Pop Culture

Media-Thon Monday (6)

Hey, remember these? Media-Thon Monday has returned! What is Media-Thon Monday? Good question! Now, next time, raise your hand. MTM (as the cool kids call it) is a compilation of pop-culture finds that I think are interesting and worth sharing. So, without further ado, here… we… go!

That is a picture of a Drive-In theatre screen, FYI.

That is a picture of a Drive-In theatre screen, FYI.

Boy & Bear

My friend, Travis, sent me a link the other day (he lives in Australia). He likes to share good music when he comes across it. The band is Boy & Bear (from down-undah), and they are really, really great, especially their album Moonfire. For three days I thought the band was called Moonfire and the album Boy & Bear. Moonfire is the coolest name ever, so it was a little hard to get over.

I digress. Here is the first song off of Moonfire, “Lordy May.”

The Battle of Blockbusters

No, this isn’t about Blockbuster closing all their stores (though that is worth noting). It’s an interesting article I came across about similar themed movies coming out at the same time (think Armageddon and Deep Impact).

(more…)

Kevin’s Halloween Netflix Playlist, 2013

Halloween is here, that magical time! Awww. I love it. I don’t know why. It’s just something about spookiness and scary movies and darkness that just makes me feel so happy on the inside. Is that weird?

Regardless, here are my top five Netflix pics for your Halloween marathon/partay/spookaville. BOO-ya. Get it? Boo-ya?

Side note: I meant to post this last week, but school has been crazy! I hope to get back on track next week. Thanks for sticking with me.

Check out last year’s picks here!

thefrightenersr1artpic11. The Frighteners (1996, R) Michael J. Fox, Peter Jackson. Oh yeah. This movie is so fun, and it holds up really well, too. For the most part. The opening sequence is a bit cartoonish and over the top (the special effects are atrocious by today’s standards). But it gets better; just stick with it. This movie is a really underrated Halloween flick. It’s fun, spooky, and generally creepy!

The_Post-Modern_Prometheus_TXF2. The X-Files: The Post-Modern Prometheus (Season 5: Episode 5) There are enough spooky X-Files to last me a few years of Halloween/Netflix posts. Last year’s episode was one of my all-time favorites. “Post-Modern” isn’t too far behind. It also makes for a great pairing with Frankenstein.

Unknown3. Ghostbusters (1984, PG) I’ve seen it, you’ve seen it, we’ve all seen Ghostbusters. But, come on. Halloween is a great excuse to re-watch it. Some argue that one needs no excuse. Well, it’s a classic! It’s also a light hearted alternative to stupid, boob filled modern horror movies, or any horror movie for that matter.

zelda4. Pet Sematary (1989, R) File this one under “almost ruined me for life.” I was a child when I first saw it. Yeah, a kid. Who was watching me? Shame on them. Shaammme. Anyway, this movie is freaky-deaky. I haven’t actually watched it in sometime, but I saw Netflix put this up the other day; it’s on my list. If you’re looking for a generally really freaky older flick, look no further.

2-LMS-01045. Last Man Standing: Last Halloween Standing (Season 1: Episode 4) Megan and I have been really getting into this show. It’s super funny! I mean, you know, Tim Allen on ABC Family. How could you go wrong? Okay, some of the jokes are dumb, and the laugh tracks are super cheesy, but you know you want it. If you’re looking for a light-hearted “pick me up” after Pet Semetary, then put this episode on your Halloween Netflix playlist. There’s a fun, old-school Halloween cameo, and a Toy Story reference too!

That’s all for now. I hope you have a wonderfully spooky Halloween. Any suggestions to add? What’s your… favorite.. scary movie?

Media-thon Monday (5)

I haven’t been doing these Media-thons as much as I’d like to. Sorry. The wife and I have been laboriously preparing for our move to Rochester, spending time in North Idaho’s lake water, and/or trying to sell my guitar amp on Craigslist.

So sue me. (Please don’t sue me).

Here it is! Your fifth installment of Media-thon Monday:

picstitch

Pacific Rim

I know this mention is a little late (and enough has probably been said about how great this movie is), but if you haven’t seen it yet then please go see it. Pacific Rim is wonderful.

If you’re like me, then the previews looked dumb to you too. Transformers meets Battleship. No thanks.

Admitting I’m wrong is not the easiest thing for me to do. So instead, I’m blaming the advertising.

Go see it! Pacific Rim is refreshingly original—as in, not based on an 80’s movie, comic book, or board game—has heart, tremendous acting and casting, as well as giant and effective action sequences that should fire Michael Bay from any current or future film project.

The film is not without its faults, but after Man of Steel (which I hated), Pacific Rim wins my award for best Summer blockbuster.

pacific-rim-poster-banner

Risky Business

I played my first game of Risk last night. I’m not sure how I got through nearly 27 years of life without playing it. I just don’t. Risk is a wonderful game of patience and strategy. During the game, my friend Tyler showed me a video that I thought was pretty great. If you’ve never played the game then it might not make much sense.

Or maybe it will. Risk it.

Why Millennials are Leaving the Church

If you follow Rachel Held Evans (here’s a blog I wrote after I saw her speak) then you have undoubtedly already seen this wonderful essay she wrote for the CNN Belief Blog. As usual, she hit the nail on the head. I relate to just about everything she said. I hope I can someday capture people in my writings the way she does.

Any way, check out the short essay here: Why Millennials are Leaving the Church

Stephen King & The First Line of a Book

I’ve been reading tons of the King lately. He’s a master story teller. What I’ve come to appreciate is how efficient he is at crafting unique characters. Just this morning, I came across a great interview he recently conducted with The Atlantic about the “voice” of his characters.

In it, he also talks about the time he spends crafting—working and re-working—the first sentence of his books. Whether you’re a fan of his or not, it’s worth checking out. I found it to be a super interesting read.

Why Stephen King spends ‘Months and Even Years’ Writing Opening Sentences

Did you see Pacific Rim? What did you think? Check out the last installment of Media-thon Monday here.

Media-Thon Monday (4)

Well, I know I promised I’d try this every week. I think every-other week will do.

So here it is, your moment of Media-thon Monday zen.

Chicago Airport_Fotor

Littering is SO 2012

This guy started a campaign on Instagram to rid the world of litter. It’s stuff like this that gets me excited about the potential positive impact of social media in the world. But be warned. This campaign carries a high-user side-effect of “humble brag.” It is hard, though, to argue against cleaning up the streets.

Like any super power, social media should be used wisely. I’m interested to see if this campaign really catches on.

I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business

The band I Can Make A Mess—side band of the lead singer of The Early November—just released a new album. I haven’t quite heard the whole thing, though I’ve been quite obsessed with the new song, “Lions.”

Check it out, what do you think? Catchy as a virus?

One Step Closer to Harry Potter

Yes, I haven’t even started my first semester and I’m already bragging on the University of Rochester. Check out this great video, and link to an article about it here, on invisible cloaking devices.

Pretty dang cool, if I’d say so myself (which I just did).

Prancersise, yes it’s real

Don’t forget your ankle weights!

What do you think, are you ready to Prancersise?

Well, that’s it for now! Check out the previous edition of Media-thon Monday HERE.

Baseball for Beginners #KillMeNow

Batting average. ERA. RBI. Sacrifice hits. On base percentage. Good Lord. I never knew the game of baseball required so many prerequisites.

I haven’t been watching baseball very long, if you couldn’t tell. About this time, every year, I find myself jonsing for a good team to root for (the short NFL season always burns me). So, why not baseball? It’s worth a shot, I suppose.

Like any good tale, I needed a hero—a team, something, someone, to root for.

Since I’m moving away this summer, I’ve decided to pass on any California team in favor of my future home state—New York. I’d love to be able to go to a game or two. My friends, the ones who watch baseball, they threatened to disown me if I became a Yankees fan. This left me the Mets.

So, now I’m a Mets fan. (At 22-29, I’m wondering what I signed myself up for).

ExSPECTATON

The Philadelphia game I watched was so slow, TV commentators discussed their favorite restaurants in town instead of calling the game. Consequently, I now know more about diners in Philadelphia than I do baseball.

It’s been a great season for the young Mets pitcher, Matt Harvey. I think… Everyone seems to talk about how good he is. “They” even say he is undefeated. It seems, if the Mets keep losing, then obviously, he can’t be; apparently, I’m missing something here. (I’ve since found out why).

Spectating seemed easy at first: a pitcher, a batter, some bases. Home runs are good. But no. Oh no. There’s more. Much, much more.

Here’s a couple quotes from “How Baseball Works,” to give you an idea of what I mean.

“A sacrifice does not count as an at bat, but the hitter may be “credited” with an RBI (so a hitter can be credited with a sacrifice and an RBI, but has no base hit and no at bat recorded.”

I see…

 “On Base Percentage is similar to batting average but includes appearances which led to walks and times a hitter was hit by a pitch. It is calculated by adding Base Hits, Bases on Balls and Hit by Pitches, and dividing by the sum of At Bats, Bases on Balls, Hit by Pitches and Sacrifices.“

Ummmm…

These stats and rules, they just keep going and going. I’m the type to want to understand what I watch, so it’s been a little overwhelming. This is what I’ve got: home runs, as we’ve discussed, are good, .300 is a good batting average, the lower ERA the better—though I still don’t completely get ERA.

My preliminary understanding, though quite small, has already given me a much more enjoyable watching experience, I must admit. It can only get better from here, right?

The Curve

The crazy stats, the info, the rules, it’s caused me to wonder something. Is baseball so boring that we created stats just to give spectators something to do in the stands? (Or the commentators something to talk about?)

Don’t get me wrong, baseball has been growing on me. I actually quite like it. As of this writing, the Mets have won 5 in a row, including 4 straight against the Yankees. So that’s nice. Could this be the start of something big?

Also, I’ve decided to start my own baseball stat. It’s called, WOB. (Wife on Board). How many games will I get my wife to watch? Here’s the math: Innings watched divided by games, multiplied by watchable games divided by wins/loss record. It’s currently zero.

Oh well, there’s always next year.

Any tips for a beginning baseball spectator?

Media-Thon Monday (3)
Welcome to the third edition of Media-thon Monday. This is where I share my favorite pop culture finds from the week with you lucky folk. Checky checky it out.

The Call of the Wild

I came across this great little surf video of Big Sur/CA 1 called, “The Call of the Wild.” It’s majestic. It’s inspiring. It’s thirty minutes away.

Why am I leaving here?

For poetry lovers, you’ll hear Robert William Service’s poem of the same name recited throughout the film. Great stuff. Originally spotted this video on the great blog, Arcsurf.

Arrested Development

It’s back! Netflix held true to its word and premiered 15 new episodes of the formerly cancelled groundbreaking Fox sitcom. (Despite posters, trailers, and guarantees, I still never thought it would happen). Only a few episodes in, I must say it’s not exactly what I expected. The first couple episodes are quite slow and hard to follow.

I am, however, still pleased with what they’ve made. The writers (& team) manage to surprise viewers at every turn; this is, generally, my most sought after attribute for film and TV. The AD team has recaptured some of the energy of the original, all the while harnessing new.

A great post from AD’s twitter:

Check out the new season now on Netflix. If you never got into this show, now is a good time.

Green Lincoln, Amazon Mp3

Amazon MP3 is increasingly becoming the only way I purchase music. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my vinyl records and hope to have a Jimmy Page sized collection some day. Until then, I’ll have to settle for Amazon. In case you didn’t know, Amazon features 100 albums for $5 every month.

Yes, we’re almost into a new month. Go buy Radiohead’s Kid A for $5, then check back in another week for a whole new set of albums that will only cost you a green Lincoln. The current list is HERE.

Temple Run 2

TempleRun2-1

I’m not a huge “gamer.” I own a PS3 but use it mostly for Netflix and updating things. Once, maybe twice a year I’ll buy a game and get really into it for a week or so. A real moderate.

That said, I’m completely obsessed with Temple Run 2. There’s just something about adventure, the Indiana Jones/Uncharted theme, that I really, really like. It’s a game built for the iPhone (I think Andriod as well); so yes, I’m finally making good use of my phone. Here’s what you do. You run, duck, slide, turn and collect coins. Sometimes a giant monkey thing chases you. It’s awesome.

Yes, he’s a red head. All the better.

Your Guess is as Good as Mine

_

Have you watched the new Arrested Development season yet? Your thoughts? Any good albums on the $5 list you’d recommend?