Video of the Day: Avalon / Soundtrack - The Fire.

I was shown this movie called "Avalon" in my Political Science class this semester. And although Im not a huge, big fan of music scores or soundtracks (lets be honest, who is?), this is the most amazing, touching score I have ever heard. Nowadays, movie soundtracks are based out of heavy, action movies. But it doesnt matter. Blockbuster, dramas, or whatever, I think that we should at least pay attention to at least
"one" of the movies background music.I mean, there is alot of hard work put into these soundtrack or scores, just to make it perfect for a specific scene in a movie.

Just to think that these type of music is composed in some studio, with so many hard working people thinking what to do, whether directing the score or playing the instruments.

Enjoy

"The Avengers" is the King of the Box Office this Week

"The Avengers", the superhero (and super awesome) movie that hit theaters this past Friday, made an astonishing $200 million, shattering box office records. The movie starting Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, would most likely (perhaps, has already) passed the previous Marvel-based movie "Iron Man 2", which made 623.9 million worth of tickets in 2010. It even out did the other previous mega hit "The Hunger Games", being the top film of 2012.


I havent seen the movie...yet, but Facebook is buzzing over this movie like crazy! A friend of mine have said  its the best movies so far, while another just couldnt wait to see yet a second time. I am more personally surprised it made $200 million!!! I mean, whoa! An anticipated movie usually makes like around $50-80 million, but $200 million?! Must be them pricey 3D tickets.


For more, click here.

TV Review: Tough Love: New Orleans

In case I haven't stated it before, Im not a TV or movie person. Its quite rare to see me sitting in front of the movie theater or watching television shows when, in my opinion, there's not much going on, much (although I do watch "Pretty Little Liars"). However, one of my favorite shows this Spring season is "Tough Love: New Orleans", which airs every Sunday at 9pm on Vh1.

Unlike the other reality shows out there, this is more like a "boot camp" for clueless women who need deep, and desperate, relationship advice. Steve Ward, the one who is in charge of the boot camp, gives the 8 women advice, and challenges (such as dates, social events, etc), in hopes to break them out of their shell that prevents them to find true love. None of the girls are eliminated, for this isnt a competition. Yet instead, Steve tries to help these women to find not only their true love, but most importantly, listen to their personal criticism  and come to accept their advice and change.

Tough Love: New Orleans airs Sunday @ 9pm, on Vh1
http://www.vh1.com/shows/tough_love/season_4/series.jhtml

Video of the Day: 100 Years At The Movies

On Monday, my group and I are going to present the topic of movies...and its history as well. So, since its going to be quite lengthy, I decided to share this video, in hopes of giving you a glimpse of whats kinda in store for class. I must say, Ive seen about 60% of the movies shown.

Have fun!!

Video of the Day(In Honor of MCA): Beastie Boys - "Ch-Check It Out"

Adam Yauch, founder and member of the iconic Hip Hop group, the Beastie Boys, died at the age of 47, after a 3 year battle with cancer. Words of grief and tributes poured in from all over the music industry , from Justin Timberlake, to Madonna, Jay Z and Eminem, remembering the artist known as MCA. Along with members Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond, the trio formed the Hip Hop group known as the Beastie Boys, with their song  "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (to Party)", being their most well known. 

However, the song I remembered them is the one above called "Ch-Check It Out". An oldie, but a goodie :)R.I.P.


Article here.

Honoring Keith Haring; Today's Google Doodle

Google always honors people, individuals, personalities, etc. who have, in some other way, impacted society or the world. Case in point: today's Google logo honors the artist Keith Haring, celebrating what would've been his 54th birthday.

Haring, who died in 1990 due to AIDS complication, was an artist who was influenced by New York City's street culture, and who's art, compose of colorful, simple wiggly human figures, is an art I have seen everywhere, due to it's street, graffiti-like influence. I have even seen it in Sesame Street, with the figures dancing to the music, in a cute wiggly way, of course. I also like it since it tends to have a Hip Hop feel it too.

Talk about a true artist :)

Article here.

CNN Rating Declining, Raising Worries

Oh no, this cant be good. Turns out that CNN (home of my favorite Anderson Cooper), suffered its worst audience ratings ever in the 10 year history of the news network last month. Who knows what is going wrong (Ted Turner thinks he might have the answer), for Fox News and MSNBC is beating CNN up in the ratings war. However, CNN does win over both of them come election time due to their round the clock coverage and update information. But, yet, they cant keep up with their nemesis.

I had a bad feeling about CNN's ratings, especially after my mother (a news junkie) became a MSNBC fan recently over CNN. Now THAT is how I began to worry.


For more on the situation, read here.

Song of the Day:The Supremes Baby Love

Not that long ago in class, someone remarked that music has been nothing but "crap" lately. Well, although that is true, not all music is that bad. But anywho, since Im more of a music person than a TV or movie type gal, hope this song helps bring the nostalgia back...rather than listening to "crap".

Enjoy!!!

Video of the Day: Chamillionaire - Evening News

As you all know, or most of you know, tomorrow will mark the 20th anniversary of the L.A Riots. And one thing that comes to mind, personally, is that Hip Hop music and Politics have a history together. I guess its because all Hip Hop artists, and the genre itself, is the only musical category were everyday obstacles/hardships are being sung or rapped about. You dont hear any pop artist singing about how life in their neighborhood is quite unbearable or how every day conditions has its share of misery.And that's were politics comes in. Hip Hop artists raise their concerns about society, whether enduring and/or discussing violence, abuse, drugs, death, etc, to which they take aim at the only place whos responsibility is to be "there" for the people, the Government.

Well, one example is this video...and its one of my favorites! Rapper Chamillionaire takes aim at....almost everybody. But its Hip Hop...and its quite enjoyable. Love the message it tries to get across too!

So, I hope you enjoy it!!

New "SOPA"? CISPA comes into the limelight

Forbes.com

Why did I had such a HUGE gut feeling that the whole SOPA/PIPA legislation wasn't "completely" over? Why did I have a feeling that the government was waiting for the whole storm over the two controversial bills to settle down, so that way they can bring it back, but under a new reform?

Well, turns up CISPA is the name...and although it isn't quite like SOPA/PIPA, seems to me that online privacy just seems to get threatened every time. Not cool >:/ But why isn't it creating such a huge uproar like last time? Turns out that the big major companies kinda agree to this new bill.

But I personally think the internet is closer to a death sentence...I hope its not.


Read article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/04/24/as-cispa-nears-a-vote-can-the-controversial-cyber-security-legislation-be-stopped/

Video of the Day: Step Brothers - Bunk beds

Its kinda funny when movies that one least expects to be a hit, tends to be a major success (like this example here). Better yet, it becomes just as popular as any hit blockbuster when released in DVD. Example, the movie Stepbrothers, starting Will Ferrell and John C. Rilley. Turns out this movie was released  the following weeks after The Dark Knight was playing. And, as we all know, The Dark Knight was a juggernaut. However, the moive was considered a sleeper hit, and has remained a popular movie with audiences ever since. Funny movie. Not "hysterical", but even the most silliest, simple, line will definitely get stuck in your head. Quite a joyous comedy, especially to my twin.

Well, hope you like the above clip. Have a great week.

Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg Live @ Coachella 2012 [Full Show]

Yep, as predicted, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were a massive hit last night in Coachella. The music festival had its last night of their 3 day weekend Sunday, with a repeat this upcoming weekend. With Nate Dogg being paid tribute and Tupac coming out as a hologram (to which I have NO idea how that was made, and how a hologram works), and appearances by Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, etc, performing along the pros, old school rap was pretty much alive that night.

Watch the entire performance above :)

And Im still tripping about the holograms...enjoy!

Coachella 2012: Nate Dogg Reappearing...as a Hologram

Social media has been buzzing lately, especially since one of the world's most hottest music festivals just hit California this weekend. The Coachella Music Festival (cute name) just started its concerts this past Friday in a 3-day weekend festival, with another round of amazing music, both indie and heavyweights, performing next week. Notable artists like Florence and the Machine are performing Sunday (April 15), while rookie ones like M83 performed this past Friday (April 13). I personally wanted to see The Weeknd perform, and since I couldnt go this year, YouTube had his concert live via their website, with the video sharing website most likely to repeat this for next week.

However, what was grabbing headlines this past week was Sunday's headliners Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, who wished to have thier deceased best friend, Nate Dogg, to perform, via hologram. The popular hip hop crooner, who died last year, is going to perform, in which it will "...project moving images of Nate Dogg onto the Coachella stage while they perform." [1]. Some people might go "Whaaaa?", but to others, this is a sure treat.
Well, whatever the case, Im glad to see the wonderful Nate Dogg perform. I was a big fan of the man, and his passing did struck a chord for many of us music lovers.

I shall place a video the performance sometime this week.

Have a great weekend

FOX to celebrate their 25th Anniversary

Fox is celebrating their "quarter of a century anniversary", and on April 22nd, their ideal celebration is for sure going to bring so much nostalgia among the audience. Turns out, the network is doing a speical reunion that includes the cast of some of the network's most popular and famous shows. "That 70s Show" has confirmed their prescence with Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher joining, along with the Wayans Bros. coming together for thier popular show "In Living Color". The "Married with Children" cast is also joining this anniversary event, with their pilot being re-aired on Fox that day [1]. Shows that are also looking back with several of thier casts include Calista Flockhart from "Ally McBeal", several members from "Beverly Hills 90210" and David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson from "The X-Files".

I have to admit, Im more excited about the latter one. Ive been a huge fan of "The X-Files" as long as I can remember, and I am so psyche that I get to see those two reunite once again to remember the past.

Fox 25th Annivesary Special will air at 8/7pm C, April 22nd, on Fox.

Video of the Day: David Guetta - Turn Me On ft. Nicki Minaj

Okay, so I dont want to "bore" you all with a lot news about Government spying us and all. So I decided to share with you one of my favorite songs. "Turn Me On" is a great pop/dance/electro type song with Nicki Minaj and David Guetta. The music video is awesome...and its all because the creepy dolls make the video look so cool!!!! Guetta plays a "mad" scientist who creates living "dolls" and Minaj is his successful attempt of creating one that looks 100% human. This causes jealous among the others.

Well, hope you like it :D Enjoy!!!

"Spy" Center Almost Done

Sooooo, apparently a C.I.A Spy center is almost done under construction near the Utah Mountains. That means that our phone calls, or any source of communication (like emails), is going to heard, or "spied" off by the C.I.A.
Yep, "Big Brother" is watching.

For more info, click here.

Public Enemy - Fight The Power

Oh yeah, while I'm at it, I decided to also post this video of Public Enemy, titled "Fight the Power".
This video also shows clips of the movie "Do the Right Thing".

My Political Science class mentioned this video, for it has an empowering message, as it is a great song. It even has made the ranks of "the greatest song of all-time" lists.

I wont say much about this song though. I think its much worth hearing it.

Video of the Day: Annoying Orange

WOOOW! People might have their opinions about this, but I like the Annoying Orange :) It is, hmm, a bit annoying, but to a point where its amusing rather than super irritating.

Just like some YouTube success stories, this channel exploded into mainstream popularity and has gained a wide audience ever since. With a total of over 1 billion views, it even has its own TV show coming up this summer in Cartoon Network.

Well, hope you'll enjoy. Have a great weekend

Linda Lovelace's Life Worthy of a Hollywood Tale

Hollywood has a thing for tragic stories, right? They are quite as obsessed for tragic stories as they are of ending it with a happy ending. Well, consider this story: A conservative teenager, who all of a sudden rebels against her elders, meets and marries a "pimp", who forces her against her will towards "prostitution" and drugs, and at 23 years old, becomes an overnight sensation due to a hard core porn movie that was made in a cheap hotel room in Florida. The movie as a total worth of $600 million. However, she leaves (or flees) her manipulated husband, becomes a feminist advocate, but later faces personal battles with illness and poverty, all before dying in a terrible car crash in 2002. Sounds indeed like a tragic story, and thats not all what Linda Lovelace, who's life I just described, faced. However, her life is about to be immoratalized on the big screen, twice, and hopefully it sticks with her life instead of finsihing it with a typical happy ending.

Linda endured both physical and mental abuse under her husband's, Chuck Traynor, power. Even when her porn movie "Deep Throat" hit the mainstream, she described in graphic detail what she went through in the set [1]. Yet, she became a popular personality during her days, with her film making over 10x of what it was worth (it cost $30,000 to make). However, this film is credited to ushering "...the infinitely more explicit internet porn that is now only a keyboard click away" today [1]. But this is the view and reputation that Linda Lovelace hated. She became a feminist activist, denouncing the porn industry, right after she left her controlling husband. Yet, she felt used by her feminist "allies". She remarried again, had two children, but only for her second husband to lose his job and both became dependent on welfare. She also became dependent on expensive medical drugs after a liver transplant in 1987. Then after divorcing in 1996, she had jobs both day and night to make it through. A few years later, in 2001, she posed for an adult magazine, and with cries that she was a hypocrite, after she publicly known for bashing out the porn industry, sources say she was desperate for cash. She died in 2002 after crashing in a concrete post in Denver, as she was thrown out the windscreen.

Now, a few years later, 2 movies are in the works for this lady. One, starting Amanda Seyfried, titled "Lovelace", has just finished filming. This project is also being backed up by Lovelace's grown children. The second, titled "Inferno" is based on Lovelace tell all book. If both films are trying to be 100% accurate about her life, then let it be. But as friend and former biographer Eric Danville (whos is speaking regards of the "Lovelace" film) said:

        "The film will try as much as possible to end on a positive note in terms of Linda’s story,’ he 

        said. How does the film portray her? ‘I have to be diplomatic here ... very much as she saw herself...A victim — for want of a better word. That’s the tale that everyone really knows." [1]

Well, I hope for once Hollywood keeps it real. Linda Lovelace story has all the elements worthy of a Hollywood movie. 

Read more at Daily Mail here.

Topic of the Day: Nostalgia (Remembering the 90s)

(This is a personal opinion post based on this 2011 article by CNN.com. To read, click link).

My goodness. Not that long ago, my twin sister, who is a bit of a hard shell (a.k.a. "Hard to Please"), was just super duper excited that VH1 decided to air a special documentary titled "The TRL Decade". We got to see familiar faces and events, such as Britney Spears, N'Sync, P.Diddy, etc during their prime. Plus, not that long ago, MTV's channel Hit List decided to play Boy Band music videos. My twin sister shrieked! In the era that just past us, the 2000s, we were bombarded with gangsta rap, R&B and Hip Hop. She was an ultimate "G" girl, all things gangsta, all things street. But she isn't shy to admit that before all this wave of 2000s pop culture emerged, she was (and very much still is) a 1990s music lover, a'la N'Sync. And who can blame her? She isn't that only one who remembers the 1990s. It seems to me that our "Digital Era" generation is indeed wanting the 90s back. Whether music, TV Shows, fashion, etc....we are definitely remembering the 1990s.

Last night, me and my twin were admiring how much we want a denim blouse. As we were talking, Will Smith character from "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was also wearing the blouse of our dremas. And soon after, as I am a huge fan of street style, I also notice that many of the style that teens are wearing today has more of a 90s reminiscent vibe. Denim shorts, ripped tights (although this was in the early 1990s), heavy ankle boots, scrunchies, baggy blouses, large pants, colorful heavy jackets, etc., are all 1990s fashion. And it has indeed return.

What about TV? Remember when TV wasn't all reality television shows? I remember school based sitcoms, such as "Boy Meets World", "Saved by the Bell", "Sabrina", "Sister, Sister" and so on. "Dysfunctional " or close knit families such as "Married with Children", "Fresh Prince", "Friends", etc., targeted adults. Nick cartoons such as "CatDog", "Doug", "Hey Arnold", "Rugrats" were meant for kids. Oh, and a bit of "Horror" such as "Goosebumps" and "The X-Files" were meant for thrill seekers. Oh, and music! Remember Nirvana? Or NWA? Or how about pop music that invaded the late 1990s such as Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, N'sync, Christina Aguilera, and so on. Remember that most of them started out in Disney? And when their careers were taking off, remember they were extremely publicized in Disney Channel? I can keep going on and on, but I have to admit, a lot of us really do miss the 1990s. 

But why? Why all of a sudden this sudden urge of reviving the 90s? Now a days, I tend to see so many re-runs of "Save by the Bell" and "Boy Meets World". Teen Nick has also been playing late night airings of old 90s shows called "The 90s are All That". Stars of the 90s are having a career boom, such as Tia and Tamera Mowry with their reality show in the InStyle network. Melissa Joan Hart of "Sabrina" and "Clarissa" fame has her show along with 90s heartthrob Joey Lawrence in ABC Family (Melissa and Joey). 

So how come? Well, simple. You just want to remember the good old days of your fun, careless youth. With our current economic climate, people are struggling to find some ways to live, whereas the 1990s, you didn't have to work at all [1]. Just like the CNN article explained, ".... young Americans are trying to navigate the murky waters of the economy and their future prospects." In my personal opinion, I also remember that the 1990s was a carefree era of a pre-9/11 decade. After the attacks, everything changed. A suspicious, yet a somewhat dark mood took over. Bubblegum pop didn't seem to fit well with the traumatizing vibe, and the happy sitcoms werent all that amusing when our world was just so shattered.  So, reminiscing the 1990 just tend to put a huge smile on people's faces. And thanks to Facebook and other social media devices, the entertainment industry decided to re air back some of the 1990s shows, especially from Nick, due to so much buzz of users wishing they had their 90s Nickelodeon back [2].

I have to say that the 1990s was a great era for many of us, especially for pop culture. With reality television bombarding every channel and network, and music is all visual and not for the ears, everything seems a bit fake. So, I have to admit that, deep inside me, I wish we had the 1990s back.