Movie: Whip It

4.5/5

Okay, I didn't illegally download this or anything. I legally went to the movies on a Saturday night and it was playing at 7:00(!!). So I went in to see the first "real"(I say real cause it's her first starring role since the incredible "Juno"). But anyway, I saw it, and I was totally surpirsied by this film. Being the debut of Drew Barrymore, I didnèt have high expectations for anyone except Ellen Page. But all the actors perfomed surprisingly well, with a cast like Zoe Ball, Drew Barrymore and Academy Award winning Marica Gay Harden. The movie itself starts off slow, but picks up about a half hour through, but then slows down until the last half hour. This is one Ellen Pages best movies, right up there with ¨An American Crime¨ and ¨Juno¨. She knows this isnt in the same class as these movies, and yet, she still performs brilliantly. She has a great many years ahead of herself, and for the first movie of anyone to see her in, I recomend ¨Whip It¨, the little movie with a great story, music, and above all else, acting.

Album: Mystery Girl

4/5

In many ways, and not so many ways, Roy Orbison is like Elvis, both from the southern United States, both popular in the early 60's and both dying of a heart attack, in their bathroom. The only reason I choose Roy is because he was on the way to the biggest comeback since John Lennon, but he never lived to see it. Roy Orbison, for those who don't know, was one of the earliest big touring stars, working with the likes of Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley. He was the idol of Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and many people who grew up in the 50's. But by the time of the British Invasion, he was reduced to acts such as opening for The Beatles. Time went on, and he was forgotten. But then, in 1987, with the release of his Greatest Hits Album, he was once again being interviewed, and performing. The album Mystery Girl was to be his comeback, with tracks like "You Got It", "She's a Mystery to Me" and "California Blue", you could tell he was putting real work into the album, with real vocals, unlike today's screamo kids. This man HAD a voice! Sadley, he died before the album was released, but this album, along with the Traveling Wilburys album(with George Harrison and Bob Dylan), would had propelled him to stardom once again. Roy Orbison is a gem, that if we look hard enough, can shine like gold.

Album: Ten

3.5/5

We all know this group, they've been around since '91, but yet, something about them everytime just makes us tick. The music has aged suprisingly well, considering this is a debut. But like Nevermind this album surprised the music world. The only diference was Nirvana already had a album out before Nevermind, and Ten was Pearl Jam's debut. And just like the Beatles and The Rolling Stones before them, and 2Pac and Nortorious B.I.G after, this began a rivally between people, on who was better, and who would last the longest. Well, as everyone knows, Nirvana isn't around(sadly), and the mighty Jam continues to howl out piowerful, obscure lyrics(sometimes). Now as for music, this is some of the best I ever heard, especially the opening track "Once" and my personal fav track "Even Flow". "Jeremy" is proabley the most well known, especially for people who don't know who Pearl Jam. Eddie Vedder is one of the most easily reconizable voices in the music world, and one of my favourite singers. much has been said about this album already, but the only thing I can give that's negative about this album is the overall differences of the songs: there are none, sometimes, I'll just turn it off. but that's rare with me. Overall, Pearl Jam's first album is the most well known of them, and some might agree the best, and I'm proud to own a copy of this masterpiece.

U2 360 Tour: My Thoughts

Alrighty then, last night, I went to the U2 concert in Toronto. And now, I will share with you people who never will see it, what it was like. Well, for starters, Snow Patrol opened, which is a bonus for me, cause I've had a bit of a thing for em, since my girlfriend got me into em. But you don't care about them, you wanna know about the mighty U2. Well, there was too long a wait in between Snow Patrol and U2(a full hour), and I was in general admission as well, so tonz of fun there. But then, Larry Mullan Jr. came on, followed by The Edge and Adam Clayton, and last but not least, Bono made a spectacular apperance. Now as far as songs, as far as I can remember, the first 4 songs were off No Line on the Horizon. Then "Beautiful Day" followed by "Elevation". After this, I believe they played a few songs from The Joshua Tree, Acthung Baby, All That You Can't Leave Behind and No Line on the Horizion with the exceptions of "Vertigo, Sunday Bloody Sunday and Stand by Me(actually, that was more an interlude then anything else), but for me, the crowning achievement was the encore of "With or Without You". Words cannot describe the awesome feeling of this, and this is proabley the last time I'll ever see them, and even though I don't worship the band as much as some of you, I still thought it was, in the words of Bono, Magnificant.

How I Spent My Strummer Vacation

Well, its that time of the year again, so lets do some reflecting on summer. I bought a new guitar, left Borden and the navy altogether, got into the Punk revolution(Sex Pistols, The Clash etc.), went to Pike Bay up by Lake Huron, was on the computer for most of the summer, and just as much, I was stumming away on the guitar to such classics as And Your Bird Can Sing and Come As You Are, sold my old electric guitar as previously mentioned, and watched a ton of movies, from Sex and the City to Sid and Nancy, extended by album collection to have more then double from the beginning and hung out with by girlfriend. Not a whole lot, and not nearly as much as I originally thought. But all in all, this was one of the most lax, and fun summers I ever hadd. I'll never get another summer like I had last year, and I thought thatw as the best one, but now the only one I have for a template for the next one is this one. Overall this was a great summer, I'd give it a 8/10. Coming up more movie and album reviews.

Album: Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols

4.5/5

What a album! After 30 years, this album still sings(or yells, take your pick) with pa-zaz and filth. Johnny Rotten belts out songs that no-one(except the Clash maybe), would dare say. The key song "God Save the Queen", still sends a message to everyone who hates the Royals, or at least the Queen herself. The only thing I could say that makes this album inperfect is that the songs seem to drag on after "Anarchy in the U.K", which is a song that cannot be topped. "Holiday in the Sun, Bodies, Animal, EMI" gems, gems, gems. The Sex Pistols were only around for 26 months, this album is a symbol, a marker for the greatest punk band ever, and even if some people don't like to admit that, this album is one of the best, if not the best album made by a group of this time. So many groups that could be traced to having influence from this album, I cannot put them all. But let me tell you, if your 13 years old, you can still annoy, or remind them, of the music of the Sex Pistols

Movie: 10 Things I Hate About You

4/5

Okay, for starters I'm not gay, (even though I have much respect for them). But this film is one that I would watch regardless of sexual orientation. Oh, wait, this isn't Brokeback Mountain! This is "10 ThingsI Hate About You", a old high school comedy/drama. How do I know it's old: the Barenaked Ladies do a song in it. All the stars in this movie, Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, play their parts perfectly. Its almost amazing to watch Ledger, especially after watching such movie as, say...The Dark Knight, Brokeback Mountain, to name but a few. The movie is light, fun to watch, and a perfect modern day adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew(at least they didn't fuck up like on Romeo+Juliet). There is really no moral in this movie, the music is perfect 90s sounds(pay note to all the Riot Grrrl music in the movie). Bottem line, its a comedy, a great movie, and the first real Heath Ledger movie. If you truly are a Heath fan, then you won't wanna miss this movie. Oh, on a sidenote, Joseph Gordon-Levett, star of "(500) Days of Summer", also appears. Need I say more.