Predator (1987) - #Movie #Review

A fantastic classic!

Ok, so before Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator) became the, 'Governator' he was this huge actions/sci-fi star that had a ton of great movies that he released between the early 1980s, and roughly the mid 2000, (He has been in some good movies lately, but nothing like the movies that came out before his tenure as the, 'Governator'!)

With that said, there are a couple of movie series that he sort of technically helped to begin that are still running to this day, one of them being, 'The Terminator' (A series that he recently returned to,) 'Conan: The Barbarian' (A series that is about to be brought back to life,) and, 'Predator' (A series that may not have seen him back in since the beginning, but still a great series!)

And we will get in to, 'Terminator', but the one that I wanted to discuss today that I think actually is a pretty awesome movie is, Predator (1987)!

A great poster!

Written by:: Jim Thomas (Mission To Mars), John Thomas (Batman: Dead End) and Directed by: John McTiernan (Die Hard). Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers (Rocky), Elpidia Carrillo (Solaris), Bill Duke (Battledogs), Jesse Ventura (The Running Man), Sonny Landham (Mental Scarls) & Richard Chaves (War Of The Worlds).

"You're one... 'ugly' motherfucker!" - Dutch (A quote by Arnold Schwarzenegger from, Predator (1987)!)

Now one of the great things about this movie is it's timeless story, you see this movies tells the story of Dutch (Schwarzenegger) and a group of soldiers who are sent in to the central American jungle on a rescue mission, when they end up encountering more the they bargain for!

Dutch and his team...

You see, they had been sent out on what they believed was going to be a rescue mission, but in this case what they literally, 'don't know' is definitely going to kill them, when these highly trained hunter/killers, become the prey for an unseen warrior!

In the end, this is one trip in to the jungle that these fearless warriors are never going to forget!

Now as far as this movie goes, I have to say that it is timeless... I mean seriously, if you want a fantastic man vs. alien film, you really can't get much better then this... I mean even the few plot holes that are in this movie don't detract from how awesome it is!

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Misery (1987) - Stephen King - Book Review

If you thought that the movie was terrifying... Forget about it!

Stephen King... I will be honest and say that he is one my favorite authors... His work is so awesome, that I can pretty much say, that with out a doubt that by being introduced to this guy's brilliant written work, and the movies that are based on his work, that these works are pretty much one of the main reasons why I do what I do these days!

I mean the detail that Mr. King puts in to his novels just really makes you feel like the book is coming to life in your hands, and the character development that he put in to all of his stories is just pure genius... No matter if they are good or bad!

And you know what? That is just part of the reason that I have found that I really enjoyed, 'Misery' (1987)!

You really don't want her as your, 'number #1 fan'...

"I'm your number one fan. There's nothing to worry about. You're going to be just fine. I will take good care of you. I'm your number one fan." - Annie Wilkes (A quote from Kathy Bates in the movie, 'Misery' based on the Stephen King novel.)

This book tells the coldly dark story of how during a snow storm in the Colorado mountains and how Paul Sheldon (a famous writer of the, ' Misery' series,) is heading home, when his car over turns... 

After this... Well he is rescued by his, 'Number #1 fan...' 

You see, this woman, is a woman who lives in the mountains, in a sort of remote area... Now at first she seems like a blessed angel... (What with having been a nurse at one time...) 

This, 'Angel-In-The-Snow' maybe a little bit more of a, 'demon'!

Well what Paul Sheldon doesn't know will hurt him... Because this woman, REALLY loves his work... And the longer they are together, the more he discovers about his, 'Angel-In-The-Snow'... And well as the saying goes... 'The greatest trick the devil ever played is convincing man he doesn't exist' (Don't quote me on that exactly... But that is basically how it goes...) 

Now I thought that the performance that Kathy Bates turned in, in the movie was absolutely brilliant... And you know what? It was! She was scary as hell! But the Annie Wilkes in the novel... Forget about it! She has the movie version beat for scares! 

All I can say is that you are going to like this novel... Just try not to read it by a roaring fire on a dark and stormy night... 
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Three Classic 80s Songs From Three Classic 80s Horror/Sci Fi Movies

Recently I have been on kind of a kick when it comes to listening to some of the great soundtracks of the 1990s, and so I thought that I might have some fun, and mention: 'Five Classic 80s Songs From Five Classic 80s Horror/Sci Fi Movies':

And with out further adieu:

At number 4: Dokken - 'Dream Warriors' for: A Nightmare On Elm Street: Dream Warriors (1987):

At number 3: Ray Parker, Jr. - 'Ghostbusters' for: Ghostbusters (1984).

At number 1: G Tom Mac - 'Cry Little Sister' for: The Lost Boys (1987).

There are a lot of other great songs from a lot of other great horror and science fiction movies from that era, I just thought that you guys would enjoy these!

Testament: Burnt Offerings (1987) - Song Review

Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils 

Alright guys, I will be honest with you, this one is just about as new for me as I imagine that it must be for you guys who haven't heard this song, so why not join me for a journey as we dive in to the world of Testament's, 'Burnt Offerings', from their 1987 album, 'The Legacy'!

Testament doing, 'Burnt Offerings' live 2013!  

Now first off let me say this, this song very well defines the 1980s... As far as heavy metal goes... This might not be a thing to most... But it is certainly a thing for me, and it is something that I have noticed that a lot of the more modern day Heavy Metal bands definitely seem to be missing... That being that garage band feel that a lot of the truly great heavy metal bands of the 80s still have, and in some cases, have lost.

What I mean by that is that when you are listening to them play, it doesn't sound necessarily like they are playing to a packed stadium, and like they are just playing for the love of the music, with out the use of equipment that could cost thousands, if not 10s of thousand of dollars... But like they are playing with the instruments that they have had since they were kids!

I am going to say this, in my opinion, the live version of this song is better then the studio version, The reason that I mention this, and I have noticed other bands try this, and don't really completely pull it off, and Testament in this song didn't entirely either... That being that their singer (albeit I am sure they did not know this,) but the way that Chuck Billy belted out this song, along with the instrumentals, seemed like a wrong mix of Heavy Metal, and a precursor to death metal...

Either way, this song is one that is worth it, and if you get a chance to check it out, you might like it! I will admit that I found it to be a pretty good song!

For the true fan... Lyrics to Testament's Burnt Offerings!

Summoned to the house of seance
To play the evil tarot cards
To find out what our fate will bring us
Before the war!

Approaching now the hour of tiamat
Evil feeling in the air
The chosen wait impatiently
To find the rituals of power
Come out of the fire
Making the legacy known
Predicted by the past
Takes its toll at last
Now knowing when it strikes

The endless feuding shows its fate
The people are all shocked with fright
They know the end is coming near
It's time to fight
The revolution holds on strong
The armies have all met their match
Entire world up in arms
Destruction sees the spirits of anger
Come up from the gallows
Conjured my demons appear
Summoned to my cast, prey this deadly mass
Takin' by the fire you fall

The world became a vast wasteland
Survivors turned to cannibals
Killing everything in sight
Warfare tonight
The armies are all closing in
The populations getting small
The feelings are as cold as ice
Survival names its price
Starting to burn
The rape and the violence grows high
A kingdom will rise
To rule with contempt
They will surprise
Kill and repent
The weakness in armies
Won't die! Won't die! Won't die!

Leaving now the house of seance
Speculating destiny
Wonder if the cards were true
Will wait to find out and will wait to see.

Discovering The World Of Video Gamming And Their Consoles For The FirstTime... Again

Contra... A particularly violent game... Definitely one that boys enjoyed back in the day!

When I was a kid, one of the things that I discovered at a very young age (as a matter of fact, I think I may have been in either 3rd or 4th grade when I first discovered these, but till then I was still so young that I was still mostly playing with toys... That was till I discovered the world of video games!

The way this happened was... Well it was when I was in Elementary School or so... You see, one of the things that the Principle of the School let kids do on Fridays, was get off School a bit early and one of the kids would bring in one of their Video Game Consoles (back then we are talking, Nintendo... Sega Genesis... etc...) And all of us kids got to play...

Well in the end, this gave me the opportunity to dive in to the world of video games at a very young age... And I will say, that video games...  As a kid growing up, gave me loads and loads of fun, I got introduced to some very awesome video games, such as: Final Fantasy (1987), Contra (1987) as well as, Space Harrier 2 (1988), as well as so much more!

A truly classic game, and was one of the ones that I am happy to say helped me to truly enjoy the world of video games when I was a kid!

 Well... I hate to say it, but as time went on, I came to stop playing video games all together... Considering the fact that I developed a website that has to do with reviewing and blogging about video games that this might be a little odd... But it is true!

You see, I happened to be in Colorado with my wife a few years ago visiting the inlaws, and her brother (who fancies himself a bit of a, 'gammer',) introduced me to the world of the, 'XBox 360'... And well to say the least, I was hooked like I was back in the late 80s through the 90s!

Well when my wife and I got home, of course I wanted to get me an XBox 360... Couldn't do so at the time... (At the time, the XBox 360 was still a bit pricey...) The first system though I was able to dive in to was Microsoft's original, 'XBox' video game console, and the few games I was able to get my hands on when I bought the system and games from a friend of mine who was selling his!

The first, 'XBox' video game console that Microsoft released.

 The XBox 360... A video game console that was released by Microsoft, and is one of two of probably the most prolific video game consoles to have come in the 21st century!

In the end, I was able to get my XBox 360... And I have not looked backs since!

Now you might be wondering why I am writing this... Well if you are some one who has any doubt about the value of a kid's first video game system... Well let's put it this way, coming from a gammer of many years... Engaging in activities outside is important for everyone, no matter what age they are, and so... The reason that I write this, is that yes, it is a toy... But you never know... Some day your kids could do what I did, and turn their love of video games in to a worthwhile career!

Final Fantasy (1987) - Video Game Review

Official Score = 3 Devils 

When I was a kid, one of the things that I had really wanted was a video game system of my very own, I had found out about them because when I was still in school, one of the things that the Principal let us do, is they let one of the kids (who had, it seemed like most of the available video games, and systems of the mid 80s...) And so of course I really wanted one!

Well my mom wouldn't let me have one... Not sure exactly why, to much violence in video games I reckon (in the mid to late 80s, that was starting to become an issue for a lot of folks, especially when it came to their kids...)

Well to the least, my Dad ended up getting me a Nintendo (I know, I am starting to feel really old,) anyway he got that with a Basketball game that was fun, but another game that was pretty addicting to my dad when he first got it for me, and is still one of my favorite games... (Albeit more Fantasy the Science Fiction... But there is enough of that to make it count...) That game is Final Fantasy (1987)!

A classic!

Originally developed for the: Famicom, and which would later be released on the NES. MSX2, Wonderswan Color, Playstation, Gameboy Advance, various mobile phones over the years, PSP, Virtual Console as well as for the, 'Playstation Network' tells the story of how when fours warriors of light appear, each carrying orbs that kind of control the 4 elements (earth, wind, water & fire.)

Now these orbs are currently all dark, and so monsters and the like are being allowed to run rampant, and it is the mission of the Warriors Of Light to destroy the monsters, and to bring the Orbs back to life!

The fighting sequence may look a little lame... But what do you expect? I mean this game came out in 1987... And to this day is still a total blast! 

Now this game is a total blast, and I will say this, despite the fact that this game is old, it is still so good, that I myself am currently playing it on an old phone of mine that I kept just so that I could beat it!

The only problem with this game is this, the Final Fantasy series is known for the players getting in to a lot of moments when they are going to have to fight, and the first one is no different, the problem is, is this happens a little to much, to the point  where it can start to get a little irritating, and thus can make long term play a little rough!

Check it out, it maybe old, but it is fun!

Five Songs From The 80s & 90s That Helped Define Five GreatHorror/Sci-fi Movies

One of the things I have noticed in the new millennium which I have wondered about, is that there seems (definitely in modern horror movies, and to a strong extent with Science Fiction movies,) a noticeable absences of mainstream bands making music that one could say defines the movies in music terms!

What do I mean for this? Well of course there is always composed music, like the composed music that John Williams (Jaws) has done for a lot of the biggest Science Fiction films of all time, in this case what I mean is, music such as what Rob Zombie (Halloween) has done for his movies... And Rob Zombie has done a great with this!

In the case of Rob Zombie, he has always done some truly kick ass songs for (I can't say all, because I haven't seen all of them,) but almost all of his movies! So as a little reminder of what bands did for Horror & Science Fiction, I thought that you guys would enjoy:  Five Songs From The 80s & 90s That Helped Define Five Great Horror/Sci-fi Movies!

For number 5: The Cure: Burn (1994) from: The Crow soundtrack:

For number 4: Gerard McMann: Cry Little Sister (1987) from: The Lost Boys soundtrack:

For number 3: Rage Against The Machine: Wake Up (1999) from: The Matrix soundtrack:

For number 2: White Zombie: The One (1996) from the soundtrack for: Escape From L.A.:

For number 1: Guns 'N Roses: Sympathy For The Devil (1994): from the soundtrack for: Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles:

There are a lot more out there, but I would say that these are some of the better ones, and I hope that these remind you of some of the awesomeness that was soundtracks for horror and science fiction in the 1980s and 1990s

Arnold Schwarzenegger... A Great Action Superstar... An AmazingHorror/Sci-fi Actor

The King of the big screen has had many layers to his storied career!

That's right folks, most people recognize Arnold for his amazing contributions to the world of the, 'Action Movie', and up til a few years ago as, 'The Governator' when he was the Governor of California... But besides all of that, there is another side to Arnold that I certainly believe is worth mentioning... That is his contributions to the world of Horror and Science Fiction!

Now most of you guys probably would recognize him in the field of Science Fiction for the work that he did in the, 'Terminator' franchise, as well as the work he did in the original, 'Total Recall' movie, and if I had to guess, I would go so far as to say that almost none of you would recognize him for his work in the world of horror!

But the truth is... Where as he may not have had much of a horror career, he has done one movie, which... Well it may not be the greatest, considering... It is alright, that being: End Of Days (1999), but he good news is that this side is growing, as it looks like Lionsgate has picked up the horror movie, 'Maggie' which is supposed to have Schwarzenegger in it, and which is supposed to be released later this year!

Arnold Schwarzenegger in, 'End Of Days' (1999)!

And as for Science Fiction... Well hell, we got the, 'Terminator' series, and Total Recall (1990), there are also some extremely awesome Sci-fi movies, such as: Last Action Hero (1993)!

Last Action Hero tells the story of a kid who loves movies so much, that when he gets a magic ticket, he ultimately ends up by mistake, not only jumping in to the world of his favorite Action hero, 'Jack Slater' (Played by: Schwarzenegger), but bringing that world back with him!

Now this movie I have never understood why is so undervalued, I mean this movie is a totally awesome fun time! I know, because I just saw it again recently (Don't worry, that review is coming...)

Fictional Character meet person who played you... A scene from, 'Last Action Hero'!

The next one that I thought that I would mention here is, The 6th Day (2000)...

Now I truly don't understand why this movie didn't get more play, I mean Arnold and the rest of the cast did a great job in it, and the story that touched on the controversy of, 'cloning', when a man ends up stumbling in to the world created for his, 'clone,' was just awesome, and hell, even the special effects were the right kind of awesome as well!

Now this last one I am going to say is maybe one of his better movies to have been released as an Action/Sci-fi movies... That movie being: Predator (1987)... Arnold did a great job in this movie, but the truth is, is that I really liked this movie because the story I felt like accurately depicted what it would be like for American forces to go up against an Alien force with vastly superior resources!

Predator... A true Schwarzenegger classic!

Anyway, there are other Schwarzenegger Sci-fi movies out there, I just thought that I would mention the Sci-fi movies as well as horror movie from above, because... Well... These are probably the best... (Well in the case of the horror movie, the only, for the time being...)

For more information on the movies I mentioned above, please enjoy these trailers:

The Evolution Of The Video Game Soundtrack: From Analog Music ThroughMovie Styled Video Game Soundtracks

A program used by Mac computers to create computer generated music.

Most people recognize that video game soundtracks in the modern day are becoming more and more like Movie or TV soundtracks... But before this really began to take shape, at the beginning of the world of video games... well as it turns out, most video games had computer generated music, and before that, Cassette or LP generated music.

Some of the music that has been computer generated... Well in the early days was pretty horrible, and well, if you really dig in to it, there are some truly fun scores (such as: Super Mario Bros. (Believe it or not, it is a fun soundtrack) and even Final Fantasy 7!)

To really understand this progression, lets really start with the progression of computer generated music (I mean after all, computer generated music is where video game music got it's start.)

In this case, the first computer to generate music was a computer called the, 'CSIRAC', (which stands for: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Automatic Computer.) Now I can give you all the technical jargon if you want (but that is probably not much use for what we are working toward in this blog.)

The earliest known computer to play music.

To say the least, this computer (which is one of the oldest first generation electronic computers ever built,) was built in Australia in the late 40s by Trevor Pearcy & Maston Beard and which in the early 50s would be programmed by a mathematician by the name of Geoff Hill to generate music.

Since then, there has been many advancements in the programming for computer generated music, leading up to, and for our purposes, the first video game to ever play computer generated music...

Now before I continue on I should also mention the direct predecessor to computer generated music for video games...

Like movies, in the case of video games, early video game music was played on independent systems separate from the video game itself.

You see, in the 1970s, when arcades were really having their Golden Age, video game music would be played in analogue form (on cassette tapes, or on LPs.) Well to say the least this proved to be unworkable, and the age of computer generated music was born!

You see, it turns out that a more workable solution for this was to insert a computer chip that would create music from electric impulses created from the games code in to analog music.

Well to say the least, starting with Gun Fight (1975)... A game which proved to be one of the earliest examples of computer generated music for games, we find video games getting better and better computer generated music... Leading to (what I would say), would be some great early computer generated music from such awesome NES games as (well besides what I mentioned above,) such stuff as: Contra (1987), Mega Man (1987) & even Castlevania (1987), to name a few!

Castlevania... A fun game, with a fun computer generated soundtrack! 

And you know what? This music just kept getting better and better, with the passage from, '8 Bit' games to, '16 Bit' games, as well as the advent of the first Playstation, etc... I am going to go so far as to say that the height of singularly computer created music format for video games was with the advent of the first, 'Playstation.'

Don't get me wrong, there has been a ton of fun video game soundtracks to come out before this, but some of the video game soundtracks that came out with the first playstation were truly... Amazing! A great example again is, Final Fantasy 7! I mean the music for this video game was truly prolific , to the point where one could have been said to be a, 'Computer Generated Opera!'

Now I don't exactly know when the change first started occurring (I unfortunately had a bit of an absence from the world of video games,) but I did notice that as time has gone on, and leading (at the very least up until the XBox 360,) that video game soundtracks have become less computer generated, and more like movie soundtracks!

Crackdown for the: XBox 360 is a great example of a video game that has an almost, 'movie' like sound track to it!

I reckon that as long as video games keep getting better and better and the lines between movies and video games get more and more blurred, that in the end, the soundtracks will as well!

For more information, please check out these examples:

Masters Of Horror: Clive Barker

Clive Barker... A true master of horror who created such legendary horror movies as, 'Hellraiser'!

Clive Barker... What can I say about the man that hasn't already been said? I mean as weird as this may sound, this master of horror, who was born in Liverpool England in 1952, could be said to be the, 'William Shatner' of horror.

What I mean by this, is that for the better part of a few decades actor/writer/musician, William Shatner (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) has been branding himself as a major player in the world of Science Fiction, what with having either been in or directed or even written, Star Trek novels/TV Shows & Movies, he has also done his own spoken word version of David Bowie's, 'Major Tom' (A song that could be said to be sort of, 'Sci-fiish'... He also wrote a series of Science Fiction novels called, 'Tek Wars', that were so good that they were turned in to a TV Show in the 90s! And that is just to name a few!

And you could say that Clive Barker has done very similar for the horror genre as well! I mean this guy created such amazing horror movie villains as, 'Pinhead' & 'Candyman' (Both are characters that started in stories that had been written by the master,) but that is just to name a few of the awesome villains that he has brought to the big and small screens!

Pinhead (Played by: Doug Bradley) & Candyman (Played by: Tony Todd)... Two horror movie legends that were originally created by: Clive Barker!

Besides those mentioned above, this epic filmmaker has helped bring to the world, such classic horror movies as, Rawhead Rex (1987)... A classic story about a pagan gods bloody rampage through out the Irish countryside (a movie that was also based on one of his stories...)

Another classic horror movie that Clive Barker did that was based on his written work was the movie, Nightbreed (1990)... Now this amazing movie told the story of an unstable man who is led to believe that he is some sort of serial killer, and ends up finding refuge in a hidden refuge where the monsters and the like have come to hide from humanity!

And the last one that I thought that I would mention here (although there is a ton more great movies that he has done that I found that are just great,) but this one is, Lord Of Illusion (1995)... This classic, which brought together an amazingly talented cast that included the likes of, 'Scott Bakula' (Enterprise), and, 'Famke Janssen' (X-Men)... This movie which tells the story of a New York Private Detective, who while on a case in LA ends up getting involved with a cult, and prophecy that is supposed to have foretold of a cruel cult leader's resurrection...

Scott Bakula going up against the forces of darkness in Clive Barker's 'Lord Of Illusion' (1995)

Now that is just a small cross section of his film/written works, but this amazingly talented artist is an acomplished visual artist, having illustrated some of his own novels... His artwork has also been displayed in galleries in the U.S. In places like, 'Los Angeles', 'New York' & even 'Chicago'!

Now the truth is, is I could go on and on about this guy, and his truly prolific work... But you get the point... I would say that as an over all artist, that this guy maybe one of the most prolific masters of horror of all time!

Five Classic Synthpop Songs From The 1980s

I will be honest and say that I am not the biggest fan of the, 'Synth' music movement... Don't get me wrong, it certainly has it's place, and the truth is, is that there are some good groups out there making even better songs...

So to give it it's just deserve, I thought that I would give you guys a small sample of this with 5 classic synthpop songs from the 1980s!

So without further adieu, and enjoy!

At number 5: The Buggles - Living In The Plastic Age (1980):

For number 4: Devo - Whip It (1980):

And next up at number 3: A Flock Of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song (1982):

With 2 more left to go, at number 2: Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasuredome (1984):

And finally at number 1: Depeche Mode - Strangelove (1987):

5 Great Sci-fi/Horror Movies That Were Turned In To 5 Video Games InThe 1990s

This Ghostbusters video game is just one example of a movie that was turned in to a great video game!

You know growing up in the 1990s one of things that I got to do is to see the effects of some of the biggest horror and science fiction movies that came out in the 1980s, and how they impacted the 1990s!

What do I mean by this? Well let's take, RoboCop (1987)...

At the time... Well this movie was truly awesome and still is! But it wasn't until the 1990s when the effects of this movie, and the impact that it would have on the industry in the whole would begin to be felt... I mean it really started growing, with the sequels to this movie coming out in the early 90s, and with the cartoon, 'RoboCop: Alpha Commando' coming out in 1999, and eventually more movies, culminating with the recent reboot of the series!

During this time we would see a growing rise in merchandising, and video games, such as: RoboCop Vs. Terminator (1993) and the like!

RoboCop Vs. Terminator, a classic video game that had 2 great movies turned in to a crossover video game!

Well there are other such examples, and I thought that it would be fun to begin to examine some of these games:

So with out further adieu:

At number 5: Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes (1991).

A classic B... Well... B whatever!

Now I will admit that with this one I never saw the movie (A situation that I intend to remedy), but I did see the cartoon that was based on the movie, and it was pretty awesome... Now I have never beaten this game, but I did play it a couple of different times back when it was first released for the Nintendo, and it is a fun one, worth at least trying if you are a fan of classic video games!

At number 4: Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993).

This game, which is based on the classic early 90s movie is considered to be one of the worst games ever made!

You might find it odd that I would add a game that sucked, but the truth is, is where as Bram Stoker's Dracula is is an amazing movie, I thought that I should add this game because... Well lets be honest, when doing a list people generally seem more interested in doing lists that they like... And this game was pretty deplorable... If you find it, do like Van Helsing and burn the wicked game!

At number 2: Darkman: The Video Game (1991).

An interesting one...

Now this one is sort of a mixed bag... The movie was freaking amazing! I only saw part of one of the sequels... And well it was alright... But as far as the video game goes, I only got to play it once, and it was alright... When you were actually playing the game... Well it was pretty fun, but, and I don't know if it was just the copy of the game that I was playing or what ever, but the truth is, is the music and sound fx sucked!

At number 1: Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (1990).

Michael Jackson is the lead character in this classic early 90s Genesis game! 

This one is sort of different... What I mean by this is that this movie may now have been Science Fiction or Horror, but the truth is, is the movie was truly amazing, and the video game , (which does have elements of science fiction in it), is truly awesome, and if you haven't tried it yet... Do so... Both rock!

Four Prolific Musicians/Bands Whose Contributions Helped To Define Heavier Music In The 20th Century!

There are and always will be some truly spectacular musicians out there that really know what the hell they are doing, and it really shows... But in all truth, there are a particular subset of musicians out there that I would say their music is so prolific that even decades after they broke up and or died, that these bands are still heavily influencing new musicians all over the world... So I thought I would let you guys in on a couple of these...

At number 4: Elvis Presley (1935 - 1977):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="240"] Elvis Presley... 'The King Of Rock' now and for ever![/caption]

Now here is a guy that not only had some amazing tunes that really rocked, but when he was still alive, his music helped trailblaze the, 'Rock 'N Roll' genre from being something that annoying old people tried their very best to outlaw, to being a respectable musical form the people admired... And still do! When he was alive, Men wanted to be him, and women wanted to be with him... In the end he had been crowned, 'The King Of Rock' before he died, and to this day he still holds that title!

For more information on, 'Elvis Presley' please enjoy this song:

[embed]http://youtu.be/gj0Rz-uP4Mk[/embed]

For number 3: The Beatles (1960 - 1970):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="434"] The Beatles... Truly a force to be reckoned with![/caption]

The Beatles... When these guys were together, like Elvis Presley, were people that were frowned upon by old people, but they also held the interests of their ever growing fan base... But as for Elvis making the way for, 'The Beatles' and other bands and musicians to make there way in to the genre in an era of respectability, The Beatles didn't do that... They both had very distinct sounds, but in the case of, 'The Beatles' I am going to have to say that these trailblazers were really the direct ancestors of the modern, 'Metal' scene!

For more information on, 'The Beatles' please enjoy this song:

[embed]http://youtu.be/_HONxwhwmgU[/embed]

For number 2: Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"] Michael Jackson is truly one that will be missed...[/caption]

Now this guy was something different... I mean he had his harder music, but as for Michael Jackson... He had the tendency to meld Rock 'N Roll, with Pop/R&B type of music in a  pretty fun melding... And ultimately rather he was doing Disco (which it does seem like he did a lot when he was kid, or playing his more heavier stuff, Michael Jackson was crowned the, 'King Of Pop' before he died, and at this point it is pretty safe to say that he still owns that crown!

For more information, 'Michael Jackson', please enjoy this song:

[embed]http://youtu.be/dsUXAEzaC3Q[/embed]

At number 1: Nirvana (1987 - 1994):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="533"] At truly prolific band that is missed...[/caption]

The truth is, is that I am not putting these guys up at number 1 on the strength of their music (all though there music is pretty awesome), in this case I am giving them the number #1 spot because these talented musicians, when they were all still apart of, 'Nirvana' were producing music that was so good that it helped pave the way for, 'Grunge', and it is the type of music that has remained extremely popular even after decades after the band dissolved itself!

For more information on, 'Nirvana', please enjoy this song:

[embed]http://youtu.be/G3qRYGopZMU[/embed]

Five Great Songs That Were Joined WIth Five Great Science Fiction Or Horror Movies

Being a huge movie fan, as well as a huge fan of music, I have always enjoyed soundtracks, or even the albums which have had songs taken from them for the soundtracks to movies!

And so I thought that I would do a blog for, 'Five Great Songs That Were Joined With Five Great Science Fiction Or Horror Movies'!

At number 5: Will Smith - 'Men In Black' (1997), from the soundtrack  for: Men In Black (1997):

http://youtu.be/KSRF3slguhI

And next up at number 4: Dokken - 'Dream Warriors' (1987), from the soundtrack for: A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987):

http://youtu.be/YPDRl1Wwl2o

At mid way with number 3: Class Of '99 - 'Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)' (1999), from the soundtrack for: The Faculty (1998):

http://youtu.be/oRpQxilL54I

Next up on the block at number 2: Tom Mac - 'Cry Little Sister' (1987), from the soundtrack for: The Lost Boys (1987):

http://youtu.be/TuxdjVI-5r0

And finally, at number 1: The Flys - 'Got You Where I Want You' (1998), from the soundtrack for: Disturbing Behavior (1998):

http://youtu.be/mKtVZ818MKI

5 Great Video Game Series That Got Their Starts A Generation Ago

That's right folks, with all of the modern games that are coming out at such a rapid rate, that we some times forget where some of these staple franchises have come from, and so I thought that I would remind some of us out there where these modern games got their start:

At number 5: Castlevania.

For more information on this game please check out these scenes from, 'Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2' (2014), and 'Castlevania' (1986):

http://youtu.be/ENSDrPpFp-Y

http://youtu.be/pJk-zhp8aA0

At number 4: Contra.

For more information on this game please check out these scenes from, 'Hard Corps Uprising' (2011), and 'Contra' (1987):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzQKF9LUQ90

http://youtu.be/ZDOrp_TMGfA

At number 3: Mega Man.

For more information on this game please check out these scenes from, 'Mega Man 10' (2010), and 'Mega Man' (1987):

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnGfx0dfi7g&w=420&h=315]

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaS1c-16frU&w=560&h=315]

At number 2: Sonic The Hedgehog.

For more information on this game please check out these scenes from, 'Sonic Boom' (2014), and 'Sonic The Hedgehog' (1991):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAhNkZWvZJ4

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ny0Pr09S8&w=420&h=315]

At number 1: Street Fighter.

For more information on this game please check out these scenes from, 'Street Fighter X Tekken' (2012), and 'Street Fighter' (1987):

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_dM7SWLBTQ&w=420&h=315]

http://youtu.be/KLQ1aCOSQos

RoboCop (1987) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="307"] Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils[/caption]

The 1980s saw an awesome rise in some truly great Science Fiction movie, including, The Terminator (1984), Alien (1986) and Alien Nation (1989)... As a matter of fact I think that a lot of what was done in the 1970s and 1980s, is what has inspired a lot of modern day filmmakers when they are making their Science Fiction movie!

There was another movie that I found the concept for, 'i,e. a Cop brought back to life as a cyborg', and that movie of course is, RoboCop (1987)!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="196"] A truly amazing movie![/caption]

You see this movie followed on the coat tails of, The Terminator, but where as in, 'The Terminator' the cyborg is evil, in this one he is good.

This movie tells the story of how after being utterly massacred during his first day in one of the most violent sections of Detroit, Officer Alex Murphy (Played by: Peter Weller), is turned in to a cyborg cop by the, 'good' people at Omni Corp...

At first everything seems to be going fine, he seems to be beating all expectations, and since his memory of his old life had been erased, he seems to be the embodiment of the perfect cop!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="479"] It looks like Kurtwood Smith maybe having some problems in the movie, 'RoboCop' (1987)![/caption]

Of course that was until his partner tried to get his attention, from there, he starts remembering things, and as he slowly regains his memory and Officer Alex Murphy begins to replace his new life as, 'RoboCop', Alex Murphy, along with his former partner will uncover a plot that will not only change the world of his benefactors, but will help him get the justice he so richly deserves for his murder the first time!

Now if you haven't seen any of this legendary movie or anything that was spawned from this movie series, then you might want to give this movie a start, I think you might find yourself hooked!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3W5HUz7vyY&w=560&h=315]

Sphere (1987) - Michael Crichton - Book Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park)... When I was a kid, this author was the guy that every one read his books... I mean I think I saw Jurassic Park the movie the day that it came out back in the early 1990s, and I think by 1994 I had managed to read most of his truly classic works!

So when I heard that he had passed away and that there would not be any new novels that he would be releasing, well to say the least I was non plussed... But there was one particular novel that I had read around 1998 - 1999 that I had read after seeing the movie that not only did I find was not only one of my favorite novels that he has done, but was also one of my favorite novels that I have ever read!

This novel told the story of how after a crashed Alien craft is discovered at the bottom of the ocean, a group of researchers are sent down not only to research the craft but the spherical ball of what appears to be energy, with some truly  gripping consequence!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="295"] A classic scene from the movie, 'Sphere'... A movie that is based off the Michael Crichton novel of the same name.[/caption]

Now I will be honest and say that I am a huge fan of the Alien side, and the some times underwater side of Science Fiction, and this had it both.

The story for this novel was just a total blast, with a lot of well done character development... And frankly I found that he just really drove you in to the story real nicely!

5 Classic Weird Al Parodies That Rock

I know this blog is is dedicated to, Heavy Metal, Rock 'N Roll and the various sub genres associated with this type of music, but I thought that I would take a change of pace this one time and talk about something a little bit off topic (not entirely... But a little...)

This topic being, '5 Classic Weird Al Parodies That Rock'.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="475"] Weird Al doin a parody of Michael Jackson's, 'Bad'[/caption]

Now I know this is a little bit of a switch from the norm, but with Christmas coming up, I thought that it would be fun to do a list with some great songs that Weird Al has done, that not only rock, but you will laugh your ass off!

At number 5 we have: Ride The Bus (1980), a parody of Queen's 1980 hit song, 'Another One Bites The Dust':

http://youtu.be/NeMrttj8Ucg

http://youtu.be/7Dmd1b-sfUw

At Number 4: Fat (1988), a parody of Michael Jackson's 1987 classic song, 'Bad':

http://youtu.be/dsUXAEzaC3Q

http://youtu.be/t2mU6USTBRE

At Number 3: Smells Like Nirvana (1992), a parody of Nirvana's 1991 hit song, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit':

http://youtu.be/hTWKbfoikeg

http://youtu.be/FklUAoZ6KxY

At Number 2: Gump (1996), a parody of The Presidents Of The United States Of America's 1995 hit song, 'Lump':

http://youtu.be/_sj_U6vObUA

http://youtu.be/hQwWaWFjd0Y

At Number 1: The Saga Begins (1999), a parody of Don McLean's classic 1971 song, 'American Pie':

http://youtu.be/ih7N9_VUU4U

http://youtu.be/hEcjgJSqSRU

In the end, I know this is a little turn in a different direction, but I found that Weird Al is not only absolutely hilarious, but he also rocks in the same time, please enjoy!

5 Classic Horror Movie For The Fright Fan Home Alone On Christmas 2013

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="470"] This Santa Clause will give you a lot more then a, 'lump of coal' if you are naughty during Christmas![/caption]

Last year when I first started Hellinspace, I thought that I would start up a blog to help those in need for Christmas... Last year I mentioned 5 Science Fiction movies that I still believe would work really nicely for the Holidays (For more information, please click, 'Here')... Well now I thought one of the Blogs that I would do this year for Christmas would for, '5 Classic Horror Movies For The Fright Fan Home Alone On Christmas 2013'...

Admittedly... Horror movies generally are not something that one would recommend for a fun & festive holiday that is generally meant for mirth and merriment... Well the truth is, I think the old saying: 'Different Stroke For Different Blokes' definitely applies here!

What I mean by that, (and this is for those non-fright fiends that maybe looking for a good gift for the fright fans in their lives...) But horror movies generally truly do have some great horror movies that have been released that are geared around Christmas... And if you are a fan of horror (or are just looking for a solid Christmas present for one), then check this out... I think you might like it!

Number 5: Silent Night (2012).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="535"] Silent Night... A new entry, but one that deserves its time to shine![/caption]

For more information on this movie, please enjoy this trailer for: Silent Night (2012):

http://youtu.be/RhLw3GmHQqA

Number 4: Jack Frost (1997).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] This Snowman wants to play...[/caption]

For more information on this movie, please enjoy this trailer for: Jack Frost (1997):

http://youtu.be/ev0NkYfkgYE

Number 3: Silent Night Deadly Night 2 (1987).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Hey... It is the Anti-Fred Claus![/caption]

For more information on this movie, please enjoy this trailer for: Silent Night Deadly Night 2 (1987):

http://youtu.be/61l1jc4PXao

Number 2: Christmas Evil (1980).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="340"] Look mommy, I got a kitchen knife for Christmas![/caption]

For more information on this movie, please enjoy this trailer for: Christmas Evil (1980):

http://youtu.be/_uAMtjDXXhs

Number 1: Black Christmas (1974).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] I reckon this guy is bringing them some, 'Yule Tide Fear' this Christmas![/caption]

For more information on this movie, please enjoy this trailer for: Black Christmas (1974):

http://youtu.be/4gNdplqmCcQ

There are a ton of great Holiday horror movies out there, but for this year, I do believe that this is a good lot of movies, with some old, and some new, but hopefully there is something for everyone on this list, and I hope this'll help... And hey, from the Hellinspace team, to all you fright fiends out there, Merry Christmas!