The Return of the Living Dead [movie review]

As a zombie-movie-show-bookeverything lover, I naturally watched The Return of the Living Dead when I came across it on TV one day.

The movie begins with a group of punks partying in a graveyard (because that’s normal, right?) while they’re waiting for one of their friends to get out of work. This friend they’re waiting for happens to work at a medical supply company where a gas leak breaks out. As a result, one of the cadavers in the building is brought back to life and it’s ready to sink its teeth into some human flesh. Ultimately, the infection spreads (great time to be in a graveyard, huh?) and there are zombies crawling everywhere. As per usual, madness ensues.

As expected, the acting was pretty horrible. On top of that, there were so many unexpectedly bizarre scenes (i.e. naked lady dancing in the graveyard). But, I did enjoy the zombies… they were actually pretty damn creepy at times. I’ve honestly never seen zombies who enjoyed brains so much. They said it themselves, which surprised me because your average zombie usually doesn’t talk. I actually loved it when one of the living dead moaned: “Braaaiiinnnsss! More braaaiiinnnsss!” OK, I’ll stop. Also, these zombies were pretty fast, unlike the ones I’m accustomed to watching or reading about. That made them a lot scarier.

The Return of the Living Dead wasn’t a complete bust. I enjoyed a number of aspects about it… it certainly picked up when the zombies started attacking. But, it certainly wasn’t the best movie I’ve ever seen either. I’d give it 2.5/5 stars. It did a decent job of keeping me entertained. I laughed a number of times, too (whether that was intentional or not).

Saved! [movie review]

Saved! isn’t exactly a movie I’d go out of my way to watch, but it was on TV one night so I went for it because I didn’t have anything better to do. I remember seeing commercials for it when it first came out in 2004 and it looked like it had potential to garner a few laughs. The movie turned out to be very different from what I was expecting, but not in a bad way.

Saved! begins with a girl named Mary (Jena Malone) who attends a Christian high school and has suspicions that her boyfriend, Dean (Chad Faust), is gay. She tries to rectify the situation by having sex with Dean, but this obviously doesn’t change anything. Dean’s parents eventually find out that he’s gay, which results in him getting shipped off somewhere to have this ”problem” of his fixed. Well, when he leaves… he leaves Mary pregnant. Slowly but surely, Mary is ostracized by her girlfriends — headed by Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore) — because of this. Mary turns to Hilary’s handicapped brother, Roland (Macaulay Culkin), and the rebellious Cassandra (Eva Amurri Martino) as her new companions. They might not seem like your typical trio at first, but they make it work. The rest of the movie follows Mary’s pregnancy while attending a (very) Christian high school and the new friendships she formed with Roland and Cassandra.

I actually ended up enjoying Saved! more than I thought I would. Mandy Moore playing an evil character was pretty funny, especially since the first two things that come to mind when I think of her are “Candy” and A Walk to Remember. This was the first movie I’ve seen her act in and I was surprised that she actually pulled it off. I also really enjoyed Eva Amurri Martino’s character, Cassandra, who was the only Jewish girl attending a Christian high school. She didn’t fit in, she knew she didn’t fit in, and she fully embraced it… in an often offensive, yet hilarious, manner. Also, I think this was the first movie I’ve seen Macaulay Culkin in since Home Alone 2… no complaints there. Random cast, but it worked.

I give Saved! 3/5 stars. While I probably wouldn’t watch it again, I don’t regret watching it. I definitely got a few good laughs out of it.

I’ll leave you with my favorite line from the movie: “No one fits in 100% of the time.” So true and important to remember.

The Impossible [movie review]

Just from watching the trailers for The Impossible, I knew I was in for an emotional roller coaster when I went to see it on the big screen.

The Impossible is based on the true story of a family — Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor), Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin), and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast) — vacationing in Thailand when the devastating tsunami in 2004 hit, killing thousands and thousands of people. It’s a story of heartbreak and inspiration all in one.

The Impossible is undoubtedly one of the most touching movies I’ve ever seen; it truly pulls on your heartstrings. Watching what Maria and her family endured was unbelievable. As I watched this one family’s story unfold, I couldn’t help but think of the thousands of other familias and their stories… many of which will never be told. The Impossible definitely raises awareness to the severity of the tsunami and its absolutely devastating effects. This movie truly made me appreciate everyone and everything in my life; you really can’t take anything for granted.

Namoi Watts and Ewan McGregor were amazing; they both played such strong and loving spouses/parents during a time of pure pandemonium. They made the movie feel like a firsthand account at times, which made the movie that much more powerful.

Don’t even get me started on the kids. They all did such amazing jobs, especially for being so young. Out of the three, Tom Holland had the biggest role and he was such an inspiration. As the oldest brother, he really stepped up when his family needed him most. As for the two younger ones, they didn’t need to say much… they were adorable.

I give The Impossible 5/5 stars. It’s a definite must-see, but have your tissues ready.

I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from the movie: “Close your eyes and think of something nice.”

Wool [book review]

Months ago, I read an article (I believe it was this one on Hypable.com) about Wool by Hugh Howey and it was being compared to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Now, anything remotely comparable to The Hunger Games is an automatic must-read in my book. Also, the eBook (Omnibus Edition) was unbelievably cheap, so I had nothing to lose. I’m glad that was my thought process because I thoroughly enjoyed Wool.

Wool is a post-apocalyptic novel (I assume this is why it was being compared to The Hunger Games) about a community of people who live in a multi-level, underground silo, officially known as Silo 18. The air outside of the silo is toxic and it’s forbidden to even speak about the outside world. What happens if someone does? They get sent to “cleaning.” In fact, if you break any (well, most) of the silo’s rules (according to the Pact, which is basically Silo 18′s rulebook), you get sent to cleaning. OK fine, I’ll tell you what cleaning is. Cleaning is the death penalty process in which someone gets suited up to endure the outside world, but only long enough to clean the outside lens of the silo’s topmost level. Outcasts use wool to get the job done… everyone go “ooohhh!” This top level is the only spot in the silo where inhabitants can look out into the dark and dreary outside world. From the descriptions in the book, I can only imagine their view can be compared to that of a heavily polluted desert. After cleaning, law-breakers are left outside to suffocate in their suits. There, they wither away with the other rebels from years past. Doesn’t exactly sound like walk in the park, right?

The Wool series consists of five books, but some are (much) shorter than others. I say “books,” but I’m going to refer to them as “parts.” I read the Omnibus Edition, which combines all five books for a seamless reading experience. I’d definitely recommend this comprehensive version if you choose to read the eBook. You’re gonna want to read each book one after the other anyway. Generally, each part focuses on different characters.

In the first part, the main focus is on Holston, the sheriff of Silo 18. Holston is well-known by the community and it’s his job to keep everything in check. He’s not the person he used to be though; things changed when he became a widower after his wife was sent to cleaning. This is when we realize life in the silo isn’t as fine and dandy as we might’ve thought it was. In the second part, the main focus switches to Mayor Jahns and Deputy Marnes (who are old friends) on their pursuit to fill an important job within the silo. One of the top candidates is Juliette, a woman who works in Mechanical (located in the far depths of Silo 18). In the third part, we learn more about Bernard, who works in IT, and we begin to see a darker side of the silo. Alternatively, we’re also introduced to Lukas, a possible new-hire/right hand man for Bernard and a love interest for Juliette. Much of the fourth part focuses on Lukas and what he’s all about. We also learn more about Juliette’s people in Mechanical. As the story proceeds,the tension between the upper and lower levels becomes clearer and clearer. With each story comes more action, twists, and pure craziness. By the time you get to the fifth part, you won’t be able to put your book down.

Wool is full of everything from death to love to suspense and much more. It may sound like a lot of different characters and storylines, but everything’s connected somehow. Each story has a purpose and reveals something about Silo 18 in some way. Wool is full of twists and turns like no other! Let me tell you, don’t get too attached to any characters because everyone’s walking on egg shells at one point or another and you never know what’s gonna happen. Each part of the book ends with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, which forces you to launch yourself into the next part. The end of the book is a free-for-all of action and revelations about Silo 18. Wool was unbelievably gripping and I would absolutely recommend it.

In recent news, Wool will be available as a hardcover in March 2013, thanks to Simon & Schuster. No excuses not to read it now (well, in March), you anti-eBook readers. It’s crazy to think Wool started out as a small, self-published eBook and now it’s been picked up by a major publishing house and 20th Century Fox, according to Publishers Weekly. Yet another book with the potential to become an epic movie (hopefully series).

I give Wool 5/5 stars. It has certainly become one of my favorite books and I can’t wait to read more of Hugh Howey’s work. I think  the next book by Howey on my to-read list will be I, Zombie.

It [TV miniseries review]

I always saw images of this creepy ass clown plastered on VHS/DVD covers as I was growing up, but I never knew the story behind it… literally, It. One rainy day, It was on TV and I finally decided to give it a go.

It is a TV miniseries — not a movie, like I originally thought — about a clown who, quite frankly, kills children. It all starts with Bill Denbrough’s little brother, Georgie (Tony Dakota), who was lured into a sewer by Pennywise (Tim Curry), the aforementioned serial killer clown, and is never to be seen again. After the fact, Bill (Richard Thomas) and his group of misfit friends are stalked by Pennywise, but they won’t stand for it. Banning together, Bill and his buddies put an end to the bloodthirsty clown… or so they think. Years later, Pennywise returns and he it means business. Bill and the gang must reunite in order to put an end to Pennywise once and for all.

Image Source: io9.com

I know It is somewhat of a classic, but to be honest, I didn’t enjoy it at all. Definitely a movie miniseries I could’ve passed up. But, now I can say I’ve seen it, right? To start, the acting was scarier than Pennywise… it was actually quite painful to watch. I know this was made in the 90s, but still. Although not extremely scary in my opinion, Pennywise did have some good one-liners. He was undoubtedly the best aspect of the miniseries. Overall, I think It moved way too slow and it didn’t do much to keep my attention.

I give It 1/5 stars solely for the purpose of giving me something to do on a rainy day.

Ed Wood [movie review]

I was always a tad familiar with Ed Wood because my sister had the movie on DVD, but I never got around to watching it until I saw it on TV one day.

Ed Wood is about… well… Ed Wood (Johnny Depp), “the legendary director of awful movies,” as IMDb puts it. For Ed’s movies, he tends to cast them with misfit actors, such as his girlfriend, Dolores Fuller (Sarah Jessica Parker), and oldtimer, Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau). As a result, his movies don’t garner too much (good) press. Ed even says it himself: “I don’t make major motion pictures, I make crap.” But, does that stop him from making more movies? No, not at all!

Image Source: DVDBeaver.com

I actually enjoyed Ed Wood a lot more than I thought I would. First, I really liked the fact that it was in black and white even though it was released in 1994. That already makes it stand out from other movies. Second, I thought this movie was really funny. I was laughing out loud quite a bit, especially during scenes when Ed was filming his movies. Each movie he created had a very bizarre concept and it was fun to have a behind-the-scene glimpse. I don’t wanna give too much away (this is me warning you about a small spoiler), but it was absolutely hysterical when Ed confessed his love of wearing women’s clothing (which ended up becoming a storyline for one of his movies; it’s safe to say Dolores wasn’t too happy about this). Johnny Depp in drag was a pretty funny sight.

While the movie was very funny, it was also weirdly inspirational at times. There were a number of nice quotes, like the following: “Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else’s dreams?” That was said by Ed Wood, a character I really enjoyed. Although his movies always bombed, he remained so passionate about what he did, which is admirable. Whenever Ed watched his movies, you could feel the love when he recited the lines word-for-word.

I give Ed Wood 4/5 stars. I’d definitely watch it again.

Top 50 Songs of 2012

With 2013 quickly approaching, it’s time for me to share my third annual “Top 50 Songs of…” list. And the Top 50 Songs of 2012, according to yours truly, are…

1. “Sweet Nothing” – Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch
2. “Scream & Shout” – will.i.am featuring Britney Spears
3. “One More Night” – Maroon 5
4. “Die Young” – Ke$ha
5. “Synthesizer” – The Cataracs
6. “Call Me Maybe” – Carly Rae Jepsen
7. “I Will Wait” – Mumford & Sons
8. “Some Nights” – Fun.
9. “Dirty Bass” – Far East Movement featuring Tyga
10. “Locked Out of Heaven” – Bruno Mars
11. “Home” – Phillip Phillips
12. “Pound the Alarm” – Nicki Minaj
13. “Don’t Wake Me Up” – Chris Brown
14. “What Makes You Beautiful” – One Direction
15. “The Night Out” (A-Trak Remix) – Martin Solveig
16. “Let’s Have a Kiki” – Scissor Sisters
17. “Starships” – Nicki Minaj
18. “Alcohol” – The Cataracs
19. “Chasing the Sun” – The Wanted
20. “Bright Lights Bigger City/Magic” – The Treblemakers
21. “Let’s Go” – Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo
22. “Right Round” – The Treblemakers featuring My Name Is Kay
23. “Back in Time” – Pitbull
24. “The Sign/Eternal Flame/Turn the Beat Around” – The Barden Bellas
25. “I Need Your Love” – Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding
26. “Don’t You Worry Child” – Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin
27. “It’s Time” – Imagine Dragons
28. “Diamonds” – Rihanna
29. “Payphone” – Maroon 5
30. “Make It Nasty” – Tyga
31. “Feel So Close” – Calvin Harris
32. “We Are Young” – Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
33. “Too Close” – Alex Clare
34. “Gangnam Style” – PSY
35. “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)” – Ne-Yo
36. “Here I Am Alive” – Yellowcard
37. “Respect” – Melanie Amaro
38. “I Don’t Like You” – Eva Simons
39. “Mercy” – Kanye West featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz
40. “Don’t Stop the Party” – Pitbull featuring TJR
41. “Beez in the Trap” – Nicki Minaj
42. “All Around the World” – Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris
43. “Scream” – Usher
44. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” – Taylor Swift
45. “In My Trunk” – Dev
46. “Ho Hey” – The Lumineers
47. “Live My Life” – Far East Movement featuring Justin Bieber
48. “Set It Off” – Timomatic
49. “Somebody That I Used to Know” – Goyte
50. Dance Again” – Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull

I always have a few songs that just miss the cut. Honorable mentions this year include: “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men, “I Cry”  by Flo Rida, “Greyhound” by Swedish House Mafia, “Earthquakey People” by Steve Aoki featuring Rivers Cuomo, and ”I’m On a Roll” by Stefano featuring New Boyz & Rock Mafia.

Last year, I was all about David Guetta. This year, I’m really diggin’ Calvin Harris (below). Not only did “Sweet Nothing” featuring Florence Welch snag the #1 spot, but I also included a number of his other songs from “18 Months.” Those songs are: “Feel So Close,” “Let’s Go” featuring Ne-Yo, and “I Need Your Love” featuring Ellie Goulding. In addition to “18 Months,” some of my other favorite albums from 2012 are: “Overexposed” by Maroon 5, “Some Nights” by Fun., and ”Gordo Taqueria” by The Cataracs. Speaking of The Cataracs, I was really upset to hear they broke up, but Niles is gonna hold down the fort, thankfully. As long as he’s producing beats, I’ll be jamming to them!

Image Source: SFGate.com

On top of Calvin Harris, I’ve also taken a liking to Ellie Goulding (below) and Mumford & Sons. I really think Ellie Goulding’s gonna blow up in 2013. I’ve been listening to her 2011 album, “Lights“, nonstop and I absolutely love it. I don’t know why I haven’t listened to her new album, Halcyon, yet, but if it’s half as good as “Lights,” then I know I’ll love it. Now, I know Mumford & Sons has been around for awhile, but I’ve been hearing more and more of them lately. I’ve somewhat recently become obsessed with their song, “I Will Wait,” which made my Top 10. I’ve been listening to their new album, Babel, and I really like it. I’ve gotta dig through the archives and start listening to some of Mumford’s older stuff, too.

Image Source: Mixmag.net

As a first for my “Top 50 Songs of…” list, three songs from a movie soundtrack made the cut. What makes this different is that the songs were actually sung by the actors/actresses in the movie. They’re not just “theme” songs that appear on the soundtrack. If you couldn’t guess by now, the movie I’m talking about is Pitch Perfect, one of my favorite movies from 2012. All of the songs are covers/mashups and they’re sung by a capella groups — The Treblemakers and The Barden Bellas. I honestly enjoy some of the covers (i.e. “Bright Lights Bigger City”) better than the original songs. I think The Treblemakers and The Barden Bellas need to become a reality because, let’s be serious, I’d listen to their music and I know a lot of other people who would, too. At least give us a sequel, please.

Photo Source: E! Online

Quick shout out to Britney Spears and Ke$ha (above), who both placed in my Top 5. Happy to see/hear they both have new songs out. Ke$ha recently released a new album, “Warrior,” and Britney Spears is “working hard” on a new album, according to MTV.com. They’ve been favorites of mine over the years and they never disappoint.

Now, I can’t end this post without writing about “Call Me Maybe” and “Gangnam Style,” probably two of the most viral songs of the year. These songs spurred a fury of parody videos, whether it was the Harvard baseball team rockin’ out on the road to Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit or the U.S. Naval Academy channeling their inner PSY. There’s no way you can think about 2012 without one both of these songs buzzing through your head.

Image Source: NBCNews.com

Happy New Year, everyone! Whether you’re going out or having a kiki, be safe and have fun! As I do every year, I’ve made many memories to numerous songs in 2012 and I’m excited to make more memories to new songs in 2013, starting tonight!

What were your favorite songs/artists of 2012? Were there any songs you think should’ve made the list, but didn’t? Who do you think we should be watching out for in 2013? Feel free to leave your comments below!