New music video for Paramore’s The Only Exception. This is not my favourite song from brand new eyes, but I like the video, it’s cute.
Plus I really want the dress Haley is wearing when seated at the table with the revolving door of men sitting down at her table.
Word is all the Valentine’s Cards were from fans. Fitting as this is the first and only love song that has ever been written by Paramore.
Can’t wait till their Auckland gig t-minus 12 days. w00t
DEMI-GODS: Stealers of Maseratis
Imagine stealing a Maserati from the floor of a casino, jumping off the Empire State Building (which secretly holds the entrance to Olympus) or finding the entrance to the underworld under the H of the Hollywood sign. Not the norm for a typical human, but if you were a demi-god — it may just be your typical week.
Just some of the hi-jinks in Percy Jackson and The Lightening Thief. I guess if you had to describe it in a comparison to other movies it would be like Harry Potter, but instead of Daniel Radcliff as the lead, you have Zac Efron.
No the lead isn’t actually Zac Efron, but Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson. He is a pretty good look-alike or voice double (seriously, he sounds exactly like Zac Efron at some points). Percy Jackson is a demi-god — half human, but son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd or that dude from Grey’s Anatomy). With this little piece of information, it opens up a world based on Greek mythology. Still based in reality with this supernatural twist — which I think is better because you can still associate with each character — you can pretty much assume, if we’re playing with demi-gods here, anything can go — all Gods are in essentially — Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Athena, including their powers.
At first getting told you’re the son of a Greek God you would naturally think it was unbelievable, but then of course you get awesome powers and a few nifty tools. A sword, chuck sneakers with tiny wings, a collapsible shield and then there is the casual lightening bolt. Which brings me to the special affects. They were awesome. Not over the top, not crappy. Enough said.
Once again — it’s a book in to a movie, based on the same name and written by Rick Riordan. Unfortunately I cannot speak for how successful the adaptation has been, as I have never read the books. However, there is no way that an original script from Hollywood would be able to provide a detailed story-line and in-depth characters of this type if it wasn’t first a book. I can say though, that I will be going to the library tomorrow to look for all the books in the series to see how they measure up to the Hollywood adaptation. One question I do have is, how old are the leads supposed to be? The feel of it is mid-to-late teens, bout 16/17. Lerman himself is 18. But as I understand it, in the first book Percy is 12. That right there is a big inconsistency. However, as certain scenes are portrayed it is more believable that a 16-year-old would be doing them, than a 12-year-old.
Everybody seems to be comparing it to Harry Potter and yes I agree there are similarities. Chris Columbus directs, the heroes are a trio (two boys, one girl), the creatures are similar (only because JK Rowling got most of her ideas for creatures from Greek mythology), they attend a school for demi-gods (called Camp Half-Blood — seriously there could be a better name: Camp Olympus, Olympus College, School of Olympus? Just throwing a few out there.) and of course getting to go on a quest and fighting a bad guy. When Harry Potter came out, people compared it to Lord of the Rings. This type of thing is always going to happen.
There are some memorable moments — when Mr Brenner/Chiron (Pierce Brosnan) hands Percy a pen and says to use it only in times of great distress he replies with “It’s a pen.” Yes, a pen, but a very cool gold pen that when you click it turns into an awesome gold sword. I bet you don’t have a gold pen sword.
Also when Grover (Brandon T Jackson or the real black dude from Tropic Thunder) starts taking off his pants, Percy asks why, so his legs can be free – turns out he’s half goat (did not see that one coming), or a Saber, to keep this mythology correct.
If they decide to adapt the rest of the books in the series, I will go see every single one at the movies. I feel this new series can be just as successful as Harry Potter and Twilight and definitely should not fall by the wayside like The Golden Compass, Chronicles of Narnia and Spiderwick Chronicles. It is something different and the mythology is interesting. How often do you get movies about Greek Gods?
I know the video has been out for ages (this post has been sitting here unfinished for ages: go me!) but I just love it so much I thought I would do a little diddy praising it.
“Brick by boring brick” is something rather different, which I love when bands do something a bit out there. Plus it’s my favourite song from brand new eyes – it’s got some pretty decent beats. The theme of the video feels like Alice in Wonderland meets Willy Wonka meets something evil and disturbing (probably because the sky looks like it’s on fire).
I was a little shocked when I saw Haley had gone platinum blond, but it is totally awesome.
The lyrics “and we’ll dig a deep hole” fits in with the gravedigger. And I find it a little disturbing when the little girl falls into the grave and all Haley and the gravedigger do is throw in her doll followed by some dirt. Don’t know why but the words “Psycho Killer” just came to mind.
As you can see the unemployed thing is starting to create some major boredom, thus resulting in some below average blog posts. Weee!
Is anyone else excited as I am about Alice in Wonderland? Not only is it Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, it’s going to be in 3D (Just imagine what they can do while Alice is falling down the rabbit hole? Weird stuff being thrown at your head? Yes please!)
It is also not a remake of the first novel (like the Disney version), but I would assume an adaptation of the second (as I have never read them, I can’t fully vouch for this (It’s one of those I-have-the-books-I-just-haven’t-gotten-round-to-reading-them-yet-because-I-was-saturated-with-the-Disney-version-as-a-kid scenarios.)
Anyway, the Burton adaptation follows Alice as she returns to Wonderland, I think it is 10 years later and many things have changed and she needs to help end the Red Queen’s reign. It has the usual Burton actor line-up – Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter but we also get Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee, Michael Sheen, and Timothy Spall. Is it just me or does the participation of such actors up the anticipation level?
Another thing that is making this movie rather exciting, is the soundtrack. All original songs from some of the biggest names in music today. Check out the track listing:
1. “Alice” by Avril Lavigne
2. “The Poison” by The All-American Rejects
3. “The Technicolor Phase” by Owl City
4. “Her Name Is Alice” by Shinedown
5. “Painting Flowers” by All Time Low
6. “Where’s My Angel” by Metro Station
7. “Strange” by Tokio Hotel and Kerli
8. “Follow Me Down” by 3OH!3 and Neon Hitch
9. “Very Good Advice” by Robert Smith
10. “In Transit” by Mark Hoppus and Pete Wentz
11. “Welcome to Mystery” by Plain White T’s
12. “Tea Party” by Kerli
13. “The Lobster Quadrille” by Franz Ferdinand
14. “Running Out of Time” by Motion City Soundtrack
15. “Fell Down a Hole” by Wolfmother
16. “White Rabbit” by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Exciting, yes?
It is released here on March 4 and although I would love to go see it immediately, I feel I will wait until I’m up in Auckland for my massive weekend of gig madness so I can see it in 3D. I guess you could say I will be late for a very important date.
As the headline says, it has been a while. My first post in… (actually, I can’t be bothered looking at the date of my last post) a few months, at least. So just a few musings…
AVATAR: It has become the highest grossing movie of all time. I honestly don’t know what all the fuss is about. Went to see it in 3D, which was barely a redeeming factor, because there totally could have been more stuff coming out at you. The storyline was barely existent and very reminiscent of Pocahontas. I agree that the CG animation is amazing and if Avatar wins Oscars for its special effects, good on ’em. However, if it gets best picture, which is highly likely, I will be ashamed of the entire human race. I like movies which actually have a plot and storyline, flashy blue aliens just don’t do it for me. But, I can understand why people are going to see it in their droves – as James Cameron says in January’s issue of Empire: “Controversy is more interesting than agreement. Controversy fuels curiosity.”
BIG DAY OUT: A week before I was to drive to Auckland I was very much contemplating selling my ticket. Until about 9pm I still wished I had. But then Muse took the stage. A-MAZ-ING. I loved seeing them play super massive black hole live and the amount of energy they exerted on stage was addictive to watch and listen. A redeeming act to the hot, sweaty, un-exciting, day that was the Big Day Out. Oh and Rise Against were rad to see again, but the sound on their stage was unbelievably shit making it difficult for them to be amazing.
UP IN THE AIR: Two words: George. Clooney. And another: SWOON. Personally part of me wants to live like his character Ryan Bingham – nothing in my backpack because I burnt it all (you’ll get this reference if you go see the movie) and I totally want one of those awesome 10 million miles cards. What could be better than flying all around the US and staying in totally sweet hotels and getting paid for it? Anyway, it’s about a company that fires people, that is the business. So with the economic down turn, their business is booming. Anna Kendrick plays his protege of sorts Natalie Keener. She proves she is so much more than Twilight and will probably still be making movies when K-Stew has used up all her Twilight fame. Definitely worth a watch, if not several.
MY SISTER’S KEEPER: I was so frikin’ angry they changed the ending. HOW DARE THEY. Bad Hollywood etiquette. Changing a novel’s end to make it more film worthy. BAD HOLLYWOOD, BAD.
THE INFORMANT: WTF? Adds new meaning to Matt Damon (said in that retarded-team-america way). What a fucking idiot. Has an Austin Powers feel to it, but ultimately the movie is just bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES: ZOMG. So good. 19th Century period England where they all fight zombies and were taught by ninjas. BRILLIANT. And of course there is Mr Darcy. Set to be turned in to a movie with Natalie Portman as Elizabeth. Can’t wait. Everytime I watch the 2005 film version of P&P I keep expecting zombies to jump out.
GLEE: TV Programme: amazing. Soundtrack No 1: amazing. Soundtrack No 2: amazing. Can’t wait for the second season. It’s like High School Musical but for adults. Oh and Cory Monteith who plays Finn is 28. Playing a 16-year-old. That’s just weird.
ANNOUNCED GIGS: Pixes announced a side show at The Powerstation on the 11th March and it sold out in 2 minutes. I didn’t even have a chance. However I have better things to do then, like The Backstreet Boys concert that’s happening at Vector. Then Cobra and Gaga. It will be a busy weekend. Paramore gig transferred locations to Waitakere Trusts Stadium in order to open up some more tickets because it sold out on the day and then the extra tickets sold out too. I am lucky enough to have one. Weeee! But still, gig’s now out west and not south, still does not make travel easy.
FALL OUT BOY: Chatter all week about Fall Out Boy officially breaking up because of some tweets sent by Pete and the gang saying they quit. Every band has to have a break at some point and that is what they are doing. They’ve recorded CD after CD and done nothing but tour for the last seven years. They’re on a break and they don’t know how long it will last. I’m going to take the come-backs-are-very-popular route. It gives me hope.
And hopefully this set of rants will have reinstated the weekly rant-athon and more regular postings.
Lisa out.
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