Archive for January, 2007

Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape

This is the second single off Gwennie-Gwen-Gwen’s second solo album and I’m really enjoying it. I don’t have the whole album yet, so I’m not ready to pass judgment. But her last CD was pretty great.

Now Orange County’s Most Adorable is back and sounding great!

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As always, my policy is that if anyone would like a download link for this song, just make a Comment below and ask - I’ll hook you up with a link in a comment-reply of my own (check back with this article).

Download links are automatically embedded in my RSS feeds.

‘300′ hits Imax

Am I losing my mind with posts about this movie or what? There’s not much of anything in theaters recently - and not much to look forward to in the weeks ahead.

But I am majorly pumped for ‘300′. Is there any way this film could live up to my expectations of planetary-axis-altering coolness? Not with this recent news:

As you might expect, Warner Bros. is releasing their upcoming adaptation of Frank Miller’s 300 in beautiful Imax. The Imax version of 300 will open simultaneously with the theatrical version on March 9th. Warner Bros. and Imax will digitally remaster the film for the gigantic screens.

300 in Imax will be shown in 40 theaters here in the US and 15 internationally. A 3-D version of 300 in Imax would be absolutely killer but hopefully we’ll still get that somewhere down the line. Seriously though, has there ever been a film more suited for Imax than 300? With all the rich colors, vibrant visuals and insane sound work? Who doesn’t want to hear Gerard Butler bellow, “Tonight, we dine in HELL!” in an Imax theater?

300 will be the first theatrical film released by Imax this year (but will hardly be the last). Expect future announcements on SPIDER-MAN 3, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX and (hopefully) TRANSFORMERS.

article courtesy of gamerscircle.net

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Trailer Hits for Stephen King’s 1408

It looks like Stephen King may have his best book-to-film adaptation in years. The movie is ‘1408′ and it stars John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson.

The film looks to be a powerful and creepy ghost story about a huanted room in a 95-year old hotel wherein no one can last more than an hour alone.

Click the link below to visit the Yahoo widescreen trailer:

Stephen King’s 1408 Trailer

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Gave Plasma, Passed out!

Well for the last several weeks I’ve been wondering if there would be something that I could enter here as a personal blog post. There hasn’t been too much exciting stuff going on in my life. But there was all kinds of weird stuff happening today.

I sold the commercial copier I bought previously at auction. Didn’t make very much money. But at least I didn’t lose money, which for me lately is a good thing.

Then I had my first visit at the plasma bank to donate my blood plasma. It took a lot longer than what they initially told me, and it turns out the food I ate prior to donating was not the right kind. So all that together led to a bit of a problem. Although the plasma withdrawal went smoothly and in an hour I was done, when I tried to stand back up, or at least sit back up, I passed out completely. They panicked, my blood pressure dropped, and they insisted on an ambulance taking me to a hospital.

Ambulance_sm.jpgAs it happens, it was pretty much just a fainting spell. They did take out a lot of plasma, and I didn’t have the right food, or even enough food in my system. After a big cup of orange juice and a Three Musketeers, I was pretty much good to go.

That is, at least I was able to drive home under my own power. Now I’m wiped out! The downside of all this is not so much that it was a scary situation, or one that I’m concerned would be repeated. But rather, this probably means they will not have me back. Times have been so rough, I was really counting on making that much money every week from the plasma bank That I could at least pay all all my bills for the month.

Yes kids, it’s gotten that bad for Uncle John. I’m sort of back to square one right now and am not sure what I should do next. Well anyway, that’s my scary blood plasma donation story. Have a good weekend!

Lindsay Lohan Is Immortal

The guys at Robot Chicken had the genius idea of marrying Lindsay Lohan’s lust for power with the legendary mythology of Highlander.

LiLo versus Hilary Duff, versus Amanda Bynes. There can be only one!

Oasis - Stop Crying Your Heart Out

This particular favorite of mine has been around for several years now. I’ve been waiting for a day when the mood was right and the sun was shining. Today is one of those days, after I have been feeling down for so many weeks. I feel like life is turning a corner and the clouds are parting. And this song is for everyone who’s ever felt hope like this.

Although some of the lyrics seem sad, there is hope in these words — and the music soars like few other songs do. I hope the song uplifts you as much as it does me!

Cos all of the stars are fading away
Just try not to worry you’ll see them some day
Take what you need and be on your way
And stop crying your heart out..

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As always, my policy is that if anyone would like a download link for this song, just make a Comment below and ask - I’ll hook you up with a link in a comment-reply of my own (check back with this article).

Download links are automatically embedded in my RSS feeds.

Galactica To ‘Outrage’ Says Producer

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The following story contains MODERATE SPOILERS for Season 3 of “Battlestar Galactica.”

When fans find out which popular character from “Battlestar Galactica” is going to vanish from the ragtag fleet, they’ll not only be shocked, they’ll be angry.

“In the second half of this season, you can expect many stunning surprises and revelations,” show producer David Weddle told SyFy Portal’s Michael Hinman. “We will experience the devastating loss of a much loved character who is central to ‘Galactica,’ and it will shake the crew to the core.”

Speculation has centered around the departure of Katee Sackhoff from the show, at least temporarily, taking her character of Kara “Starbuck” Thrace with her. Weddle, however, wouldn’t deny or confirm which character would be taken out except that the ripple effects through the rest of the crew will be startling.

“I imagine many fans will be outraged and screaming for our heads,” he said. “But others may take comfort in the fact that every time we upset the chessboard and scatter the pieces, it opens the door to many new provocative and exciting stories in the season to come.”

How much these changes will enthrall fans will most likely be reflected in the ratings. And while it appears most people connected with the show expect a renewal by SciFi Channel, Weddle says he’s not taking any chances.

“The renewal of the show depends on the ratings this January and February,” he said. “If you care about this show, browbeat your friends who are not yet fans to watch it. Often, people are resistant because of the title to invest in the show. But I find that if you can get them to watch a few episodes, they almost always get hooked.”

Weddle says moving the show to Sundays, beginning this week at 10 p.m. ET, should be a tremendous benefit to the ratings bottom line.

“I am OK with the move to Sundays,” he said. “I know many people who have not watched the show on Friday nights because they are out socializing. There will be more available eyeballs on Sunday nights, which is a good thing. But it is also a much more competitive night. We just have to hang tight and hope we draw a decent audience.”

There is interesting competition for “Battlestar Galactica” on Sunday night. On cable alone, FX airs its new series “Dirt.” As for the networks, they are airing new episodes of popular shows including “Brothers & Sisters” on ABC and “Without a Trace” on CBS. Also, NBC is airing “Crossing Jordan” as well.

Deciding to DVR the other shows and watching BSG live instead could pay off, Weddle said.

“We will learn shocking secrets about several other characters,” he said. “Some of the story threads set into motion at the start of the season will be resolved, but in unexpected ways.”

“Battlestar Galactica” returns right after the series premiere of “The Dresden Files” Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on SciFi Channel.

By MICHAEL HINMAN
Source: SyFy Portal
Jan-19-2007

The point of a tv show isn’t to upset or alienate the audience. It’s to entertain them.

Frankly, I can see why ratings are down and the show is in a fight for its life against cancellation. The show is too morose, and just not fun anymore. The big return last night was tedious and I found myself sitting through it out of a strange sense of loyalty. I wasn’t entertained much - in fact, it was mostly lame. I can see why the ratings are falling - the show is ODing on it’s relentessly dark worldview and increasingly byzantine mythology.

And next weeks’ sure-to-be-dull, ongoing soap opera between Apollo and Starbuck sure ain’t going to help.

Strange True Story Behind “The Hitcher”

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Want to hear a real, good creepy story of how real-life and screen fiction mingle in Hollywoodland? Then check out the recent article about Eric Red, the screenwriter behind the original (and recently remade) classic Rutger Hauer film, “The Hitcher”.

The remake may have sucked (poor Boromir! Sean Bean deserves better), but the story of how one man evidently tried to make it real is scary enough:

In May 2000, screenwriter Eric Red was involved in a minor fender-bender on Wilshire in West Los Angeles … (Reds Jeep Cherokee hit a car in front of him) and when the guy in the car ahead walked back to (Reds Jeep), he saw Red slumped over the wheel, but staring straight ahead, his eyes open wide.

Then the car started to move. Slowly, the Jeep pushed the other car out of the intersection until it jacknifed into oncoming traffic — his girlfriend screaming in the front seat all the while. At the last second, Red’s Jeep slipped off the back bumper and his tires found traction, jumpstarting him from 15 to 50 mph in a matter of seconds, and he crashed through a bus shelter, through the plate glass windows of a pool hall, and against the giant mahogany bar 20 feet inside, killing two people who were pinned against the bar and injuring 20. Then, when everyone was trying to rock the jeep back off his victims, Red wandered off, picked up a shard of glass, and slit his throat.

That’s when the weird part really began. Red went immediately into the hospital on suicide watch, stayed out of the paper, and nine months later, LAPD announced they were dropping all charges — it turns out, due to a neurological condition which caused him to pass out at the wheel.

That would have been the end of it, except that the family of one of the victims was all lawyers, and they pursued him through the courts for five years before winning a million-dollar judgment. But in a monumental bit of reporting, Cullum documents every twist and turn — including the similarities between the accident and his own films and unproduced screenplays, and the script he wrote after the fact making fun of the whole thing. It’s not a tale for the faint-hearted.

And here’s a tidbit you won’t find in the story: When being admitted to UCLA hospital hours after the accident, Red insisted on being registered under the name Mario Kan. Mario Kan is an anagram for “I RAN AMOK.”

article courtesy of Hollywood Interrupted

This story is told in even greater detail in the original article in LA Weekly. To read it all here, follow the link below:

Read the rest of this entry »

‘300′ Theatrical Trailer

I previously posted the teaser trailer to this badass movie and now I’m linking to the High-Def theatrical trailer recently posted to Yahoo Movies.

This looks absolutely amazing. I love sword and sandal movies, and also appreciate films with great visual style. This looks to be similar in tone to Sin City, another Frank Miller adaptation. It’s directed by the guy who did the excellent Dawn of the Dead remake a couple of years back, Zach Snyder.

Dude’s got good instincts.

So, click the link below to launch the trailer window. Blow it up to fullscreen to get your maximum measure of kickassitude!

‘300′ Theatrical Trailer

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Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time

I am posting this recent, acoustic version of the Cyndi Lauper classic from the 80s. My sister wanted to hear it last week, so I rounded up a copy and decided to make it available here - so she can listen to it whenever she likes!

This live version features the great Sarah McLachlan on accompanying vocals. It’s a pretty cool rendition of what has now become a “golden oldie”. (Feeling old yet?)

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As always, my policy is that if anyone would like a download link for this song, just make a Comment below and ask - I’ll hook you up with a link in a comment-reply of my own (check back with this article).

Download links are automatically embedded in my RSS feeds.