For the first of two weekend blog posts, I decided to create my own cover album. I seleted songs from a variety of genres which may or may not have an artist from that same genre as my chosen cover artist. So put on those imaginary headphones and hear the music.\
"What's Your Name?" -- For this Lynyrd Skynyrd classic I chose Bon Jovi to perform the cover as an acoustic version. The boys from Jersey have dabbled with the southern rock sound and lyrically this song fits Bon Jovi. Also, it's perfect for Jon from a vocal standpoint as well. I chose for them to do an acoustic version because the were the band who unintentionally inspired the MTV Unpluged performance series with Jon and Richie's acoustic VMA performance. There is no doubt the band could pull this off.
"Civil War" -- I'm invisioning a darker, slowed down version of this song and who better to do that than Staind? Aaron Lewis's vocals couldn't be more different than those of Axl Rose which would add a dimension of dread to the song, something missing from the original. I like the originial, but musically GnR hit a ground rule double when the had the chance to hit a homerun.
"Gypsy Road" -- Don't let the southern rock/country ways of Big & Rich fool you, this duo can jam. Cinderella's "Gypsy Road" is an all-around fitting song Big Kenny and John Rich.
"2 Minutes to Midnight" -- I would love to hear Queensryche do an entire album of Iron Maiden covers, but "2 Minutes to Midnight" is the one Maiden song I would love to hear Geoff Tate apply his crisp powerful vocals. Not to mention Chris DeGarmo's amazing (and under-appreciated) guitar playing suits Iron Maiden songs perfectly.
"Mysterious Ways" -- Not many bands could handle covering U2 songs, but Coldplay would take this track to another level. "Mysterious Ways" already has a unique sound but the musical talents of Coldplay and Chris Martin's vocals would bring something so amazing to this song. I'm not saying Coldplay could do a better job than U2 but they would set the bar for what could be done with cover songs.
"The Beautiful People" -- A diversion from Marilyn Manson's grinding metal to Cradle of Filth's dreary black metal would be perfect for the Manson classic. Dani Filth's coarse vocals would rival Manson's for overall intensity, just in a different way.
"Like a Prayer" -- Marilyn Manson covering the Madonna classic would be an amazing and creepy twist for a song which already has some dark elements. I believe Manson could take this song and have results similar to his versions of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and "Tainted Love". Marilyn Manson just has a knack for turning pop songs into badass metal covers.
"Ain't Goin' Down 'Til the Sun Comes Up" -- Hand this Garth Brooks song over to the master ot Tae Kwon Flow, Cowboy Troy, and the results would be fun and high energy. The fast paced music and rapid flow lyrics are perfect for Troy to add his "Hick-Hop" style.
"Trash" -- This seedy Alice Cooper track would have many fine suitors for a cover, but none better than trash-meisters Faster Pussycat, one of the under-appreciated hair bands lost in shadows of bands such as Poison and Motley Crue. Taime Downe has the vocal style and dirty charisma to turn this strip club romp into something much dirtier.
"Bitch" -- The leader of the Grrl Power movement for the 21st centry, Lzzy Hale and her band Halestorm is the only choice to cover this song from 90s one-hit wonder Meredith Brooks. Hale's vocals would bring a more powerful sound and a level of anger and intensity not found in the original.
There you have it. A cover album JT Lovecraft style. I hope you enjoyed reading and imagining how it would sound. Until next time, keep the drinks cold and the music loud.
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JTLovecraft
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Bad Movies You Need To Watch
Since the summer blockbuster season is beginning to come around, I've decided to dedicate this post to some movies so bad, they are worth watching and even owning if you can find them in a bargain bin somewhere.
Stone Cold -- This low-budget action flick stars former football player Brian Bosworth as a loose-cannon cop sent undercover into a white supremacist biker gang after a series of assassinations on judges and prosecutors. Now I've seen a lot of bad action movies, but this disaster from 1991 is still near the top of my list for awful action flicks. And even though I love this movie for being so bad, I'm kind of saddened half decent actors Lance Henrickson and William Forsythe were part of this. Nevertheless, if you need 90 minutes of horribly choreographed action and awful dialog check out this flick.
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh -- NBA Hall of Famers Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar team up with comic legend Jonathan Winters in this air ball of a movie about the hapless and astrologically challenged basketball team, the Pittsburgh Pisces. This brick is classified as a comedy, but the writers must have not been told about that. Speaking as a lifelong Pittsburgher, this is one movie I like to forget was filmed here. But for some eye-rolling, head-shaking, insomnia-fueled movie watching, you could do worse.
I Come In Peace -- Dolph Lundgren stars in this low budget sci-fi/action train wreck about an alien harvesting a highly potent and addictive drug from human brains. This movie is so bad it has yet to be released on DVD in the United States. However, the movie can be found on DVD outside if the USA under the title Dark Angel. So your only chance right now is if you still own a VHS player. This movie was directed by the same person who directed the previously mentioned Stone Cold, so that should tell you something. But it is one of those cheesy, mindless flicks to watch when you are bored late at night.
The Greenskeeper -- This very low budget horror flick (an estimated $80, 000), stars former major league closer John Rocker and it's tagline is "It's par for the corpse". If you aren't already intrigued and hooked, there is nothing else about this movie I can tell you to change that. Except maybe for this: blood and gore and naked women. Does that help? If so, then check out this bunker shot of a slasher movie.
Angel Fist -- Cat Sassoon, the late daughter of Vidal Sassoon, stars in this martial arts debacle. Cat was a trained martial artist and former WKA North American Champion but it didn't seem to matter in the fight scenes, as they were poorly done. But the topless fight scene will definitely distract viewers from the poor fight quality. The dialogue in Angel Fist is even worse than what was uttered in Stone Cold and the acting was twice as bad as the dialogue. But there is something hypnotic about bad martial arts movies and Angel Fist fits that category perfectly.
I could go on with more, but I need to save a few for the sequel! So grab some popcorn, Sno-Caps and a Coke and set yourself up for a night of movies so bad, they're awesome!
Follow me on Twitter!
https://twitter.com/#!/JTLovecraft
Stone Cold -- This low-budget action flick stars former football player Brian Bosworth as a loose-cannon cop sent undercover into a white supremacist biker gang after a series of assassinations on judges and prosecutors. Now I've seen a lot of bad action movies, but this disaster from 1991 is still near the top of my list for awful action flicks. And even though I love this movie for being so bad, I'm kind of saddened half decent actors Lance Henrickson and William Forsythe were part of this. Nevertheless, if you need 90 minutes of horribly choreographed action and awful dialog check out this flick.
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh -- NBA Hall of Famers Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar team up with comic legend Jonathan Winters in this air ball of a movie about the hapless and astrologically challenged basketball team, the Pittsburgh Pisces. This brick is classified as a comedy, but the writers must have not been told about that. Speaking as a lifelong Pittsburgher, this is one movie I like to forget was filmed here. But for some eye-rolling, head-shaking, insomnia-fueled movie watching, you could do worse.
I Come In Peace -- Dolph Lundgren stars in this low budget sci-fi/action train wreck about an alien harvesting a highly potent and addictive drug from human brains. This movie is so bad it has yet to be released on DVD in the United States. However, the movie can be found on DVD outside if the USA under the title Dark Angel. So your only chance right now is if you still own a VHS player. This movie was directed by the same person who directed the previously mentioned Stone Cold, so that should tell you something. But it is one of those cheesy, mindless flicks to watch when you are bored late at night.
The Greenskeeper -- This very low budget horror flick (an estimated $80, 000), stars former major league closer John Rocker and it's tagline is "It's par for the corpse". If you aren't already intrigued and hooked, there is nothing else about this movie I can tell you to change that. Except maybe for this: blood and gore and naked women. Does that help? If so, then check out this bunker shot of a slasher movie.
Angel Fist -- Cat Sassoon, the late daughter of Vidal Sassoon, stars in this martial arts debacle. Cat was a trained martial artist and former WKA North American Champion but it didn't seem to matter in the fight scenes, as they were poorly done. But the topless fight scene will definitely distract viewers from the poor fight quality. The dialogue in Angel Fist is even worse than what was uttered in Stone Cold and the acting was twice as bad as the dialogue. But there is something hypnotic about bad martial arts movies and Angel Fist fits that category perfectly.
I could go on with more, but I need to save a few for the sequel! So grab some popcorn, Sno-Caps and a Coke and set yourself up for a night of movies so bad, they're awesome!
Follow me on Twitter!
https://twitter.com/#!/JTLovecraft
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Looking back at Operation: Mindcrime
A perverted priest, a teenage prostitute masquerading as a nun, drug dealers, a crooked evangelist, dirty politicians, a confused young man with a crisis of conscience... no it's not a new show on the CW, it's Queensryche's classic album, Operation: Mindcrime.
Operation: Mindcrime is a rock opera, meaning the album tells a story as it progresses. Other examples of this type of album are Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Who's Tommy. This is not the same as a concept album which have a theme but no specific story line. Examples of concept albums are Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare and Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar. Operation: Mindcrime will never be above The Who or Pink Floyd on any list that matters when it comes to the greatest albums ever, but for me it is one of my all time favorites.
The story of Mindcrime is told through flashback as the main character Nikki is under sedation in a hospital after being arrested on homicide charges. To the outside world is is the only villain. He is a psychopath. And after the nurse administers his night time shot, his she whispers what became t-shirt slogan for the band: "Sweet dreams...you bastard!". Then the story begins.
I don't want this to turn into a complete review of the album. Let me just say Mindcrime has not lost anything since it's release in 1988. It delivers a fast-paced story and fantastic prog-metal from the original Seattle band. (And in my opinion, still the greatest from that city.) However, don't get me started on the dreadful Operation: Mindcrime II, released in 2006. I like to pretend it doesn't exist. But back to my original point, I can't talk about this album without some aspects of a review present.
The story is what really drew me towards Mindcrime. Nikki is an impressionable young man upset with the times. He is drawn into an anti-establishment movement (clearly a left wing group considering when this album was released.) headed by Dr. X. The song "Revolution Calling" details Nikki's thought process as he decides to join the movement. Through the use of drugs (detailed in the album's title track), Dr. X's manipulation and the priest's promised services of Sister Mary (a teenage prostitute masquerading as a nun) to Nikki ("Spreading the Disease"), he becomes the group's assassin ("The Mission"). For the first time in his life, he feels he is someone and his life has purpose ("The Mission"). But when Mary questions Nikki's motives and agenda, the order is given to kill her also. Nikki's conscience kicks in, but is it too late? How many people did he kill? Did he kill Mary? What will happen to him? Where is Dr. X?
Let me say I am not unhappy a perverted, corrupt priest was offed in this story. Nor am I upset by the killing of a Robert Tilton-esque evangelist. Actually, I'm not unhappy about anyone's death, even Mary's. Did she really want a way out of the movement? Or did she just want a way out?
When Nikki awakens in the hospital, he has zero recollection of his actions. The song's "I Don't Believe in Love" and "Eyes of a Stranger" explain what's inside his mind as he is sedated in the hospital. Both tracks have a theme of despair and self-loathing but thankfully never reach the level of melodrama. And I will be honest, I can relate to some of the lyrics in "Eyes of a Stranger".
Mindcrime is still my favorite Queensryche album of all time. It doesn't have the musical maturity of Empire or Promised Land but it still captures my attention from beginning to end like no other album can. And I still find it funny they band made the villains a radical left-wing group. But, dig this album out of your collection and listen. Again.
https://twitter.com/#!/JTLovecraft
Operation: Mindcrime is a rock opera, meaning the album tells a story as it progresses. Other examples of this type of album are Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Who's Tommy. This is not the same as a concept album which have a theme but no specific story line. Examples of concept albums are Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare and Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar. Operation: Mindcrime will never be above The Who or Pink Floyd on any list that matters when it comes to the greatest albums ever, but for me it is one of my all time favorites.
The story of Mindcrime is told through flashback as the main character Nikki is under sedation in a hospital after being arrested on homicide charges. To the outside world is is the only villain. He is a psychopath. And after the nurse administers his night time shot, his she whispers what became t-shirt slogan for the band: "Sweet dreams...you bastard!". Then the story begins.
I don't want this to turn into a complete review of the album. Let me just say Mindcrime has not lost anything since it's release in 1988. It delivers a fast-paced story and fantastic prog-metal from the original Seattle band. (And in my opinion, still the greatest from that city.) However, don't get me started on the dreadful Operation: Mindcrime II, released in 2006. I like to pretend it doesn't exist. But back to my original point, I can't talk about this album without some aspects of a review present.
The story is what really drew me towards Mindcrime. Nikki is an impressionable young man upset with the times. He is drawn into an anti-establishment movement (clearly a left wing group considering when this album was released.) headed by Dr. X. The song "Revolution Calling" details Nikki's thought process as he decides to join the movement. Through the use of drugs (detailed in the album's title track), Dr. X's manipulation and the priest's promised services of Sister Mary (a teenage prostitute masquerading as a nun) to Nikki ("Spreading the Disease"), he becomes the group's assassin ("The Mission"). For the first time in his life, he feels he is someone and his life has purpose ("The Mission"). But when Mary questions Nikki's motives and agenda, the order is given to kill her also. Nikki's conscience kicks in, but is it too late? How many people did he kill? Did he kill Mary? What will happen to him? Where is Dr. X?
Let me say I am not unhappy a perverted, corrupt priest was offed in this story. Nor am I upset by the killing of a Robert Tilton-esque evangelist. Actually, I'm not unhappy about anyone's death, even Mary's. Did she really want a way out of the movement? Or did she just want a way out?
When Nikki awakens in the hospital, he has zero recollection of his actions. The song's "I Don't Believe in Love" and "Eyes of a Stranger" explain what's inside his mind as he is sedated in the hospital. Both tracks have a theme of despair and self-loathing but thankfully never reach the level of melodrama. And I will be honest, I can relate to some of the lyrics in "Eyes of a Stranger".
Mindcrime is still my favorite Queensryche album of all time. It doesn't have the musical maturity of Empire or Promised Land but it still captures my attention from beginning to end like no other album can. And I still find it funny they band made the villains a radical left-wing group. But, dig this album out of your collection and listen. Again.
https://twitter.com/#!/JTLovecraft
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Random thoughts of the day
I didn't get any inspiration for a blog topic this week, which is frustrating because I want to write something each week. Today's post is going to be a collection of random thoughts about a variety of subjects. I hope you find it entertaining.
The Who's "Squeeze Box" has some of the best innuendo ever written.
John Cena is going to be saying "You can't see me" to his money. He filed for divorce and reports are his wife would want a deal similar to what Linda Hogan received in her divorce from the Hulkster -- 70% of the assets -- if the WWE superstar continues with the divorce.
Barack Obama supporting gay marriage after the vote in North Carolina was gutless. If he had any testicular fortitude, he would have showed his support the week before the primary in North Carolina.
Dark Shadows is a fantastic movie. Go see it.
There isn't much better than cooking food over a wood fire grill. The party terrace my wife and I have worked so hard on is going to host many memorable events. It still needs some finishing touches, like the Wonderland theme, but it is, as of now, ready for functions.
The way Justin Verlander was pitching Friday night, he could have no-hit any all-star team or dream team. He was that dominant.
"I'm just sixteen if you know what I mean. Do you mind if I take off my dress?" is the most provocative line I have heard in a rock song in many years. Taylor Momsen and The Pretty Reckless are a great band. I hope they have a long successful run in the world of metal.
Is there an athlete more in need of a pacifier than Kobe?
I refuse to pay more than 99 cents for a song on iTunes.
Speaking of 99 cents, I paid exactly that much for a Tommy Maddox jersey at the thrift store today.
“To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.” - Frederick Douglass
See you all again when inspirations calls.
https://twitter.com/#!/JTLovecraft
The Who's "Squeeze Box" has some of the best innuendo ever written.
John Cena is going to be saying "You can't see me" to his money. He filed for divorce and reports are his wife would want a deal similar to what Linda Hogan received in her divorce from the Hulkster -- 70% of the assets -- if the WWE superstar continues with the divorce.
Barack Obama supporting gay marriage after the vote in North Carolina was gutless. If he had any testicular fortitude, he would have showed his support the week before the primary in North Carolina.
Dark Shadows is a fantastic movie. Go see it.
There isn't much better than cooking food over a wood fire grill. The party terrace my wife and I have worked so hard on is going to host many memorable events. It still needs some finishing touches, like the Wonderland theme, but it is, as of now, ready for functions.
The way Justin Verlander was pitching Friday night, he could have no-hit any all-star team or dream team. He was that dominant.
"I'm just sixteen if you know what I mean. Do you mind if I take off my dress?" is the most provocative line I have heard in a rock song in many years. Taylor Momsen and The Pretty Reckless are a great band. I hope they have a long successful run in the world of metal.
Is there an athlete more in need of a pacifier than Kobe?
I refuse to pay more than 99 cents for a song on iTunes.
Speaking of 99 cents, I paid exactly that much for a Tommy Maddox jersey at the thrift store today.
“To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.” - Frederick Douglass
See you all again when inspirations calls.
https://twitter.com/#!/JTLovecraft
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Appetite for Hard Rock: A GnR Classic
The moment I heard the opening riff of "Welcome to the Jungle" I knew this album was different from the other rock albums popular at the time. It was an album I had to have. Unfortunately, there was one stumbling block: Mom.
Appetite for Destruction was marked with a parental advisory sticker for explicit lyrics. (Thanks a lot, Tipper Gore!) So, my Mom would absolutely not buy it for me. Well, I did what any kid would do: I had a friend copy it for me. And I wore the tape out from listening to it over and over and over.
Appetite is a provocative album indeed. The album was filled with references to heroin, rape, pornography and binge drinking. I can understand why parents would be reluctant to allow their children to listen to such an album. This album did push me in a new direction of music. My rock days began with artists such as Bon Jovi, Poison and Scorpions. The discovery of Appetite began my journey towards acts such as Motley Crue, Metallica and Twisted Sister.
To me, Appetite for Destruction was the best album of the 1980s. (Sorry, MJ.) Not necessarily for how great it was, but for what it was. It was an album which redefined rock music. In an instant, the landscape changed from "Armageddon It" to "Paradise City". Granted, Appetite did include the more hairbandesque "Sweet Child O' Mine", but the other tracks on the album totally kicked the shit out of anything Poison or Bon Jovi had to offer at the time. (Bon Jovi is still my all-time favorite band, so keep that in mind when digesting the previous statement and just how great Appetite truly is.)
Guns N' Roses' debut album shocked, inspired and revolutionized hard rock. With songs such as "Out Ta Get Me", "Mr. Brownstone" and "Rocket Queen" (Which has one of my favorite lines of all time: "I can turn on anyone just like I turned on you.") it was, and still is, miles beyond Hysteria or Open Up and Say Ahhh. Even though I wrote in an earlier blog post GnR did not deserve R&RHOF induction, a belief I still stand by 100 percent, they did release the best album of the 1980s and one which is in my top five of all time. (Coming attraction alert!) It is one of the few albums I can listen to from start to finish without skipping a track. So all you rock fans out there, dig out this GnR classic and satisfy your appetite for great hard rock.
Appetite for Destruction was marked with a parental advisory sticker for explicit lyrics. (Thanks a lot, Tipper Gore!) So, my Mom would absolutely not buy it for me. Well, I did what any kid would do: I had a friend copy it for me. And I wore the tape out from listening to it over and over and over.
Appetite is a provocative album indeed. The album was filled with references to heroin, rape, pornography and binge drinking. I can understand why parents would be reluctant to allow their children to listen to such an album. This album did push me in a new direction of music. My rock days began with artists such as Bon Jovi, Poison and Scorpions. The discovery of Appetite began my journey towards acts such as Motley Crue, Metallica and Twisted Sister.
To me, Appetite for Destruction was the best album of the 1980s. (Sorry, MJ.) Not necessarily for how great it was, but for what it was. It was an album which redefined rock music. In an instant, the landscape changed from "Armageddon It" to "Paradise City". Granted, Appetite did include the more hairbandesque "Sweet Child O' Mine", but the other tracks on the album totally kicked the shit out of anything Poison or Bon Jovi had to offer at the time. (Bon Jovi is still my all-time favorite band, so keep that in mind when digesting the previous statement and just how great Appetite truly is.)
Guns N' Roses' debut album shocked, inspired and revolutionized hard rock. With songs such as "Out Ta Get Me", "Mr. Brownstone" and "Rocket Queen" (Which has one of my favorite lines of all time: "I can turn on anyone just like I turned on you.") it was, and still is, miles beyond Hysteria or Open Up and Say Ahhh. Even though I wrote in an earlier blog post GnR did not deserve R&RHOF induction, a belief I still stand by 100 percent, they did release the best album of the 1980s and one which is in my top five of all time. (Coming attraction alert!) It is one of the few albums I can listen to from start to finish without skipping a track. So all you rock fans out there, dig out this GnR classic and satisfy your appetite for great hard rock.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
A Return to Smash Mouth Football?
I like what the Pittsburgh Steelers have done with the first three picks in this year's NFL draft. They have added great talent to the offensive line with their picks in rounds one and two. Could this be a sign new offensive coordinator Todd Haley want to return to a run oriented smash mouth style of football? As a Steelers fan, I can only hope that is the case.
David DeCastro, a guard from Stanford was the team's first round pick at 24th overall. DeCastro was expected to be a top-15 pick and is considered by many NFL analysts to be the best guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson in 2001. But luckily for Pittsburgh, DeCastro fell to them in what will turn out to be one of the steals of the first round. Standing 6'5" and weighing in at 315 pounds, it will be a shock if DeCastro is not the opening day starter at right guard. Coach Tomlin gave Maurkice Pouncey the starting job at center after the first preseason game in 2010 and that, of course, has worked out extremely well.
At the combine, DeCastro had the most bench press reps among guards with 34. He also had the fastest 3-cone drill time among guards. He fell into the middle of the pack with his 40-yard dash time of 5.43 (which for a guy who is 6'5" and 315 pounds, that's pretty damn good), fell .03 seconds shy of the top 20-yard shuttle time and was in the top half in vertical leap. It can't be explained why DeCastro fell to the Steelers at 24, but you can be sure Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, Todd Haley and the Rooneys haven't stopped smiling since Thursday night.
The selection of Mike Adams in the second round shows the organization believes in second chances. Adams tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine and then proceeded to lie about it. The Steelers removed him from their draft board altogether. The 6'7", 325 pound Adams is a native of Farrell, Pennsylvania and a life-long Steelers fan. After the combine he requested a meeting with Colbert, Tomlin and Art Rooney II to talk about the incident. He agreed to certain conditions, including couseling, to get back into the Steelers good graces. His failed drug test and subsequent lies about the test kept him from being drafted in the first round. Instead, he was drafted 56th overall but possesses the talent to one day be a franchise tackle.
Sean Spence, a 5'11", 231 pound outside linebacker from the University of Miami was selected in the 3rd round at 86th overall. It wouldn't be out of the question for the Steelers to move him inside to add depth to an area where the have none. He will definitely need to add strength leading up to training camp and the preseason but has the raw talent to make some noise in the Steelers defense someday.
The Steelers first two picks of the 2012 NFL draft, in addition to Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert, are rebuilding an offensive line which, for the the past couple seasons, has been a ragtag compilation of mix and match backups being forced into starting roles. Now they have protection for Ben Roethlisberger. Now they have big bodies to create running room for Rashard Mendenhall when he returns from the ACL injury suffered in January. (Running back is another issue you may see me write about in the not-so-distant future.) Hopefully DeCastro ends the days of relying on Ramon Foster and Trai Essex. Hopefully watching Willie Colon end up on injured-reserve every year will be a moot point with the addition of Adams. But most of all, maybe the days of watching Roethlisberger get sacked 40+ times a season will finally come to an end.
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JTLovecraft
David DeCastro, a guard from Stanford was the team's first round pick at 24th overall. DeCastro was expected to be a top-15 pick and is considered by many NFL analysts to be the best guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson in 2001. But luckily for Pittsburgh, DeCastro fell to them in what will turn out to be one of the steals of the first round. Standing 6'5" and weighing in at 315 pounds, it will be a shock if DeCastro is not the opening day starter at right guard. Coach Tomlin gave Maurkice Pouncey the starting job at center after the first preseason game in 2010 and that, of course, has worked out extremely well.
At the combine, DeCastro had the most bench press reps among guards with 34. He also had the fastest 3-cone drill time among guards. He fell into the middle of the pack with his 40-yard dash time of 5.43 (which for a guy who is 6'5" and 315 pounds, that's pretty damn good), fell .03 seconds shy of the top 20-yard shuttle time and was in the top half in vertical leap. It can't be explained why DeCastro fell to the Steelers at 24, but you can be sure Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, Todd Haley and the Rooneys haven't stopped smiling since Thursday night.
The selection of Mike Adams in the second round shows the organization believes in second chances. Adams tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine and then proceeded to lie about it. The Steelers removed him from their draft board altogether. The 6'7", 325 pound Adams is a native of Farrell, Pennsylvania and a life-long Steelers fan. After the combine he requested a meeting with Colbert, Tomlin and Art Rooney II to talk about the incident. He agreed to certain conditions, including couseling, to get back into the Steelers good graces. His failed drug test and subsequent lies about the test kept him from being drafted in the first round. Instead, he was drafted 56th overall but possesses the talent to one day be a franchise tackle.
Sean Spence, a 5'11", 231 pound outside linebacker from the University of Miami was selected in the 3rd round at 86th overall. It wouldn't be out of the question for the Steelers to move him inside to add depth to an area where the have none. He will definitely need to add strength leading up to training camp and the preseason but has the raw talent to make some noise in the Steelers defense someday.
The Steelers first two picks of the 2012 NFL draft, in addition to Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert, are rebuilding an offensive line which, for the the past couple seasons, has been a ragtag compilation of mix and match backups being forced into starting roles. Now they have protection for Ben Roethlisberger. Now they have big bodies to create running room for Rashard Mendenhall when he returns from the ACL injury suffered in January. (Running back is another issue you may see me write about in the not-so-distant future.) Hopefully DeCastro ends the days of relying on Ramon Foster and Trai Essex. Hopefully watching Willie Colon end up on injured-reserve every year will be a moot point with the addition of Adams. But most of all, maybe the days of watching Roethlisberger get sacked 40+ times a season will finally come to an end.
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JTLovecraft
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The plan...
I don't want to blog about politics. I know there is a presidential race heating up (and I do hope Obozo loses in November) but right now, I'm not interested. I don't want to write about movies all the time, either. I will begin writing about some of my favorite albums and how they influenced me. I will write about food. I will fill an entire post with words about absolutely nothing. All this will begin next week.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Another look at some upcoming movies
Detention -- This horror-comedy looks like Scream without the clever satire and campy humor. If that doesn't keep you away from this movie, I don't know what will.
GI Joe: Retaliation -- The first one was bad. This one looks worse.
Battleship -- If I hadn't known the title of this movie before watching the trailer, I would have guessed from the big-budget special effects and bad acting it was Transformers 4. That's not a good thing. This all flash and no substance monstrosity stars Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn DDecker, (Yes, the DD is intentional.) Rihanna and Liam Neeson. And shame on Neeson for being part of this.
ATM - Hey! It's "I Know What You Did Last Payday". *SIGH*
Dark Shadows -- Finally...a movie that looks fantastic. Hollywood power-couple Tim Burton and Johnny Depp reunite for this theatrical version of the TV show. Depp plays Barnabas Collins, an 18th century playboy cursed by a heartbroken witch and transformed into a vampire before being buried alive. He is set free in 1972 and must come to the rescue of his dysfunctional family while confronting the witch who cursed him centuries ago. The movie also stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Helena Bohnam Carter, Christopher Lee and has a cameo from Alice Cooper. This should be a delightful good time at the movies.
GI Joe: Retaliation -- The first one was bad. This one looks worse.
Battleship -- If I hadn't known the title of this movie before watching the trailer, I would have guessed from the big-budget special effects and bad acting it was Transformers 4. That's not a good thing. This all flash and no substance monstrosity stars Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn DDecker, (Yes, the DD is intentional.) Rihanna and Liam Neeson. And shame on Neeson for being part of this.
ATM - Hey! It's "I Know What You Did Last Payday". *SIGH*
Dark Shadows -- Finally...a movie that looks fantastic. Hollywood power-couple Tim Burton and Johnny Depp reunite for this theatrical version of the TV show. Depp plays Barnabas Collins, an 18th century playboy cursed by a heartbroken witch and transformed into a vampire before being buried alive. He is set free in 1972 and must come to the rescue of his dysfunctional family while confronting the witch who cursed him centuries ago. The movie also stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Helena Bohnam Carter, Christopher Lee and has a cameo from Alice Cooper. This should be a delightful good time at the movies.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Get Your Tattoo: Take a Trip to Redbox and rent The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a dark and disturbing movie. However it is still far less twisted than the Stieg Larsson novel. Removed from the film is the plotline of incestuous rape, but misogyny and militant ethnocentrism remain as the focus of the story.
Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) has the role film’s secondary hero, Mikael Blomkvist, a once respected journalist recently convicted of libeling a prominent Swedish businessman. I do understand the casting of Craig in this role. His name is well known around the world and he has the look fitting the character. He does not however, have the acting range necessary to portray Blomkvist, a character balancing pride, disgrace and uncertainty in his career.
Shortly after his libel conviction, Blomkvist is offered a job by Henrik Vanger (played by the legendary Christopher Plummer), the patriarch of one of Sweden’s most powerful families. On paper, Blomkvist’s job is to write Henrik’s memoir. In reality, and the entire family knows it, he is to investigate the alleged murder of Henrik’s niece, Harriet, nearly forty years ago. At first, it seems a dead end venture for Blomkvist until an casual comment from Blomkvist’s daughter opens the door to the horrible truth behind the Vanger family.
Rooney Mara (great granddaughter of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney) is Lisbeth Salander, the heroine of the story and title character of Stieg Larsson’s trilogy. She is a computer hacker extraordinaire with a photographic memory who looks like something straight from a Jane’s Addiction concert. Her antisocial behavior has her labeled as incompetent by the Swedish government and she is a ward of the state with a court appointed guardian. Her kindly old guardian has a stroke and her new guardian, despite the presence of Nazis in the Vanger family, is the most detestable character in the movie.
Yorick van Wageningen is Nils Bjurman, a disgusting pig of a man who forces Lisbeth to perform sexual favors in exchange for money from her own bank account. This escalates into a very brutal rape and subsequent revenge from Lisbeth. The scene is one of the most graphic I have ever seen and is difficult to watch. But I must give credit to Mara and van Wageningen for shooting a scene so frightfully real. Anything less would have weakened the film. Mara was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her role as Lisbeth and rightfully so. Casting her was a bold and risky choice but it was definitely the correct choice.
David Fincher’s direction of this film is very similar to that of his breakthrough film Se7en and surprisingly Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun” video, which he also directed. Fincher didn’t rely on graphic violence in Se7en, just images of the aftermath. He uses the same technique in Dragon Tattoo. The dark feeling and the editing techniques of “Janie’s” are very noticeable with this film also.
Stellan Skarsgard (Thor) and Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) also appear in this film as Martin and Anita Vanger.
Fans of the book may be disappointed with how the film wraps up the mystery of the Vanger family and how Erika Berger (Blomkvist’s editor and part-time lover) and Dragan Armansky (played smoothly by Goran Visnjic of ER) are shoved into the category of third tier characters. Even with all its cuts and changes, the film still runs at two and a half hours. It’s a tight, edge-of-your-seat thriller but you will definitely want to rent a comedy to watch afterwards.
Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) has the role film’s secondary hero, Mikael Blomkvist, a once respected journalist recently convicted of libeling a prominent Swedish businessman. I do understand the casting of Craig in this role. His name is well known around the world and he has the look fitting the character. He does not however, have the acting range necessary to portray Blomkvist, a character balancing pride, disgrace and uncertainty in his career.
Shortly after his libel conviction, Blomkvist is offered a job by Henrik Vanger (played by the legendary Christopher Plummer), the patriarch of one of Sweden’s most powerful families. On paper, Blomkvist’s job is to write Henrik’s memoir. In reality, and the entire family knows it, he is to investigate the alleged murder of Henrik’s niece, Harriet, nearly forty years ago. At first, it seems a dead end venture for Blomkvist until an casual comment from Blomkvist’s daughter opens the door to the horrible truth behind the Vanger family.
Rooney Mara (great granddaughter of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney) is Lisbeth Salander, the heroine of the story and title character of Stieg Larsson’s trilogy. She is a computer hacker extraordinaire with a photographic memory who looks like something straight from a Jane’s Addiction concert. Her antisocial behavior has her labeled as incompetent by the Swedish government and she is a ward of the state with a court appointed guardian. Her kindly old guardian has a stroke and her new guardian, despite the presence of Nazis in the Vanger family, is the most detestable character in the movie.
Yorick van Wageningen is Nils Bjurman, a disgusting pig of a man who forces Lisbeth to perform sexual favors in exchange for money from her own bank account. This escalates into a very brutal rape and subsequent revenge from Lisbeth. The scene is one of the most graphic I have ever seen and is difficult to watch. But I must give credit to Mara and van Wageningen for shooting a scene so frightfully real. Anything less would have weakened the film. Mara was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her role as Lisbeth and rightfully so. Casting her was a bold and risky choice but it was definitely the correct choice.
David Fincher’s direction of this film is very similar to that of his breakthrough film Se7en and surprisingly Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun” video, which he also directed. Fincher didn’t rely on graphic violence in Se7en, just images of the aftermath. He uses the same technique in Dragon Tattoo. The dark feeling and the editing techniques of “Janie’s” are very noticeable with this film also.
Stellan Skarsgard (Thor) and Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) also appear in this film as Martin and Anita Vanger.
Fans of the book may be disappointed with how the film wraps up the mystery of the Vanger family and how Erika Berger (Blomkvist’s editor and part-time lover) and Dragan Armansky (played smoothly by Goran Visnjic of ER) are shoved into the category of third tier characters. Even with all its cuts and changes, the film still runs at two and a half hours. It’s a tight, edge-of-your-seat thriller but you will definitely want to rent a comedy to watch afterwards.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Limbaugh vs. Fluke and the extreme left: A clear winner
Once again the radical left has it all wrong when it comes to Rush Limbaugh. The Sandra Fluke controversy shows the hypocrisy of the left in its full monty.
Rush Limbaugh was been widely criticized by the left wing (and the chickenshit GOP presidential candidates trying to draw undecided/independent/moderate voters) for his comments about Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student claiming she is having so much sex she can’t keep up with the costs of contraceptives. Rush labeled her a “slut” and said since she wants the rest of us to pay for her birth control so she can have all the sex she wants she is also a “prostitute”. Many claim his comments crossed the line. As someone who has listened to Limbaugh on and off for 20 years, I can say those aren’t the worst comments Rush ever made.
Georgetown University is the nation’s oldest Jesuit and Catholic University and birth control is not covered under its health insurance. The Catholic Church has had a very long-standing policy against the use of birth control. And the government mandating policy to any religious organization is a violation of the separation of church and state. Any law student should understand that. But those things only matter to the left when someone want to place a Nativity scene on public property.
After her testimony was over, Fluke and several other closed-minded leftist women, walked out on testimony from Catholic Bishops. So much for wanting to hear the other side of the debate, especially when it could come down to a Constitutional and legal issue, something in which a law student should have interest, you would think.
So if Ms. Fluke is really going through so much money buying contraceptives, she’s obviously not on the pill or shot, because with those options the amount of sex you have does not matter. And plenty of other women in America are using the pill or shot and not drying up their bank account. So let‘s say she is using condoms. It’s come out recently Sandra does have a boyfriend. Does he not contribute to the condom fund? If not, then she shouldn’t be giving him any sex. And there are plenty of places to get free condoms if you need them as well. The bottom line is birth control is not vital for anyone’s daily life. It’s not like insulin for a diabetic.
So riddle me this, why has no one pointed out these women demanding the government get involved in policies regarding medication for women’s bodies are the same women who want the government to stay away from their bodies when it comes to abortion? Just another little something to think about.
On a side note, if Sandra can find time to engage in this abundant amount of sexual intercourse, when is she studying? In 2011, The US News & World Report printed a ranking of the top law schools in America based on a survey from the ABA. Georgetown University is ranked 14th on that list. So Sandra is not a stupid woman, but all this time she’s spending in bed takes away from time she should be spending in the library. Pass the Bar Exam first. Then worry about having sex.
Let’s get to Rush Limbaugh’s apology and advertisers. Many feel the apology was not sincere and done only to appease advertisers. Not likely. The radical left website ThinkProgress has claimed 45% of Limbaugh’s advertisers have pulled their ads from his show. Again not likely. I’m not surprised such a report came from a website which despises everything Rush stands for and wants to see him fail. Limbaugh’s show has a waiting list for advertisers and many will happily jump on board despite the controversy. Think about it. Rating for Limbaugh’s show are going to be even higher right now with all the coverage this story has received. It’s a great time to advertise on his show.
As for the apology, I don’t feel it was 100% sincere. I feel it was a calculated and clever ploy to keep the story at the top of the news. He made the apology over the weekend which would have the weekend shows on networks like CNN and FOX talking about it. And come Monday morning and evening, the big stars on those same networks would have to talk about it on their shows. Finally, come 12PM EST, even more ears would be tuned in to hear the opening monologue of Rush’s show. So once again, Rush oursmarts everyone else.
In what came as no surprise, Sandra and the gang of hypocrites rebuffed Rush’s apology. But what did come as a surprise was extreme leftist and shock comic Bill Maher defended Limbaugh going as far as to say the left looks bad for not accepting his apology. Keep in mind Maher is the same man who called Sarah Palin a “bimbo” and the “c-word”. (And Maher used the vulgar version, not my version.) Now, when any woman is called the c-word, shouldn’t all women be outraged, regardless of politics? I would think they should. But again, just more hypocrisy from the left. I must give credit where it is due, and will likely never do this again for Bill Maher, but he deserves kudos for what he said about the Limbaugh apology and the left wing of American politics.
The only things I know for sure is Limbaugh’s show isn’t going anywhere (Sorry leftists.) and the debate over the government mandating policy to religious employers will continue and may end up before the Supreme Court. It’s clearly a violation of the separation of church and state, but I’m not a lawyer, judge or justice. I’ll let them figure it out. And Sandra, you obviously have brains and passion so get off the talk show circuit and the mattress and into the library.
Rush Limbaugh was been widely criticized by the left wing (and the chickenshit GOP presidential candidates trying to draw undecided/independent/moderate voters) for his comments about Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student claiming she is having so much sex she can’t keep up with the costs of contraceptives. Rush labeled her a “slut” and said since she wants the rest of us to pay for her birth control so she can have all the sex she wants she is also a “prostitute”. Many claim his comments crossed the line. As someone who has listened to Limbaugh on and off for 20 years, I can say those aren’t the worst comments Rush ever made.
Georgetown University is the nation’s oldest Jesuit and Catholic University and birth control is not covered under its health insurance. The Catholic Church has had a very long-standing policy against the use of birth control. And the government mandating policy to any religious organization is a violation of the separation of church and state. Any law student should understand that. But those things only matter to the left when someone want to place a Nativity scene on public property.
After her testimony was over, Fluke and several other closed-minded leftist women, walked out on testimony from Catholic Bishops. So much for wanting to hear the other side of the debate, especially when it could come down to a Constitutional and legal issue, something in which a law student should have interest, you would think.
So if Ms. Fluke is really going through so much money buying contraceptives, she’s obviously not on the pill or shot, because with those options the amount of sex you have does not matter. And plenty of other women in America are using the pill or shot and not drying up their bank account. So let‘s say she is using condoms. It’s come out recently Sandra does have a boyfriend. Does he not contribute to the condom fund? If not, then she shouldn’t be giving him any sex. And there are plenty of places to get free condoms if you need them as well. The bottom line is birth control is not vital for anyone’s daily life. It’s not like insulin for a diabetic.
So riddle me this, why has no one pointed out these women demanding the government get involved in policies regarding medication for women’s bodies are the same women who want the government to stay away from their bodies when it comes to abortion? Just another little something to think about.
On a side note, if Sandra can find time to engage in this abundant amount of sexual intercourse, when is she studying? In 2011, The US News & World Report printed a ranking of the top law schools in America based on a survey from the ABA. Georgetown University is ranked 14th on that list. So Sandra is not a stupid woman, but all this time she’s spending in bed takes away from time she should be spending in the library. Pass the Bar Exam first. Then worry about having sex.
Let’s get to Rush Limbaugh’s apology and advertisers. Many feel the apology was not sincere and done only to appease advertisers. Not likely. The radical left website ThinkProgress has claimed 45% of Limbaugh’s advertisers have pulled their ads from his show. Again not likely. I’m not surprised such a report came from a website which despises everything Rush stands for and wants to see him fail. Limbaugh’s show has a waiting list for advertisers and many will happily jump on board despite the controversy. Think about it. Rating for Limbaugh’s show are going to be even higher right now with all the coverage this story has received. It’s a great time to advertise on his show.
As for the apology, I don’t feel it was 100% sincere. I feel it was a calculated and clever ploy to keep the story at the top of the news. He made the apology over the weekend which would have the weekend shows on networks like CNN and FOX talking about it. And come Monday morning and evening, the big stars on those same networks would have to talk about it on their shows. Finally, come 12PM EST, even more ears would be tuned in to hear the opening monologue of Rush’s show. So once again, Rush oursmarts everyone else.
In what came as no surprise, Sandra and the gang of hypocrites rebuffed Rush’s apology. But what did come as a surprise was extreme leftist and shock comic Bill Maher defended Limbaugh going as far as to say the left looks bad for not accepting his apology. Keep in mind Maher is the same man who called Sarah Palin a “bimbo” and the “c-word”. (And Maher used the vulgar version, not my version.) Now, when any woman is called the c-word, shouldn’t all women be outraged, regardless of politics? I would think they should. But again, just more hypocrisy from the left. I must give credit where it is due, and will likely never do this again for Bill Maher, but he deserves kudos for what he said about the Limbaugh apology and the left wing of American politics.
The only things I know for sure is Limbaugh’s show isn’t going anywhere (Sorry leftists.) and the debate over the government mandating policy to religious employers will continue and may end up before the Supreme Court. It’s clearly a violation of the separation of church and state, but I’m not a lawyer, judge or justice. I’ll let them figure it out. And Sandra, you obviously have brains and passion so get off the talk show circuit and the mattress and into the library.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Trailer Watch: A Look at Upcoming Movies
It's getting to be the time of year for big time movie releases. I've watched a handful of trailers from upcoming movies and taken a few notes. And now I will give to you my thoughts on what the upcoming movie season has to offer based upon the trailers. So get a small bag of microwaver popcorn and read on!
Safe -- This action film stars Jason Statham as a former elite agent who goes up against the Russian mob, corrupt NYPD cops and the Chinese Triad to protect a young girl with perfect memorization skills who holds a very important safe combination in her head. OK. I like Jason Statham as an actor. But he cannot carry a movie on his own. He needs to be part of a larger cast as he was in The Italian Job and The Expendables. When he is asked to carry a movie on his own we end up with stuff like Crank, Death Race and The Transporter franchise. The combination of this with director Boaz Yakin's (Uptown Girls and Remember the Titans) first trip into the world of action movies, chances are this will be an epic fail.
American Reunion -- The original cast of American Pie returns as the class of '99 gathers for a high school reunion. Unfortunately they return without the charm and humor of this first film and has cameos from TO and Ochocinco. I'm sure some of the cast members did this strictly for the money (Hello Tara Reid, Mena Suvari and Shannon Elizabeth) and I'm sure some did it because they thought it was a good idea. The American Pie franchise has already spawned two sequels (both of which were moderately funny at best) and spin-offs (which most folks probably don't even know exist) about Jim's dad and Stiffler's brother. Watching the cast who are now supposed to be grown men and women act like doofuses with another high school virginity subplot thorwn in the mix makes for a reunion of the same old jokes. This slice of pie should be thrown in the garbage.
The Cabin in the Woods -- This horror film from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, the writer of Cloverfield, was filmed in 2009 but will not be released until April. Usually, that is a bad sign for any movie. However, this movie appears to have borrowed some elements of the Saw series while adding in the seclusion of the Friday the 13th. Add in some star power with Bradley Whitford (The West Wing), Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse), Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), and Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) and this could be the horror film of 2012.
Rock of Ages -- The hit Broadway musical come to the big screen with Tom Cruise as 80s rock god Stacee Jaxx and Catherine Zeta-Jones as the sanctimonious bitch Patrica Whitmore. Strangely, this will work. Also starring Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Julianne Hough and Alec Baldwin and directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray, The Wedding Planner) Rock of Ages will no doubt rock the box office as well as having one the year's best soundtracks.
The Amazing Spider-Man -- The first - and most important - quality this reboot of the franchise has on its predecessors is a better cast. Gone are Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst and in are Golden Globe nominees Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Emma Stone (Easy A) and Denis Leary (Rescue Me, which also earned him an Emmy nomination) as well as Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Martin Sheen (The West Wing) and Oscar winner Sally Field (Norma Rae, Places in the Heart). Second on the list of important qualities is the writing. Steve Kloves, who wrote seven of the eight Harry Potter films as well as Wonder Boys (which earned him an Oscar nomination) and Fabulous Baker Boys, helped write the screenplay for this movie with Alvin Sargent, a writer from the first three films. The addition of Kloves will without a doubt make an improvment on the drivel which were the first three screenplays. The only question mark in the new start to this franchise is director Marc Webb, who up until this point had made his name directing music documetaries, most notably for No Doubt and 3 Doors Down. Let's hope the lack of a big name director doesn't end up being a mistake. Overall, the new look to the Spider-Man franchise looks amazing.
MiB3 -- We have been waiting a long time for the third installment in the adventures of the intergalactic peace keepers known as the Men in Black. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith played well off each others strengths in the first two movies and fans will be hoping for more of the same in this one. The antics however, appear forced and clumsy judging by the trailer. In this installment, Agent J must travel back in time to prevent changes in history due to an alien assination of a young Agent K. Oscar winner Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensability, Howards End) joins the cast as Agent Oh, Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Milk) will play young Agent K and SNL's Bill Hader will appear as Andy Warhol. Making cameos in the movie will be Nicole Scherzinger and Lady Gaga. I'm sure this movie will rake in the bucks at the box office given its USDA prime opening of Memorial Day weekend, but I wouldn't expect the same quality of the first two movies.
The Dark Knight Rises -- The movie which will close the curtain on the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale chapter in the Batman saga. There is no question this will be 2012's highest grossing film. And for good resason: there is nothing bad to say about it. Like the two films before it, this movie will be well acted (despite the silly "Batman voice" from Bale) and directed. It was a surprise when Bane was announced as the villian for the final film in this Batman era (I'm sure another set of films will pop up sometime down the road) but it was a good choice. Many fans (myself among them) were hoping for The Riddler. However, in a movie which is to end this trilogy a violent criminal such as Bane is the best choice over a more methodical villian like The Riddler. I must say I am also interested to see what Ra's Al Ghul's role in the final film will be. The Dark Knight Rises will own the 2012 box office.
Safe -- This action film stars Jason Statham as a former elite agent who goes up against the Russian mob, corrupt NYPD cops and the Chinese Triad to protect a young girl with perfect memorization skills who holds a very important safe combination in her head. OK. I like Jason Statham as an actor. But he cannot carry a movie on his own. He needs to be part of a larger cast as he was in The Italian Job and The Expendables. When he is asked to carry a movie on his own we end up with stuff like Crank, Death Race and The Transporter franchise. The combination of this with director Boaz Yakin's (Uptown Girls and Remember the Titans) first trip into the world of action movies, chances are this will be an epic fail.
American Reunion -- The original cast of American Pie returns as the class of '99 gathers for a high school reunion. Unfortunately they return without the charm and humor of this first film and has cameos from TO and Ochocinco. I'm sure some of the cast members did this strictly for the money (Hello Tara Reid, Mena Suvari and Shannon Elizabeth) and I'm sure some did it because they thought it was a good idea. The American Pie franchise has already spawned two sequels (both of which were moderately funny at best) and spin-offs (which most folks probably don't even know exist) about Jim's dad and Stiffler's brother. Watching the cast who are now supposed to be grown men and women act like doofuses with another high school virginity subplot thorwn in the mix makes for a reunion of the same old jokes. This slice of pie should be thrown in the garbage.
The Cabin in the Woods -- This horror film from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, the writer of Cloverfield, was filmed in 2009 but will not be released until April. Usually, that is a bad sign for any movie. However, this movie appears to have borrowed some elements of the Saw series while adding in the seclusion of the Friday the 13th. Add in some star power with Bradley Whitford (The West Wing), Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse), Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), and Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) and this could be the horror film of 2012.
Rock of Ages -- The hit Broadway musical come to the big screen with Tom Cruise as 80s rock god Stacee Jaxx and Catherine Zeta-Jones as the sanctimonious bitch Patrica Whitmore. Strangely, this will work. Also starring Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Julianne Hough and Alec Baldwin and directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray, The Wedding Planner) Rock of Ages will no doubt rock the box office as well as having one the year's best soundtracks.
The Amazing Spider-Man -- The first - and most important - quality this reboot of the franchise has on its predecessors is a better cast. Gone are Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst and in are Golden Globe nominees Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Emma Stone (Easy A) and Denis Leary (Rescue Me, which also earned him an Emmy nomination) as well as Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Martin Sheen (The West Wing) and Oscar winner Sally Field (Norma Rae, Places in the Heart). Second on the list of important qualities is the writing. Steve Kloves, who wrote seven of the eight Harry Potter films as well as Wonder Boys (which earned him an Oscar nomination) and Fabulous Baker Boys, helped write the screenplay for this movie with Alvin Sargent, a writer from the first three films. The addition of Kloves will without a doubt make an improvment on the drivel which were the first three screenplays. The only question mark in the new start to this franchise is director Marc Webb, who up until this point had made his name directing music documetaries, most notably for No Doubt and 3 Doors Down. Let's hope the lack of a big name director doesn't end up being a mistake. Overall, the new look to the Spider-Man franchise looks amazing.
MiB3 -- We have been waiting a long time for the third installment in the adventures of the intergalactic peace keepers known as the Men in Black. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith played well off each others strengths in the first two movies and fans will be hoping for more of the same in this one. The antics however, appear forced and clumsy judging by the trailer. In this installment, Agent J must travel back in time to prevent changes in history due to an alien assination of a young Agent K. Oscar winner Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensability, Howards End) joins the cast as Agent Oh, Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Milk) will play young Agent K and SNL's Bill Hader will appear as Andy Warhol. Making cameos in the movie will be Nicole Scherzinger and Lady Gaga. I'm sure this movie will rake in the bucks at the box office given its USDA prime opening of Memorial Day weekend, but I wouldn't expect the same quality of the first two movies.
The Dark Knight Rises -- The movie which will close the curtain on the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale chapter in the Batman saga. There is no question this will be 2012's highest grossing film. And for good resason: there is nothing bad to say about it. Like the two films before it, this movie will be well acted (despite the silly "Batman voice" from Bale) and directed. It was a surprise when Bane was announced as the villian for the final film in this Batman era (I'm sure another set of films will pop up sometime down the road) but it was a good choice. Many fans (myself among them) were hoping for The Riddler. However, in a movie which is to end this trilogy a violent criminal such as Bane is the best choice over a more methodical villian like The Riddler. I must say I am also interested to see what Ra's Al Ghul's role in the final film will be. The Dark Knight Rises will own the 2012 box office.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Transition from Kitchen to Cubicle Part One
On September 16th, 2011, I lost my job at Green Oaks Country Club where I had been for three years.\ So when my brother first suggested I apply to be and Order Processing Specialist where he works, I was skeptical. I had been in the food and beverage industry full-time since 2001 and honestly I was scared to make a change. I was two months shy of my 35th birthday when I applied for the job. And in almost perfect irony, I started training one day shy of exactly two months to the day of losing my country club job. (So on a side note, finding a good, well paying job right now is possible with some motivation and effort.)
Training wasn't anything like what I expected. It was long - three months to be exact - and difficult. Even the training I had at the country club, working in fine dining for the first time, was less difficult than what I had to learn going into this job. And depending on how you look at it, the severity of mistakes are much different. At the country club a mistake could mean someone gets food poisoning. At my new job, a mistake could mean we have to credit the customer $5000. And on top of this, I was chosen for what is considered the most difficult pod on the floor: Embroidery Order Processing Specialist. (I will post more on that in another blog.)
The title "Order Processing Specialist" is misleading. Yes some data entry is involved but that is about 20% of what I now spend my day doing. Some of my other responsibilities include evaluating artwork, talking to distributors, coordinating with the production department, art department and the order editing team as well as responding to the constant flow of email I receive daily.
So I went from standing all day in a 90+ degree kitchen chopping veggies, cleaning chicken breasts, making display mirrors and orders for members to sitting in a cubicle in front of a computer with a mouse as my main tool instead of a knife. The pay's significantly better too, but that will also be discussed in another blog. It's been an interesting road and there will be many more stories to come. So stay tuned.
Training wasn't anything like what I expected. It was long - three months to be exact - and difficult. Even the training I had at the country club, working in fine dining for the first time, was less difficult than what I had to learn going into this job. And depending on how you look at it, the severity of mistakes are much different. At the country club a mistake could mean someone gets food poisoning. At my new job, a mistake could mean we have to credit the customer $5000. And on top of this, I was chosen for what is considered the most difficult pod on the floor: Embroidery Order Processing Specialist. (I will post more on that in another blog.)
The title "Order Processing Specialist" is misleading. Yes some data entry is involved but that is about 20% of what I now spend my day doing. Some of my other responsibilities include evaluating artwork, talking to distributors, coordinating with the production department, art department and the order editing team as well as responding to the constant flow of email I receive daily.
So I went from standing all day in a 90+ degree kitchen chopping veggies, cleaning chicken breasts, making display mirrors and orders for members to sitting in a cubicle in front of a computer with a mouse as my main tool instead of a knife. The pay's significantly better too, but that will also be discussed in another blog. It's been an interesting road and there will be many more stories to come. So stay tuned.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thoughts From and iPod
How can Andrew W. K.'s songs be both so blatantly stupid but also so very catchy?
Ugly Kid Joe is a band who deserved a much higher level of success than they had. Most of us know their mega-hit "Everything About You" and their cover of "Cats in the Cradle". But songs like "Milkman's Son" and Goddamn Devil" showed a quirky sense of humor and the influence Ozzy Osbourne had on their music.
Shakira has two times as many songs as Slaughter on my iPod.
I still don't have any Foreigner on the iPod.
Halestorm is a fantastic band. Lzzy Hale can channel both Joan Jett and Lita Ford with her vocals.
Keep the music loud, folks!
Ugly Kid Joe is a band who deserved a much higher level of success than they had. Most of us know their mega-hit "Everything About You" and their cover of "Cats in the Cradle". But songs like "Milkman's Son" and Goddamn Devil" showed a quirky sense of humor and the influence Ozzy Osbourne had on their music.
Shakira has two times as many songs as Slaughter on my iPod.
I still don't have any Foreigner on the iPod.
Halestorm is a fantastic band. Lzzy Hale can channel both Joan Jett and Lita Ford with her vocals.
Keep the music loud, folks!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
PICKING THE GRAMMYS
BEST NEW ARTIST:
This category include The Band Perry, Bon Iver, Nicki Minaj, Skrillex and J. Cole. Last year this award went to Esperanza-something-rather. Again I see a less popular artist winning this award. I'm going with Bon Iver.
BEST HARD ROCK/METAL SONG:
The two categories were combined into one by the Grammy doofuses, which is why the Foo Fighters appear with Megadeth and Mastodon, along with Dream Theater and Sum 41. The sexy pick here would be the Foo Fighters. But I have to go with thrash-metal gods Megadeth.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Adele will walk away with this award easily. I'm don't want to take anything away from Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Foo Fighters or Rihanna, but this will be the one of many for Adele tonight.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
It's cute to see Katy Perry nominated here with much more talented artists. Bruno Mars has the only chance of upsetting Adele but it's not going to happen. "Rolling in the Deep" wins the award. Sorry Mumford & Son and Bon Iver also.
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
This is where the voters may let someone other than Adele win. I think Bruno Mars take this award over Adele, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and P!nk.
SOME QUICK PICKS IN OTHER CATEGORIES
Country solo performance: Jason Aldean
Comedy Performance: "Weird Al" Yankovic
Best Rap Collaboration: Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey
Best Rap Performance: As long as Wiz Khalifa loses, I don't care who wins.
Best Alternative Album: Radiohead
This category include The Band Perry, Bon Iver, Nicki Minaj, Skrillex and J. Cole. Last year this award went to Esperanza-something-rather. Again I see a less popular artist winning this award. I'm going with Bon Iver.
BEST HARD ROCK/METAL SONG:
The two categories were combined into one by the Grammy doofuses, which is why the Foo Fighters appear with Megadeth and Mastodon, along with Dream Theater and Sum 41. The sexy pick here would be the Foo Fighters. But I have to go with thrash-metal gods Megadeth.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Adele will walk away with this award easily. I'm don't want to take anything away from Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Foo Fighters or Rihanna, but this will be the one of many for Adele tonight.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
It's cute to see Katy Perry nominated here with much more talented artists. Bruno Mars has the only chance of upsetting Adele but it's not going to happen. "Rolling in the Deep" wins the award. Sorry Mumford & Son and Bon Iver also.
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
This is where the voters may let someone other than Adele win. I think Bruno Mars take this award over Adele, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and P!nk.
SOME QUICK PICKS IN OTHER CATEGORIES
Country solo performance: Jason Aldean
Comedy Performance: "Weird Al" Yankovic
Best Rap Collaboration: Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey
Best Rap Performance: As long as Wiz Khalifa loses, I don't care who wins.
Best Alternative Album: Radiohead
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Screw Your Illusion: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Still Getting it Wrong
Guns N' Roses was recently elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. My reaction to this is "why"? Don't get me wrong, GnR was a great band for about five years. They are not in any way R&RHOF worthy however. Especially when better bands, with bigger contributions to music and more talent are left waiting to get in.
Guns N' Roses had two great albums: Appetite for Destruction and Lies. After that they had two good albums: Use You Illusion 1 & 2. They also had two awful albums: The Spaghetti Incident? and Chinese Democracy. They also had a live album and a greatest hits album in there as well but neither really counts because those are just fan fodder to keep people happy until the new studio album is ready. Every artist does it.
Before I continue my case against GnR, let me remind you all of some artists (in rock and other genres) who are not yet in the R&RHOF. (Keep in mind eligibility begins 25 years after the release of the first album.) The list includes Deep Purple, Ted Nugent, Rush, Queensryche, Bon Jovi, Pantera, Billy Idol, Megadeth, Motley Crue, The Cure, Dio, Judas Priest, Janet Jackson, Ice-T, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Depeche Mode, Bad Religion, Ozzy Osbourne (as a solo artist), Dead Kennedys, Poison, The Misfits, Motorhead, KISS, Peter Gabriel, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Slayer and George Clinton. That is a list of artists who are not only more talented than Guns N Roses, but have all contributed more to the growth of music around the world.
Guns N' Roses made a loud, obnoxious and in-your-face debut with Appetite. The lead single "Welcome to the Jungle", with its allusions to rape and drug use, was much bolder than anything Poison or Def Leppard had out at the time. That was a good thing, but not enough to push them to the status of R&RHOF members. The controversy surrounding Lies with the tracks "Used to Love Her" and "One in a Million" was unwarranted but nevertheless entertaining. Again, that was a nice star on their bulletin board of life, but that's about it.
The dual release of Use You Illusion 1 & 2 was really nothing more than arrogance on the band's part. It's great they had so many songs to choose from and wanted fans to get them all. But why release both albums simultaneously? In the long run, that decision may have been the bands downfall as that lineup did not release another album together. It was too much at one time when one album of the best songs from both Illusions would have done the trick.
On a side note, the video for the opus "November Rain" from Use Your Illusion 1, was the first $1 million video ever.
Let's all just pretend the Guns N' Roses collection of covers, The Spaghetti Incident? never happened. It's one of the worst albums ever recorded.
In 1999, Guns N Roses had an industrial metal style song on the End of Days soundtrack which Axl claimed was the direction the band was going. That turned out to not be the case as Democracy was loaded with a mellow boring style of music, at least by GnR standards.
That brings us to Chinese Democracy. The Guns N' Roses album which took nearly a decade to write, record and release. The fact of the matter is it was all Axl Rose's fault. The frequent hiring and firing of musicians or musicians outright quitting because Axl is a douchebag really started to get ridiculous after the first few years. Re-recording, remixing and other production costs ballooned the total cost of making the album to $13 million.
The album was originally to be released in 2000 but The album was finally released in 2008 exclusively at Best Buy. It was a critical and commercial flop despite being certified platinum in 2009.
Guns N' Roses was a fun band when they debuted in the late 1980s. The were like Motley Crue ampped up a few more levels. However, the lack of longevity and the frequent lineup changes and the childish behavior of Axl Rose definitely detracts from any worthiness for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their election is undeserved and frankly, mind-boggling. I could make a strong case for every artist I mentioned a few paragraphs above for inclusion before GnR. I hope that many of those artists are one day enshrined in the R&RHOF because all are deserving the just need a little patience.
Guns N' Roses had two great albums: Appetite for Destruction and Lies. After that they had two good albums: Use You Illusion 1 & 2. They also had two awful albums: The Spaghetti Incident? and Chinese Democracy. They also had a live album and a greatest hits album in there as well but neither really counts because those are just fan fodder to keep people happy until the new studio album is ready. Every artist does it.
Before I continue my case against GnR, let me remind you all of some artists (in rock and other genres) who are not yet in the R&RHOF. (Keep in mind eligibility begins 25 years after the release of the first album.) The list includes Deep Purple, Ted Nugent, Rush, Queensryche, Bon Jovi, Pantera, Billy Idol, Megadeth, Motley Crue, The Cure, Dio, Judas Priest, Janet Jackson, Ice-T, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Depeche Mode, Bad Religion, Ozzy Osbourne (as a solo artist), Dead Kennedys, Poison, The Misfits, Motorhead, KISS, Peter Gabriel, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Slayer and George Clinton. That is a list of artists who are not only more talented than Guns N Roses, but have all contributed more to the growth of music around the world.
Guns N' Roses made a loud, obnoxious and in-your-face debut with Appetite. The lead single "Welcome to the Jungle", with its allusions to rape and drug use, was much bolder than anything Poison or Def Leppard had out at the time. That was a good thing, but not enough to push them to the status of R&RHOF members. The controversy surrounding Lies with the tracks "Used to Love Her" and "One in a Million" was unwarranted but nevertheless entertaining. Again, that was a nice star on their bulletin board of life, but that's about it.
The dual release of Use You Illusion 1 & 2 was really nothing more than arrogance on the band's part. It's great they had so many songs to choose from and wanted fans to get them all. But why release both albums simultaneously? In the long run, that decision may have been the bands downfall as that lineup did not release another album together. It was too much at one time when one album of the best songs from both Illusions would have done the trick.
On a side note, the video for the opus "November Rain" from Use Your Illusion 1, was the first $1 million video ever.
Let's all just pretend the Guns N' Roses collection of covers, The Spaghetti Incident? never happened. It's one of the worst albums ever recorded.
In 1999, Guns N Roses had an industrial metal style song on the End of Days soundtrack which Axl claimed was the direction the band was going. That turned out to not be the case as Democracy was loaded with a mellow boring style of music, at least by GnR standards.
That brings us to Chinese Democracy. The Guns N' Roses album which took nearly a decade to write, record and release. The fact of the matter is it was all Axl Rose's fault. The frequent hiring and firing of musicians or musicians outright quitting because Axl is a douchebag really started to get ridiculous after the first few years. Re-recording, remixing and other production costs ballooned the total cost of making the album to $13 million.
The album was originally to be released in 2000 but The album was finally released in 2008 exclusively at Best Buy. It was a critical and commercial flop despite being certified platinum in 2009.
Guns N' Roses was a fun band when they debuted in the late 1980s. The were like Motley Crue ampped up a few more levels. However, the lack of longevity and the frequent lineup changes and the childish behavior of Axl Rose definitely detracts from any worthiness for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their election is undeserved and frankly, mind-boggling. I could make a strong case for every artist I mentioned a few paragraphs above for inclusion before GnR. I hope that many of those artists are one day enshrined in the R&RHOF because all are deserving the just need a little patience.
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