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 

Hollywood Undead (2005)

From left to right; Funny Man, Charlie Scene, J-Dog, Danny, Da Kurlzz and Johnny 3 Tears.

Hollywood Undead

Hollywood Undead are one of my favourite bands and the band that all of my friends and I fan over. My siblings and I all love their music and are always listening to them. They are an American rap rock band from Los Angeles, California that formed in 2005. They have six members who all go by stage names, although you can easily find out their real names online, each wearing their own unique mask. They change their masks every few years, usually when a new album comes out, but it's just a variation of the previous mask, so it's not hard to tell who is who after you learn what their mask is.

In any case, my friends and I all love Hollywood Undead, so since I posted one of their songs as the song of the month, I figured I should do a band review. Although I love the band, I'm aware not everyone does and some of their songs are quite explicit or can be offensive, so you can check them out at your own risk.

Studio Albums;

Swan Songs (2008)

1. "Undead" - 4:25

2. "Sell Your Soul" - 3:14

3. "Everywhere I Go" - 3:30

4. "No Other Place" - 3:16

5. "No. 5" - 3:05

6. "Young" - 3:16

7. "Black Dahlia" - 3:46

8. "This Love, This Hate" - 3:57

9. "Bottle and a Gun" - 3:22

10. "California" - 3:17

11. "City" - 3:34

12. "The Diary" - 4:35

13. "Pimpin'" - 3:07

14. "Paradise Lost" - 3:11

In some of the other editions of the album, you could also get;

15. "Pain" - 2:41

16. "The Natives" - 3:40

17. "Knife Called Lust" - 2:59

18. "The Loss" - 3:15

19. "Bitches" - 3:30

20. "The Kids" - 3:01

21. "Circles" - 3:33

American Tragedy (2011)

1. "Been to Hell" - 3:23

2. "Apologize" - 3:27

3. "Comin' in Hot" - 3:43

4. "My Town" - 3:36

5. "I Don't Wanna Die" - 3:59

6. "Hear Me Now" - 3:34

7. "Gangsta Sexy" - 3:54

8. "Glory" - 3:34

9. "Lights Out" - 3:51

10. "Coming Back Down" - 3:23

11. "Bullet" - 3:18

12. "Levitate" - 3:24

13. "Pour Me" - 4:03

14. "Tendencies" - 3:32

In the deluxe edition there were four extra tracks;

15. "Mother Murder" - 4:10

16. "Lump Your Head" - 3:37

17. "Le Deux" - 3:45

18. "S.C.A.V.A." - 4:04

iTunes also had a bonus track;

19. "Street Dreams" - 4:04

Notes from the Underground (2013)

1. "Dead Bite" - 3:38

2. "From the Ground" - 3:45

3. "Another Way Out" - 2:47

4. "Lion" - 3:54

5. "We Are" - 4:34

6. "Pigskin" - 2:41

7. "Rain" - 3:41

8. "Kill Everyone" - 2:52

9. "Believe" - 4:14

10. "Up In Smoke" - 3:38

11. "Outside" - 4:43

In some of the other editions of the album, you could also get;

12. "Medicine" - 3:26

13. "One More Bottle" - 3:40

14. "Delish" - 3:07

15. "I Am" - 3:23

16. "New Day" - 3:50

Day of the Dead (2015)

1. "Usual Suspects" - 3:44

2. "How We Roll" - 4:45

3. "Day of the Dead" - 3:55

4. "War Child" - 3:58

5. "Dark Places" - 4:39

6. "Take Me Home" - 3:48

7. "Gravity" - 3:19

8. "Does Everybody in the World Have to Die" - 3:17

9. "Disease" - 3:31

10. "Party by Myself" - 4:10

11. "Live Forever" - 3:40

12. "Save Me" - 3:27

In some of the other editions of the album, you could also get;

13. "Guzzle, Guzzle" - 3:39

14. "I'll Be There" - 4:01

15. "Let Go" - 4:16

16. "Ghost" - 3:21

17. "Sing" - 4:05

18. "Fuck the World" - 4:09

They are an amazing band, though not for everyone, but I'd still recommend checking them out! The band's sound has changed a lot over the years, but they still have a lot of unbelievably good songs with deep meaning, as well as songs that easily energize you and get you moving. They have an amazing sound and brilliant voices to go with it, so you should check them out and see what you think!

~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

Kiss It All Better - He Is We

Song of The Month!

Kiss It All Better

By He Is We

This month has been another shitty one for the blog, but I'm trying to fix that this week and next week. Anyway, I should probably warn you that this song is really sad. The meaning is pretty obvious once you hear it; it's about a man who is sitting in his jail cell, remembering the night a man shot the love of his life and dropped the gun. He then picked up the gun and shot the guy who killed his love.

It's really sad, but it's also beautiful.

In any case, as usual, I encourage you to listen to the song and check out He Is We, since a lot of their stuff is really good. I hope you like the song, it's really quite fantastic and emotional.

~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>

Update!!

Hey everyone! 

Well, I'm going to have to start this out with another apology. The Elder was supposed to do a Flashback Friday this week, but he only now told me that he hasn't, so I don't have time to do one. Thankfully, my exams are finally over, so I'm going to spend the next three weeks writing up posts and putting them in the schedule thing. Probably should've done that a long time ago, but... oh well.

Sorry about not posting today, but I'll make sure to post next week.

~The Elf

Dance with the Devil - Breaking Benjamin

Song of The Month!

Dance with the Devil

By Breaking Benjamin

First of all, I think I should start out by apologizing to everyone who were hoping for something non-fandom related. I've been watching the Vampire Diaries again, as of late and I've always loved this song. Me being the total fangirl I am, listened to plenty of playlists online about the Vampire Diaries, their characters and relationships in the show. I came across this video, which I think was done very well, about Damon and Elena, and Klaus and Caroline. If you're into the Vampire Diaries, you'll probably love the video, because it was done really well. If you don't like the Vampire Diaries, I'd still at least listen to the video, because this song on it's own is brilliant.

I've always loved Breaking Benjamin and their music, but I haven't been as drawn in by their music lately, until I heard some of their songs on playlists. I honestly love their music and it can usually be interpreted in a number of ways, but they're always good to listen to.

Anyway, check out the song! And if you like it, you should check out Breaking Benjamin's other music!

~The Elf

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*

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: 

The Secret Service (2014)

Movie Information:

"Based upon the acclaimed comic book and directed by Matthew Vaughn, Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius." - Written by 20th Century Fox

My Review:

This movie was brilliant! I loved it. Most movies these days aren't as ballsy as this one was. Dirty humour, bad language and random, crazy violence are all in this movie, but done in a sort of elegant way. It's kind of just a way dirtier and funnier version of James Bond. It is definitely not for easily offended or squeamish people because Matthew Vaughn most certainly took some risks with this movie, but it worked out to be absolutely fantastic! The entire movie is just one crazy ride, that will keep you guessing the whole way through, without being serious at all. I mean, the whole movie is about a guy trying to kill everyone, but most of the movie is spent screwing around in the training parts, which just makes it hilarious. 

Not only that, but the cast is just brilliant. Seriously, Samuel L. Jackson with a lisp? Best villain in existence. And don't forget Colin Firth, who is usually seen as much more of a tense character, totally kicks ass in this movie! I also think the guy who plays the main character, Taron Egerton, is worth mentioning because he did so amazingly in Kingsman. He really proved himself and I think he did brilliantly. Another thing I think people aren't mentioning enough about this movie is the soundtrack, which was amazing and really well done. It definitely added well to the story and were played at the perfect moments.

Obviously not everyone is going to love it, which is fine, but I honestly thought it was brilliant. The movie isn't very serious and is honestly hilarious. I would definitely recommend it, though it's probably only suitable for people 16+.

~The Elf

Maleficent (2014)

Maleficent (2014)

Movie Information:

"A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal - an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces a battle with the invading king's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom - and perhaps to Maleficent's true happiness as well." - Written by Walt Disney Pictures

My Review:

I was told multiple times by my friends that I had to see this movie, so I finally got around to it last week. I wasn't really looking forward to it because lately I've been getting really sick of fairy tale movies, but honestly it was still really good. It gives you a different view of the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty, which is always a good thing, plus it had a great cast! I mean, hello, Angelina Jolie! It isn't exactly a movie for a huge new take on the story line, but it's cute and it has some awesome actors and actresses in it. It's not a movie with huge impact or life changing double meanings, it's not very serious in my opinion, but it shows you the story in a new light and is definitely worth watching. It has a dragon in it! Totally worth it.

Also, I just really loved Sam Riley's character Diaval. He was just really cool and I would probably watch the movie again just for his character, but of course there's also Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning, both of which were great in this movie. It's a really adorable film, so I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind sitting through yet another retake of a fairy tale.

It's rated PG because some of the fight sequences and such would probably scare younger kids, not to mention Maleficent is quite intimidating and there are a few scenes that could upset a younger viewer, but for the most part it's enjoyable for young people. It's probably not something adults would really care about, but if you're into Disney at all, I'd definitely recommend it. Otherwise kids and teens would probably enjoy it most, keeping in mind that youngsters should probably be supervised.

In any case, it's a movie I would happily suggest to anyone, so check it out!

~The Elf