Revival of Vinyl Part II: The Revival Begins?

So awhile ago (and by awhile I mean months and months ago) I did a piece on the possible revival of vinyl. As we all know, vinyl is the format that our parents used to listen to music, while now a days we kids download everything we listen to, and if not that, function by using compact discs (remember those?!).  I for one am really sick of all of our music being little bits of data that sits at our computers, humming away electronically. Buying megabits from corporate Nazi Steve Jobs really isn't the way things are supposed to be. Also, the music sounds different. Its cold, metallic. It doesn't have the warm presence that vinyl brought into a room. Sure, everything electronic rules all now, and thanks to the compression of music, its more easily accessible and transportable, and it can get to more people. I understand all of this to be a good thing. But as I've mentioned before I believe that thanks to new technology, music is viewed as more of a product than an art form in today's world. That it alienates the listener from the music, everything sounds too digital and sterile, etc etc.

BUT while flipping through the latest issue of Rolling Stone Magazine I cam across some great statistics that warms my LP lade heart.

Sales for 2008 of all vinyl units are expected to hit 1.6 million, greater than 2007's 1 million mark: thus showing us that vinyl sales are up approximately 60%...in only one year!!  If this movement of people switching to an older but familiar format of music, vinyl could soar in 2009, and possibly (though I dare not say it) possibly come close to giving iTunes a run for its money.

Though that's not very likely, one can hope. Hopefully, artists will continue to do things like release special edition vinyl for all their hardcore fans, or follow the route of great bands like the Arcade Fire, and release their album on vinyl first and then include downloading codes to get the songs digitally. Great idea, right? This way, everybody wins: fans can keep the tracks they love on their computers as well as on their turn tables.

Another trend for artists is to re-release digitally remastered copies of their album back on to vinyl, giving it great sound quality but also integrating that with the originally sound of vinyl, to come up with a listening experience like no other (an example of this is the Sex Pistols Album Never Mind the Bollocks which has been re-issued).

Also, just a few things to get you in the mood for some serious vinyl: Watch the movie High Fidelity. Not only is it a great, funny, off beat romantic comedy, but the main character owns his own record store and is heavily involved in all things music. If that doesn't turn you on to it, it stars John Cusack (yes, THAT guy who held a boom box above his head in the rain and set the standard for all guys) and funny man Jack Black who is as funny as ever. A must see for anyone.

And last but not least, sleeveface.com. Sleeve Face is a site where you can post pictures of yourself holding a record in front of your face or some other body part. Sounds simple enough, right? Well some people get really creative with it, and I could literally spend hours trolling through pages upon pages of hilarious creations. They also have a book out now featuring the best of the best. By the way, no I'm not getting paid to promote this stuff, I just love it and am a huge fan. 

As for me, I'm doing my part by (hopefully) getting a turntable in the next little while and stocking up on some sweet vinyl. Now, I'm not going to plead with you to do the same, but I'm just saying this: if you have an old turntable in your basement that's been collecting dust for the past few years, now might be the time to dust off that old wheezer and plunk a record on it. Who knows? You might be the first of your friends to be on to 'the hip new thing' and if not....well at least you know that somewhere, I'm giving you a thumbs up (or something equally as dorky......at least I will, if I'm not too busy listening to an original cut of Blonde on Blonde, that is).

Hibernation, Christmas and Movie Reviews

So as you have probably noticed, yours truly hasn't been posting blogs in awhile. Maybe you've been sad to sit down at your computer and realize that 'Hey, whatshername hasn't written anything lately. Boy, do I miss her cynical way of thinking and razor sharp witt.'.....and then again maybe you haven't. But anyways, its true that I haven't been writing a lot lately. I blame this on the fact that its winter, and when winter comes around, I become a bit of a bear in the way that I sleep for mass quantities of time. Its insane, really how much I sleep in a day now. I could put  a sloth to shame.

But I digress: as I've mentioned before, its winter which means it's also my winter break.....which in turn means that I have a whole lotta free time on my hands. And what do I turn to when I have nothing to do? Movies, of course! 

So seeing as how I'm sluggish lately and have a lot of movies and a lot of free time on my hands, I have a proposition: I'm going to do movie reviews! Yes, lucky you, right? How wonderful it will be for you to sit down at your computer and read my thoughts on a movie that, given is a few years old, you may have forgotten or never even heard about! Think of it as my....belated Christmas gift to all of you: A week of movie reviews! 

All the films that will be watched are, of course, of my own personal collection, and what a collection it is! I have actors from Jack Black to Will Ferrell to Jude Law to Christain Bale (that's right folks: BATMAN).  So sit back and relax, and enjoy. First review, coming later today.

Larping, Batman, WoW, Comic Books, Indie music and more

Was it Bill Gates who first said 'One day, nerds will rule the world'? Maybe not, but it seems like that day has come and past, and that we are now living in The Age of The Geek, where the coolest thing you can do, is be un-cool.

This social movement has been slowly occuring over the past few years, but it seems like this year more than ever the nerd scene has exploded all over North America, and possibly the rest of the world too. Ever since the invention of highschool....or human beings, the nerd has existed. Just like everyother sub group of people around, they have a culture that is very specific to them and their unique tastes, and it hasn't changed very much over the past 50 years. They read comic books, play video games, listen to obscure music and for the most part, are the lanky passive aggressive kids that will end up helping the world more than that jock sitting at the popular table ever will. What evidence do I have to back this up? Alot.

First of all, every single big movie this year has been based off a comic book or a video game: The Hulk, Ironman, The Dark Knight (WHICH, by the way, is the second biggest movie of all time....so THERE), Hell Boy II (and most recently, Max Payne, which was a video game...but from what I hear, the game was better, sorry Mark Walhburg) and also Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

The most anticipated movie of 2009 so far is Watchmen, which of course is based off of the ground breaking graphic novel by Alan Moore of the same name (other novels of Moores have been made into films too, including V for Vendetta and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). The movie/novel follows a group of masked vigilantes in the dystopian 1980's, where the Death Clock is set at 10 minutes to midnight. I've read it, and it's awesome. Just thinking about it makes me geek out, and after seeing some footage thats been released from the movie, it looks like its going to be amazing. 

World of Warcraft is one of the best selling online video games of all time, too, with over 11 million montly subscribers world wide. It has become so immensly popular that everyone of all all races, genders, ages, etc can play it, and South Park did a satire of it in the Emmy nominated episode Make Love, Not Warcraft that was viewed by millions. 

Lastly, industries such as the Comic Book Industry, the Indie Music Industry and the Graphic Novel Industry have had a huge flux in sales...it seems that more and more people have become interested in the obscure. To be seen thumbing through Ghost World while listening to Matthew Sweet, while at a Starbucks drinking a Chai Latte while also updating your tech blog is to be god in this new social wave. 

Also, we have to take a look at what we've been seeing in movies: between Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, Napolean Dynamite (and yes, unfortunatly) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, we're shown protagonists that aren't the swave, cool people we're used to seeing. These people are overweight or lanky, they don't have perfect hair, they play video games, they get picked on, they get dumped, they don't always win, they have hamburger phones, and  they're generally considerd un-cool........which by some 360 degree turn of fate makes them unbelievably cool.

With the other interesting movements that are happening right now, it says alot about my generation: we've had it with our parents way of doing things. The old school, conventional method of doing this just isn't doing it for us. We need something new, different, outside the box...and something that our parents deffinatly won't understand, aka: the geek. So it may be in your best interest to hit up your local nerd for some music, movies and more, because if you want to be cool, you better stock up while you can.

PS

The comedy hit Role Models which just came out this weekend features a main character who is a nerd, who LARPS (if you don't know what LARPing is, its short for Live Action Role Playing Game....pretty much a bunch of nerds get together, dress up as knights, pagans, etc and pretend to fight each other.....imagine you as a kid playing with other kids...oh yeah, and here's a video if your still not convinced....)

And the Winner is...

So its official. We can't call the Americans stupid for at least a month. Why? Because for the first time in awhile, the American people have finally voted for and elected a smart person to be their president: Barack Obama.

Oh yeah, and he's black, too.

I have to say that even though I don't live in the United States, I'm really happy that Obama won. The USA is the most powerful country in the world, and its nice to know that a smart, articulate, well liked, patriotic and over all great person is in charge of it.

There's only one problem with Obama's win.

First of all, there are death threats flying left and right. Of course, with any president this is going to occur. There's always a few gun totting whack jobs out there that don't approve of your politics and would like to see you wiped off the face of the earth, and they think they're the person to do it. But this goes beyond that: for the first time ever, the United States has a person in charge who's African American. This means that before well hidden racist groups (and not so well hidden racist groups, aka the kkk) are surfacing in full force...and they're pissed. Which, of course, isn't right. I don't want to have to go on and on about why racism is BAD and over all IDIOTIC, so I'll just say this: we are all humans, black, white, yellow and every color in between. DEAL WITH IT.

The other thing that bothers me is this:

This entire campaign, Obama has been preaching about change. How, when he gets elected into office, things will be different, better, brighter for all of America. How a revolution is coming in the form of politics and that we can be happy again, we can hope again. Obviously, his message of hope and change was heard and echoed all throughout the US, and he's now president. As the first black president, the first president after the horrendous 8 year reign of Bush, and the person to be advocating a new wave of change to wash over the people of the United States...those people have come to expect a lot of him. And not just the people from the states, but all over the world. This election was important to a lot of people, and for most of us, our confidence is riding on Obama. Although he's said that at first, he and vice president Biden might make a few decisions that the American people might not like, I feel that people are still hoping for the unachievable:

That with Obama as president, the economy is suddenly going to take a turn for the better, instantaneously, troops will be taken out of Iraq, gas prices will plummet, global warming will disappear, the corporate fat cats of American will be shaking in their boots as Barack shows them who's boss, international relationships will soar, poverty will no longer exist, health care for everyone will exist, Osama Bin Laden will finally be found, hot button issues like gay marriage will be resolved, alternative fuel sources will be found, and they will be affordable, time machines will be invented, Indiana Jones 5 will NEVER be made, E.T WILL go home, and yes, Nancy Drew WILL solve the mystery of the Clue in the Ivy!!

Okay, so maybe those last few were a bit of a stretch, but you get my drift: Americans are expecting a lot out of Barack, and sadly, despite what everyone thinks, he will not be able to do everything. Change may happen, but it will be slow and small at first. Think about the situation in simple terms: George Bush had his fun, and left the big white club house where he hung out for a few years in ruin. Obama is walking into a mess, and it will take some time to sort through it all and really make some revolutions happen.

All I'm saying is don't hold your breath, America, and don't expect too much too soon. Barack is capable of great things, but you may have to go through a few disappointments to get to the good stuff. But after all, you should be used to disappointment: you just put up with 8 years of Dub-ya.

Thanksgiving Time In Canada

The fine citizens of the US an A below us might celebrate it 7 weeks later than we do, but for Canadians, its Thanksgiving. 

Now, for awhile, I was highly considering going on a rant about how pointless Thanksgiving actually is. If you think about it, once a year we slaughter thousands of unsuspecting turkeys, eat way more than we actually should, get together with our family, act chummy and nice for one meal, and say at least one thing that we're thankful for (because as long as you do this at least ONE day a year, it really doesn't matter if you're a total asshole for the other 364 days). But then I realized something:

The only people that are against Thanksgiving are total bastards anyway, and will be publicly proclaimed by the general population as such.

You have to be a hard core cynic to denounce Thanksgiving...because really, there's something in it for everybody. The caring, bleeding hearts in the family like the fact that you get to say out loud what your thankful for....these people usually also note that they are thankful for this EVERY day of the year....this makes them feel like superior human beings.

For the turkey loving obese person in your family, there is food. Glorious amounts of food. White meat, dark meat, ham, stuffing, gravy, cranberries, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes......be aware that most obese food loving individuals will treat this day (and also Christmas) like the Last Supper and eat until they forget their own names.

Of course, every family has the hostess (or hostesses). You know who the are, the aunts or mums or grandmums that love nothing more than to prepare food for their family. They secretly bicker over recipes for the best sweet potato casserole, treat Martha Stewart as Jesus, and love (and I mean LOVE) to be able to utter the phrase 'Oh, you like it? I made that dish! Secret family recipe, tried and true....' and so on and so forth.

There are also the sports enthusiasts, who use this as an excuse to get the 'team' out there and play some good ol' fashioned FOOTBALL! This is usual the men of the family who sit outside and rough it out with above mentioned hostesses make the food. Not only do they get to show off their manliness cleverly guised as a 'friendly game', but they also get out of helping to do something so un-manly as to prepare food.

To conclude the list are the gossips: the people that you see sitting around in the family room cradling glasses of wine and other beverages, whispering about who's gotten fat, who's been dating who and why on earth would she wear that?! Be cautious of these people, and never under any circumstances walk by them. By the time you're down crossing the carpet to the kitchen, these beasts will have already started mocking you silently. Beware, my friends. 

The amazing thing is, that even the cynics like Thanksgiving. Why? Because of what I just wrote. If you really are cynical, you appreciate the fact that you can sit back and see all these sub groups of people in their separate environments, and laugh. It also might warm your heart of stone to see all these people come together to achieve a common goal: consume until you've gained 5 pounds.

Its in this way that Thanksgiving is for everybody, there's no avoiding it. I really can't see how anyone COULD be against Thanksgiving. If you are one of the few, almost robotic people that are against this great tradition and holiday, then you can shove a turkey in it, shut up, and let the rest of us enjoy stuffing our faces with dead bird.

                                                             HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Nick and Norahs Amazingly Annoying Take on a 'Juno' like Indie Comedy

The title says it all, this is a N&N rant.

This weekend, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist comes to theatres, and unlike every other teen out there that likes to think of themselves as 'witty, clever, obscure, and someone with a good taste in music' I DON'T care about this movie.

At all.

In fact, its almost safe to say that I despise it.

I've seen trailers, I've heard other people talk about this movie like its the second  second coming of Christ (if Christ was an 18 year old that liked indie music). And still, I think I'll pass on this movie.  Why?

Because ever since Little Miss Sunshine, movies like this that are considered 'Indie' have been flooding the market, all with some sort of 'edge' that's (for the most part) aimed towards young adults / teens that do at least 8 of the following:

-Drink coffee (and have either a deep love or hate of Starbucks)

- Listen to Indie Music

- BLOG

- Wear vintage t-shirts

- Love irony

- Make witty banter

- Talk about the good ol' days of music (even though most of them weren't ALIVE for those days)

- Listen to the radio.......online

- Plan to go into some wonderful artistic career

- Know at least ONE Shakespearean play inside and out

- Secretly enjoy being called a 'hipster' despite the fact that for the most part, its meant as an insult

- Have dreamed about owning a Volkswagen Mini Bus one day

- Talk about the de-moralization of society

- Despise the American Eagle wearing population of their high school / university

Wow. For the most part there, I've described myself. But anyways, you get the point. This new wave of pricks are getting movies that are tailored made for them to enjoy and love...and no one's really noticed this. The worst part about this movie is that I feel like I've already seen it. I've watched the trailer a few times, and this is what I've gathered:
Nick is an 18 year old kid with a shitty car, and a recently broken heart thanks to his girlfriend who dumped him on his 'b-day'. He's the bass player in a band called The Jerk Offs (some gay band....literally. Nicks the only straight one...its some genre called queer core or something...google it).

His friends/band mates drag him along to a gig. Enter Norah, friend of girl who dumped Nick. She gets hassled about being single. Decides she's had enough of that crap, randomly makes out with Nick and gets him to pretend he's her boyfriend. For some reason, they're all trying to get to some other show or something, hilarity ensues, and Nick and Norah fall in love. Or at least, in like.

Now, I might just go watch the movie and see how close I am to getting the plot right. The only thing that I missed out on was the fact that bands are probably mentioned every 5 seconds, and there is a TON of music in there. DONE. Also, the dialogue sounds HORRIBLE. After hearing a few clips, its trying too much to imitate the witty banter and razor sharp wit of Juno....and it fails. Horribly. What people need to realize is that teens DON'T actually talk like that. Okay...a few do. But they are few and far between, and the rest of the teenage population are a bunch of babbling idiots that couldn't make an obscure reference or funny analogy to save their lives. That's just the way it is, get over it.

So all in all, we've seen Nick and Norah before. Its a teenage romantic comedy wrapped up in an indie-like film inside a time period piece. 

Don't believe me about the time period thing? Think about it: indie bands, dry humour, witty dialogue that tries too hard, most nerdy kids that pass it off their awkwardness as coolness, etc. This is what its like if your a teen in 2008. Nick and Norah is to 2008 as Reality Bytes was to 1994. Its like a year book or time capsule for whats considered cool for teens in this year. This kind of film comes around every few years, where the film itself is nothing special, but it has the stamp of 'Oh, that's so ______' on it. 

In this case, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is so 2008.

Animation Fascination

So recently, the popular site Rotten Tomatoes published a list of what they thought were the 50 Best Animated films. 

Unlike most people, I don't live by the word of Rotten Tomatoes. I've discovered other movie review sites that are much more interesting, entertaining, en lightning, etc. But I was curious to see what RT had cooked up this time around, and I took a hesitant look.

For the most part, I agreed with alot of the movie choices. With films like Persepolis, The Beatles Yellow Submarine, The Triplettes of Belleville, Wall E, Kung Foo Panda, Mulan, and many others that peppered the list, I was content. That being said......the list did manage (of course) to screw up.

First of all, Toy Story 2 was declared the number one animated movie of all time...now, I don't think its the worst animated movie of all time by any means. I remember watching it in a theatre as a kid, and being entertained and loving every second of it. Years later, I watched it again and enjoyed. Why the grudge then, you might ask? Because I don't think its the best animated film of all time. Of course its all a matter of opinion...but I was sticking it out for a Ralph Bakshi film to win.

In case you don't know, Ralph Bakshi was a film maker and animator who revolutionized animated films and the technique of rotoscoping in the 70's. At the time, animation was a dying art, and it was considered to be an art form used only to make fluff films to entertain kids. Bakshi set out and decided to show everyone that this was not the case, and that animation was a good, dramatic medium. He did just this, and produced such films as Coon Skin, Fritz the Cat, Wizards, The Hobbit (and yes, I do mean the original....don't even dare to make fun) and my personal favourite: American Pop.

American Pop outlines 4 generations of a Russian family, and how the influence popular American music. It is a beautiful story with amazing animation, breath taking music, and all in all its an amazing animated film, and I was shocked when it wasn't on the list.

Check out American Pop here. This is the last bit of the movie, but the piano intro used for Night Moves is breath taking. Oh, and here's the RT's list so you can see for yourself if your personal favourite was included.

Quantum of Solace Theme Song is HERE!

So this is a bit of a follow up to my previous post about Jack White and the Quantum of Solace Theme song.

So by now its well known that the dynamic duo of Alicia Keys and Jack White paired up to make the theme for the up coming film...and I was pretty intrigued. Considering their two unique sounds (listen to Bone Broke by The White Stripes and No One by Keys) I was really curious to find out how the two were going to come together and make it all work.

WELL now we can finally find out! Here's a link to the theme song, tell me what you think! Personally, I think I might have to listen to it a few more times before I love it, but considering that most of what White does is genius...and that Keys is a hit-making machine...I think most people will like.

Give it a spin, tell me what you think.

http://my.spill.com/profiles/blog/show?id=947994:BlogPost:611944

Jack White, James Bond and Coca Cola

So recently, Jack White, lead singer and guitarist of The White Stripes, and The Racontuers recorded the theme song to the up coming 007 film, the Quantum of Solace with Grammy award winning artist Alicia Keys.

The song that is used for 007 movies is always important, and helps sets the tone, mood etc of the film. Usually its an honour to be picked to help record or contribute to the process, and I'm sure that both White and Keys have come up with something brilliant.

Unfortunately, soda tycoon Coca Cola got their hands on the tune (how is completely unknown.....) and used a version featuring just the music in a commercial of theirs. White of course, its outraged because the song was not supposed to be released before the film, (which comes to theatres November 14th 2008 in Canada). 

How this happened I have no idea. How does the song that is being used in a highly anticipated block buster wind up in the greedy paws of a soda company? I don't pretend to understand how corporations work, or how deals are made, but all in all it makes no sense what so ever. The only thing that I can come up with is that it came down to money. Some kind of back alley deal must have been made that involved a fair sum of cash....and being the greedy human beings we are...someones knees weakened at the sight of a suitcase full of cash, and caved in.

This is what really bothers me most about the entertainment industry...no matter how hard you try, there's no knowing how or when or where your creation will be used. You put time, effort energy and creativity into making something that's special to you, and your fans. You try to make a little impact and make something people will enjoy. And somehow, through stupidity, your work of art gets passed along for a few thousand dollars...and you'll never see any of that money.

And when this happens, you feel like a pawn in a giant chess game that's out to screw you over. I can't imagine feeling so used and angry. In the entertainment industry, it will always come down to someone wanting something badly...and having the money to pay someone off to get it. In the mean time, I'm going to boycott everyones favourite cola in favour of a more artist-friendly soda. 

Pepsi, anyone?

Post Script: 

After I did some more digging around, I thought that it should be noted that this Bond theme is making Bond Music History: Never has a duet been used to record a James Bond movie theme...which makes this matter so much more infuriating.

'Sarah Who?' or 'Plucked From Obscurity: The Sarah Palin Story'

So by now we all know that John McCains running mate is none other than the Alaskan princess herself Sarah Palin. Plucked from the tundra, Palin has been shoved into the spotlight...along with all her extra baggage....and by baggage I mean scandal. The Pro-Life lovin' govenor has a 17 year old daughter (who happens to also be a mum herself). She hunts caribou, is an ex beauty queen and is read to lead.

After reading a well written article from Time magazine on Palin, I learned a few things. For one, some how or another, the topic of abortion and its moral complications are almost always brought up during debates. When she became mayor of her small Alaskan town, she sacked many people in office....some of whom had supported her during the race and had helped her get her position. When her 2 terms as mayor were up, her Step-Mum decided to have a go at politics. Palin decided not to support her step mother, because she was pro-choice. Instead of not supporting ANYONE in the race, she supported her challenger, because he has pro-life, just like Palin.

Now, I don't care what the issues are. When it comes down to it, the only people you have in this world are your family and friends...you don't screw around with them. You stick by them no matter what, and especially in an endeavour as big as running for a political position (even if it is just a small town election, they need all the emotional support they can get). That being said, if you don't think that your relative is in the right, then don't support anybody. Just stay out of the election all together, and wish her the best. But to publicly support her competitor is just bad politics.
So to say the least, I am not a fan of Ms.Palin.

What scares me most though, is that being a 72 year old male, McCain (statistically speaking) is most likely to kick the bucket in a few years. If he gets elected, and dies...then Palin will become president, if even for a short while. Like I said before, I respect all forms of politics, even small town mayors. Start from the bottom and work your way up...I'm good with that. But how McCain thought a mayor was able to successfully be his running mate is crap. Other that her small experience, how is Palin qualified to lead anything except possibly a caribou hunt? How could she handle leading an entire country, and the most watched and important country in the world? (sad, but true). What was McCain thinking?!

Well, McCain wasn't thinking. AT least, he wasn't thinking in a right state of mind. This election (from the start) has been all about land marks: First possible female president, first possible black president, first possible senior citizen president, etc etc. With Hillary Clinton out of the race, McCain must have thought that some women felt lost. Where was their suffragette saviour Hillary? Who were they going to vote for now? McCain suddenly had the brilliant idea to introduce a female vice president, attempting to give women another place in the election and get a leg up on Obama. This of course, is a scum bag thing to do, and my discontent for McCain deepens.

All I can say is that I hope that Obama wins, so we won't have to deal with another term of the same crap we've been getting for the past eight years. For what its worth, this Canadian is all for Barack. Once you go Barack, you'll never go back.

Wall E

So I know that this is late and that you've probably already basked in the glory that is Wall - E, but I want to talk about it none the less.

It seems that the super duo of Disney and Pixar have done it once again, grinding out another hit of a movie that is sure to entertain adults and kids alike (and even cynical teens like myself).  I have to say it, my icy little heart melted for Wall - E...I mean really, if you don't instantly fall in love with the tiny cubular robot, you're messed in the head. That's all there is to it.

Our protagonist, Wall-E (which stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth Class) is a robot that has been left to clean up a desolate earth, seeing as how its become one huge trash heap, bare of all life except for Wall - E and his small cockroach buddy. For the first part of the movie, there is NO DIALOGUE. But don't worry, the sheer beauty and physical humour will get you by easily...I know it did for me. Just when I started to get a bit bored, they introduced a new element to the story: Eve, a charming female robot who Wall E falls for completly. Who ever said that a robot romance was dull was obviously mentally un-stable.

After awhile, the movie takes an awesome twist, which I can't really talk about without ruining the film.

BUT I will say this: Wall-E is like an old 1970's dystopian future film of the sci-fi era that you used to see...... now add in brilliant visuals and an adorable robot, and that's Wall-E in a nutshell.

For me, the movie was great. I was always entertained, and yes, Wall E is my new obsession. I've decided that I'm going to build one for myself. He can walk me to class and carry my books for me and be my buddy. And after watching this movie, you'll want one too.

PS

I have a Wall-E pez dispenser AND the soundtrack, which Peter Gabriel himself contributed too. I can't help it! Wall E is just too good to be true.

Revival of Vinyl?

I still remember the amazement I had when I was younger as I gently pulled out stacks upon stacks of my dads old LPs. Classics like Genesis's 'Selling England By the Pound", The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour' and many, many others (at one time, over 300) had me mystified as I gazed at the trippy and artistic covers and found the ancient and (even then) long dead creatures known as 'vinyl LP's".

So what is it that happened to our old friend? Ah, yes, I remember now: technology.

From the 70's to the mid 90's 8 tracks and tapes reigned in the music world, offering the portability that vinyl lacked. Soon later came the CD or 'compact disc' which as it progressed offered more space for songs, and a clean, crisp sound unknown to ears use the the familiar and comforting crackle that you often heard on vinyl.

Just when we thought that music couldn't get any more compact and impersonal, along came the un-godly MP3.

Yes, MP3's are amazing. The fact that with new technology you can store millions of songs on one hard drive is great, but the sound quality is sterile and for me, it alienates the listener from the music. Maybe its just me, but with the invention of iTunes, iPods and whatever the hell else Steve Jobs has up his sleeve, it seems that things like cover art, the layout of the tracks, the way the artist has mixed the album as a whole and the entire finished product in general is being desecrated. Now you can just download single tracks, without hearing the album entirely, most artists put little to no thought in their cover art / album covers.... it just seems to me like the roots of music are beginning to shrivel.

BUT recently along with things like mod 60's sunglasses, tights and biker shorts (insert shudder here) it looks like vinyl may be making a come back.

In 2007, nearly 1 millions LP's were bought, and it looks like for 2008, that number could rise to 1.6 million. Sales of turntables are also up, with half a million being bought last year. Its also becoming easier to buy vinyl, with big-box stores like Best Buy, and online favourites like Amazon.com stocking more and more vinyl (even recent albums like Cat Power's jukebox). And of course, you can always rely on your local record store or indie store to carry this old favourite.

Also, even though it was technology that lead to the death of the LP, its also helping revive it, with a new species of turntables being made that allow you to convert your LP's into MP3's. Many artists are also helping with the comeback, by having their albums come out on vinyl first, or including download codes when you buy an LP (like the Arcade Fire).

So, it looks as if many of us may be returning to the format our parents used as kids. You may make the switch for many reasons: it's trendy, it's got better sound quality, it's cool, whatever. But what you can't deny is that vinyl with never die for those hard core fans that frequently enjoy sitting down with a turntable, an LP and a bunch of memories.

Sweeney Todd: The Anthony Rant

Okay, so I've finally gotten with the times and I saw Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (film version, recently directed by Tim Burton). And I have to say, after hearing people sing its praise for weeks I was a bit disappointed....mainly because of ANTHONY.

Sure, visually it was great to look at. The contrast of the dull and drabness of 1800's London next to the vivid red of blood (which there was plenty of) was great and captured your attention.

But...

I found that the songs were lacking. I found that they were sub-par, most of them being only words put to violin music. Also, I thought that most of the time, there wasn't even a purpose for singing, they could have just spoke to each other!! There were about two or three songs that were actually songs and they worked well. Other than that, I found that sure, the score was great, the vocals were okay and over all it was just fine.

There was also the characters. Almost every character that I wanted to beat over the head with a blunt object got to live (though you never found out what actually happens to them) and the characters that I did enjoy died. Sure, I saw most of the deaths coming, but still. The sad thing is that I predicted how the movie would end about 15 minutes before it was actually finished, I felt no remorse what so ever for Sweeney...and then there's the matter of Anthony.

This little prick of a kid goes to London with Sweeney, and while walking glimpses a beautiful girl with a falsetto voice through a window, and promises to steal her away so he can marry her. Problem?

You haven't even said two words to this chick and you're already planning your future. Love at first sight isn't real, life doesn't work that way. I hate when this happens in books, movies, etc because, sure, you do have to suspend your disbelief and sometimes just go with it, but 'love at first sight' has been used as an excuse so many times its a cliche that has lost all relevant meaning. So already I had it out for Anthony.

Also, this character was used time and time again to stop the most interesting parts of the movie!! When ever something interesting was about to go down (aka when I starting to actually enjoy the movie) Anthony would come bursting in running his mouth off about something or another (aka his plan to save miss falsetto) and ruin everything. Anthony was an excuse that was used time and time again to prevent a real story from happening. Yes, this can happen once as an odd coincidence, but this situation is used THREE TIMES!! Also, he can't sing to save his life (I fast forwarded through all his songs to save myself the pain) and as a character, he's not really needed, he's not all that relevant to the plot, he's used as an excuse time and time again and he's written so that he is just plain STUPID (its called KNOCKING.)

Oh, and he gets to live in the end.....bugger.

So I hate to be one of those people whose movie experience is completely ruined because of one character, but I am today! There were also a few other things that bugged me about the movie, such as the cheap ending, etc but I won't get into that. All in all Sweeney Todd is okay...and Anthony deserves to die. If anyone wants to help me devise an alternative ending where Anthony gets the sh*t kicked out of him......call me.

Cyber-Bully (not, its not another video game)

So we being the over-aggressive bunch of adolescents that we are were made to sit through a presentation all about bullying. The new twist on this old and much hated tradition was that the 'play' (I use this in the lowest sense of the word, seeing as Shakespeare is turning in his grave right now) mainly focused on cyber-bullying (aka using technology to bully others).
From the get-go it was obvious that it had be written by either an elderly person, a parent, or some one else that screams when ever they see a laptop, and thinks that technology is new and scary and will one day destroy humanity.
References made to Youtube and Facebook were used so many times and so loudly, that the words YOUTUBE and FACEBOOK must have been bolded and capitalized in the script itself.
Despite the use of contrived 'teen-lingo', the 5 dollar set, the bad acting, the many, many out of place references to modern technology, the use of 'popular' music, the cheesy tagline and the excruciatingly drawn out discussion about the show itself afterwards....I'm sure that the skit had a good point to make.

There's only one problem.

The same point ( that you shouldn't bully, its bad, etc etc) has been shoved down our throats since day one. Everyone from parents to teachers to over-zealous class mates preached about how bullying was wrong, and now the fact of the matter is that its become (what ever campaign dreads of becoming) A CLICHE.

This argument has been made against bullying so many times that it has lost its impact, its meaning. It no longer speaks to us and makes us want to help. Basic Phsycology: Tell someone not to do something, and they will do it. Force feed hundreds of messages against bullying others to people, and suddenly no one gives a sh*t anymore.

So in case you're an administrator that's wandered across this blog by accident, I pray you: Book another act for periods 3 - 4 and save yourself the suicides that will follow if you perform yet another Anti-Bullying Campaign on your school stage.

Valentines

Okay, so to start out: yes. Yes, I am single. But that is not where my hatred for Valentines day spouts.

Valentines day is probably the most commercial holiday of the year. It is awkward all around. If you are single, you feel like crap. Even if you have a life, friends, a career and a sense of humour, you are made to feel like you are nothing because you don't have "another half".

If you are in a new relationship, it's awkward. You've only been going out for awhile, so you have no idea what to get the other person. Also, you have no idea how long this relationship will last, so you may end up spending a bunch of money on somebody that could be gone in a month.

If you are in a committed relationship, it's still weird! You've known each other for a long time, and Valetines day should just be like any other day, because you love each other ANYWAY. So you struggle with the idea of getting a gift to show you care, or not getting a gift to show that you care anyway, and it's just another day.

And then there are the gifts. They are over priced, and will never last. Flowers die, chocolate gets eaten and goes right to your thighs, hips, etc. Cards get thrown out, jewlery is way to expensive and tacky, stuffed animals are gaudy and the "original" idea of taking him/her out for dinner is over played, over priced and over rated.

IF you really love someone, then Valentines Day, and gifts shouldn't matter. You shoud be comfortable with the other person, and know that you don't need just one day to show that you love them, because you love them all the time.

Also, Valentines day is used to make us scared. Scared that we are going to die alone, never find love, etc. It is yet again another example of the scare tacticts that are used to suck you into buying a bunch of stuff you DON'T need.

Valentines Day is a stupid holiday all in all, that I ultimatly refuse to take part it. Love is supposed to be a many slpendord thing, not something you can buy with cards and candy.

...Party Time! Excellent!

Yes! Finally the tyranny of exams are done and over with, and the new semester is just about to begin! And even though I am extremly happy that exams are over and done with, I am kinda sad to see the first semester go. In a few months, I will officially be halfway done highschool, a thought that honestly scares the crap out of me.
But I have to say that the second semster is still looking good. I have drama for the first time, Science, English and Careers/Civics. The whole Career thing I think is a bit of a joke, seeing as hardly anyone I talk to has any idea what a stage manager is, o even hat they do. So I will be the one kid in that supid class constantly having to explain what my future role in life is going to be.
Great.

Other than that, not much is going on. A new production is about to get way, in which yours truly is the Stage Manager. A Brand new cast, a brand new year, and a brand new semester. We'll just see what happens, and how cynical everything will turn out to be.

My Super Cynical Sweet 16

Okay, so as most of you may know, today is my birthday (aka: My Super Cynical Sweet 16). Why cynical? Because I find that now a days, people blow birthdays way out of proportion. Sure, I like getting gifts and eating a sugary item of my choice just as much as anyone, but all a birthday is to me is a celebration of the fact that I have gone another year with dying, and that I am possibly one year closer to death. Woopie.
I also hate the singing. I have despised the birthday song ever since the ripe old age of 5, possible earlier. I always felt awkward and spiteful sitting there, while everyone sang a stupid song off-key. I always have, and chances are that I always will.
Also, my birthday falls right before exams, so it is kind of bitter sweet. Presents today, math evaluation tomorrow.
Also, even though I did it this year, I despise the people of the earth that insist of putting on their face book page that it is their birthday. In fact, I think that I despise face book over all. It is the ultimate stalker tool, there are a bunch of pointless applications (I don't care what kind of eyes I have!!), I hate being tagged in embarrassing photos, and I am in for a wave half hearted wall posts from people that I barely know.
On the bright side, I got some GREAT presents from my absolute best friends, and I get to go home and sleep and eat artery-clogging cake. Maybe there is hope for this stupid celebration, after all.

It's the Most Horrible Time Of the Year

Okay, so for the most part of this little mini-rant, I am speaking from my point of view, which is that of a high school student, so bear with me.
This is by far the crappiest time of the year. The weather is either a gross wet, soggy cold, or a harsh dry cold. The Christmas Holiday buzz is done, everyone is bitchy because......exams are coming up.
How would you like it if you found out after a nice holiday, that suddenly in less than 3 weeks, you were going to have to write a HUGE test that counted as a large part of your mark? You would be stressed out, bitchy, anxious, confused, frustrated, tired and over all PISSED OFF.
Also, it just so happens that this is the time of year when we wind down, review, and NOTHING is going on. It's not until second semester that the school show is put on, and therefor, it is not until second semester that I can do what I love most: Stage Manage. I can't wait until I can sit at my desk and record blocking for scenes and run back and forth from the drama room to the stage. The anticipation is killing me.
So before February will hit, I will more than likely be dead from the anticipation, the stress of exams, and the over all sense of doom and destruction.

Talking About my Generation

So I hate to, but I have to say it:
Our generation is going down the drain, and FAST.
In history class the other day, my teacher held up a cartoon, which clearly depicted George W Bush, Dick Cheney, and Condoleezza Rice. No one, except for me, was able to tell who they were, and what their positions where.
Besides the fact that the USA happens to be our neighbours, they also happen to be the most powerful country in the world, and the Bush Administrative Government is the most watched and scrutinized in the media. So why is it that 15 year olds, people that in a few years are going to be driving and voting, have no idea who one (if not THE) most powerful man in the world right now is?( I am sadly referring to Bush, although Cheney and Rice do have status, too).
Why is it that more teens in an academic class can name the most popular hip hop artist, but not the capital of Egypt? Why is it that more people care about where to shop, than what country the US is invading? And why is it that more people can name every member of G-Unit, but can't name all 4 members of the most influential pop/rock group ever: The Beatles?
Let's face it: We live in a capitalist, commercial society that cares more about Prada's fall line than the situation in Iraq. Even some of our parents are more interested in what neighbour is getting fat than what's happening politically in their own country, and the sad thing is that there seems to be no way to stop it.
I believe that yes, it is important to keep up with some popular culture so that you can relate to and have conversations with people, but I also believe that it is more important to have a firm grasp on history, politics, and world issues and relations than football scores.
So, I am asking anyone and everyone to band together, and honestly give a shit. Sure, Paris Hilton is out of jail and J-lo is pregnant, but what about the US election coming up? The possibility of the draft coming back into effect? The effects of global warming becoming more and more severe?
I can sum this up in one quote:
"20 years from now, no one is going to care what jeans you wore, where you bought your clothes, or how cool your shoes were. What IS going to matter is WHAT you learned, and what you did with it."