Star Wars Binary Sunset

Star Wars Binary Sunset

This is one of my favorite musical cues from John Williams in the Star Wars franchise. I remember hearing the sweeping music as Luke stares off into the double sunset. It is always an important moment. It shows the frustration Luke has in mind. He's conflicted because he hears the calling on going out on adventures in space.

The French Horns really sell it in this track.  This is the "force theme" first time in all its glory.  

Now, this wasn't the original track for that scene. Williams wrote and conducted completely different version of this cue. It is so different that it would have changed the way people would have perceived the scene.

Sounds darker doesn't it? By the way, skip ahead to the 5:00 mark to listen to alt versions of the main theme.

 

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21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street

You know what?  This movie is actually very funny.  The movie not only works on as remake but a sequel to the original TV series.  After watching a bunch of Adam Sandler movies, it is a breath of fresh air to finally a see a good comedic movie.  It handles the rauchy jokes in the correct manner, while not linger on them; I am looking at you That’s My Boy.

This movie is set in the same universe as the TV series from FOX.  You will actually see characters from the old show appear in the movie while being played by the same actors.  It is a nice little treat and shows the makers of the movie are actually fans, while also parodying the franchise.  Even Channing is in on the fun by making him seem like a total idiot. 

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have great chemistry together.  They actually seem like brothers, one being the nerdy-fat kid and the other being the jock.  They play on these high school tropes a lot in the movie, as both characters get a second chance at school.  I really liked their views of the new type of clicks that were born after they grew up. 

Speaking of tropes and clichés, the entire movie is about spoofing and turning cop tropes and clichés on their heads. There is one gag that deals with things that should explode, but don’t.  And, another has a paragraph that pretty much sums up all these remakes and re-imagining of old shows and films. 

((Deputy Chief Hardy: We're reviving a canceled undercover police program from the '80s and revamping it for modern times. You see the guys in charge of this stuff lack creativity and are completely out of ideas, so all they do now is recycle shit from the past and expect us all not to notice.))

That was when I knew this movie was going to be good.  You see this works within the context of the movie universe and the actual “breaking of the fourth wall”.  The movie shits on its own premise, this is something Sandler and those Spoof-Movie guys could learn from.

A lot of the kudos should fall squarely into the hands of Jonah Hill, because you can see all the fanboy-isms front and center within each scene.  Things are goofy and silly, like the 21 Jump Street program, but the character comment on the goofiness.  Even the main plot seems like a lost episode from the show…with a little bit more murder and mayhem. 

21 Jump Street is a nice send up to that older show, while also paying respect to it by placing it in the same universe.  The movie does live up to its R-rating with its violence and dark humor, but it doesn’t go over the top like some movies.  I really enjoyed this movie.  Well done, Jonah Hill. 

Grade: B+

Ice Cube:  "Today was a good day mainly because I didn't have to use my AK." 

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Random Things

Random Things

~Leah Remini files a missing person report: She reported Shelly Miscavige as missing to the police. Of course, they will pull her out when the time comes. But, you have to love the trolling by Leah. They kept messing with her and sending her little messages via twitter, and now she is even going to write a book about the Scientology. By the way, if you Google Scientology into Google News, you get a lot of hits from Leah Remini vs. the church. You f' with people long enough, they will bite back. That's what the Church doesn't understand. 

 I want to file a missing Money Report for renting Battlefield Earth.   Damn you, Xenu!

~Restaurant bans kids after during dinner: I have to say that I agree with this completely, because I have no kids and kids annoy me. Your loud kids are only adorable to you and your family, not us single people. Stop having them run around and being loud. Kids be damned!

 ~This Oprah Thing: I guess you heard that someone in Switzerland turned Oprah away from some expensive handbag that she was interested in. She asked three times to see the bag and the store person refused, believing that Oprah was someone without cash. Did they not know that this woman has 3 billion in change and could easily bought the entire store. It probably was a misunderstanding, but this is Oprah we're talking about. I think she could afford everything in the store. 

 ~Foxy Brown: Now, on the other end of the class world, we got Foxy Brown trying to steal a $900 weave. Talk about ghetto. First, why would you pay so much for some fake-ass hair? Second, why would you try to dash out after the service was completed? They know who you are, Foxy. You're that has-been rapper that fell off stage recently.  Remember when Kimberly from Different Strokes robbed that store? 

Make no mistake, you're hotter than Lil-Kim, especially now, but damn, pay for your fake hair. And, yes there is video of the caper.

Sure, she has some work done but at least she doesn't look like a puffed up cat person.  

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Chris Brown retiring, make it so, Number One.

Chris Brown claims that he might just leave music behind, due to the “haters”.

From EW.com, ((“Don’t worry mainstream America,” he wrote, “After this X album, it’ll probably be my last album.” He followed that up with the statement, “Being famous is amazing when it’s for ur music and talent. I’m tired of being famous for a mistake I made when i was 18. I’m cool & over it!”))

So long and thanks for all the hits, to coin and distort a Douglas Adams phrase. 

It is probably because it seemed like you were really sorry for your mistake, when you destroyed an office of morning news room. While I don't but that he's going to leave music behind, it would be good for him to sit aside for a while. This was something he should have done when the incident first happened.

The man has a lot anger and hostility toward women and it's only a matter of time before we hear about another attack.

I hope he does “fall off the face of the Earth” for a while, but something tells me his retirement will not stick.

Side Note: Rihanna doesn't help matters by messing with him on Twitter or getting back with him a few times. Stop sending this boiling pot mix messages.  

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Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star

Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star

This might be the worst movie I’ve seen in a long time.  It is disjointed and poorly directed that it makes the spoof movies look like high art.  I am not lying.  The movie takes everything that is bad about the recent Happy Madison movies and turned it up to a worst grade of shit.  What it boils down to is that the jokes aren’t funny.   The main character is a drip and the script is nothing but jizz and penis jokes.  I am all for that, but there has to be a good story behind the crude jokes, but there is nothing there. 

Nothing here is redeemable.  The movie is a complete steaming turd, and it seems to be proud of its stinky nature.  

The basic plot is Bucky finds out that his parents were huge pornstars from the 70s.  Bucky decides to become a pornstar too, but he’s penis is too small.  But, he has the ability to shot a lot of sperm without even touching the woman.  He becomes a big hit with fans.  That’s the whole story and joke.  Enjoy.  

I’d take a new Eddie Murphy movie over this shit! 

The movie is a collection of “jokes” rammed to together to make this loose feature.  There isn’t really a cohesive narrative in the same manner as Strange Wilderness.  Throw in sex and porn jokes with jokes about the main character’s appearance, and they keep doing over and over again with.

I dare you all to attempt to watch this movie fully through.  You won’t be able to make it. 

There is nothing that stands out as being funny or an appearance of a movie.  Forget this movie and everyone else in it. 

-Nick Swardson is terrible as Bucky Larson.  This is sad because we have to be around this annoying and dumb character the entire movie.  Nick seems to only get work with his friend Adam Sandler, and this one is no different.  This is a Sandler joint and Swardson shows again he’s not that good at acting, but leeches onto Sandler's stuff.  Why do people find this guy funny?  

-Christina Ricci, this is below you.  Why are you end up in the movie?  I felt bad for her.  Spoiler Alert: Ricci doesn’t get naked. 

-Don Johnson:  He’s in this movie and he cusses a lot.  There is not much else to say about him. 

-Kevin Nealon:  He yells a lot at Bucky and then leaves the scene.  Nothing else happens. 

Grade: F-

Note: If I could give this movie a Z, I would.  

 What's wrong with your Faaaacccceeee!

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 The same damn Buck Teeth joke over and over again.  We get it, movie. 

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 The Adams Family Reunion was a huge hit.  

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 Christina. you should know not to look into bushes after hearing strange sounds.  

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Damn it, Frost is still alive. Blade didn't kill him. Stephen Dorff is in this movie as a weak villain. He's playing a poor man's Peter North. (Note: Looking up Peter North is not safe for work or anything dry.)  

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Michael Ansara RIP

Michael Ansara

Mr. Ansara died a few days ago at the age of 91. I was a huge fan of Ansara's work in the Star Trek franchise. He was one of those powerful actors that stood out from the rest. His low and powerful voice and tall stature was great. Kor was the first Klingon, but Koloth was what Klingons would turn into later in the franchise.

91 is a good run with such a great character actor.

From CNN.com, ((The veteran character actor was probably best known for playing the Klingon leader in the original "Star Trek" series, then again in the legendary sci-fi series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager." ))

Yes, he played the third Klingon Captain to guest role on TOS.  The character Kang (and actor) went on to show up in an important DS9 episode with Kor and Koloth. Kang was the one Klingon that seemed more somber and honorable than Kor or Koloth. Ansara's performance seems to have inspired Michael Dorn's Worf in some manner. 

 Ansara would later act in some other amazing roles in other franchises as well. 

 All DC fans will remember his power yet mournful take on Mr. Freeze in the Batman Animated Series. His take on the character would actually change the Mr. Freeze character completely for every version after his role...even in the comic books. 

 He also played an important part on B5 as Elric.

Elric had the best line in the series (B5), and it predicted what would happen in the end too with Mollari.

"As I look at you, Ambassador Mollari, I see a great hand reaching out of the stars. The hand is your hand. And I hear sounds of billions of people calling your name. Your victims." 

 

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Bioshock Infinite: New DLC Burial at Sea

Bioshock Infinite: New DLC Burial at Sea

We get to see Rapture in its prime!  This is going to be an interesting DLC and one that fanboys wanted to see since the reveal in the last act of Bioshock Infinite, the return of Rapture. 

-December 31, 1958:  Note the date on Booker’s desk.  Things are already set in motion by 58.  Big Daddies are commissioned. And, the biggest thing to know about Rapture’s history is the start of the Rapture Civil War.  This mean this DLC is set right at the beginning of the big event told by the first two Bioshock games.  The game will be in two parts for each main character.  One for Booker and one for Elizabeth. 

-Booker’s debt:  Note the racing forms on his desk.  This version of Booker has money problems too.  Hmm…

-Woman with the baby stroller:  Is this the same woman we encounter in the first game with the gun inside the stroller? 

-Little Sisters:  They’re already messed up at this point. 

-Elizabeth:  She’s a little different, but the same. 

-This time around, Booker wants to get out of the city.  

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