Fearless

Overheard while leaving the theatre after MI3:
"I thought there was too much talking"
Overheard after a showing of Superman Returns:
"I thought there would be more action."
Oveheard today while leaving Fearless
"I thought there would be more fight scenes."

Have we been so deprived of plot and character development that we can't even recognize such things when they are presented to us?

Also would it be such such a bad thing for a Jet Li fan to review a Jet Li movie? Who else will go to see this movie other than a fan?

Of course I am going to say it was awesome. It totally was. You can even say you saw that coming long before the movie was even filmed. I will even admit to liking it before even buying the ticket. The fact that this movie still managed to completely blow me away is greatly worth noting. Im not even going to bother doing up any fancy review. If you are any kind of a fan, this is a must see. If not, why see it at all?

Coldplay

"If I ever get the chance to make my own video, I totally have to look up this Director" I told a good friend of mine. She is one of the few friends I have who will actually sit down and watch an entire concert dvd with me. Coldplay and Van Halen were the last two she had yet to see. I've already been dying for some time to watch Coldplay recently, so I made the decision when the question "Now what do we watch" came up.
There was a discussion at work about how listening to Coldplay makes you automatically gay if your a guy and your not trying to make a girl horny. The topic came up after we noticed that Superstores in-store radio plays Coldplay a couple of times a day, every day. Trust me, Im straight as you can get but Chris Martin's songwriting talent can not be denied.
Thats the major factor that makes this dvd absolutely amazing. Im not the bands biggest fan and Im not familiar with a lot of the songs on this dvd. That makes every new viewing a rather exciting experience for me. There is not a song on this dvd that I don't like. Everylast one is amazing and well performed.
The other factor that makes this dvd so perfect is the unbelievable editing. This film is the very definition of a slick production. Pure eye candy. My only vice is that the camera never stays on a subject long enough for you to fully enjoy the scene. Thats just part of the genius of this particular editing style though. You never get a sense of atmosphere, as if you were watching this concert take place in a dream instead of a stadium.
As conclusion, for the rest of you straight guys, may I mention that my friend did admit to getting pretty worked up.

You are what you eat

Today I am so tired I only have enough energy to accomplish one task. Get the poor bunny some food. This is a task I do not want to have to repeat twice, so I make sure to get the proper names of the different types of food he eats. One is called "Extrusion" and the other "Rabbit Pellets" which explains why Oreo has been frequently extruding rabbit pellets all over my living room.

Vancouver Rocks

This is what I call Graffiti.

I love Ebay

I have been the biggest Fatboy Slim fan since I started listening to his work a couple of months ago. If Im near a cd player, one of his albums is not to far away. His affinity for all things groovy is addictive and his ability to put it all together is awe inspiring. Of all his releases my absolute favourite is without a doubt "Live on Brighton Beach" simply because it showcases those very attributes. His talent is not in question when you listen to this album. I would've payed serious cash to have been there and would've probably spent just as much to own it on dvd. Then it occured to me that I don't actually know for sure that it wasn't released on dvd. I came across a video on videocodezone.com which would definately suggest that one exists. I immediately checked ebay and found "Big Beach Boutique II - Live on Brighton Beach". Needless to say; its in the mail. I probably won't sleep until its in my hands.

Note: Anyone interested in viewing this with me need only contact me.

Happy Fun Song

Many blog incarnations ago I linked to the following item. Periodically I get this song stuck in my head and to this day I can still remember all the lyrics to the chorus. Out of curiousity I decided to see if it was still up and was very pleasantly surprised. Therefore I shall once again pass this along for all to enjoy.
Do so responsibly.

Respect

Why Tiesto will always be number one:
"There are so many new great young DJ's out there that I feel it's time to give them a chance. I appreciate all the love and support I get from all over the world but I won this award (The DJ Magazine top 100) three times so if I would win it a fourth time, it wouldn't make a difference for my career.For the new talented DJ's around the world it could make a difference, so I would like to ask all the people who support me to vote for new talent. "

Benassi

I never got around to posting about my experience at Benny Benassi's little birthday blast at the Fever nightclub. Its already been a couple of months since that show (before I even started this blog) but its a memory I still enjoy to this day.
To describe it in all in a word: Insanity. One word would not do it justice though. I should mention, being raised a metalhead and all, that this was my very first club experience. Not your typical friday night top 40 club thing. I mean an actual noteworthy club dj doing a signature set. To be honest I doubt an experience like this will ever be topped.
It was already after midnight when Benassi first appeared on stage. His mere presence made the crowd go crazy. The cheers over powered the music if he made the smallest gesture. As soon as he hit the decks the place went nuts. A short set of stairs that led to the stage from the dance floor became a stage itself. All the best looking women in the club converged there to shine. The same thing happened to the speaker stacks to either side of the stage which had room for another three girls on each. One girl in particular got on a stack and never left. In no time she was literally soaked in sweat and looked ready to pass out from exhaustion at any moment. She never did and was still there when I left.
Benassi's latest single "Who's your daddy" was the highlight of that nights set. It couldn't have been more perfect. For at least an hour he worked up a complete fever (no pun intended) by mixing together high energy instrumental trance tracks overlaid with vocal samples from the single. The samples, I should add, he laid down by hand with a sampler as he was mixing. He then topped it off with the actual single which proceeded to set the whole place on fire. The entire club was jumping. From the stage to the bar to every wall. Not a soul sat still. It's a sight I will never forget.
By that time it was three in the morning (I think) and Tomena, my "date" for the evening, couldn't take anymore. We had been there since nine enjoying the previous dj's who did an absolutely amazing job. By 1am she was completely wiped out but patiently stuck it out for my sake. After "Who's your daddy" I could barely take much more either and we left. Even at that point Benassi was still going. I can only imagine how long he kept playing.
Before returning home we enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Humptys on Whyte where we watched the sun rise and tried to have a conversation over the ringing in our ears. Upon returning home I had a shower and a nap before heading off to work. I was still half deaf when I clocked in.
Ive never been to a metal show and had this much fun or seen so many things. Ill probably end up like an addict, spending the rest of my days trying to get that high back.

The New Black

Nothing cheers you up like finding out one of your favourite bands has a new and unexpected release out. Nothing bums you out more then having to wait until you can actually afford to go out and get it. Canada's very own Strapping Young Lad have released their new album entitled "The New Black". As excited and anxious as I am to hear it, I am also a little fearful. Last years "Alien" was (in my arguably twisted opinion) the absolute pinnacle of the SYL library. I dare say even more artistically realized then 1997s acclaimed "City". Another one of my all time favourite records.

A qoute from SYL's page on Wikipedia regarding the Alien Album:

"Devin himself has said on multiple occasions that Strapping Young Lad functions also as a conduit to pour out his "darker side" (as he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder) . . . For example, he himself said that in order to get the mood for the "Alien" record, he stopped taking his medication for the disorder for a length of time, and the lyrics on that record are supposedly a reflection of some of his feelings during that time."

Hows that for artistic dedication.

The Wedding

Darryls wedding was a complete blast. It didn't start so well however. Organizing that music was so much more of a chore than I had even remotely anticipated. The morning of the wedding found me without sleep and without hope. Despite working all night long I had still not completed half of what I had intended to accomplish when the sun began to rise. I was afraid I may miss the ceremony but thanks to a pot of coffee (or two) and a whole lot of willpower I managed to get it done.
The ceremony was great. I will never ever forget little Veronica running around the church, having the time of her life, while her parents tried to say their vows without laughing. Or my friends and I ambushing the newlyweds with seeds after they finally made it to their car.
After the ceremony I followed Owen to the hall to set up the equipment. I only had enough time the previous night to burn the music onto cds and not enough time to put together any kind of setlist. I hadn't really worried about it up to this point, having quite a bit of faith in myself. I seriously began to question that faith when the crowds started to arrive. The original plan was to start djing as soon as the dinner started. Mixing the finest music had to offer while the crowd enjoyed their dinner. Instead I let a cd run while I quickly put together some lists. The cd was conveniently labeled "instrumental dinner music" and featured a lot of classical music including the ever present "Adagio For Strings". This version however happened to be remixed by Tiesto. When that song played, the kids (who had been warming up the dance floor already) went completely bananas. I let them have their fun for as long as the grownups could handle the driving bass beat. One person who recognized the song was dissapointed when I cut it short. The kids terrorized me for the rest of the night.
The moment of truth came. The first dance was qued and I was ready to pee my fancy new pants. Despite having a couple of general setlists I was still essentially winging it. The first dance played, the people danced. We did a polka (or two) and, of course, the chicken dance. Once that was done the dance floor immediately cleared. It was as if someone dropped a bag of anthrax right in the middle of it. Though not terribly surprised I was still crushed. The night had barely even begun. From there on in I did my very best to get at least a couple of people back on the dance floor but no one responded. Owen saved me at one point and got a rather impressive crowd to do a group dance. Everyone sat back down afterwards and slowly but surely the whole room began to empty. Was I that bad? I tried every trick in the book!
The room did not empty completely. All us young people were still around. I took one single request and the night turned around in the blink of an eye. People danced! Lots of people danced! I took a second request and the crowd stayed! Instinct kicked in and I knew exactly how the rest of the night should go and it couldnt have gone better. I dabbled in some oldies, some techno and even finished the night with a short death metal set (Seriously). At one point the bride and groom headbanged and generally rocked out to Korns "A.D.I.D.A.S." I had the time of my life. For the rest of the night I recieved compliments and even scored myself another wedding and a possible house party. Needless to say I am now completely hooked. If I wasnt a dj before, I sure was now.