And The Oscar Goes To

And The Oscar Goes To...

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I love movies. Movies of all types from documentaries, to classics I love them all(ok maybe not corny Rom-Coms) However one aspect of the movie watching experience I have come to completely despise is the awards. Ok not all the awards because recently I have fallen in love with the Golden Globes, and their penchant for actually rewarding talent and ability, and not being hand cuffed by diplomacy, and bureaucracy. The Oscars on the other hand have been consistently disappointing me for years. First lets step back and address to me what is the greater issue. Why is there a such thing as an award given for an art form that can ONLY be subjectively judged. Yes I know saying this would open an entirely new can of worms that I am not prepared to mess with. I know that awards like the Pulitzer, The Tony's, and *sneer* The Grammys(which I hate by the way also) are also based on subjective judgment. I am asking this though, why are expressions of art like plays, movies, books, and music the only ones we butcher by placing the pressure of having to be "award" caliber in order to maintain relevancy? Why not sculpture, and painting? How about architecture or cooking? For that matter lets make an award for everything that we as a society have an subjective opinion of? If it sounds ridiculous thats because it simply is. There is no legit criteria for award something that is based in opinion. The big issue is who's opinion is more valuable than the person who is interpreting the art form. Academy of Film what makes you the supreme authority on what is quality and what is not? What makes your opinion of a film hold more merit than mine? I do appreciate the few awards out there that weigh in consensus opinions because at least that gives us an idea of what the majority of people feel but who is to say that even they are correct. Thats the beautiful thing about opinions, we all get to have one. Like it or not, agree with it or no the person who thinks your favorite movie is trash is allowed to think so! So how with so opinions out there are we able to have an awards system that is designed to stifle opinions? i know my random rant won't change anything. I also realize that maybe in some twisted way the awards keep some actors employed since the same people don't win them every year. I would just for once see a real uninhibited piece of artistic expression be recognized, appreciated and lifted up rather than seeing writers and directors force themselves through cookie cutter criteria in order to be considered for the damned Oscars. I know I will probably never see this my life time but what I do know is that if Christian Bale gets an Oscar for playing himself in The Fighter I will have an EFFING ANEURYSM!!!

Runaway:Trailer

"Runaway"

Une filme noire de Kanye West....

runaway trailer

- Watch more Indierock Videos at Vodpod.

"You can't be afraid to dream a little bigger darling"

"It's Called Inception"

Did I ever mention how much I loved this movie? Well let's just say I saw it three times. It was engrossing, in fact I am theorizing and postulating the complexities and intricacies of the film. So to give my brain a rest from the contortionist act i have it doing I will share with you these mash ups of the trailer. They are to me the top 3 from a list of 12

"How can I drop you if there is no gravity?"

Inception x The Matrix

Inception x Monsters Inc.

Inception x The Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring

MEDIA MONDAYS: Late Edition

Daft Punk:

Discovery/Interstella 5555

(album/movie)

First off as you all know today is not Monday(hell it's almost Wednesday now) so let me apologize for the tardiness of this(and subsequently all) post(s). However my media selection for this week came almost naturally. There was a night this past week where I just got into a strange mood. I was not per se sad, but I was certainly not my normal jovial self. It was getting later into the evening and I was home alone. I needed a pick me up. So what did I do I turned to music. Now for some this is a simple thing, they open Pandora, or their favorite playlist, or even(whelp *.*) the radio. In my case iTunes but where most people would have a simple time finding something to play to pick them up, I have difficulty. You see my problem is options, I have way to many of them(I currently have 9400 songs). I am about to give up on this venture until it dawns on me. Of all the classic albums by timeless artists I have in my collection there is but one album that thrusts me headlong into happiness immediately. In fact I would say If you don't have a smile on your face after the first track, begin avoiding garlic, wood, and sunlight because you no longer have a "mortal" soul. This Album is the timeless classic "Discovery" by Daft Punk. The diverse and dynamic production, combined with memory inducing voice work, and lets not begin to mention the awesome story being told in the movie that matches perfectly with the music. I am posting a vid that has the entire hour long film, which contains all ten tracks of the album. Enjoy

What's That #1 Zodiac Sign!!!!!

VIRGO!

Now I have been quoted as saying "I have renounced my Zodiac sign, I no longer have one" however I think I am willing to change this position. First off I tend to support my sign on and around my birthday(9/4). I have realized my war is not with the zodiac itself but rather with horoscopes. I realize that the zodiac is just another way of categorical comprehension, which is vital to the human mind. The horoscope is what is ridiculous I truly feel like people manipulate or infuse their lives with the junk they read in them because someone put in print that Geminis have dual personalities(you realize you have self diagnosed yourself bi-polar,schizophrenic etc?). So since I have rejoined the Virgo ranks(my Bday is tomorrow) and since I felt my Blog was getting a bit word heavy(I thank you for not hitting me with the TLDNR yet!) I decided to throw some Virgo themed media your way! All the media below is affiliated with Virgos in some way, shape, form, or fashion!

Enjoy Salaam!

Ludacris(9/11/77) feat. Nas(9/14/73) and Doug E. Fresh(9/17/66) - Virgo

Beyonce(9/4/81) - Gift From Virgo

Wayne Shorter(8/25/33) - Virgo

Hillarious Virgo Horoscope Song!

(I don't like the 3rd degree FTW)

Famous Virgos (Deceased)

Queen Elizabeth I (9/7/1533)

Mother Teresa (8/27/1910)

Michael Jackson (8/29/1958)

Famous Virgos (Living)

Damon Wayans (9/4/1960)

Dave Chappelle (8/24/73)

Jada Pinkett - Smith (9/18/71)

Hump Day Hotness: Birthday Edition!

Hump Day Hotties!

VIRGO EDITION!!!!

Today(okay tonight) we will be looking at a pair of women who share the distinction of being born in the greatest month to have been born in. I don't even need to mention the month because well you already know what it is, however beyond that they fall within the greatest Zodiac sign to be born under. Yes Virgo. I mean seriously, no disrespect but I know you curse your parents for not conceiving you in a different time of the year. Its ok like I always say "For many are born, but few are VIRGOS"

Celebrity Hottie

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek has proven that versatility is sexy. She has done comedy, drama, foreign language work. She has done some of it all and never truly lost that beautiful exuberance that shines through truly beautiful women. It must be the Virgo in her. In my humble opinion she is at her sexiest(and perhaps most versatile) in a cameo role she played in the Beatles Themed musical "Across The Universe" "Bang Bang Shoot Shoot"

Home Grown Hottie(gag)

Danielle Baron

So I am sure you are wondering where the gag came from huh? Well yes even though this woman is a Virgo and I love her. She is family and therefore referring to her as a hottie kind of makes me nauseous. However as I am posting this, it is approximately 40 minutes until her birthday and I thought I would give her a shout on my blog. She is an intelligent, hardworking and loyal woman(well duhh she's a Virgo) and I am blessed to have her in my life. She is currently working on her JD so look for her in the Legal Arena soon!

Bloggers Note: Both of these women were born on 9/2

Nastradamus, The Mayans, Biz Markie?

Yes that Biz Markie. The man has been called a musical genius before, but it seems none of us ever understood to what degree. Keep in mind while watching this clip that it originally aired in the summer of 1996. Its almost eerie how prophetic Schoolhouse Rock and Biz Markie collectively were. Wait did I just actually type that sentence! *Runs to go repent and prepare for the apocalypse*

MEDIA MONDAYS

Once again its Monday which means your mind is once again subject to the onslaught that is my opinion! I know I'm excited too. I am back to my normal format for this weeks post. I have a movie and a song that I will be discussing today. I also want to take a moment to give a shot-out to one of my twitter followers. I don't think she knows how much her kind words, positive feedback, and encouragement inspire and motivate me. You know who you are, thank you!

Ok before I begin this review let me establish a few things. First off let me explain my mid movie evaluation system. There are five categories that a movie can fall into after about the first 15-40 minutes. This being the minimal amount of time for even the slowest or longest of movies to establish identity.(at least thats how long I give them before checking out) During this period I will dish out one of the following categorical placements.(from lowest to highest)

1. "Can I claim this ticket as a business expense?"

Movies like "First Sunday" "Next Day Air" and "We Own The Night" fall in this category. This is reserved for movies so bad I desire to have the government reimburse me financial for enduring them. Some form of reparations are due me for the government not regulating the rampant filth film studios are allowed to distribute and the blatant lies they are allowed to tell! *Gets off his soapbox and puts down mic*

2."I should have gotten the large popcorn"

I love movie theater popcorn, with some(pronounced too much) butter on it. I mean like I seriously seriously SERIOUSLY LOVE the stuff. The smell is mesmerizing, I have considered just going to the theater for the popcorn and going home.(the manager gave me that same look before telling me I couldn't) I digress, when I go these days I always get the smallest size. Anything larger than a small(or kids in some cases) is too much popcorn for me to eat, and is too far overpriced. However a movie can be just bad enough that I wish for more popcorn so that the euphoric experience of eating it outweighs the pain of watching a poor quality film

3. "I wonder when HBO would have shown this"

Pretty self explanatory this one. The movie is mediocre and it reminds me of the fact that all movies at some point in their career end up on premium cable. Its not bad enough for me to desire to commit Seppuku but not good enough that I want anyone to know I saw it

4. "I would have gone to AMC for this"

This is the first tier of positive rankings a movie can receive from me. Regular movie goers know that AMC has become the MOST expensive theater to see a film at. I try my hardest to avoid paying a pound of flesh for a ticket and portions of my soul for snacks, but every once in a while there comes along a movie that is showing at a better time at AMC when I have gone somewhere else for economic reasons and said hey this movie is well worth the price of admission!(which is not literally a lb of flesh is more like 14oz)

5. "I MUST OWN THIS MOVIE!"

Yes I yell this phrase, not at full volume but loud enough to piss people in a 5-7 foot radius off. This is the Holy Grail of ratings. If a movie can make me say this, it is in a unique and elite club. In fact if I see about 30 films a year only 5 or 6 make it into this category.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

(Movie Based on The Graphic Novel)

Soctt Pilgrim Vs. The World was a category 5 hurricane! I should have realized the movie was going to be epic when the 8-bit version of the Universal Pictures intro came on the screen. The movie proceeds to intoxicate and inebriate you at every opportunity from thence forward. Its is visually striking, it is amazingly well written and well translated to the screen. The music is otherworldly...literally, its score could be the soundtrack of an awesome video game based off of an awesome movie that was based off of an equally awesome comic(wait o.0). Its is an amalgamation of everything that a nerdy person like me would think was awesome. Video games, awesome music, comics, anime, and even Bollywood films. It has smart comedy, over the top fight scenes, and an engrossing ambiance that has you feeling more like you are living in a comic more so than reading or watching one. Oh and the icing on the cake? Michael Cera and Jason Schwartzman deliver like Dominos! A definite must see

Kanye West feat. Jay - Z and Swizz Beats(and John Legend)

Power(remix)

Ok I am sorry If you are not, but I am a fan of all these gentleman. They are each a premier talent in their own right. They each have established their own brand and sound, so the three of them together are an epic song(at least on paper) However this isn't on paper it's on wax(well digi-wax) This is not a remix, its a complete re-imagining. Its not a song, its a musical event. Kanye and Jay are rebuilding the old Roc empire under the ruse of G.O.O.D. Music and this song is The Decleration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Boston Tea Party all rolled into 5 minutes of dynamic sound and voracious flows. I won't say anymore. I will let the music speak for itself. Are you sitting down?

MEDIA MONDAYS

Media Monday

Big 4 exclusive

This Media Monday post is dedicated to the big four in my life. My immediate family. Had a great weekend with Pop, Moms, and L.

Movies:

The Expendables

I must admit that I was guilty of pre-judging a book by its cover in this case. I mean honestly who wouldn't when looking at this cast. We have all heard the phrase "Everything In Moderation/Nothing Excess". Simply stated too much of a good thing is never a good thing. However the concept of excess never fully applies to the massive All-Star Cast of this film. It is written and directed in a way that makes the presentations of the cast refreshing and

creative. There are never TOO many big guns on screen. There is an involving plot and sub-plot, however due to the immensity of the cast there is little room for deep character development. All in all without divulging any spoilers I will say the movie is worth the price of admission. I also saw the previews for the new M.Night film, Saw 3D and The Last Exorcism, so I guess I am not done Pre-Judging films.

Music:

Pilot Talk - Curren$y

How dare you make a Hip-Hop album with creative flows, dynamic features, and dare I say it....Musicality! I listened to Pilot Talk one full time when I initially acquired it, and immediately said that it contained some of the most musical production of any album I've heard this year(with the exclusion of How I Got Over by The Roots) I always knew Spitta could well....spit, I have followed his flows since before he even created the moniker. What I did not know was that he had such vision when constructing tracks. He showed us a glimpse of this on various mixtapes, but none like the album. The album is not without a few bad decisions or miscues but taking all of that into consideration it is a more than Solid Debut for the New Orleans native.

I highly recommend Skybourne, The Day, Chilled Coughee, and Prioritize

Televison:

The Boondocks

Season 3 of the greatest comic strip turned cartoon series ever(yeah I said it!) has drawn to an end. I made it my duty to watch every episode this season, and can honestly I was impressed by the quality of the show. It showcased a new crisp style of animation, and a revamped soundtrack. The timeless opening theme by Asheru was not touched. If I could say anything critical about this season its that it was not the beginner course. Not in the sense that if you are not familiar with the characters or relationships you will be lost, but unlike the beginning of the second season where the intensity of the satire was gradually increased, season 3 picked up right where season 2 left off and then turned it up to 11! From the first episode we were brutally greeted with Aaron McGruder's satirical depiction of society and life. Season 3 is clearly not for the faint of heart. However with that said I must admit that this could have been the funniest season yet. If you can wrap your mind around the brand of humor, you are in store for a great experience. Now can someone tell me when the box set comes out?

Literature:

The Count Of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

I fell in love with Dumas' tale of betrayal and ultimate revenge late in the winter of 2002, when the remake of the movie was released(Jim Caviezel, Luis Guzman etc) and my best friend and I went to see it. I was so intrigued by the story I had to read it. I then wanted to see the original version of the movie. I purchased the dvd of the remake after that and showed it to everyone I could. They all had the same reaction, after having not giving the movie a shot, fell in love with the story. I recently began to re-read the story after about 6-7 years I have rediscovered why I fell in love with it in the first place. It is such an engrossing and emotional story its easy to ignore that its over 100 chapters long! A timeless story, and one of my all time favorites.

Freaknik The Musical

In case you missed it. Here it is in its Entirety! Freaknik The Musical!!!

MEDIA MONDAYS

The World Famous Tony Williams: Finding Dakota Grey

If you have not ever heard the name I am sure that you have heard the voice. He has been featured on numerous Kanye West tracks singing back up vocals, and most recently has been featured on Jay-Z's A Star Is Born. His mixtape is a wonderful potpourri of R&B flavor and Hip-Hop flare. Genius production mixed with Tony's own unique voice make every track worth listening, and with the refreshing mix of skits a well put together mix-tape is born.

Tony Williams - Nightmares

And in line with my theme of collaborative greatness I present the trailer for the upcoming remake of the classic film "Clash Of The Titans" I am thoroughly excited!

MEDIA MONDAYS

Two selections here that I think follow a common theme. Comebacks. A lot of people feel like Ludacris went away from who he "really" was when he dropped his last album, but he is back in his old form with How Low. The second is the triumphant return of one of the pillars of fear in american movie histor Freddy Kreuger in this trailer for the new remake of the Nightmare On Elm Street. Listen closely during the preview to see if you can tell where you know Freddy's voice from.

Ludacris - How Low

Nightmare on Elm St. 2010 Trailer