Holy Shit Batman, Look What I Found

This may be a new part to the website, but for now, it's just a headline on what i found. As many of you know, and have heard of by now, Katy Perry is huge, I mean HUGE!!(shes also a singer, and a pop singer, sorta). But anyway, while I was in Goderich for 2 days, I went into a Goodwill store, called NewAgain. As I sorted through all the shitty Cds, with such acts like Hilary Duff and Ashlee Simpson, I found.....THIS!! ---------------->

Don't recognize the name?? Its Katy Hudson the birth name of(guess who) Katy Perry. After looking online, I found out that not only was this her debut album, but it's also out of print, and a pure Christian album. I knew that she was Christian but I never knew she put out a whole album on it.

Any whom, this album on Amazon.ca sells for 67.38 USED(and 81.90 new). I bought this for 2 bucks, I am dead serious! Whether it's worth that much, or if it's just that price cause she's popular, I don't know. I've yet to listen to the album, but let me tell you, that will be the next thing I review, because the battle between me and Perry is far from over.

Oh one more thing to note:

Lady Gaga's album The Remix, is at Number 6, giving her the distinction of having 3 albums in the top 40.

Just saying...

My Top 20 Movies: Part 4

Here we go, the top 5. Before I begin, I must make personal mention to all these films. While everything on the list are my favourite movies, these 5 movies stand in a catagory by themselves. These are my favourite movies, movies that I will never grow tired of watching, movies that I will watch whenever, wherever I am. These are the last movies, and the greatest movies I've ever seen. That doesn't mean I don't hate the other movies on the list, just these movies have more rewatchablity for me. But enough said, let's finish this list.

5. The Godfather Rotten Tomatoes Rating 100% (1972)

Seems a little cliched to have such a well loved classic with a perfect rating on the list, but I just love this movie. The story is good, the pacing is good and the characters are great. Everybody can quote the line "I'm gonna make him a offer he can't refuse", but does anyone know that not only does the father say this, but the son, Michael also says this, near the end of the film. The actors are all top notch, Al Pacino, in one of his first movies where he gets an Oscar nomination that he doesn't win; actually, three actors, James Caan(Sonny), Robert Duvall (Tom Hagen) and Al Pacino (Michael) wereall nominated in the same catagory, and wouldn't you know, not one of them won. But at least they got it right by giving, literally, one of the greatest actors ever, Marlon Brando the Best Actor Oscar. Even with a lenght of just over 3 hours, I never get bored, or tired of waching this. This is the quintessential mob movie, the one that restarted the genre. Most people compare this to the sequel, The Godfather Part II and which is better. I like parts of Part II, but I think that they should've taken the two storylines out, and made them each their own movie. This is why I put The Godfather above the sequel, cause there are no real parts that you can take out, and no jumping back and forth between storylines.The Godfather is the transition between the old and the new films of Hollywood, and really is a true marvel of cinema. This movie I can't recommend to everyone though, as it really isn't a universal piece, though the rating would seem to suggest otherwise. As i mentioned above, the length is quite long, and it almost has two different stories in it, which is one of the few movies like this that I like. It's not The Godfather Part II, where they're two different stories, as I mentioned. This is a movie that walks that fine line, and that's the way I like it. While this did start the gangster movie series, it's not the last one that will appear on the list, guaranteed.

4. The Dark Knight Rotten Tomatoes Rating 94% (2008)

When I think back to the summer of '08, this is the movie that I think of. And if you are like me(and I seriously doubt that), then you remember this as well. I was probably one of the few Batman fans who didn't care for Batman Begins. I thought the story was dumb, I didn't like the villains, and it was too long and too complicated. Well, as you know, I loved Inception, which is just as long, and just as complicated, so this might've had to do with my age at the time (12). The Dark Knight on the other hand, is a masterpiece. I thought Iron Man was the best superhero movie of 2008, and it was, for about 3 months, and then this mammoth movie made mincemeat out of it(slightly). This is my favourite superhero movie of all time, because it's more then a superhero movie, its a epic movie. This movie has the the right amount of drama/action. I know I've said it alot in these reviews, but they are all true. Most movies don't know how to have a balance, and that is why they aren't classics, like all these movies on the list. The Joker is amazing, I won't say more then that, cause so much has already been said about him. The Academy was right to give him an Oscar for the role, but they were wrong for giving it nothing else(of worth). But this movie really doesn't need that. This is the last real summer blockbuster that I've seen that I enjoyed(unless you count Inception, but that's not really a BLOCKBUSTER) and admit I saw this not once, not twice but 4 TIMES in theatres! If you know how long the movie is that's alot of time sitting on my ass, and I've watched it even more times since then. The reason for that is cause I never feel a drag, as opposed to say Avatar. This is a movie that I was able to get into, and I'm glad it was made, and it ranks as not only as one of the best sequels of all time, but one of the greatest films of all time, and it's my favourite action movie(which if you've read the rest of this list, they're few and far between).

3. The Departed Rotten Tomatoes Rating 93% (2006)

Hands down the greatest remake I've ever seen. Okay, maybe that's a little unfair, since I've never seen the original film Internal Affairs, released in Hong Kong. But this is North America, and we want the audience to be able to understand what the people are saying and such. So we bring in the best actors we can find, with Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio(who seems to keep popping up on my list). The result is the best mob movie I've ever seen, and probably you've ever seen. It's only 4 years old, and a short 151 minutes, about a half hour less then the Godfather. In this movie, there are no token characters, everyone is crucial to the plot, from Alec Baldwin, to Mark Walberg, who shocked me with how good an actor he really is(see The Shooter/Max Payne to understand what I mean). The only actor who seems to be too perfect, ironically is Matt Damon, who plays that same sort of character in this. You won't believe how many people forget about him, and he's on the front cover of the frigging DVD!! In contrast people really remember Alec Baldwin. Must be the character acting...I dunno. But the actor that stands out for me in this is Leonardo. What started in Catch Me If You Can, worked up towards The Aviator, culminated with this movie. This was the movie that people finally looked up and didn't see him as Jack Dawson anymore. His performance is one that amazes me still to this day. He really outshines all the other actors. A small side note is the lack of women, save Vera Fermiga, as the therapist, who is linked to both Matt and Leo. She may be forgotten in this movie, but she still does a good job. So if there is any one mob movie you MUST watch, I highly recommend watching the most recent, and my favourite of them all, The Departed.

2. Almost Famous Rotten Tomatoes Rating 88% (2000)

If you remember for about 2 years I mentioned this movie as being one of the best. 2 years later this statement is true. I'll go into a little more detail then I went into last time. Put simply, this film was a coming of age film, which fits well as that is one of the themes of the film. Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, this film is semi-autobiographical. When e was younger, he was a writer for Rolling Stone, and interviewed bands such as Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers Band and The Eagles. Most of what happened really did happen. This is a time that has long been lost in the music business. I'm not gonna say that music today is shit, just back then, it was an art form, and perfection was to be expected. The 2- Disc version has the uncut version of this, and while parts are good, it just makes the movie too long. A two hour film is enough, and the original cut is one that I prefer by far. There are a lot of good actors in this, like Jason(My Name is Earl) Lee and Anna(True Blood) Paquin, before their big breaks(okay, so Paquin won an Oscar, but this was he re-launch). The music is quite good, with such tunes as the above mentioned Led Zeppelin, The Who, Simon & Garfunkel, Elton John, and Stillwater, the band portrayed in the movie. This movie is a very happy, nice, movie, which has it's ups and downs similar to life, when you fall in love, want to do what you want to do, and rebel against your parents, which are all shown within the movie. This movie also has some of the funniest lines that I've ever heard("I am a Golden God!"), and some of the best characters created for a film. A gem, which is starting to shine as many people are starting to discover this movie. What more can I say that I haven't said before about this?

...And now for the Number One film on my list:

1. American Beauty Rotten Tomatoes Rating 89% (1999)

You knew it was coming. Well maybe you didn't. If you think the ratings on the side have anything to do with it being my favourite, well our wrong(cause if it was so, the The Godfather would be 1st.). Is it unfair for this to be above Almost Famous? I don't think so. For while the above mentioned is the coming of age, this is the movie that gets you through that door all the way. It tells you what will happen in the real world, and what you can do to make your world better for yourself. Why should you work a job you don't like? What can stop you from liking someone, even if it's crazy to do? Why should you live by a standard. Lester Bunharm answers all these questions. He's one of my favourite onscreen characters of all time, played by one of my favourite actors, Kevin Spacey. He's so convincing as a man trapped, and just wanting to get free and be himself again, no matter what people think of him. Actually, most of the people don't care what anyone thinks of them, but most of them try and maintain the standard that they do, such as Lester's wife. Written by Alan(again True Blood) Ball and directed by Sam Mendes, this was THE film of the year. Sure it seems to be in the same category as Forrest Gump now, the cute drama/comedy, but I think that this film is far better, and hold up way more then Forrest Gump. I just never get tired of watching this film. There's always something new that I find when I watch that I never noticed before. It also has one of the strangest endings for me, leaving me feel positive in a negative situation, with a feel-good attitude. To revel the ending would be a disservice those who haven't seen it, so I won't revel it. All I can say is that it is amazing, and a fitting end to this movie, my Number One favourite movie.

And that's my list, I hope you got a kick outta it. I'm gonna do a couple follow-ups to it, but they aren't meant to be taken seriously, like this list. Thanks for reading, and have a good day. Hope you get what makes you happy.

My Top 20 Movies: Part 3

Now we're getting to the good stuff.

10. Edward Scissorhands Rotten Tomatoes Rating 91% (1990)
Even though both movies make my list, this movie beats Sweeney Todd by a mile. For most people, this is the first movie people saw Johnny Depp in, and if you were like me, the first Tim Burton movie you saw(that and Batman[1989]). What is this movie, is it a romance, a comedy, a drama, a Christmas, a fairy tale?? Well, its all of these things, and for the most part, it holds up very well. All the actors in this movie are crucial to the plot, not one being a token character. Of course, as said above, Johnny Depp is in this, and this was the first movie he got a starring role in. He was able to carry a love story while having scissors on his hands. That's a good actor! Of course, over the last 20 years, Burton and Depp collaberated many more times, but they never made a better movie in my opinion. The music is amazing, if you have the soundtrack, pull it out and take a listen, it's Danny Elfman doing his work. Actually speaking of Elfman, both him and Burton have said that this was the most personal movie they worked on. And look how it turned out. They both created one of the greatest fairy tales to grace the screen in many years. Bravo.

9. Lost In Translation Rotten Tomatoes Rating 94% (2003)
For the longest time, I was switching this back and forth with Edward, but finally came to the conclusion which deserved to go where. While I will never stop watching either of these movies, there's just something, something that keeps drawing me back to this movie, no matter how many times I view this. It's a strange movie, taking the premise of romance and putting in that of a stranger, one whom you've just met. Okay, while maybe that part isn't so unoriginal, Lost In Translation takes this idea, and turns it into something new. Using only 2 actors, Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, the movie takes on a life of its own, keeping you interested just enough to want to see the end. Bill Murray was nominated for a Best Actor for this, the only time he ever has been. Do I think he was robbed? Not really, considering the competition that year (Johnny Depp, Ben Kingsley, Sean Penn), it really would've been anyones guess. But any whom, this movie came and went, and I believe has stood the test of time. It is one of the films I only most recently watched, so to put it on my list, and at a place so high, I either must be right, that this movie is a masterpiece, and a classic, or I'm crazy for putting it above Burton. You make the call.

8. Hot Fuzz Rotten Tomatoes Rating 91% (2007)
This is the movie that I laughed at all the jokes(I could find)! My greatest regret is not seeing this in theaters when it was released in 2007. I do remember it only being in theaters for a bout 2 weeks, fairly short of a movie. But any whom, this is probably the funniest movie I have ever seen. I mean that. I can't think of any other movie, which this much comedy, and the exact amount of violence/gore to boot. Yes, this is an extremely violent movie, but in a comedic sense as well, so don't get too worried about it. I don't know how this got a "14A" rating over here(in Canada), cause this seems like it would pass for an "18A". But that doesn't matter. The actors are good with Simon Pegg(Scotty in the Star Trek reboot) as a no-nonsense cop, with other actors such as Timothy Dalton(James Bond) showing up and just being flat out hilarious. This is an epic comedy, and one of the finest that I've seen. If you haven't seen this, I highly recommend that you watch Shaun of the Dead first, as it has much of the same humor, and it's a good movie to warm you up and prepare you for Hot Fuzz. It also, if you didn't guess/know has the same director/stars in it, with much of the same humor. The only reason to watch this first, is that Hot Fuzz is way, way funnier, especially if you have a good sense of humor.

7. Inception Rotten Tomatoes Rating 87% (2010)
The most recent movie released on the list(beating Toy Story 3), and the best film I've seen of 2010. The plot is too complicated to get into, and I've already explained this briefly in my other review for this. Christopher Nolan is one of the greatest writers, not just in the last decade, but ever. He knows how to both direct and write, so maybe it's good that he doesn't try and act in all his movies, like some director/actors. But any whom, this movie has done much for me. It made me realize why I enjoy going to see these movies, not just as a way to spend an afternoon, but to get something out of it, to make it make you think, and i like that in a movie. The plot is complicated, but only when you try and explain it to someone, as I tried to do(and failed). If you have a good eye for things, then this movie shouldn't be too hard to comprehend. There's only one thing that i can say about this, and that is that this film deserves some Oscars. Not just for writ ting, but for acting, directing, just heap the awards onto this film. Everyone did a good job with it, and it's obviously one of my favourite films(though it did slip from 4 to 7, you'll see why). Please, Academy, don't fuck up Inception, the greatest science fiction movie period(that's right, this movie now has the title 'Greatest Sci-Fi Movie' bestowed upon it, by me). If you haven't seen this, then do go see it while it's still in theaters, cause I can bet it won't be the same on Blu-Ray. In fact, forget all the other movies below it, see this one first before you watch the others.

6. Sid & Nancy Rotten Tomatoes Rating 90% (1986)
Let's jump back to the 80s with one of the best dramas released about punk. That may be a hyperbole, but it makes sense with this film. It tells the story of the bass player of the Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious and his romance with his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen. Along the way, the band breaks up, and both of them end up becoming heroin addicts, trying hard to kick the addiction, but still falling back into the same black pit. It is one of the most moving movies I've ever seen, and it took me a while to find a copy of it, costing around $35.(!!) for it. But I still say it was worth it. i didn't go into the movie thinking it was going to be the way it was. I though it would be typical bio-pic material. It turned out it was, but there was just something more that the actors put into the movie, a little more depth in their characters, which is what true actors do. This was the first movie that Gary Oldman was ever in, and if you've seen the film, he did an amazing job with the acting. It's ironic that one of the women who auditioned for Nancy went on to big things(Courtney Love), but the actress who won kinda disappeared. It's too bad, cause I really liked her, and though she did a good job. Oh well. But Sid & Nancy is a great movie, and it came along at the right time in my life, when I was discovering "punk rock" and the Sex Pistols and such. This movie basically sums up who I was in the Summer of '09...at least in style.

Only 1 more part to go, and this is when the stuff gets long

My Top 20 Movies: Part 2

Welcome to Part 2(15-11)
15. Casino Royale Rotten Tomatoes Rating 94% (2006)
Now in between this movie and the last one (Die Another Day), I have to admit I wasn't as impressed with the decades other major action series, The Bourne Trilogy. I just didn't find it that interesting, it seemed cliched, re-used, and an uninteresting story. I've even re watched them recently, and I'm still not that impressed with any of them for that matter. Casino Royale, on the other hand, is amazing. It had enough action, drama, and humour to win me over, right from the opening scene. It was one of those few action movies where I felt I had to watch everything in one go. And i can still pop this movie in and get enjoyment out of me. Despite the failure of the sequel to it (Quantum of Solace), it hasn't tarnished my view of the James Bond series itself, cause when I think James Bond, I think of Casino Royale.

14. Backbeat Rotten Tomatoes Rating 74% (1994)
Telling a musicians life story is a tough act to sell. To make one on the Beatles is an almost impossible feat, due to there being so many different aspects of their lives to cover. This movie covers the Beatles lives' when they were working in Hamburg, with their 5th Beatles, Stuart Sutcliffe, who "played" bass. The movie is more about him, and his relationship with the two main people in his life, his lover, Astrid, who he met in Hamburg, and his friend, John Lennon. Its a good account on the life of the so called "the Beatle who walked away". But if you watch this movie, you understand why he wanted to leave the Beatles, and its my favourite musical bio-pic movie. Plus the band that does the music has such 90s musicians as Dave Grohl, Mike Mills, Thurston Moore(Nirvana, R.E.M., Sonic Youth!!). If you like the Beatles, and haven't seen this film, look it up.

13. Dead Poet's Society Rotten Tomatoes Rating 86% (1989)
Comedians never get Oscars, unless they're Robin Williams, one of my favourite comedians of all time. But you know, there are those movies where you see comedians make the transition to dramatic roles, and this movie is the first to really do that for Robin Williams. But that barely scratches the surface of the film, he's just one part of the film. This movie makes you examine the way that you live, why you live the way you do, what you're doing with your life, what you would rather be doing with your life. It's a really uplifting movie, and also the best movie I ever saw Ethan Hawke in. I'm not a fan of him, but I can't ignore his character in this movie, as the one who starts at the back, and builds up the courage to get up to the front. We've all wanted to, or have stood up to something that believe in. This movie is the movie that makes you believe in. The fact that it was ignored at the Academy Awards(except for writing) is a shame that the Academy continues to display every year. They nominate these films, only to let them crash and burn, cause how could someone take a movie like this seriously unless it one Best Picture. Well in my books, in 1989, this was the Best Picture.

12. Titanic Rotten Tomatoes Rating 82% (1997)
After what i just said above, you would think that i would disagree with this winning Best Picture, and want something like Good Will Hunting, or The Full Monty. And yes they are good film, especially Good Will Hunting. But this movie for me is really, REALLY good! This movie is one of my favourite romantic movies(seriously!) of all time. Despite the 3 hour run time, I've watched this movie at least 12 times(that's 36 hours of my life I'll never get back). Sure, this may have been a star vessel for Leonardo Dicaprio, but everything else in the movie was perfect(well maybe not the writing, but that's James Camerons fault. To be fair though, it didn't win for writing at the Awards, that went to Good Will Huntings' Ben Afflick and Matt Damon. Yes, they wrote the movie, and won an award for it. There's something you can tell all your friends at a coffee shop.) I never get tired of watching this movie, or any on this list for that matter, but this one has probably been on the list for the longest, and well deserved.

11. Superbad Rotten Tomatoes Rating 87% (2007)
Never in recent years have I possibly laughed at a movie since Superbad(possibly). The premise is simple, the story is simple, and the movie isn't even that long. This is my favourite movie in the long line of movie put out by Judd Apatow(with Funny People ranking a far and away 2nd). All the jokes make me laugh, and the characters in the movie are likable(especially, and unfortunately Michael Cera), and good writing. The jokes, as mentioned, are unforgettable, and totally funny. There is nothing stupid in this movie...well yeah there is, but I guess what I mean, is the stupid humor isn't, well stupid. It's very intelligent. It's...ah forget it, I'm just digging a deeper hole for myself. I'm sure most of you have seen this movie, and if you haven't, well this might not be for you, cause you might not be prepared for it...or you could just be far from a rental store/library/computer. This is a dumb comedy for the intelligent person.
Be prepared for Part 3

Favourite Lady Gaga Songs: Top 10

Just something to tied you over until the movie list is done.

10. Poker Face
The first single I ever bough by her, and without it, I wouldn't have bought any of the albums. A traditional pop song, made good by the writer and singer(one and the same)
9. So Happy I Could Die
This song isn't anything special, it's just standard Gaga, with a nice drumbeat in the background. Hell of a lot better then "Teeth" or "Brown Eyes", but still falls short.
8. Paparazzi
The first truly unique Lady Gaga song. This proved that she had real songwriting potential, and could tell a (messed up) story in her lyrics of what she wanted in life.
7. Eh,Eh(Nothing Else I Can Say)
A lovely breakup song, one of the best that she ever created, and ranks up there with some of the best breakup songs of all time(ab it near the bottom of the list, but still)
6. Starstruck
A rare track, only available on the re-issue of "The Fame", this is her best collaboration(better then "Telephone"), with another one of her fame oriented songs(similar to "The Fame", "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" etc). Also this was the best new song released on that reissue(other then what was on "The Fame Monster"
5. Dance in the Dark
The supposed single that was never to be(except in Australia)! And what a single it would've been. One of her longer songs, but by no means a over-excessive track. It is underrated, in my opinion, and should've been release ahead of "Telephone", but then who am I to decide what Lady Gaga should or shouldn't release.
4. Summerboy
The last track, and one of the best tracks. It's Gaga at her most personal, talking about the summer love that we all have had, or would like to have had. It's also a very simple lay down, with nothing over the top. A beautiful track for a beautiful person.
3. Bad Romance
It wouldn't a list without it! This song has been blown out of proportion, with the video and the song, and it really is true what people say about it. Yes, this really is a good song, and it deserved to be the lead single, and go to Number One(it only got to Number 2). Take the time to re listen to this song, if you haven't in recent times, cause it's pure Gaga

So Bad Romance at #3? What could possibly top this beast of a song, not once, but twice on this list???
2. Just Dance
First single, first Number One, first track and first glimpse of Lady Gaga. The catchiest, and nicest song that she has ever released. Without this, the only person to fight Katy Perry would be...Ke$ha!(shudder)
1. Alejandro
Surprised? Well, with this song Gaga takes all she has, and throws it all away(in the video anyway). The video overshadows the message of this song, which I still cannot find. But anyway, this song takes what "Just Dance" offered, mixed it with "Bad Romance" and turned it into, in my opinion, the best Lady Gaga song released to date. Overshadowed, overlooked, and a hell of a song. In fact, the best Lady Gaga song out there(just saying)

And so ends this list. To close the list, I leave you with this final review on a Lady Gaga song, which deserves to be called a Lady Gaga song.

Christmas Tree
Well, if you haven't heard THIS song, you are really missing out. It's only available on iTunes for $1.29, but if you're too cheap to buy it, just find it on YouTube. You haven't heard Lady Gaga until you hear her say that her "Christmas Tree is delicious" and that you want to "light me up, put me on top let's falalalalalalalala" Beats Frosty the Snowman by a mile.

My Top 20 Movies: A Four Part Series

Over the course of high school, I've had the pleasure of watching many movies, some which I've enjoyed more then others. I've watched the Oscars since 2006, and while I rarely agree with them, they're still good fun. But the time has come, the time to give movies that I have really, REALLY, loved, and watched more then once over the years. Most people have a top 5, 10,etc. Well this is my top 20 favourite movies of all time, in a 4 part series. Waste no more time shall we, here we go.

20. (500) Days of Summer Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 87% (2009)

This movie came and went last year, and I was surprised how many people didn't see this. I feel like this movie was like Juno with the wide release, and every ones approval, romantic comedy/drama, etc. What really puts this movie over Juno for me however is Joseph Gorden-Levitt. For girls, he's that nice guy we'd like to know, and for some guys(most likely every guy who watched this), we've all been in this position. Also, the non-linear style of storytelling works well, unlike some other movies(which shall remain nameless at this time), and this movie never gets tiring for me. Plus, they're not one but two Regina Spektor songs in this movie, a definite plus in my books. I'm sure by now most have seen this movie, and it is a treat if you enjoy romantic comedies, but are sick of the same type of Rom-Com's. This movie stands out in my mind, and is a movie I would watch with anyone anytime, anywhere.

19. Beauty and the Beast Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93% (1991)

Everyone has their favourite Disney movie, and this is mine. Strangely, despite all the critical acclaim over Pixar, and their global domination, very few true Disney movies are as highlighted. This is the peak of old-fashion Disney. With some of the catchiest songs written for a feature, this film uses bright colours, unforgettable characters and Celine Dion to their potential. There is more character development in this movie then you can find in most Tarintino movies(with a few exceptions, I know), and it makes you feel for both Belle and the Beast as the film goes on,and you want to see them get though to the end, even though you know they will(trademark of Disney no less). I've seen the Broadway version of this, and it only reconfirmed what I though of this movie. Some pick The Lion King, Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty. I pick Beauty and the Beast, the only Disney movie to get me teary eyed.....well that and Toy Story 3, but the doesn't count.

18. Sweeney Todd: The Demonic Barber of Fleet Street Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 86% (2007)

Tim Burton has a thing for remaking movies in his own vision, be it Charlie and the Chocolate Factory(yay!) or Planet of the Apes(nay!) and Sweeney Todd is the culmination of this. He puts more into this movie then anything since Big Fish, and does it oh so well. Now despite how the list looks, I'm not a huge musical fan, and this is my favourite one. And what a musical it is. For those who somehow haven't seen this, you haven't lived until you see Johnny Depp and Alan(Hans Gruber)Rickman duet about what they would do to pretty women. The Gothic style is Tim Burtons trademark, as is Helena Bonham Carter in all his films(sigh). But she is very well written for the part, and does it well. But Johnny Depp just steals the show. There is no good in this mans heart, no love, no happiness and he breathes anger. You want to see him do what he does best(kill), and let me say, this he does. Oh yes, he does. If you need to knock Alice in Wonderland(nay!) out of your head, do so with Sweeney Todd(yay!)

17. Black Swan Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 88%

This is probably one of the most powerful performances I've ever seen anyone do. This is a amazing movie where Natalie Portman really does shine. She puts so much to make her character strong, weak, determined, deterred and tragic all at once. This could almost be a bookend to Darren Aronofskys film The Wrestler, as both touch on similar themes, except this time from the perspective of a female, and at least she was rewarded by the Academy for her efforts. I saw this in theaters and lets just say I was extremely moved by this movie, more then any I've ever seen. I walked out with tears in my eyes. If any movie can make you do that, that's a incredible movie. So it goes without saying that I'll never see Natalie Portman as Padme anymore, no, I'll always see her in my eyes as Nina, the ballet dancer in this sometimes imperfect, but incredible film.

16. The Tracey Fragments Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 35%

(Nice change of pace). You hear about art-house movies that some people just get, and other don't. This movie is one of them. I don't really know what makes this movie so good. It stars Ellen Page, pre Juno in that movie that you have to watch, cause there was nothing else available by the actress, while you waited, and waited, and waited for Whip It to come out(another good movie by the way). But this one filled all that I needed to know about her and the roles she's willing to take, be they good or bad. I doubt very many of you have seen this movie, as it didn't get a wide release, but if you know a video/movie store that has this, rent it, and you may be in for a surprise. With crazy editing, unique dialogue, and shot in Hamilton(or Toronto, not sure), this movie did for me what Juno did for a lot of other people.
Stay Tuned for Part 2.

Lady Gaga Calls A Fan at the Air Canada Centre on July 11th

Wow how unique
This cleans up two things that I never knew/cared about Lady Gaga
1) She knows what pot(pardon me, marijuana) is and isn't comfortable with it being smoked while she is performing(sorry Gaga, but do you really think that everyone who listens to your music, or watches it live does it sober??)
2) Her phone is not the same phone as mine
By the way, this is not my vid, I just found this on Youtube, in my infinite boredom on summer vacation. I would like to see Lady Gaga in concert though, and I'm hoping to maybe in March if I can get tickets. But regardless of all this, I didn't know she could be so generous as to give a fan the benefit of meeting her. That's pretty rare for someone of her standing, considering even if you buy her VIP package for(I think) $550, you still don't get to meet her. I guess money can't buy everything(which still doesn't explain the weird outfits that she buys, I mean really, who would put money/time into an outfit that you will only wear once. I'll tell you who: Lady Gaga!!) Anywhom, good job for Gaga for getting her better seats.
Wait...
This brings up a third question:
3) How did Lady Gaga get that girls number?
Did she have her on speed-dial? Did she type in random numbers, hoping that it would be someones in the crowd? Was it a pre-arranged meeting? Does Gaga memorise the phone numbers of every city while on tour? Did the girl shout the number out and Gaga hear her, over the crowd of voices? Did Beyonce give it to Gaga?
Alas I have no answer. Enjoy


(I'm betting on #4, I mean what else do you do on tour?)
UPDATE: After replaying this video a couple of time I noticed that the sounds on her phone sound like the intro to Bad Romance(da-da-dadadada). I dunno if that means anything, cause then she starts into "Telephone"(ironically). Whatever, this articale went way longer then I thought it would.

Paul McCartney Concert

Well, last night I went to see Paul McCartney at the Air Canada Center. I had floor seats, row 33 seat 17. And I have to admit this was an AMAZING concert! I've seen my fair share of concerts over the last year, but this one took the cake. For starters, I could actually see the man who has sung so many of my favourite songs. And he really was larger then life. I was amazed by his stage presence, and the way people continued to applaud him all the way through the show, even when he was about 2 hours in, he still got the same response that he got at the beginning. The songs were also very good, as I knew most of them, unlike Coldplay, U2 or Them Crooked Vultures. Some highlights for me were "All My Loving, Dance Tonight, Something, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Let It Be, and Yesterday" Exceptions to this was when he performed an instrumental "Foxey Lady", an explosive "Live and Let Die" and, much to my surprise, a stage version of "Mull of Kintyre" complete with a full Pipe Band! This was totally unexpected, and was something I didn't expect to hear. The only songs that I was disappointed not to here were "Maybe I'm Amazed and And I Love Her", which is strange for the latter, because according to the set list, he was suppose to do it, but he sometimes swiched it up with "Two of Us". A fair swap, but one i would've preferred not to have happened. So to conclude, Paul McCartney was something that was worth seeing, and if you are a Beatles fan, you know you should see this man if you can. This will be the only time I'll ever see him and may I say that it was well worth it.

Women In Music

Never in the history of the world has the world had so much shit that passes as music. With rock being a thing of the past(according to the all of 12 people that I talked to), music has been divided into the factions of: pop, indie and metal. Now pop is all that you hear on the radio, while metal is all you hear on most peoples iPods(under the "Rock" catagory, and indie being all that you don't hear. While I myself prefer indie, I'm here to review all the Women In Music on the pop radio today(using 99.9 Virgin Radio as a reference).

1. Miley Cyrus 4/10
She's been around long enough, and now she's rebeelling against her Disney Image with the album/single "Can't Be Tamed". Now the song itself is alright. Standered inbetween Disney/Adult music, similar to "Slave 4 U/Dirrty" But as far as she goes, she's not that special. She's been around for too long, and is just unoriginal. There are people that have been there and done that, and she is a crossover country star trying to sound poppy. Which leads into our next star...
2.Taylor Swift 7.5/10
This one's a little tougher to pick apart, because she really has done more that's worth more in the last 4 years. She has two albums, which my sister described to me as "Country/Emo"(IM DEAD SERIOUS). Now that may be my fault as I bought her the Cds, but she really hasn't done much wrong in the world. She's miles ahead of Miley, and for the majority of 2009, had an album in the top 40. That's a rare feat matched only by a few other women on this list. I'll give her the benifit of the doubt when her third album comes out, but till then, I'm more for her then against her.
3. Ke$ha 3/10
What hasn't already been said about her? That she's a good singer, fashionabley unique, and looks hot? Well, she's unique, in the sense that NOBODY has ever tried to do what she has done. Rap/speak with the help of Auto-Tune, Dr. Luke and 3OH!3 has got her on the radio, with 3 singles that are hits, and a profile that knida just jumped out of nowhere, she's the wrong kind of unique. She's the kind of girl who I would see down the hallway and just turn my nose up at in disgust due to how much I couldn't stand that type of person that just, just......ARGH!
4. Beyonce 7/10
She's been around for many many years, had many hit singles, and has enjoyed all the sucess that can be given, in both music, and movies. She's married to Jay-Z, ahd enough awards to build a house, and has enough hit singles to give Madonna a run for her money. But bottem line with her, with her R&B vocals, envokes enough power to become one of the best singers of the 21st Century, confirming this with her doing "At Last" in Cadaliac Records. Shes decent, and won't be going away anytime soon.
5. Rihanna 6/10
Again, another star that's been around for a while, with huge singles, albums and tours. Not much can be said about her. She's pretty well off(minus the assult from Chris Brown), sells pretty well, and has escaped contraversy. Honestly, as I sit here typing this, I can't think of anything bad with Rihanna. Points for that, but that just makes a boring celebrity.
6. Christana Aguilera 7/10
What a surprise! To see this women back on top is a wonderful surprise...sorta. While she does have the vocals(and she does let me tell you), it's just the songs that she sings that are terrible. They're poorly written, with catchy beats, and just uninteresting. I don't know if she wrote them, or if she had them written for her, but come on, really.
7. Katy Perry 8/10
See Previous Review
8. Lady Gaga 10/10
See Previous Review
9. M.I.A 8/10
Late Addition! Sorry as I was finishing up this review, I though of this young, midle aged rapper. When I said Ke$ha rap/sings and does it badley, M.I.A does this too, and much better might I add. She's truly unique, right up there with Lady Gaga. Sure she raps funny, and she's 35, has a kid, and most people only know her cause of "Paper Planes". Give her a second listen if you can't stand Miley, or Ke$ha, she's much better then you could be let on.

To close this review let's look back at the women in music over the last 40 years: Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Nicks, Patti Smith, Whitney Huston, Madonna, Bjork and Britney Spears. They are all enduring and so successful because they offered something different, something new to the music scene. Like I said at the beginning of this review, music is divided. Music is on its last leg, and only a few artist will survive that are brand new. Who's gonna listen to the Black Eyed Peas, or Justin Beiber in 10 years? Well, unless they can come up with some revolutionary idea, I can't forsee them lasting long
So in closing I send this personal message to Justin Beiber: Save your money by sleeping in your car on tours. Chuck Berry did(and I hope you know who Chuck Berry is without asking your mother)

Movie Review: Inception

5/5
See this movie in theaters. I cannot stress this enough. If you can't afford the $11.95 to see this movie in theaters, well then, I feel bad for you, as you are missing out on the best movie of the summer. I'm serious, this movie blows your mind. And please see it before someone tells you the same thing that you hear from everyone:"It's so trippy, It's stupid, It's amazing". Please see this. It would seem that Christopher Nolan is becoming the Summer Movie Director Guy. Look at his resume of good summer movies:(Batman Begins, The Dark Knight). Okay, so they're all superhero movies. But that doesn't mean that he can't make a movie that can rock the box office like The Dark Knight. I can't say anything about the plot, but hey, don't blame me, it's not my fault you don't have $11.95. But I will review the characters. It seems this movie took all my favourite actors from my favourite movies and put them in this one movie, with Leonardo DiCapreo(The Departed), Ellen Page(The Tracey Fragments[I know this isn't Juno, but i prefer this over Juno. It's pretty artsy, but if you get a chance, check it out, it's not half bad, but it's a love-or-hate movie]), Joseph Gorden-Levett([500] Days of Summer), Marion Colltiard(Nine[at least her singing it it]) and Michael Caine(The Muppet Christmas Carol[Come on...]). They all make this movie work, and if all the above movies are my favourite with them(with the possibly exception of Muppet Christmas Carol), then this movie ranks a solid second next to them. But I'm going on way too much. Let's just say that in my top movies of all time this movie places very solidly on the list*, and with all the movies that I've seen in the last two years, there are only two other movies I've seen more then once: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and The Dark Knight, and they are two of my favourite movies of all time. You do the math
*7th place

Katy Perry vs Lady Gaga

Since two summers ago, when "I Kissed a Girl" was released, to the following winter, when "Just Dance" was a hit, there has been a battle, a battle of who can out do, out sex, and outcome the other. This battle has been long toug, and from the looks of "Teenage Dream", there are no signs of letting up. But lets compare these two so called lesbians in a, well comparison match. Why? Because I can't watch the trailer anymore for "Scott Pilgrim vs the World" anymore! So lets get into the groove with Lady Gaga vs Katy Perry.

1. Musical Influence:
Since neither of these people can be vastly original, they went, took an idea, and shaped it their own. People have been doing this for years, especially in music, so I don't hold it against them. But lets see who rips off who the most.
Katy Perry comes off as one of those perfect rich happy white girls that comes from the life of happiness, with everything being perfect, when SUDDENLY something goes wrong, and she is heartbroken. She shows regrets and does what she can to get (him) it back. The thing is every 10 years they reduce and recycle this chick, who the last one to wear this crown was Britney Spears. Yes, Britney Spears has been around for so long that people are now using her as a influence. I guess this is what the world had come to. But, yes Britney Spears is the most like Katy Perry, with her annoying vocals, revealing outfits, and Christian upbringing, as well as her poppy songs, lack of songwriting, lack of intelligence, and marriage to insane loser. Must I go on?
Lady Gaga on the flip side seems to have a more glam-pop style to her act/lifestyle, stating that she is influenced by Madonna. Now lets Madonna compare to Gaga. Madonna writes songs about sex, Gaga writes songs about sex, Madonna lived in New York, Gaga lived in New York, Madonna wrote a song about her father, Gaga wrote a song about her father. Madonna sang about being "like a virgin", Gaga sang about "just dance", Madonna wrote about getting "into the groove", Gaga wants to "take a ride on your disco stick" Madonna wore a black shit, Gaga wore a black shirt, Madonna was at the VMAs, Gaga was at the VMAs, Madonna had her first hit at 24, Gaga had her first hit at 24, Madonnas last tour went for 2 years, Gagas tour is set to go for 2 years. Madonna did this, Gaga did that, it's plain to see that there is alot of comparison between the two, but at the same time, Madonna never did 10 minutes vids, changed costumes every 5 minutes, or duet ed with Beyonce. So Gaga does have some originality in her, much more then being your average pop singers

Winner: Lady Gaga
2. Poppy-ness:
This ones a little tougher because both of these ladies are extremely poppy. They both have their best songs (Hot N' Cold, I Kissed a Girl; Just Dance, Poker Face; California Gurls, Teenage Dream; Bad Romance, Alejandro), and at least 2 of these songs have gone to Number One, and had continuous airplay. But in terms of catchyness, I believe Katy Perry has the more poppy song repertoire. That's not to say that Gaga doesn't have the poppy songs. I myself have sung "Just Dance" to myself many a time to myself. It's just...GODDAMMIT Katy Perry is better at it. Be it her image, annoying vocals or the songwriting themselves, but they are just so addicting and hard to get rid of, that I had to do a whole article on the so called "Perry Syndrome", and the side effects. Maybe Gaga just can't write a song as poppy as Perry(then again perry doesn't write her own songs), or maybe she just chooses not to. I dunno, but Perry does know how to be poppy.

Winner: Perry
3. Image
These two girls/women/whatever both have unique images. If it were who was the weirdest, or hottest, it would be easier. But it's not that simple. I really have to sit here and think how to grade these girls. So I sit here and I've come up with a fair way to rate them: best dressed. So here we go.
In the past year, both Perry and Gaga have worked hard to maintain their images, one of the hot girl next door, and one of the artsy girl next door. They both have worn some amazing articles of clothes, some revealing, and some really revealing! But in terms of which is better dressed for their image, Perry does a better job at staying in her demographic. Gaga doesn't dress like the artsy chick we make her out to be, she doesn't dress like anything we know well(emo,goth,geek,hot,etc), whereas Perry does dress like a (shudder) California Gurl. Its simple, sweet, attractive and fits a wide demographic.
This brings up a good point. Way back when, Xtina(that's Christina Aguilera for people under the age of 11) and Britney had a similar battle. Britney was better dressed, had more appeal, and was more liked, even though Xtina was the better vocalist(hell, according to Rolling Stone, shes got better vocals then Roger Daltrey, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Steven Tyler, Thom Yorke and BJORK!). And even to this day, Christina still plays second to someone, even with some good songs and vocals (for those who slammed "Not Myself Tonight" and said "You Love Is My Drug" is a better song, you need to wake up, go to Wal-Mart/YouTube, and watch some real Christina Aguilera. I recommend "Beautiful", or "Genie in a Bottle").
So image does beat style, as shown here, and it shows with Perry against Gaga over the last year.

Winner:Perry
4. Effort:
Katy Perry had the first Number One, and then the second Number One, and then the first Platinum album(1 million+ record sales). Gaga then had her two Number Ones, and her Platinum. Both went on tour, and both were successful. Then Christmas time came around, and everyone needed an album to get their 12 year old. They had the choice of: The Fame Monster EP, or...Katy Perry Unplugged??? I thought that after the Page/Plant duo, that they had stopped making those albums(for those of you again under 11, this albums are all acoustic, and really highlight if you can perform without effects, electricity or Auto-Tune. If you haven't picked up or heard one of these I highly recommend the Nirvana Unplugged). But anyway, it was clear she wasn't really trying. And wouldn't you know it, Gaga sales shot up, and she had her second Platinum, as well as some of her more well-known songs. But then, in a roar of anger/happiness, Perry storms back to show who can make people really go Gaga(or gag) with "California Gurls", going right to Number One. But does Gaga care? How can she? She's on tour right now, and will be on tour till the spring(?) of next year. has Katy Perry launched a worldwide tour following this release? No, but she does have a new album coming out in a few weeks, so I could be wrong. But...so does Gaga, at the end of the year, and she already put out a (shudder) remix album of her hits, which seems to be doing alright, I suppose.
Now, imagine if Perry had launched a tour as soon as Gaga did, put out a real album, and gave her a run for her money? That would be exciting, but alas, Gaga rides solo in this department. A well earned victory for Gaga.

Winner: Lady Gaga
5. Respectability:
It all comes down to who you care more about, who you want to win. This tradition has dated back many years, from Elvis vs Holly, Beatles vs Stones, Sex Pistols vs Clash, Jackson vs Prince, Nirvana vs Pearl Jam, and Spears vs Xtina. Well, who do I care more about? Lady Gaga. She does more work, she writes her own songs, she tours nonstop, and she really doesn't have much money of her own, according to her(she puts it into her videos, outfits, etc.) Shes matured more the Perry, singing about different topic, instead of the same poppy shit that Perry does. And well Perry is better to look at, with Gaga, you want to look at her. She's just more interesting, more mysterious, which is something that has been lost in music over the years, and Gaga is trying to bring some of that power back. So overall, when it comes down to it, Lady Gaga is the better performer then Katy Perry, and the winner of this round, and match.

Winner: Lady Gaga
Match: Lady Gaga

And so comes the end of the longest article I've ever written, i hope you found it interesting at least. Hopefully as the week goes on reviews for new albums will go up, and my long in-the-works review of "Inception". Until then do whatever makes you happy

Emergency Review: Unscripted and Uncensored: California Gurls

It's undeniable. This song is so annoying, that most people have been using expressions in everyday life, humming it to themselves in a merry way, and pretending that life is good.
THIS IS NOT TRUE!!
Similar to "Pandora Syndrome" following viewing of Avatar, this song is leading people to believe that candyland is real. It is not real! People, get your heads out of your not exsistant...whatevers, and wake up. This song is one of the best worst songs ever, and for this reason. Nothing can be done for people that already have this "Perry Syndrome"(so dubbed by me, so here are 3 easy steps to avoid this dreaded disease.
1. DON'T BUY "TEENAGE DREAM(the album, not the song). This will rapidly increase the chances of obtaining "Perry Syndrome", and therby decraese the chances of you leading a norml, Xanax friendly life.
2. DON'T GO NEAR A COMPUTER AFTER 12:00AM. Your boredom at night will lead you towards Youtube, which will lead you towards the Most Viewed Videos, which will lead you to... ya know.
3. LISTEN TO REAL MUSIC. Anything, be it Lady Gaga, Ramones, The Beatles, The Doors, Nirvana, just don't listen to light happy music. Listen to music about real issues, such as politcal messages, wanting to touch and/or hold your hand, or riding disco sticks, just as long as those sticks arn't candy sticks.
With these guidelines, you should be able to avoid any and all symptoms of "Perry Syndrome" and be able to live a more sepressing, normal life.
This hopefully is the restart of this blog, which hasn't been looked after in months, so please keep looking at this pathetic excuse for a blog for more boring interesting shit.
And on a more personal note, I want to wish my cousin a Happy 20th birthday.