out the window.

I knew I shouldn't have stayed down in the front like I did. I had work the next morning and should have stayed with my pals on the sidelines. Of course with the songs like "Good Neighbor" blaring through the speakers, and watching singer/riot inciter Greg literally climbing the walls, I forgot I wasn't 18 anymore and decided to stay on the front lines. Sure, my camera got knocked around, causing the battery to stop functioning properly, and some dude collided into my wrist, causing me to now wear a splint/brace and type reeeeeeeally slowly, but that was but a small price to pay to witness the Dillinger spectacle up close and personal.

I dug their set list. All killer, no filler some would say. Surprised I still had a voice the next day after singing along to crowd favorites, "Milk Lizard" and "Gold Teeth on a Bum." It's funny, those songs got the best reaction from the Deftones' audience when Dillinger opened up for them last summer and although they may be more "streamlined" than the usual DEP fare, all their hardcore fans love em just the same. I guess people really do like just singing along to their favorite tunes. Cause in point, the final onslaught of "Sunshine The Werewolf" and "43% Burnt" back to back. People soaked in sweat and utterly devoid of energy, screaming their lungs out for the "DESTOOOOOOOOYER!" breakdown part like they'd never live to see another day. I would know, I was one of them.

Did you see that? Clip is kind of long and audio is a little sketchy at times but man, just imagine being in the center of that. I was on the stage, sprained wrist and all. Bumping into Ben's guitar, hitting Billy's china cymbal with my (good) hand, and screaming with Greg at different times.

Dillinger played another show, this time a free 21+ gig in Fullerton the next night. I planed on going but was now nursing a sprained wrist and decided to stay home and watch the show streaming live from the band's website. It looked like fun, but just not as wild as the Center For The Arts gig!

Awesome Photo (5)

2012-01-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

My Greek wifey (and Female Obsession honoree), Maria Menounos busting a "Tebow" at last weekend's Golden Globe awards.

*Bonus Photo*
Maria being gorgeous.

Top 5 Films of 2011

2012-01-18T02:30:00.000-08:00

So here it is...my top 5 favorite films of 2011:

Drive - Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Hands down, my favorite and easily the most stylish film of the year. This movie just oozes cool. Arthur Fonzarelli couldn't have done a better job if he tried. A violent, yet touching neon noir fairy tale. Oh yeah, best soundtrack of the year too!

Shame - Directed by Steve McQueen
The most exhausting film I've seen in ages. It's powerful performances and gritty realism about the perils of addiction will leave you in awe, and probably utterly devastated as well.

The Tree of Life - Directed by Terrence Malick
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Remember that spooky kid in American Beauty (Ricky Fitts) who rants about the overpowering beauty of the world that makes his heart want to burst? This film is what he was talking about. Sure, The Tree of Life has it's flaws, but watching this film on the large screen in that dark theater is an experience I don't think I'll ever forget.

Crazy Stupid Love - Directed by Glen Ficarra & John Requa
The most entertaining film of the year. I laughed, I got choked up, I laughed some more and then I yelled at the screen like an idiot during the film's climax it was that good. I don't know what's more rare, a smart romantic comedy or a film that appeals to all ages/demographics. Either way, this film wins big.

Martha Marcy May Marlene - Directed by Sean Durkin
A minimalist head trip if there ever was one. Elizabeth Olsen is marvelous as the damaged young Martha. After years living in an abuse cult, she's become disjointed, paranoid and ready to pounce without notice...just like Durkin's film itself.

*NOTE*
Looks like this year belonged to Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, with their roles in Drive, Shame and Crazy Stupid Love all atop my favorite films list.

Bummed I still haven't seen Melancholia yet. I've heard/read so many great things about this film I was waiting to craft my best of year list until I finally saw it in theaters. Oh wells. Some day soon I hope.

What were your favorite films of 2011?

Vile Nostalgia: Boy Meets World

2012-01-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

You know you're getting old when you nostalgia for crap you barely even liked (or flat out hated) before only because it reminds of the past. Ladies and Gents, respected bloggers and all you trolls out there, it's with great sorrow that I present this latest installment of Vile Nostalgia...

TGIF allstars

So I'm flipping through the channels this past Saturday, enjoying a lazy day off and what do I see before my eyes? Old school episodes of Boy Meets World's first season on MTV2. Yeah, it didn't make much sense to me either but out of morbid curiosity I stopped and watched a little of it. This quickly transformed into a full on nostalgia wave and I watched about 3 or 4 episodes and loved every second of it!

I grew up watching TGIF sitcoms on ABC and although not my favorite, Boy Meets World was something I pretty much always watched. Unfortunately, as the kids aged the show got a a bit lamer and lamer until by the end it was a wildly outlandish crap fest. I guess this memory of the last few seasons has tainted my view of the entire series. Thankfully, MTV2's little weekend marathon has restored my faith in the series by highlighting the awesomeness of the shows first season.

Love that campy intro! It's so bad it's awesome. Now keep in mind Boy Meets World had like 500 different intros throughout it's 7 season run but honestly, I love this hokey first one the best. See those cheesy computer graphics flying around?! Damn I miss the early 90's.

I think the show was most effective in it's early years. When the kids were still, kids and learned valuable lessons from their teacher (like the always awesome Mr. Feeny) or their parents. Also, the first season still featured Minkus and Cory's adorable little sister Morgan (before Minkus vanished to the other side of the school for about 6 years, and Morgan was replaced by an older, brattier actress).

So yeah. I get a kick out of laughing at their outrageous 90's fashions, with the baggy clothes and funky haircuts and flashing back to when I was a young school punk myself, but now that I'm older I appreciate the show on a different level. The show is heartfelt while remaining wildly entertaining. Kudos to MTV2 for restoring my faith in the Matthews family.

Top 10 Albums of 2011

2012-01-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

Here's the listing of my favorite albums from 2011. Not necessarily the best or greatest but the ones that left the biggest impact on me and warranted the most repeated listens. Not ranked in numerical order, all rule pretty hard (IMO). Feel free to take listen:

Trap Them- Darker Handcraft

Punk and metal have never sounded so rockin' together. Trap Them's latest album retains the anger of their earlier releases but this time, boasts an amazingly polished (for them) production. You'll want to tap your feet and punch someone in the face at the same time.
TRAP THEM "The Facts" by Prosthetic Records

Burzum- Fallen

Varg Vikernes may be a convicted murder, arsonist, anti-Semite, homophobe and all around scum bag...but he steams a good ham...and knows how to craft some damn good tunes. Case in point, Burzum's latest album. I love me some raw ass black metal just like the next guy, but Varg's latest offering amps up the ethereal elements and will leave you breathless in the process.

Deafheaven- Road to Judah

The soundtrack to my brief but gloomy winter (we don't really have weather here in SoCal). Beautiful, atmospheric post-rock fused with good ol' misanthropic black metal. This album came out of nowhere, but based solely on number of plays on my iPod, has earned it's spot in my top 10.

Maruta- Forward Into Regression

It's grindcore played by pissed off T-800 model terminators. Manic bursts of energy reeled in by a lumbering heaviness, reminiscent of AT-AT Walkers from The Empire Strikes Back. You see what I'm getting at with this. The album's title is dead on. Futuristic technical grind meets cave-man slams FTW. Too bad they broke up =/
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Maruta&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

All Pigs Must Die- God Is War

Pummeling punk metaller's bring the hurt with this, their debut album. You've heard of in your face? Well, this is through your face. When you've got DrumTHRONE honoree, Converge's own Ben Koller, leading the charge you can expect lots of fast paced, high intensity shenanigans. Surprisingly, I love the album's slower, grimy moments like the album's title track.

Skeletonwitch- Forever Abomination
Thrashy black metal that brings a smile to my face. This album finally provides Skeletonwitch with the proper sounding studio album they've always deserved. Highlighting their Iron Maiden/ Bay Area Thrash/ and Norwegian Black Metal influences into one ass kicking hodgepodge of awesomeness. Oh yeah, and they have some catchy ass songs too!

Craft- Void

Raw, ugly and heavy. That's all folks. That's what I love about Craft, they don't mince words or fuck around musically. With previous gems in their catalog like Fuck The Universe and Total Soul Rape, they've stripped things down to an even more debased center. Void. Some would call this simplistic black metal. I call this, anti-music.

Ghostlimb- Infrastructure

Snarling hardcore, with a tender side. Ghostlimb's third full length album is righteously pissed, with most songs barely clocking in over a minute and thirty seconds long, this record is like a swift kick in the gut. The raging speed and rabid, barking dog vocals accomplish their goals quite nicely, but it's the album's clean guitar sound and moments of clarity that have haunted me all year.
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href="http://vitriolrecords.bandcamp.com/track/asphalt"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Asphalt by Vitriol Records&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;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Rival Schools- Pedals

I've kept their debut album spinning in my stereo all throughout their near decade hiatus. To say this new record had some big shoes to fill would be an understatement. Thankfully, the boys in Rival Schools came through BIG TIME. Amazing album of solid, yet thoughtful rock & roll tunes. This solidifies Walter Schreifels as the most underrated songwriter, ever!

Foo Fighters- Wasting Light

Dave Grohl is KING. End of story. This is probably my most played album of 2011. Wasting Light wasn't a slow grower, more like a charging horde...my poor ears never stood a chance. There's not a bad/filler song on this record, it's that good. If you don't know the Foo Fighters by now, some two decades into their marathon of awesomeness, starting here wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Movie Review: Shame

2012-01-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

Great film, but draining. Like someone kicked the wind out of you, draining. Shame is director Steve Mcqueen's harrowing look at the downward spiral of addiction. The brief highs, the near infinite lows, it's all here. Only this film isn't about crack or heroin, it's about sex. Michael Fassbender delivers the most powerful performance I've seen all year (of 2011 folks) with his portrayal of Brandon Sullivan, the NYC sex addict whose compulsion engulfs his entire life, contaminating every aspect of his being with shame and utter depravity.

Magneto exposed

Fassbender already made waves this year with his awesome turn as Magneto in X-Men: First Class but nothing will prepare you for his fearless performance in Shame. Dude bares his soul on screen (and then some), exposing the pitiful, tortured existence of his character Brandon. Oh yeah, and he's naked a lot. Like the first thing you see is, well, his thing. Brandon is a well to do business type living the bachelor life in New York City. He's young, handsome, has money and is totally miserable. His life revolves around sex/orgasms. He spends his free time with hookers, internet porn, live web-cams, seducing single and or married women at bars (or anywhere really), and if all else fails, masturbating in the men's room at work.

Brandon's demented lifestyle/routine suddenly comes to a screeching halt when his damaged sister reappears in his life. Carey Mulligan plays his sister Sissy with such sadness and fragility,something she hinted at in her performance in Drive but fully realizes here, she's confirmed herself as one of the best up and coming actresses around. In fact her rendition of "New York, New York" in the bar/dinner scene is one of the most moving moments of the entire film (and is hands down, the saddest version of the song ever recorded).

"I want to be a part of it..."

Rated NC-17, Shame is definitely not a film for everyone. Despite it's full frontal nudity and graphic sexual content Shame is seriously the least sexy film I've ever seen. This isn't Tony Montana doing mountains of blow in Scarface. This is the crack fiend from Menace To Society offering cheeseburgers and blowjobs to feed their habit. Director Steve Mcqueen's film is dark, brazen and powerful. During Brandon's threesome with the Asian and blonde hookers, his choice of odd camera angles and classical music transformed the group's ménage à trois into a tortured ballet sequence. A dry, mechanical routine necessary to make poor Brandon feel alive for a few seconds. Again, I think this truly is a great film, although like Requiem For a Dream,something I may not want to watch again for a while. If that's not a compliment, I don't know what is.

HOLY FECES: Refused & At The Drive-In reunite/Coachella 2012 lineup

2012-01-10T14:53:00.000-08:00

bastards!

Around this time last year, I went on a massive rant about how much I hate large music festivals/rip offs like Coachella. As most of you might have noticed by now, I love seeing live music but I'm kind of spoiled and prefer smaller shows that won't test my patience or drain my wallet.

I went to Coachella in 2007 to see Rage Against The Machine's reunion. This was more than a concert, it was a childhood dream come true, an event I never thought would take place in a million years. Well it seems that hell froze over yesterday because two seminal bands from my youth announced their respective reunions and as luck would have it, they're both scheduled to play at Coachella 2012.

Refused & At The Drive-In: reunited and it feels soooo good.

Both Refused and At The Drive-In, two highly influential post-hardcore bands who've been dead and gone for over a decade are back!

The news of ATDI's reunion broke first, causing half of my facebook news feed to erupt with OMG status updates. That makes sense though, since At The Drive-In was fairly well known before they imploded and their ties to The Mars Volta has kept their memory alive all these years.

As I was logging off before heading to work last night, that's when the Refused bombshell broke. Holy FUCK I seriously started shaking. I mean, the band's unofficial slogan since even before they self destructed was, "Refused are fucking dead..." but not anymore!

So I'm in a pickle. I basically NEED to see these two bands, but I really doubt they're going to play any special LA shows just for me. ATDI might do some more touring together, but Refused...I highly doubt that. Of course tickets are close to $300! As much as I rejoice over the news of these reunions, I really hate Goldenvoice/Coachella and everyone else who is holding these acts hostage for such a kings ransom.

Still, I wouldn't mind seeing Radiohead, Artic Monkeys, Madness, Explosions in the sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Shins, The Hives, Jeff Mangum (from Neutral Milk Hotel), Le Butcherettes and you know, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg.

It looks like I better start saving up my pennies.

TLDR:

PIGS FLEW THROUGH THE GLORIOUS SKY. Refused + At The Drive-In reunions = I'm going to Coachella 2012.

Top 5 Concerts of 2011

2012-01-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

I went to 14 concerts in 2011 (real professional/touring bands not friends or locals). That's ten less than the 24 shows I attended in 2010. I've been going to shows for about a decade now and this is the least amount of concerts I've been to since my days as a car-less high school metal head, trying to scrounge together money for tickets and bum rides off friends. Crazy. Anyways, here are my top 5 favorite shows from 2011:

Scion Rock Fest @ The Fox Theater/Glass House, Pomona. 3/5/11.
Dozens of awesome underground metal bands together at one event. Multiple stages/venues covering all different genres (black metal, death metal, thrash metal, grindcore, etc)...and it was all free! Immolation, Wormrot, Fuck the Facts and these guys, Anaal Nathrakh were my personal favorites.

(1:20 mark, Dave getting pissed @ security for dropping a kid/crowd surfer!)

Rival Schools @ The Bootleg Bar, Los Angeles. 5/21/11.
Never in a million years did I think this reunion would happen. Loved this band via headphones for 10 years and I finally got to see them live (not once, but twice!). New material off awesome new album + classics from United By Fate = out of body experience. Amazing times.

(not the show I attended, but damn fine version of this song!)

The Strokes @ The Chelsea (Cosmopolitan Hotel), Las Vegas. 3/12/11.
Celebrated my girlfriend's birthday in Vegas w/ The Stokes. Sure, they made us wait an ungodly amount of time before they finally took the stage, but they put on a damn good, nay, great concert. Also, had an awesome little vacation as well.

Amon Amarth @ The House of Blues, Hollywood. 4/24/11.
First time seeing Amon Amarth in 7 years and they did not disappoint.They've settled into their role of unstoppable heavy metal juggernaut quite well. The last half of the show was a heavy metal karaoke party on the Sunset Strip.

Kylesa & Intronaut @ The Troubadour, Hollywood. 9/2/11.
Stood in the front against the stage for both bands, something a rarely do these days. Intronaut redeemed themselves in my book after a string of "eh" performances and Kylesa proved they are ready for the big leagues, as part of this show was filmed for a TV appearance on Later W/ Carson Daly.

1st concert of 2012....

2012-01-07T22:42:00.000-08:00

Got tickets to see my boys The Dillinger Escape Plan on Jan. 18th! For those of you who don't know, they're my favorite band and I even named this here blog after one of their songs...

The show is supposed to be at a tiny venue which means my old ass is probably going to get annihilated but I simply do not care. Looks like my first concert of 2012 might also be my last.

DEP: Bad Bonn, Switzerland 09 August 2011 from The Dillinger Escape Plan on Vimeo.
it will probably be like that...only x1000!

under-covers: Judas Priest/Hellsongs

2012-01-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

Perhaps, one of the greatest guilty pleasures in my life: the perverse enjoyment I get listening to musicians covering other artist's songs. The weirder the cover, the better! It doesn't matter how awkward or horrible the quality (shitty cell phone video, I'm looking at you), I'm an absolute sucker for this stuff. Here's the latest installment of "under-covers."

Today we feature legendary heavy metal icons Judas Priest and their anti-authoritarian anthem "Breaking the Law." This song is over 30 years old and still gets heads banging and fists pumping like nobodies business.

That riff, dear lord it's that riff! Catchy and just cool as hell.

And now we head to Hellsongs' version of this classic tune. Don't let their name fool you though, despite their rough moniker, the band is anything but (411 on Hellsongs HERE).

HA. I love it. So mellow and un-metal that it works. At least I think so. Once again, that riff grabs you by the throat, only this time its the acoustic, tropical lounge version. While I appreciate the quirky nature of this version and love how it breathes new life into a three decade old song, nothing tops the original and Halford's gnarly high pitched wails.

What do you kids think?

Movie Review: Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol

2012-01-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

Mission Impossible 4 or, I can't believe they made another installment of this franchise. Seriously. My initial reaction when I found out about this movie was: "REALLY? Are they going to use CGI to erase Tom Cruise's wrinkles?

The first Mission Impossible film (and one of the first big examples Hollywood rebooting/pirating old material I can remember) came out in 1996. I liked it a lot. Mission Impossible 2 was released in 2000 and was horrrrrrrrrrrible (the stunts/action were all blatant Matrix rip offs). Finally, Mission Impossible 3 came out in 2006 and redeemed the series, rocked pretty hard and distinguished itself as my favorite MI film of the bunch. So why oh why did they go and make a 4th film? Were the masses begging for MOAR Tom Cruise? Also, who makes part fours anyways? Trilogies man, that's what we like. So yeah, they made a new film against my wishes. Guess what? It's been the #1 movie in the country for like 3 weeks or something crazy like that so...shows what I know.

Heeeeey Mrs. Parker.

As for the movie itself? It's fun. Yeah, the plot is kind of eh, some of the high tech gadgets they use are a stretch (even for Mission Impossible movies!) and the acting is, well, not all that important. Luckily, there's a shit ton of action, dudes getting killed, chicks looking hot and some crazy camera maneuvering going on this in this film so I couldn't not enjoy myself. I'd say the movie is about 20 mins too long. If they could have trimmed some fat somewhere it probably would have held my attention a bit more and I might have a more glowing review. The Dubai tower scene is visually amazing and is kind of cool because it ties back into Tom Cruise...I mean, his character, Ethan Hunt's love of mountain climbing from part 2. Simon Pegg is funny and kind of steals the entire the movie. Unfortunately, Jeremy Renner just stands there and takes up space. As you've probably noticed from the image above, Paula Patton is smoking hot but her character is a little flat (unlike her womanly figure, HEYOOOO!). She plays the woeful, revenge minded vixen quite well though.

Mission Impossible 9: Viagra Resolution

Of course we all know this Mission Impossible franchise is nothing more than a Tom Cruise vehicle. How is Cruise in this latest film? Well, he gets his ass kicked, a lot. At times, it played like a Scientologist version of Passion of the Christ. He survives, bombs, gun fights, falling off/out of buildings and multiple car accidents. Kudos to Tom Cruise for showing that even pushing 50 years old, grandpa's still got it. You just know they're going to make a Mission Impossible 5 now that this film has taken off at the box office. I just hope it's sponsored by Icy Hot, because I don't think Ethan Hunt can take much more abuse on the big screen.

1st post of 2012

2012-01-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Last year...I kick started 2011 with some good time party tunes courtesy of Municipal Waste. This time, it's a classic from Neil Young featuring Pearl Jam on (once upon a time, they used to be somewhat culturally relevant...) MTV. 2012, don't let me down man!

New Years Eve (Eve)

2011-12-30T13:25:00.000-08:00

2011...tasted like cigarettes

Last post of the year and I'm stoked. I can honestly say 2011 has sucked royally for yours truly. Good riddance. Here's to a better 2012. Even if the world ends next December, it will be a welcome change of pace from this past one. See you cats next year.

Movie Review: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

2011-12-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

The feel bad movie of the season is upon us. As many of you loyal readers know, I'm the type of misanthrope who enjoys spending his free time during the holidays watching a marathon of violence, sexual abuse, and psychological carnage on the big screen. David Fincher's long awaited adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo has finally arrived in theaters. It's a long and viscous film. But while it's a bleak and draining experience, like the Swedish winter itself, it's also jarringly beautiful.

I remember I was initially upset this movie was even being made. Larsson's novels, dubbed "the Millennium" trilogy, had already been adapted into a series of films in his native Sweden in 2009. Thanks to the power of Netflix, I watched these films and quickly fell under the spell of Lisbeth Salander aka, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. As noted before here at Jim's Fear, I'm not too fond of bumbling Hollywood remakes/cash grabs of superior foriegn films (LET ME IN =/ ). That being said...I'm a huge David Fincher fanboy so my initial fears of this adaptation were quelled when I heard he was attached to direct.

IKEA...you've never been?

Luckily, I was correct. Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo succeeded in not royally pissing me off and for that, I congratulate him. The film centers around disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (played by Daniel Craig) and his unlikely ally, punk rock/techno-junkie Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), as they investigate a 40 year old murder mystery. Of course there's a whole lot more going on in this film, enough to fill past the 2.5 hour mark! Part thriller, part crime caper, some dramatic romantic flare thrown in, and a whole lot of squeamish "adult" content, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is probably unlike any other film released this year. Of course, my main problem with this movie is that, it's already been done before.

As much as I love Fincher and enjoyed this new film, I must say I still prefer the previous Swedish version to this American one. True, Fincher's stylish camera work cannot be matched and his new film is supposed to be even more true to Larsson's original novel, something(s) just couldn't match the original. Rooney Mara's take on Lisabeth is breath taking and easily one of the best performances of 2011. In fact I'd say she's the best thing about this version. Noomi Rapace's portrayal of Lizabeth in the Swedish films is iconic and amazing for different reasons.The original film was more fluid/engaging and featured a stoic, almost two dimensional/Terminator- ish Rapace, playing Lisbeth like Joan Jett on crazy pills. Fincher's new film is the exact opposite. His Dragon Tattoo is sterile and exhausting but showcases a more open/moving portrayal of Lisabeth by Rooney Mara, who comes across as a reluctant gutter punk vixen. Both are amazing in their respective films, but for my money, it's the 2009 Swedish film > 2011 Hollywood version in the end.

Lisbeth Salander(s)

Of course on it's own this is still a very good movie. I'd say it mixes the brutality of Fincher's Seven, with the cold criminal procedural element of Zodiac, and the forlorn longing that underscored most of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It might not sit well with the faint of heart (movies with violent rapes and murders are kind of polarizing like that) but still a gripping film.

Tis' the Season...

2011-12-25T01:27:00.000-08:00

for SHRED-TASTIC Christmas music =p

Hope everyone enjoys themselves this holiday. Whether you celebrate the religious aspect of today (which I don't) or just like getting awesome gifts (I wish) or just like not working. Hell, even if you have to work, I'm sure it's a little slower than usual, and the traffic is light since everyone is staying home so, enjoy your half assed day on the clock. Either way, I'm trying to be cheerful for once so...yeah.

my Xmas face

Can't Wait...

2011-12-23T01:36:00.000-08:00

Two awesome new film trailers took the interwebz by storm this week. Well three, but I'm only going to focus on the two that really got my juices going.

1st: The Dark Knight Rises

Hoooooly feces that got me all tingly. That kid singing the nation anthem all ominous as fuck...how cool is that?! I'm a little worried about Bane's voice and Nolan's tendency to make characters sound quasi retarded, but Bane looks pretty badass IMO...like a Mexican wrestler from hell with a cool/fashionable coat (dear Santa, I'd like a Bane jacket for Christmas please). At first I kind of didn't like seeing Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordin-Levitt in the same trailer because it made me think Inception 2 but I got over that when I realized Cotillard and Anne Hatheway are both in the this and their combined hotness already makes this one of the best films of 2012. I'm super stoked about Catwoman's speech about striking back at Bruce Wayne and his 1% pals. Is this #OCCUPY GOTHAM? Should be sweet.

2nd: Prometheus

Ridley Scott. Alien Prequel. ENOUGH SAID. Yeah I know it's not supposed to be a direct prequel to Alien but I don't care dammit. It's in the same universe continuity wise and Ridley Scott has crafted some damn fine Sci-Fi way back in the day...and now he's got the special effects to do whatever the hell he wants! Also, the cast is top tier. Noomi Rapace, Micheal Fassbender, Guy Pearce, the black dude from Thor, Charlize Theron...sick! This is one of the few instances where I'm ok with Hollywood recycling from it's past. This isn't some desperate cash crab remake/re-imagining crap. This looks legitimately awesome.

So I geeked out pretty hard this week. The Hobbit trailer also arrived to great fanfare but it just didn't get me as stoked as these other two. Ian McKellen does look pretty rad as Gandalf though. NO! Must stop nerding out. Alright. Done.

The Answer Is...(5)

2011-12-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

Just as Jim feared (wow, can't believe I went there), Mr. Pat Hatt's encyclopedic movie knowledge led him to another victory. Thankfully, he abbreviated his answer and allowed a few others to play in the reindeer games as well:

So congrats to G and Nicole as well as the unstoppable movie trivia juggernaut that is Pat Hatt on guessing correctly. Although nobody identified the film's title, their answers proved sufficient enough. The answer to the previous challenge was:

Stanley Kubrick's hilarious 1964 classic, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. The image I selected is of actress Tracy Reed. She plays General Turgidson's sexy secretary/mistress and also doubles as the film's Playboy centerfold, "Miss Foreign Affairs."

What can I say about Dr. Strangelove that hasn't already been said? It's one of Kubrick's finest works and easily stands as not only one of the funniest movies, but you know, one of the greatest films ever made. Nearly 50 years after it's release, Dr. Strangelove's morbid/black humor is as potent as ever. While the Cold War may have ended peacefully, the larger theme of Kubrick's ingenious satire still rings true, that of mankind's uncanny ability to favor irrationality/bat shit insanity over reason and common sense. The smartest species to ever walk the Earth, is also the only one dumb enough to destroy itself and the entire planet as well. It's so tragic/terrifying when you think about it, all you can do is laugh at the absurdity of it all. Thats exactly what Kubrick does in Dr. Strangelove.

awesomeness

The film centers around a paranoid Air Force commander named General Ripper who launches a nuclear attack against the Soviet Union because, well, he's bat shit insane. The President gathers his top military advisers and tries to figure out how to stop the strike and do damage control with the Russians before they retaliate and the entire world is annihilated by way of mushroom cloud. Unfortunately, mostly everyone on the case is either out of their minds or utterly incompetent. Peter Seller's is brilliant playing three different roles. His President Muffley is the ultimate bumbling bureaucrat while his Captain Mandrake character is the film's sole voice of reason. Sellers also plays the film's title character, the president's chief scientist, former Nazi brainiac Dr. Strangelove. Of course my favorite character is George C. Scott's General Turgidson. His character sets the template for modern Neo-Con Rupublican's foriegn policy, which is funny because he's the equivalent of Daffy Duck in a military uniform.

Again, even though the film is nearly half a century old, it's held up amazingly well. I think this serves as a testament to Kubrick's innovative directing. Even the cheesy split screen/model plane shots look cool! 50 years later and his work still seems contemporary. The film's cast is superb, Kubrick's direction flawless and two generations later, the satire/political commentary is still biting. If you haven't seen Dr. Strangelove, I emplore you to do so.

Take a Guess 5

2011-12-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

Time for another Take a Guess challenge! I'm changing things up a little this time. Instead of using a song/video, today we've got an image taken from a film. Can any of you bloggers guess which movie this image is from?

Feel free to answer below in the comments section. Please refrain from using google/wikipedia/youtube to find the answer...cheating gets you nowhere! I'll post the answer tomorrow (or the next time I update) and the winner gets my total movie nerd respect and a shout out/link for being awesome.

I'm a little scared Pat Hatt might dominate these little challenges, not just because he won the previous one, but mostly due to his insanely awesome movie title/rhyme post last month. We'll have to wait and see. Well good luck everyone (else, haha).

60 Fwy Inferno

2011-12-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

So I start feeling better and plan on doing some Christmas shopping yesterday on my day off from work when I step outside and see this:

A gas truck (carrying two full tanks) caught fire on the Eastbound lane of the 60 fwy. This is literally my front yard, well if I had one....damn apartments.

Don't care what that sticker says, fires outside your door aren't cool!

That bridge/overpass was basically my connection to the outside world. It's pretty much destroyed and is currently in the process of being torn down as I type this. While the repairs are going on, the 60 fwy is closed for 2 miles in both directions. As one would imagine, this is causing an absolute traffic NIGHTMARE.

So the toxic BBQ sent up some pretty gnarly fumes into the air. I'm not a scientist/doctor but I'm pretty sure the cough and insane amounts of phlegm I've developed since last night might somehow be related to thousands of gallons of burning chemicals unleashed from the accident. As cool as it's been seeing news crews swarming my hood, and almost being interviewed at the mall and gas station respectively, I'd much rather make it to work on time and not spit black shit out of lungs. Merry Christmas.

AWOL: Sorry

2011-12-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

So I've neglected my blogger duties these past few days. Sorry about that. I was sick, screwed up/injured my arm at work, spent some time visiting family in the hospital and spent the other day with my girlfriend and her grieving family. Tis' the season for fucked up shit I suppose. Eh. I'm alive and well though, as I hope all of you are.

I've heard all these horrible stories in the news lately. Some nut shooting random people on the streets of Hollywood. A guy killing street vendors in Italy. Some Belgian dude throwing grenades at kids! What's going on? The tiny shred of hope I've had for our species is quickly vanishing =/

"You don't believe in Heaven cause we're livin' in Hell."

Rainy Day Jamz

2011-12-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

Some of you might remember that I like it when it rains. Maybe it's because we don't actually get much weather here in Southern California, so I enjoy the periodic rainy days whenever they pop up. I'll be blasting gloomy rainy day music like this all day, with a smile on my face:

Awesome Photo (4)

2011-12-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

My soulmate Kelly Brook, with Verne "Mini Me" Troyer, passed out on her lap.

Sometimes...I wish I was dwarf =/

Trolling is an Art: Rick Perry for President

2011-12-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

This is real:

Aside from this video being utterly hilarious, it's also kind of depressing. It's funny how Perry panders to the lowest common denominator within his party (re: GOP's "base") hoping to clench the Republican Presidential nomination for next years election by combining the two things conservatives hate/love the most, gays & Jesus' birthday, into one xenophobic ad. It's sad that here we are approaching 2012 and we don't have light sabers, jet packs or colonies on the moon, just good ol' fashioned bigotry. The more things change...

On the bright side, this video has something like 96,000 DISLIKES on Youtube as of now. It's only been up for a day and Perry's channel has been flooded with negative feedback over this thing. This causes me to laugh like no other. Why? Why would they post this type of add online? This isn't like buying airtime on some small backwoods morning news show. Either Perry's campaign is run by compete imbeciles, or the man is the greatest political Troll of our time. Neither would surprise me.

To SHAY, or not to SHAY (MARIA)?

2011-12-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

2012: I won't even care if the world ends.

It's now December. That means 2011 is almost gone. Some of you old timers might remember my dilemma during this time last year, when I realized I'd soon have to discard my precious The Big Lebowski calendar. I'm in a similar lurch this time around, as my wonderful Kelly Brook 2011 swimsuit calendar is soon to expire! What ever shall I do? Well, as luck would have it, there's a new 2012 calendar featuring model/dancer/internet phenom, Shay Maria.

Who is Shay Maria? This is Shay Maria.

She's beyond smokin' hot. That first picture is probably the most viewed image on the internet in the last two years. She's lost a lot of weight since she first busted onto the scene (see what I did...) and sometimes her facial expressions seem a bit harsh, but then I tell myself to shut up. Newer/thinner/long hair Shay is still a miracle disguised as a human. That being said, I'm still torn between ordering her 2012 caldendar...or just leaving my Kelly Brook one on the wall for another 12 months. Woe is me.

Times are tough, I called in sick from work a few times last week and will be a little short on cash this holiday season...so it looks like I might have to hold off, if not pass altogether on Shay's calendar. Alas, here's a Shay video to help ease the suffering.

*NOTE*
I guess this is kind of like a bonus/honorary edition of Female Obsession. I don't really know/care enough about Shay to do a proper installment yet, but I guess this counts for something. Merry (early) Christmas.

DrumTHRONE: Ben Koller

2011-12-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

Punk as fuck

Ben Koller is one of my favorite drummers around. Like a human tornado, or Tasmanian devil on speed, the guy doesn't play his instrument, he bombards it. I've been luckily enough to watch Ben shred behind the kit in his main band Converge many times over the years. It doesn't matter where they played, be it tiny shit hole clubs, large theaters or out door festivals, Ben always channeled his inner John Bonham and brought the house down. Renowned for his blazing speed and off kilter times changes/drum fills, Ben is easily one of the most innovative drummers in modern underground, extreme music.

Here's some footage of Ben chillin' in the studio:

While he's made his name playing in Converge over the past decade, Ben is also currently a member of thrashers All Pigs Must Die, trippy punks Acid Tiger, and the hardcore super group United Nations. It doesn't really matter who he's playing with though, Ben has developed a signature playing style that Converge bassist Nate Newton has described as "punk as fuck," and shines through in all of his projects. Of course his drumming with Converge is my favorite amongst his repertoire. The first time I heard his playing on Jane Doe, I just about shat bricks. And he was only 19 or something when he recorded that album!

Sadly, there isn't too many videos of Ben doing damage with Converge online. I've found some pretty rad drum covers for you all to enjoy:
Exhibit A: Awesome Japanese Dude!

Exhibit B: Awesome Portuguese Dude!

These guys did some serious work on these covers but there's nothing like seeing Ben playing these jams for himself.

*Bonus Video*
Ben playing live with Converge.

Chicks with Drums: Meytal Cohen

2011-12-03T16:28:00.000-08:00

Time for another installment of, well...you know.
Meytal is one of the reasons why I love Youtube and prefer the internet to television. She's a talented musician, likes metal/hard rock, is cute (DAT SMILE) and likes hitting things with sticks! *swoons*

She's amassed quite a following online since she began posting regular cover videos on her channel last year. I always look forward to her updates and hope to one day, see her live with some type of band or act...rocking out.

Back to work

2011-12-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

So I'm still kind of sick but had to go back to work yesterday. I figured maybe getting out of the house and back into routine might help me get on my feet again. WRONG. My day went like this:

Here's hoping today, and tomorrow, and the next day...go smoother.

Problems with The Dark Knight

2011-11-30T20:48:00.000-08:00

As many of you observant bloggers already know, I've been sick all week. So that mean lots playing (and losing) a lot more Call of Duty and watching a lot movies. Last night I watched The Dark Knight again. There's something strange that happens with me and Christoper Nolan's last two films, because the more times I see Inception and TDK, the less I like them. Wait. Put down the pitchforks and let me explain. Inception and The Dark Knight are both great films. There's no denying that (well, unless you're a h8er). It's just that after repeated viewings, the faults in each film become more and more visible. Since I saw TDK last, that shall be the focus of this rant. And here, we....GO.

oh Hai Scarecrow.

My first gripe revolves around The Scarecrow. Remember him? Cillian Murphy as Dr. Crane/The Scarecrow in Batman Begins, he was awesome. But then all of a sudden he's yesterday's news in The Dark Knight and Batman captures/punks him in all of 5 minutes. Really? He was badass enough to be the villian of the first film, but now he's like, last season's Dragon Ball Z bad guy and a total chump in part 2? What gives? At first I liked the link between the two and continuity of the whole Nolan/Batman universe, but now it's just kind of insulting and IMO, diminishes the weight of the first film.

Next, the dialogue. Nolan and his brother are a dynamic writing duo if there ever was one (hehe) but dear lawd I cringed at some of the wooden lines these A+ actors were forcibly spitting out. Sometimes, their epic choice of word play works well. Joker preaching about a "better class of criminal" was awesome. Gordon waxing philosophical with his 10 year old son/concluding the film for the audience via voice over, well. It's the ending we need, but not the ending me we deserve. Catch my drift?

Perhaps my biggest problem with movie rests with my home boy Christian Bale. Dude is easily my favorite actor yet his performance in The Dark Knight royally pisses me off. Well actually, it's THAT VOICE! Bale channeling Patrick Bateman is an awesome Bruce Wayne and when he dons the bat suit, he's the sickest Batman ever. Unfortunately, his Batman voice in TDK is beyond over the top (think Rocky Balboa gargling nails dipped in acid) and butchers some of his already stiff dialogue.

"You'll be in a padded cell forever."=/

I didn't let this stuff bother me the first dozen times I watched this film but now it stares me right in the face. Still a great movie though. Amazing visuals, action scenes and stellar performances from Araon Eckhart, Heath Ledger and Gary Oldman. Bale is the new De Niro in my book and became a huge megastar thanks to this flick, I just hope he lays off on the tough guy voice a tad in the next one. As for Nolan, dude has yet to make a bad film, but words of advice, you don't always have to go...deeper

Buenos Dias: I'm Sick

2011-11-29T19:17:00.000-08:00

ALLLLLLLL-Riiiiiiighttyyy-THeeeeeen

So I'm sick. Spent the past two days in bed feeling like recycled excrement. You know the drill. This morning I woke up at 5:00am to use the restroom and lucky for me, couldn't fall back asleep. I watched some of the local morning news programs but they repeat the exact same stories every 30 mins and that got old around 6:00am. Thank God for the Spanish news stations!

Flipping the channels, in a half groggy, nasally congested stupor, I saw a radiant vision on Telemundo's Buenos Dias Los Angeles...her name: Elva Saray.

Now keep in mind this was six o'clock in the morning, I was half dead and had no idea what she or anyone on the broadcast was saying, but I still think I know true love when I see it. So if you're ever up at the ass crack dawn and in Southern California, I highly recommend you watch out for the lovely Miss Saray.

Black Metal Lulz: Hessian Hobbies

2011-11-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since my last Black Metal Lulz post. Fear not, I come bearing grim/hilarious gifts.
This video lampoons the wave of arson fires linked to Norwegian black metal bands in the early 90's, only this time, it's not to punish the Christian invaders, but for father-daughter bonding time!

This is exactly the type of stuff I plan on doing with my brood.

Movie Review: The Muppets

2011-11-25T12:10:00.000-08:00

After a full day of driving and sitting and eating/gorging, sometimes you just want to unwind with some warm and fuzzy lulz. That's exactly what we did on Thanksgiving evening, watching The Muppets. I was taking a chance with this flick, hoping for some mindless fun and not a wretched train wreck. I grew up watching The Muppet Babies cartoon show and remember having The Muppet Christmas Carol on VHS but other than that, I'm wasn't too familiar with the original Muppets cast from the 1970's. I put my worries on hold though, after I recalled Jason Segel's awesome work with puppets in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Luckily, Segel and Kermit didn't let us down.

So the film...it's a movie about muppets. It's funny because it plays on the cheesiness/absurdity of human/muppet interaction. It helps if you have some vested interest in the muppet brand (nostalgia goes a long way) but not entirely necessary. We went with some friends of ours who have never watched the muppets before in their lives yet enjoyed the movie all the same. The characters constantly burst into song and break the fourth wall, reminding us that it's all a movie. It's one thing when humans give a wink wink to the audience but when Fozzie Bear does it with his mouth agape, it's awesomely entertaining. I won't divulge much of the plot, since that isn't really all that important anyways. Lets just say, the muppet crew has been MIA for years but get reunited thanks to Jason Segel's character Gary and his muppet-ish brother Walter (yes, the little dude in the blue suit pictured above is supposed to be Segel's brother! ha) who want to save the old muppet theater from getting destroyed. Amy Adams' song and dance numbers are still enchanting (see what I did there?!), Chris Cooper plays a gnarly villain and the dozen or so celebrity cameos should surprise and delight even the snarkiest cynic. Dave Grohl and Selena Gomez were my favorites. Oh, Gomez...

So if you have a soul and like smiling, I'd recommend The Muppets to just about anyone.

Thursday on Thanksgiving.

2011-11-23T18:16:00.000-08:00

Yes. You are reading that correctly. Not Thanksgiving on Thursday, because this post refers to the band Thursday. News broke that the band is calling it quits after 13 years. Kind of bums me out. I was a huge fan of their 2001 album, Full Collapse. I liked their follow up War All The Time also, but sort of lost track of the band after that. Every time I'd hear about Thursday playing a Warped Tour date or doing a West Coast tour I'd say, yeah I'm down to see them live but never got around to actually doing it. See what happens when you procrastinate for a decade?!

So, I'm bumping some Thursday as I write this. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which always lands on a...Thursday. This is my favorite Thursday song, which happens to fit the spirit of the original Thanksgiving pretty well IMO.

Enjoy your holiday everyone.

under-covers: Cyndi Lauper/Arcade Fire

2011-11-21T21:51:00.000-08:00

"That's all they really waaaaaaaaant"

Here's Cyndi's classic:

Who doesn't love this song? It's easily, one of the catchiest songs in the history of creation. Not to mention, Cyndi Lauper's voice is one in a million.

Now Arcade Fire's take.

This may sound insane, but I kind of enjoy their live version better. The pulsating bassline pushes through everything else and makes ya wanna get funky right?....right? All the 80's electronics and studio effects are gone, leaving only wild, toe tapping musicianship to fill the void. Vocally, Regine is no Cyndi Lauper, but she sings the song with such an honest, giddy school girl quality it kind of makes my bitter heart melt. Also, how rad is it seeing a bunch of six foot dudes singing along to this jam?

Love this song. Love this cover.
What do you think?

*Bonus Clip*
Did you know Cyndi's Lauper's version wasn't the original?! It's technically a cover as well!
The song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" was originally written by some dude named Robert Hazard. He gave the song to Cyndi for her debut album and helped her create the famous version we all know today. HA. My first post...a cover, of a cover!

Singing in the shower

2011-11-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

Loooong day today. Just got home from work. Time to take hot shower and cleanse myself from all the bullshit I've endured, like Ed Norton, American History X style.

Also, this is EXACTLY how I sound when I sing in the shower....just in case anyone was curious.

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

#OWS: 1% Logic

2011-11-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

and now...

The moral learned from these two clips?
Think Small. Save the rich. God bless Citigroup. 99%, enjoy your Ritalin and STFU. Nice. =/

Who knows how long we'll have YouTube, Blogger, Reddit or sites we should not mention that create maxim lulz. The SOPA (Stop Internet Piracy Act) is going through the House of Representatives right now. Designed to protect the interests of the entertainment industry (the internet gives you options, which is bad for crap movies & albums didn't ya know?), this bill might inadvertently...or totally on purpose, lead to the complete censorship/strangulation of the web. But hey, if it works for China and Iran, it's good enough for us.

It's a big club...and you ain't in it!

Republicans/Democrats. It doesn't matter. They all bleed green not red, white and blue. There's not an inch left on the planet that hasn't been bought/sold/imperialized. Hell, "when deep space exploration ramps up, it'll be the corporations that name everything: the IBM Stellar Sphere, the Microsoft Galaxy, Planet Starbucks." You know the drill. The internet is the final frontier. Or at least, it was.

#OCCUPY INTERNET.

*NOTE*
Shout out to Dustee! I discovered those Garfunkel and Oates chicks from one of her posts last week. Thanks again Miss.

Awesome Photo (3)

2011-11-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

A whole gallery of candid, behind the scenes Star Wars photos for your viewing pleasure, available HERE.

*BONUS PHOTO*
because you people are awesome...

Fox Searchlight

2011-11-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

In case you missed my previous post (you know, the one directly below this one!), I'll summarize it by saying, I really liked the new film, Martha Marcy May Marlene. It's now in wide release and shouldn't be too hard to track down. It's a Fox Searchlight film. Another in a long line of awesome little films.
Here's a cool montage celebrating highlights from Fox Searchlight's awesome track record:

Here's the list of all the films shown for the curious:

12" - Sexy Beast, 28 Days Later, The Last King of Scotland

30" - The Full Monty, Bend It Like Beckham, In America, The Wrestler, Stealing Beauty, The Darjeeling Limited, Millions, Night Watch

1'07"- Sideways, Sunshine, Waking Ned Devine, The History Boys, Ameila, Little Miss Sunshine, Garden State

1'32" - Thirteen, The Namesake, Titus, Thank You For Smoking, Antwone Fisher, Street Kings, The Dancer Upstairs, The Good Thief, Waitress, 500 Days of Summer

2'00" - Best Laid Plans, Kinsey, The Savages, One Hour Photo, The Good Girl, The Clearing, Quills, Super Troopers, Once, Boys Don't Cry, Whip It, Notorious

2'30" - Slumdog Millionaire, Juno, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Secret Life of Bees, Water, Sideways, Crazy Heart, The Wrestler

3'00" - Fantastic Mr Fox, Stealing Beauty, I ♥ Huckabees, Notes on a Scandal, The Dreamers, Slumdog Millionaire, The Ringer, 500 Days of Summer, The Namesake, Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine

...and that doesn't include recent films like Black Swan, 127 Hours, Cyrus, The Tree of Life, and now, Martha Marcy May Marlene.

*NOTE*
Don't worry, I haven't see a good portion of those films either! But totally enjoyed the ones I did see.

Movie Review: Martha Marcy May Marlene

2011-11-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

A rose by any other name...

Great film. Horrible title. There, glad I got that out of the way. So yes, there has been great hype around this movie, taking film festivals by storm and generating positive buzz from critics. I was luckily enough to finally get a night off with the ol' girlfriend and hit up the theater for the first time in forever. She likes thriller type pictures so I conned her into checking Martha Marcy May Marlene out with me. We both agreed it was a good film, but I think one of us (me) enjoyed it more than the other...

^^if Maggie Gyllenhaal was pretty^^

Martha Marcy May Marlene is a disturbing, psychological thriller. Elizabeth Olsen (yes, Mary-Kate and Ashley's younger sister!) plays Martha, a troubled young woman who reconnects with her estranged sister after having spent the past few years living with a cult out in the wilderness. Martha struggles adapting to the routines of a "normal" household and has frequent flashbacks of her traumatic experiences on the communal farm. Fantasy and reality start to blur, leaving Martha's family and the film's audience just as bewildered as poor Martha.

The film confronts the viewer with acts of an uncomfortable, if not down right twisted nature. Scenes of rape, violence, and plain old awkwardness (skinny dipping in front of your new brother-in-law = lulz) make up the bulk of this film. The rest is carried by the Elizabeth Olsen's uncanny facial expressions and the stoic creepiness exuded by John Hawkes. Olsen's performance is nothing short of fearless. This, her motion picture debut is one people will be talking about for a long while. At first I was like, "Michelle Tanner's sister looks kind of tore up in this movie," but by the end I was like "...Full House? What? All I see is this amazing up and coming actress." As for Hawkes, dude won tons of accolades for his role in Winter's Bone last year and I'm almost positive he'll be back this award season for his chilling portrayal of the Charles Manson-ish cult leader Patrick here in Martha Marcy May Marlene. His character Patrick doesn't actually do much, but the way he carries himself and creeps into the psyche of his followers and even charms the audience is bedazzling.

Jedi Mind Tricks in action

In fact, the entire film mirrors Hawkes performance. It's slow yet mesmerizing. Restrained, yet eerily terrifying. This film may not be for everyone though. My girlfriend enjoyed it yet claimed she wanted "more." A few people were unsatisfied with the film's abrupt ending (like the old guy who screamed, "terrible!" at the screen) but after much consideration, I've decided I liked it just fine. Isn't that the hallmark of a great film anyways? When it stays with you and leaves you asking questions? Great directors are supposed to show the audience, not tell them. First time director Sean Durkin does just that. All the pieces of Martha Marcy May Marlene are there, it's up to the viewer to form their own conclusions.

MexiCANT

2011-11-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

It's moments like this where I wish I spoke Spanish...

I still lol'd super hard at that video. I imagine it would be funnier if I actually knew what the hell they were saying though =/

21 Jump Street

2011-11-10T00:34:00.000-08:00

I've been a busy lad these past two days playing MW3 (and a bad blogger I'll admit). It's been quite the thrill ride. Things were going oh so well. Then, then I learned about some terrible news...

There's a Hollywood remake of the 1980's TV show 21 Jump Street slated for a 2012 release. Worst of all, it star's Jonah Hill. WHY?! WHHHHYYYY?!

For those of you who don't remember, 21 Jump Street was a sweet ass TV show that ran from 1987-1991. It was about a bunch of young looking cops doing undercover work in local high schools, posing as students and busting all the teenage drug dealing/gun running/prostituting scum that was ruining G.H.W. Bush's America. Might sound lame now but man, it had the sickest theme song/intro ever!

SEE! Holly Robinson (Peete) sang that bad boy as well. Oh yeah..and Johnny Depp was on the show too. You know, biggest movie star on the planet.

Now the Hollywood crap factory is shitting out another turd/re-boot

Ok, I laughed like once of twice during that trailer. BUT STILL! I heard (read online) that the original cast are set to make cameos in this new film. If so, count me in, if only for the Vile Nostalgia factor.

Please Hollywood, stop raping my childhood...

...please!

Moment of silence for Black Ops

2011-11-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

Well, the day is almost here. Call of Duty: MW3 comes out at midnight. That means we all shall officially, be living in a post-Black Ops world tomorrow. Ha. Lame right? All this over a video game but still, serious business you know?

I came into this whole Call of Duty thing a bit late. I didn't own a video game system for years. No, I was content playing Counter Strike on my laptop whenever I couldn't sleep/was bored. My GF didn't like this since I wouldn't answer her calls while pwning noobz on DE_dust so she got me a PS3 one Christmas and a little game called, Modern Warfare 2. The CIA calls this type of shit "blowback." I call it, awesomeness. I gotta admit, I was pretty unsatisfied with Black Ops multiplayer but the zombies, dear lawd the zombies! I don't even know how many hours of my life I've spent on the Kino Der Toten map with my Ray Gun and Bowie Knife. With Modern Warfare 3 being released in mere hours I'd like to have a brief moment of silence for Black Ops and it's always awesome Zombie Mode.

Ok. Done. I'm playing Zombies one more time before I officially start murdering dudes on MW3.

Crunch Time: Metallica

2011-11-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

so let it be written, so let it be done...

Metallica. The biggest metal band on the planet. They're so huge they can cut off their hair, sue their own fans and suck for the better part of thirteen years and STILL play sold out stadiums around the world. My love/hate/love relationship with the band is well documented. It was only a matter of time before I did a Crunch Time feature on the four horsemen and perhaps the greatest song in their repertoire, "Creeping Death."

Usually there's one awesome riff in a song that brings out my inner caveman and makes me want to blog about it from the mountaintops. "Creeping Death," has two! Yes, the first Crunch Time riff comes in at the 0:20 second mark. This main riff is pretty much the heart of song and sets the galloping pace that has gotten heads banging and fists pumping (pre Jersey Shore) for decades! Just hearing this part conjures images of invading nomads swooping down on unsuspecting villages atop demonic horses, armed with fiery swords. Why? Because it's just that awesome.

The 2nd riff comes in after the guitar solo at the 3:38 mark. This is Kirk Hammet's riff he recycled from his days with Exodus and their song, "Die By His Hand." No biggie though, Kirk wrote the riff and just transplanted it into a better song. Still, they kept the lyrics almost exactly the same, tweaking the original phrase into, "...die by my hand." Either way, the playing of this riff makes me stop in place and spontaneously chant "DIE. DIE!" at the top of my lungs.

riff #1- 0:20 riff #2- 3:38

Another thing I love about this jam is, the lyrics. Metallica got the idea for this song while watching a scene from The Ten Commandments and bassist Cliff Burton (R.I.P.) described the plagues against the Pharaoh as being, "...like creeping death." I totally picture the young dudes in the picture above drunk off their asses and having a total Keanu/Matrix moment.

So there it is. Everything about this song rules. Fantasical/sci-fi lyrics, some of Kirk's finest guitar soloing, these two Crunch Time riffs, and when played live, the INSANE crowd participation during the breakdown. I've already shared my favorite clip of Metallica performing "Creeping Death"
live in my original Metallica/Jason Newsted rant last year (it's from their Wood Stock 99' performance if you're curious). So here's my 2nd favorite live version, from their 1993 concert in Mexico City.

I know Cliff basically named the song, and Rob is a damn fine player and renewed the band's energy...but this video reminds me why I miss Jason Newsted =/

#OWS: People Are Strange

2011-11-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

Did I say strange? I meant idiots. At least the people who partook in this 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll are.

They picked Ronald Reagan. Yes, when asked which president they would choose to steer the nation during these perilous economic times...they picked Ronald Reagan over FDR.

mfw

Now I'm not trying to hate on The Gipper. I could rant about how Reagan didn't win The Cold War, bring up the Iran-Contra Affair, his shameful stance on the AIDS epidemic, or his Gestapo tactics against UC students during his tenure as Governor of California...but I'm not going to do any of that. Besides, he liked jelly beans, Star Wars and was kind of senile, so I'll cut him some slack in those areas. What I can't do, is ignore the "voodoo economic" policies his administration implemented during the 1980's that set the field for the warm and fuzzy financial catastrophe we find ourselves in today.

Anyone? Anyone? Voodoo Economics...

Reagan's supply side economic polices, dubbed Reaganomics, were all about lowering taxes, cutting government spending, and deregulating the financial markets. This sound familiar? It's basically the play book from the recent GOP Presidential debates. The only problem is...it doesn't work. Tax cuts usually sound nice, but not when they primarily benefit the wealthy and places a disproportionate burden on those with lower incomes to basically fund the nation. Shrinking the size of government has it's appeal (less functions = less waste), but not when it means cutting services to the very people who are bankrolling the operation in the first place. As for deregulating the financial sector, is it ever a smart idea to reward a gambling junkie with unlimited, federally insured funds? Probably not, or in America's case, definitely not. So Reagan lifted some New Deal regulations and gave Wall Street a license to gamble, and almost bled the middle class dry:

(bonus points for Reagan's son disavowing his Father's handy work!)

So yes, let's bring Reagan back to guide us through this Great Recession. Hell, let's get Jefferson Davis to run the NAACP while we're at. I'm not surprised by the 68% of Republicans who voted for their boy Ronnie in that poll, but man, those 34% of Independents and especially the 16% of Democrats are just, well:

The thing that really gets my eyelids twitching is that Reagan finished above FDR. What the hell are they teaching people in schools? Didn't everyone learn about the Great Depression and Roosevelt's New Deal?! Or his wheel chair cage match with Hitler? No? Guess not =/

*NOTE*
I did kind of hate on Reagan a tad in this post. At least I didn't follow this dude's example!

Halloween 2011: Scary Music Overdose

2011-10-31T02:00:00.000-07:00

It's Halloween. All week I've been spamming my facebook profile with random "dark" themed songs that none of my normal people friends give two shits about. Thankfully, I can always count on you bloggers to put up with my crap!

"...please take my hand."

"...need to know!"

"...enter to the realm..."

"...sworn to black we'll always be."

So happy Halloween. I guess. haha. I worked all weekend so didn't really do much celebrating (other than watching Evil Dead II at a friends house which is always awesome though). This year Halloween lands on a Monday, so blaaah. Here's a pic from a two Octobers ago, the last time I dressed up:

*hint* I'm not the mouse with the crooked ears. I'm the half-assed Abbath!

No Time

2011-10-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

I'm working 6 days this week and 6 days next week as well. I swore I'd scrap together a legit blog post today but I just got home from work and am too tired to stare at the screen for too long, so I'll just share this with you...

Driving home last night. iPod on shuffle. This song comes on:

Immediately started speeding/rocking out.

I forgot how awesome Third Eye Blind's self titled debut album was. They have all the hits, "Semi-Charmed Life," "Jumper," "Graduate" and "How's It Going to Be" lined up all in a row! Twas' the greatest drive home I've had in some time.

The Answer Is...(4)

2011-10-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to YeamieWaffles and Pat Hatt for winning yesterday's Take a Guess Challenge! I've never had two winners before, but you two both know your stuff! Congrats again.

The answer to yesterday's post is:
Fred Dekker's 1987 cult comedy/horror classic, The Monster Squad.

So what is The Monster Squad? Well, imagine The Goonies on steroids. Instead of dealing with crooks and pirates, The Monster Squad kids battle the unholy forces of evil! They're not a bunch of sniveling pussies either. No, the sassy middle school punks from Monster Squad, use foul language, raunchy humor, weapons, explosives and like to look at naked chicks with binoculars, voyeur style. And while Sloth did look kind of gnarly in The Goonies, he's got NOTHING on the awesome creatures in Monster Squad. The film features all the original Universal Studios monsters from the 1930's, re-imagined by Stan Winston and updated for the Reagan era. I first saw this film in either or 90' or 91'. The point is, I was extremely young. My aunt recorded it off HBO one night using fancy VCR technology. I cherished that tape for the next two decades.

swag

So the film follows a group of pre-teens who like to hang in their tree house and talk about monster films/comics and other geeky sci-fi shit. Seems innocent enough, until Mother Fucking Count Dracula comes to town. Dracula starts rounding up a posse, consisting of some jailbait lolita vamps, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, Frankenstein's Monster and the coolest looking Creature from the Black Lagoon (aka the Gill-Man) ever. Strange things start happening, people start dying, 2,000 year old mummies vanishing from museums. You know, weird shit. With all the grownups head's firmly up their own asses, it's up to the members of the Monster Squad to save the day!

Sounds cheesy I know (and it partially is), but this flick is way more mature than it should be. First, the monsters are pretty hardcore. Dracula and the Wolf Man tear through more cops than I can count. Every time you see a dude in a Sheriff hat he's only moments away from getting his ass kicked. That, and they're also trying to kill a bunch of children. Like legitimately kill the fuckers. Dracula evens TNT's their tree house! Second, the kids get away with saying and doing some stuff that simply would not fly in a modern PG-13 movie. Case in point:

Ok, that wasn't so bad. Just a cutesy five year old hanging with a giant zombie, using a little profanity.
The rest of the squad is bit more frank. They curse, vandalize & blackmail their little hearts out and it's oh so amusing. This might sound crazy, but I think the Monster Squad gang was an indirect influence on South Park. Watch this movie a few times and I think you'll agree with me.

my personal hero: RUDY

Like most 80's popcorn flicks, Monster Squad is rife with ingenious one liners. That clip above where little Phoebe calls her brother's gang chickenshit. There's Rudy, the ultimate badass this side of The Man With No Name, valiantly heading into battle saying:
"I'm in the goddamn club aren't I?"
And how could we forgot the moment where Fat Kid kills the Gill-Man and proudly clarifies what his real name is:

So there you have it. The Monster Squad is easily one of my favorite movies of all time. I watched that VHS tape my aunt gave me for 15+ years until I found a bootleg rip of the film on DVD in the mid 2000's. Then, in 2007, the film was finally, officially released on DVD in a special two-disc 20th anniversary edition. I'm still reeling with excitement in case you can't tell!

Here's the clip from The Monster Squad that features the horribly awesome Michael Sembello song from the previous Take a Guess challenge. This is montage of the squad preparing for their coming battle against the monsters is perhaps my favorite 80's montage of all, 2nd only to Rocky IV's training in the snow sequence.

This year, spend your Halloween with The Monster Squad, and kick anyone dressed as a werewolf in the balls =)

Take a Guess 4

2011-10-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last Take a Guess Challenge....time for a new one!

Can any of you bloggers tell me what movie features this song?

Feel free to answer below in the comments section. Please refrain from using google/wikipedia/browsing the youtube comments to find the answer...cheating gets you nowhere! I'll post the answer tomorrow (or the next time I update) and the winner gets my total movie nerd respect and a shout out/link for being awesome.

Immolation & Scion: match made in heaven (hell).

2011-10-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

Last night Immolation played a show here in Southern California. A headlining show with another sweet band I love called Gigan. Alas, I was stuck working and couldn't make it to the show. Even if I had ditched work, there was a family shin dig going on I would have been obligated to attend so, I was doubled fucked from going to this show regardless.

I've seen Immolation several times before but never headlining on their own. Bummer. See, this band doesn't exactly get out much. They're a bunch of regular working class dudes with full time jobs who, for the past 20+ years, sporadically meet up to record albums and tour the country in a van as this interview attests to.

I think that's their secret weapon though. Most bands usually start to suck by this point in their career, but Immolation keeps getting better and better. I actually look forward to their new material. So I was stoked when the mighty Scion swooped in and teamed up with the band to release a brand spankin' new EP, Providence, completely free of charge.

Some people hate on Scion or Vans or Converse or any other company for snooping their noses in the underground metal scene and throwing their corporate money around for publicity. Well I say, MOAR! Moar Scion sponsored albums and music festivals! Immolation is a perfect example of corporate sponsorship done right. The band doesn't have to change their sound and pander to a mainstream audience that will never embrace them to begin with. No, instead they get paid to keep doing what they always do. The audience gets free music/concerts and best of all, it doesn't suck either! Everybody wins. This is my fourth Immolation post of 2011. Three of those posts (including this one) were because of Scion. I rest my case.

Here's a the first song off Immolation's awesome new, Scion sponsored release:

It's heavy, ominous, twisted...and the guitar harmonics sound like angry kittens. Everything I love about this band.

You can get your paws on the the entire Providence EP (for free!) HERE.

Jedi Kittens!

2011-10-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

I'm allergic to cats and I still love this video:

Star Wars and kittens. I'm sure Lucas would have just made them CGI if he had done this, but wheres the cuteness in that man? I'd rather watch this video a 1000x than Episode I in 3D.

Female Obsession: Lucy Liu

2011-10-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous. Intelligent. Sexy. Creative. Lucy Liu is many things, but most of all, just plain awesome. It's been a while since she's appeared on Hollywood's radar but the ever elusive Lucy Liu remains as productive, and beautiful as ever. Welcome to the latest installment of, Female Obsession...

Liu as "Ling"

Lucy Liu began acting on television in the early 1990's. She had a few small roles on random shows here and there (like her awesome appearance on Home Improvement!) until Lucy finally got her big break in 1998, becoming a regular on the Fox smash, Ally McBeal. My mom was all about this show back in the day. The only thing I remember about Ally McBeal was Calista Flockheart danced with that CGI baby, the cast would do karaoke at a piano bar and Lucy Liu's character was crazy. Crazy, and HOT. Lucy Liu's eyes were unnaturally beautiful. It was like she could see beyond the camera lens, across my TV, actually look through me and after wards, slap me across the face. She was terrifying and invigorating at the same time.

Liu crossed over to the big screen and starred in a string of Hollywood films in the early-mid 2000's. Most notably, the Charlie's Angels franchise and Quentin Tarantino's epic, Kill Bill.

If you haven't seen Liu's performance as the deranged mob boss O-Ren-Ishi in Kill Bill, you are missing out. Watch THIS clip, then hunt down the Blu-ray/DVD/bootleg VHS copy and learn something.

Painters Gonna Paint

Of course, Ms. Liu has taken on more than a few questionable roles in, um, how do I say...less than stellar motion pictures. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Code Name: The Cleaner, Rise: Blood Hunter? Yeah, I'm not so sure about those ones. She's stared in the uber succesful Kung Fu Panda animated films but I haven't gotten around to seeing those yet. Regardless of her choice of acting roles, Liu has a lot of other things on her plate. She is also an accomplished painter/artist, practices martial arts, speaks something like 6 languages (Madarin & English fluently, some Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese too!) and is an all around awesome human being, advocating for marriage equality/gay rights.

So yes, Ms. Lucy Liu, you are amazing. I'd love to hang out at one of your art exhibits, talk about film, religion, social issues and maybe even impress you with the handful of Spanish & French words I sort of know. Here's a clip of Lucy being awesome with my personal hero, Craig Ferguson.

Oh yeah...here's Lucy Liu being gorgeous:

*BONUS Lucy Liu Overdose clip!*
*Original Youtube clip was removed =/ Here's new improved version:

Vile Nostalgia: Sisqo

2011-10-18T00:57:00.000-07:00

DAT Glove

Sometimes it's ok to like stupid crap. I just bought Piranha 3D on Blu-ray the other day. Sure it's a horrible movie but in my humble opinion, it's so bad it's amazing. That same logic applies when listening to Sisqo's "The Thong Song." It's just so bad you can't help but love it.

I wasn't the totally depraved death metal aficionado I am now back in 2000. No, back then I still listened to the radio and watched MTV regularly and although more often than not I was starting to lose interest in the mainstream drivel being forced down my throat, something about the "thong song" lured me in. Yeah, it's about sexy women's underwear. Yeah, I was a pervy teenager at the time and yeah the music video was jam packed with hot chicks, but I'm talking about the contents of the actual song. Sisqo's use of repetition is what did it. He's like a silver haired cult leader, chanting his way into the listener's psyche. Repeating the words "truck" "what" and "butt" 3x in a row before going off the map repeating "thong" until your brain wants to suddenly invest in Victoria's Secret.

How about that video? Joseph Kahn is a damn genius! Did you guys like that little SFX sonic boom the dancers do at the 3:04 mark?! I always thought that was rad. After the Matrix came out everyone was trying to do awesome stuff like that for no reason. Oh Sisqo, where are you when we need you man?

Movie Review: Killer Elite

2011-10-17T01:25:00.000-07:00

Don't worry. This review will be short and to the point. Do you like cheesy 80's action flicks? Then you'll love Killer Elite. Tough dudes beating the shit out of other tough dudes. Guns that never run out of ammo. Random explosions. Sickening displays of hand to hand (and groin) combat. Awesome novelty deaths. Occasional boobs on the screen. It's all there. Most of all, the film actually takes place in the 1980's! Yes, Killer Elite is actually a period piece. Who'd have thunk it?!

So the film is supposed to be based on actual, real life events but I highly doubt that. Either way, Jason Statham and DeNiro are badass assassin dudes whose team travels the world killing foos for money. Statham's character decides he's had enough and retires for a spell but he gets sucked back into the business Godfather III style when his homie/mentor (DeNiro) gets captured. Now Statham and his boys have to do some Mission Impossible type ish and take out some gnarly former SAS (British Special Forces) agents or DeNiro gets it. Should be easy enough for these alpha dog assassins but alas, Clive Owen, the epitome of badassery in this film, stands in their way. He's a former SAS nutjob himself and doesn't take too kindly when his buddies start pushing up daisies.

Gettin' Jiggy Wit It

The movie is fast paced, has lots of cool action sequences and doesn't completely insult your intelligence. Be warned, there are a lot of AWESOME displays of facial hair in this movie. Sideburns and mustaches galore! This is definelty a dude's movie if there ever was one. There's only like 3 women in the entire film and 2 of them are naked so you don't have to worry about that. DeNiro's performance is totally phoned in but even on his worst day, he's still friggin' DeNiro man. Clive Owen absolutely steals the show and he's the only character who's name I actually remembered (it's..."Spike"). This was actually the first Jason Statham staring vehicle I'd ever seen at the theater and must say, overall, I was pleased. Good job man. The 80's live on.

Foo Fighters @ The Forum. 10/13/11.

2011-10-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

I remember the exact moment I realized I was a huge Foo Fighters fan. It was in 2005, at the Long Beach Arena. Foo Fighters were doing their first nation wide arena tour and were co-headlining with Weezer. The FOOZER tour as it was called was one hell of a show. I'm an die-hard Weezer geek and always liked the Foo Fighters radio songs, I even owned a few of their CD's, so I figured this concert was a no brainer. Well, Weezer was fun and all but holy shit the Foo Fighters stole the show. I walked out that night with one thought in my head: Foo Fighters do not fuck around.

Flash forward six years later. Foo Fighters have only gotten bigger, having become arena rock masters and even headlining stadiums/massive festivals these days. The band's Los Angeles stop on this tour was their hometown show and they sure made it feel like one. It was just the band, the stage, and 18,000 of their friends hanging out for three hours.

We missed the opening bands due to hunger and hassling to park. Eating before hand turned out to be a genius idea since Foo Fighters played a marathon set that yes, really did go on for close to three hours! Everyone got their money's worth tonight that's for sure. They played a heap of tracks off their newest album, Wasting Light. The album is so good it's stupid. Go get it. Aside from their awesome new material, the band tapped into their massive catalog of hits from their 17 year career and kept everyone on their feet. Songs like "This is a Call," "Monkey Wrench," and "Breakout" for the oldz, "The Pretender," "Skin and Bones" and "Best of You" for the millennials. Not to mention the band's laundry list of anthems. "My Hero," "Times Like These," "One By One," "Everlong." It's kind of astonishing when you think about it. Nothing like hearing 18,000 people drowning out Dave Grohl, screaming "Heee's ORdinaarrrrry!" or "THE BEST. THE BEST. THE BEST."

My two highlights of the night were when they turned "Stacked Actors" into an extended jam/dueling guitar solo battle. Then, when they seamlessly mashed up their awesome new song "Dear Rosemary" with Tom Petty's classic "Breakdown." Pretty rad, especially since Dave Grohl was asked to join Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers after Nirvana disbanded back in the day (learned that little tidbit from the Foo Fighters movie =p ).

A few gripes about the show. Our seats were a little farther than I would have liked. We had a great view of the band, but the sound was little muddled at times. Also, with heat tending to rise and all, it got wicked hot up where we were. Nothing major though. The band's energy and amazingly setlist got us through just fine. I didn't take any photos/video since we were a wee bit out of range for that but seriously I'm sure just about everyone knows what the Foo Fighters sound like anyways. If not...get out from under your rock and Google them pronto!

I'll leave you with some rad footage of Foo Fighters playing "Breakdown" in some lucky bastards garage. Imagine this x18,000 and that's what the show at The Forum was like.

#OCCUPYWALLSTREET/Refused

2011-10-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Serve and Protect...the banks.

Last February I dedicated a Refused track to the rebels in Egypt who were in the midst of revolution. Today I dedicate another Refused song to the #OCCUPYWALLSTREET movement. Despite what the intellectuals at Fox News and The Wall Street Journal would have you believe, this is a legitimate movement and not just a bunch of dirty hippies looking for trouble.

There are new protests taking place in different cities across the country. Yes it's unorganized. Yes their demands aren't crystal clear or 100% uniform but guess what, that's what happens when you're an entirely grassroots movement with truly diverse membership that allows everyone an equal voice in the proceedings. That, and they're operating on the fucking sidewalk/city park.

The #OCCUPY movement is still in it's infancy. Even if the protesters are violently snuffed out by the militarized police/gestapo units in their respective cities (which could happen) the seeds of change have already been planted. People > Corporate/Political Greed.

This is arguably my favorite Refused song. It still knocks me on my ass every time I hear it.
"They told me that the classics never go out of style, but they do, they do..."

Lyrics:

I got a bone to pick with capitalism and a few to break. Grab us by the throat and shake the life away. Human life is not commodity, figures, statistics or make believe. And yeah I like eating excrement and not getting paid for it. Play the guilt, play the fear and play the anxiety x2 Seduced by the opportunity and robbed of hope. Human suffering is not commodity, figures, statistics or make believe. Marginalise away the joy and sell us boredom. And yeah I like working doing nothing and not making anything. Blame the poor, blame the uneducated and blame the sick x2

I took the first bus out of Coca-Cola city cause it made me feel nauseous and shitty.I took the first bus out of Shell town cause they didn't want me hanging around. YEAH. YEAH. I took the first bus. Let's take the first bus out of here.

highlight of my day: NEW AVENEGERS TRAILER

2011-10-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

the title pretty much explains it all. This looks awesome. Even if it the film sucks I'll just re-watch this trailer and imagine a better movie in my head. My day is downhill from here...

R.I.P. Mikey Welsh

2011-10-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

So it ain't so Mikey =/

Former Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh was found dead in his Chicago hotel room this weekend. He was only 40 years old. I've read reports that drugs might have been a factor but I really hope not. Welsh joined Weezer v2.0 in 1998, replacing original bass player Matt Sharp, played on the band's second self-titled album (aka The Green Album) that resurrected their career and then abruptly left the band in 2001 after suffering a nervous breakdown. He left the music business for good, spending the last decade reinventing himself as an artist and family man. R.I.P. sir.

Quentin VS Coen

2011-10-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

MOAR!

Last week I attended a rad little art exhibit at Hollywood's Barndell art park. The occasion? A two day event featuring art that payed tribute to the films of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers...and it was free. How awesome is that?

I didn't take many photos inside the exhibit because it was small/cramped and I didn't want to be a douchelord and get in peoples way. Here is some footage from the exhibit's NYC stop earlier this year (there were three stops, NYC, SF and LA):

Quentin VS Coen - A Tribute to Tarantino & the Brothers from Colin M Day on Vimeo.

I cracked down and bought a print of the angry Samuel L. Jackson/Jules image. The original canvas was going for $3,000 =0

Here's MOAR Tarantino VS Coen Brothers madness for you bloggers to enjoy:

Tarantino vs Coen Brothers from Leandro Copperfield on Vimeo.

X-MEN #1: 20th Anniversary

2011-10-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

...And Time Begins

I was six years old when X-MEN #1 launched in the Fall of 1991. I remember having multiple copies of this issue and reading it constantly just about everywhere I went. 20 years later, my recollection of the story arch is vague (something about Magneto up to no good on Asteroid M) but the images from this issue are forever burned into my memory. Jim Lee's artwork is what did it. I had never seen anything this rad in my entire life. Sure, I was six, but man I simply could not wait for the next month's issue of X-MEN. Viewing Jim Lee's art was like a drug.

The X-MEN animated series began airing the next year.

My favorite comic book became my favorite cartoon show. I collected it all during this point. For the next 8 years I was an avid X-MEN fiend. I read both monthly X titles religiously, bought all the action figures (re: TOYS) and dropped whatever I was doing to watch the cartoon every time it was on TV. Lets not forget about the stacks of trading cards also. I eventually expanded beyond strictly X titles, exploring more of the Marvel Universe and a few DC and Image comics as well.

The early to mid-90's were fun times for young comic fans. There were a lot of us also, in fact, a little too many. See, I was apart of the comic book speculation crash of 1993. People forgot that old comics were valuable because they were rare. That X-MEN #1 sold over 8 million copies. Yes, MILLION. Needless to say, most of my X-MEN comics from the early to mid 90's are worthless. That is to say, monetarily worthless. There's nothing more valuable than getting a young child's imagination going.

94' Flair X-MEN cards. so much WIN

My girlfriend works with special ed. kids. They may have learning disabilities but these kids still love music, video games and yes, comic book superheroes. I gave her a box of at least 1,000 old Marvel trading cards to distribute amongst her classroom. She says the kids LOVE them. I'm also in the process of trying to donate a large (and damn heavy) box of comics to a local middle school's after school reading program. Reading comics as a kid helped expand my vocabulary/comprehension skills and undoubtedly made me a brighter student. Not to mention all the good guys VS. bad guys story lines subversively crafted a clear distinction between right and wrong in my head. I hope these kids get as much out of them as I did.

Of course I'm not getting rid of all my old comic books. Hell, I still have a box of 1st appearances & crossover/event issues from the 70's and 80's that are worth a few grand and I plan on holding on to those ones for a while longer! Then again, I didn't get into collecting comics for the money. I was 6 years old folks. No, I got into comic books because Jim Lee's damn amazing artwork and the insane fantasy world it sparked in my head.

90's attitude

So while X-MEN #1 is now 20 years old and essentially worthless (with copies available in quarter bins across the country) Marvel knows a good thing when it sees one and will commemorate the anniversary of this iconic book by reissuing X-MEN #1 with modern computer ink/coloring updates. I haven't bought a comic book in years...but I'm getting this!

X-MEN #1 2.0

Sic Semper Tyrannis

2011-10-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

That's what John Wilkes Booth said when he assassinated Lincoln. It means "thus always to tyrants" and makes these two skits from Whitest Kids You Know even more hilarious.

Chicks with Drums: Lux

2011-10-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

Because you demanded it:

I give you...Chicks with Drums.

This ties in with my previous DrumTHRONE: Dave Lombardo post quite nicely. Today I leave you with the lovely Lux doing a cover of Slayer's "Postmortem." Lux is as talented as she is adorable and I'm not quite sure how but she also plays drums in heels.

DrumTHRONE: Dave Lombardo

2011-10-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Still Reigning...

Dave Lombardo is a legend. Plain and simple. The undisputed king of thrash metal drumming, Lombardo has been flying behind the kit for over 30 years. His innovative playing style is to modern metal drumming what Eddie Van Halen is to guitar shredders. Lombardo is completely self taught and has played with a variety of acts, ranging from metal bands like Slayer and Testament, to Mike Patton's experiment in terror/mind-fuckery Fantomas and orchestral rockers Apocalyptica. One thing is for sure, no matter what he's playing, Dave Lombardo always brings his unmistakable grooves and serious need for speed to the table.

It's remarkable that this dude keeps getting better over time. If I'm HALF as mobile as that when I'm in my mid 40's it will be a miracle.

I don't remember the first time I heard Slayer but I do remember coming home from the store (The Wherehouse I believe) and spinning my very own copy of Reign in Blood for the first time. The album is short, about 28 mins in length which meant I gave it multiple spins that afternoon. Aside from loving Slayer's whole metal meets punk on steroids approach, I simply could not stop thinking about the drums. Every snare crack sounded like Dave was chopping wood. His ride cymbal echoed in my head for days. And then there's the double bass. I was already into Metallica and heard stuff from newer bands (at the time) like Slipknot who incorporated double bass drumming into their music but seriously, nothing prepared me for Dave Lombardo's playing with Slayer. This man single handily took this style of playing to a whole new level.

skip to the 4:00 min mark for Dave's uber famous "Angel of Death" double bass onslaught.

So while there may be faster drummers nowadays, no one plays as powerfully or is as downright cool as Dave Lombardo.

*NOTE*
My first concert ever was Slayer's H82K2 (hate 2002...gotta love the early millennium right?) and Lombardo's other great double bass solo during "At Dawn They Sleep" was so loud my ribs started shaking and I actually feared I might have a stroke/heart attack before the night was over. I'm not joking. Shit was awesome.

Jimmy Eat World @ The Wiltern. 9/29/11.

2011-10-02T01:08:00.000-07:00

Time fucking flies doesn't it? Jimmy Eat World played a special Los Angeles show to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their breakthrough album, 2001's Bleed American. If you lived in the United States during the early 2000's, there's a good chance you heard songs like "The Middle," and "Sweetness" all over the radio and MTV (before reality shows took over). Hell, I remember working at Sam Goody and listening to this album on the store stereo system all day long. The song's were catchy, memorable but most of all powerful. Powerful enough that I still know all the lyrics a decade later. The jammin' songs rocked and the softer ballads were heartfelt but genuine. That's what I look for in music. That's my common ground between Slayer and Jimmy Eat World you know? Is it genuine? Bleed American is just that. Like the title says (never mind the post 9/11 censorship that saw the album changed to simply Jimmy Eat World for several years), this album literally bleeds raw emotion.

kickstart my rock 'n' rolling heart

So about the show. Sold out venue filled with rabid fans plus a set list consisting of the band's breakthrough album amounted to nothing short of pure awesomeness. They opened up with "Bleed American" and the next 50 minutes was like some kind of surreal form of time travel. All those years of air drumming in my car to "A Praise Chorus," all the memories goofing off at the record store singing "Sweetness" horribly out of key. From the bitter separations that prompted many listens of "Your House," and the playful nervousness I felt listening to "The Authority Song" and it's lyrics "I don't seem obvious do I?" with my girlfriend for the first time way back when.

Nostalgia is awesome and all, but all that mushy crap aside, the band just seriously rocked. You wouldn't know they've played these songs a million times before, the passion and energy they put into their performance was inspiring. Jim Adkins is really one of the most engaging frontmen I've seen. He just stands there and plays/sings his heart out. No tricks or stages moves or anything special, other than his genuine passion for being onstage.

The band returned and did a ten song encore that spanned the length of their career. Old gems such as "Goodbye Sky Harbor" and "Blister" mixed with newer material like "Big Casino" and "My Best Theory." People were talking about hopefully getting a Futures 10th anniversary show in 2014. The way the audience reacted when J.E.W. played "Work" "23" and "Pain" proved that they weren't joking around. I remember buying Futures at Tower Records like it was yesterday. Maybe because I got so used to writing the date on my homework back back in the 90's, but the thought of anything taking place in 2014 sounds absolutely frightening to me. Like I said before, time fucking flies. I'll still be listening to Bleed American though. Here's to that Futures anniversary gig fellas.

Movie Review: Drive

2011-09-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

I did not see this one coming. I really didn't. Some of you bloggers might remember how much I loved Nicolas Winding Refn's film Bronson, so naturally I had high hopes for his latest movie Drive. Well, Drive shattered all expectations and easily stands as my favorite movie of the year. Unless this coming holiday season brings it's A game, I'm almost certain Drive will end up on the top of my list.

First, Drive is not a car chase flick à la The Fast and the Furious. If you come into the theater expecting a macho muscle car ADD fest you will be horribly disappointed with this film. A few people walked out of the theater I attended and I wondered why? Then I went online and saw Drive's trailer and said, "Ohhhh." No matter how gnarly and testosterone filled the trailer might seem (guns drawn, cars flipping over, etc) don't fall for it. Drive is an entirely different beast altogether.

Try to imagine a Brothers Grim fairytale infused with Coen brothers Film Noir. Imagine what would happen if Clint Eastwood's "Man with no name" was transported to the grimy Downtown Los Angeles of James Cameron's Terminator. How about Michael Mann telling an existential love story, while sprinkling obscene bits of grindhouse violence for shits and giggles. If any of those descriptions tickled your fancy, Drive should be right up your alley.

Ryan Gosling is the film's protagonist. A Hollywood stunt driver/mechanic by day who moonlights as a wheel man for criminals at night. Gosling has the prototypical lone wolf shtick down to a science until he encounters Irene, a sorrowful damsel in distress played by Carey Mulligan. Our stoic driver swoops in on his horse/Chevy and must protect Irene's family from the scum and villainy that inhabit Refn's seedy Los Angeles.

Love in an elevator

Everything about this film is amazing. The cast is stellar. The cinematography is breathtaking. Hell, even the sound is awesome. I shit you not, listening to the wind blowing during the hotel scene or Gosling's leather gloves tighten will leave you jostled. Of course you can't talk about Drive and not mention the soundtrack. Refn's choice of 80's style synth-pop initially grated my ears after the opening scene but guess what? By the time the credits rolled I was humming along like an idiot and loving every second of it. Overall, Drive is a beautifully twisted film. It's sleek and hyper stylized without being soulless. On the contrary, Refn's film meticulously wrenches emotion from its audience. I could literally go on for days about how great this movie is. My advice is, go see Drive for yourself.

*NOTE*
Here's the part where I usually insert the film in question's trailer. Well, Drive's trailer has, in my humble opinion, way to many goddamn spoilers so instead I've got my favorite song off the film's soundtrack. Listen to this song with your eyes closed, imaging you're behind the wheel of a 1973 Chevy Malibu and you'll get the gist of it.

ok...here is the actual trailer for those who need more convincing. Be warned, SPOILER CITY.

On Marriage:

2011-09-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

I see a lot of status updates and photo uploads on facebook these days dealing with marriage. People getting engaged or friends posting drunk pics from wedding receptions. It's all so, sickening. ha.

I don't know. Part of me sees marriage like this:

as a necessary evil needed to advance/function in society.

Then I remember that even the best of relationships can quickly sour and transform into something like this as soon as marriage enters the equation:

Some might say I'm being overtly negative/pessimistic regarding my views on marriage. To this I say, you're right. Long term relationships and the concept of love are great and all, but I'm just not too thrilled about being a legally bound indentured servant once that ring goes on the finger.

If I do ever decide to walk the plank and get hitched, I hope I'll be lucky enough to have a strong and lasting marriage like my hero down below. He makes it seem oh so easy.

setting the example

My Favorite Soda/Soft Drink

2011-09-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

In my last post I asked you bloggers to reveal your favorite soda/soft drink. Thanks to all who participated. Stuff like this is what makes the blogging game so rad. Did I really just say/type that? *sighs*

Well in case that giant image up above didn't ruin the surprise, Pepsi is my hands down favorite soda. Like, I end up favoring certain restaurants/eateries because they sell Pepsi. I'm not kidding. Aside from it's delicious taste, I've always just thought Pepsi was cool. Maybe I've just been brainwashed by years of genius marketing. For example:

remember this from Fight Club?

Holy crap! Alfonso Ribeiro aka "Carlton Banks" drinks Pepsi too! Oh yeah, Michael Jackson.

Hell even my second favorite soft drink is Mountain Dew...which is owned my PepsiCo. And there you have it. I substantially cut back on drinking this stuff years ago. At home I'm all about Powerade, juices and most importantly, water. So I don't always drink soda, but when I do, I drink Pepsi.

What's Your Favorite Soda/Soft Drink?

2011-09-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

the power...is yours!

Quick question bloggers, what is your favorite soda/soft drink? I'm really curious about this. I try to limit my soda intake and have successfully cut back from the amount I used to drink, but every once in a while I give in and need a tasty beverage to wash down that Big Kahuna Burger ya know?

So what do you people drink? Here's the situation:
You're eating at a joint that doesn't have a liquor license so booze is out of the question. What is your drink of choice? GO!

This video is kind of related. It's one of my girlfriend's favorite songs and also, one of her favorite drinks as well.

Kylesa, Intronaut & Ides of Gemini @ The Troubdaour. 9/2/11.

2011-09-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

So I've been lagging it with this concert review for some time. Kylesa's headlining set was filmed by camera crews for an appearance on Last Call w/ Carson Daly. I was hoping the episode would air so I could share/link some HQ footage with you bloggers, but alas, the show won't air until next week and I'm getting sick of waiting. Also, the lighting at the Troubadour was super dim so I don't have any photos to post either. =/ Here is the only decent video I managed to record, but the song is super rad so, your welcome.

Kylesa and Intronaut together again. I saw these two play a special one off show (with Made Out of Babies!) at the Echoplex a few years back. It was a great show. Tonight would be no different.

Ides of Gemini was playing as we walked in. I knew nothing about these group beforehand but recognized that dude from Decibel magazine on guitar and later found out the singer was the chick from Black Math Horseman. I really wished I could have caught their entire set but the last song I saw was damn good. There's something eerily beautiful about their music. Haunting might be a better word.

Intronaut was next. I've had a love/hate relationship with them recently. The band has changed a lot with their last two albums, becoming more "spacey prog" and less "yelling metal." Sometimes I'm ok with this and sometimes I'm like, "NO, I want my old Intronaut back. Stop singing." Well after their performance on this night, new Intronaut has successfully gotten me to stop my bitching and enjoy the ride. They played new stuff off Valley of Smoke with some serious firepower, but it was like they weren't even trying either. The band has reached some kind of "awesome autopilot" at this point when it comes to their live shows. Also, I don't know how many times I've listened to "The Literal Black Cloud" but it's never sounded heavier then when they played it here at the Troubadour. Pummeling. Oh yeah, and Danny Walker is still a raging beast on the drums. DEFINITE DrumTHRONE inductee there.

Kylesa took a little longer than expected to take the stage. I'm sure it had something to do with the cameras/recording setup for their big television debut. Either way, when the band did come out, they were more fired up then I'd ever seen them. By now I was pressed alongside the right corner of the stage near Philip (guitarist/vocalist) and and got an awesome view of the band's dueling drummers. Yeah Laura (2nd guitarist/vocalist) was on the opposite side of the stage but I could still hear her shrieking her heart out just fine. The band predominantly ripped through tracks off their latest head trip Spiral Shadow as well as songs from their breakthrough 2009 album, Static Tensions. Everyone in the audience was beyond stoked with the band, and this included some of the Carson Daly camera guys too! I caught one of the camera dudes near the center of the stage singing/rocking out a few times. Hell, I bet that guy was probably responsible for getting the band on the air in the first place. See, us underground metal scum are taking over. Today it's Last Call with Carson Daly, tomorrow....the world.

Star Wars/Full Metal Jacket

2011-09-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Wow. How could I have NOT seen this before....easily the most lulz I've seen in some time.
I've always wondered what a Lucas/Kubrick collaboration would be like. Now I know.

sound off like you got a pair....LAUGH!

Awesome Photo (2)

2011-09-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

This next photo amuses me on a few different levels. It's Sasha Grey at some HBO Emmys party or something.

Think about it. Sasha Grey. Emmys.

I'm not hating on her though. Sasha Grey seems like one rad chick who I wouldn't mind hanging out with. We could talk about Sartre, Soderbergh and Satanic Black Metal. Cool stuff you know?

Anthony Jeselnik

2011-09-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen. I probably won't watch it but I kind of want to. Anthony Jeselnik is one of the roasters and the dude is easily one of my favorite comedians around. I saw him at the Hollywood Improv a few years ago and was blown away at how over the top this guy gets. His humor is dry and requires a bit of thought to comprehend but man, the shit this guy says will either convince you that he's horrendous or brilliant. I vote for the latter.

1 Year Anniversary (kind of)

2011-09-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary since I started Jim's Fear . I still remember sheepishly writing up that first post, wondering how I'd be able to come up with more original entries in the future, and expecting droves of negative comments for my, uh, odd choice of tunes. It ended up going over well since I had no followers and nobody really saw it anyways. HA.

It's been a year + 1 day since then and now I've got more segments here @ Jim's Fear than I can keep up with (Movie Reviews, Concert Reviews, Crunch Time, Female Obsession, Take a Guess/...And the Answer Is, plus the newly created DrumTHRONE)! That, and I've amassed a small group of, if not loyal I'd say, "genuinely interested" followers amongst the many spammers and troll blogs out there.

So thanks for following and or tolerating this random hodgepodge of blog I've strung together this past year. If I was to suddenly stop blogging tomorrow, I could honestly say it's been a fun ride. How much longer will Jim's Fear last? Who knows? I don't. Maybe, beyond infinity? And theeeere's the cheesy tie-in to this next song. My first post featured The Dillinger Escape Plan's "Jim Fear," one year (+ 1 day!) later and it's "Calculating Infinity."

Musical Geniuses Part II

2011-09-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Unexpected post! I was surfing the interwebz and hit up MetalSucks.net for my daily fix of heavy metal news/lulz/gossip and other crap when I stumbled upon their post about The Axis of Awesome's latest video.

With their "4 Chords" video, this Australian comedy act highlights how eerily similar most pop songs are. I was kind of astonished how well this turned out so now I'm sharing it with you bloggers. Enjoy:

Musical Geniuses

2011-09-13T00:34:00.000-07:00

The Dream Team

I've already ranted about how much I love South Park, especially when Eric Cartman uses his angelic voice and bursts into song. Today I'm going to pay tribute the men behind America's favorite crude 4th graders, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

Perhaps the only thing I love more than their hilarious jokes, brazen satire and utter disdain for organized religion are their ridiculous musical talents. Aside from crafting awesome little jingles throughout South Park's 15 season run, the two have been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song and recently swept this year's Tony Awards with their new musical The Book of Mormon. Critical praise/accolades are nice and all, but I've got to say my favorite Parker/Stone musical project is their over the top rock band, DVDA (Double Vaginal, Double Anal).

Here are 3 of my favorite DVDA tracks that I'm sure many of you are already familiar with:
Here's the theme song to their 1997 cult classic film Orgazmo.

Next we have Osama Bin Laden's favorite song of all time, the theme from 2004's Team America: World Police.

Finally, a song that still brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it, from South Park's 8th season, I leave you with:

Trey Parker singing about his balls in Japanese = COMEDIC GOLD!

9/11- A Decade Later

2011-09-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Why?

We all knew it was coming. The ten year anniversary of the September 11, 2001 tragedy. Ten years ago the world watched as thousands of innocent people died on live television. How many first responders risked their lives to help search for survivors and now find themselves on their deathbeds, battling strange cancers and respiratory diseases? What's the cost in dollars and more importantly, human life, from the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that stemmed from this single day?

No matter what you believe happened or who was responsible for 9/11, a tragedy is the best way to describe this event.

I could go on a long winded 9/11 Truth type rant here but I honestly don't have the energy for that right now. So while I'll spare you the conspiracy theory lecture, I'll end with this:

If there is a hell, I hope Dick Cheney enjoys his stay there when his pacemaker finally gives out. You got your "new Pearl Harbor" you bastard.

Movie Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

2011-09-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

I heard rave reviews about this film. I had friends tell me how much they enjoyed it. There were a lot of reasons why I should have already seen Crazy, Stupid, Love but somehow, the film just never caught my interest. Then again, I'm an idiot. This was easily was one the most enjoyable films I've seen in some time.

Bang Bros.

Steve Carell plays Cal Weaver, a pathetic shell of a suburban dad whose wife, played by Julianne Moore, announces that she's cheated on him and wants a divorce. Cal has a bit of a breakdown and starts boozing it up every night a happening downtown bar which attracts the attention of Ryan Gosling's ultimate ladies man character Jacob. Jacob takes Cal under his wing and teaches the previously emasculated loser (with his Supercuts hair style and clothes from The Gap) how to strut his stuff and bone hot twenty-something broads like a champ!

Of course things flip turn upside down when long lost emotions start to resurface in all of the film's characters. Not just in Cal but for other members of his family as well as in the coldly calculating Lothario, Jacob himself. What makes Crazy, Stupid, Love so successful is it's serious look at love at all levels of the human experience. From grade school crushes and one night stands, to 20+ year marriages and bouts of infidelity. The film explores just how intoxicating and heartbreaking this raw emotion can be. Anyone with a pulse who has ever longed for another human being will have something to identify with here.

It also helps that the script/dialogue is sharp. The all star cast does an amazing job of grounding these often goofy characters with some sense of reality. Gosling and Carell have some strangely awesome chemistry together while Emma Stone is as cute/funny as ever. Of course the film's secret weapon is the always entertaining/gorgeous, Marisa Tomei. She may only have a small role in this film, but like even the tinyiest of diamonds, she sparkles, shines and proves extremely valuable in the end.

Jim's Fear, Female Obsession: March 2011

So go see Crazy, Stupid, Love...or as I like to call it: Funny, Smart, Entertaining.

Jane Doe Anniversary

2011-09-07T02:28:00.000-07:00

Still staying gold

September 4th marked the 10th anniversary of one of my favorite albums of all time, Converge's 2001 epic, Jane Doe. The good folks over at Invisible Oranges wrote a nice little something commemorating the awesomeness of this record. Here's my own brief little rant for you all to enjoy...

Listening to Jane Doe is one of the most blissfully excruciating experiences you'll ever have in your life. First, the production is LOUD. Not in your face but rather through your face, loud. The opening guitar notes on "Concubine" conjure images of claustrophobic meth addicts in a confined space. Pure, unhinged depravity. The closing moments of the lumbering title track/album closer "Jane Doe" are emotional enough to make Oscar Schindler weep. Listening to this album all the way through flushes out every emotion under the sun.

The music is beyond metal and hardcore. Song's run the gamut from blast beats to space rock but no matter what genre Converge dabbles in, they always sound authentic. Jacob Bannon's lyrics and vocal performance on Jane Doe have become the stuff of legends. Chronicling the messy deterioration of a long term relationship, the story Jacob tells on Jane Doe constitutes the gnarliest "break up" album ever created. Good luck trying to decipher the lyrics though. Jacob's vocals are damn near inhuman and sounds like a dying velociraptor most of the time. All in all, this album is one of the most abrasive, painful and hauntingly beautiful records I've ever encountered.

Heaven in Her Arms

This album has gotten me through some dark times as it has countless others. The Jane Doe image has become this millennium's Misfits skull. People adorned their bodies with this album's iconic image and do all kinds of other crazy shit in it's honor. Like this:

Bitter...and then some!

I can honestly say this album has changed my life for the better. I know this stuff isn't for everyone, hell, even I couldn't understand what the hell I was listening too when Jane Doe first came out, but once it clicks, it's like some kind of amazing drug (I'd imagine). Celebrating a ten year anniversary is cool and all, but really, this is the type of record that will stay with you for a lifetime. Thank you Jacob, Kurt, Nate and Ben.

*NOTE*
check out Decibel Magazine's special Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of the Decade for an in depth making of Jane Doe feature. Spoiler alert....it ranked #1.

"There Are No Pacts Between Lions and Men"

2011-09-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

I was up late some time last week and watched part of Troy on TNT or TBS or some basic cable TV station. For those of you who don't remember, Troy is the 2004 Hollywood schlock fest of a movie that puts a blockbuster spin on Homer's The Iliad. The movie is pretty campy but entertaining nonetheless. Of course since it was broadcast on TV most of the cool stuff was edited out, like this awesome fight scene between Achilles and Hector (the highlight of the damn movie!). I went and hunted for the scene on the web and now, here it is!

Achilles vs Hector by TroikosPolemos

Crunch Time: Pantera

2011-09-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

*Welcome to the latest edition of Crunch Time, where I swoon over some of my favorite HEAVY riffs.*

Pantera. Arguably the biggest metal band of the 1990's (Post-Black Album Metallica doesn't count). I wrote a lengthy nerd rant/article about my love for these dudes last year. Now I'm here to gush about one of my favorite Pantera riffs, the one that makes me stop what I'm doing and immediately begin stomping my imaginary enemies to pieces, every single time I hear it. I'm talking about the CRUSHING main riff from the middle section of "Strength Beyond Strength." I still remember the first time I heard this song. The track begins with that break neck thrash tempo and I thought, "wow, I've never heard Pantera play this fast before." Then the song gets to the middle and the overpowering might of Dime's guitar tone caused my bowls to shift and I suddenly needed a diaper. I went from "wow this is a fast song," to "OMG this is the heaviest thing I've ever heard in my life!" Here it is folks, the lumbering behemoth of a riff kicks in @ 1:10 mark.

The power. The sheer power of this riff is unstoppable! It's so simplistic and haunting, it conjures up images of a Neanderthal performing brain surgery with a rusty crowbar. STRONGER THAN ALL.