Maria Bamford- this is the Comic on this list that I wish more people knew about. Besides being a comic, she is also an actor with credits in Adventure Time, Hey Harold, and did commercials for Target's late 2010 shopping season. I like her humor for how surreal and cleaver she puts everything together. Listening her comedy is like being on a fun roller coaster that has many loops and turns. Also, she really shows her talent doing voices in her act and she can illustrate a great story using all of this with many kinds of characters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Bamford
Brian Posehn- I do not think he is the most talented comic I have ever heard, but his subject matter
(mainly subjects like heavy metal, comic books, and being a nerd) is mainly stuff I relate to and what I talk about with others. Also he is a comic that is not really trying to do more than he can do, most of his comedy is not about the ethics of the world or the mysteries of the world around them or even the most clever remarks about others. While other comics on this list are also like this, he shows this just a little more then the other comics in my opinion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Posehn
Dave Attell- He is a comic that I enjoy because yes he does harsh subject and some of the jokes are some of the best examples of jokes that are lowest common denominator in humor; however the jokes are for the most part better than the normal jokes like them. I also like how dark he can get, but still can be very cartoonish at the same time. Also, His one liners have a nice flow to them, but they can also be just as random.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Attell
Jeff Foxworthy- There is a reason he is one of the most famous comics ever known. His comedy is memorable and at times very simple to understand. Also I am on the fence when it comes to the redneck culture, at times I enjoy it and at times I have issue with it and Jeff works well with me on both my moods. Also his non redneck stuff is really funny.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Foxworthy
Sam Kinison- While I do not enjoy everything he had said in short career, you cannot say that he was not entertaining. A former preacher, he had used this past job to help develop his loud, energetic, and powerful performance style. He is a comic I wish was still working not only because he is really funny, but a lot of his comedy is very dated. Also he is credited with looking at subjects like religion, sex, and marriage in a new way that was different for comedy at the time.
I have just finished watching the first three seasons of the Showtime series Dexter,based on the book Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (which I have not read). The story of the show is that Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) on the surface seems to be a normal, yet a little creepy, male who works as a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Police Force. He does the normal job of trying to find criminals of many kinds, but mainly cold blooded murders. This is only what the main characters see, but if a killer gets past the legal system and walks away free to kill again, then Dexter's true side comes into the spot light. The truth is that Dexter is just as cold blooded as the killers because he is a serial killer as well, but his main targets are the killer that walk free. He does this for a number of reasons:
1) To feed his desires.
2) To not go to jail, as he makes every effort to hide it his crimes very well.
3) To find some kind of humanity in himself.
Dexter was taught a code when his adopted father discovered that Dexter was like this at an early age. Though out his childhood, his father had taught Dexter how to live in the real world and later help develop Dexter's code that he must not get caught at all costs and that he must only murder people that he knows for sure are murderers.
There are a number of subplots in the series, like his relationship with his girlfriend and how that develops overtime and how Dexter himself still sees the person that he is and how he tries to find true connections with people.
After watching three seasons in roughly two months time, it is safe to say that I am a fan of the show and hope to own the other dvd sets as well.
One reason I like the show is that the idea seems like a silver-lining fantasy that many people have thought of when the hear about real killers, the idea that there is a serial killer that can goes after other killers. Only a channel like Showtime could give us a show like this and it is all the better for it. I think that while this isn't really the best character study of someone who is a killer, it does bring up the ideas that could be thought about in cases like this, like could someone like this be fully functional in this world and could they change who they are as a person. If you really want to have some understanding of the tone of the show, think about this; Dexter through out each episode speaks in internal monologue and it sounds like one of the characters in theSin Cityfilm.
Other than that, the show is just a well done story. Each episode is part of a bigger story in the season, but it still has it's own story to watch. The characters are diverse, interesting, and have their own issues to deal with in the show.The stories in each season are nice as well. I think my favorite so far is season two where Dexter fears that his crimes maybe will be fully discovered by his own police department.
I also enjoy the way violence is handled. It both works well for the gorehound in me, but is also not so over the top that most other viewers can also enjoy the show.
Overall, I say give the show a watch.
One person I would like to interview would be the singer Johnny Cash. Since the mid-1950's, Johnny Cash became one of the best known people in music. With songs like "Walk the Line", "Daddy Sang Bass", "Don't Take your Guns to Town", and "Ring of Fire". With both his original songs and his cover tunes, he has entertained many people and has gone through many transformations in style and sound. While I enjoy the early years and one of my favorite albums is "The Highwaymen", but my favorite Johnny Cash albums come from his final years when he was working under producer Rick Rubin (Public Enemy, Slayer, and RUN DMC). Songs (original and cover) in this time line include, "Ain't No Grave", "Redemption day", "God's Gonna Cut You Down", and, most famously, his cover of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt".
With this in mind, there are a number of things I would like to ask him. One thing that I would like to know about is feeling of the world music as a whole and what he thinks of different sub-genes. I also would like to know about his thoughts of the artists he has covered like Nine Inch Nails, Sound Garden, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and Glen Danzig. This comes from my respect of the fact that he had seemed to have some kind of interest in newer artists, something I fell most artists do not really have any interest in ( let alone, artists of different genes). I think these facts are would be cool to know about, because I see him as a musician that has gone beyond his known styles and can be seen as the number one country artist that even non-country fans like to listen to.
Another thing that interests me about Cash is his faith. I am someone who is not a believer in any kind of religion, but I do enjoy his songs about God and other subject matter of the like. I guess the reason for that is because that his songs about this subject seem to have a more real feeling of being connected to something, but still questioning everything around him. I would like to know more about how he gets to these directions in his songs.
This could go with the next topic that I like to discuss with him. He and I both have an interest in dark subject matter and while we have different ways of going into these ideas, it is still there. I would like to know more about his interest in the dark side of the world.
I have no idea of how the interview would go, but I is nice to think about.
Most people say that the best way to watch a film for the first time is with an open mind and judge it on it’s own merits. Nice idea, but I get hyped up as much as anyone else and each year I have my list of the movies that I really want to see in the year. With this in mind, I now present my “TOP 5 FILMS I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE IN 2012 AND REALLY REALLY HOPE THEY DO NOT SUCK”.
“Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes in order to protect Dent's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Batman returns to Gotham where he must discover the truth regarding the mysterious Selina Kyle, while stopping the villain Bane's plans to destroy the city” (Wikipedia)
This film is at number 5 mainly because I believe that it is a safe bet that it could be a good film. Batman Begins was a great start to this film series. The Dark Knight was to many people a masterpiece (including me). So with all these facts backing it and that most of the same people have come back in the third (and supposedly final) film in this series, it looks like a good time to fight crime.
I am not asking for the movie to be better than the second one. I am just asking for it to be a well-done film. I will say, I was not expecting the next villain to be Bane. But it should be interesting.
“From creative genius Tim Burton comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that
getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.”(Ross Miller)
I really had issues with Tim Burton’s last movie, but this project does seem more promising. Based on a 30minute black and white film that Burton had made in the mid 1980’s. A story about a boy and his dead dog, a fun film for all to enjoy. Also, it is stated that this version will be another stop motion film. Since I like the other Burton stop motion movies and this, while based on the classic Frankenstein story, is more of a classic Tim Burton story, so there is some hope.
“Dracula, an owner of Hotel Transylvania, a five-star resort for the world's monsters, invites some of the most famous monsters to celebrate his daughter Mavis' 118th birthday. Unexpectedly visited by Jonathan, an ordinary young traveller, Dracula must protect his daughter from falling in love with him” (Wikipedia)
A few facts about this film give me mixed feelings:
A.The known cast (Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade) has in the past, given mixed results. Ranging from good to really bad.
B.The spawn of Dracula will be played by Disney darling Miley Cyrus. Yes I know, family film.
C.Based on this story description, of all the things people could do with a Dracula story, they turned Dracula into Steve Martin in Father of the Bride.
But what makes me want to see this film, 2 big things.
Number one, I am a big sucker for monster mash movies. Stuff like Rankin/Bass’s Mad Monster Party, andRob Zombie’s The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. For me, any piece of entertainment that falls in gene is at least just fun to watch.
Number 2, I am a huge of the director, Genndy Tartakovsky. If Cartoon Network was ever part of your life, then most likely you have been exposed to him. He worked on shows like 2 Stupid Dogs and The Powerpuff Girls. He was also the creator of shows like Dexter’s Laboratory, Sym-Bionic Titan and Samurai Jack.
Having enjoyed just about all the projects that he is a part of and it seems like an awesome idea to have him make a full-length feature film. Also, this is a film to done in 3D computer animation and I have not seen Tartakovsky try this before.
“Django Unchained is set in the Old South, and follows Django (Jamie Foxx), a freed slave who treks across America with the German dentist turned bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) to retrieve his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from the charming but sadistic Francophile plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his entourage of ruthless slavers.” (Wikipedia)
I often say that my favorite filmmaker is Quentin Tarantino, why is he? Well that is another blog post. Well, Christmas of this year is the release of his new film. He has stated that he wished to do a film that had slavery as it’s subject matter, but do it in the style of spaghetti western. I like the idea and he has yet to make a film I have hated. Hope it goes well.
“When an unexpected enemy emerges who threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, the director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team of superheroes to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.” (Wikipedia)
Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America; These are films that to my way of thinking were (in varying degrees) good solid motion pictures. Now all the main characters in each of these films come together in one huge blockbuster. For me this is the film that has been hyped the most and has given the most hope for it to be a good film. And we hope it does well.
Have you ever had seen or heard or tasted something at you wish was more well known because it is all senses just plain good. Well I have a film that I wish more people had seen and it is called Attack the Block.
(Story)
Written and directed by Joe Cornish (Edgar Wright’s co-writer on Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) gives us stylish and thrilling Science fiction story. The movie takes place in south London on Guy Fawkes Day. While the city is celebrating and shooting fireworks, a street gang (lead by Moses (John Boyega)) find, follow, and kill an alien that crash lands right front of them. After they take it back to the building that they live in, they see many lights in the sky that only they know are in reality more aliens and they decide to go alien hunting. However the aliens are more powerful and dangerous then the last one they killed. Now they must get back to their building while fighting back Cops, other gang members, and the invaders.
This is seems to be a simple story and the movie handles it well. The questions are answered, the characters develop, and I finished the film satisfied in how the whole think came together. The movie does well with the thrills and pacing and the elements of comedy are not overbearing and does mesh well with all the creepy moments. Nothing seems to topple over each other and have shifts in tone, the whole thing feels seamless, it is that well done.
(Acting)
All the actors fell natural and understand their characters. I enjoy each character as they interact with each other and you do gain a sense of these characters really being in a community. Along with the gang members, a woman they tried to rob right before the alien crash named Sam who must survive and deal with the aliens and the gang, Jodie Whittaker has done a very good job in her role because she worked well as a character who must place her hatred of the gang and saving her life from the creatures.
(Look)
I think the way the film looks has a mix of the following
1)1970’s low budget gritty crime films
2)Solid colors like fruity favors
3)City lights
4)Early ninnies rap video
And, like comedy and thrills, works well with each other.
Also, while the alien effects are simple, they are well done and believable.
(Final thoughts)
Just saying, go see it. You will be glad you did.
Sources
Attack the Block. John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, and Nick Frost. 2011
Ebert, Rodger. Attack the Block. <http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110727/REVIEWS/110729986>. 2011
