Superbad

Superbad is one of my favorite movies ever. I don't think there has been a film that has captured the spirit of what it was like in high school that was this accurate. It was easy to relate to because I had been in similar situations when I was in high school.

Superbad is a story about three high school students. The names of the three characters are Seth, Evan, and Fogel aka McLovin. These three guys are on a mission to hook up with the girls they like before they head off to college. One of the girls invites Seth and his friends to the biggest party of the year, but the catch is that Seth is the one that has to bring the alcohol. Seeing as they are all under the age to purchase alcohol, only one person can help them out and his name is Fogel. Fogel has managed to get his hands on a fake ID, but the problem is that he changed his name to McLovin whom is supposedly a 25 year old Hawaiian organ donor. The boys eventually get the booze, make it to the party, and some succeed in their goal to hook up while others fail miserably.

I can relate to the mindset of the characters in this movie and their scenario because the high school I attended was just as terrible. The language and vibe in the film felt very familiar because that is how it was when I was in high school. Although I did not hang out with the local police as they did, there were still many memorable moments. I thought the movie was raunchy and real, which is why I liked it.

Seeing as this is probably my last blog, I would like to thank Professor Wood for providing a forum where I could share my thoughts. Prior to this I had never blogged in my life. I guess one could say this is the evolution of the diary, but it is not as personal. I guess this is it, but one day I may blog again. Cheers to all.

- George


Photo Credit: www.wildaboutmovies.com

Black Friday should be a zombie horror movie.

I hate Black Friday.

I have made a statement. I do not like Black Friday because people are no longer people, they are animals. A place such as the mall becomes the savage land. This year, I was treated to what almost became a full scale riot at the Great Mall in Milpitas. An event known as "Midnight Madness" was to commence, and the mall doors from the back had been locked for quite sometime, and the time was 12:01 AM. Some people in the crowed were getting restless and started banging on the glass doors like cavemen.

A few jackasses in the back of the crowed decided to egg on the people in the front by motivating them to become more violent. Eventually, people in fear of a riot began to leave the area and go to another entrance. Finally, people were told to go in through an employee entrance, and everyone did. Once I was inside the mall, I realized that I had never been inside of a mall with that many people present. I began to realize just how claustrophobic I was when I was placed in that environment. I felt warm and cold at the same time. Light headed and dizzy and nauseous, which was a feeling that I would rather not feel again. I was able to actually purchase a few items after waiting in an hour long line, which was not worth it.

The whole idea is a bust, in that the better brand products are never usually the sale item. Even if it was a brand item on sale, the price reduction is really not that much, yet people buy into the whole idea that it is, and are willing to buy just about anything just because it is on sale. I could sell them garbage, and as long as it was at a discounted price, and they would buy it. Another thing to note is that when I was leaving, two of those glass doors that I was standing at when I first arrived, were shattered. Some morons actually broke through them just to get in and save ten dollars, if even that. Those idiots.

Once again, I hate Black Friday, and I think it would be the perfect title for a zombie horror flick. Bunch of zombies in the mall saying "I want my discount...and your brains!". Then there would be chainsaw's, shotgun's, and bad one-liner's. Sounds good to me.

To all the people that are fortunate enough to not have to work on Black Friday, especially in retail, do yourself a favor and sleep in!

Strange Days

This posting has nothing to do with Jim Morrison or the Doors.

A few nights ago while I was on my way to a girl friends house, I made a wrong turn and had to make a U-turn to get back on the right path. It was dark outside and I was stopped by a man standing in the middle of the road that appeared to be a police officer, but all I could see was his blinding flash light and his hand motion to turn into a parking lot. I pulled into the parking lot which was pitch black, there were no lights lit, and parked into a parking space. The only thing I could see in this lot were a few other parked cars, people in yellow jackets, and a small SUV.

At that point, one of the many people in yellow jackets came up to my window and asked me if I wanted to take a voluntary survey. They did not say who they were or what the survey was for. They told me they would pay me $65 if I took the survey, but then they added that I would have to take a breathalyzer test as well. It all seemed very strange and I had no idea what the hell was actually going on. The whole situation did not feel right to me. I told them that I had to be somewhere and that I was in a hurry and did not have time to do this. After I said that, the woman in the yellow jacket decided to call her boss. Then a man in a yellow jacket came up to the window and adds more absurd requests. His exact words were "Hey fella, you seem like a pretty healthy guy, listen...we'll give you $15 just for taking the test. Then take the breathalyzer...and after that we're going to need a little bit of blood."

I took one look at that small SUV, which was where they were supposedly collecting blood and running all these tests without identifying themselves at all. They did not say what any of this stuff was for. As a matter of fact, I don't even remember if the man in the middle of the street was actually a police officer or not. My immediate thought was "you guys are fucking crazy!...I'm leaving right now!". I told them that I had to leave right then. They tried to raise to price all of a sudden, but at that point I had heard enough bullshit. I cranked up the Zeppelin IV, put the pedal to the metal, and I was out of there.

Strange days have arrived. Dark lot, blood collecting nut jobs. Now is that some crazy shit or what?

American Gangster: The return of JAY - Z

HOV IS BACK!


Due to the release of the film "American Gangster" starring Denzel Washington, rap icon Jay - Z has put out an album of the same name that correlates with the movie. In my opinion it is a good album. I would not say it is the same quality as his previous releases were, but it is definitely worth a listen. Some of my favorite Jay - Z albums are "Reasonable Doubt", "Hard Knock Life", "The Dynasty", "The Blueprint", and "The Black Album". This new album is not as well produced as those were, but it is still a solid release. It is definitely better than his last effort "Kingdom Come", which I thought was a horrible album.

On this new album, "American Gangster", Jay takes it back to the streets, putting an emphasis on gritty lyrical content and less on the party beats. The swagger that he had on classic previous releases is back, and in full swing. This is the HOV fans know and grew up on. He is giving his take on the industry and on his life coming up in the rap game. This album is refreshing in that it is actual hip hop and talks about other things than just "bling bling" that you hear from rappers out now days.

The film of the same name is also fantastic and is one of the better films that has been released in theaters in a while. Denzel Washington does a phenomenal job portraying gangster Frank Lucas. There is dialogue of scenes from the film spread through Jay's new album, which gives it the same type of vibe that the film had. I would give the film 4 out of 5 stars, and give the album 4 out of 5 stars as well. Both were great to experience and I recommend you do the same.



Photo Credit: www.thestreetstalk.com

Giants to possibly sign A. Rod

There are rumors in the media that the San Francisco Giants are interested in signing Alex Rodriguez.

If they were to actually sign A. Rod, I would shake my head in disapproval. The fact is that Barry Bonds has been cut from the team, and the SF Giants need another popular player on the team in order to draw ticket sales. It is a business and I can understand why they need to do it, but A. Rod is not the guy they should go after if they want to win.

I want to make it clear that Alex Rodriguez is a phenomenal baseball player. His stats speak for themselves. The problem is that every team that A. Rod has been on since his early days in the league, has lost. The best example would be his time spent on the New York Yankees. The Yankees were champions prior to his arrival and they wanted to win another championship and felt that by signing A. Rod, they would be able to do it. After all of the hype that came with A. Rod joining the team, the Yankees failed to win another championship. The New York Yankees have not won a championship since 2000. They have fallen on hard times and have not only released their championship winning manager Joe Torre, but now A. Rod has been let go and is a free agent as well.

The Giants have the money to make this signing happen, but I think that it could be better spent on another player. Hopefully they will keep their options open and not make any rash decisions in the near future.

Photo Credit: www.bullz-eye.com

Supernatural

My favorite television show for the last two years has been Supernatural.

Supernatural is a show about two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, that are on a road trip to find their father. However, their father John Winchester is a demon hunter, and like John, the brothers are hunters as well. John became a hunter after a powerful demon, who is simply known as the man with yellow eyes, killed John's wife for reasons yet unknown. Since then, John has been missing for quite some time. The only lead that Sam and Dean have in order to find their father is a journal that he left behind, which is full of details of his various hunting encounters. The brothers have decided to continue their fathers work by hunting demons and other things that go bump in the night. Each week, the brothers encounter a different demon or creature that will hopefully have some sort of lead to their fathers whereabouts. Their ultimate goal is not only to find John, but to kill the demon known as yellow eyes, that not only killed their mother, but Sam's girlfriend Jessica, who he was about to marry, as well.

I think that the show is very entertaining and well written. Every week there is a new twist to the plot that keeps you interested in the storyline and makes you want to know what will happen next. The show is currently in its third season and the storyline has improved since the first season. As far as the main storyline goes, the brothers were able to find John, but he was killed by the yellow eyed demon. Dean manages to kill the demon with the yellow eyes, but the only problem is that yellow eyes was able to open the gates of hell prior to his death. Yellow eyes was able to unleash around two hundred demons before the brothers were able to close the gates. Sam and Dean have their work cut out for them, and what happens next is unknown, but very intriguing. I think that Supernatural is a top notch show and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Photo Credit: www.sharetv.org

Rock on!

Are you ready to rock?

Since the 1980's, I have been fortunate to have lived through hearing some of the best rock music from some of the best bands of all time. To put it simply, I love classic rock music. Some of my favorites include Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, AC/DC, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dio, Van Halen, The Doors, Green Day, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and many more great rock acts. Many of the current rock bands do not even come close to the same quality in music or lyrics that many of the classic rock bands had. What ever happened to the great guitar solo's? Why are there no more guitar heroes such as Slash and Eddie Van Halen? Why do all of the lead singers now seem more like wimps? All we have now are Emo bands that sing about slitting their wrists and about how much life sucks. What happened to rockin' and rollin' all night, and partying everyday? There are still a few good bands today such as Linkin Park or Nickelback, but even they can't compete with the best from the past.

If I had to pick my favorite rock band of all time, it would probably be a tie between Guns N' Roses and Metallica.

Both of these groups have put out some of the most memorable rock classics ever recorded. "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Enter Sandman" are two songs that are easily recognizable by many people around the world. I would personally love to see the original Guns N' Roses have reunion, but there is a better chance that gas will be one dollar tomorrow than seeing that band reunite. It's unfortunate because I would love to hear how they would have sounded today if they put an album out. Metallica, however, is putting out a new album in a few months, and it is highly. It is supposed to have an emphasis on middle eastern tunes and guitar riffs, so that could possibly generate a very interesting sound.

Here is hoping that the next wave of bands will have the same impact that some of the great rock bands of the past have had. Until then, I think I'll stick to the classics.



Photo Credit: www.gunsnroses1.com

The results are in...

The new WWE Champion is Randy Orton.

This is more of an update regarding my last post, but it is an interesting one. Randy Orton did become the new WWE Champion at the No Mercy Pay Per View. Unfortunately, he did not beat John Cena for the title. John Cena was injured prior to the event. He somehow completely tore off his right pectoral muscle during a match on the WWE show "Monday Night RAW". This happened a week before the Pay Per View event. There was footage shown on the WWE website of his immediate surgery. John Cena is now out of action in a time frame of six months to a year. I can't help but feel bad for the man. After reading my previous post, I almost feel guilty about it.

OK, now I am over it. As for what happened with the scheduled title match, Randy Orton was simply handed the title, being that he was the number one contender for the belt. I thought that was fantastic, until the unexpected occurred and veteran wrestler Triple H made an appearance. Triple H challenged Randy Orton to a title match that moment, Orton accepted and lost the title. Since Triple H was already scheduled for another match, he had to fulfill his obligations and compete in that match as well. Later on that night, Randy Orton enacted his rematch clause. Triple H then had to defend his newly won title against Randy Orton in his third match of the night. Randy Orton defeated Triple H, and left him beaten and bloody on the canvas.

Randy Orton won the title twice that night, and is now the WWE Champion.

Photo Credit: www.allposters.com

Lets go R.K.O!

Randy Orton is the "Legend Killer" of World Wrestling Entertainment.

This Sunday at the "WWE No Mercy" Pay Per View, Randy Orton has a chance to once again become the WWE champion. Professional wrestling needs a new champion because John Cena, the current WWE champion, is stinking up the joint. John Cena has held the title for over a year now and it is time for a change. The last match up between these two WWE Superstars was a joke. It was over too soon and it was a disqualification victory. A match with so much hype should not have ended that way. This Sunday, the real showdown is bound to occur, unless the WWE wants to take more heat from the critics and the fans.

Orton has had fantastic matches in his career and holds victories over some of the best wrestlers in the business. He has defeated Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Ric Flair, the Rock, Mick Foley, and many more. All of them have felt the sting of the R.K.O, which is Randy's finishing maneuver. It is only right that he gets his chance to shine once again and bring back the entertainment to World Wrestling Entertainment.

This Sunday, hopefully a good match will take place, and John Cena will feel the fury of the R.K.O!

Photo Credit: www.kuppywrestlingwallpapers.info

Adios Barry Bonds

The San Francisco Giants have finally done it.

After Barry Bonds did not play in the Major League Baseball All-Star game, I had a feeling that things were looking downhill for Barry. I personally don't really care for him because I am an Oakland A's fan. When I heard the news that the San Francisco Giants did not draw up a new contract for Barry Bonds to sign, I was quite happy.

After all of the hype about the home run record, it is now over. I no longer have to hear Giants fans gloat about their hero. Steroids or not, he has in fact broken the home run record, and that can never be taken away from him. Luckily for me, he was taken off the team altogether. He broke the record, sold out the games, but it is all over now. The Giants no longer need him to take up space on the roster or put up with his attitude. Now I don't have to hear talk about how the Giants will dominate the season. If anything, I hope he is signed to the Los Angeles Dodgers, just to stick it to all of the Giants fans. Or better yet, to the New York Yankees. That would be a beautiful thing. Hell, I might even buy his jersey and flaunt it around. Sounds like it could be a lot of fun.

I should thank Barry for the memories. Most notably the unsportsmanlike conduct he's showed over the years, and the Balco steroid scandal. Both were very entertaining moments in baseball history.

Adios Barry Bonds!

Photo Credit: www.dccomics.com

Videogame Madness - XBOX 360

Who is the next opponent in the world to get "pwned"?

That is video gamer talk for being "owned" or otherwise defeated by another player in a videogame. With the slew of new videogame consoles released in the last year, it's no wonder why so many people are excited about the great games being released this time of year. The Microsoft XBOX 360, the Sony PlayStation 3, and the Nintendo Wii, are all a part of the competition to become number one. I will not go into any detail about the Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii because I don't own either of them. The title of this article places the focus on one particular console.

I myself own an XBOX 360. The best thing about the XBOX 360 is what is known as XBOX Live. This is an online service that allows you to play against other players all over the world. For example, if you are playing at night time here in the USA, then there is a good chance you can play against someone else in another part of the world while it is daytime over there. With the included headset you are able to talk to people as well as play a game against them. I have learned many words, mostly cuss words, in different languages because of this, especially Japanese. I must say, the level of interactivity is amazing.

That level of interactivity is only going to increase come September 25th, 2007. The biggest title being released this year for the XBOX 360 is "HALO 3". This is a first-person shooter game, and a sequel that millions of people have been waiting years for. The two previous Halo titles have been the biggest selling titles of all time. This one is sure to follow or even overshadow the other two titles.

Personally, I like to use famous movie quotes whenever I am sneaking up on an opponent in a shooting game. If it is a quick sneak attack, I will give them the famous Bruce Willis quote, "Yippee-Ki-Yay M***** F*****!" - Die Hard, 1988. A better scenario is if I know they are out of bullets, then they get the Dirty Harry line. I believe it goes, "I know what you're thinking. Did he fire six shots or only five? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" - Dirty Harry, 1971. After that, on many occassions you would recieve a nice shot to the head, courtesy of yours truly. Ah, good times, those were the days.

September 25th can't come soon enough!

Photo Credit: www.gamespot.com

Halloween (1978) VS Halloween (2007)

It was the night that Michael Myers returned home. Back in 1978, the feature film "Halloween", staring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis, was a smash hit. Since then, many sequels have been released, but not one of them has been as good as the first film directed by John Carpenter. That was until I saw the new remake of the original film, which is directed by Rob Zombie.

For those that don't know the story, or are too young, or have been living under a rock since the late 1970's, please check out the official website, www.HalloweenMovies.com

Now that you are up to speed, lets get to my take on the film. I did not know what to expect at first. Although Rob Zombie is a competent director, none who have tried have been able to capture the same feeling and suspenseful atmosphere that Carpenter was able to capture. Due to that, I was a bit skeptical at first, but as soon as the first scene ended, I knew I was in for a treat. No pun intended.

First thing to note, this film is much more gritty than the original. The language is very explicit and some of the things shown are downright awful...which was awesome. All of the actors chosen for this film played their roles very well. This film has a bit more back story of the Myers character, as we get a chance to see just how Michael Myers became the killer that we all know. In the original movie, Myers background was shortly discussed to the town sheriff by Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasence). In the new film, it serves almost as a prequel of sorts, since we get to actually see the development of Myers. We see why he killed his older sister in the first place, and how he went psycho. Although it is interesting to see that, I felt it also took away from the fear factor. In the new remake of the film, we see his face, we know he is coming for Laurie Strode, and we know why. As opposed to the original film, when it was a faceless, random guy that was killing all these babysitters. We knew nothing about him, and the unknown is a bit more frightening. Regardless, a good amount of people have seen the original, so in this remake, it was alright to explore the character and have more development time.

In this version, we get a monster-sized Michael Myers, which I found made him much more intimidating. He comes crashing through walls, and simply looks like an unstoppable force that will not go down. The setting of the film is still taking place in the fictional town of Haddonfield, IL. In the new film, they never mention the year, but by the clothing, it seems to be placed in the 1970's. For today's audience though, they are going for a somewhat modern feel. We still get the hot females in this film as well. Plenty of sex and violence. For those that saw any of the sequels, you might notice that one of the girls in the film was actually the same little girl that played Jamie Strode in "Halloween 4", Danielle Harris. The same chilling musical score is intact. The classic piano tracks that send that shiver down your spine, known as the "Halloween Theme", is still in this film, although updated. Besides familiar faces and tunes, many of the scenes retained some of the similar dialogue from the original, although a bit modified for today. I'm sure this is done as a nod to the original film. The killing scenes, although in a similar situation as the original, were changed as well, which I thought was fantastic. You expected one thing and got another. You could not see it coming at all.

In the interest of length, we will now proceed to my horror film checklist. Does it have a good story? Check. Does it have decent acting? For a horror film, it is very well done. Check. Are there hot chicks in this film? Hell yes. Check. Are there plenty of shocking moments that keep you on your toes throughout the film? The whole time, check.

Overall, this was a more complete telling of the story of the original film. Is it better then the original? No. The original is a classic and in my opinion it can't be beat. Is it a great addition to the series? Yes. For today's younger crowed, or the people that have not seen the series and could use a good scare, be sure to check out this new film.

The winner of this bout, and still the champion: Halloween (1978)

PHOTO CREDIT: www.answers.com (click for link to photo)

Parking Lot Blues

I've got the blues, and I can't take it anymore.

It only seems to happen every Fall semester. The parking situation at SJSU becomes unbearable. I am a patient man, but after two hours, it starts to become ridiculous. The structure is setup in a way in which you have no choice but to show up hours earlier just to obtain a parking spot. This was a lesson that I've learned the hard way this semester. Unfortunatley, I have been late to almost every class.

Who do you place the blame upon? Well I have an idea whose fault it is. They are known as Freshmen. As they come in every Fall, fresh from High School graduation, they infest the parking lots. I would love to see a percentage of just how many Freshmen use the parking garages. I am sure that it is a pretty high percentage. There should only be a limited amount of parking permits allowed to Freshmen. They need to "pay their dues" that first year, and let the Seniors have priority. Then, one day, if they manage to ever become a Senior, they can do the same to their Freshmen. Sounds fair to me, but that is not where the parking drama ends.

Let us not forget the gasoline that goes to waste as one is making their rounds in the parking structure. After two hours or so, I waste close to a quarter tank of gasoline just looking for a spot. Also, the hounding of the pedestrians as they walk to their cars in the lot. The constant asking of "Hey are you leaving?", only to have them give you a smug look and hand you rejection. Then they get in their car, almost gloating about their parking spot, as they eat their bagel and sip their coffee. You couldn't drink your overpriced beverage on campus? You had to walk all the way back to your car, just to eat a damn bagel?

The road rage that builds up due to actions like that is something most people can relate to. It almost becomes barbaric, as people steal spots from others and tensions run high. I can say that after a rejection, I have had awful thoughts about those people. If you want to give me a smug look, that's fine. I will remember your face, and the next time you need a spot, you're going to get the finger.

I paid two hundred dollars for a parking permit that I can't use.

Folks, I've got the parking lot blues, and quite frankly, I can't take it anymore.

Public transportation, here I come.

My Summer 2007

What can I say? Summer of 2007 was quite possibly one of the best Summer's that I have ever experienced. Besides the excessive partying, I was able to attend many events. In the interest of length and my carpel tunnel condition, I will name some of the more notable happenings that occured.

The first notable event involved my trip to Sacramento, CA. I was able to attend the "Ultimate Fighting Championship" or "UFC" Pay Per View event. This was thanks in part to some friends of mine over at Warner Bros. Records. The "UFC" is otherwise known as cage fighting. These were five hundred dollar seats and I was thrilled to be there. The crowed was really into what was happening at the event, which made the atmosphere electric. The event was headlined by one of my favorite fighters in the UFC. His name is Tito Ortiz. Unfortunatley, the bout ended in a draw because of a point deduction. Everyone in the crowed knew that Tito dominated that fight, and expressed that sentiment with some choice words for the referee. Regardless, it was still an exciting matchup. The event was a first for me, and I found it to be rather enjoyable.

The next notable event would have to be when I attended "Ozzfest 2007". I had always heard about it from other people, but never attended an "Ozzfest" show myself. That was until I found out that for whatever reason, this year the tickets were free! This event was unlike anything I could have ever expected. It was an all-day event in Mountain View, CA. If you are into hard rock music, then "Ozzfest" is the place for you. The event was headlined by Ozzy Osbourne himself, and other big name acts. This included popular bands such as "Static-X", "Lamb Of God", and the U.K band, "Lordi". How crazy did the show become? Ozzy was spraying everyone in the front rows with a fire hose! He is still a great performer and the main reason I attended the show. Overall, a great time was had and I would love to attend again.

The most notable of all these events occured when I attended what is known as the "Projekt Revolution Tour". This was a tour headlined by the bands "Linkin Park" and "My Chemical Romance", among many other big name and new acts. I am currently in an internship position with Warner Bros. Records as a photographer and promoter, which has allowed me to attend many events free of charge. For this particular all-day event, I volunteered to work one of the booths. The booth I volunteered for was for a charity known as "Music For Relief", which was created by the band "Linkin Park". It is primarily to help victims of natural disasters, and stresses the reduction of Green House Gasses as well. It's a great cause and deals with issues that affect us all. For more information on that, please visit http://www.musicforrelief.org/

Now I must note that my favorite band for the last few years has been "Linkin Park". When I was told that I was going to not only see their show, but also meet them that same day, I was excited. How often do people get to hang out with their favorite band? Not too often. When I finally met them, they were really down to Earth guys. They signed a few things of mine and I took a few pictures. I was also able to meet a few of the other bands that were playing on the tour. The group "Julien-K" was really cool. I just happened to run into them when I was walking down the pathway from the mainstage. They were also down to Earth guys as well. The show I attended and the tour itself, which I had been promoting for a long time, was amazing.

Overall, I would say it was a five out of five star summer, and one of the best I've had yet.

Photo Credit: G. David