Hottie of the Day: Michelle Ryan

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Arleigh

MICHELLE RYAN

In 2007 there was an attempt to reboot the Bionic Woman TV series and leading up to the series’ debut the buzz was great. When the show finally aired the series was unable to deliver on the hype that was built around it. The series didn’t last the year, but it did introduce a young British actress to the US audience by the name of Michelle Ryan who has since made a career in British tv.

Michelle Ryan has starred in such popular shows across the pond such as the soap opera EastEnders and such geek fan-favorites as Doctor Who and Merlin. After the disappointment that was Bionic Woman she now returns Stateside by having a recurring role in the popular USA Network spy drama Covert Affairs. In 2011 she even starred in a kick-ass role as a zombie-slayer in the zombie-comedy Cockneys vs. Zombies which actually turned out to be better than what the title would suggest.

With social media and the entertainment news cycle being they way it is now compared to 2007 I wouldn’t be surprised if Ms. Ryan finally ends up breaking through in the US and I wouldn’t doubt that the date and location of such a break out will probably by at next year’s mecca to all things genre, Comic-Con 2014. Until then better check Michelle Ryan out while she’s playing Stateside.

PAST HOTTIES

AMV of the Day: Event (Nichijou)

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Arleigh

The past year or so I’ve been enamored and addicted to an anime series which came out in 2011. This anime is Nichijou and it’s one of the funniest, most confusing and irrelevant piece of entertainment I’ve ever seen. So, it’s only natural that the latest “AMV of the Day” comes from Nichijou.

The AMV is simply called “Event” and it goes a different route when it comes to the song used. It’s creator, JustRukia, doesn’t use techno, rock or pop songs as the foundation for the video, but instead goes for a more classical base. One wouldn’t think that Jacques Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld” aka the Can-Can song would fit in well with this irreverent anime, but it so does.

This is the third AMV I’ve posted that uses Nichijou and I don’t think it will be the last. The previous two were just as funny with “Safety Dance” being the first and “Affective Schoolgirls” the one before this one. This latest just continues the tradition of well-done and hilarious Nichijou AMV’s.

Anime: Nichijou

Song: “Orpheus in the Underworld (Can-Can)” by Jacques Offenback

Creator: JustRukia

Past AMVs of the Day

Song of the Day: Dreaming Wide Awake (by Poets of the Fall)

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Arleigh

The latest “Song of the Day” comes from the Finnish rock band Poets of the Fall.

“Dreaming Wide Awake” is such a cinematic-sounding song. From the vivid imagery brought up by the songs lyrics to the band’s frontman Marko Saaresto’s singing full of emotional power. I was first introduced to this song when I came across one of my favorite anime music videos almost three years ago now in Chiikaboom’s “Against All Odds”.

The song is about one’s inability to cope and move past the loss of a loved one. How one tragedy could compound another as one loses their grip on reality in an attempt to try and return their dead loved one to them. While this is an extreme version of such an experience I’m sure everyone has felt a similar feeling when one has gone through a very emotional break-up with someone they care about for a very long time.

For a song that sounds wistful and somewhat full of hope in reality this song is actually quite dark.

Dreaming Wide Awake

Too late, the melody is over
The joke seems to be on me cos I’m the one not laughing
Down here on the floor

Deflate, the mystery of living
In the most heartless fashion I could ever Imagine
No pretense of decor

Another place and time, without a great divide
And we could be flying deadly high
I’ll sell my soul to dream you wide awake

Another place and time, without a warning sign
And we could be dying angel style
I’ll sell my soul to dream you wide awake

I’ll dream you… wide awake

With me, disaster finds a playfield
Love seems to draw dark, twisted pleasure tearing at me
Cos I can’t let you go

Mercy, like water in a desert
Shine through my memory like jewelry in the sun
Where are you now

Another place and time, without a great divide
And we could be flying deadly high
I’ll sell my soul to dream you wide awake

Another place and time, without a warning sign
And we could be dying angel style
I’ll sell my soul to dream you wide awake

I’ll dream you… wide awake

It’s like I’m racing to the sun, blindly face the blazing gun
Cos I’m afraid I will be left here without you
Like I’m racing not to run, give more when I have none
Cos I’m afraid I will be left here without you… wide awake

Another place and time, without a great divide
And we could be flying deadly high
I’ll sell my soul to dream you wide awake

Another place and time, without a warning sign
And we could be dying angel style
I’ll sell my soul to dream you wide awake

I’ll dream you… wide awake.

Trailer: Titanfall “Gamescom Gameplay”

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Arleigh

Titanfall is really turning out to be one of my most-anticipated game titles of 2013.

It’s the very first title for Respawn Entertainment. A studio made up of the people who first created the Call of Duty studio, Infinity Ward, and who ended up being fired (or leaving to follow their fired leaders) by the powers-that-be who held sway over Activision. There was talk about whether Respawn Entertainment would ever get a chance to show Activision and it’s detractors that they still had what it takes to succeed in the first-person shooter market dominated by three titles (Call of Duty, Battlefield and Halo).

Titanfall looks to dispel such notions first with a triumphant return to this summer’s E3 where they revealed the title to everyone to much acclaim. Now we got to see more of the gameplay itself both in mechanics and graphics at this past week’s Gamescom 2013 over at Cologne, Germany.

The gameplay trailer pretty much dispelled whatever doubts I might have had about this title and now has my money ready to be exchanged for it when it comes out for the Xbox One (for some on the PC or Xbox 360) in early 2014.

AMV of the Day: Star x Crossed (Romeo x Juliet)

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Arleigh

The latest “AMV of the Day” is from an anime adaptation of one of the Bard’s most beloved work: Romeo and Juliet. There was an earlier chosen AMV from awhile back that also used this anime adaptation and one I consider a big favorite. Well, I found another well-made AMV using this same series and this time instead of taking the symphonic metal route for choice in music the video goes old-school 80’s rock ballad.

“Star x Crossed” combines both Romeo x Juliet and the classic Roxette rock ballad from the 80’s, “Listen To Your Heart”, to great effect. The song itself actually fits in perfectly with the anime which takes the star-crossed couple of the title in a fantasy setting. The series combines romance, drama and action in equal amounts. In fact, I would guess that the anime version of Juliet is less damsel-in-distress and lover-in-waiting and more an equal or surpasses Romeo in both character development and skill.

The video itself shows scenes of Juliet not just as the object of Romeo’s affection, but also someone who can hold her own in a fight. Plus, she’s a redhead which should make Lisa Marie happy as long as she doesn’t start trying to do sword-fighting like the character in the video.

The video’s creator is sinycatarina and it’s been an eye-opener finding her work in the AMV scene. This creator is very good and I’ve already marked another of her video’s for a future installment.

Anime: Romeo x Juliet

Song: “Listen To Your Heart” by Roxette

Creator: sinycatarina

Past AMVs of the Day

Song of the Day: Radioactive (by Imagine Dragons)

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Arleigh

Tonight’s episode of True Blood shares not just the title with Imagine Dragons’ popular track of the same name, but also used it to score their end credits for the season finale.

So, it’s no surprise that it’s the choice for the latest “Song of the Day”. This is not the first time the site has chosen something that uses this song. A recent “AMV of the Day” used this song to great effect. The video was “Radioakshun” and it matched the song’s lyrics which speaks of an apocalypse that has come and gone leaving a wasteland for people to sift through. This time around the song goes well with the time skip second-half of tonight’s True Blood season finale. No, there wasn’t an apocalypse that destroyed Bon Temps and killed everyone, but it showed that a sort of vampire apocalypse was on its way to Bon Temps and hints at what could be an epic seventh season for the show which started and ended a strong sixth season.

I’m going to take a flying leap and say that Imagine Dragons will be gaining quite a bit of new fans after tonight.

Radioactive

I’m waking up to ash and dust
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust
I’m breathing in the chemicals
I’m breaking in, shaping up, checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa

I’m waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my system blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, whoa, I’m radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, whoa, I’m radioactive, radioactive

I raise my flags, don my clothes
It’s a revolution, I suppose
We’ll paint it red to fit right in
Whoa
I’m breaking in, shaping up, checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa

All systems go, sun hasn’t died
Deep in my bones, straight from inside

AMV of the Day: Protectors of the Earth (Shingeki no Kyojin)

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Arleigh

The latest AMV of the Day has taken Japan and the rest of the anime-watching world by storm. I’m talking about the horror-action series Shingeki no Kyojin (“Attack On Titan”) that’s based on the manga of the same title by Hajime Isayama. This particular AMV uses the tried-and-true song “Protectors of the Earth” by Two Steps from Hell.

What is Shingeki no Kyojin?

It’s horror combined with dark fantasy, action and drama. It’s pretty much about whats left of humanity hiding behind massive walls that’s suppose to protect them from the giant humanoid-looking Titans who have no other goal but to devour every human they come across. It’s what would happen if you crossed the zombie apocalypse with giants instead of shambling corpses.

This video by LTTuall AMV does a great job of using the track from by Two Steps from Hell to create an action-packed anime trailer that shows some of the reasons why this anime series has become so popular so quickly.

Anime: Shingeki no Kyojin

Song: “Protector of the Earth” by Two Steps from Hell

Creator: LTTuall AMV

Past AMVs of the Day

Trailer: The Monuments Men (Official)

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Arleigh

The race for Awards Season film releases has begun to heat up with trailers for American Hustle and The Butler already showing some major front-runners for the major awards at the end of the year.

We now have another trailer release for a film that looks to join in on all the end of the year awards scramble. It’s the latest film from George Clooney (doing a trifect as writer, director and actor) which sports an impressive ensemble cast that includes Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin and Bob Balaban.

The Monuments Men is based on the true story of archivers, museum directors, art restorers turned soldiers tasked with saving the cultural and fine arts treasures stolen by Hitler’s Nazi forces during World War II. As the war begins to turn again the Nazi’s this group of unconventional soldiers must prevent these treasures from being destroyed as part of Hitler’s “scorched earth” policy when it comes to the cultures he has deemed unworthy.

The film itself is adapted from the book The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel. There’s a camp out there who doesn’t look at Clooney’s work as anything but OScar-bait whenever they come around every other year, but there’s no denying that the man can direct and act. The question now is whether The Monuments Men will finally give Clooney that final push into getting his first Best Director Oscar.

The Monuments Men is set for a December 18, 2013 release date.

Trailer: Thor: The Dark World (Official)

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Arleigh

The second film of Marvel’s Phase 2 for it’s Cinematic Universe comes in the form of Thor: The Dark World. I’m sure the title should give as to which of the Avengers character is front and center for this Phase 2 film.

Above is the official theatrical poster for the film which has a strong fantasy, Drew Struzan feel to it. That’s more than appropriate since Thor bridges the gap between the more grounded superheroics of Midgard’s (that’s Earth to the layman) heroes (Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Iron Man) and the more fantasy and scifi denizens of Asgard like Thor and the upcoming film, Guardians of the Galaxy.

While this latest trailer released by Marvel is not the footage that was shown to Hall H attendees during Marvel’s panel at this year’s Comic-Con, it still manages to show some new footage in addition to one’s already shown at the initial teaser earlier. For one, it has more Loki (which is smart of Marvel since Loki has become this Cinematic Universe’s resident bad boy everyone seems to love or hate to love.) and it also shows some hints at the darker, grittier look that Alan Taylor looks to bring from his time as director of episodes of Game of Thrones for HBO.

Natalie Portman’s character, Jane Foster still seems to come off as not belonging to this ensemble, but there’s still chance that the finished product will flesh her out and her relationship with Thor to everyone’s satisfaction.

Thor: The Dark World is set for a November 8, 2013 release date.

Song of the Day: Mako (by Ramin Djawadi)

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Arleigh

Finishing off my Pacific Rim soundtrack trifecta is the Mako Mori theme by Ramin Djawadi.

The first two parts of this trio were the theme to Pacific Rim and the theme to Gipsy Danger. Both were composed by Ramin Djawadi (the film’s composer) and featured lead guitar work by Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. My third choice and latest “Song of the Day” was simply titled “Mako”. This part of the soundtrack occurs primarily during a Drift sequence in the film that becomes the unifying thread to the relationship between Rinko Kikuchi’s Mako Mori character and IDris Elba’s Stacker Pentecost role. Ramin Djawadi has singer and songwriter PRiscilla Ahn join him in this song as we see an important backstory play out within the Drift. It’s Mako’s past history with the kaiju and Stacker and why she’s so determined to become a jaeger pilot despite her adopted father’s reservations.

With this track we see that Djawadi can handle emotional musical pieces as well as the more hard rock and chest-thumping sections of the film’s score. It helps to have Priscilla Ahn’s melodic harmonizing backing up Djawadi’s composition which starts off gradually and dream-like before it transitions into a soaring string movement that Djawadi’s mentor, Hans Zimmer, wished he could pull off.

To say that the Pacific Rim soundtrack was just as awesome as the film it was composed for would be an understatement. These three choices were just my personal favorites. There were more throughout the 25-track soundtrack and each and everyone of them fits the film perfectly.