Movie Review: True Grit

The Western genre has always appealed to me. I've seen a good number of classic westerns, including a good deal of Clint Eastwood's classics. When it comes to True Grit, I haven't seen the John Wayne original, I have heard great things about it, but haven't gotten around to seeing it. On the other hand, The Coen Brothers update of True Grit, is the best western I have seen in quite some time.

True Grit tells the story of Mattie Ross(Hailee Steinfield), whose father was brutally murdered by an outlaw drifter named Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Determined to catch Chaney and see him hung for his crime, Mattie seeks help of Marshal Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track Chaney down. Skeptical at first, Cogburn reluctantly agrees to Mattie's offer. Also along for the ride is Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Matt Damon), who is in pursuit to bring down Chaney for the murder of a Texas senator.

True Grit is a hell of a western. The Coen Brothers are the main reason this works so well. In the hands of lesser directors, this could have been a disaster, but The Coen Brothers' immense talent is on display here. Their script crackles with wit, humor, and sharp dialogue. It's great to see them bring their trademark style to a true western (No Country For Old Men could be considered a modern western due to its setting). Each scene is finely tuned and well thought out; the Coen are true craftsman at directing.

The acting is also superb. Jeff Bridges does a damn fine job as Cogburn, embracing the character and playing him as an old,miserable drunk. He also shows off his comedic skills which haven't been on display since his turn as The Dude in The Big Lebowski. Bridges' performance here makes me forget about the abnomination that was Tron: Legacy (which did the impossible, make Bridges looks like a bad actor). I also have to give major kudos to Haliee Stienfeld. She's only 14 years old, but I can say her performance in this film should help her gain a long and successful career. She has the talent and poise of an actress twice her age.

The one gripe that I had with this film that single-handedly dropped this out of my top 5 for the year, was the fact that the entire premise of the film, the tracking down of Chaney, was resolved with very little build-up or tension. Brolin only has about 10 minutes of screen time total. I found the ending to be very anti-climatic and it lowered the quality of the film a little bit.

Still, True Grit is a great film. This is the Coen Brothers most accessible film to date and as usual, they knock it out of the park. Their script and direction is brilliant. The acting is dynamite all around and I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff Bridges and Haliee Stienfeld pick up Oscar nods, they deserve them. True Grit is the best western since Unforgiven.

4.5/5 Stars

A Couple of Quick Movie Reviews

I saw another couple of 2010 releases on DVD recently, here are my quick reviews.

Legion: The only reason I watched this film was because it was on Instant Watch on Netflix and I am trying to hit my goal of 50 2010 films before the end of the year. Legion is a serious mess of a movie. Way too dumb and unintentionally funny to be entertaining. Throw in some overacting and a nonsensical ending and you have a recipe for one of the worst films of 2010.
1.5/5 Stars

Green Zone: Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon team up once again for this Iraq-war drama. This is actually a pretty good film. It blends action, drama and a message pretty nicely. Matt Damon turn in a respectable performance here as well. It does get a little bogged down towards the end which takes away from the film a bit, Still it's a nice little action/drama film.
3.5/5 Stars

Movie Review: Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky's is one of the most ambitious filmmakers of our time. After his most straight-forward( but still fantastic) The Wrestler, he goes back to his signature style with Black Swan. Black Swan bends your mind in the signature Aronofsky style.

Black Swan centers around Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman). Nina is a dancer in a New York ballet company. Nina gets her big break when the director of the ballet Leroy (Vincent Cassel), when he casts Nina as the lead in Swan Lake. Nina will be playing both the White and Black Swan in the play. As Nina prepares for the role, she begins to become overwhelmed with pressure. In addition to the pressure, she becomes jealous of a new dancer named Lily (Mila Kunis) and begins to lose her grasp on reality.

Black Swan is an experience. This is an intense film that also acts as a workout on the psyche. It's basically the definition of a mindfuck. You don't know what's real and what's not. This film left me in absolute awe after watching. The entire film is filled with nice little surprises and Darren Aronofsky's manic, artistic style. Only a director like him could make a film like this. He knows how to engage an audience so perfectly and he is truly a craftsman when it comes to filmmaking.

A big reason this film works so well is the performance of Natalie Portman. Watching her character's transformation from innocent dancer to unstable lunatic is fascinating to watch. Portman deserves some serious Oscar consideration for this role. Rarely do you see an actress make such a transformation into her character. Portman's performance is excellent, deep, disturbing, sensual and at times, strangely gorgeous.

Black Swan is a movie that will stick with you after viewing. I saw this film on Tuesday and it took me a few days to write this review, this is a film that needs to sink in for a little while before you form your views on it. It's a highly disturbing, brutal film that twists your mind and doesn't let go. This goes beyond a film, it's a piece of dark art. Darren Aronofsky is a twisted genius, he is one of the most original directors in Hollywood today. Natalie Portman is superb and Milia Kunis gives a great performance as well. Black Swan is a masterpiece that will have you thinking about it for weeks afterwards.

4.5/5 Stars

Mayhem Fest 2011 Rumors

As usual, with the Mayhem Fest lineup announcement coming at the end of January, the rumor mill is working overtime. Normally, half the lineup is known by this point in time, but this year there is conflicting information and no one really has a clue who will be on it. These are the bands that are being heavily rumored to be in talks.
Disturbed
System Of A Down
Godsmack
Deftones
All That Remains
As I Lay Dying
Skeletonwitch
Cradle Of Filth
Dimmu Borgir
Unearth
Trivium
Devildriver
Kingdom Of Sorrow
Children Of Bodom
Born Of Osiris
All Shall Perish
Rammstein
Darkest Hour

We'll see how many of these bands actually end up on there. Arch Enemy,Children Of Bodom, Cradle Of Filth and Trivium are all playing Wacken in Germany, so they most likely won't be there, but Bullet For My Valentine played Wacken in 2009 and were still on Mayhem. I hope the 2011 lineup is another good one for Mayhem and I am eager to find out what bands will actually play.

Movie Review: Tron: Legacy

Oh lord another December, another shitfest blockbuster that I had zero interest in seeing that I ended up seeing against my will. Last year around the same time, I saw Avatar. I'm not going into detail about that experience right now, but let's say I didn't enjoy it. Tron: Legacy suffers from the same issues as Avatar, it's a high-budget ball of shit with almost zero redeeming qualities.

Tron: Legacy picks up where the first installment left off, but let's be honest did anyone really see the original? Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) disappears in 1989, after telling his son about "The Grid" and two programs known as Tron and Clu that are assisting him creating the perfect virtual world. Fast forward twenty years and Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) is still haunted by his father's disappearance. After a visit from one of his dad's best friend's Alan (Bruce Boxletiner) informing him of a page he got from his dad's old arcade, Sam pays a visit to the arcade. When Sam arrives to the arcade, he discovers the world that his dad has created. The world Kevin Flynn has created has been overrun by Clu(also played by Bridges). Sam needs to help out his father and help overrun Clu and regain control of the world his father created.

Tron: Legacy is a steaming turd of a film. It seriously fails at everything it tries to do. For a movie that's supposed to have these crazy action scenes, it falls way short in that department. In it's 2 hour runtime, there is about 3 action scenes and they are all terrible. It seriously feels like you are watching a Beyblade cartoon. You really don't see action this poorly done very often. The storyline is also fucking stupid, the story is paper thin and nonsensical. This wouldn't be such a big issue if it didn't try to develop it so strongly. The entire movie is trying to build this epic, super-serious plot when it's completely unaware how cheesy and flat-out fucking dumb it is. The acting is also god awful. Garrett Hedlund looks baffled the entire duration of the film and is one of the worst heroes in recent memory. You know your film is in trouble when one of the finest actors around, Jeff Bridges, turns in a weak performance. This is the worst performance I have ever seen from the normally spectacular Bridges, Apparently the dog shit acting virus was contagious on set.

Sure Tron: Legacy is nice to look at, but it's pretty much the film equivalent of owning a Ferrari with no motor, it's nice to look at, but it's fucking useless. This is pretty much the 2010 version of Avatar. It's an overhyped, fanboy-driven machine that takes itself way too seriously, has lame action, cheesy dialogue, and weak acting. Outside of the visuals and Daft Punk's soundtrack, Tron: Legacy is a heavy handed turd ball that highly underwhelms as a film and delivers no thrills or excitement. This holiday season, do yourself a favor, stay home and do anything at all, it will spare you the pain of watching Tron: Legacy.

1.5/5 Stars

Movie Review: The Fighter

It's December, when means awards season is right around the corner. December is the month were most of the studios release their Oscar Bait films and quite frankly, it's an exciting time of the year for film. As a film fan, it's exciting to see the award contenders to see what films are worthy of the hype and the ones that fall short. The Fighter is in the former camp and is deserving of all of the nominations it's getting.

The Fighter tells the true story of "Irish" Micky Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg), a boxer from Lowell, Massachusetts. Ward had struggled to breakout in his career, considered to be a stepping stone for better fighters. Ward is trained by his brother Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale), an ex-boxer who once fought Sugar Ray Leonard. The rest of Ward's family especially his mother, Alice (Melissa Leo) are highly involved in his boxing career. After Dickie is thrown in jail for his violent and destructive behavior due to his drug addiction, Micky decides it would be in his best intrest to move on without his mother and brother. Micky begins to achieve success and rise up the ranks of the fight ladder. Once Dickie is released from jail, Micky has to chose between continuing with his current trainer or his family which have caused problems in the past.

The Fighter delievers on all levels. This isn't just a film about boxing, it's a story about family and the issues they can cause. The acting all around is top-notch. Mark Wahlberg does a fine job as Ward. He is a charismatic, likeable underdog that you want to see succeed and reach his goals. The film is really stolen by Christian Bale and Amy Adams. Bale is scary good as Dickie Eklund. He gets so in to his character, that you seriously believe that he is a drug addict. Bale is pretty much a lock for the Best Supporting Actor, his performance is outstanding. Adams is equally effective as Ward's girlfriend, Charlene. It's such a drastic change in characters for Adams to be playing and she proves she is up to the challenge. She really took a risk playing this character and it pays off big time.

Another aspect The Fighter did a great job with was the fight scenes. The boxing sequences are brutal and highly realistic. You can feel the intensity of each punch. I really don't think I have seen another boxing film with fight scenes this good. These fight scenes are expertly done.

The Fighter is one of the absolute best films of 2010. It's expertly acted, written, deep and winning film. Bale and Adams are more than deserving of Oscars and are really a marvel to watch. They captured the sport of boxing with a biting realism. The Fighter is much more than a boxing film, it's a story of an underdog, it's a story about family and it's a story about overcoming turmoil and every obstacle imaginable to achieve your dream. The Fighter should get some recognition around Oscar time and rightfully so, it's a brilliant film.

4.5/5 Stars

2010 In Music: A Year In Review.

2010 was a solid year for music. 2010 had a hard act to follow after 2009, which was the best year for music in recent memory. 2010 did have a fair share of letdowns (Kylesa, Exodus,Eminem, Arsis,Rob Zombie), surprises(Deftones,Annotations Of An Autopsy) and killer debuts (Black Breath,Howl,Son Of Auerlius). Overall, 2010 was a pretty good year for music. Looking on to the future, 2011 has a lot of great artists releasing new material so next year should be great. Here is my ranking of every single EP and Full Length that I listened to this year complete with star ratings.

EP's
4.The Devil Wears Prada-Zombie EP(3.5/5)
3.Chiddy Bang-The Preview(3.5/5)
2.Atmosphere-To All My Friends,Blood Makes The Blade Holy: The Atmosphere EP's(4/5)
1.Fleshgod Apocalypse-Mafia(4/5)

LP's
57.Eminem Recovery(1.5/5)
56.Carnifex-Hell Chose Me(1.5/5)
55. Bring Me The Horizon-There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret.(1.5/5)
54.Godsmack-The Oracle(1.5/5)
53.Iron Maiden-The Final Frontier(1.5/5)
52.Rob Zombie-Hellbilly Deluxe 2(2/5)
51.Bullet For My Valentine-Fever(2.5/5)
50.Disturbed-Aslyum(2.5/5)
49.Avenged Sevenfold-Nightmare(2.5/5)
48.Black Tusk-Taste The Sin(2.5/5)
47.Mutiny Within-Mutiny Within(2.5/5)
46.Exodus-Exhibit B: The Human Condition(2.5/5)
45.Fear Factory-Mechanize(2.5/5)
44.Kylesa-Spiral Shadow(2.5/5)
43.The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza-Danza III: A Series Of Unfortunate Events(3/5)
42.A Day To Remember-What Separates Me From You(3/5)
41.Demon Hunter-The World Is A Thorn(3/5)
40.Miss May I-Monument(3/5)
39.Beneath The Sky-In Loving Memory(3/5)
38.Arsis-Starve For The Devil(3/5)
37.Nachtmystium-Addicts: Black Meddle Part 2(3/5)
36.Abigail Williams-In The Absence Of Light(3.5/5)
35.Korn-Korn III: Remember Who You Are(3.5/5)
34.Cephalic Carnage-Misled By Certainty(3.5/5)
33.Dark Tranquility-We Are The Void(3.5/5)
32.Cancer Bats-Bears,Mayors,Scraps and Bones(3.5/5)
31.GWAR-Bloody Pit Of Horror(3.5/5)
30.Whitechapel-A New Era Of Corruption(3.5/5)
29.Parkway Drive-Deep Blue(3.5/5)
28.Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers-Mojo(3.5/5)
27.After The Burial-In Dreams(3.5/5)
26.Through The Eyes Of The Dead-Skepsis(3.5/5)
25.Deftones-Diamond Eyes(3.5/5)
24.Terror-Keepers Of The Faith(4/5)
23.All That Remains-For We Are Many...(4/5)
22.Bison B.C-Dark Ages(4/5)
21.Eluveitie-Everything Remains As It Never Was(4/5)
20.War Of Ages-Eternal(4/5)
19.Veil Of Maya-(id)(4/5)
18.Black Breath-Heavy Breathing(4/5)
17.Vampire Weekend-Contra(4/5)
16.Annotations Of An Autopsy-II: The Reign Of Darkness(4/5)
15.The Acacia Strain-Wormwood(4/5)
14.Finntroll-Nifelvind(4/5)
13.Coheed and Cambria-Year Of The Black Rainbow(4/5)
12.Unleashed-As Ygdrasil Trembles(4/5)
11.Volbeat-Beyond Hell/Above Heaven(4/5)
10.Son Of Auerlius-The Farthest Reaches(4/5)
9.Howl-Full Of Hell(4/5)
8.Nas/Damian Marley-Distant Relatives(4/5)
7.Landmine Marathon-Sovereign Descent(4/5)
6.The Sword-Warp Riders(4/5)
5.Overkill-Ironbound(4.5/5)
4.Intronaut-Valley Of Smoke(4.5/5)
3.High On Fire-Snakes For The Divine(4.5/5)
2.As I Lay Dying-The Powerless Rise(4.5/5)
1.The Dillinger Escape Plan-Option Paralysis(5/5)

Albums I heard bits and pieces of, but not enough to rank
Sick Of It All-Based On A True Story
The Ocean-Heliocentric
Stone Sour-Audio Secrecy
Heathen-Evolution Of Chaos
Oceano-Contagion
Decrepit Birth-Polarity
Chelsea Grin-Desloation Of Eden(I really wish I hadn't heard of this)
Kingdom Of Sorrow-Behind The Blackest Tears
Periphery-Periphery
Torche-Songs For Singles
Arcade Fire-The Suburbs

Albums I didn't the chance to listen to that I plan to check in the future
Watain-Lawless Darkness
The Red Shore-The Avarice Of Man
Conducting From The Grave-Revenants
Orbs-Asleep Next To Science
Cruel Hand-Lock and Key
Misery Index-Heirs To Theivery
The Damned Things-Ironiclast
Johnny Cash-American VI: Ain't No Grave
Triptykon-Eparistera Daimones

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009) Recap

Here is the complete list/recap of my picks for albums of the decade, as well as some records that just missed the cut.

Best Albums Of The Decade 2000-2009
100.Cannibal Corpse-Kill(2006)
99.Korn-Take A Look In The Mirror(2003)
98.Atmosphere-When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold(2008)
97.Chimaira-The Impossibilty Of Reason(2003)
96.Arch Enemy-Doomsday Machine(2005)
95.Nas-Untitled(2008)
94.Pantera-Reinventing The Steel(2000)
93.Machine Head-The Blackening(2007)
92.Rise Against-The Sufferer and The Witness(2006)
91.Madvillain-Madvillainy(2004)
90.Darkest Hour-Deliver Us(2007)
89.Amon Amarth-With Oden On Our Side(2006)
88.Andrew W.K-I Get Wet(2001)
87.Unearth-III: In The Eyes Of Fire(2006)
86.Between The Buried and Me-The Silent Circus(2003)
85.The Red Chord-Fed Through The Teeth Machine(2009)
84.Incubus-A Crow Left Of The Murder...(2004)
83.Municipal Waste-Hazardous Mutation(2005)
82.Rammstien-Mutter(2001)
81.Rob Zombie-The Sinister Urge(2001)
80.Baroness-Red Album(2007)
79.Jedi Mind Tricks-Violent By Design(2000)
78.Foo Fighters-In Your Honor(2005)
77.Protest The Hero-Fortress(2008)
76.3 Inches Of Blood-Advance and Vanquish(2004)
75.System Of A Down-Mezmerize(2005)
74.All That Remains-The Fall Of Ideals(2006)
73.Avenged Sevenfold-City Of Evil(2005)
72.Killswitch Engage-As Daylight Dies(2006)
71.Lamb Of God-Sacrament(2006)
70.Baroness-Blue Record(2009)
69.Lazarus A.D-The Onslaught(2009)
68.System Of A Down-Hypnotize(2005)
67.Eminem-The Eminem Show(2002)
66.Municipal Waste-The Art Of Partying(2007)
65.Lacuna Coil-Karmacode(2006)
64.Alice In Chains-Black Gives Way To Blue(2009)
63.Tool-10,000 Days(2006)
62.Lamb Of God-As The Palaces Burn(2003)
61.Converge-Jane Doe(2001)
60.Goatwhore-Carving Out The Eyes Of God(2009)
59.Skeletonwitch-Breathing The Fire(2009)
58.Immortal Technique-Revloutionary Vol.2(2003)
57.Intronaut-Prehistorcisms(2008)
56.God Forbid-Earthsblood(2009)
55.High On Fire-Death Is This Communion(2007)
54.3 Inches Of Blood-Fire Up The Blades(2007)
53.Behemoth-Evangellion(2009)
52.Jedi Mind Tricks-Visions Of Ghandi(2003)
51.Muse-Absolution(2003)
50.Slipknot-All Hope Is Gone(2008)
49.The Dillinger Escape Plan-Ire Works(2007)
48.Doom-Born Like This(2009)
47.Between The Buried and Me-Alaska(2006)
46.Disturbed-The Sickness(2000)
45.Megadeth-Endgame(2009)
44.Down-Down III: Over The Under(2007)
43.Lamb Of God-Wrath(2009)
42.Unearth-The March(2008)
41.Outkast-Speakerboxxx/The Love Below(2003)
40.Skeletonwitch-Beyond The Permafrost(2007)
39.Gojira-The Way Of All Flesh(2008)
38.The Black Dahlia Murder-Miasma(2005)
37.Killswitch Engage-Alive Or Just Breathing(2002)
36.As I Lay Dying-Shadows Are Security(2005)
35.Mastodon-Remission(2002)
34.Linkin Park-Meteora(2003)
33.Queens Of The Stone Age-Lullabies To Paralyze(2005)
32.The Faceless-Planetary Duality(2008)
31.The Black Dahlia Murder-Nocturnal(2007)
30.The Dillinger Escape Plan-Miss Machine(2004)
29.Hatebreed-The Rise Of Brutality(2003)
28.Atmosphere-God Loves Ugly(2002)
27.The Black Dahlia Murder-Deflorate(2009)
26.Coheed and Cambria-In Keeping Secrets Of Slient Earth: 3(2003)
25,The Red Chord-Clients(2005)
24.The Mars Volta-Frances The Mute(2005)
23.Coheed and Cambria-Good Apollo I'm Buring Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness(2005)
22.Atmosphere-Seven's Travels(2003)
21.Children Of Bodom-Hate Crew Deathroll(2003)
20.Behemoth-Demigod(2004)
19.MF Doom-MM..Food(2004)
18.Mastodon-Crack The Skye(2009)
17.Outkast-Stankonia(2000)
16.Muse-Black Holes and Revelations(2006)
15.Queens Of The Stone Age-Songs For The Deaf(2002)
14.Linkin Park-Hybrid Theory(2000)
13.High On Fire-Blessed Black Wings(2005)
12.Lamb Of God-Ashes Of The Wake(2004)
11.Jedi Mind Tricks-Servants In Heaven,Kings In Hell(2006)
10.Killswitch Engage-End Of Heartache(2004)
9.Eminem-The Marshall Mathers LP(2000)
8.Gojira-From Mars To Sirus(2005)
7.In Flames-Clayman(2000)
6.Children Of Bodom-Follow The Reaper(2000)
5.System Of A Down-Toxicity(2001)
4.Between The Buried and Me-Colors(2007)
3.Mastodon-Leviathan(2004)
2.Between The Buried and Me-The Great Misdirect(2009)
1.Mastodon-Blood Mountain(2006)

Honorable Mentions:
Suffocation-Souls To Deny(2004)
The Faceless-Akeldama(2006)
Nile-Those Whom The Gods Detest(2009)
Nile-Annihillation Of The Wicked(2005)
Hatebreed-Hatebreed(2009)
System Of A Down-Steal This Album!(2002)
Dark Tranquility-Character(2005)
Shadows Fall-The War Within(2004)
Nas-Stillmatic(2001)
Blink-182-Take Off Your Pants and Jacket(2001)

Quick Movie Reviews For Films I Have Recently Seen On DVD.

I have seen a number of 2010 films in the past month on DVD. Since these films came out in theaters a few months ago, I am not going to write full-length reviews for them. Here are my thoughts on these films.

Toy Story 3: The first two Toy Story films were among my favorite films as a kid. I heard so much hype about Toy Story 3 prior to seeing it. Thankfully, it lives up to the hype. This is a really great closer to the franchise. It has all the fun and laughs of the previous two. Pixar has hit another home run and Toy Story 3 is pretty much a lock for the top 10 of 2010.
4.5/5 Stars

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: From living up to the hype to falling way short of it. When Scott Pilgrim was first released, I wanted nothing to do with it. I thought it looked god awful. I saw Scott Pilgrim because of the overwhelmingly positive reaction it got. While it's not a bad film, its really nothing special. I spent the entire duration of the film expecting it to get better, but it never did. It had it's moments for sure and I did laugh a decent amount, it's just not that funny. I just don't really get the hype behind this one.
3/5 Stars

Jonah Hex:Man, what a wasted opportunity. Jonah Hex could have been a hard-R,gritty, bad-ass action flick, instead it settles for a Wild Wild West ripoff. The biggest issue with this film is the editing, it feel like it was cut with a scalpel. It runs a brief 81 minutes and the film feels like it is missing big pieces. John Malkovich is such a horrible villain, hands down worst performance of his career. Josh Brolin does do a good job as Hex and a couple of the action scenes are kind of cool, but it's not enough to save this film. Not as bad as it has been made out to be, but it's still far from good .
2/5 Stars

A Nightmare On Elm Street: I'm not a big horror fan, but I've always like the original A Nightmare On Elm Street. Freddy Kruger is such an iconic character and Wes Craven's original is a horror classic. This reboot is actually pretty decent. Jackie Earle Haley carries the film as Freddy. He is just as creepy as Robert Englund in the role and his performance alone is enough to make this worth watching. A Nightmare On Elm Street is not without it's flaws and bad acting, but it's a decent remake that's worth your time.
3/5 Stars

Grown Ups: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider team up and the results are mixed. The first 30 minutes are actually very funny. It does lose steam throughout the rest of the film though. The cast is very likeable and it's nice to see them all in the same film. Not nearly as good as it could of have been, but it also could have been a lost worse.
3/5 Stars

Robin Hood: Ridley Scott's take on Robin Hood is a good one. The action sequences are really well done. Scott has a niche for creating awesome battle sequences and this is no expection. Russell Crowe does a good job as always in the role of Robin Hood. This film is a lot like Scott and Crowe's 2000 collaboration Gladiator, except not as good. Robin Hood is an enjoyable ride and a pretty good way to spend 2+ hours.
3.5/5 Stars

Movie Review: 127 Hours

As I mentioned in the previous post, I have really put off writing this review. I saw this film a couple of weeks ago I just did not got around to writing this review.

In 2003, I remember being amazed when hearing about the story of Aron Ralston. Aron Ralston had his arm trapped by a boulder inside of an isolated canyon in Utah for 5 days before he decided to amputate his arm to save his life. Ralston's story is one of bravery and courage and 127 Hours captures his story.

In 127 Hours, James Franco portrays Aron Ralston. Franco's performance is outstanding. He is just about the only character in the entire film and he pretty much carries the entire film on his back. He gets extremely emotionally invested in the performance and showcases every bit of talent he has as an actor. Sometimes I forget how great of an actor Franco is. This is the toughest role he has ever played and he nails it. Though I haven't really seen any of the other Oscar Bait films yet, I would say Franco is a leading contender for Best Actor.

127 Hours examines Ralston in-depth. Nothing is left to the imagination. You can really feel his struggles and they are documented to the fullest extent. It is fascinating to watch Ralston go through the stages of denial, depression, insanity, and in the end,triumph. Danny Boyle really deserves a lot of credit for setting the tense mood. The camera angles he chose and his style of direction are very effective and add a really intense touch to the film.

127 Hours is a great and deep film. It's highly emotional and by the end of the film, inspiring. James Franco gives a career-defining performance. The depth and power he gives to the role of Aron Ralston is astonishing. Franco really doesn't get enough credit as an actor and hopefully this performance gives him the respect he deserves. 127 Hours prevails as an inspiring piece of cinema.

4/5 Stars

Coming Attractions

Attention All( and by all I mean the 2-3 people that read my blog on a consistent basis)
I've got a bunch of shit i've been working on for the next weeks. First off, I going to finally post a review of 127 Hours. I saw it weeks ago, I just never wrote a review for it. Also, next week i'm going to post my year-end music list. My year-end film wrap-up will be completed in January after I see some more films this month in theaters and on DVD. I expect to see True Grit,The Fighter and Black Swan this month, so reviews for those should appear this month. In addition to these, I am also working on a couple of longer pieces that should fun. As always, thank you for reading my blog, I value each and every person that reads this. It means the world to me and stay tuned for this stuff and more!

Chris Maitland

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #1

1.Mastodon-Blood Mountain(2006)

Not only is Blood Mountain my favorite album of the decade, it's my favorite album of all time. I have never heard a perfect album in my entire life. Blood Mountain blends together seemlessly their progessive and heavy elements. The record is full of brilliance and each song is layered,complex and bad-ass. From the thunderous drum intro on "The Wolf Is Loose" to the Star-Wars esque prog-fest "Sleeping Giant", Mastodon's verstillity is prominent throughout The riffs, as usual, are epic and the drumming by Brann Dailor is unreal. The production is crystal clear and the album sounds prestine. Blood Mountain is an absolutely unreal album that continues blow my mind even 4 years later.

Standout Tracks 1.The Wolf Is Loose 2.Crystal Skull 3.Circle Of Cysquatch

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #2

2.Between The Buried and Me-The Great Misdirect(2009)

After their 2007 mastepiece Colors, Between The Buried and Me pushed the boundaries of music even further with The Great Misdirect. The Great Misdirect is a crushing, complex, whirlwind of a record. The experimentation and tempo changes are astonshing. With these frantic tempo changes, Tommy Rodgers shines. He has never sounded better and proves yet again why he is one of the best vocalists around. The Great Misdirect excels on so many levels and Between The Buried and Me created another stirring piece of art.

Standout Tracks 1.Disease, Injury,Madness 2.Swim To The Moon 3.Fossil Genera-A Feed From Cloud Mountain

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #3

3.Mastodon-Leviathan(2004)

"Leviathan" is the reason that I fell in love with Mastodon's music. This was the first record I heard from them after hearing "Iron Tusk", I knew I had a new favorite band. The whole record hits hard. It's jammed packed with some of the best riffs ever crafted. The riffs alone sold me on the record. Later on after hearing "Remission", I enjoyed the inclusion of the progessive elements that really wern't present on "Remission". It added even more depth to Mastodon's sound. "Leviathan" is a behemoth of a record that is as immense as the Moby Dick concept that encompasses it.

Standout Tracks 1.Iron Tusk 2.Blood and Thunder 3.Megalodon

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #4

4.Between The Buried and Me-Colors(2007)

In 2007, Between The Buried and Me made one of the most ambitious records ever released. Colors takes such a wide variety of influences and it translates to one hell of a record. What struck me the most about Colors is just how perfect everything is. Drastic tempo changes and experimental sections of certain tracks including "Ants Of The Sky" with it's western banjo and "Informal Gluttony: with it's Middle-Eastern scales. These are such different and unique elements to have in a record and the inclusion of these elements are dynamite. Between The Buried and Me was coming off two great records with "The Silent Circus" and "Alaska" and Colors blows them out of the water. Colors is heavy,pretty,creative and just flat out fucking spectacular.

Standout Tracks 1.White Walls 2.Ants Of The Sky 3.Foam Born B: Decade Of Statues

Album Review: After The Burial-In Dreams

"In Dreams", the long awaited 3rd release from fast-rising Minnesota act After The Burial is finally here. Since their last record "Rareform", After The Burial has risen substainally in popularity and picked up a new vocalist. "In Dreams" makes some changes to After The Burial's sound, but nothing too drastic and it works for them.

The biggest difference from "Rareform" to "In Dreams", is new vocalist Anthony Notarmaso. This is his first release of new material with them (ATB re-recorded "Rareform" with Nottarmaso on vocals last year), and he rises to the occasion. I would actually say he fits the band better than their previous vocalist. "In Dreams", also features clean vocals, which "Rareform" did not. There has been a lot of complaining about the use of clean vocals on this record. I will say they aren't the greatest vocals ever, but they aren't the complete travesty some fans are making it out to be. I actually liked the clean vocals on "To Carry You Away", they fit the song well and gave the track some more depth.

"In Dreams", for the most part keeps the After The Burial sound in tack. The progessive riffing and overall vibe of opener "My Frailty", is very "Rareform"-esque. This what After The Burial likes to do, be heavy and have nice little progessive sections. "In Dreams" has plenty of groove and progessiveness to go around. The tempo-changes are improved from "Rareform", they seem to flow more seemlessly this time around.

"In Dreams" is worth checking out. After The Burial has a ton of talent, their guitarwork is excelllent and they are quite a few great riffs here. Anthony Notarmaso does a fine job on vocals and he is probably the best vocalist After The Burial has ever had. "In Dreams" might take After The Burial in a slightly different direction, but their core sound is still in place and it's another solid release from them.
3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.My Frailty
2.Your Troubles Will Cease and Fourtune Smiles Upon You
3.To Carry You Away

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #5

5.System Of A Down-Toxicity(2001)

There are not too many albums I would refer to as "game changers", Toxicity is one of them. Toxicity shines through with it's unique sound and true brilliance. Toxicity will stick with you, even on the first listen. It has a such range, it's serious, it's funny, it's all over the place. System Of A Down approaches each theme with the same passion and that makes for some dam fine songwriting. Toxicity is an instant classic that will influence and spellbind metal and non-metal fans alike forever.

Standout Tracks 1.Deer Dance 2.Needles 3.Toxicity

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #6

6.Children Of Bodom-Follow The Reaper(2000)

With their 3rd record, Follow The Reaper, Children Of Bodom grew up and finally created the masterpiece they were capable. Not to say "Something Wild" or "Hatebreeder" are bad, it's just that Follow The Reaper puts it to shame. Follow The Reaper is just mind-blowingly well done. Alexi Laiho's guitarwork is just sensentional, the solos on this record are perfect and memorable. The dueling keyboard/guitar sections also kick ass, they add a layer of depth to Bodom's sound and Follow The Reaper makes the best use of that. Follow The Reaper is infectious, hooky and amazing. No albums has ever made better use of keyboards ever. Children Of Bodom's best work and a true classic.

Standout Tracks 1.Kissing The Shadows 2.Mask Of Sanity 3.Hate Me!

December In Film

December tends to be when all the winter's big films and Oscar bait are released. This December is no different and there are a few films I am intrested in.

Movies I Want To See

4.Little Fockers(12/22) I was a fan of the first two films and the main cast is back. The trailer looks pretty amusing and I hope all the funny parts aren't in the trailer.

3.The Fighter(Opens Wide 12/17) The Fighter looks like a welcome return to serious acting for Mark Wahlberg. The cast which includes Wahlberg, Christian Bale and Amy Adams, is top notch. This film looks really good and it could be a Oscar Contender. Pretty excited to see this.

2.Black Swan(12/3) I am a big fan of Darren Aronofsky. Black Swan looks to be an odd, creepy film. This is right up Aronofsky's alley and his creative vision should really come out on this film. Also it doesn't hurt Natalie Portman and Milla Kunis have a kissing scene.

1.True Grit(12/22) True Grit looks fantastic. The full length trailer is one of the best trailers of the year. The Cohen Brothers almost always are great and I think they will knock a western out of the park. The three leads Jeff Bridges,Matt Damon and Josh Brolin is one of the best cast assembled in recent memory. Very, very excited for this.

Movies I Am Not Sure About

The Warrior's Way(12/3) Could be decent, but it looks way too much like Ninja Assassin for me to have my complete and total intrest.

How Do You Know(12/17) The cast is good, but the romantic-comedy vibe and James L.Brooks could kill it.

Movies There Is No Chance In Hell I'm Going To See

The Chronicles Of Narnia:The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader(12/10) I hated The Lion,Witch and The Wardrobe, so I think I'll pass on this.

The Tourist(12/10) It looks absurd and really lame.

Yogi Bear(12/17) I really don't understand why they made this into a movie, it will ruin the cartoon's legacy. This makes the Scooby Doo movie look like The Godfather.

Tron Legacy (12/17) I know I am in the minority, but I think this film looks like shit. I am sure the effects are good, but this looks so fucking stupid that I could care less.

Gulliver's Travels (12/22) I like Jack Black a lot and the cast is good, the problem is the trailer doesn't look funny and it's a kids movie.

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #7

7.In Flames-Clayman(2000)

Clayman is considered by many to best the last great In Flames record and I would agree. Though I don't dislike their newer material (outside of A Sense Of Purpose), it doesn't hold a candle to Clayman. Clayman is the strongest In Flames album overall for many reasons. First off the song writing is top-notch, everything is perfect in that department and it's their most well-written record. Also, the production is outstanding, this is one of the best sounding records I have ever heard. Clayman, as a whole, is In Flames best effort because it achieves everything they were going for as a band and it just comes together so perfectly. You'll be hard pressed to find melodic death metal better than this.

Standout Tracks 1.Bullet Ride 2.Square Nothing 3.Only For The Weak

Movie Review: Faster

It's been a while since Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has starred in any form of action flick. He had taken some time to try other projects, mostly of the comedic variety, after starting his acting career with a bunch of action films . Faster brings Johnson back to his action flick roots, but let's just say he could picked a better project than this for his triumphiant return.

Driver (Dwayne Johnson) has just been released from prision after serving a 10 year sentence for robbing a bank. During the aftermath of the robbery, his brother was killed. Driver's goal when released from jail is to kill everyone involved with his brother's murder. He has a list of names and revenge on his brain. The only thing that can get in his way are a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thronton) assigned to the case to track him down and a young killer (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a rich British man who kills for sport hired to kill Driver by someone involved in the murder of his brother.

Faster is a B-Movie. You can tell within the first 5 minutes, by the way the opening credits are presented and the fact that most of the character's names are descriptions and flash on screen when they are first introduced. I knew what I was getting into right off the bat and it's a pretty fun little movie. It fully embraces it's B-Movie persona. It takes no prisoners and doesn't really take the time to give any rhyme or reason for any of the killings. Driver has a list,he doesn't say much, he just kills people.

Dwayne Johnson does a decent job as Driver. He is an intimidating presence and that's really all he needs to do. I will say that I enjoyed him alot more in his earlier work such as "The Rundown" and "Walking Tall", those roles just worked better for him. Billy Bob Thornton was fine as Cop, it was good see him in a film, I haven't seen him in anything in a while.

One thing that does bog Faster down, is the movie moves too fast. I understand it's called Faster, but they shouldn't have taken the title literally when writing the script. Some scenes are just a mess and don't serve any purpose at all. Another issue is Oliver Jackson-Cohen, he was pretty horrible. His character was a punk rich kid and could have easily been written out of the script. The biggest issue is sometimes it takes itself too seriously, this is a B-movie, not a hard hitting drama, it tries too hard to be the latter at times.

Faster does have it's flaws, but I found it to be pretty enjoyable. It's a nice little slab of brainless, B-Movie fun. It's corny as hell, but it serves it's purpose. It could have better, it could have been worse. The Rock's return to action flicks is a welcome one, I just wish he had a better return film than Faster.

3/5 Stars

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #8

8.Gojira-From Mars To Sirius(2005)

From Mars To Sirus was my first exposure to Gojira, needless to say I was hooked instantly. What grabbed me so much about Gojira is how they had so many different styles of metal encorprated into their sound. Gojira reminds me of a bit of Mastodon except with more of a death metal influence. Gojria, much like Mastodon, knows how to write some of the best riffs ever made. Their record is chock of memorable riffs and grooves that are remarkable and are the main reason that is band is so damn good. From Mars To Sirus is heavy and brilliant and Gojira is the best to thing to ever come out of France.

Best Album Of The Decade(2000-2009): #9

9.Eminem-The Marshall Mathers LP(2000)

Eminem had already produced the astonshing The Slim Shady LP, then The Marshall Mathers LP was released an it was even better. Eminem's obscenity and clever lyrics were at their peak on this record. This record also showed the depth Eminem has as a rapper, he can go from stone serious and powerful to crude and witty in a split second. The Marshall Mathers LP is one of the best rap releases of all time and made an Eminem an icon.

Standout Tracks 1.The Real Slim Shady 2.Stan 3.Criminal

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #10

10.Killswitch Engage-The End Of Heartache(2004)

Killswitch Engage was already great then they picked up Howard Jones as a vocalist. Jones elevated them to the next level. The End Of Heartache was the record in which all metalcore records have to live up to, there really is none better. Jones's vocals are astonshing, his screaming is dynamic and his singing is powerful and gorgeous. The End Of Heartache was the record that solidfied Killswitch Engage as one of my favorite bands, an amazing album that continues to amaze me.

Standout Tracks 1.A Bid Farewell 2.Breathe Life 3.Take This Oath

Hip-Hop: A Genre On Life Support

Despite the fact I am a huge metal/rock fan, I have always loved rap/hip hop as well. When I started getting into the genre I found plenty of great artists. I was exposed to amazing records by artists like Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr.Dre, and of course Tupac and Notrious B.I.G. All of these artists are legendary and made a lasting impact on the genre by creating phenominal albums that will always be regarded as classics. Currently, the rap genre has pretty much no one who even holds a candle to these legends and the current state of rap is truely pathetic.

The biggest problem with rap right now is the lack of overall talent within the genre. Most rappers talk a big game about how amazing they are and most people buy into that shit. The biggest offenders of the no talent movement in rap is Young Money Entertainment. This record label has pretty much taken over the rap game right now and have pretty much the same level of influence that Death Row Records had in the 90's, except replace Death Row's stacked lineup with a bunch of a cocky, brainless, overhyped morons. Young Money has the most profitable MC's in the game right now and even though they run things, their is not a single good artist on their entire roster.

Lil Wayne, co-founder of Young Money, has been dubbed "greatest rapper alive" by millions of people(and himself, every time he gets the chance to say it he does). This claim seriously baffles me. Lil Wayne should do some research before he says that. Nas, Wu-Tang Clan and Dr.Dre are just 3 icons that are still ALIVE.Lil Wayne hasn't made a record as good as "Illmatic", "36 Chambers" or "The Chronic", he hasn't even made an album that is remotley listenable. I could write another whole long post about why he is so fucking awful, but I will try to keep it as brief as possible. First of all, his lyrics are garbage. He writes nonsencial rambilings about nothing. He has about as many coherent lyrics as the Buffalo Bills have Super Bowl rings. For example, here is a sample lyric from his hit "Got Money". "She Wanna Fuck Weezy, but she wanna rape Wayne". Apparently he is unaware the Weezy and Wayne are the same person. I understand he has an alter ego, but they are still the same fucking person. That's just a warm-up in the shitty lyric department, here is one of my cringe-worthy favorites from his guest apperance on Flo Rida's "American Superstar", "I'll be on a boat, feeding a bitch grapes and crapes, by the way that's French pancakes". Thanks for the lesson Lil Wayne, I was really in the dark about what crapes were. You sure saved me from a Google search! There are endless examples when it comes to his lyrics, the guy doesn't know how to write lyrics for the life of him. In addition to his absymal lyrics, he about as much flow as a corroded artery. He sounds like a frog with Laryngitis when he raps. Half the time he has to be auto-tuned to shit because he mumbles so bad you can't understand what the fuck he is saying. The fact that he is even in the conversation for greatest rapper alive is a joke, he is a hack. I just read an interview with him talking about prison and how he is going to change his music and how he is a changed man and all this shit. Mark my words his next album will be a half-assed ripoff of "All Eyez on Me" by Tupac. He will just talk about how hardcore jail was and try to make emotional tracks that he doesn't have the skill or brains for. My advice for Lil Wayne if he wants to be the "greatest rapper alive": Stop drinking cough syrup, get someone with an education past the 5th grade to write your lyrics, and most importantly, find some talent. Lil Wayne is an abomination that is truely a cancer to rap music.

Young Money's garbage arsenal doesn't end there. Drake has exploded onto the scene recently. Much like his mentor, Lil Wayne, Drake is also one of the worst and most overrated rappers of all time. Rolling Stone claims he is the next Tupac, that saddens me so much. Drake will never be close to Tupac, hell he won't even be the next DMX, Drake's skill is completely absent. On top of his lack of skill, he does more singing than rapping anyways. He is basically the chessy R&B singer that is on every shitty rap song except he is also the shitty rapper, making Drake's music pure torture to listen to. All of his song's he just brags about how fucking good he is and how he's the best ever. This goes for all rappers not just Drake, If you are cocky, have the skills to back it up, Drake doesn't. One track in particular that made me laugh is "Miss Me" were he claims Drake stands for "Do Right and Kill Everything". Seriously? It's kind of hard to act like a badass when you where the kid in the wheelchair on "Degrassi" just a few years ago, so shut your fucking mouth Drake, my grandmother has more street cred than you.

Young Money's empire doesn't end with Lil Wayne and Drake, their next generation is just as bad and will most likely be just as popular. Nicki Minaj, Tyga, and Gudda Gudda are all rising stars on the fast track to super-stardom. Minaj has already pretty much exploded with a string of guest apperances and a couple of hit singles. Just like all of Young Money's roster she thinks she is the shit and thinks she can rap. The funniest thing about Nicki Minaj is her flow, she sounds like Elmo sucked in a bunch of helium. Tyga and Gudda Gudda, like Minaj, are getting big by being on other's peoples songs. They have the Young Money keys to success: shitty lyrics, non-existant flows, cocky attitude and just an overall lack of a clue to what they are doing.

Young Money Entertainment as a whole just blows my mind with amount of pure garbage they produce. It also blows my mind how they were able to find most of the worst rappers on the planet and put them on one label. They are like the rap equivalent of the 2008 Detroit Lions: a disgrace to their respective game. In a genre that is currently full of so much shit, Young Money are the kings of the bottom of the barrel.

Another trend that is currently sickening is how some of the once great have fallen from grace and taken a turn for the worse. The biggest offender of this is Eminem. Eminem was once at the top of the game. His first 3 records are masterpieces, Marshall Mathers LP and Slim Shady LP, in particular, are some of the best rap albums I have ever heard. He was a clever, fantastic rapper who didn't give into anyone's shit and did his own thing. Sadly, those days are behind him. Encore, started the decline. Relapse despite being alright, reduces in quality each time you hear it. Very few tracks are above average and it lacks the power of his older material. The transformation into complete shit was complete this year when he released Recovery. When I listened to that record I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I can't even convey into words the level of dissapointment I had while listening to that record. Recovery is mainstream, lackluster, bullshit. He no longer raps with any intensity or intelligence, he just writes uninspired trash to get a paycheck. Radio airplay is clearly a factor as well, the old Eminem would never bring in Rihanna, Pink or Lil Wayne for guest spots. The fact that he has stooped to this level is truely pitiful and just fucking lame. Jay-Z has done pretty much the same thing. Jay-Z has never been one of my favorites, but he was pretty good and his talent was undeniable. Then came The Blueprint 3: what the hell happened? Again, just mainstream shit, bring in Rihanna and other awful guest artists for mainstream appeal, get lazy in your lyric writing and create the same recycled shit to get your records to sell better.

During this time where the mighty have fallen, Nas has stayed true to his roots. He has been conistent throughout his entire career. He has stayed prevelent without the help radio airplay and gimmicks. The most impressive feat in my opinion, while most of his peers from the 90's are selling out and making the worst records of their career, Nas still has a creative vision. This year he teamed up with Damian Marley and released a record called "Distant Relatives". "Distant Relatives" is amazing, unique, and experimental. It's refreshing to see a mainstream rapper like Nas still making killer records. He is a bit under the radar right now and the punks like Lil Wayne, Drake and Gucci Mane should take notes and think twice before they say they are the greatest around.

Underground Rap on the other hand, is currently loaded with talent. Underground Rap is why this piece isn't called "Hip-Hop: A genre that is completely dead". This genre, despite all the talent present, is completely ignored by radio airplay, magazines,TV and most improtantly fan bases. The lack of radio airplay and all that shit could be why this scene is so good, but it's just pains me to see these talented artists getting no attention while talentless, overhyped, hacks get all the glitz,glamour and acclaim. Artists like Atmosphere, Jedi Mind Tricks, MF Doom, Immortal Technique, Brother Ali, Celph Titled and countless others are among the artists that are amazing in this genre. They have intelligent lyrics, tremendous flows and diverse, memorable beats. These artists are such a breath of fresh air in this wretched rap game right now. Underground Rap is the lone saving grace that gives me a slight ray of hope for the future of rap. Hopefully more people can find out about these artists and their exposure and popularity rises. It's truely a travesty more rap fans don't listen to these artists.

In conclusion, the balance of power in Rap needs to shift. I am really sick of talentless douchebags like Lil Wayne,Drake,Gucci Mane, Rick Ross etc of getting all the spotlight and accolades. I am not a "hater" and I know I will get a barrage of comments from saying that. In all honesty, I wrote this piece as a rap fan who is just sickened by what has happened to rap, It's really an outrage. Rap now is just all about stupid shit like swag and money and other songs are truely about nothing. Another issue is the wrong people are famous, the talented artists are trapped in the realms of obscurity, while the lesser artists reap the benefits of millions of fans and shit-tons of attention, that's a fucked up system. I think people just need to branch out, listen to the lesser-known acts instead of the same 3 artist rotation and see for themselves the amount of talent that isn't being exposed. I know one article from some prick on the internet won't change that, but if just one person reads this and checks out some lesser-known rap, I have done my job. When it comes to most rap right now, shit sells and everyone's buying.

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #11

11.Jedi Mind Tricks-Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell(2006)

Jedi Mind Tricks has always been a group not afraid to talk about the issues in the world that they have a problem with and Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell is their most powerful album to date. "Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story" is one of the most staggering and painful hip-hop songs ever made with a lights-out guest apperance from R.A The Rugged Man. Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell is a hard hitting, smart and powerful record that will leave a serious impact on the listener

Standout Tracks 1.Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story 2.Put Em' In The Grave 3.Razorblade Salvation

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #12

12.Lamb Of God-Ashes Of The Wake(2004)

Lamb Of God finally worked out all the kinks from their past works on Ashes Of The Wake. Ashes Of The Wake is a groovy,catchy and just flat out fantastic piece of heavy metal. The songwriting on this record is really strong and the lyrics are really,really good. I don't tend to focus on the lyrics in metal, but the lyrics on Ashes Of The Wake really struck me. Lamb Of God's gift for amazing riffs is at its finest on Ashes Of The Wake, every riff is insane. Ashes Of The Wake is the ultimate Lamb Of God album.

Standout Tracks 1.Laid To Rest 2.Blood Of The Scribe 3.Hourglass

Concert Review: The AP Tour, Boston,MA, November 19th, 2010

The AP Tour is a show that I went to because I really like August Burns Red and a bunch of my friends were going, so I knew it was going to be a good time despite the fact I only liked 1 band on the bill.

I missed This Is Hell and Polar Bear Club due to the fact I was late. I kind of wanted to see This Is Hell, I am a bit bummed I missed them, but I am not a big fan, so it's no biggie. I have never listened to Polar Bear Club in my life so I have no idea what I missed.

Emarosa was the first band I saw and I really wish I didn't see them at all. This band is complete emo, post-hardcore garbage. The singer whined through a 30 minute set and the scene kids were eating it up. I hope I never have to sit through this band again, it was a miserable experience.

August Burns Red, the reason I went, was on next. They put on a great show. When it comes to energy, I think only The Dillinger Escape Plan tops them, they go absoultey insane. Their performance is always a lot of fun and this was no exception. The Constellations material sounds great live especially Mariana's Trench and Thirty and Seven. I hope the next tour they go on has a better lineup, they were head and shoulders above every other band on the bill.

Bring Me The Horizon closed out the evening. As I have stated before, I hate these guys. On the plus side, they were better this time around than at Warped Tour. That being said, I still didn't enjoy their performance. They just piss me off too much as a band and I just really don't like their music and what they stand for. Oli Sykes is such a garbage vocalist and his stage presence though energetic, is obnoxious. His ground game is just repeating the phrase "Circle Pits You Fucking Cunts!". Their fans also really annoy me, it's mainly 14 year old girls screaming like they are at a Justin Bieber concert.

Overall an alright show, August Burns Red was the only band I cared about, but they were great. I still had good time and it was cool to go to a show with a bunch of my friends.

Scores
Emarosa 1/10
August Burns Red 8/10
Bring Me The Horizon 2.5/10

Setlist
August Burns Red
Composure
Truth Of A Liar
Thirty and Seven
Meddler
Mariana's Trench
The Escape Artist
Indonesia
Back Burner
Redemption
Drum Solo
White Washed

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #13

13,High On Fire-Blessed Black Wings(2005)

High On Fire's first two releases were great, but it wasn't until their 3rd album Blessed Black Wings that they hit masterpiece status. What struck me from the beginning about Blessed Black Wings was how much cleaner the production was than their past releases. The mix is fantastic and everything is loud and clear. Of course, Matt Pike drops amazing riffs left and right. Blessed Black Wings actually contains the best riff he has ever written with "Cometh Down Hessian" High On Fire are stoner metal/sludge titans and Blessed Black Wings is their most crushing and wonderful release to date.

Standout Tracks 1.Cometh Down Hessian 2.The Face Of Oblivion 3.Blessed Black Wings

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #14

14,Linkin Park-Hybrid Theory(2000)

Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park may not be the most complex or innovative record ever, but it is one of the most purely enjoyable records I have ever heard. I have a lot of fond memories of this record and it was the record that got me into heavier music. Besides nostalgia value, this record is full of great songs. Chester Bennington really is a great vocalist and his work on this album is really overlooked. Hybrid Theory is just a really fantastic piece of hard rock that always be Linkin Park's masterwork and a monumental album in my life.

Standout Tracks 1.A Place For My Head 2.By Myself 3.Papercut

Movie Review: Unstoppable

Tony Scott and Denzel Washington have a long and detailed history together. Unstoppable marks their fifth collaboration, and it is a good film to commeorate that milestone with.

After two railroad workers, Dewey (Ethan Suplee) and Gileece (T.J Miller) make the mistake of not being able to transfer a train off of a track, leaving it unmanned. At first, it's not seen as a big deal, as the train is not moving at a high speed. Their boss, Connie Hopper (Rosario Dawson) soon realizes the severity of the situation once the train picks up speed. Connie soon finds out that not only were the air brakes not engaged, but the train is under power and gaining speed. To make matters worse, she gets a call from the railroad company's boss finding out that there is an alarming quantity of hazardous materials on board.

Enter veteran engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and rookie conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine), who are on the same tracks doing routine work. It is the first time these two men have worked together. Colson is already having a bad day by missing a court date to resolve a restraining order served on him by his ex-wife. When they receive a message from their dispatcher about the situation, the two men manage to just barely get out of the way of the runaway train on time. After that, they volunteer to derail the train and risk their lives to hopefully avoid a disaster, which is immient since the train is headed towards a highly populated area.

Unstoppable is a pretty entertaining thrill ride. The last 45 minutes are pure exhillaration. It takes a little while to get going, but once it does, it moves along at a brisk pace. Director Tony Scott has a reputation for his manic style of film making, so a film about a runaway train is right in his skill set. I couldn't imagine anyone else directing this, he is too perfect of a match. Washingtion and Pine both turn in good performances, infusing their characters with a surprising amount of depth of as well. Washingtion, as usual, really gets into his character and no matter what style of film he is doing, he gives it 110%.

Unstoppable is a pretty solid film. It is thrilling, exciting, and pretty well-made. The entire cast gives quality performances and entirely believeable in their roles. When it comes to Scott/Washington films, I would ranks this somewhere in the middle, right below last summer's "The Taking Of Pelham 123". It's not the most spectacular film by any means, but it is worth seeing and is a quality film that is worth your money.

3.5/5 Stars

Album Review: A Day To Remember-What Separates Me From You

A Day To Remember is my guilty pleasure band. Normally, I don't enjoy bands that are in the same vain as them, but there is something about A Day To Remember that I have just liked. Their records tend to be pretty solid pop-punk fused with screaming and metalcore breakdowns, that tend to make their records a good time to listen. On What Separates Me From You, A Day To Remember takes their sound in a bit of a different direction.

What Separates Me From You has taken me a few listens to fully absorb. The songs are all over the place in terms of quailty. There are tracks that are quite good, absolute garbage and completely in the middle of the road. What Separates Me From You starts off with a bang with "Sticks and Bricks". This is one of the heavier tracks they have ever recorded and it has a great hook. It's vintage A Day To Remember and it ranks among the best tracks they have ever done. The albums then takes a turn to the other end with "All I Want" and "It's Complicated". These are the 2 weakest tracks on the whole record, they are poorly written and flat out weak tracks that threaten to derail the record at an early point. The records picks back up with "The House That Doubt Built", which is a punk-oriented track with a nice melodic intro and "2nd Sucks" which is a pretty good hardcore track with no clean vocals at all, which was an intresting touch.

This record is most likely going to divide A Day To Remember fans. It's a more melodic effort and there is far less screaming and breakdowns than on their past releases. It's cool they are trying to keep their sound fresh, but this record is misguided at times and the range in quality is mind-numbing. Some will be quick to dub it a sell out record, which I think is unfair because t What Separates Me From You is a decent effort, the good moments are good enough that they help the record overcome it's shitty moments. It may not be as enjoyable as their past releases, but it's still a pretty fun and catchy record.
3/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Sticks and Bricks
2.You Be Tails, I'll Be Sonic
3.The House That Doubt Built

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #15

15,Queens Of The Stone Age-Songs For The Deaf(2002)

Queens Of The Stone Age broke down barriers with Songs For The Deaf. After a strong start as a band with their self-titled released and Rated R, Songs For The Deaf takes their sound to the next level. It is another hard rocking, genre-bending effort that kick ass throught it's duration. As usual Josh Homme's vocals are amazing and the production is top notch. As a whole, Songs For The Deaf is flat out killer and is among some of the most innovative,kick-ass rock music ever released.

Standout Tracks 1.Go With The Flow 2.You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Fell Like A Millonare 3. The Sky Is Fallin'

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #16

16.Muse-Black Holes and Revelations(2006)

Muse hit a home run with Black Holes and Revelations. Rarely is a record this layered and perfect. This record is filled with epic song structures,amazing hooks and an array of different sounds. Matt Belleamy is one of the best vocalists in music right now. His voice is so powerful and makes these tracks even better than they already are. Black Holes and Revelations is a stirring classic by one of the most talented and just plain best acts in all of music right now.

Standout Tracks 1.Knights Of Cydonia 2.Starlight 3.Map Of The Problematique

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #17

17.Outkast-Stankonia(2000)

Stankonia is an album that instantly made an impact on me. Outkast's sound is so diverse and immense, it's insane. Their trademark blend of funk,soul, and pure southern hip-hop it at its peak on Stankonia. The tracks on Stankonia are some of the best hip songs ever, they are filled with emotion and wit. Outkast brought a fresh,focused sound to rap and Stankonia is just a marvel to listen to.

Standout Tracks 1. Ms.Jackson 2.B.O.B 3.Gangsta Shit

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #18

18.Mastodon-Crack The Skye(2009)

Crack The Skye takes Mastodon in a different direction. It's a more progessive than their past work, but it's just as brillant. Brent Hinds carries the vocal load on here, which is a cool change of pace. Hinds's guitarwork is astonishing and is definitely a highlight. This is not my favorite Mastodon record, but it is a unique masterpiece from the best band in the metal.

Album Review: GWAR-Bloody Pit Of Horror

The monsters from another universe GWAR are back. Bloody Pit Of Horror, their 12th release came up pretty quick, I wasn't excepting more material from them this soon. Thankfully, they didn't rush it and the material is pretty strong.

Bloody Pit Of Horror is defintiely thrashier than their last record "Lust In Space",which is great.
GWAR's faster tunes have always been my favorites of theirs."A Gathering Of Ghouls" and "Hail Genocide!" are the 2 fastest and best track here. Flattus Maximus rolls through the album's best riffs on these two tracks and it adds a lot of the song. Bloody Pit Of Horror also has the classic GWAR wit. "The Litany Of The Slain" is especially amusing, it basically lists all of the people they have killed during their live performances over the years. It is impossible to listen to this track without a grin on your face. On the other hand, Bloody Pit Of Horror has a really weak opening 1-2 punch. "Zombies March!" and "Come The Carnivore" are the two worst tracks here and they should not have picked as album openers. Personally, I think album openers should be a firecracker and set the tone for the album. These two tracks open the record in a misleading and subfar fashion.

Bloody Pit Of Horror is a typical,fun GWAR record. It's their fastest record in years and it's an improvement over their fast few releases. I think GWAR bass player Beefcake The Mighty describes Bloody Pit Of Horror the best in "Beat You To Death, in which before the guitar solo, he exclaims "It's Clobberin' Time". Listening to this record just drives home the point that I need to see GWAR live ASAP. GWAR is just as tongue-in-cheek as ever and I hope that never changes.
3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.A Gathering Of Ghouls
2.Hail Genocide!
3.Beat You To Death

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #19

I didn't mention this yesterday,but I am going to be doing 1 album per day for the rest of the countdown in honor of the top 20.

19.MF Doom-MM..Food(2004

MF Doom's visonary oddball masterpiece MM..Food is the best record of his career. His signature blend of fun and intelligent is at it's peak here and MM.Food features a good amount of MF Doom's best tracks on here. MM..Food also features the most intresting samples of Doom's career. Rap needs more creative and smart artists like MF Doom.

Standout Tracks 1.Hoe Cakes 2.One Beer 3.Beef Rapp

Movie Review: Due Date

Todd Philips is one of the best comedy directors around right now. He has built up a pretty impressive body of work including Road Trip,Old School and The Hangover. Philips teams up with The Hangover's Zack Galifinakis for another memorable entry to his resume with Due Date.

Due Date centers around Los Angeles architect Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.), who is about to board a flight from Atlanta back to L.A. for the birth of his child, when a chance encounter with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Galifinakis), throws him into a whirlwind situation. Both men get thrown off the plane after a bomb-scare are thenceforth placed on the no-fly list. Peter has no idea what to do, with his wallet and bags still on the plane. Ethan, fortunately (or unfortunately,depending on how you look at it), is able to rent a car and Peter ends up tagging along.

What follows is a great road trip comedy. The film's main strength, like most of Philips' work, is the absurd situations the characters get into. There are plenty of chaotic, hysterical situations in the film and watching them unfold is a pleasure. Galifinakis,as usual, steals the show. He is one of the great comedic talents of our time: his timing is impeccable, and he has the type of character that he normally plays down to a science. Downey, of course, is a great straight-man. Unlike his scene-stealing turn in Tropic Thunder, Downey takes a different comedic approach in this one, but it works just as well. Galinfinakis and Downey's pairing is quite the odd couple, but they are wonderful together. Additional bonuses are the cameos from various actors, the best of which are Danny McBride, who shines as a Western Union worker, and Juliette Lewis as a pot dealing mom.

I've said it a million times, but 2010 has been a banner year for comedy. Due Date is another brilliant entry that had me laughing throughout. It is chock full of absurd scenarios and laughs. Avoid the tepid reviews it's been getting from critics and check it out. One of the funniest films of 2010.

4.5/5 Stars

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #20

20.Behemoth-Demigod(2004)

Poland's Behemoth has mastered the art of blackened death metal. Their sound might be a little intense at first, but once you let sink it in and hear all the elements of the record, you realize how good it is. The amount of talent and flare for epic songs Behemoth has is staggering. Demigod is crushing,brutal and strangely gorgeous masterpiece.
Standout Tracks 1.Conquer All 2.Sclupting The Throne Ov Seth 3.Towards Babylon

November In Film

I am back! I had computer issues this week, so I could not post. I am going to resume Best Albums Of The Decade tommorow. Without further ado,here is the November In Film preview.



Films I Want To See

3.Faster(11/24)-As an action movie whore and a fan of The Rock, Faster intrests me. Billy Bob Thornton presence should only add to the fun.

2.Unstoppable(11/12)-This looks like a truely intresting based on a true story film. I am also a big fan of Denzel Washington. The trailer is exciting and early buzz is good, which is a definite plus.

1.Due Date(11/5)-This looks hysterical. Zack Galinfinakis looks like he has hit another role out of the park. Todd Phillips normally hits comedies out of the park(with the exception of School For Scoundrels) and this has all the makings of another bullseye.

Films I Am Unsure About
Megamind(11/5)-The trailer looks pretty decent and I love the cast, but Dreamworks really hasn't impressed me that much with their animated films. I will check it out on DVD.

127 Hours(11/5)-It's gotten a ton of acclaim and I love Danny Boyle's work, but I don't get how this story could be turned into a full-length film. I will most likely see it and enjoy it, but as of right now I am not that intrigued by it.

Skyline(11/12)-This film is a complete mixed bag. On one hand, the trailer looks kinda cool. On the other hand the cast is pretty bad and it's from the directors from the shitfest AvP: Requiem. I might check it out on DVD.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1(11/19)- I haven't seen a Harry Potter film since Goblet Of Fire, not that it's a bad franchise, I just haven't watched the last two. This looks to be more of the same and I will most likely see it eventually.

The Next Three Days(11/19)-Looks to be another run of the mill crime thriller, but Russell Crowe and Liam Nesson's involvement peak my intrest a bit.

Films There is No Chance In Hell of Me Seeing
For Colored Girls(11/5)-Tyler Perry does Oscar Bait, no thank you.

Morning Glory(11/10)-I am really surprised J.J Abrams is involved in this, doesn't really look like something he would be involved in. The trailer really doesn't look funny so i think I will pass.

Tangled(11/24)-Never liked the story of Rapunzel and this doesn't look like it will change it.

Burlesque(11/24)-Jesus Christ Cher is still alive! This movie looks horribly generic and a 2010 remake of Showgirls.

Love and Other Drugs(11/24)-Romantic Comedy/Drama really isn't my cup of tea.

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #22-21

22.Atmosphere-Seven's Travels(2003)

Atmosphere lays down the best record they have ever made with Seven's Travels. As usual, Slug delivers his amazing lyrics and Ant brings his diverse sense of beats into the picture. Seven's Travels is a classic hip hop record from an underappreciated rap group, who thrives in a genre that is on life support.

Standout Tracks 1.Trying To Find A Balance 2.Cats Van Bags 3. Bird Sings Why The Caged I Know

21.Children Of Bodom-Hate Crew Deathroll(2003)

Children Of Bodom became one of my favorite bands through hearing. This was actually the first record I had heard from them. Children Of Bodom brings a lot to the table musically. Alexi Laiho is such a force in the guitarwork. He blends melody and speed flawlessly. The keyboards are also infectious and add an awesome edge to their music. Hatecrew Deathroll is the clearest produced Bodom record as well, on their prior releases things got a bit muddy sometimes, but here they are crystal clear. Hatecred Deathroll is one of Bodom's strongest releases.

Standout Tracks 1.Needled 24/7 2.Sixpounder 3.Triple Corpse Hammerblow

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #24-23

24.The Mars Volta-Frances The Mute(2005)

The Mars Volta caught my attention when I heard they where touring with System Of A Down. I checked out Frances The Mute going in completely blind, I am so glad that I did. Frances The Mute is prog rock bliss. The 5 tracks on this record are all extremely long(except for "The Widow" which clocks in at about 6 minutes) , but they are all intresting in their own ways. There is a lot of experimentation and jam outs on this record which at the time I had not heard much of before. I first heard this record when I was 13 and it was great then, but in more recent years I have grown to love it even more. Frances The Mute is a visonary,twisted, wonderful mindfuck of a record.

Standout Tracks 1. Cygnus.....Vismund Cygnus 2.Cassandra Gemini 3.The Widow

23.Coheed and Cambria-Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness(2005)

After their amazing 2nd release In Keeping Secrets Of Slient Earth: 3, Coheed and Cambria follows it up with the even better Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume 1. This record is even more epic than it's predecessor. Claudio Sanchez shows off his talent with more guitar solos and his best vocal performance ever. Coheed and Cambria shows off their diverse influences for their sound better on this record than on any other record they have released, there a couple of great ballads,spacey progessive stuff,pure punk rock and some pretty heavy metal tracks. Good Apollo is the most complete Coheed record and their best work to date.

Standout Tracks 1.Ten Speed(Of God's Blood and Burial) 2.Welcome Home 3.The Willing Well II: Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #26-25

26.Coheed and Cambria-In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3(2003)

Coheed and Cambria's 2nd release ushered in the era of new prog. Coheed and Cambria is not really your typical prog band though, they have a huge punk,alt rock and metal influence that really makes them stand out from the pack. Claudio Sanchez is massively talented not only as a musician, but as a storyteller with the extremely complex sc-fi story line that all of Coheed's records follow. In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 is a epic,multi-layered release filled with amazing songwriting and musicianship.

Standout Tracks 1.In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 2.Three Evils(Embodied In Love and Shadow) 3.The Camper Velourium III: Al The Killer

25.The Red Chord-Clients(2005)

Revere,Massachusetts's The Red Chord is an extreme metal force to be reckoned with. Clients is a heavy,brutal,technical and fucking brilliant opus. Each track on Clients is about a different mental patient, it's a hell of a concept for a metal record. The thing really strikes me most about Clients is how underrated it is among metal fans, this is a masterwork. Clients is a striking, innovative record that The Red Chord will always be remembered by.

Standout Tracks 1.Upper Decker 2.Antman 3.Dragon Wagon

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #28-27

28.Atmosphere-God Loves Ugly(2002)

God Loves Ugly, Atmosphere's 2nd full length album, they really came into their own. Slug began to write amazing lyrics and really tell stories with his raps. Ant also starts trying out new things beat wise, that really keep it intresting. God Loves Ugly started the chapter of brilliance that Atmosphere has followed for years to come.

Standout Tracks 1. Fuck You Lucy 2.One Of A Kind 3.Modern Man's Hustle

27.The Black Dahlia Murder-Deflorate(2009)

The Black Dahlia Murder is one of the very few that gets better by each release. Their most recent release, Deflorate, is their best work to date. The whole band sounds better than ever. New guitar player Ryan Knight adds his own flare with the guitar work and his style of playing is perfect for Black Dahlia. Trevor Strnad proves once again why he is one of the top vocalists in the whole scene right now, screaming with more clarity and range. Deflorate, in my eyes puts Black Dahlia Murder at legend status. They are up there with death metal icons such as Suffocation,Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel. The Black Dahlia Murder continues to make amazing albums and I don't see that stopping any time soon.

Standout Tracks 1.Black Valor 2.Denounced,Disgraced 3.Christ Deformed

2010-2011 NBA Preview

This has been one of the most exciting offseasons in the NBA ever. A lot of drastic changes have been made and should be very exciting to see how this seasons pans out. Here are my predictions how both conferences will shake out.

Eastern Conference
1.Miami Heat-I think it's pretty obvious this team is going to succeed, I still don't like their bench depth and Mike Miller being hurt for a long period of time only makes their depth worse. Still James/Bosh/Wade is going to be a hard trio to stop.
2.Orlando Magic-The Magic are still a great force to be reckoned with, Dwight Howard is a monster in the paint. I like their supporting cast with Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter as well. They just need to buckle down in the playoffs and a title is not out of the cards.
3.Boston Celtics-My hometown squad has pretty much the same team in place that went to the finals last year. I don't really think Shaq or Jermaine O'Neal bring much to the table except for a veteran presence. They do have the talent, but age is a big factor and I think it will hinder them come playoff time.
4.Milwaukee Bucks-The Bucks are scary good. Their youth held them back a little bit last year, but they are pick for a surprise team this year.
5.Chicago Bulls-The addition of Carlos Boozer should pay off big time for the Bulls. He is a great bigman and that was something was sorely lacking last year. Derrick Rose is also getting better and better. The Bulls are a pretty damn good team, but I don't think they have enough to be a serious title contender.
6.Atlanta Hawks-Their trainwreck of an ending last season really knocks them down a few notches in this conference. The Hawks still have plenty of talent and re-signing Joe Johnson was a great move. On the other end the beatings they took from the Magic in the playoffs last year show off some serious flaws this team has.
7.New York Knicks-The Knicks are pretty much a lock for the playoffs simply by adding Amare Stoudemire. He is an aboslute monster and an elite power forward that makes everyone around him better. Raymond Felton is also a nice pick-up the point guard. Still, The Knicks are only a decent team and will need to bring in another big player if they want to contend
8.Charlotte Bobcats-The Bobcats made it to the playoffs last year and showed some maturity. I think this year they will make it back. They still have a good enough team even with the couple of players lost to be a playoff team.
9.Cleveland Cavaliers-I think the Cavs aren't going to do much without Lebron, I mean there best player now is Mo Williams. They have an average team and that should be enough for a .500 record and just missing the playoffs.
10.Washington Wizards-John Wall is the next superstar in this league and if Gilbert Arenas steps up they could have a respectable season. Give the Wizards another year to figure it out and they could be a playoff team.
11.Indania Pacers-Darren Colision should help them out a bit, but the Pacers still need a lot of help before they are a factor in this league.
12.Detroit Pistons-This team is still in shambles and I don't see that going away this season.
13.New Jersey Nets-At least they have Jordan Farmar now and won't be quite as bad as last year.
14.Philladelphia 76ers-The Sixers now have an impressive backcourt with Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday, but I don't see them leaving the basement of this conference for a while.
15.Toronto Raptors-Once Chris Bosh left, and Hedo Turkoglu got traded Toronto became the worst team in the conference. Lenardo Barbosa is their only hope and he can't do it by himself.

Western Conference
1.Los Angeles Lakers-The two time defending champs, still have their core in place. With Kobe still in his prime, The Lakers are hard to beat. Throw in Pau Gasol,Lamar Odom,Ron Artest,Shannon Brown and new addition Steve Blake, the Lakers could get their 3rd straight.
2.Oklahoma City Thunder-I have really high hopes for this team. Kevin Durant had an MVP-calibur year last season and I except that to continue this year. James Harden,Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook are dangerous and big contributors. Their youth might still be an issue though. They are without a doubt a serious contender for a title this year.
3.Dallas Mavericks-The Mavericks are a veteran team with alot of chemistry. New additon Tyson Chandler only adds to the mix. The only issue the Mavericks have is their play in the playoffs, if that improves, they could be lethal.
4.Portland Trail Blazers-The Trail Blazers are still young, but they have a ton of talent. I expect them to improve from last year and be a very good team in the tough Western Conference.
5.Utah Jazz-Losing Carlos Boozer hurts. The Jazz brought in Al Jefferson to help fill the void, but he doesn't match Boozer production. Deron Williams is still a forced to be reckoned with at point guard and The Jazz still have a good amount of talent.
6.Phoenix Suns-Even though the Amare Stoudemaire loss is big, I still think the Suns are a good squad. Steve Nash is still an elite point guard and can run this team. Josh Childress and Hedo Turkoglu are good pickups and should be nice assets to the team. Tbe Suns won't be going back to the Western Conference finals this year, but I think alot of people will be surprised how well they do.
7.Houston Rockets-The Rockets really don't have a superstar player. They play well as a team though and I can see them making the playoffs this year.
8.New Orleans Hornets-Trevor Ariza is a great addition to this Hornets team. His presence boosts them into the playoffs. Chris Paul is still great and the rest of their supporting cast has enough talent to help them into the playoffs.
9.Memphis Grizzlies-Still too young, but they have talent and Rudy Gay is seriously underrated.
10.San Antonio Spurs-That's right, I have the Spurs not making the playoffs. I think they are really getting up there in age and don't have enough to get back to the playoffs this year. Unless someone helps Tim Ducan alot, I don't see them being effective this year.
11.Denver Nuggets-I don't see Melo staying in Denver too much longer and I think it is a serious distraction that will hurt them big time. They could surprise me, but I don't really like the odds.
12.Los Angeles Clippers-Blake Griffin has lot to prove this year. The whole team is riding on his play. Vinny Del Negro was a great choice at coach and should bring steady improvement to this team. I see the Clippers being better than usual, but they don't really that much going for them to be in the playoff hunt.
13.Golden State Warriors-David Lee brings in a bigman presence that was sorley lacking this year. Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry should be fun to watch and continue to play well. Golden State does have talent, they just need to find chemistry.
14.Sacramento Kings-Demarcus Cousins is my pick for the bust of the draft, which really hurts the Kings. Tyreke Evans should continue to progress, which brings a ray of hope for the Kings. Still, The Kings are pretty fucking awful.
15.Minnesota Timberwolves-Another year in the cellar for the Timberwolves. On the plus side, Michael Beasley's numbers should be quite good.