Summer Movie Review 1

So far this summer I have seen my share of movies.  However, in this article I will only focus on three. Stay tuned for more reviews! 

It is always interesting to see what re-makes will capture the essence of mixing the old with the new, as well as, what new life concepts have mirrored themselves on film.

Let’s start with the the remakes:

Rise of The Planet of the Apes is next on my list of movies to go see. From Charlton Heston’s character George Taylor’s famous line “Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape” to that weird romance between Mark Wahlberg and Estella Warren. This film franchise is sure to creep its audience out once again. The 2001 Tim Burton film received terrible reviews but still managed to make over 178 million at the box office.

Final Verdict:

Though I have not seen it yet, I’ll be honest my expectations are low for this second remake. Do not go in with High Expectations for a transcending film that will revolutionize the generation, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is not that. To be frank, It’s more like that Amusement Park experience where you want to ride something you are familiar with before taking on what’s brand new and exciting. Like the Wayan’s World rollercoaster at King’s Dominion, it’s nostalgic, a bit cheesy but ultimately a safe pick to get you started for your day’s amusement or entertainment.

Critiques of What I Seen:

Comic Book Movies:

It started this summer with X-Men: First Class:

This was a entertaining and enlightening film that ultimately was a pretty good pre-quel to the, Marvel Comic franchise. This film gave you a look back at a young Professor X and Magneto and how they worked together to establish the first school for mutants. For the most part the acting was pretty good. For all you guys out there, Zoe Kravitz will definitely satisfy your eye-candy cravings. Overall Grade=A-

Thor:

I really enjoyed this film. The acting was along the same lines, as Iron Man. Which isn’t bad considering there was a different director for this film. Jon Favreau directed Iron Man But needless to say the film does satisfy the urge of its audience. In the film, we are introduced to Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, (Star Trek) 

and learn his upbringing in this one. There is some action to satisfy the need for the film but more backstory to set up a sequel. Anthony Hopkins plays his father the King, who banishes his son Thor to earth. The reason behind his banishment is what fuels the story. If you are not a comic book fan or you did not like Iron Man, then you will not like this movie. However, if you are a fan of the films, definitely add this one to your repertoire. Overall Grade=A-

Stay Tuned for more Critiques from InsideTheBooK. Up next is Cowboys & Aliens, Crazy Stupid Love & The Green Lantern.

It's Time I Get to Know Kreayshawn

Who is Kreayshawn? That’s what I was wondering when I saw a Youtube pop-up ad for her new music video “Gucci Gucci”. I must admit at first glance I was like, “Ahh hell here we go, another over the top gimmick”. It turns out after watching the video, I like it just like the other 8.9 million people who have viewed the video.  I really liked the part when she says “I’m rolling up my catnip and S*****n in your litter”. It’s a very catchy flow and I appreciate her rapping about how such material things, like Prada and Gucci are basic. This song is a nice anthem for young hip hop girls today.

Honestly, she is a breath of fresh air! She is one of the answer’s to my previous post, “Hip Hop, Where is my lady”. The Oakland native takes her image seriously and really wants to make a difference and inspire women.  Though she respects other female artists, like Nicki Minaj, she doesn’t always agree with their message. As she mentions in a recent article, “No disrespect to [Nicki Minaj] because she’s got talent. But when it comes to inspiring young women, her message is to be a Barbie—to be plastic, to be fake, to all have blonde hair.” This type of response makes me lol! I appreciate her being honest and true and not being fake.  Some are even calling her the latest controversial white rapper.  

Despite how some may feel, she is on such an inspiring road for many to behold. I wonder if she even knows it. We shall see only time will tell. Her music resonates with me a great deal. I dig her originality and willingness to just be creative and raw. Like when she was rocking her Fred Flintstone hoody in her first video “Bumpin Bumpin”. Not everyone can do that and get away with it. Definitely a sought after artist rumor has it she has signed with Sony and Columbia for deals of over a million dollars. Whatever the truth is she is hot commodity in the industry today. She is a fresh new face making a lot of noise.

Even Lil Wayne, has taken notice as he rapped on the “Gucci Gucci” beat for his new mixtape. Although his hook and verses just totally blow away the substance of the original song, Wayne fans will still love it.  

Shaking My Head at this Ignorance-Wake Up People!

What’s up with corporate institutions supporting both sides of the political spectrum? Most people choose not to believe it or see it but Democrats and Republicans are managed, advised, and financially backed by many of the same people. It is so funny and sometimes disappointing and irritating how the average person does not know what their leaders, especially those in government are up to. Truthfully, some would rather not know and just live their lives in ignorant bliss until the dookie hits the fan and it comes to their front door.

This NewsCorp hacking situation has me in an uproar. I mean come on people, Obama sends troops to Libya without congress approval, now we find out this guy is News Corps leading recipient of donations. Really, Really? This does not strike anyone as odd? Hum I guess I’m comfortable with being the only person that reads, listens and interprets information. Oh not to mention News Corp is the same company that donates to other republican candidates like, Sarah Palin. We are talking about a company that is the parent company of many media outlets including The WallStreet Journal, The New York Post and Fox News.

I wonder sometimes with corporate interests owning and controlling all our news where the balance lies? As a journalist or reporter it seems like the more you cover sensational topics like Casey Anthony, The Royal Wedding or who just called who the N-word and others, the longer you stick around in your career. It was once about the research, it was once about the truth, it was once about having credible sources, and ultimately about informing and enlightening the people collectively. Now if you cover what’s going on inside and find out the truth about major figures in government or business they want to kill you or discredit you through the media and warp the public into believing ridiculousness about you.

Just take a look at what happened to the whistle blower and key witness to this News Corp phone hacking debacle. This guy is now dead and police say there was no foul play and its not suspicious at all. Wow! The world is truly ran by a MOB and if we collectively continue to go for it, do not be surprised if you or your loved ones end up sleeping with the fishes.

Success Talk From John Wooden

An inspiration to many worldwide, Coach John Wooden laid a foundation for what is truly success.  The former UCLA Basketball Coach is a champion multiple times over. To paraphrase his own words, Wooden never “ceased trying to be the best he could be”. I watched this clip from Ted.com where Wooden spoke to an audience on the definition of success.

Just his resume alone inspired his listeners. He was the coach of Hall of Famers such as Lou Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and Bill Walton. Oh yeah and lets not forget the guy won over 10 championships. Not to mention he was 98 years old when he was giving the speech, so it made his words that more precise and real because of his life experience.

Using old stories of past experiences in his profession, he was able to reflect on what decisions made him the man he was. Tossing a few jokes here and there within his speech enabled him to get a laugh from the audience and show them that he’s not always so serious or egotistical. Rather more wise in his approach.

His ability to create his own definition for success was carved out of his experiences as an English teacher. Wooden was against using the grading system of A, B or C to measure a person success. He did not feel it was an accurate measurement of how successful a person was, in the clip he says,“I wanted to come up with something that I hoped could make me a better teacher, and give the youngsters under my supervision -- whether it be in athletics or in the English classroom -- something to which to aspire, other than just a higher mark in the classroom, or more points in some athletic contest.”

Through this adversity, Wooden was able to carve out his definition of success that he described as, “peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you're capable”.  These are words from a legend I have admired all my life. His “7 point creed”,  and Pyramid of Success, involve principles I also try to live my life by and instill in others. Ultimately, this speech helped me develop a deeper understanding of what John Wooden meant to people in general not just basketball fans. I remember when I was a young athlete his name was always mentioned in many practices, and sports lectures. However, through living out my own life and gathering my own perspective I have found that Wooden’s life overall has so much of a deeper meaning to it than just basketball. By applying his definition to my life I can better determine what I am capable of and where I am likely to succeed. His life and what he stood for and lived by are a solid blueprint for what is success.

A lesson on Piracy and Industry Sales Value

The RIAA has resources that help explain the piracy issues facing the industry as well as offer sources that help you obtain legal content. Inside its Legal Music Services tab is a list full of online music retail stores. There are millions of legal downloads available from sites like Napster, ITunes, Pandora and AOLmusic. This provides a source for people to go to for music without the fear of being sued for illegal downloading. Ultimately, the sites are licensed by major record-companies to ensure legality and to make sure the money stays in the family. 

It’s no secret the music industry is losing money to piracy. I remember when I had a computer with a CD burner, which I would use to burn copies of music I downloaded onto writable Cd's for all of my friends. Little did I know that I was infringing on industry copyrights. Like many I could have lost everything I have before I even got anything. The same is true for most people; many of them do not know how piracy impacts the industry.

The RIAA does a good job of clarifying what Piracy is, who is affected most by it and what are the laws for it within its Piracy tab. It is astounding how much of a decline has resulted within the industry. Although digital sales are outranking the traditional compact disc, according to the RIAA the music business has increased its digital revenues by 1,000 percent from 2004 to 2010. However, digital music theft has helped the overall global market decline of around 31 percent in the same period. 

 NPD reports that only 37 percent of music acquired by U.S. consumers in 2009 was paid for. These are necessary numbers to pay attention to. If you do not know the laws, this association is there to help you understand. With the data on public record it makes it easier for everyone to recognize the problem and not just dismiss it as hearsay.

As an artist these numbers scare me a bit. I wonder how I will compete in an industry where there are more people working than it is money to pay them. This is a reason why many artist pursuing there careers independently never merge with the record companies. They have multiple ways to sell their music but yet they’re not making money fast enough. Digital downloads hurt the value of the industry too. The impulse of the consumer is not as high for an album as it would be for a single they can download off the Internet. Ultimately, it seems like the RIAA has taken efforts to help re-establish the value of the industry. Educating its consumers on a major industry issue could prove helpful overtime. 

Really? Rick Perry for President? Huh?

The GOP presidential candidate race is one of hypocrisy and hilarity. I'm all for Ron Paul getting the nod, my views seem to match up with a lot of his. Though he may not when the nod I am sure he will enlighten many people to subjects not normally discussed. Like auditing the fed, closing our borders and pulling out of our wars.

Then there's Newt Gingrich, Herman Caine, Mitt Romney, and two of America's favorite narcissists, Sarah Palin and Donald Trump. Aside from providing the media with sensational story lines like Obama's birth certificate or a new book release, many of these candidates do not stand a chance against the man Rush Limbaugh is begging to run, Ex-Texas Governor, Rick Perry.

Oh yeah, this guy is exactly what we want in a president. A flip-flopper, I mean come on he was once a Democrat and Karl Rove convinced him to change to Republican. Really, Karl Rove was your saving grace or seed of enlightenment. All I can say is SMH um um um. The text generation feels me. But really, Rick Perry? huh? This guy is just your regular dictator who bows down and sucks the teet of more power and control. As do many who attend these Bilderberg meetings like governor Perry. He says he's not running but we shall see. Do not be surprised if this guy is your next President. With the way everyone just bows down to the guys in the suits, I am sure Governor Perry can coerce the people into anything, as he did in Texas with that anti-cancer vaccine. Some people died as result but that doesn't stop people from placing him on their top list of leaders. 

But it seems this is what we want or expect of the people who run our country. It is as if bad leadership is the status quo. People need to stop respecting the position of the leader and start analyzing and judging the leaders actions and integrity. A good sound bite is not worth 4 or more years of hypocrisy and unethical decision-making. Come on really? It's as if politics really is Hollywood for ugly people. All this propaganda and cover-up it's just ridiculous. I'm all for a real candidate like Ron Paul. However, he can't be the only one. More people should take the steps to conduct research and be bold in their society. 

I tell you is there anyone out there who has integrity that is not laced with evil. It's so disgusting that so many professionals and leaders are continuing to put corporate and government interests first instead of the people. There are real issues here in America, instead of getting rich off of discussing and arguing about them we should try solving them and bringing forth enlightenment.

Hip Hop, Where is my Lady?

Where is My Lady?

When listening to hip hop music today one can’t help but wonder sometimes, where the “Lady” went? Long gone are the years when female MC’s like Queen Latifah, TLC or MC Lyte dominated Hip Hop culture. These women and others represented the face of women in urban environments and encouraged them to be a lady, stick together and stand up for what they represent. At one point, it was ok to tell the masses of women that you are not a bitch or a ho. Now it has become socially acceptable to be one. With mainstream artists encouraging more sex, same sex behavior, drug use and other irresponsible acts, it makes it hard to consider the new Female MC a lady.
To some there is a misconception of what a lady is. Many think the definition of a lady is a polite female who thinks of herself to be good or better than others. Though not entirely false, however, I maintain that most of the time a Lady typically is representative of the decency of her gender. Call it the counterpart to a gentleman or the female equivalent of a Lord. A Lady exudes things like order, confidence, enlightenment and tranquility. These are all traits that we see in a lady but can’t touch. The intangible characteristics are the things that empower a lady. It is unfortunate that today our female MC’s encourage the opposite in their gender.
It’s as if women have liberated themselves too much. What I mean is there is no unity involved that upholds or conserves their values and traditions. It’s as if they’re bounded by false liberation and their mirage of endless opportunities, incapable of truly seeing themselves for who they truly are.
Years ago they (female MC’s) did not want to see themselves being represented as uneducated, promiscuous, bi-sexual, or drug addicts. Nowadays that is more the exception than the rule. The first person women look to for advice on how to be a lady are there mainstream leaders. How can Nicki Minaj, today’s leading mainstream female MC show other women what they should value. With songs that depict women as the opposite of a lady, it’s as if there is nothing to value or nothing to conserve.

By being so open and free figuratively and literally, they now have nothing to hold on to; in some cases not even their mind, body and soul. Long gone is the female MC who liberates the mind, and the spirit of her gender. Where has the lady gone? As a hip hop fan I miss her and I wonder will she ever come back.

http://www.hiphoparchive.org/prepare-yourself/women-hiphop