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(11/19/08 4:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It must be pretty cool to start a trend in music. T-Pain’s introduction to mainstream music audiences in 2005 also featured a close-up with the vocoder, the voice-altering technology he uses. Ever since, hip-hop and R&B have implemented the vocoder and its effects. And as enjoyable as T-Pain’s music might be, he should be held personally accountable for the horrible trend. The vocoder has officially worn out its welcome and his new album Thr33 Ringz is a prime example of why. The songs are catchy in their own right, but through more than 20 of them, the sound effects, snapping and too-typical lyrics strain the ears too much.One of the biggest draws of Thr33 Ringz is its number of guest appearances. The guest list here is a virtual who’s who of hip-hop’s current greats: Kanye West, T.I., Ludacris, Lil’ Wayne, Chris Brown, Akon and Diddy all show up throughout the album’s 23 tracks. But as great as all the guest appearances seem on paper, the disappointment from the tracks is greater. “Change” features the celeb trio of Akon, Diddy and Mary J. Blige and riffs on Eric Clapton’s “Change The World” terribly. Even though we expect T-Pain to be light-hearted, lyrics like “I’d change everyone into a Hershey’s Kiss / And we could eat away our fears” are too much.The fast-paced “It Ain’t Me” featuring T.I. and Akon is one of the better cuts and will surely be found on the radio for way too long. T.I.’s verse is solid, but Akon’s annoying swagger is as tired as the vocoder. The tracks where T-Pain moves away from his established sound end up being more enjoyable. “Karaoke” hits much harder with booming drums; “Reality Show” soars with some funky tones and “Freeze” turns his usual formula on its head with more scattered beats. Loads of tracks from Thr33 Ringz will be successful, but not because of originality. The sound T-Pain has developed has been stolen by so many others that it’s no longer fun
(11/13/08 3:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>President-elect Barack Obama obviously has some major issues in front of him that he needs to tackle during the first days in office: the atrocious economy, the war in Iraq and the search for alternative fuels. But after Obama gets settled in as president and begins his term of supposed change, there’s an issue that he should seriously think about looking into at least sometime during his term: outer space. No, not necessarily aliens or life from other planets – although that would be a beautiful thing to see as well – but space exploration. Our generation really isn’t old enough to remember, but there was a time when exploring the great beyond of outer space was one of the most important and influential issues in the minds of the American public. President John F. Kennedy instilled hope in people’s minds about the idea to make it to the moon before those pesky Russians in the ’60s, so much so that more than 500 million people watched the first moon landing in 1969.But really, ever since that day, both the American public and those in government behind space exploration have increasingly lost interest in going further. The last manned mission to the moon happened almost 30 years ago in 1972. That’s way too long.Sure, we’ve had unmanned flyby trips near almost every planet, taken piles of interesting photos and spent a lot of money, but no missions that have included living, breathing human beings. It’s almost as if the moon landing seemed so unattainable that once we actually accomplished that feat, no one ever expected anything else to measure up. Now, it’s understandable that other things have popped up to take everyone’s mind off space exploration, and the government is obviously spending truckloads of money in other places, but this is something Obama could use to restore some sense of pride and wonderment in American folks. Moreover, it’s almost too hard to believe that NASA has not been working on some technological advances that could change the way we look at the world outside our own. We need something to be hopeful about these days. Why not an increased devotion to creating new technologies that would allow people to make it farther than the moon? And why is a return trip to the moon so uninteresting? Do we know everything about it?And let us not forget that a space race of sorts is being run right now – without us. China is on a war path to break some ground in the space exploration field. Even India has made strides by releasing its first unmanned mission to the moon. It’s not that what they’re doing is overwhelmingly amazing, it’s just that they’re doing it. Their vehement interest is enough. Suddenly, we’re not the major force in space exploration, and we should be.Investing time and money into furthering our discovery of outer space isn’t the most important problem that Barack Obama will face in January. Yet, if he puts more toward the issue, it will pay off for him in the long run.
(11/12/08 10:40pm)
Three WEEKEND reviewers tackle the latest music.
(11/12/08 10:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Shows with a sci-fi, horror or alternative reality slant have a hard time finding an audience because they’re only enjoyable to certain fans. And although many genre shows fail to find that audience because they’re not very good, when programs put it all together, they’re beautiful. The CW’s “Reaper” is one of these shows. By mixing horror, drama, comedy and action, “Reaper” is one of the most underrated and enjoyable programs on TV right now.On the morning of his 21st birthday, perpetual slacker Sam (Bret Harrison) learns some truly troubling news: his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was born. Now the Devil (Ray Wise) has come to collect, and he orders Sam to be a bounty hunter searching for escaped souls until he dies. After some obvious reluctance, Sam dives head first into his new job.Even though the premise is a bit morbid, the writing on “Reaper” is top-notch and every episode is fun to watch. The show is light-hearted at its base and consistently funnier than some programs that claim to be comedies. The character interactions drive “Reaper,” especially the relationship between Sam and the Devil. The two mature from boss and disgruntled employee to something more. Ray Wise’s performance as the Devil is the major highlight, and he makes Lucifer so cool it’s impossible not to love him.While the middle of the season slumped slightly, the mythology-centric episodes in the second half were one major hit after another. The show could have easily fell into the “soul of the week” drudge, but it didn’t, and that’s probably one of the only reasons it was picked up for season two. The special features here are sparse – one commentary, a few deleted scenes and a gag reel – but it’s obvious the cast and crew have as much fun making the show as fans do watching it.Though it struggled to find a major audience on the lowly CW, “Reaper” is a program everyone can love.
(11/06/08 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hey, remember “24”?You know, the FOX show starring Keifer Sutherland that garnered both critical acclaim – including the 2006 Emmy for Best Drama Series – and a major cult-like following during its first five years on the air?Even though it’s known for its real-time influenced plot, highly unbelievable leaps in logic and sometimes ridiculous story arcs – the cougar from season two comes to mind – “24” still remained relevant. But now that relevancy is in question. With the release of a brand new trailer for season seven and a set premiere date of Jan. 11, 2009, there’s a chance that audiences don’t care that much about “24” anymore.First, the sixth season, which aired in 2007, was categorically the worst in the show’s history. It followed the Emmy-winning fifth year that stunned audiences by making eyes roll at every turn. The plot was nothing more than recycled points from previous years and even the most dedicated fans couldn’t find much redeemable about those 24 hours.Even the show’s writers admitted season six lacked any direction and they had “tacked on” the latter half of the plot. Clearly, there’s an issue when even the people writing the stuff don’t believe in it.Secondly, the Writer’s Guild of America strike delayed the production of season seven immensely.After vowing to refresh the plot for the seventh year, filming one third of the season and even releasing a fairly entertaining trailer last fall, nothing came of it.Once the strike ran through the first of the year and the show’s usual premiere date of January, FOX decided to simply cancel any airing of season seven until 2009, more than 18 months after the last episode aired in May 2007. And though they’re trying to combat the fan’s withdrawal with a two-hour movie event this November, chances are good fans won’t be coming back in droves.Consider this: Two shows that debuted last year to critical acclaim and moderate ratings success, “Pushing Daisies” and “Chuck,” were held back from returning to TV after their initial runs in fall of last year after the strike ended.When they returned this season, their premieres were down 55 percent and 27 percent respectively from their season- one debuts.Now obviously neither of those shows has the established, long-term fanbase that “24” does, but they were also off the air for a much shorter time period.Add the extended layoff with the perceived decline in quality and suddenly you have a formula for failure.So when the show returns in November with this two-hour movie, it will be interesting to see if the audience comes back and even more interesting if the whole thing is actually good.The clock is ticking on “24,” and it doesn’t look good.
(11/05/08 8:57pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For all the flack that new-punk or “emo” gets, it has produced some of the most ambitious releases in recent years. From full-blown concept albums (My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade) to career-defining direction changes (Thrice’s Alchemy Index, Panic! At The Disco’s Pretty. Odd.), acts are obviously willing to branch out. So it’s not much of a surprise that Thomas Dutton and his band Forgive Durden, one of genre’s most underrated, have written and produced a legitimate musical. Razia’s Shadow is certainly one of the most inspired albums of 2008 because it blurs the boundaries of what a record is supposed to include. Each song continues the story of Ahrima, an angel-like individual who feels undervalued and includes guest appearances on each track by the scene’s heaviest hitters: Max Bemis of Say Anything, Chris Conley of Saves The Day and Brandon Urie of Panic! At The Disco. Although the story drives the album forward, the tracks sound great on their own as well. Like any musical, there are loads of bombastic strings, heightened percussion and fast-paced vocals, but Dutton and friends don’t allow things to get too overdramatic for the most part by switching pace almost every track.“The Spider and the Lamps” stammers along at a frenzied state while Bemis spits viciously; “The Oracle” floats dreamily and features a stirringly high vocal performance from The Audition’s Danny Stevens; and The Matches’ Shawn Harris makes “Doctor Doctor” a completely awkward and insane affair. Yet the star here is The Hush Sound’s Greta Salpeter, who appears on three really great tracks. Her voice pairs with Dutton’s off-kilter croon the best, especially on the majestic and emotional “It’s True Love.” She and Urie also assist Dutton in the jazzy finale “The End and the Beginning,” which is as grandiose as you would expect in a musical climax.Aside from some hokey lyrics (it’s a musical about love, after all), Razia’s Shadow fully works as a mini-musical. The various guests keep things ever-changing; the instrumentation is fully developed and the story is compelling. To those who see the genre as derivative and uncreative, listen to this.
(11/05/08 8:15pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The major television networks are in trouble. It’s safe to say we all know that ratings power the TV industry because high ratings equal more ad dollars. Over the years, the major networks – ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and, to a lesser extent, the CW – have been extremely stringent in their ratings expectations and trigger happy to those who haven’t quite cut it. High-quality shows (“Arrested Development,” “Firefly,” “Journeyman” and “The Nine,” for example) have been yanked off the air because they weren’t performing well enough in certain demographics, even if they had dedicated, cult-like followings. Subterranean numbersBut the ratings landscape on network TV is a bit different now. Ratings have dropped heavily for every major network this season except CBS, and many reasons contribute to why it’s difficult to imagine the numbers ever recovering to the levels TV and ad execs expected five or 10 years ago. When comparing both total viewers and the key 18-49 demographic over the same time period last year, every network has taken a substantial hit.CBS is down 2.9 percent in overall viewers and 3.5 percent in the 18-49 demographic. ABC has decreased 9.7 and 15.8 percent. NBC has dropped 14.3 and 14.7 percent. FOX is down 17.5 and 15.1 percent, and the CW is down 20.9 and 13.2 percent. There are two crucial reasons why the ratings are down this season and why they might never uptick much from where they are: the horrendous scale the industry uses to determine ratings and the 2007-2008 Writer’s Guild of America strike. Ridiculous rating scaleThe networks and media are still relying on the ratings provided by Nielsen to shape the industry. You know, the ones that still collect data from a cross-section of only 25,000 households that are metered. Oh, and the diary entries from about 1.5 million folks during the highly competitive sweeps periods in November and May. That’s it. How is that a good enough estimate when there are millions of people watching at any given time? Why must we only go off a small sample?Even worse, the ratings provided by Nielsen fail to accumulate most of the data where most of TV shows are being watched these days: online and on DVR. Most major networks have the episodes uploaded online just a day after they have aired, and more and more it seems like that’s how everyone is watching. And let’s not forget all those people watching programs online illegally.And if it’s not online, viewers are waiting for episodes to pile up on their DVRs and TiVos before watching. Although Nielsen does sample the DVR numbers (but again, from only a miniscule number of households), they still take three weeks to get back to the press and don’t even factor in those people who are actually using TiVo and not just a cable company-provided DVR.Continuous strike-outsSecond, that damn WGA strike continues to wreak havoc on Hollywood. It’s obvious that the networks didn’t anticipate people being so disenfranchised with a 100-day labor dispute that they would tune out for good. The “out of sight, out of mind” nature of TV fans make them very fickle. The fast-paced world has provided them with numerous other entertainment outlets, and they didn’t have as much motivation to watch shows returning from the strike. Moreover, the strike caused the networks to make some dumb decisions afterward. Most of the shows that debuted in fall 2007 and finished up their pre-strike order before Christmas never came back after the strike. Instead, the networks advised these shows (“Pushing Daisies,” “Life,” “Private Practice,” “Chuck” and “Dirty Sexy Money”) to retool for a major push this fall. But people forgot about them. And major campaigns pushing them all summer couldn’t stop that. Each one of those aforementioned programs is struggling mightily in the ratings, and if it weren’t for the universally tepid numbers (especially at NBC), they would probably all be canceled. “Pushing Daisies” and “Chuck” are two critical darlings that everyone can enjoy, yet their season two premieres were down 55 percent and 27 percent respectively from their season-one debuts. Weak new shows, weak economyNot only did the strike hurt these returning hour-longs, but it also dampened the pilot season, resulting in the worst batch of new shows in the history of television. Networks didn’t have time to fully develop anything worthwhile, and that’s why we’ve seen porous efforts like “Do Not Disturb,” “The Ex-List,” “Valentine” and basically anything NBC has put on. However, not all is lost. The dreadful economy, lack of ad money and sluggish ratings all around have actually made the networks a bit more lenient. Only four new shows have been cut so far, and shows that would have been nixed in the past like “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Knight Rider,” “Kath and Kim” and “Private Practice” have all been given a full-season commitment. Where do we go from here?This restraint from the networks is what we need more of. The networks are going to have to be this patient from here on out. The ratings system will probably never fully catch up to viewer’s habits, unless a chip is installed in both our TVs and computers (but that will probably cause privacy issues), so it’s up to the networks to keep themselves afloat. No longer can they blame the ratings. There’s lots of good television out there right now that people are watching – they’re just not watching it like they did before high-speed Internet and TiVo. And fans shouldn’t get the shaft because the industry can’t figure out how to properly measure ratings.
(10/29/08 11:04pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Image isn’t everything – or so they say.Whoever coined that phrase clearly never talked to anyone involved in brand management or advertising. To brands, image is everything, and they’re obviously willing to go all-out to make sure everyone else knows that.So obviously, that is why one of the most visible brands in the world, PepsiCo Inc., has re-designed its logo in an attempt to refresh the style and image of its brand. The plan, which will cost hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide and took months to concoct, is basically pointless.Frank Cooper, Pepsi’s vice president of marketing, said, “As we move out of this traditional mass marketing and mass distribution era into today’s culture, there’s an opportunity to bring humanity back, both in terms of the design but also in the way we engage consumers. By making the logo more dynamic and more alive ... (it is) absolutely a huge step in the right direction.”Even coming from a guy interested in advertising, this is total bullshit. The last small logo update happened in 2002, but really ever since the major change in 1987, the Pepsi logo has been solid. This is not.The change is supposed to represent some series of smiles (A smile will characterize the brand Pepsi, while a grin is used for Diet Pepsi and a laugh is used for Pepsi Max, how creative!), but in reality it just looks awful.Spending hundreds of millions to replace vending machines, billboards, delivery trucks and everything else doesn’t seem worth it when Pepsi moves from a strong, definitive brand and logo to a hackneyed one which features all lower-case letters to try to attract text-happy millennials.This is another instance when brands seemingly tinker with things that aren’t really messed up. Pepsi, while not as successful or well-loved as Coke, still has its fans and is one of the most viable brands around.Although brands always have to stay ahead of the curve in an attempt to prevent suddenly falling behind, Pepsi jumps the gun a bit here. There hasn’t been any inkling that the company is struggling, so why take this approach now?Even worse, this could be a ploy by Pepsi to re-invigorate the interest in its brand without having to alter anything within the product. Now, I know that’s not necessarily an evil thing, but it’s going to be interesting if they market the new logo as part of some “new” Pepsi.Additionally, it’s even worse that in today’s economic meltdown, a company throws away money to pay company lots of money just to rearrange some pixels and maneuver the angles on the logo just to refresh things a bit. Couldn’t Pepsi have helped themselves more by donating that money to a charity or struggling cause? That would have helped someone besides themselves.This logo change isn’t the best move for Pepsi, especially based on what they’ve come up with. Moves like this make it easy to see why they’re always lagging behind Coke.
(10/29/08 6:37pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Most people think that although the political system is at the least partially corrupt, when we vote, it still matters. We all accepted that the issues with hanging chads in Florida during the 2000 Presidential Election pushed us into using more electronic machines ever since because we thought it’d be more efficient. But after watching “Stealing America,” it’s legitimately difficult to believe that anymore.“Stealing America” chronicles the controversies surrounding the major elections since 1996, whether it is corrupt election officials or a major technological scheme to change votes from John Kerry to George Bush in 2004. The documentary features in-depth interviews with individuals from wide-ranging backgrounds that all help add to the film’s main thesis: that some voter’s votes aren’t actually being tabulated due to electronic manipulation, screwy locations, and straight-up fraud, among others.This documentary is truly sobering. And although it does slant to the left by claiming that the republican’s used technological thievery to switch votes from Kerry to Bush and skewed the exit polls to make them seem wrong instead, the film acknowledges that this is a major issue for American people, no matter what party they’re affiliated with. Unlike other high-profile documentaries like those made by Michael Moore, “Stealing America” uses loads of legitimate articles from the news media and expert testimony. There aren’t any interviews here that seem manipulated or bent just to fit the point of view of the movie’s major point of view. Obviously, with any documentary with a major slant in one way, there are going to be issues with the lack of attention to the other side of the coin. Here, they could have interviewed a few more republicans or people supposedly involved too, but maybe those people didn’t want to be involved “Stealing America” should seriously be watched by every American. It’s scary to think this stuff is happening and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Maybe the election next week isn’t as much of a done deal as we all think.
(10/23/08 2:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I want to believe. Just like millions of people worldwide, I believe in aliens and life on other planets. I think we have been, and will continue to be, visited by intergalactic travelers for years. I think the Roswell incident of 1947 and the subsequent cover-up is most likely true. So you can probably imagine my excitement when two separate stories broke (in the mainstream media mind you) this week about UFO occurrences in Great Britain. The first centered on an American fighter pilot’s contact with a supposedly massive UFO over the North Sea all the way back in 1957. The guy noted that he was ordered to fire at the object, but before he could, it sped up to enormous speeds and vanished into the black sky. The other incident occurred near London’s Heathrow Airport in 1991, where a fighter jet pilot encountered a massive UFO darting through his field of vision. It scared him enough to yell, “Look out, look out” to his co-pilot, who acknowledged what the pilot saw. Video footage of this event has also been produced. Both of these instances are flowing into the public because Britain is in the process of releasing thousands of pages documenting dealings with UFO events from the past 30 years. The 1,500-page batch this week followed the ones released in May, and it looks like it’ll continue to do so for a while. This development has watered the palates of those who have been clamoring for government disclosure for years, but it’s not going to be enough. Major disclosure advocates like Stephen Bassett are pushing for a letter-writing campaign that will send letters to the presidential-elect on Nov. 5, in attempt to get the new leader of the free world to finally open up about our UFO encounters. But as it seems more and more UFO reports are making their way into the mainstream media (like the really weird and great Stephenville, Texas, sighting this past January and NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell’s reported knowledge of aliens) and more people are open to the idea that UFOs do exist, there has to be a question all of the curious folks like myself need to ask themselves: Are we really prepared for full disclosure? Let’s think about this. While we all want to believe aliens are real and have been visiting us, what happens if the results of this disclosure don’t live up to our expectations? One example could be a bunch of boring answers to long-simmering questions, but what if it’s much worse than that. What if it’s revealed that aliens are real, have been capturing citizens for years and are ready to pounce on the human race at any moment? What if they’re actually controlling the world already and to keep us safe, the government had to agree to shut up? What if we’re all actually alien/human hybrids?The possibilities are endless, and when you really think about it that way, I’m not sure I want to believe.
(10/22/08 10:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Today’s bands are signed and dropped by major labels so quickly it’s hard to keep track. Copeland made their way to Columbia Records in 2006 after years of hard work, but the commercial failure of Eat, Sleep, Repeat led to their exit from the major label spotlight just one year later. And although it was speculated that the band were no longer together, they surprised many by joining indie power Tooth & Nail to release You Are My Sunshine. Their struggles with the industry must have allowed the band to refocus, because Sunshine is far superior to their previous efforts. Each of Copeland’s previous albums has a distinct sound, and Sunshine manages to combine the best of all them into one solid release: the moodiness of Eat, the bombastic energy of In Motion and the earnestness of Beneath the Medicine Tree.“Should You Return” opens the record in typical Copeland fashion, with vocalist Aaron Marsh’s distinct, high-pitched croon soaring over a simple melody. The latter half of the song introduces the heavily distorted guitar sounds that drive a good portion of the album, and although this technique is nothing new for the band, it works better than ever. Though many of the songs here are similar, the band manages to diversify just enough. “Good Morning Fire Eater” is one of the more fluttering and upbeat tracks, featuring decidedly melodic drum work and great distortion from the guitars. “On The Safest Ledge” is a visible Death Cab riff through the verses, but Marsh’s vocal prowess and guest Rae Cassidy Klagstad add emotional depth.The highlight “The Day I Lost My Voice (Suitcase Song)” brings a simple horn section, twinkling percussion and some of Marsh’s more poignant lyrics delivered by guest Klagstad: “For a moment I was one man and the world made sense / For a moment in this storm made of consequence.”You Are My Sunshine sees Copeland find their place within their music by combining elements that made them successful in the past. Some songs may run together, but the album is still a bright light from a band thought to have burned out.
(10/22/08 9:32pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When it comes to Halloween-tinged media, movies get all the play. But TV has always delivered its fair share of special spooky shows, too. Even though the number of “Halloween” episodes has diminished lately, years past have had some great ones. Here are the best in most of our lifetimes, in no particular order and excluding the obvious classic “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”“The Office: Halloween” (2005) – One of the best comedies on TV right now brought funny to the Halloween office party instead of focusing on any haunted gags. Sure, some of the costumes were a bit lame – like the similar animal costumes most of the ladies had – but that’s the point. Three-Hole Punch Jim and Dwight’s Darth Maul costumes put it over the top. “South Park: Spookyfish” (1998) – “Spooky Vision” featuring Barbara Streisand’s head in all corners of the screen is still hilarious 10 years later. This episode was barely related to Halloween aside from a mention of a pumpkin-carving contest, but the evil-universe fish is legitimately creepy. Plus, Elseworld-Cartman’s “You guys are my best friends” song is a top-20 moment in the show’s history.“Freaks and Geeks: Tricks and Treats” (1999) – This is probably the best episode in the history of a show that was canceled way too early. “Freaks” nailed the awkwardness of trick or treating in a middle-class neighborhood and the rebellious ways teenagers try to avoid it. “Home Improvement: The Haunting of the Taylor House” (1992) – This was one of the old-school sitcoms that knew how to do the Halloween episode, and the first is the funniest. Tim’s “catacombs of terror” haunted house was superb, and the show was always at its best when Tim was tormenting kids. “The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror V” (1994) – No show is known for its Halloween specials more than “The Simpsons,” and the fifth in the series is widely recognized as the best. Here the show riffs on the movie “The Shining,” tackles time travel and cannibalism and is genuinely scary at times. It’s also one of the most overtly violent “Simpsons” episodes because the writers were tired of Congress bitching at them to clean up the show’s imagery. “Supernatural: Bedtime Stories” (2007) – One could say every episode of the demon-centric “Supernatural” is Halloween worthy, but the show has actually not had an official Halloween episode. However, last year’s “Bedtime Stories” is damn close. It features a twisted version of various children’s stories like “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Three Little Pigs.” “How I Met Your Mother: Slutty Pumpkin” (2005) – This is the episode that put this show on the map – and for good reason. From Marshall’s “weirdly hot right?” to Barney’s boom box blaring Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone,” to Ted’s hanging chad costume, “Slutty Pumpkin” is the best Halloween attempt from any sitcom in the last 10 years. “Roseanne: BOO!” (1989) – Like “Home Improvement,” this show was among the ’80s/’90s sitcoms that had spectacular Halloween episodes. The greatness here stemmed from the dysfunctional family constantly scaring the living hell out of one another – the episode never delved into unbelievable or supernatural territory. The Connors were a real family that everyone could relate to, and their Halloween programs were no different. “Pushing Daisies: Girth” (2007) – Although this show has only been around for a year, its fifth episode tackled Halloween in a way only “Pushing Daisies” can. The plot might not completely center on the holiday, but Ned’s issues with his own personal ghosts make it one of the strongest ever. His hatred for Halloween due to a personal trauma was great to see in a show usually bright with emotion. Add a kooky story about jockeys and great Halloween décor all around, and you have a tremendous episode. “The X-Files: Home” (1996) – This list wouldn’t be complete without a mention of one of the creepiest television shows ever. This episode featured a truly awful (in the good way) plot where a backwoods family had been inbreeding forever to keep the bloodline “pure.” Moreover, the episode was so harsh that FOX chose to re-air it only once, on Halloween in 1999. It ran with a mature rating, the only episode of the series to do so.Usually, TV and Halloween mix together worse than apples and razor blades, but these episodes prove that sometimes the medium gets it right. If only more shows tackled the holiday – who doesn’t want to see a “House” or “Entourage” Halloween?
(10/16/08 12:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sometimes it’s pretty easy to see why print journalism is so behind most other mainstream media outlets.It seems that a major portion of its problems stem from its unwillingness to change its approach or accept anything new. In various situations, it’s probably a good thing that print journalists stick to their guns, but the following situation demonstrates how insane print journalists can be. Major newspapers around the country announced this week that they’re adopting a “crazy” new idea on their Web sites called “links.”I’m sure not many of you are familiar with this World Wide Web process known as linking, but let me explain it to you quickly: Major papers like The New York Times, USA Today and The Washington Post now allow stories on their sites to have a little section where if you click on it, you’ll be transported to an outside media outlet that provides supplemental content.And according to New York Times article published Sunday, links are not a new thing. Wow, who knew?Now, I understand that newspapers have been reluctant to reference other content because they are so ingrained in the old ways of never letting another publication break a story. Nevertheless, their inability to keep up with more interactive media, like blogs, is one of the reasons that newspapers are behind in the first place.Although the credibility of blogs is always in question, what they do well is collect a wide variety of opinions and information from all over the world and put them in one place. Bloggers don’t seem to be worried about being first on the scene like some of the older journalists, and they really do provide solid information. For newspapers to never accept this principle – even a little bit – until now is just stupid.Even worse, instead of just admitting that links are a great idea and a widely accepted (and expected) process for online news reading, the old brass at the New York Times are acting like they created the idea. They go as far as to say they had an idea for this all the way back in June of this year. How could they have held out on us ignorant readers for so long?The fact that they have to announce the adoption of links is ridiculous. It may seem like a major deal to old school journalists, but for most online Times readers, implementing links is not only not a big deal, it’s probably expected.It is understandable for the old guard media outlets to clash with the newbies like blogs in the battle over credibility or use of sources – but this is not one of those times.Here, the newspapers are trying to look down on the Internet and blogs and their smugness is inexcusable. No matter if they think it’s a big deal for them or not, this is one instance when I’m a little embarrassed to be a journalist.
(10/15/08 10:10pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Screamo sucks. The genre is filled with overdramatic acts that like to wear makeup and talk about headstones. Luckily, this once-trendy genre is going by the wayside. Yet one of the most visible screamo bands Senses Fail has slowly turned themselves into a respectable rock band. Their last effort Still Searching was light on awful lyrics and heavy on variety, and their new album Life Is Not a Waiting Room only furthers that sound. Senses Fail aren’t going to be heralded for their creativity, but their ability to combine the punishing and the melodic leads to an enjoyable listen. Sometimes the lyrics here are still a bit lame, but vocalist Buddy Nielsen’s improved delivery makes up for it. Even though many bands claim it, this record is in fact heavier and catchier than Senses Fail’s previous release. They seem to be able to write bigger and better hooks than some pop-punk groups. “Family Tradition” is powered by tremendous guitar work from Garrett Zablocki and Heath Saraceno and a soaring gang vocal-tinged chorus. “Hair of the Dog” is similar, but includes some of Nielsen’s best lyrics. Throughout the track he diagnoses his battle with alcoholism with lines like “I need a drink today / To take to me through the day / Sometimes I lie awake and think of my mistakes.” Nevertheless, there are songs for longtime fans looking for more heavier content. “Wolves at the Door” and “Lungs Like Gallows” both include double kickdrum power, chugging guitars and Nielsen’s refined (and less annoying) scream. However, even the more thunderous affairs include melody-heavy choruses. Senses Fail aren’t the same band they once were, but that’s a good thing. Life Is Not a Waiting Room is full of solid songs that any fans of melodic rock should enjoy and should get the band out of the waiting room and into the mainstream consciousness.
(10/09/08 3:41pm)
As most know, it’s for the best
that John McCain and Sarah Palin don’t win this election.
(10/08/08 9:30pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Jack’s Mannequin’s debut Everything in Transit was released to critical success in August 2005, Andrew McMahon was confined to a bed and undergoing chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.Although he’s fully recovered and the band has toured extensively, the influence on McMahon of the three tough years since are obvious on the new album The Glass Passenger. Yet instead of writing a depressing record, he’s turned his ordeal into a combustible jolt of energy that displays maturity way beyond his years.No disrespect to McMahon’s previous band Something Corporate or even the last Jack’s album, but Passenger is categorically better than anything he’s ever done. The tracks are what great pop music should be: diverse, but catchy; simple, yet moving.The three leadoff songs “Crashin,” “Spinning” and “Swim” pull you in immediately. “Crashin” is full of exuberance and anxiety as McMahon delivers a manic vocal performance over swirling keys. “Swim” is indirectly about his struggles, but McMahon diverts the attention to positivity with lyrics like “You’ve gotta swim / Don’t let yourself sink / Just find the horizon / I promise it’s not as far as you think.” The bridge kicks into another gear as his emotional energy blasts out of your headphones. The latter half of Passenger is where McMahon lets his personal and musical growth run wild. The diverse run ranges from the dreamy and dense (“Annie Use Your Telescope”) to the reggae-tinged (“Bloodshot”), with a few enchanting ballads intermixed, such as “Hammer and Strings (A Lullaby)” and “Orphan.” The closer, “Caves” is spectacular. The 7 1/2 minute epic is divided into two parts, with the first three minutes featuring McMahon’s raw falsetto over a soothing key arrangement, while the closing portion includes a quicker pace, the full band and McMahon’s proclamation “there’s no one here but me.” The Glass Passenger is many things. It’s an album for Something Corporate fans who have grown up. It’s an album for Beach Boys fans disgruntled by today’s music. But most importantly, it's the most enjoyable listen of 2008.
(10/08/08 7:52pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Are there any original ideas left in Hollywood? Aside from the terrible remakes, sequels and adaptations, it seems like even the movies dressed up as original or different follow the same bullshit constructs that have been thrown at audiences for decades. Nevertheless, the creative honchos behind “Blindness,” which includes hotly acclaimed director Fernando Meirelles, obviously decided another “Lord of the Flies” tale just needed to be told. However, “Blindness” (adapted from a book) fails to present anything but allegorical and depressing mush on screen for more than two hours.Random people suddenly start going blind. A doctor (Mark Ruffalo) examines one of the first seemingly fine yet blind patients, and it somehow spreads to others. The next morning the doc wakes up blind and agrees to go to a camp where others are being taken. His wife (Julianne Moore) lies about being blind so she can come along. More succumb to the blindness and are taken to the camp/prison. As conditions deteriorate and people become uneasy, the wife struggles with being the only person with vision.“Blindness” tries so hard to create this allegory for today’s world and spread a message, but there’s never really a message to begin with. By now we all understand that under major duress, people participate in the same asinine power struggles and we really don’t give shit about one another.All the characters are basically archetypes that you’ve also seen eight million times. They’re so unimportant that they don’t even have names. Ruffalo and Moore deserve better. Worst of all is the cinematography that plays up the blindness angle too much. The lighting is awful and everything is obscured beyond recognition most of the time. The coverage of the horrendous conditions is not moving; instead it’s uncomfortable beyond belief.Watching “Blindness” was truly the worst movie experience of my life. The plot’s tired, the characters are wafer-thin and the settings made me want to vomit. Metaphor or not, this movie is an insult to the blind, and everyone else in the world.
(10/02/08 5:40pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fantasy football is literally ruining my life.Sure, this isn’t a new development for all you devout fantasy football followers, and even I have been charmed by the leagues I’ve been in over the years. Yet in the past, by week 10 of the NFL season I lost interest, resulting in a string of embarrassing losses.Nevertheless, I could still see the draw while answering private messages from fellow fantasy freaks about my “dedication to the league” due to my “despicable lineup” that I never changed.There’s no wonder why the number of fantasy football players increases each year – it’s an actual money-making property, and coverage of it has been implemented into many mainstream media properties (ESPN, Sports Illustrated , Fox Sports and Yahoo! Sports all have in-depth fantasy sections). And since this season began, there hasn’t been anything more responsible for the state of my moods than fantasy football. When my team wins, there’s a bit more of a hop in my step; when they go down (which has been the case more often that not this year), I’m crestfallen beyond belief. The only thing that keeps me going is scouring the interwebs for the latest tips that will help me conquer my next opponent.Plus, managing and controlling the team is a serious endeavor, and one that takes up at least 30 minutes each day. All week I clamor over the waiver wires, trying to determine the best pickups for my team, all the while reading up on who is hot and who is not. I even spend a few minutes each day burning my opponent’s roster into my brain. Not sure why, I just feel better knowing who he has as the stats reveal themselves on Sunday.Game day really changes because of the influence of fantasy. Pointless games mean more, every play suddenly counts and before I know it, I’ve spent two hours watching the live scoring system automatically update when I was supposed to be working. When I’m down big, suddenly I start running all sorts of mathematical equations and crack-pot scenarios through my head in an attempt to subdue my anger. What’s worse is that I’ve seemingly chosen the worst possible year to drink the Kool-Aid and become a member of this cult; and per usual, it’s Facebook’s fault.The social-networking behemoth partnered up with Sports Illustrated this season to create a superb fantasy football application, which has brought two of my worst habits to one place. The easy access fuels an obsession that the team’s continued pathetic performance can’t deter.I feel like I’m never going to get out of this mess. I don’t care that I seriously contemplated deleting my opponent’s team (one of the perks of being the league commissioner) just because he was kicking my ass, or that I now spend more time on Facebook than my Facebook-dependent girlfriend of three years – who by the way now approaches me with extreme caution on Sunday evenings.Hi, my name is Cory Barker and I have a fantasy football problem.
(10/01/08 9:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It must be difficult to be a one-hit wonder. Years of hard work, and then boom, your career is associated with one song forever. Plain White T’s find themselves in that situation, after “Hey There Delilah” tore up the charts in 2007. As the mainstream fans jumped aboard the “Delilah” train, older T’s fans missing the act’s simple pop-punk sound hopped off. So the conundrum for their new album is clear, and it’s one that most one-hit wonders face after their mega hit: mold your sound to the three minutes everyone knows you for or continue to expand your sound, pre-teens be damned. And it’s no surprise that Plain White T’s chose the former and even less of a surprise that their new record Big Bad World is atrocious. Even though the band has always written oversimplified pop songs, Plain White T’s have reached a new plateau of cheese. At least some older songs contained sizable hooks to sing along with; here, most of the tracks are “Delilah” clones that feature no range, an abnormal mess of handclaps and a lack of anything redeeming. “That Girl” is the worst, featuring horrendously immature lyrics like “Do do do you wanna be on top / Or on the Ba ba bottom don’t make me stop / Cause I know oh oh / I’m in la la love with you girl.” Additionally, even the songs on Big Bad World that aren’t ear poison still suck mightily. “Big Bad World,” “1,2,3,4” and the first single “Natural Disaster” are marginally catchy, but they’re blatantly tailor-made for Top 40 radio. And luckily, the lyrics are just as appalling: “She made the music come to life / She moved her body like a butcher knife / Chopping up every guy in sight” (from “Natural Disaster”). Save “1,2,3,4,” the best part of Big Bad World is that it only includes 10 tracks, barring those of us who like halfway decent music any more torture. Nevertheless, Plain White T’s will probably move a lot of units with this piece of shit, proving it truly is a big, bad world.
(10/01/08 9:15pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the last few years, audiences have been treated to (read: tortured by) an outrageous number of films based on television shows. And although it’s nothing new (“The Brady Bunch” movie), the lack of creativity in Hollywood has force-fed us such cinematic masterpieces as “Starsky and Hutch,” “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Æon Flux” at an accelerated rate. Nevertheless, the major success of the “Sex and the City” movie has us here at WEEKEND thinking that maybe a TV show-to-film conversion can work, but under a few conditions. Cinematic criteria The TV-film hybrid must be adapted from a show that has ended within the past five years. This keeps the fan base excited and prevent the outing from relying on nostalgia. (Even if “Get Smart” was entertaining, we’ve seen enough from our parents’ generation). Second, it must be based on a show that was actually good, like “Sex and the City.” And finally, the adaptation must stay within the confines of the show’s original premise.With these standards in mind, here are TV shows that deserve time on the silver screen.Don’t stop believin’ Obviously, one of the best shows in the history of TV deserves time in theaters. “The Sopranos” revolutionized television during its eight years on HBO in so many ways and captured the cold-blooded hearts of millions. Tony Soprano’s family problems were completely relatable, even if all those therapy sessions were intermixed with a few murders. The series’ ending – the widely buzzed-about fade-to-black – has left the door wide open for a film. American audiences don’t like or really understand the open-ended conclusion, so it’s up to creator David Chase to whip up an epic screenplay that sends Tony out in a more celebrated fashion. A “Sopranos” film is certainly the most wanted TV-to-film adaptation.Steve Holt!For the most part, films based on sitcoms would be unmitigated disasters. They have trouble keeping the laughs alive for 22 minutes, let alone for 90. Then again, “Arrested Development” isn’t most sitcoms. It’s the best comedy program of all time. And ever since its unceremonious cancellation by those sorry saps over at FOX in 2006, rumors of a feature film have slithered their way onto the interwebs. And seriously, it’s time. Although a lot of the show’s cast have seen their careers rise meteorically since its axe, it shouldn’t be hard to get everyone together again. In fact, in various interviews recently, cast members said the film is in the works, so we wonder what’s the hold up. We need to know what happened to Lucille after Annyong turned her in for deporting his grandfather and how Michael and George Michael are doing in Cabo. Dude, where’s the island?Sure, “Lost” isn’t over yet (not until 2010), but of all the shows on the air now, it’s easily the one that most deserves to be watched on an IMAX screen. Shot on location in Hawaii, it’s the most beautifully shot program ever, and the tremendous writing staff has transformed the show from a buzzworthy mystery into a deep labyrinth of ideas with a cult-like following.“Lost” appearing on film should be approached differently, because a stand-alone after-the-fact movie wouldn’t work. Instead, ABC should throw wads of cash at the cast and crew and allow the series finale to be released in theaters. The idea has been kicked around before, so obviously somebody high up finds it appealing.In most cases, TV shows should not be adapted into movies. No one wants to see a two-hour “Entourage” or “Ugly Betty” in theaters. Nevertheless, the aforementioned cases are the exception to the rule, and die-hard fans can only hope these shows reach cineplexes soon.