Me and My Gang
By: Rascal Flatts
Record Label: Lyric Street Records
Vocals: Gary LeVox
Guitar: Joe Don Rooney
Bass: Jay DeMarcus
From the first strum of the guitar, to the last meaningful word, Rascal Flatts tugs on your heartstrings. Me and My Gang is their fifth album. Their fifth album is more pop than country. Me and My Gang is heading towards outright adult pop. The boys (Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney) skillfully crafted their fifth album to envoke every emotion one could possibly ever have. “Me and My Gang” hit the airwaves in 2006 and one song sprung straight to the top of the charts; not only on the country stations but on most radio stations as well. “What Hurts The Most” became a No.1 hit within a few weeks of being played on the radio. All 13 songs on the album make you want to listen to it all day long. “Me and My Gang” has quite a few ballads on the CD, and the guys liven it up by giving us different types of songs. This album has your "in love” songs, "lost love" songs, a fast paced funny twist on a country song and a classic country/Bon Jovi song. (By throwing in a talk box guitar stolen from “Livin on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi)
In this album Rascal Flatts introduces us to a diverse cast of characters in their songs. The very first song on the album “Stand” lets us feel the emotions of an oppressed person. We hear from the broken hearted in "What Hurts The Most”. In “I Feel Bad” we hear from the heart breaker. A father who wants and wishes the best for his daughter in “My Wish” and hopes she will remember her past. The song "To Make Her Love Me” is about a man who royally messed up and wants a second chance. Lastly in "Ellsworth" a song so beautifully written and performed with so much emotion brings people to tears.(some reviews say the song was written about a woman with Alzheimers) “Ellsworth” creates a portrait of a grandma losing her mind and a family that knows it."Grandma burned the biscuits/Nearly took the house down with it/Now she's in assisted livin'/We all knew that day would come" The one fast paced classic “Flatts” song that most country fans have come to know is “Backwards”. It tells you what happens when you would play a country song backwards, including almost everything that could happen in a life time. When anyone takes time to think and really hear the lyrics to “what hurts the most” may bring tears to your eyes.
Lyrics:
I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house,
that don’t bother me I can take a few tears now and then and I just let ‘em outI’m not afraid to cry every once and in a while,
Even though goin’ on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again, I pretend I’m okay, but that’s not what gets me
What hurts the most, was being so close, and having so much to say
And watchin’ you walk away, and never knowin’, what could have been
And not seein’ that lovin’ you, is what I was tryin’ to do
I love this album a lot. Personally Me and My Gang means a lot to me. The first song I heard after a rough patch of my life was “Stand” and it really helped me. The tone of the song, the lyrics and the message really hit home.
Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend, till you breakCause its all you can take
On your knees you look upDecide you've had enough
You get mad you get strong
Wipe your hands shake it off
Then you Stand, Then you stand
After hearing this song I felt inspired. My spirit was lifted. It may seem strange but this song helped me find my inner strength and move past problems that I thought were insurmountable. I bought the album as soon as I could and I never wanted to take it out of my CD player. Me and My Gang is an album very near and dear to me.
All in all “Me and My Gang” is Rascal Flatts’ best album to date. Rascal Flatts continue to deliver exactly what their fans have come to love and expect, and that's a virtue, since it is hard for country-pop groups of any caliber to be both consistent and reliable. Rascal Flatts do not make any concessions to sounding young, which does make them kind of unique among mainstream groups of any kind in 2006 (most groups are younger). This is exactly what Rascal Flatts did in their rock-solid fifth album making it a smash hit.
Showing posts with label Revised reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Revised reviews. Show all posts
19 March 2009
The Dark Knight- Revised
The Dark Knightthis film won 2 Oscars, had 46 other wins, and was nominated 47 times for various categories. This film’s genre is Action, Crime, and Thrilller.The Dark Knight is a wonderful, outdone comic-book movie. Intense action? It’s there. Jaw dropping twists? It’s there. Devilish fun? It’s there. The director of this spectacular film is Christopher Nolan. There's something ready to jump out of this film and capture you and pull you in. The music and special effect really made the movie.Batman, a.k.a. playboy Bruce Wayne(Chris Bale) is the Gotham city hero. He is the heir of Wayne Interprize. He buys supplies from the government and uses then to save Gotham. Harvey Dent(Aaron Eckhart) is a politician and is over-taking the crime department. The Joker(Heath Ledger) is a villain who kills for pleasure, not money, unlike the other criminals in Gotham. Rachel Dawes(Maggie Gyllenhaal) , the girlfriend of Harvey, is torn between her “love” Batman and her darling, Harvey. The trouble begins when the Joker sets trouble to Gotham. The twisting events makes your head spin. People and scenes change. . “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Chris Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, and Maggie Gyllenhaal did and exceptional job as actors and actresses. Their expressions and passion thrived through the film. The music guided you through the movie. The movie’s high and low points have the perfect notes and tone.
This movie connects with the world today, in that, there is good vs. evil. The good stand up for what they believe in. Then there is the struggle for love and the yearning for love.
Chris Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, and Maggie Gyllenhaal did and exceptional job as actors and actresses. Their expressions and passion thrived through the film. The music guided you through the movie. The movie’s high and low points have the perfect notes and tone.
This movie connects with the world today, in that, there is good vs. evil. The good stand up for what they believe in. Then there is the struggle for love and the yearning for love.
Horton Hear a Who Revised!
The kid’s flick Horton Hears a Who(directed by: Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino) tells of a genial, free spirited, and caring elephant named Horton (Jim Carrey) who lives in the jungle of Nool. While taking a bath, Horton stumbles upon a speck resting upon a clover, which he discovers is actually a minuscule world called Who-ville. Due to Horton’s overwhelmingly large ears he is able to hear the very distraught major of Who-ville (Steve Carell), who is trying to convince his people of Horton’s existence and that there is an imminent threat if danger ahead unless they all work together. Unfortunately, Horton is the only one able to hear from this tiny speck. Especially not the gossiping kangaroo (Carol Burnett), who believes it her right to be into everyone’s business; when she sees Horton talking to a speck, she believes he is delusional and this poses a danger to the precious order of Nool. Horton makes it his mission to protect the residents of Who-ville from danger and from kangaroo who wants to destroy the clover. Horton boldly proclaims “a person’s a person, no matter how small!”
This movie did not stray far from the marvelous work of Dr. Seuss, and can bring anyone back to his or her childhood. The computer animation is so life like and makes you feel as though these characters are real; it is easy to forget that in fact these are animations. Horton lives his life by the motto, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant’s faithful, 100 percent!” Between the casts expressive lively voices, the quaint rhymes, and the exquisite animation this is definitely one to watch with the family.
Horton Hears a Who shows a remarkable connection to the world we live in today. Horton’s quote “ a person’s a person, no matter how small.” refers to the idea of abortion. No matter how small a child is it is still a human being. In addition, the overbearing kangaroo exclaims that if you can't see something, can't hear something, and can't feel something then it is not real. Many Christians face the same remark by nonbelievers. People say that since you cannot physically see God, physically hear God, or physically feel God then he cannot possibly exist. Even through the ashamed looks, the ridicule, and the disapproval placed upon Horton, he stood for what he believed in, and what he knew was true, that "a person's a person, no matter how small" or big.
Revised Twilight Review
Have you ever seen the movie The Notebook? Don’t you just love how every character is thoroughly developed and well thought out. The way the story magnificently transitions from two different times again and again is stunning. Don’t you love the way the movie plays with your emotions, bending them this way and that until your emotions are as that of the character? If you love this type of movie, Twilight is not for you.
Have you ever seen the movie Indiana Jones? Don’t you just love the way you sometimes catch yourself jumping to escape a river of lava or dodging a humongous rolling stone? Did you not leave the theatre thinking about how the stunts could have possibly been filmed in a studio? Do you not agree that the action was so intense that you stopped eating your popcorn because you were too engulfed by the scene before you? If you enjoy this type of movie, Twilight is not for you.
Twilight is about a 17 year old girl named Bella Swan(Kristen Stewart). She moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington to live with her father Chief Swan (Billy Burke). Upon arriving in Forks, Bella meets an amazing guy named Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). He eventually saves her life (twice) and she finds out he is a vampire. Don’t worry though, he is a good vampire, he only drinks animal blood. The vampire and Bella fall madly in love after only meeting maybe 5 times at the most. Oh but of course there are a few twists! Bella’s blood smells better than anyone else’s blood so she is even harder to resist. Despite the smell of Bella's blood they still successfully manage to have a short make out session thus proving Edward is even more perfect because he doesn’t crush her. The whole time that Edward and Bella are falling into a deep passionate love, a gang of three bad vampires are hunting humans around Forks. Edward accidently exposes Bella to the gang of evil vampires and then two of the vampires track Bella until a rather dull battle to save Bella’s life goes down in Bella’s hometown.
The whole movie happens over no more than 3 months. The only reason this movie was so popular is because of the top selling Twilight Series by Stephanie Myers, that the movie is based on, captured so many girl’s hearts. Edward is every girls dream; he is charming, loving, strong, rich, and drop dead gorgeous. Bella represents all girls; she just wants to be loved and will do anything for her love.
If you have ever seen Kristen Stewart in an interview you will see no change in her in Twilight: monotone voice, few facial expressions, and lack of a presence. To be a lead star in a movie based on a widely popular book, you need to be exciting, interesting to watch, and you need to make us feel that we are supposed to be watching you not the trees in the background. Robert Pattinson seemed to not understand the emotion behind the script at times and changed the meaning of the scene as Stephanie Myers had intended the emotion to be. On a good note there were a few good actors that played Alice, Jasper, Rosaline, and Emit. They seemed to know the emotion that needed to be portrayed and the timing was very good on their part.
Twilight the book is very different from Twilight the movie. I have read the book series 2 times and I have seen the movie three times, if you want to know what makes Twilight is so popular I strongly suggest reading the books and not wasting money on seeing the movie.*If you take away the vampire element you have a cheesy high school love story with under-developed characters and little underlying plot. There is a huge lack of emotion in key scenes. The film sort of randomly flashed between the good and the bad vampires before they met. In the scene that was said to be a heart stopping suspenseful fall out between good and bad vampires, there was a dreadfully boring, almost action lacking fight. But if you like that kind of movie Twilight is definitely for you.
Have you ever seen the movie Indiana Jones? Don’t you just love the way you sometimes catch yourself jumping to escape a river of lava or dodging a humongous rolling stone? Did you not leave the theatre thinking about how the stunts could have possibly been filmed in a studio? Do you not agree that the action was so intense that you stopped eating your popcorn because you were too engulfed by the scene before you? If you enjoy this type of movie, Twilight is not for you.
Twilight is about a 17 year old girl named Bella Swan(Kristen Stewart). She moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington to live with her father Chief Swan (Billy Burke). Upon arriving in Forks, Bella meets an amazing guy named Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). He eventually saves her life (twice) and she finds out he is a vampire. Don’t worry though, he is a good vampire, he only drinks animal blood. The vampire and Bella fall madly in love after only meeting maybe 5 times at the most. Oh but of course there are a few twists! Bella’s blood smells better than anyone else’s blood so she is even harder to resist. Despite the smell of Bella's blood they still successfully manage to have a short make out session thus proving Edward is even more perfect because he doesn’t crush her. The whole time that Edward and Bella are falling into a deep passionate love, a gang of three bad vampires are hunting humans around Forks. Edward accidently exposes Bella to the gang of evil vampires and then two of the vampires track Bella until a rather dull battle to save Bella’s life goes down in Bella’s hometown.
The whole movie happens over no more than 3 months. The only reason this movie was so popular is because of the top selling Twilight Series by Stephanie Myers, that the movie is based on, captured so many girl’s hearts. Edward is every girls dream; he is charming, loving, strong, rich, and drop dead gorgeous. Bella represents all girls; she just wants to be loved and will do anything for her love.
If you have ever seen Kristen Stewart in an interview you will see no change in her in Twilight: monotone voice, few facial expressions, and lack of a presence. To be a lead star in a movie based on a widely popular book, you need to be exciting, interesting to watch, and you need to make us feel that we are supposed to be watching you not the trees in the background. Robert Pattinson seemed to not understand the emotion behind the script at times and changed the meaning of the scene as Stephanie Myers had intended the emotion to be. On a good note there were a few good actors that played Alice, Jasper, Rosaline, and Emit. They seemed to know the emotion that needed to be portrayed and the timing was very good on their part.
Twilight the book is very different from Twilight the movie. I have read the book series 2 times and I have seen the movie three times, if you want to know what makes Twilight is so popular I strongly suggest reading the books and not wasting money on seeing the movie.*If you take away the vampire element you have a cheesy high school love story with under-developed characters and little underlying plot. There is a huge lack of emotion in key scenes. The film sort of randomly flashed between the good and the bad vampires before they met. In the scene that was said to be a heart stopping suspenseful fall out between good and bad vampires, there was a dreadfully boring, almost action lacking fight. But if you like that kind of movie Twilight is definitely for you.
The Fray (Revised)
The Fray’s new self-titled album proves that the piano-based group from Denver is more than anyone ever expected it to be. The band’s 10-track sophomore album is full of catchy pop ballads with relatable, emotional lyrics. As a whole, this album surely measures up to the band’s 2006 debut “How To Save A Life”. Front man Isaac Slade definitely attracts the attention of any audience with his effortlessly captivating vocals. The band, Slade on keys and vocals, accompianied by drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarists Joe King and David Welsh has been signed with Epic Records since December, 2004.
The first two songs, “Syndicate” and “Absolute”, start the album off with a bang. They both begin slow, but pick up about a quarter way through each one. Both songs contain lyrics about “the girl that got away” and the author’s motivation to keep her from slipping out of his reach completely. "Syndicate" tells the girl "don’t ever forget, we haven't lost it all yet...all we know for sure is all that we are fighting for". "Absolute" matches the same emotion with "quiet but I’m sure there is something here".
The first single off this album is track 3, “You Found Me” in which the narrator boldly asks God “Where were you when everything was falling apart?” As the song progresses it tells of the narrator’s anger with God for letting him struggle, then finding and helping him when it was too late.
“Say When” is a story in which a guy has an unconditional love for a girl he has only seen from a distance. He encourages her to stand up for what she believes in and to not let people step on her. "You want to cry but there's nothing coming;
they're gonna push until you give in or say when". He sings that he will comfort her and wait for her until she is ready to be his.
Once you take the time to really listen to the lyrics of “Never Say Never”, you will realize that there is a deeper meaning than just what appears on the surface. It seems like one of the typical “please don’t leave me” type of songs the first time you hear it, but in the background it is really about a girl’s struggle with wanting fame and instant gratification. The singer is telling her that he will always be there for her, even when her world crumbles before her eyes. With the line "younger now than we were before" he hints that their way of dealing with the fading relationship has become petty and childish.
“Happiness” is the wonderfully written, very tranquil closer to “The Fray”. In this song, Isaac Slade personifies happiness in many very original ways. The lyrics compare happiness to a firecracker in the sense that it is unpredictable and can hurt you if you do not deal with it carefully…“Happiness, [almost] destroys you, breaks your faith to pieces on the floor”. This song expresses the meaning of true delight and the fact that if you chase it, joy will lose its authenticity. This idea is perfectly captured in the line “Happiness is like the old man told me, look for it and you’ll never find it all.”
If you were to search other reviews for this album, you would find that the media is being very harsh. Many critics believe that “The Fray” is a sloppy follow up to “How To Save A Life”. In contrast, I believe that this is a very demonstrative showcase of the reality of love. The special thing about this album is that the meanings and even some of the lyrics of all the songs are intertwined. I give this album 9 out of 10 stars.
The first two songs, “Syndicate” and “Absolute”, start the album off with a bang. They both begin slow, but pick up about a quarter way through each one. Both songs contain lyrics about “the girl that got away” and the author’s motivation to keep her from slipping out of his reach completely. "Syndicate" tells the girl "don’t ever forget, we haven't lost it all yet...all we know for sure is all that we are fighting for". "Absolute" matches the same emotion with "quiet but I’m sure there is something here".
The first single off this album is track 3, “You Found Me” in which the narrator boldly asks God “Where were you when everything was falling apart?” As the song progresses it tells of the narrator’s anger with God for letting him struggle, then finding and helping him when it was too late.
“Say When” is a story in which a guy has an unconditional love for a girl he has only seen from a distance. He encourages her to stand up for what she believes in and to not let people step on her. "You want to cry but there's nothing coming;
they're gonna push until you give in or say when". He sings that he will comfort her and wait for her until she is ready to be his.
Once you take the time to really listen to the lyrics of “Never Say Never”, you will realize that there is a deeper meaning than just what appears on the surface. It seems like one of the typical “please don’t leave me” type of songs the first time you hear it, but in the background it is really about a girl’s struggle with wanting fame and instant gratification. The singer is telling her that he will always be there for her, even when her world crumbles before her eyes. With the line "younger now than we were before" he hints that their way of dealing with the fading relationship has become petty and childish.
“Happiness” is the wonderfully written, very tranquil closer to “The Fray”. In this song, Isaac Slade personifies happiness in many very original ways. The lyrics compare happiness to a firecracker in the sense that it is unpredictable and can hurt you if you do not deal with it carefully…“Happiness, [almost] destroys you, breaks your faith to pieces on the floor”. This song expresses the meaning of true delight and the fact that if you chase it, joy will lose its authenticity. This idea is perfectly captured in the line “Happiness is like the old man told me, look for it and you’ll never find it all.”
If you were to search other reviews for this album, you would find that the media is being very harsh. Many critics believe that “The Fray” is a sloppy follow up to “How To Save A Life”. In contrast, I believe that this is a very demonstrative showcase of the reality of love. The special thing about this album is that the meanings and even some of the lyrics of all the songs are intertwined. I give this album 9 out of 10 stars.
Harry Potter Re-do
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
“Something worth fighting for”
“When are you going to get it into your head? We're in this together!” Have you ever felt that there was an immovable obstacle in your way, only to realize that it’s not so immovable with friends by your side? Hermione Granger shows this truth to Harry Potter in the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Directed by David Yates). The film has strong themes of love, friendship, and truth.
The film, based on the novel of the same name written by J.K. Rowling, begins with Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), and his cousin (Harry Melling) on summer vacation. What seems to be a light scene in a playground quickly turns heavy when Harry and his cousin are attacked a pair of soul-sucking dementors. Harry has no choice but to protect himself with magic, something illegal outside of school for underage wizards. The Ministry of Magic finds out almost immediately and Harry is sent a notice of expulsion.
Things seem to turn a little bit brighter when a bunch of wizards, including Harry’s old defense against the dark arts professor, show up at his house to rescue him with news that Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) convinced to ministry not to expel him. Although Harry is now safely at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization working to fight Voldemort, he is far from content. Dreams of Voldemort haunt his nights. Worst of all, the Minister of Magic and his group do not believe Voldemort has returned, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and they’ve taken to trying to discredit Dumbledore and Harry mainly through influence of the newspaper.
Harry feels quite alone and confused upon returning to school, only to find out that even people he once counted among his best friends now question his sanity. As if life could get any worse, it does. The ministry, not trusting Dumbledore, places one of their own as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Umbridge is a positively delightful character, complete with detention methods that involve writing lines with your own blood. Don’t be fooled by her pink outfits and pictures of kittens; this woman is on a mission to quash any talk of Voldemort's return.
Realizing that the Ministry isn’t about to help them defend themselves against a foe that the ministry refuses to admit is on the move, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) decide to start a secret group, Dumbledore’s Army, to train themselves in Defensive Magic. With enmity coming from the Ministry, Umbridge, and Voldemort, Harry needs to realize he can’t win this battle alone. Will he accept help before it’s too late?
Acting in this film was superb, with the main three actors continuing to flourish. A few new characters were added to the film including Umbridge, Luna, and Bellatrix, all of whom are very memorable. Helena Bonham Carter, acting as Bellatirx, successfully stunned audiences with her cruelty in her Harry Potter debut. The fourth and fifth movies of the series are more artistic and theatrical than the first three of the series; special effects and dramatic cinematography make these movies sit firmly in the drama genre. My favorite film in the collection so far, it is only surpassed by the novel itself, which is expected; Compressing an almost 900 page novel full of beautifully intertwined yet individual plot lines into a 139 minute film is easier said than done.
This film and book could easily be called controversial, in the Christian sub-culture, what with wizards, witches, wands and all, but I believe that we can take away some very valid points from this story. We are called to stand for the truth of Christ’s life, deity, death, and ressurection. Harry is called to stand for the truth of Voldemort’s return. We are called to be one body and fight for truth and liberty from sin. Harry and his friends are called to work together and fight for the truth and liberty from evil.
I could keep going about the parallels, action, characters etc. for days, but I’d rather tell you to watch it yourself and make your own judgments. The bottom line, as Harry states it is, “Even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have. Something worth fighting for.”
Released: 11 July 2007
Rating: PG-13
Review: **** (out of 5)
“Something worth fighting for”
“When are you going to get it into your head? We're in this together!” Have you ever felt that there was an immovable obstacle in your way, only to realize that it’s not so immovable with friends by your side? Hermione Granger shows this truth to Harry Potter in the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Directed by David Yates). The film has strong themes of love, friendship, and truth.
The film, based on the novel of the same name written by J.K. Rowling, begins with Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), and his cousin (Harry Melling) on summer vacation. What seems to be a light scene in a playground quickly turns heavy when Harry and his cousin are attacked a pair of soul-sucking dementors. Harry has no choice but to protect himself with magic, something illegal outside of school for underage wizards. The Ministry of Magic finds out almost immediately and Harry is sent a notice of expulsion.
Things seem to turn a little bit brighter when a bunch of wizards, including Harry’s old defense against the dark arts professor, show up at his house to rescue him with news that Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) convinced to ministry not to expel him. Although Harry is now safely at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization working to fight Voldemort, he is far from content. Dreams of Voldemort haunt his nights. Worst of all, the Minister of Magic and his group do not believe Voldemort has returned, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and they’ve taken to trying to discredit Dumbledore and Harry mainly through influence of the newspaper.
Harry feels quite alone and confused upon returning to school, only to find out that even people he once counted among his best friends now question his sanity. As if life could get any worse, it does. The ministry, not trusting Dumbledore, places one of their own as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Umbridge is a positively delightful character, complete with detention methods that involve writing lines with your own blood. Don’t be fooled by her pink outfits and pictures of kittens; this woman is on a mission to quash any talk of Voldemort's return.
Realizing that the Ministry isn’t about to help them defend themselves against a foe that the ministry refuses to admit is on the move, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) decide to start a secret group, Dumbledore’s Army, to train themselves in Defensive Magic. With enmity coming from the Ministry, Umbridge, and Voldemort, Harry needs to realize he can’t win this battle alone. Will he accept help before it’s too late?
Acting in this film was superb, with the main three actors continuing to flourish. A few new characters were added to the film including Umbridge, Luna, and Bellatrix, all of whom are very memorable. Helena Bonham Carter, acting as Bellatirx, successfully stunned audiences with her cruelty in her Harry Potter debut. The fourth and fifth movies of the series are more artistic and theatrical than the first three of the series; special effects and dramatic cinematography make these movies sit firmly in the drama genre. My favorite film in the collection so far, it is only surpassed by the novel itself, which is expected; Compressing an almost 900 page novel full of beautifully intertwined yet individual plot lines into a 139 minute film is easier said than done.
This film and book could easily be called controversial, in the Christian sub-culture, what with wizards, witches, wands and all, but I believe that we can take away some very valid points from this story. We are called to stand for the truth of Christ’s life, deity, death, and ressurection. Harry is called to stand for the truth of Voldemort’s return. We are called to be one body and fight for truth and liberty from sin. Harry and his friends are called to work together and fight for the truth and liberty from evil.
I could keep going about the parallels, action, characters etc. for days, but I’d rather tell you to watch it yourself and make your own judgments. The bottom line, as Harry states it is, “Even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have. Something worth fighting for.”
Released: 11 July 2007
Rating: PG-13
Review: **** (out of 5)
15 March 2009
Fireproof Revised Review
"You never leave your partner, especially in a fire"
Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea, tells the story of a fire captain and his wife and their struggle to maintain their marriage. Caleb Holt and his wife, Kathrine, have been married for seven years, and have spent most of that time growing apart. And now they both "want out". When Caleb tells his father the news however, his father requests that Caleb wait forty days. "Why?" Caleb asks. His father asks him to try something that will take forty days: The Love Dare. This movie follows Caleb's journey through this dare, and shows the transformation both in him, and his wife.
Fireproof may not be the best quality movie to ever hit the theaters, but that is somewhat to be expected, considering the movie was created and produced by Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. That said, the starring actors do an excellent job, and the overall quality of the movie is better than anticipated, compared to previous productions such as Facing the Giants.
In today's society people are very self-centered. We only do what's best for ourselves. Society and media tell us that when a relationship gets hard it is perfectly acceptable to bail out. Fireproof, however, explains the reality of the situation. This movie shows that the harder a situation gets, the harder you need to fight. It shows that, although it is sometimes hard to persevere and sacrifice of yourself, the end result is worth it.
Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea, tells the story of a fire captain and his wife and their struggle to maintain their marriage. Caleb Holt and his wife, Kathrine, have been married for seven years, and have spent most of that time growing apart. And now they both "want out". When Caleb tells his father the news however, his father requests that Caleb wait forty days. "Why?" Caleb asks. His father asks him to try something that will take forty days: The Love Dare. This movie follows Caleb's journey through this dare, and shows the transformation both in him, and his wife.
Fireproof may not be the best quality movie to ever hit the theaters, but that is somewhat to be expected, considering the movie was created and produced by Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. That said, the starring actors do an excellent job, and the overall quality of the movie is better than anticipated, compared to previous productions such as Facing the Giants.
In today's society people are very self-centered. We only do what's best for ourselves. Society and media tell us that when a relationship gets hard it is perfectly acceptable to bail out. Fireproof, however, explains the reality of the situation. This movie shows that the harder a situation gets, the harder you need to fight. It shows that, although it is sometimes hard to persevere and sacrifice of yourself, the end result is worth it.
12 March 2009
Into The Wild (Revised)
Into the Wild
By: Jude Maddenburg
Book Written by: Jon Krakauer
Directed by: Sean Penn
Starring: Emile Hirsch
This film based on a true story and national bestselling book, is about a young man named Chris fresh out of college giving away all he has, washing his hands of society, and living off of the land; without informing his family of his plans.
The film moves from 3 different chronologies in the story. The story begins with Chris and his family immediately after his graduation and from there is how they react to him leaving. It then moves with Chris as he travels across the United States to reach Alaska meeting all diverse people and working different jobs in towns all across America. All the while you are with Chris when he finally reaches Alaska.
The direction by Sean Penn stands out compared to the majority of “cookie-cutter directing” that we have seen recently in film; helping Sean Penn be labeled as a director we can count on for an exceptional film. With a soundtrack that is completely written and performed by Eddie Vedder (the lead singer and one of the guitarist of Pearl Jam), there is a very personalized sound throughout the film. This film as a must see with many strong actors and actresses such as Jena Malone, Marcia Gay Harden, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, William Hurt and Catherine Keener. Especially the lead, Emile Hirsch, who truly makes a name for himself as a mature and influential actor that, will hopefully be sticking around.
It is classified as a drama, but it has a fair amount of humor and will bring you to tears. Though this may sounds like another film that could be forgotten in a few years, it is truly a powerful story that will challenge you to think about your connection with the world around you. It is films like this that can make an impact in us and in our society. Even if the storyline doesn’t interest you, the stunning scenery throughout the film is worth the viewing, almost giving you a tour of south and north western America. Overall, I give this film four and a half out of five stars.
By: Jude Maddenburg
Book Written by: Jon Krakauer
Directed by: Sean Penn
Starring: Emile Hirsch
This film based on a true story and national bestselling book, is about a young man named Chris fresh out of college giving away all he has, washing his hands of society, and living off of the land; without informing his family of his plans.
The film moves from 3 different chronologies in the story. The story begins with Chris and his family immediately after his graduation and from there is how they react to him leaving. It then moves with Chris as he travels across the United States to reach Alaska meeting all diverse people and working different jobs in towns all across America. All the while you are with Chris when he finally reaches Alaska.
The direction by Sean Penn stands out compared to the majority of “cookie-cutter directing” that we have seen recently in film; helping Sean Penn be labeled as a director we can count on for an exceptional film. With a soundtrack that is completely written and performed by Eddie Vedder (the lead singer and one of the guitarist of Pearl Jam), there is a very personalized sound throughout the film. This film as a must see with many strong actors and actresses such as Jena Malone, Marcia Gay Harden, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, William Hurt and Catherine Keener. Especially the lead, Emile Hirsch, who truly makes a name for himself as a mature and influential actor that, will hopefully be sticking around.
It is classified as a drama, but it has a fair amount of humor and will bring you to tears. Though this may sounds like another film that could be forgotten in a few years, it is truly a powerful story that will challenge you to think about your connection with the world around you. It is films like this that can make an impact in us and in our society. Even if the storyline doesn’t interest you, the stunning scenery throughout the film is worth the viewing, almost giving you a tour of south and north western America. Overall, I give this film four and a half out of five stars.
Rent Review
“No other course, no other way, no day but today”. Embracing each and every day is a major theme in the musical based upon Jonathan Larson’s rock opera Broadway hit “Rent” in the year 2005. The Broadway musical was adapted from the opera “La Boheme” by Giacomo Puccini, and the opera was based off a book “La Vie de Boheme” written by Henry Murger in 1851. As you can see this story is an ageless classic that will continue to inspire the hearts and minds of young bohemian idealists.
The movie takes place in the East Village of New York City. The plot unfolds through catchy, upbeat songs. This musical has always been controversial in its themes and views because there are two homosexual couples and some drug use. Even in its days as an opera, this musical could never be described as “clean cut”. But there is so much more to the story. Many viewers are turned away by this, but they never see what the film is truly about. It is a story of great friendship, living with regret, loss and love. The film truly makes you fall in love with each of the characters.
Mark (Anthony Rapp) is a lonely film maker trying to get a big break. His ex-girlfriend, Maureen (Idina Menzel), who has a passion for the stage found happiness in the arms of an attorney named Joanne (Tracie Thoms). Roger (Adam Pascal), is a burned out rock star who we later find out has contracted AIDS from his deceased girlfriend. Romance begins between Roger and his neighbor Mimi (Rosario Dawson) when she reveals to him that she also has the disease. When Collins (Jesse L Martin) returns to the big city he finds the love of his life, a drag queen named Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia).
With such a colorful, diverse group of friends the movie is already off to an interesting start. The first half of the movie is more positive, fun and funky, while the second half dramatically shifts tone to coping with having to deal with mistakes from the past, great heartache and pain.This film mirrored life in the eighties in America. It is still relevant in the year 2009 because we still have the same problems. People still die every day of AIDS. They are forced to conform to society’s expectations. People still live in poverty, and they still are forced to live with regrets. Rent is about embracing each day and living in love. The characters have to learn to, “Forget regrets or life is yours to miss”
The movie takes place in the East Village of New York City. The plot unfolds through catchy, upbeat songs. This musical has always been controversial in its themes and views because there are two homosexual couples and some drug use. Even in its days as an opera, this musical could never be described as “clean cut”. But there is so much more to the story. Many viewers are turned away by this, but they never see what the film is truly about. It is a story of great friendship, living with regret, loss and love. The film truly makes you fall in love with each of the characters.
Mark (Anthony Rapp) is a lonely film maker trying to get a big break. His ex-girlfriend, Maureen (Idina Menzel), who has a passion for the stage found happiness in the arms of an attorney named Joanne (Tracie Thoms). Roger (Adam Pascal), is a burned out rock star who we later find out has contracted AIDS from his deceased girlfriend. Romance begins between Roger and his neighbor Mimi (Rosario Dawson) when she reveals to him that she also has the disease. When Collins (Jesse L Martin) returns to the big city he finds the love of his life, a drag queen named Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia).
With such a colorful, diverse group of friends the movie is already off to an interesting start. The first half of the movie is more positive, fun and funky, while the second half dramatically shifts tone to coping with having to deal with mistakes from the past, great heartache and pain.This film mirrored life in the eighties in America. It is still relevant in the year 2009 because we still have the same problems. People still die every day of AIDS. They are forced to conform to society’s expectations. People still live in poverty, and they still are forced to live with regrets. Rent is about embracing each day and living in love. The characters have to learn to, “Forget regrets or life is yours to miss”
09 March 2009
City of Evil (REVISED)
A low growl fills the air amalgamated with screechy guitar notes. The drums come in, building up the tension, the edge, a light scream shades the power of the guitars, and the vocals begin, the beginning of the first song on Avenged Sevenfold's famous album ranked in the top hundred of all Guitar Albums, "The City of Evil". The song to start it all, "The Beast and the Harlot."
The uniqueness of Avenged Sevenfold's songs have made them a top hit among teens and adults in the metal, and hard rock scene. Gathering new fans, and entertaining old fans with their techinical guitar solos, heart-pounding drums, adrenaline pumping vocals, and mind-shaking lyrics, Avenged Sevenfold surely has made a reputable name for themselves. Dark and fierce, morbid and threatening, the lyrics penetrate the hearts of their audience, captivating every listener. Beyond the music comes the meanings behind the lyrics, some with stories so grim and horrid to turn a stomach, and have one realize the harshness of life and of the world.
In their song "Betrayed," Avenged Sevenfold devotes the song to former guitarist of Pantera, Dimebag Darrel. "Betrayed", relates to an even larger audience, gathering fans of Dimebag and giving new insite to Avenged fans when the song describes the tragic death of Dimebag, who was shot repeatedly until dead by an obsessive and delusional fan at a club the gutarist was playing at in Ohio. The song shows several perspectives, including that of the audience who saw Dimebag fall by the obsessed fans' gun, "A smoking gun in hand, now don't your realize what you've done? Put a bullet in his back, your hero since you were so young..."And of the killer, Gale, and his mental suffering as he killed Dimebag, "Sometimes problems seem too deep to take (too hard to take) Sometimes I cry thinking my future looks so bleak." and, "Someone hear me, someone stop me, someone listen, why aren't you listening?" The last perspective is that of the fallen guitarist, "I started here so young and helped you get along, Just did it for the love, and people healed through us, Don't live your life in vain, don't take it out on me, You're cracked so just remember, I'm not your enemy. I don't desereve to fall this way, by a man who felt betrayed." The tradgedy lives on our hearts from this brilliant and bone-chilling song, along with the reminder of innocent blood shed and of Dimebag, who's own ghastly voice is included in a verse of the song, which hauntingly foreshadows the thoughts of his killer, "And I felt down I need you there, every note and every word, seems so hard to take. Finally, we're destined." This song means the most to me personally because this story gave me a new fear. As a guitarist, I have a fear that if I play shows for large audiences there is always the chance that I could be the next one to be shot by a delusional fan or even just an angry person. It's chilling to think that any second it can all be over, life, passion, everything you stand for.
Another song written by Avenged Sevenfold called, "M.I.A" speaks of the struggle of a soldier, questioning the morality of fighting in war, "two million soldiers can't be wrong," and the plauges of after-war thoughts that haunt soldiers and the realness of war, "Take this from my consciousness and please erase my dreams." By the end of the song the soldier relates himself to a murderer as the song ends, "We walk the city lonely, memories that haunt are passing by, A murderer walks your streets tonight. Forgive me for my crimes. Don't forget that I was so young, fought so scared. In the name of God and Country."
The song that pulls all the songs and stories together is in the song "Bat Country" which starts with M. Shadows (lead vocalist) screeching the famous line said by Samuel Johnson, "He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." The meaning behind this quote
from what I believe is that when you do make a habit of doing immoral practices they start to rip at your consciousness and you look for other ways to disolve the pain even if it means doing even more evil.
I recommend this CD to everyone. In the stereotypical Christian cultural view many see this album as "Immoral", "Ungodly" and even "Satanic". In reality this CD has few flaws and the people that are quick to judge don't seem to give enough time in learning more about the album and what the lyrics actually mean. They see a skull or knife on the album and immediately disregard it as an evil cd that should be thrown in the trash. But how is a skull evil? It's part of the human anatomy and is an important component to the human body. I also find it strange that though most Christians don't like "dark things" they can still support Pirates of the Craibbean which is full of immorality and even has skulls and knives on it's movie cover.
I also support "City of Evil" because the lyrics have a realness to them. "City of Evil" doesn't advocate, "Everything is Good" because in our society there are alot of problems.
To me, happy music is fake. Our society is full of problems and sadness. Our world is fallen. Why have uplifiting music when the world is not that uplifiting?
City of Evil's lyrics deal with;The Fall, problems that our society creates, fellow man dealing with problems and wordly issues, and mans failure to do good in the face of evil. In reality all these things are true about society.
I find it very strange that Christians denounce this CD as "evil", when it actually seems to support what the Bible believes about sinful man's state rather than contradicts. A few of the songs even have several refrences to the Bible's scripture.
Overall I find this album to be darkly beautiful, powerful and inspiring.
The uniqueness of Avenged Sevenfold's songs have made them a top hit among teens and adults in the metal, and hard rock scene. Gathering new fans, and entertaining old fans with their techinical guitar solos, heart-pounding drums, adrenaline pumping vocals, and mind-shaking lyrics, Avenged Sevenfold surely has made a reputable name for themselves. Dark and fierce, morbid and threatening, the lyrics penetrate the hearts of their audience, captivating every listener. Beyond the music comes the meanings behind the lyrics, some with stories so grim and horrid to turn a stomach, and have one realize the harshness of life and of the world.
In their song "Betrayed," Avenged Sevenfold devotes the song to former guitarist of Pantera, Dimebag Darrel. "Betrayed", relates to an even larger audience, gathering fans of Dimebag and giving new insite to Avenged fans when the song describes the tragic death of Dimebag, who was shot repeatedly until dead by an obsessive and delusional fan at a club the gutarist was playing at in Ohio. The song shows several perspectives, including that of the audience who saw Dimebag fall by the obsessed fans' gun, "A smoking gun in hand, now don't your realize what you've done? Put a bullet in his back, your hero since you were so young..."And of the killer, Gale, and his mental suffering as he killed Dimebag, "Sometimes problems seem too deep to take (too hard to take) Sometimes I cry thinking my future looks so bleak." and, "Someone hear me, someone stop me, someone listen, why aren't you listening?" The last perspective is that of the fallen guitarist, "I started here so young and helped you get along, Just did it for the love, and people healed through us, Don't live your life in vain, don't take it out on me, You're cracked so just remember, I'm not your enemy. I don't desereve to fall this way, by a man who felt betrayed." The tradgedy lives on our hearts from this brilliant and bone-chilling song, along with the reminder of innocent blood shed and of Dimebag, who's own ghastly voice is included in a verse of the song, which hauntingly foreshadows the thoughts of his killer, "And I felt down I need you there, every note and every word, seems so hard to take. Finally, we're destined." This song means the most to me personally because this story gave me a new fear. As a guitarist, I have a fear that if I play shows for large audiences there is always the chance that I could be the next one to be shot by a delusional fan or even just an angry person. It's chilling to think that any second it can all be over, life, passion, everything you stand for.
Another song written by Avenged Sevenfold called, "M.I.A" speaks of the struggle of a soldier, questioning the morality of fighting in war, "two million soldiers can't be wrong," and the plauges of after-war thoughts that haunt soldiers and the realness of war, "Take this from my consciousness and please erase my dreams." By the end of the song the soldier relates himself to a murderer as the song ends, "We walk the city lonely, memories that haunt are passing by, A murderer walks your streets tonight. Forgive me for my crimes. Don't forget that I was so young, fought so scared. In the name of God and Country."
The song that pulls all the songs and stories together is in the song "Bat Country" which starts with M. Shadows (lead vocalist) screeching the famous line said by Samuel Johnson, "He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." The meaning behind this quote
from what I believe is that when you do make a habit of doing immoral practices they start to rip at your consciousness and you look for other ways to disolve the pain even if it means doing even more evil.
I recommend this CD to everyone. In the stereotypical Christian cultural view many see this album as "Immoral", "Ungodly" and even "Satanic". In reality this CD has few flaws and the people that are quick to judge don't seem to give enough time in learning more about the album and what the lyrics actually mean. They see a skull or knife on the album and immediately disregard it as an evil cd that should be thrown in the trash. But how is a skull evil? It's part of the human anatomy and is an important component to the human body. I also find it strange that though most Christians don't like "dark things" they can still support Pirates of the Craibbean which is full of immorality and even has skulls and knives on it's movie cover.
I also support "City of Evil" because the lyrics have a realness to them. "City of Evil" doesn't advocate, "Everything is Good" because in our society there are alot of problems.
To me, happy music is fake. Our society is full of problems and sadness. Our world is fallen. Why have uplifiting music when the world is not that uplifiting?
City of Evil's lyrics deal with;The Fall, problems that our society creates, fellow man dealing with problems and wordly issues, and mans failure to do good in the face of evil. In reality all these things are true about society.
I find it very strange that Christians denounce this CD as "evil", when it actually seems to support what the Bible believes about sinful man's state rather than contradicts. A few of the songs even have several refrences to the Bible's scripture.
Overall I find this album to be darkly beautiful, powerful and inspiring.
03 March 2009
RED ~ End of Silence (revised)
On June 6, 2006, Christian band RED released their first CD, End of Silence. The title is very appropriate as the band introduces their style of heavy music. But it’s not all like that. The band placed beautiful piano solos throughout the album. Even the heavy songs contain strings that make the music more enjoyable. The softer parts don’t seem to come in at awkward moments. They fade into the rest of the music and then the music returns to the heavier style. In fact, the intro on the CD, also called “End of Silence” is slow and almost sounds like a ballet. It then blends in the next track, “Breathe into Me.” This is where the real RED begins to show. The vocals are done by Michael Barnes with back-up from Anthony Armstrong. The vocals are mostly singing but screams do come in every so often. The bands songs all seem to focus on one point. In almost every song you can hear the story of someone who has strayed from God and wants to come home. But the story is told from different views. The song “Breathe into Me” is sung by the person who has left God, and is calling out to Him to breathe life into them and restore them. Track 8, “Wasting Time,” addresses the Devil and says you keep trying to take me but you’re wasting time. “Hide” talks about how we keep ignoring what we need but go for things that can harm us. Like “Breath into Me,” “Pieces” addresses God and says “You call my name; I come to You in pieces so You can make me whole." Each song is packed with meaningful lyrics and awesome music. This whole album is just amazing and so hard to describe. I personally find it to be one of the best I’ve ever heard
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