Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

Galaxy Quest (1999)

Movie Information:

Warning: This may contain spoilers.

Parents' Guide: Generally rated PG for some action violence, mild language, and sensuality.

For four years, the sci-fi adventure series known as "Galaxy Quest" took place aboard the spaceship the NSEA Protector, with a courageous crew who set out on dangerous missions in space. The series starred Jason Nesmith as suave Commander Peter Quincy Taggert, Gwen DeMarco as sexy communications person Lt. Tawny Madison (a role which consisted solely of repeating what the computer stated, much to Gwen's annoyance), Shakespearean trained Sir Alexander Dane as alien Dr. Lazarus, Fred Kwan as engineer Tech Sgt. Chen, and Tommy Webber as child gunner Laredo.

But then the series was cancelled.

Eighteen years pass, and the cast is still donning their costumes and signing autographs at sci-fi conventions for all their many dedicated fans. Unfortunately for the cast, the series is a bittersweet memory, since they have been unable to find any significant acting work since. Only Jason seems to enjoy how things turned out for them all - until he finds out that his co-stars detest him for his superior attitude, and much of the public considers him a laughing-stock.

Disheartened and upset, Jason is approached by a group of what he believes to be convention attendees who want his help, but he does not take them very seriously or even really listen to what they have to say. He believes that they want him to reprise his role for a brief gig, a job which he does not take very seriously, but he quickly discovers that things aren't quite what they seem.

In reality, the group who approached him were a real-life alien species, known as the Thermians. These aliens intercepted the television broadcast of Galaxy Quest, which they mistook as historical documents. This leads them to believe that the series was real, with the cast truly being the brave crew they portrayed in the series. 

Excited by the prospect of working on a real alien spaceship, Jason finds his co-stars (accompanied by Guy Fleegman, who was killed off before the opening credits of a single episode) and convinces them to join him for what they believe to be a paying gig. Things quickly begin to get out of hand, as the cast discover that it is all set in reality, and they are tasked to help the Thermians in their war against their nemesis, General Sarris. Without a script or director to tell them what to do, the cast is thrown into chaos as they try to pull off the performances of their lives, while they attempt to win the war.

My Review:

A science fiction comedy poking a little fun at Star Trek (and sci-fi shows in general) is always appreciated, though I do not usually go for comedies all that much myself. I almost always find comedies hard to watch a second time around, since the jokes rarely have the same impact twice, but I genuinely think that Galaxy Quest managed to nail all the elements that make up a winning comedy.

The cast was amazing throughout the movie, whether they were playing cynical former sci-fi stars, or wide-eyed and naive aliens. The whole cast gave solid performances, which makes me wonder why more people do not know about this movie. I am not even sure where I heard of the movie, but I can tell you it probably from somewhere obscure.

Tim Allen, who plays Jason, is put in a role that I do not think I have ever seen him portray before, but he pulls it off well in his own version of a William Shatner-like captain. Sigourney Weaver, who plays Gwen, is an absolute delight, as she pokes fun at her role as Ripley in the Alien movies and brings in a level of exasperation I can appreciate. Alan Rickman, who plays Alex, brilliantly portrays an actor stuck in a never-ending Spock-like role, all because he played it too well. His facial expressions alone make it worth it. Darryl Mitchell, who plays Laredo, is a great portrayal of an out-of-his-depth pilot. Enrico Colantoni, who plays Commander Mathesar, plays his character with such earnestness that you want to believe everything he is saying.

There is, of course, dozens of other brilliant actors and actresses in this cast, but I would like to talk about two that stood out to me; Tony Shalhoub, who plays Fred, and Sam Rockwell, who plays Guy.

From the first moment, these two characters were on screen, I was amused. 

Shalhoub portrays the lackadaisical technician, whose only reaction to the terrifying process that was being covered in goo and transported at impossible speeds through space, was; "Hmm. That was a hell of a thing." With that sort of understated humour, mixed in with a laid-back approach to suddenly being faced with an alien war, I absolutely loved this character.

Rockwell, on the other hand, plays as the terrified hack actor who pretty much only gets dragged along because he has nothing better to do. While everyone else goes about things (for the most part) as if it's just another gig, Rockwell is the one that continually shows the panic that most people would feel if they were ever thrust into this situation. He even has a bit of an existential crisis when the rest of the crew do not know his last name, stating; "Nobody knows. Do you know why? Because my character isn't important enough for a last name, because I'm gonna die five minutes in!"

All in all, this movie was very entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone who has the chance to check it out. The humour never turns cruel or even crude, but rather stays in the genuinely amusing territory of commenting on nonsensical equipment or making references to other cult series or movies.

~The Elf

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

Movie Information: 

Warning: This may contain spoilers.

Parents' Guide: Usually PG-13 for irreverent humour, profanity, sexual reference, nudity and violence.

After an incident pollutes Lake Springfield, Lisa Simpson convinces the town to help clean up and protect the water. In the meantime, Homer Simpson saves and adopts a pig (Spider Pig), who had been about to be slaughtered for food at the Krusty Burger. After two days, Spider Pig manages to fill up a silo with waste. When Homer realizes he doesn't have enough time to go to the dump to safely get rid of the silo, he decides to throw the silo into the lake instead, polluting it once more.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Russ Cargill, decides that Springfield is too dangerous and convinces the president to put a dome of Springfield, trapping the residents inside. Soon after the dome is put in place, everyone finds out that it had been Homer that polluted the lake, so the Simpsons are hunted down. Luckily, they escape through a sinkhole and move to Alaska.

Not long after that, it is decided that Springfield must be destroyed. After hearing the news, the Simpsons decide to head back to Springfield in order to attempt to save the town.

My Review:

The Simpsons, an American satirical, animated sitcom, has been around since 1989. It began as a parody of what an average middle-class American family life looked like, but slowly became a cultural phenomenon, that pretty much took over the world. I don't even live in America, but I can tell you right now, I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that hasn't watched the Simpsons. 

For all of those who grew up watching the show, it was pretty much been unanimously agreed upon that the show began to decline in quality over the years, but it still has a few episodes here and there that throwback to the good old days. Due to this decline, a lot of people believed that the chance for a Simpsons movie to actually be good, had already come and gone long before the movie was even announced.  

Thankfully, for anyone who doesn't take these things too seriously, the movie actually had slicker animation than the episodes ever did, as well as the same humour and biting satire that made many people fall in love with the show, to begin with. The whole eighty-seven-minute creation was filled with exactly the kind of sly cultural references and non-stop irreverent humour that you would expect from the Simpsons, which a lot of true fans were (and mostly still are) very appreciative of after so many years of waiting for a movie to be made. It was met with mostly positive reviews, won four awards, and it was the highest grossing animated TV adaption of all time.

In saying that, the movie was pretty much just like watching a really long Simpsons episode. There wasn't really anything about it that made it any more special than what you'd see if you just stayed home and watched an episode, and for many fans, eighty-seven minutes wasn't long enough after such a long wait. Although the film had some of the better qualities of the earlier TV episodes, it still felt like an episode. When you've had to go to the cinema to watch it, then you want something epic and unique, which the movie fell short of.

Still, if you like the Simpsons, now or in the past, then you'll most likely enjoy the movie! And if for some strange reason you've never watched the Simpsons, then watching the movie is a great way to see if you'd like the type of humour that's usually seen in the TV series, so I would recommend watching it at least once.

~The Elf

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

Bohemian Rhapsody 

by Queen

Don't even pretend like you don't know this song, it's legendary. It was originally released on October 31st, 1975 for the band's album A Night at the Opera and was initially met by some mixed reviews. Many critics believed that Bohemian Rhapsody was far too long and was too much of a mash-up to become successful. At six minutes long, with five sections that were in completely different styles with no real chorus, the song was like nothing that had ever come before it. Because of this, there was a lot of doubt surrounding its release, but soon after being released, the song became number one in the UK and remained that way for nine weeks straight.

Despite the doubts, in the beginning, Bohemian Rhapsody became one of the most successful songs ever and continues to be popular now. It was number one on the UK singles charts twice, 15 years apart. It even became the UK's third-best-selling single of all time, and one of the best-selling singles worldwide, with 6.7 million sales.

Personally, it's not a song I would listen to too often, but I gotta say; it's pretty darn catchy. Whenever it comes on, I can't bring myself to skip it because it's just such an up-beat and fun song, that everyone can get into. It's also one of those songs you can recognize anywhere, just because of how unique and distinct it is. Freddie Mercury definitely knew what he was doing when he wrote this masterpiece, even if neither he nor anyone else could have predicted it's eventual prosperity.

Another thing I love about this song is just how many people know it, no matter where they come from or what sort of music they would normally listen to. It's a song that everyone recognizes, even if they don't recall how they learnt it.
Does anyone actually remember when they first heard Bohemian Rhapsody? 

~The Elf

Flashback Friday

Deacon Blue (1985)

Formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1985, Deacon Blue are a pop-rock band that really began their climb to fame in 1987, after releasing their debut album Raintown. They've released a total of seven studio albums and a studio/compilation album, many of which have been at the top of the UK album charts. 
Their first album peaked at No. 14 on the UK album charts and even managed to stay on the charts for a year and a half. After that, the band only seemed to become more successful. Their next album When the World Knows Your Name was their most successful album, reaching the No. 1 spot in the UK albums chart. The album after that, Fellow Hoodlums, managed to reach the No. 2 spot. The one after that, Whatever You Say, Say Nothing, reached No. 4. 
Although the band began to work part-time after that, they have still released and continue to release some amazing albums.

(Note: I've decided not to include their Compilation albums, their Live album or any of their Greatest Hits albums, just because that would take forever to write out.)

Studio Albums;
Raintown (1987)
1. "Born in a Storm" - 1:33
2. "Raintown" - 3:50
3. "Ragman" - 3:08
4. "He Looks Like Spencer Tracy Now" - 3:50
5. "Loaded" - 4:29
6. "When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring)?" - 5:05
7. "Chocolate Girl" - 3:18
8. "Dignity" - 4:00
9. "The Very Thing" - 3:34
10. "Love's Great Fears" - 3:42
11. "Town to Be Blamed" - 5:19

Bonus Tracks;
12. "Riches" - 2:39
13. "Kings of the Western World" - 2:39

The 2012 reissue of the album included songs such as;
14. "Which Side Are You On?" - 2:58
15. "Angeliou" - 6:18
16. "Just Like Boys" - 3:15
17. "Church" - 3:16
18. "Shifting Sand" - 3:18
19. "Suffering" - 2:43
20. "Ribbons and Bows" - 4:16
21. "Long Distance from Just Across the Road" - 2:54
22. "Ronnie Spector" - 3:33
23. "That Brilliant Feeling No.1" - 3:17
24. "Punch and Judy Man" - 3:52
25. "Disneyworld" - 2:58
26. "S.H.A.R.O.N" - 4:16

The legacy edition also included;
27. "Souvenirs" - 2:41
28. "Don't Let the Teardrops Start" - 3:22

When the World Knows Your Name (1989)
1. "Queen of the New Year" -3:36
2. "Wages Day" - 3:09
3. "Real Gone Kid" - 4:03
4. "Love and Regret" - 4:48
5. "Circus Lights" - 4:59
6. "This Changing Light" - 5:02
7. "Sad Loved Girl" - 1:11
8. "Fergus Sings the Blues" - 3:54
9. "The World Is Lit By Lightning" - 4:57
10. "Silhouette" - 3:18
11. "One Hundred Things" - 3:53
12. "Your Constant Heart" - 4:10
13. "Orphans" - 3:33

The 2012 reissue of the album included;
14. "Little Lincoln" - 3:06
15. "Born Again" - 3:23
16. "It's Not Funny Anymore" - 3:10
17. "Take Me to the Place" - 3:12
18. "Take the Saints Away" - 2:50
19. "Trampoline" - 3:40
20. "Long Window to Love" - 3:16
21. "London A to Z" - 3:35
22. "Back Here in Beanoland" - 3:04
23. "Down in the Flood" - 4:33
24. "Undeveloped Heart" - 3:38
25. "Dark End of the Street" - 2:06
26. "My America" - 4:11
27. "Las Vegas" - 3:56
28. "Love You Say" - 5:34
29. "Let Your Hearts Be Troubled" - 6:30
30. "Is It Cold Beneath the Hill?" - 4:04
31. "Killing the Blues" - 3:49
32. "Gentle Teardrops" - 3:14
33. "That Country" - 3:41
34. "Christine" -2:28

Fellow Hoodlums (1991)
1. "James Joyce Soles" - 3:50
2. "Fellow Hoodlums" - 3:20
3. "Your Swaying Arms" - 4:10
4. "Cover from the Sky" - 3:34
5. "The Day that Jackie Jumped the Jail" - 3:42
6. "The Wildness" - 5:42
7. "A Brighter Star Than You Will Shine" - 4:32
8. "Twist and Shout" - 3:34
9. "Closing Time" - 6:10
10. "Goodnight Jamsie" - 1:47
11. "I Will See You Tomorrow" - 3:20
12. "One Day I'll Go Walking" - 5:00

The 2012 reissue of the album included;
13. "Fourteen Years" - 2:44
14. "Faifley" - 1:41
15. "Good" - 3:08
16. "Golden Bells" - 2:27
17. "I Was Like That" - 4:29
18. "The Friends of Billy Bear" - 2:40
19. "Into the Good Night" - 3:43
20. "What Do You Want the Girl to Do?" - 5:04
21. "Wild Mountain Thyme" - 3:45
22. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" - 2:46
23. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - 4:16
24. "I'm Down" - 2:36

Whatever You Say, Say Nothing (1993)
1. "Your Town" - 5:21
2. "Only Tender Love" - 5:10
3. "Peace & Jobs & Freedom" - 4:52
4. "Hang Your Head" - 4:05
5. "Bethlehem's Gate" - 4:47
6. "Last Night I Dreamed of Henry Thomas" - 3:45
7. "Will We Be Lovers?" - 3:56
8. "Fall So Freely Down" - 4:17
9. "Cut Lip" - 3:36
10. "All Over the World" - 3:26

The 2012 reissue of the album included;
11. "Almost Beautiful" - 4:15
12. "I've Been Making Such a Fool" - 2:23
13. "Sleeper" - 3:49
14. "Paint It Red" - 3:15
15. "Pimp Talking" - 2:48
16. "Cracks You Up" - 3:32
17. "Freedom Train" - 2:54
18. "Here on the Wind" - 5:04
19. "Indigo Sky" - 2:50

Homesick (2001)
1. "Rae" - 4:46
2. "Out There" - 3:46
3. "This Train Will Take You Anywhere" - 4:48
4. "Every Time You Sleep" - 4:06
5. "Now That You're Here" - 4:00
6. "Silverlake" - 4:36
7. "A is for Astronaut" - 3:03
8. "Beautifully Still" - 4:12
9. "Homesick" - 4:14
10. "Even Higher Ground" - 3:52
11. "I Am Born" - 4:22

The 2012 reissue of the album included;
12. "Hey Craig" - 3:52
13. "When You Were a Boy, You Were a Beautiful Boy" - 4:16

The Hipsters (2012)

1. "Here I Am in London Town" - 2:59
2. "The Hipsters" - 3:19
3. "Stars" - 3:42
4. "Turn" - 3:19
5. "The Rest" - 3:37
6. "The Outsiders" - 4:05
7. "That's What We Can Do" - 3:53
8. "She'll Understand" - 3:38
9. "Laura From Memory" - 3:25
10. "It Will in Tears" - 3:39

11. "Is There No Way Back to You?" - 4:22

A New House (2014)

1. "Bethlehem Begins" - 4:06
2. "For John Muir" - 3:07

3. "A New House" - 3:37

4. "An Ocean" - 3:19

5. "The Living" - 3:53

6. "I Wish I Was a Girl Like You" - 3:34

7. "Win" - 3:18

8. "Wild" - 3:04

9. "March" - 3:20

10. "Our New Land" - 3:57
11. "I Remember Every Single Kiss" - 4:15

I guess you can see why I decided not to write out every single song on every single album, considering how many are on these. Either way, if you want to listen to or find any more of their songs, they're relatively easy to find online. I personally haven't heard that many of their songs, mostly just the hits, but they're a good band with a good sound and I would certainly recommend checking them out for yourself!
~The Elf

Flashback Friday

Friday Flashback!

Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

Movie Information:

*Warning, this could (obviously) contain spoilers*

"For the first time, Luther Krank (Tim Allen) and his wife Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) are about to celebrate the holidays without their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo), who has just left for the Peace Corps in Peru. Luther sees a Caribbean cruise poster in a Chicago travel agency window, and he begins to plan the trip. First he must see how he will pay for the trip, so he comes up with an idea that if they skipped Christmas, they could go. He will save money by not buying a tree, having a party, or putting up decorations. The neighbors think he is crazy and want him to at least put Frosty the Snowman on his roof for the local decoration contest. The battle begins between the Kranks and their neighbors. Then Blair calls and tells her parents that she is flying home for Christmas with her fiancée. They have twenty-four hours to put up all the decorations and prepare for the Christmas party. The movie was based on a John Grisham book, 'Skipping Christmas'." - Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)

My Review:

I've watched this movie like five times. It's really, really cheesy and lame, but it's still got it's good moments. When it comes to Christmas movies, I feel like this is one of the classics. It's pretty funny and it's a great family-friendly movie, which a lot of people like. It's predictable and the humour is exaggerated, but it's still an alright movie, if you don't die of some of the more cringe-worthy moments.

If you're looking for a family-friendly movie, then you've found one! What are your favourite Christmas movies?

~The Elf

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

Friday the 13th (1980)

In the spirit of Halloween, I felt I should probably write up something about a scary movie. I couldn't decide on one for a while, but then I figured it should be a classic. That's how I ended up writing about Friday the 13th, the 1980 film.

Movie Information:

"Crystal Lake's history of murder doesn't deter counselors from setting up a summer camp in the woodsy area. Superstitious locals warn against it, but the fresh-faced young people -- Jack (Kevin Bacon), Alice (Adrienne King), Bill (Harry Crosby), Marcie (Jeannine Taylor) and Ned (Mark Nelson) -- pay little heed to the old-timers. Then they find themselves stalked by a brutal killer. As they're slashed, shot and stabbed, the counselors struggle to stay alive against a merciless opponent." - Google

My Review:

This movie is pretty shoddy compared to most movies that are out today, but it's a cult classic and definitely a must-see in the world of horror movies. This movie is one of the ones that you have to watch if you want to understand pop-culture references. Plus, it does have some really good moments in it and it inspire a lot of other awesome movies.

I would recommend it to everyone looking for a scary movie!

~The Elf

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

I haven't done a book review in a while, but I decided to do another classic. This one is even older than the last, having been published in 1877. It was written by Anna Sewell and was published only five months before her death, but quickly became a best seller and is still one of the best selling books of all time.

Summary of the story:

"The story is narrated in the first person as an autobiographical memoir told by the titular horse named Black Beauty—beginning with his carefree days as a colt on an English farm with his mother, to his difficult life pulling cabs in London, to his happy retirement in the country. Along the way, he meets with many hardships and recounts many tales of cruelty and kindness. Each short chapter recounts an incident in Black Beauty's life containing a lesson or moral typically related to the kindness, sympathy, and understanding treatment of horses, with Sewell's detailed observations and extensive descriptions of horse behaviour lending the novel a good deal of verisimilitude.

The book describes conditions among London horse-drawn taxicab drivers, including the financial hardship caused to them by high licence fees and low, legally fixed fares. A page footnote in some editions says that soon after the book was published, the difference between 6-day taxicab licences (not allowed to trade on Sundays) and 7-day taxicab licences (allowed to trade on Sundays) was abolished and the taxicab licence fee was much reduced." - Wikipedia

My review:

The whole point of the book was to "to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses," which I think it does pretty well. I read this book when I was fairly young, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a brilliantly written novel that invokes a lot of sympathy in the reader, especially when it comes to some scenes where they describe animal cruelty towards Black Beauty and other horses. This book was a very influential part in the anti-cruelty campaigns going on at the time, and even to this day is often referenced when it comes to cruelty towards horses. I think this is an amazing book that everyone should read, whether or not you like reading, care about horses or about animals in general, I think everyone should read it. It's not overly complicated and it paints a vivid image in your mind, which I think is one of the many things that make this book so amazing to read.

If you haven't read Black Beauty already, I really think you should! Are there any other classic fans out there?

~The Elf 

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

Clueless (1995)

Movie Information:

"Cher Horowitz and her friend Dionne, two of the most popular sophomores in school, play matchmakers for two teachers. Inspired by their success, Cher takes under her wing Tai, a "clueless" transfer student. While trying to make an advantageous match for Tai, Cher attempts to find a boyfriend of her own. Several misfires take place, due to poor communication, before she finds the Baldwin of her dreams." - Written by James Meek

My Review:

Honestly, I only recently watched this movie. I know, shocker. Seriously though, as I've stated in previous reviews, I'm not really into all the cliche chick flicks, so I never saw the point. I did however have a really boring holiday a few months ago and decided I might as well see what the fuss is about.

To my surprise the movie wasn't as terrible as I thought it was going to be. It ended up being pretty good, which is a great feat if you ask me. At first it all seems very cotton-candy and bubbly, but there's an underlying message in the movie that gives it a much deeper meaning. Besides, it's got a heavy dose of comedy in there too, so what's not to like?

Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of this movie, but I definitely understand why it became such a cult-classic. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that doesn't mind a fluffy, high school drama, or a laugh.

~The Elf

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday

Guilty Conscience

by Eminem ft. Dr Dre

In this song, written by Eminem and Dr Dre, tells the story of three men who are all going to commit violent or sexual crimes or are doing things that calls their morels into action. Eminem plays the bad side of the Conscience where as Dr Dre plays the good side. The song runs through the three stories where Eminem and Dr Dre are trying to convince the three what is the right thing to do.

During the first verse, a man is going to rob a store to help pay for his family; Dr Dre tries to convince the man that this was not the right thing to do, where as Eminem tries to convince the man that he can get away with the crime. The man chooses the right thing to do and does not rob the store - instead he leaves.

In the second verse a young man finds a fifteen year old girl, drunk at a party; Eminem tries to convince they man that if he slips something into her drink, he will get away with doing what he likes with her, where as Dr Dre tries to convince him that it was not right to take advantage of this young woman, that he would go to jail and ruin this girl's life. The man decides that the right thing to do is take advantage of the girl.

The third and final verse is about a man who comes home from a long day to find his wife with another man; Eminem tells the man that he should kill both his wife and the man and then take the child and leave, while Dr Dre begins to try and calm the man down, saying that there could be a reasonable explanation for what is going on, but Eminem antagonizes him and Dr Dre eventually agrees with Eminem that the moral thing to do is kill both of the wife and he lover.

<Merlin>

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday

Fable: The Lost Chapters is an extended version of the original fable developed by Lionhead Studios and released on the 20th September 2005. Set in the nation of Albion, the player assumes the role of an orphaned boy that becomes a great hero. The player can make choices which changes how the people of Albion react to the hero and changes the appearance of the character depending on if the player chooses to do evil deeds or good deeds. The hero goes on a quest to find out what happened to the hero's family, the player can also go on optional quests, trade, steal and romance characters in the game.

This game is a very enjoyable action-rpg, easy to get use to and the fighting is fun. You can work on being close combat focused, being an archer, mage or a little of all of them making the game fun for however you want to play. You can also be evil or good which changes what happens in the game because people act differently towards you. The hero can also get titles like "Chicken Chaser" and Paladin which people will call you. This game is entertaining and you should definitely give it a go.

*The Elder*

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Movie Information:

"Meet the Stratford sisters: pretty and popular Bianca, who has never had a date; and Kat, her older sibling, an ill-tempered harridan whose acerbic wit is matched only by her steadfast determination to alienate any guy who might be remotely interested in her. Unfortunately, strict rules in the Stratford household forbid Bianca from having a boyfriend until her odious sister has one of her own-a situation that seems highly improbable considering Kat is a social disaster. Bianca's desperation for romance turns into a convoluted scheme to match Kat with her male equivalent--a guy whose reputation is so infamous, Kat might rise to the challenge and find him worthy of her concealed charms. Mating mayhem ensues when Patrick Verona -- a sullen young man with a mysterious past -- is bribed by Bianca's wannabe boyfriend to woo and win Kat, in order to clear the way for Bianca to begin dating." - Written by Movie Buff

My Review:

As a huge Shakespeare fan, this revamped version of his play 'Taming of the Shrew,' is something I love to watch. Not only does Heath Ledger play badboy Patrick Verona, but the movie is hilarious and honestly an adorable love story. I can tell you right now; this is the only chick flick I've ever voluntarily watched more than once. If you want a funny, kind of predictable chick flick with some hot guys, dorky attempts at wooing girls and some romantic scenes that will melt your heart - this is the movie for you.

Not all of the reviews on this movie are great, but in my humble opinion, it is definitely a movie worth watching. With stars such as Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik and many more, this movie is something that many people will enjoy. Although most people see it as a chick flick, and I'm more than willing to agree with that, I know a lot of guys who have watched this movie too and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's not a serious movie and it doesn't have the most intense or exciting plot, but it's funny, light and definitely a movie I would recommend to anyone.

I recently managed to convince two of my best friends, my mother and her best friend to watch it and they loved it just as much as I do. The music is great, the story is amusing and the characters are interesting and strange in their own ways.

If you want something random and funny to watch on Movie Night, I would absolutely suggest this movie. Although it's probably best suited for teenagers, people of many ages are sure to enjoy it, though there are some references and jokes that are probably not suitable for a younger audience.

In any case, I hope you all watch the movie! It's worth it! I leave you now with this great quote; "The shit hath hitith the fan...ith."

Anyone else miss Heath Ledger greatly?

~ The Elf

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

Hey Ya! 

by OutKast 

This isn't very old, but considering how quickly music changes and what was once popular becomes long forgotten, I figured it was about time I all remind you of a song that everyone I know has listened to at least once. If you've heard anything by OutKast, you have to have heard this song. Billboard even named it the 20th most successful song of the 2000s decade in the U.S. 

Have you ever heard the phrase "shake it like a Polaroid picture?" Well, this song was actually what made it popular. In the video there's a live performance by a band, all of which's members are actually played by Andre 3000. The video is very eccentric and unique, much like the song itself, and makes the whole thing a roller coaster of fun and weirdness.

It's a very catchy song and honestly just a very fun upbeat thing to listen to. It definitely lightens the mood. If you've heard it before, I hope you're enjoying it again, but if you've never heard it before I hope you now love OutKast - which you should.

Did anyone else love singing this on SingStar, or is that just me?

~The Elf

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

Dark Angel

Plot Summary:

"In a future of political, economic and moral collapse, a genetically enhanced superhuman prototype named Max escapes from military confines and dwells amidst the decadent underground street life of *Seattle* to avoid government agents who want to bring her back into the fold. Searching for others of her kind who were scattered in the aftermath of her escape, Max encounters Logan, an idealistic cyber-journalist battling repression and corruption in post-apocalypse America. Eventually, Logan calls her to the highest part of her being and Max becomes his samurai as the pair takes on the ruthless power-brokers of the new millennium. Max and Logan's odyssey leads them closer to the secret of her past, deepening and complicating their relationship in the process." - written by Ronos.

Dark Angel has been one of my family's favourite shows ever since I can remember. It's an amazing show with a very interesting plot and many interesting characters. I think it's one of the best shows ever made, but - just like Firefly - was cancelled before it got to have all the development it deserved. With famous faces like Jessica Alba, Michael Weatherly and Jensen Ackles, Dark Angel is definitely a must-see TV series, if you ask me. The series has even been rated 4.7/5 on Amazon, 8.8/10 on TV.com and 7.4/10 on IMDB. Anyway, Dark Angel is action-packed, filled with a lot of very entertaining storylines and some pretty hilarious one-liners, too.

Main Characters:

Max Guevara

played by Jessica Alba

Logan Cale/Eyes Only

played by Michael Weatherly

Cynthia "Original Cindy" McEachin

played by Valerie Rae Miller 

Calvin "Sketchy" Theodore

played by Richard Gunn

Reagan "Normal" Ronald

played by J. C. MacKenzie

Herbal Thought

played by Alimi Ballard

Kendra Maibaum

played by Jennifer Blanc

Col. Donald Lydecker

played by John Savage

Alec McDowell

played by Jensen Ackles

Ames White

played by Martin Cummins

Joshua

played by Kevin Durand

Asha Barlow

played by Ashley Scott

If you're looking for a new show, but don't really like anything that's out right now, give Dark Angel a go. I can honestly tell you right now if you like any futuristic/fantasy shows, you're gonna love this.

~ The Elf

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

Hey guys! Flashback Friday time, today I will be writing about Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. This here is a game and a half, an absolute classic! This game was the beginning of the Oddworld series. The original Abe's Oddysee came out in 1997 on the PS1 and PC, a series that sadly have not made many games lately. Their HD re-make of Abe's Oddysee - Abe's New and Tasty - came out late last year and truly does live up to the original game standards. It was kept mostly the same, but they added some new features, which make the game a little easier to play. One of these are a check point system. Although this may take away from the over all difficultly of the game itself, it makes the game more enjoyable to play and you're less likely to rage quit after dying over and over again on that one hard part you can't get past because you need to keep re-starting the entire level, which in my opinion makes the game a lot better.

In this game you play as Abe, a floor-waxer at RaptureFarms - a meat processing factory, which is losing money, because all their products are going extinct. This is where Abe's boss "Mullock the Gulkkon" comes up with the idea to turn Abe's fellow Mudokon slaves into tasty treats, in a last-ditch effort to save his dying company. Abe over hears this, and after receiving a vision  from "Big Face" (actual name, no joke), he goes on a mission to save the Mudokons and the other life forms on the world. After venturing through some rather hardcore levels, you eventually get to the boss level, where you finally get to fight Mullock.

<Merlin>

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

Beserk

Berserk is a classic anime created by Kentaro Miura. Set in a fantasy medieval Europe, it follows the characters Guts, an orphaned mercenary and Griffith, the charismatic leader of a mercenary group called the Band of the Hawk. It shows you how Guts hunts demon like creatures called Apostles and how he and his band of warriors fight a long war that has devastated the country of Midland. The anime has a slightly dark story and is aimed at an older audience, making it a seinen manga, but it is very interesting to watch.

The series has an amazingly well done plot, which keeps you interested from start to finish and character depth that leaves you wishing all anime was done the same way. If you like action anime, then Beserk is the anime for you. Even people who don't particularly like anime have said that Beserk is one of the best made anime in existence and is definitely worth a try, so give it a go.

*The Elder*

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday!

Firefly (2002)

I can't even begin to explain how much I love this show! In our house, it's a tradition to watch the entire Firefly series every Christmas holidays, which we've been doing since we saw it for the first time twelve years ago.

Firefly is a space western sci-fi drama created by the famous writer and director Joss Whedon. Set in the year 2517, it follows a crew of 9 outlaws on Serenity, a "Firefly-class" spaceship. 

The ship's captain, Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds, and his second-in-command, Zoe Alleyne Washburne are war veterans, who had been on the losing side of a war against the Alliance; the central federal government. Now, they spend their days taking any jobs they can get, legal or illegal, as they fly around the outskirts of space. Along with them, they have Zoe's husband, pilot Hoban "Wash" Washburne; mercenary Jayne Cobb; mechanic Kaylee Frye; Shepherd (pastor) Derrial Book; courtesan Inara Serra; former Alliance medical officer Simon Tam and his mentally unstable teenage sister, River.

This show is honestly so much fun to watch. It's original and keeps you interested the whole way through, so if you're looking for a good sci-fi or western - this is it. There's a reason this show has a cult following, and got its own movie, despite only having 14 episodes in the series.

Just remember that it is generally rated PG-13 because there is a lot of gore, violence, sex and nudity in it, though nothing too explicit is shown on screen. 

The main cast:

Malcolm Reynolds

played by Nathan Fillion

Zoe Washburne

played by Gina Torres

Hoban "Wash" Washburne

played by Alan Tudyk

Jayne Cobb

played by Adam Baldwin

Kaylee Frye

played by Jewel Staite

Shepherd Book

played by Ron Glass

Inara Serra

played by Morena Baccarin

Dr. Simon Tam

played by Sean Maher

River Tam

played by Summer Glau

You may recognize them from other things, considering practically the entire cast has become phenominally famous over the years. All of them have been in a plethora of roles since Firefly, both popular and obscure, so I have no doubt you've probably seen all of them in something at least once. 

Nathan Fillion is currently playing as Richard Castle on the crime-comedy-drama Castle, though he has also been in plenty of other TV shows such as Desperate Housewives and the sitcom Two Guys and a Girl. He has also been in many movies, both live-action and animated, as well as being a voice actor in some video games, among many other projects.

Gina Torres is currently acting as Jessica Pearson on the legal drama Suits, but she has played significant roles in many other TV shows such as the sci-fi Cleopatara 2525, the drama Standoff, and the comedy-drama The Catch. Much like Fillion, she has also played in both live-action and animated movies, as well as voiced characters in video games, though it seems that she has focused on her television career.

Alan Tudyk can be recognized for his work along side Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale, as well as his voice roles in both Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen, as King Candy and Duke of Weselton, respectively. Aside from his very successful film career, he has also played a number of roles on the small screen, including; Dr. Noah Gerner on Suburgatory and Reagan Biscayne on Newsreaders. Just like the others, he has also voiced several video game characters, among other things.

Many of you may recognize Adam Baldwin from his role as John Casey on the action-comedy/spy-drama Chuck, though he has played several other television roles on shows such as the action drama The Cape, or the crime drama The Inside, or on the action drama Day Break, or most recently, the sci-fi/action-drama The Last Ship. Outside of his extensive film and television career, Baldwin has also voiced several video game characters.

Jewel Staite has mostly focused on her television career, appearing in 44 TV films or series's. This includes her main role as Catalina on Space Cases, her lead role as Becca Fisher on Flash Forward, her recurring role as Gabriella Da Vinci in Da Vinci's Inquest, her main role as Daisy Lipenowski on Higher Ground, her role as Dr. Jennifer Keller on Stargate Atlantis, her main role as Raquel Westbrook on The L.A. Complex, and her recurring role as Caroline Swift on The Killing. I can't wait to see what she does next.

Ron Glass has played in an extraordinary amount of television shows, as well as quite a few films and voicing some video game characters. You may recognize him from his regular role as Detective Ron Harris on the American sitcom Barney Miller (where he featured in a whopping 164 episodes), or perhaps from his role as Felix Unger on The New Odd Couple, or as Jason Lockwood on Amen, or as Ronald Fletcher on Mr. Rhodes. If none of those are destinctive enough to remember, maybe you'll remember him as the voice of Randy Carmichael on the Rugrats and All Grown Up! He has also very recently been in a couple of episodes of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Morena Baccarin is currently playing Dr. Leslie Tompkins on Gotham, though she has played many roles on television, such as the role of Nurse Jessica Kivala on Heartland, Anna on the sci-fi V, and as Jessica Brody on Homeland, among other things. She has also voiced the Artificial Intelligence, Gideon, on The Flash television series, and has reportedly been cast as Vanessa Carlysle (A.K.A. Copycat) in the superhero film Deadpool.

Before his stint on Firefly, Sean Maher played several roles in both films and television, including the role of Chris McConnell on The $treet, and the voice of Dick Grayson (A.K.A. Nightwing) in the animated films Son of Batman and Batman vs. Robin. Afterwards, he has played Sean Beasley on The Playboy Club, as well as Marcus on Make It or Break It. More recently, he has also played the role of Mark Scheffer (A.K.A. Shrapnel) in the superhero TV series Arrow.

Summer Glau has been in a multitude of films and televsion shows, though most will either remember her for her time on Firefly, or as Cameron/Allison Young in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Outside of these two incredibly popular TV series's, she has also played characters such as Tess Doerner on The 4400, Jamie Fleming/Orwell on The Cape, and more recently as the villain Isabel Rochev (A.K.A. Ravager) on Arrow, as well as Anna Brandt on Sequestered. She has also played brief roles on shows such as Dollhouse, Hawaii Five-0 and Chuck.

All of these amazing actors have played on dozens of other TV shows, as well as many movies you may have seen. I personally think they are all brilliantly talented, and if you haven't seen them in anything, I would certainly recommend watching some of their work. I have no doubt that, among all the many things they have had a role in, you will find something to your liking.

In any case, back to the topic of Firefly. With a cast this good, there should be absolutely no doubt that a sci-fi Western set over 500 years into the future is worth every minute you spend watching it. It's witty, interesting and brings up interesting moral dilemmas throughout the series. 

Oh, and did I mention that MARK SHEPPARD (who currently plays Crowley, the King of Hell, on Supernatural) is in two episodes? Check it out! It's amazing, I swear.

~The Elf