dead grotty

Retreating to the past - why can’t rap be good again?

Today I watched Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, directed by Michael Rapaport.  A Tribe Called Quest is one of my favorite rap groups, though it never really quite hit me until today just how groundbreaking they were.

Listening to other rappers hold them in such high regard just reinforced my adamant stance that rap today will never be as good as it was back then, back when when finding the right rhymes and crafting the perfect beat was an art form. Seeing Q-Tip talk about how he randomly bought an album because he liked the cover and then, as he listened to it, discovering a beat that he ends up sampling for one of their hit songs was amazing.  To hear the process, even though it had been a matter of chance (or hell, even fate) that he discovered that album and that beat, was so interesting to me.

Today, rap is all about autotune, chanting the same lyrics, and super slick production.  Admittedly the whole genre is not like this (I continue to love the Beastie Boys to this day), but this is what is in the mainstream, what, for some reason, the masses enjoy.  You no longer hear the homages to funk or jazz, there is no sense of discovery or creativity…it is no longer art, and, in a sense, no longer music.

So until the day comes when someone changes the game, I will continue to stubbornly cling to the old school.

I watched Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2 tonight

Thoughts and opinions abound!

Personally, I loved the film and thought it was the best in the series.  However, I have three major complaints:

1. Harry telling Ron and Hermione that he was going to sacrifice himself.  First of all, HARRY WOULD NEVER say anything like that to them because a) this sacrifice is something he MUST do alone and he knows that if he revealed his plan, his two best friends would either stop him or go with him; and b) HE WOULD NEVER PUT RON AND HERMIONE THROUGH THAT, not after everything they have done for him, not after everything they have lost at this point in time.  So not only was it bad enough that he did this, but then Ron and Hermione didn’t even put up a fight and just let him go, which is the total opposite of what they would have done.  To me this was quite a drastic change and very out of character, not just for Harry but also for Ron and Hermione.  In relation to this, why is it that Hermione cries, hugs Harry and offers to go with him, but Harry’s soul mate Ron just fucking stands there (very reminiscent of the end of HBP, the movie)?  FOR FUCK’S SAKE, STEVE KLOVES, WHAT THE HELL DID RONALD WEASLEY EVER DO TO YOU?
2. I find it ironic that one of the things that somewhat bugged me in the book is what I now miss and wish was in Part 2: Harry’s speech before fighting Voldemort.  Look, I understand the need for the added action (even though some of it was a bit ridiculous…come on, jumping off that ledge together and the weird face-melding?) but I feel like the showdown in the movie COMPLETELY missed the point that was hammered home in the book.  There was no talk of love, no talk of how Harry’s sacrifice enabled him to protect everyone, and he didn’t ask Voldemort to show remorse.  The reveal of how Snape was never Voldemort’s was underwhelming.  Also in regards to the fight, I hate how there were no witnesses.  By the way, did Harry even say “Expelliarmus!”?  I mean, COME ON.
3. No death scenes for Fred/Lupin/Tonks.  I realize that in the book, Remus and Tonks were already dead when Harry sees them (like in the film), but Fred’s death was described and should have been played out on screen, especially when it was somewhat set up with that little moment between Fred and George.  Actually, I felt like the battle was short/rushed, even though I liked how it was portrayed onscreen.

What I especially loved:

• McGonagall (she was perfect)
• Neville (and in turn, Neville/Luna)
• The shoutout to Seamus and his pyro ways
• The kiss (so cute and in character!)
• The Malfoys peacing out
• “If we die for them, I’ll kill you, Harry!”  I was so pleasantly surprised that they kept this, it’s one of my favorite Ron lines in the whole series
• Ronald, in general
• Ronald speaking in Parseltongue (it was oddly hot…I think it’s because of Rupert’s voice)

Minor quibbles:

• Harry and Helena Ravenclaw - good part, but went on too long
• Harry snapping the Elder Wand like it ain’t no thang…oh yeah, and HE DIDN’T BOTHER FIXING HIS OWN BROKEN WAND FIRST, what!
• Lily with brown eyes!  What the hell…it honestly doesn’t bother me that Harry’s eyes are kept blue in the films, but if you’re going to focus on how his eyes are so similar to his mother’s, then AT LEAST MAKE THEM THE SAME COLOR!
• Why didn’t Pettigrew die?
• No Dumbledore/Grindelwald/Ariana backstory (though I suppose it’s understandable why it’s cut out)
• The horcruxes lack significance - the cup was just a cup (and not really established as an artifact of Helga Hufflepuff’s), the ring had no real meaning because of the lack of backstory, and there was more to the diadem than what was explained
• Hermione coming up with the plan to jump on the dragon (she hates flying and it would be more in character for her to try to come up with a more rational plan)
• Harry dropping/rolling out of Hagrid’s arms…I liked it better in the book, when he used the invisibility cloak
• Not enough reaction to Voldemort’s death (if I think on this more, I may just “upgrade’ it to a major complaint)
• Not enough reaction to Harry’s “death” (see above)
• Nagini’s death was up to chance, since Harry didn’t explicitly instruct Neville to kill the snake; he just happened to be there to save the day (though of course Ron and Hermione knew why the snake had to be killed)
• Hermione figuring out that Harry was a horcrux - look, I know she’s brilliant, but are you kidding me?  They barely know anything about horcruxes and yet she somehow puts it together that the killing curse rebounding caused a piece of Voldy’s soul to latch on to the only living thing in the room?  Not only that, but if she has this knowledge, why not tell Harry?  WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS ADDITION, OTHER THAN TO MAKE HERMIONE EVEN MORE PERFECT?
• What’s the point of mentioning Teddy in the forest scene when Remus/Tonks never truly announced that they were expecting?

Lulzy, weird stuff:

• Voldemort’s chuckle
• Voldemort hugging Draco
• Dumbledore looked like Gandalf
• Snape’s hair and eye makeup

I just now got around to watching The Walking Dead.  Great show, it’s so cinematic and filled with suspense and tension (as a show about the zombie apocalypse should be).  However, I’m already bored with one subplot (kind of trite, in my opinion) and I made the mistake of watching the second episode while eating.  NEVER AGAIN.

Shit just got real…and just when I nearly lost all hope with Don, he somewhat redeems himself!

Project Runway

I haven’t been so entertained with this show in a long time.  The past few seasons have been so bland, both in terms of the designers’ personalities and their designs, but this season really turned up the drama (though the designs, not so much).

I think it really helped that the show has been extended by about half an hour to show more of the judging, the design process, interactions between designers, etc.  However, having a “twist” that consists of designing a second or even third look happens so fucking often that it’s no longer a twist, especially if it happens in what seems like every episode!

I definitely have my favorite designers like I do with every season and I am hoping Mondo (who I’ve loved even before last week’s episode…oh my god, I was sobbing like an idiot over him), Andy, and April make it to Fashion Week.  The one guy whose name I can’t remember since he’s boring and has boring designs, Gretchen and Michael C. can GTFO.

Also, just looked through this week’s winning designs over on Amazon.com…$158 for a fucking hoodie!  I would have bought if it was more affordable.

Damn it

Urgh, I just spent nearly 30 minutes searching in vain for basketball tickets.  I was hoping to go to the opening game at the new arena; it would have been nice to see John Wall in person (I have no idea of his potential or lack thereof since I don’t watch college basketball), as well as Kirk Hinrich and Gilbert Arenas (and have a good laugh at Adam Morrison), but they were sold out already!

I want to see a home game as soon as possible, but the Magic play some crappy opponents early in the season.  You’d have to pay me to go see the Timberwolves, as well as the Nets, Knicks, Hawks, etc.  At this rate my first game of the season probably won’t be until my favorite team is in town and that won’t be until December.

What’s the point of having an internet pre-sale if no one can buy any tickets? 

:(

Damn it, Don, you ho…get your life together and stop treating Pete like shit.

Apologies for the lack of updates

I am still sick.  I would, however, like to say a couple of things:

• New followers, thanks for tuning in.  I always seem to get new followers when I’m not posting (not sure if that’s a good or bad thing), but hopefully when I’m feeling better in a couple of days you’ll actually remember why you started following me in the first place.
• Tonight’s Mad Men episode has cemented its place as one of my all-time favorites.  IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.  Make room for me on the Don/Peggy ship, please!  It’s official, I am rooting for them.  Sorry, Pete/Peggy.
• BERT COOPER LITERALLY HAS NO BALLS.
• Joey is so cute (obligatory mention).
• NOT ENOUGH JOAN.
• Anna :(  My brother and I were just talking about her eventual death yesterday and we were debating how the show would handle it (he thought that it wasn’t going to be a focal point and it would just happen offscreen and I thought that Don would actually show up at her death bed and say goodbye in person).  Turns out he was right!  I could have done without that hallucination though, but I can attribute that to Don being drunk and what not.

Okay, back to more bed rest, books, and cough drops…

AARON PAUL, FUCK YES!!!

I am crying right now, I’m really happy…so well deserved!

Oh god.  Three episodes into the season and I’m crying over it already!  *SPOILERS BELOW*

While Anna’s cancer diagnosis was pretty sad, Don is the one I have the most sympathy for.  It’s the impending loss of Don’s true sense of self that really got to me.  He has a kind of freedom with Anna that he simply can’t (and maybe won’t) share with any other person.  It’s a part of him that we may never see again; he is so guarded that I really cannot imagine him letting anyone else in the way he does/did with Anna.  When she dies, I think Dick Whitman will die with her too.

:(

Mad Men - initial impressions

Bullet points and spoilers, you know the drill…

• I love Cali Don and his relationship with Anna; it’s a trite saying, but he is a different person when he’s with her, literally
• Don had some pretty good chemistry with Anna’s college-aged niece (forgot her name already) and while I did expect him to hit on her, it still creeped me out a little
• Anna with cancer, holy crap (more on this topic later when I’m feeling more articulate)
• This is the second time Don has been shown helping Anna out with little domestic duties (first is the broken chair, now painting the wall); he seems more natural and more apt to help her than Betty, which can be attributed to Anna’s disability or maybe the fact that his feelings for her are more true and much deeper than anything he ever felt for his own wife
• Joan = FIERCE; I love her position of power
• Greg took a small step towards redeeming himself in my eyes when he performed that minor procedure at the dinner table
• I want more funny Lane!  Steak to the crotch may not be up there with zipper Mozart or throwing a chicken off the balcony, but for Lane Pryce that was pretty hilarious
• Apparently prostitutes cost $25 in 1964/1965

All in all, not a bad episode.  No major plot developments (other than the cancer thing), but I do love character studies, so I enjoyed it.

Initial impressions on Mad Men

Bullet points, spoilers, and the occasional ALL CAPS! 

• FREDDIE RUMSEN, YOU OLD FASHIONED FOOL, I LOVE YOU
• Beatles 45’s
• CREEPER GLEN, GET THE FUCK OUT
• Pete in a burgundy jacket, I approve
• Don and Allison, ESCANDALO!
• PEGGY, YOU ARE NOT A VIRGIN
• I now want to listen to Christmas songs all night
• LEE GARNER, JR., YOU’RE AN ASS AND A HALF, I HATE YOU
• Roger in a Santa suit
• Pete and Harry sitting on Roger’s lap (not at the same time)
• JOAN IS A BRICKHOUSE
• I can watch that conga line forever
• JANE’S DRESS, GET IN MY CLOSET, PLEASE
• Poor man’s Rachel Bilson, get the fuck out
• NEW GUY IS CUTE (yes, I know his name is Joey)

I just saw Inception. Can JGL and Cillian Murphy wear suits every day for the rest of their lives? Hot hot hot.