Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category
Movie reviews: Horton Hears a Who!
Horton Hears a Who deluxe collection review
Recently, on the recommendation of Fred the Fish Man, as my granddaughter calls him, I purchased the deluxe collection of Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! Fred is a valued associate at our local Wal-mart and has children with his wife, so he knows the best children’s movies to get. He said this deluxe collection of Horton Hears a Who was the cartoon version we were brought up on and not that CGI stuff.
Do not get me wrong I am sure the CGI version is good, but I did not want that version. I wanted the cartoons that I grew up with of Horton hears a who to share with my grandchildren. I have Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsMovie reviews: Friday the 13th Part 3
Although “Friday the 13th Part 2″ wasn’t the monster success of it’s predecessor, it was successful enough to put another sequel into production, which was released theatrically in 3-D. Picking up the same day as “Part 2″ with returning director Steve Miner, Jason Voorhees (Richard Brooker) is still on the loose and after dispatching a couple in their small grocery store, he sets his sights on Higgens Haven, a private cottage on the lake where Chris Higgens (Dana Kimmell) and several friends arrive to enjoy the weekend. Chris is a bit apprehensive as she previously survived an attack by Jason, not to mention an earlier encounter that morning with a grizzled old man warning them of impending doom Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsIs it better to watch movies in theaters or DVDs at home?
Okay to be honest I was torn trying to choose which side to debate here. Stay at home or watch a movie at the theater? Truth be told though and I’m sure everyone is conveying the importance of how some movies are just best watched with the experience of the gigantic screen.
Now I could go into concession reasons for going. Such as the smell of the popcorn, the fountain drinks that seem bottomless with tons of ice and those sweet candies you can get. But in reality you can microwave your popcorn and get the same smell, buy a six pack of Pepsi and add your own ice and those sweet candies are available in all Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsMovie reviews: Fred Claus
It’s that time of year again, folks! Christmas is right around the corner and that can only mean one thing. Corny Christmas movies! And the newest addition to this ever expanding genre? Lets just say that it’s not about Him. It’s actually about his brother.
Fred Claus is not your typical heartwarming story of how So-and-so managed to save Christmas. It’s not really a holiday movie for kids, either. There wasn’t any profanity, however some scenes might be a bit toomuch (for lack of a better word) for little ones.
This flick is not as brash and offensive as Bad Santa, but it is not full of all the fluff typical of this genre, either. Vince Vaughn stars as the overshadowed and Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsGuitar special effects – Part 9
Killer Guitar Sounds? Maybe…
Guitar multi FX units are undoubtedly one of the best value-for-money tools available to today’s guitar player. Even a cheap multi FX unit found on eBay will house some great sounding effects to brighten up or add interest to even the most mediocre guitarist’s playing.
With so many different guitar sound effects available in the typical multi FX unit it is a great temptation to try and use as many as possible. However, that temptation could also destroy your credibility as a player and leave your audience nonplussed. In fact, when it comes to guitar multi FX, that old clich less is more can very often be absolutely true!
The solution? You need to get your basic sounds right Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsMovie reviews: Population 436
Despite having read numerous reviews on Population 436 that were average at best, I still went ahead and rented it. There was just one reason that I had an insatiable urge to watch this film and that was Fred Durst, my youthful crush and visitor to many of my teenage dreams. I doubt there will be many of you who share my physical attraction to Durst, and frankly, having watched the film, the fire in me has started to dwindle. So really, there’s little reason to watch the film since there is little else on offer in terms of the plot or the acting.
The premise of Population 436 is simple and I’m not spoiling it by revealing that the population Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsHow piracy threatens the movie industry
It’s easy to see how piracy threatens the motion picture industry: Just look at the last two “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies or “Cutthroat Island”. These movies were terrible. If more movies like these are made I’m sure the industry will be in BIG trouble!
Oh, we’re talking about people getting illegal copies of movies through downloading bootlegged copies of them? Right. Okay, I got this.
Well, before we analyze the problems of piracy let’s look at how movies generally make their money:
1. First Release Box Office sales. When a movie is first released they’re given a large number of screens that they’ll be shown on. These initial ticket sales will make up the movie’s initial grosses. This determines the success of Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsGuitar special effects – Part 3
Over the years I have tried many effects to get those great tones. I have tried analog and digital effects, stomp boxes and multi-effect processors. At first I got carried away with effects and instead of getting the perfect sound I ended up with a very fake unimpressive sound. The key to getting the best sound with effects are to use them in moderation. If you add just the right level of distortion or chorus you can get a great sound, if you use too much you will get a muddy or fake sound.
You would be amazed at how a little chorus or overdrive will give your sound that edge that sounds good. Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsSad songs that will make you cry
‘Desperado’, by Eagles, is the only song that consistently moves me to tears. One of the first records I ever bought was their greatest hits album; the one that came out just as ‘One Of These Nights’ was falling off the charts. I was twelve years old and had just started really LISTENING to music, and Eagles had a country/rock/pop edge that really appealed to me.
‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’, ‘Lyin Eyes’, and ‘Take It To The Limit’ all seemed to be cut from the same cloth, and I liked them a bunch, and still do. But ‘Desperado’, while in the same vein, was…. different….. special somehow.
It chilled me to the bone, something that the Read the rest of this entry »
American Idol: Season 7 top ten guys
On February 21st the first quartet of finalist to be cut were shown the door leaving ten men and women remaining. We said goodbye to Ellen Degeneres’s long lost love child Colton Berry and the sun-deprived, desperately in need of a stylist but sweet Garrett Haley. So last night gave us another glimpse at what the Y gene finalists have to offer. Overall, I have to say in the words of Randy Jackson “It was just alright for me dawg.” So here is the rankings as I see it after the performances last night.
1. David Archuleta- A fantastic singer at a mere seventeen years old this kid is definitely a natural. His performance of “Imagine” was Read the rest of this entry »
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