Five Awesome Green Day Songs From The 1990s

Green Day in the early days... They rocked as much back then as they do now!

Green Day... Man, what can I say about these guys that hasn't already been said? I mean these guys do truly rock! Granted unfortunately it is true that they haven't had as strong of a presence as they once did, but in the 1990s, I have to say that these guys truly rocked, and rocked hard!

So I thought that it might be kind of fun to give a little reminder note, with these: 'Five Awesome Green Day Songs From The 1990s':

At number 5: 'Basket Case', from their classic 1994 album: 'Dookie.'

With number 4, we have: 'Brain Stew/Jaded', A two in one combo from their 1995 album: 'Insomniac.'

Next up on the block, at number 3: 'Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life), another great son from their 1997 album: 'Nimrod.'

Number 2: 'Welcome To Paradise'... A personal favorite of mine from an early album of theirs, 'Kerplunk.'

And finally, last but not least, at number 1: 'She' (Maybe one of the more defining songs... Well in terms of teen movies of the 1990s...) Anyway, this song is also from their classic album, 'Dookie'

Star Trek: New Frontier - Book 2: In To The Void (1997) - Peter David -Book Review

Official Score = 2 Devils

Over the years, since Gene Roddenberry (Earth: Final Conflict) first wrote, 'Star Trek', there has been a lot of new additions to the world of, 'Star Trek', to the point where over 50 years later it can almost be said that, 'Star Trek' is literally a different setup from what was originally produced back in the 60s (Considering the remake series, this can be said to be a very true statement...)

Well with all of this in mind, there is one series that should have gotten the coverage in both the world of movies, as well as it's own TV series, and that being... Star Trek: New Frontier!

Captain Mackenzie Calhoun with his crew!

Now this series is an awesome book series, and in the second novel, 'In To The Void', Peter David pretty expertly crafts the various stories of the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur as she makes her way out in to the world for her first mission out in to the former, 'Thallonian Empire', including how the characters that had their start on Star Trek: The Next Generation begin to act as part of this new crew, 'Namely: Dr. Selar & Robin Lefler' begin to re-act as members of this new crew!

In the end, this new crew will have to figure out how to jell well together, because in the end... The fall of the Thallonion Empire will be a new Frontier for this crew, and well... This book in my opinion is not the most memorable one out there, it is definitely one worth checking out as you the reader goes through the series!

Alien: Resurrection (1997) - Movie Review

Official Score = 1 Devil 

Alright, I hate to say it, but some times movies need a new fresh look (or in some case the final nail in the coffin,) before that franchise destroy's itself with shitty campy movies that just destroy itself!

A couple of examples of this are:

1. Halloween 2 (2009). Now the truth is, is I liked this movie, but this movie showed that the remake series of John Carpenter's classic movie series was already beginning to head down the wrong path...

2. The, 'Sleepaway Camp' movie series... Now here is a great example of a classic slasher movie franchise that just did not listen to itself... What I mean by this, is that the first 2 movies were true B-Movie exploitation genius... But the sad truth is that the third in the series, where as it was good, was starting to head in that direction of over done campyness, and the 4th one... Well to say the least was there...

And that is just a couple of examples, another one being, Alien: Resurrection (1998):

You see, this movie, which brought back Sigourney Weaver (Ghostbusters) for her final performance as, 'Ellen Ripley', was over exaggerated... The guns were ridiculously oversized, the story concept, (a story of how Ellen Ripley is brought back to life through cloning centuries in to the future in an effort to bring the, 'Alien' species back to life, (to use as weapons...) A great story concept right?) Well the truth is, is the story was poorly written and unbelievable...

Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) with her, 'Xenomorph' off spring... The birth of a mistake...

The truth is, is that the only 3 things that I liked about this movie was the fact that Sigourney Weaver came back to series, and some classic 90s talent like, Winonna Ryder (Edward Scissarhands) and, Brad Dourif (Child's Play) came in to the film...

And the last thing that I liked was that this piece of garbage got the studio's to take the series in a different direction and brought Ridley Scott (Alien) back to direct, Prometheus (2012)... A prequel to the first one... (For those of you who don't know, Ridley Scott was the maestro that helped bring this prolific series to life!)

In the end, if you haven't seen this movie yet, but are a fan of the series, but haven't seen this movie yet... I would say, 'do so'... It is one of the series (but if you are going to expecting the same type of epic that made the first 3 so good... The you maybe disappointed... If you go in to it expecting nothing... Well you never know!)

Punk... A Genre That Made Popular Again In The 1990s Thanks To TheOffSpring

The OffSpring helped bring, 'Punk' in to the 1990s!

I would say that between the early to mid 1990s what was popular was, 'Grundge', and as the middle turned in the final years of the 1990s, as well the final days of the new millennium, that it finally turned over to Goth for some, and R&B for others...

But I would say (and this was true for a couple of different genre's that found this to be true... There is just one that I was thinking of that really was unfairly underrated that really did a nice job of keeping us kids entertained... That being Punk!

Punk... Now in the past Punk was a super star, in the 70s and 80s with bands like, 'Pink Floyd', you could say Punk really carved out a nice niche for it's.
Well by the 90s, they were still doing good, but not the same as it was when, 'Dead Kennedy's' were producing such amazing albums as, 'Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables' (1978)...

Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables was an amazing album that came out during the heyday of the Punk genre in the 70s! 

The fortunes of the world of punk in the 1990s began to change though with bands such as, 'The Offspring'... I mean these guys began producing some truly amazing music that would make it's way in to the hearts and minds of not just the music world, but also in the world of movies and TV...

A couple of classic examples of this of course being there appearance in 1997's classic Horror/Comedy, Idle Hands (1997), when in the dance scene, you can see The Offsrping clearly as the band that is playing at the concert hall... Also another great example of this is when they did a song for the classic 1998 soundtrack for the movie, 'The Faculty'!

There are a lot of great examples of punk out there, but to there credit, I do believe that The Offspring helped bring the world of Punk to the final years before the new millennium!

The First Home Video Game System... wracked With Controversy

The Magnavox Odyssey... The video game system that started the revolution!

We all know video game systems like, 'The XBox One' or, 'The Playstation 4', but before that, and even before such classics as, 'The Sega Genesis', or the, 'Super Nintendo', or even before, 'The Atari 2600', or 'Commodore 64', there was a video game system that could be said to be either directly or indirectly the mother of every thing we as gamer's treasure in our current video game systems!

What I mean by this, is that the first home video game console, a video game console, which was released back in 1972, and which sold 100,000 games in it's first year was Magnavox's 'Odyssey'!

A blast from the past right... I mean when was the last time you bought something that had that label?

Two people playing one of the oldest video games ever made for a home console!

But the truth is, is that like every great innovation, there are others that will quickly come out with their own versions of it, trying to make it better...

Well the truth is, is rather it is right or wrong to do that, for everything to go ahead, we always need to be putting out better product right... Well with Magnavox being the first to make it in to the home video game market, they had competition almost immediately!

What I mean by this is that Magnavox started protecting what was theirs when they sued Atari for patent infringement, when Atari released, 'Pong' as it looked extremely similar to Magnavox's, 'Tennis' game...

The Odyssey's 'Tennis', and the Atari 2600's 'Pong'... 2 very similar games that caused some friction at the dawn of the home console games!

Well ultimately, they settled out of court, but in the following years they would end up suing other big name companies such as: Mattel, Coleco, Seeburg & Activision... They would either win or settle these cases!

Ultimately, 'The Odyssey' line would continue to come out with fresh consoles until 1978, when, 'The Odyssey 2' was released... Now apparently this was the first of it's type to be a fully programmable system... Since then, in 1997, an emulator was created for the Odyssey 2...

This system may have ended up having a little bit of a checkered past... But you can't beat the first of it's kind, and the generations of boy and girls that have been entertained because that system will continue on for generations to come!

Jack Frost (1997) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_385" align="alignright" width="353"] Official Score = 2 Devils[/caption]

The 1990s through the first decade of the new millennium, saw a huge rise in the comedy horror movie market… Especially as it seems with the advent of bad horror/comedies that seem to have at least to some extent centered around Christmas… (I would also say that it is probably safe to say that the advent of these horror movies probably indirectly had something to do with the rise of horror spoofs in the late 90s through to the present…)

A few of these classic examples of course being:

'Tales From The Crypt' did a Christmas Episode that had to do with jolly ole, ‘Santa’ (played by Robert Drake), terrorizing people on Christmas.

Santa’s Slay (2005), a movie that has to do with Santa finally being released from his duty as a beneficent gift giver, to being able to continue on with the mass slaughter that he had started centuries earlier…

And of course there is also Jack Frost (1997)…

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="271"] This Snowman ain't exactly Frosty![/caption]

These are just a few examples of the screwball horror comedies that came out in the 90s and 2000s, that you might call, the, (So bad their awesome horror movies)…

Jack Frost is a great example of this, you see Jack Frost has virtually no-name (yet fantastic) cast which includes Jack MacDonald (Jarhead), Christopher Allport (X-Files), Stephen Mendel (The Terminal), F. William Parker (Hard Eight), Eileen Seeley (Batman Forever), Rob LaBelle (New Nightmare) and Zach Eginton (The Iron Giant).

Now this virtual corny one liner in and of itself told the story of how the county of Snowmonton (Seriously!) Is terrorized one December evening by a Snowman by the name of ‘Jack Frost’ (Scott MacDonald), who has to do a lot worse to the Sheriff he wanted revenge on then just, ‘nipping at his nose’…

[caption id="attachment_3429" align="aligncenter" width="421"] This, 'Snowman' has a score to settle with the local sheriff![/caption]

You see, Jack Frost as it turns out is a convicted psychotic serial killer who has sworn revenge on the Snowmonton County Sheriff by the name of, Sheriff Sam Tiler (Christopher Allport), who while being transported to the chamber where his death is supposed to take place ends up in an accident with a truck carrying a special chemical, that when it spills all over Jack, ends up actually turning Jack in to the snow!

And so after this, it will be up to the Sheriff’s Dept, a few townsfolk and a government team to try and take down this frosty giant, because this, 'Snow Giant' is certainly not wishing any of these guys a merry Christmas!

Anyway, if you can see the humor in this movie, then you might find that you really enjoy it!

http://youtu.be/VNob1-IUz9w

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

Five Great Actors And Actresses That Also Saw Success As Musicians

One of the things that I have noticed as a common theme in all facets of the entertainment industry and there are several examples of this in the world of sports as well, and that is the fact that there seems to be a lot of people that generally seem to gravitate toward doing movies and TV shows...

Well you know what, I got to thinking about those actors & actresses that saw commercial success as musicians, and there are many, but here are five great actors and actresses that also saw success as musicians!

At number 5: David Hasselhoff (Starcrash).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="470"] David Hasselhoff in, 'Knight Rider'![/caption]

Today we all know Mr. Hasselhoff for his drunken antics that made it to Youtube... It is sad because the man is a great actor having torn up the small screen in the 90s with such shows as, 'Baywatch', but his career (at least on the international stage) has been a major sensation since the at least the 1970s!

For more information on David Hasselhoff please enjoy this trailer for one of his better movies, Starcrash (1979).

http://youtu.be/pzfuNSpP0RA

And please enjoy this song that he did in Germany in the 70s!

http://youtu.be/SebarSe6u4c

At number 4: Juliette Lewis (From Dusk Till Dawn).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Juliette Lewis in a scene from, 'From Dusk Til Dawn' (1996)![/caption]

Now this actress has seen immense commercial success in both Movie and TV, but in the last bunch of years she has seriously begun to see some major success touring with her band, 'Juliette & The Licks'!

For more information on Juliette Lewis, please enjoy this trailer for, From Dusk Till Dawn (1996):

http://youtu.be/-bBay_1dKK8

And also please check out this song from, 'Juliette & The Licks':

http://youtu.be/E9mRYCK--cI

At number 3: Steve Martin (Little Shop Of Horrors).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Steve Martin in a scene from, 'Little Shop Of Horrors'![/caption]

We all know who this guy is, I mean the antics that he has done both on TV and in Movies for the past decades.... That's right, I said decades, is truly legendary! But recently I have come to discover that Steven Martin has been heading in to the world of music with some success!

For more information on Steve Martin, please enjoy this trailer for, Little Shop Of Horrors (1986):

http://youtu.be/nWu1Q16AV5U

Also please enjoy this song from the master himself!

http://youtu.be/5bcO1svqh_Q

At number 2: Kevin Bacon (Friday The 13th).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Kevin Bacon is having a bad day in, 'Friday The 13th' (1980).[/caption]

Kevin Bacon has been a staple in the world of movies for decades, both as a horror icons, and in the more mainstream world of movies... But he also has a band with his brother, 'Michael' called, 'The Bacon Brothers'

For more information on Kevin Bacon, please enjoy this trailer for, Friday The 13th (1980):

http://youtu.be/2S8YFTcEDME

Also please enjoy this song from, 'The Bacon Brothers':

http://youtu.be/W8xXmeyVenI

At number 1: Will Smith (Men In Black)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="271"] Will Smith in, 'Men In Black' (1997):[/caption]

Will Smith is another one of those Hollywood staples that frequently has a movie that is in some level of production, but one of the things that he is lesser known for is the fact that Mr. Smith has also periodically had a pretty successful music career, including having done some of the music for one of his biggest hits, Men In Black (1997)!

For more information on Will Smith, please enjoy this trailer for, Men In Black (1997):

http://youtu.be/uCJHn-ZFH54

Also please enjoy this song from the hit 1997 movie as well!

http://youtu.be/KSRF3slguhI

Moonbase (1997) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignright" width="258"] Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils[/caption]

It is unfortunate when a movie has a lot of promise for it but just doesn't quite make the cut as a good movie, I mean those types of movies seem to me to generally almost feel like the makers of the movie are letting down the audience in some capacity, when the movie is good, but just not good enough...

And you know what, unfortunately Moonbase (1997) just happens to be one of those movies!

What do I mean by all of this, well lets start with the cast of Moonbase... There is some truly great B Movie talent in this film, including: Scott Plank (Without Evidence), Jocelyn Seagrave (Thoughtcrimes), Kurt Fuller (Anger Management), Robert O'Reilly (The Mask) & Randy Vasquez (Beverly Hills Cop), and that is just to name a few...

But there was some truly dull acting... Almost like these people have just started in the industry and some how had gotten their first parts before knowing really what they are doing... An example of this is: 'Billy Maddox' (Recoil), whom all I can say is that I was less then happy with his performance in this movie!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Unfortunately this movie just didn't quite make the grade![/caption]

Now lets go in to the story and the directors vision of it... Let me just say that I love B Movies, and B Movies happen to be movies that are considered to be, 'bad' movies... With that said though, this movie had a great story concept (about a group of convicts that escape from an orbiting prison facility and make it to the moon, where they end up finding WMDS and intend to use them to get home...) A fascinating concept for a movie...

The reality is that I think that there was some very far fetched moments in the movie... Including the military soldiers going out to recover the nuclear weapons before securing the base... And well lets be honest... The convicts being able to travel around the base unchecked to begin with...

In the end, in my opinion, the best part of this movie was the special effects, I mean I love B Movie special effects, and this movie's B movie special effects never stopped being cool!

In the end, this movie had it's moments... Just not enough to make this movie worth my time...

Nine Inch Nails. The Perfect Drug (1997) - Song Review

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

I hate to say it, but when I was a kid, some of my favorite types of music was 'sound tracks' and not just soundtracks... But more easy listening music... And well don't hate me... But I still do like them... Fortunately that is not all I like though!

You see, when I was in High School I had this buddy of mine that had gotten really in to heavy metal music and the like, and he got me interested in this type of music (I ended up taking it one step further... Where as he went real heavy in to the rock 'n roll look, I went from grundge to goth.) But you know what, I found that I really liked this type of music and still do(The clothing on the other hand in retrospect admittedly was a little weird...)

As a matter of fact, there is a particular song, that my friend had gotten me in to, a song that Nine Inch Nails had done when I was still in High School, a song which back then helped me to get interested in being a goth... that song being, Nine Inch Nails, 'The Perfect Drug' (1997)!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] A scene from the music video for Nine Inch Nails, 'The Perfect Drug' featuring: 'Trent Reznor'![/caption]

Released on May 13th, 1997 for the record label, 'Nothing/Interscope', this song, besides having a fun beat, and some interesting lyrics to it, also really had some great surrealistic, gothic themes to it... (I am not talking about the more modern gothic themes of the 1990s, I am talking about the more baroque, victorian gothic themes that you would find in Edgar Allen Poe literature...)

And you know, being more interested in reading back then, then watching movies or TV shows, I found this concept to be very fascinating... You see, most of the music videos that I have seen that have to do with history, generally seem to either really praise the lighter side of history, or make fun of the darker side of history, and I found the tasteful way in which they used what I can best describe as borderline, Surrealistic, Hollywood style, 'Ravenesque' (I am making up this word to describe a scene very similar to what I always imagined was on par with Edgar Allen Poes, 'The Raven'...)

In the end, this song is truly an awesome fun time, and well worth a listen, and although I know it is pretty old at this point, check it out, I think that you guys might really like it!

http://youtu.be/sSLqeZzTU8I

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!

Final Fantasy VII (1997) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_415" align="alignright" width="350"] Official Score = 4 Devils[/caption]

One of the things that I have learned being a gamer since the days of the original, 'Sega Masters System' is that there are always newer video games that in a lot of cases generally out class their predecessors... Trust me when I say that admitting that was not easy...

But I will say this, and that is, that the classics never die... I mean sure they were once the extremely hot item, but if you were in to say video games on the, 'Nintendo 64'... Then if you still have them, blow off the dust and give them a try... I doubt you will regret it!

Now you might be wondering why I mention this... Well simply put, there is a classic game that I had the luck to have been able to play it when it first came out, and a few more times since then, and I have to admit that I still freaking love this game... That game being Final Fantasy VII (1997)!

Now this game, which was released by Square Enix in 1997, and which was the first, 'Final Fantasy' game that was released in the United States that had not been released on to a, 'Nintendo' system, but had actually been released on Sony's, 'Playstation' had actually originally been intended for the Super Nintendo, when development of the game had started back in 1994!

[caption id="attachment_1818" align="aligncenter" width="450"] This game was one of the first of it's series to be made for the, 'Playstation'[/caption]

That's right folks, it looks like this game had originally been intended for the, 'Super Nintendo', and had later been moved to the, 'Nintendo 64'... But with that video game system still using, 'Cartridge' based games, Square Enix ended up moving it over to the, 'Playstation'!

And well, even though the tradition was broken with this one, the game itself was truly a landmark game... I mean this game was so good that the soundtrack to it had been re-released as a music album, the graphics were light years ahead of most games up to this point,  and the controls were easy as hell, and you know what else... All of that and so much more is what made (and in my opinion), still makes this video game to be one of the better ones to have ever been released!

In the end, if you like RPGs, then I think you will really like this one, it is an extremely engrossing and fun quest... But I got to warn you, if you do play, play on a weekend... This game will certainly help you to loose track of time!

http://youtu.be/TEN-p5e2WkM

The Offspring: Cool To Hate (1997) - Song Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Believe it or not fright fans, but when I was in School my musical tastes tended to lend itself to the, 'bizarre'... And I don't mean that I listened to something that was dangerously over the top... No what I mean by this is that I used to listen to music that some would say is a little bit to old for me at that age... (I used to listen mostly to, 'Jazz', 'Sting' and the like... Music that didn't  befit a person of my age back in the mid 90s...)

Well the truth is, is that I still listen to that music frequently, but in the mid 90s I got introduced to the darker world of music (Heavy Metal, Rock & Punk, etc...) And you know what? I have never regretted it! But it wasn't until the last 90s when I would first be introduced to the world of, 'Punk' through the kick ass group, 'The Offspring' and their album, 'Ixnay On The Hombre'!

The reason that I mention this is that I am proud to be able to review the first punk song that I had ever heard, and that song of course being, 'Cool To Hate'!

The truth is, is this song is not the greatest song in the world, but when I first heard this song in the work room one summer when I had a part time summer job and the truth is, is I was and still am hooked!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] A scene from the music video...[/caption]

Why is, 'punk' such an awesome genre? well simply put it has the same hardcore capacity as heavy metal but with a speed that makes the song more entertaining! And that goes along with this song as well!

I  hate to say this, but this song is not exactly one of the happiest songs in the world. but it has an awesome beat that works well for the most part,.. And despite the negative nature of this song, the lyrics are fun to work to! Although I will be honest, for me, being a fan of most forms of music, their are songs that are good for many reasons, but the truth is, is if a song can't be listened to for the sake of listening to it, then in all honesty, that song is probably not one of the greatest songs to be listening to... And the truth is, is that I did end up liking this song, but for the background music only...

In the end, this song opened up a whole new world of music for me, and the truth is that this song may not be the best in the world, but if you have a chance and are looking for some new music to check out, then check this out, I think you may like it!

http://youtu.be/sWQtcewDejQ

Star Trek: New Frontier Book 1 - House Of Cards (1997) Peter David - Book Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

When I was still in High School I have to admit that I was a little bit of a nerd... You might also say a, 'Star Trek' nerd with strong reject tendencies (because despite the fact that I was a computer geek who liked Star Trek, I was a goth in High School and a huge fan of all the darker forms of entertainment that came with that (everything except drugs, booze and makeup!)

Anyway one series of books that I believe my mother at the time got for me for one of the gift giving holidays was a series of Star Trek books that although could be considered cannon, never actually saw the light of day as either a movie or TV series (although I am pretty certain that if, 'Enterprise' hadn't have done so poorly, that Paramount would have some how convinced Peter Davd (The Author) in to turning his fledgling novel series in to a full on TV series!)

With that in mind though, the first book titled, 'House Of Cards' was an awesome book (you could almost say novella because it is pretty small, it just ain't that small,) was a pretty awesome and engaging story that essentially told a lot of the back story of how the main crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur came to be working together on the same ship as well as how the, 'Thallonian Empire'... (An ancient Empire that has ruled over many worlds) has collapsed, and how Starfleet sends in a ship, the, 'U.S.S. Excalibur'... And an eclectic group of Starfleet Officers to kind of keep the peace in an area that is unstable and has the potential to cause problems through out the rest of the Federation!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="330"] The U.S.S. Excalibur.[/caption]

The truth is, is that Peter David's technique is uniquely different then most of what you would see on any of the TV series, Movies, or even a lot of the books! The best example is that in the cannon TV series Kirk and his Starship Enterprise were considered to be cowboys utilizing that sort of mentality when it came to the battles they engaged in as well as the diplomacy that they would deal with while doing their 5 year missions... (The truth is, considering that the 24th century 400 - 500 years after the days of cowboys, I suspect that the authors of the episode where this is mentioned had the characters having a distinctly more sterilized view of the, 'Cowboy era',) regardless, there is definitely an element of that with the crew of the Excalibur, but there is also an element of the polished like the rest of the post original series TV shows... And I think that, that element in this series (and especially with this book makes it a lot of fun!)

I also like the fact that this show brought back  some awesome characters from, Star Trek: The Next Generation, including: Dr. Selar (Played by: Suzie Plakson in the TV series) and Elizabeth Sheby (Played by Elizabeth Dennehy in the TV series), as well as, 'Robin Lefler' (played by: Ashley Judd in the TV series)!

[caption id="attachment_751" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Commander Elizabeth Shelby (played by: Elizabeth Dennehy), Ensign Robin Lefler (Played by: Ashley Judd) & Dr. Selar (Played by Suzie Plakson).  These characters as seen in their original TV roles on, 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' would go on to play prominent roles in the novel series, 'Star Trek: New Frontier'![/caption]

In the end, if you are looking for a truly unique take on Star Trek, then I would recommend checking out this novel series, 'House Of Cards' to start off with, it is certainly a fun one!

Dark Planet (1997) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_385" align="alignright" width="353"] Official Score = 2 Devils[/caption]

Directed by: Albert Magnoli (American Anthem) & starring: Paul Mercurio (Exit To Eden), Harley Jane Kozak (Arachnophobia), Michael York (Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery), Maria Ford (Alien Terminator), Ed O'Ross (Universal Soldier) & Phil Morris (Atlantis: The Lost Empire).

Dark Planet is kind of an interesting tale of how a few hundred years from now, the final world war will be fought between regular humans and mutants (known as the, 'Rebels') and genetically altered humans (known as the, 'Alpha's') on Earth and elsewhere...

You see toward the tale end of the war, a toxin is released in to the air that ends up mutating and slowly destroying all life on the planet ... There only salvation is a new habitable planet that is at the other side of a dangerous wormhole, that had been discovered by a man by the name of, 'Anson Hawke' (Mercurio).

So both sides decide to declare a truce and send teams on board a ship that will be commanded by both Captain Winter (York) & Colonel Liz Brenden (Kozak)...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Colonel Liz Brendan (Harley Kozak) will have to make the tough choices on her mission of mercy, when her and her group will be betrayed![/caption]

Now after they launch though, everything starts off fine enough, they go and find Hawke at the Alpha Penal Colony and take him on board (he was the only person to have ever successfully navigated the the dangerous wormhole, and off they go...

But as they make it to the wormhole, they end up discovering that it has been mined using Rebel mines, and is being controlled by a profiteer... As they get passed these obstacles, the Rebels begin to notice strange things like a whole section of the ship that they had been told had been rendered uninhabitable, actually being inhabited by a Alpha hit squad... And because of all of this, we will end up finding out if old enemies can truly put their differences aside for the common good or not!

In the end this movie does take some getting used to, this is due to the fact that, A: It demonstrates a poor belief in mankind being able to unify.

B: I also thought that the special effects in this movie were pretty lame in what the weapons they had were. (I mean most of the weapons in this movie look like the standard weapons that we have in the modern day... except apparently hundreds of years in the future!

If you are a fan of 90s B Movies though, then I do think that you might find out that you really like this one!

http://youtu.be/xmMWld-QBp4

Gattaca (1997) - Movie Review

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

The 1990s saw a major change in technology for private use! Stuff that at this point has become the standard for most people, stuff like the use of, 'The Internet', 'Cell Phones', etc...

With that in mind, one thing that Hollywood does like to do is to make movies that ask the question, 'What if mankind took technology to such an extreme that, that technology began to take over?' A popular theme for these types of movies of course are movies that have to do with computer technology being taken so far that they gain their sentience and begin to take over the world.

A few of these examples of this type of film of course being, The Matrix (1999), and The 'Terminator' series!

But there is another slightly less dystopic (yet still quite unpleasant) version that begs the question of, 'what would happen if genetic technology was taken to the point where it was no longer fashionable to be, 'born' but to be created!

That is the question that the movie, Gattaca (1997) begs to answer!

Written and Directed by: Andrew Niccol (In Time). Starring: Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers), Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction), Jude Law (eXistenZ), Gore Vidal (Shadow Conspiracy), Xander Berkley (Candyman), Elias Koteas (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Alan Arkin (Grosse Point Blank).

[caption id="attachment_472" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) living the dream![/caption]

Gattaca tells the story of a man by the name of Vincent Freeman (Hawke). A man who was born naturally in a world that frowns upon this sort of thing.

In this world, there are two classes: The upper class being people that have been more or less genetically engineered. While the lower class being those that have been born naturally....

Now Vincent dreams about someday going in to space. The only problem is that the only group of people that are allowed to go in to space are the upper class!

So Vincent arranges to take over the persona of a crippled upper class genetically engineered man by the name of, Jerome Eugene Morrow (Law), to achieve his dream!

So far this seems to be working out awfully well for Vincent, as Vincent ends up making it all the way to the point where his dreams are about to come true, as he has finally been selected to go to outer space... Of course that is until his project director ends up being murdered!

Now Vincent's dreams of going in to outer space are in jeopardy due to fear that his cover could be blown during the investigation in to the project directors death!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Vincent Freeman is going to get to live his dream![/caption]

I do have to say that although I think the acting is great, the story is amazing, and the special effects are spectacular, the best thing I think that makes this movie great is the message that this movie has for the world! A message that says, 'that in a world that is harsh, where choices are sometimes extremely limited, that you can still succeed and achieve your dreams and goals in life!

http://youtu.be/ZppWok6SX88

Starship Troopers (1997) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Now I did this really all through most of the 90s and the early part of the new millennium! During this time I got the chance to see what in my opinion was some of the greatest Science Fiction and Horror movies of the 1990s and early 2000s!

One of these movies happened to be Starship Troopers (1997):

Written by: Edward Neumeier (RoboCop) and Directed by: Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct). Starring: Casper Van Dien (Sleepy Hallow), Dina Meyer (Saw), Denise Richards (Valentine), Jake Busey (Identity), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Clancy Brown (Highlander), Seth Gilliam (The Wire), Patrick Muldoon (Stigmata) and Michael Ironside (Terminator: Salvation).

This movie, (which is based on the novel by Robert Heinlein), is an awesome good time, that tells the story of a future where the world is united under the banner of, 'The Federation', a world government which follows a socialist mentality, where there are two classes of people that live in the Federation.

1. The first one is that of a, 'Federation Citizen'. A person who has served the world government in a military capacity.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="650"] A Citizen working in the Mobile Infantry will help protect the Federation from, 'Bugs'![/caption]

2. The second one being everyone else!

Now this movie tells the story of a group of friends, (which includes: Johnny Rico (Van Dien), Dizzy Flores (Meyer), Carl Jenkins (Patirck Harris) and Carmen Ibanez (Richards)). These friends are dreamers that dream of joining the service so that they can become, 'Citizens' of the Federation.

Rico and Dizzy end up in the Mobile Infantry, Carl ends up in the Intelligence Service and Ibanez ends up in flight school (with a guy by the name of Zander (Muldoon), with whom Rico does not like as he is actively pursuing a relationship with Ibanez who for the first half of the movie is dating Rico.)

After they all head off to their various academies though, the bugs (A large alien race that tends to look like bugs and are hostile to humanity), attack and completely destroy Buenos Aires (the home town of almost all of the characters in the movie.)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Three best friends from, 'Buenos Aires' come back together to celebrate a major victory against the Bugs![/caption]

Now of course the action in this movie is spectacular, and being as this is a Paul Verhoeven movie, of course the special effects in this movie are spectacular.

But I have to say that the best part of this movie is the story... What I mean by this is that essentially this movie tells the story of a group of friends that are about to graduate High School and head off in to the real world with a lot of dreams and hopes for their futures both together and apart!

http://youtu.be/Y07I_KER5fE

Event Horizon (1997) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

I was a teenager and was just getting in to horror and Science Fiction movies and TV series one of my favorite TV series that I really enjoyed was the TV series, Space Above And Beyond (A TV show that I am pretty certain was at least partly the inspiration for, Starship Troopers (1997))!

One of the reasons that I really liked this series is that this series takes place roughly about 100 years in the future, when the United States and other countries have finally made it in outer space and have begun to colonize the rest of the universe!

The reason that I mention this is that there is another movie that although it takes place in outer space and humanity is beginning to colonize outer space, it is still close enough to the present to give at least one interpretation of what it would be like when mankind starts making its first serious inroads in to outer space would be like! That movie of course being, Event Horizon (1997)!

Written by: Philip Eisner (Firestarter 2: Rekindled) & Directed By: Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil: Retribution). Starring: Sam Neill (Omen 3: Final Conflict), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), Kathleen Quinlan (The Hills Have Eyes), Joely Richardson (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), Richard T. Jones (Phone Booth), Jack Noseworthy (Surrogates), Jason Isaacs (Dawn), and Shawn Pertwee (Soldier).

This movie tells the story of the, ‘Event Horizon’, an experimental spaceship that is meant to test the bounds of human exploration with an experimental engine that would allow for mankind to seriously begin to explore outer space! The problem though is that after engaging the new drive, the Event Horizon ends up disappearing without a trace!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The Event Horizon before she becomes, 'The Ship Of The Damned'![/caption]

That is until years later when the Event Horizon pops back up on Earth’s radar, and they decide to send a rescue craft to rescue anyone who may still be alive on the ship, and also to investigate what happened to the ship itself!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="522"] The crew of the rescue ship as they begin to piece together what happened to the, 'Event Horizon'![/caption]

The only problem though is that when the crew arrive along with a specialist who helped design the ship by the name of Doctor William Weir (Neill), weird things begin to happen, including seeing horrific images of loved ones, or past mistakes, etc…

Now with this hellish ship playing tricks on the crew, and slowly driving the already slightly unbalanced Dr. Weir insane, it will be up to Captain Miller (Fishburne) and the rest of his crew to work to get off the ship before the ship along with the help of good ole Doctor Weir end up destroying the ship and crew that had been sent out to rescue them!

Now on the plus side:

1. This movie has literally something for the fans of both Science Fiction and Horror Movies!

2. Event Horizon also has a great cast to it, that would go on to do to do other great Science Fiction and or Horror movies!

3. The next thing that I thought that I would mention is that the special effects were so well done, that there is a point on the ship where between the experimental drive and the rest of the ship that, looks like a grinder of sorts and was so well made that the first time I saw this scene I got a little dizzy!

4. I also wanted to say that I do believe that this movie is I believe an homage to the classic Science Fiction movies of the 50s, 60s and 70s that had to do with people heading out in to space to rescue other crews or to find out something that went wrong!

The only problem that I had with the movie is that, even though the concepts that hell is essentially another dimension, is an interesting

, is an interesting take on that old concept, the scenes having to do with people being tortured can be a little hard on the eyes, what I mean this is that they can hurt the eyes.

All in all it is a fun one, and it is definitely worth the time and trouble of watching it, and if you are like me, it will definitely become a treasured classic!

http://youtu.be/OVlnER8SxfQ