Top 10 Soundtracks of 2005

Anyone who knows me, or even looks at this list, will know that I'm very biased, but hey, it's my list, okay?

1. Revenge of the Sith
2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
3. Munich
4. Memoirs of a Geisha
5. Goblet of Fire
6. Corpse Bride
7. War of the Worlds
8. Kingdom of Heaven
9. Fantastic Four
10. Batman Begins

Book Review: Dune The Bulterian Jihad

I remember when the first Dune prequel novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson came out. I hid in a corner of my college's library, hideously addicted to the book. While I never got around to finishing the rest of the "House" trilogy, I decided to read the first book in the next trilogy of prequel novels going even further into the history of Dune.

In the first novel, we learn of the Time of Titans, rebels discarded their human bodies and overthrew the current Empire, only to lose it to the computer evermind, Omnius. Now, Omnius rules most of the galaxy with only a handful of planets still free from its grasp. We are introduced to Xavier Harkoonen, Serena Butler, and Vorian Arteides, and the impeding love triangle that will probably cause the great split between the future Houses.

Stylistically, I'm very disappointed with this book, or at least with Kevin J. Anderson, who I've read other works from. There's a lot of repetitous exposition. If by chapter 10, you still don't know what happened during the Time of Titans, there's also a slim glossary of characters in the back to explain it even more. Also, most of the chapters are thin, averaging about 5 pages per chapter. And they jump around a lot. And it could have been shorter.

My only gripe about the actual story is that there's nothing new about this novel. Machines are logical, and can't comprehend human behavior. Blah, blah, blah. If Herbert the Elder had written this, he would have definitively come up with interesting views about subjects like slavery that are briefly touched about in the book.

But in the end, I did enjoy reading and kept reading it to the end. It is a great book for those who wanted to get into Dune but didn't like Herbert the Elder's intellectual and philosophical discussions. For those of us who like the depth of the original series, well... C

CD Review: Memoirs of a Geisha

To put it simply, the latest score by John Williams is the complete opposite of his previous work, The War of the Worlds. Williams returns to his more thematic roots while abandoning his usual large orchestra for soloists featuring everything from cellos and violins to the erhu and koto. This creates a more intimate sound, making it more fitting for a love story.

There are two main themes in the score. Sayuri's Theme, presented on the first track by Yo-Yo Ma, can be heard through out the entire score. It's a simple piece that builds with energy and emotion. The second theme, The Chairman's Waltz, is introduced about half way through and is more subtle than Sayuri's Theme.

Itzhak Perlman performs the Chairman's Waltz. Some may say that it's a bit of stunt casting to have Perlman and Ma working on this score, but they compliment Williams' music perfectly, and it probably doesn't hurt that they've both worked with Williams before.

Most of this score is very subdued. This makes for a very relaxing listening. With the inclusion of ethnic instruments, Williams has managed to create a sound very different than most people expect from him. Coming away from the movie, people may have thought that Tan Dun had done the score.

While some tracks still sound very John Williams ("Finding Satsu" and "The Fire Scene"), the whole score is a nice departure from the typical John Williams score. B

Movie Review: Godzilla Final Wars

In 2004, Godzilla celebrated his 50th anniversary by being in the last Godzilla movie that will be made in the near future. "Acclaimed" director Ryuhei Kitamura took over the helm from Masaaki Tezuka, who did the previous two Godzilla Millenium films as well as Godzilla Vs. Megagurius. Kitamura has an excellent sense of creating kinetic monster battles but most of the human fighting is stereotypical "guys on wires replaying scenes from the Matrix."

The plot is nothing surprising. The Godzilla series seems a lot like the Gundam series in that the people working on it would much rather reuse material than create new storylines. One could easily call this movie a remake of "Destroy All Monsters" with its cast of monsters and invading aliens.

The first hour was more entralling than I'd thought it'd be, given said reused plot, but most of the second hour has the human reenacting moments from the director's favorite action films. I also like the overall "international" feel of the film, that is, Americans speak English; Japanese speak Japanese, etc.

Also, the whole subplot with Godzilla Junior doesn't have a lot going for it, mainly consists of Junior, a Kid, and his Grandpa standing around. Another flaw is that this movie is over 2 hours, about a half hour too long.

Still, it takes too long for Godzilla to appear in this film and start kicking butt. All of the kaiju battles are loads of fun, and probably every monster in Godzilla's history makes some kind of appearance. Godzilla's new look shows off a sleeker design and the Big G shows everyone that he has a few new tricks up his sleeve.

Unfortunately, the new Gigan and Mothra have rather brief roles, though I like the idea of the two of them being long-time adversaries. Gigan's updated look is awesome, but he loses his head in battle not once but twice and that has to cost him some street cred.

Overall, this movie will become dated (if it isn't already) with its stylized violence, techno music, and monochromatic scene dressing. If you wanted to know what "Destroy All Monsters" would look like today, then this is your movie. It's a solid, yet repetitive, watch. B

CD Review: Intensive Care

Robbie Williams is back with a new writing partner, Stephen Duffy, to rock the world with his latest album, Intensive Care. If you didn't care for the softer side of his last album, Escapology, then the beginning of the album will not interest you. "Ghosts" sounds like it was taken from Escapology, while "Advertising Space" puts all of his previous ballads to shame. It's about how we let our most talented people go to waste thanks to commercialism.

The oddity within these songs is "Tripping," the first single. It's a bit misleading, since the song's very heavy on the synth, yet most of the rest of the album keeps with Robbie's typical rock band sound. The song can put off people with its overly-techno sounds and Robbie's high pitch singing. I know I was until I listened to it a couple more times and found how addictive the song really was.

The rest of the album is filled with the energetic, carefree Robbie songs that made him so popular in the first place. "Random Acts of Kindness" is a particular favorite of mine, and reminds me of the classic "Karma Killer." "King of Bloke & Bird" is the other unusual song with a two minute eerie instumental that closes the album.

Intensive Care shows us a more mature Robbie with ever improving writing abilities. While this album is nothing groundbreaking, it's still a great listen and lots of repeat value, and that's what counts in the end, right? B

What I'm Listening to Now

1. Memoirs of a Geisha - John Williams
2. Intensive Care - Robbie Williams
3. Godzilla VS the Sea Monster - Masaru Satoh
4. Fantastic Four - John Ottman
5. Corpse Bride - Danny Elfman

I've been meaning to write some reviews to a number of these albums, but haven't had the time. Please bare with me since work's kept me very busy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Don't forget to get up early tomorrow for all the sales!

Comic Review: All-Stars Superman #1 (of 12)

Frank Miller. Jim Lee. Pay attention. This is how it's done. No lame retelling of the origins of Robin.

Superman. Grant Morrison style.

It almost seems like an extension on Morrison's Seven Soldiers series with his own version of Superman and the freedom to tell the story he wants to tell. Issue one is all about setting up the series, and it does a great job. It's written very similarly to Morrison's New X-Men series: dry comments with the occassional flair of drama. ("Courtesy of Lex Luthor!") Speaking of new X-Men, Morrison is reunited with artist Frank Quietly the millionth time and Quietly's art is as detailed as usual.

I hope that the Doctorish Mister Quintum and company will return in future issues. (Nice touch with the Bizarro Workers.) Die-hard Superman fans may not like some the "radical" changes, but I'm sure it'll all work out in the end. But my favorite part of the issue was the last two pages with Morrison's portrayal of Clark Kent. Subtle and wonderful to read.

So, in conclusion, forget All-Stars Batman. What's next, Grant? B

New Superman Returns Teaser

A new teaser trailer for Bryan Singer's Superman Returns film is online. Though there was no glimpse of James Marsden or actual plot revealed in the trailer, it does look promising. So, why are you here again?

Ultraman Cosmos Volume 1 Review

I must be really busy if I can't even plug new things I've done. Recently, I wrote a review for the first volume of Ultraman Cosmos OST. You can find it at Godzilla Monster Music. Or click the picture.

Grevious and the Droids

One of the shames of the prequel trilogy is the many cuts in John Williams's music there were. One of them from Episode 3 is from very early in the movie is called "Grevious and the Droids" from the OST. Only about a minute of this track is present in the film. Now, with a DVD player and CD player, you can listen to what John Williams had originally intended.

Start the music at 0:18:15 of the movie. If you did it correctly, the brass flair (about 0:17 into the track) will coincide with the exterior shot of Grevious's flagship and the faint Luke's theme will be playing while Anakin gives his witty comeback to Grevious. (I was trying to be sarcastic about that "witty" thing.)

New Spider-Man 3 Picture!

Sony has released the first picture from Spider-Man 3: Thomas Haden Church as the Sandman! Unlike most of the villains in modern superhero films, Church looks exactly like his comic book counterpart. Click on the image for a larger picture.

Video Journal #26

Speaking of James Marsden, the latest video journal "See Plane" from bluetights.net features Marsden pretending to be Bryan Singer and vice versa on the set of Superman Returns while filming a scene involving a sea plane. Also, a little more of Marsden's character, Richard White, is revealed as he is described as the human version of Superman.

James Marsden in Superman Returns

I might have mentioned this before but James Marsden, Cyclops from the X-Films, will be in Bryan Singer's new Superman movie. No, he's not Superman. He's just Lois Lane's ******* (don't want to ruin the surprise) so we all know that he'll probably die by the end of the movie. He'll basically be doing what he did in X-Men: acting protective, crying like a girl, and not being in large portions of the film.

Speaking of, he is confirmed to return in X3 but what size of a role Cyclops will play in it is yet to be seen. I've also heard rumors that he'd been chosen for the lead role in a movie based on Garth Ennis's Preacher series, but nothing's come of that so far. Well, James, I hope you really like comic books or you fire your agent.

Sorry...

..for the lack of updates, but I'm trying to improve. Honest.

Movie Review: Godzilla VS Hedorah

(A personal note: the version I saw was from the Sci-Fi Channel, with English dubbing and widescreen format. The movie could have been edited.)

When you talk about Godzilla, you probably think about campy movies with guys in rubber suits. That's very understandable. And this film has a lot of that, but it's also the closest thing to "experimental" as a Godzilla film will ever get. It's also one of the few post-1960s Godzilla films to have social message in the form of the living sludge monster, Hedorah.

That is if you can get past all the weird psychedelic bits that is. Director Yoshimitsu Banno seemed to want a little bit of everything when making this film: poetry, pop songs, and animated interludes, and that's just scratching the surface. All of this can put off a traditional kaiju fan, but I found it strangely refreshing.

The positive points of the film are that Godzilla, suddenly becoming a environmentalist, is in the film a lot more than some of the other films made so far, and his battles with Hedorah are pretty good considering when it was made. Most of the people are decent except for the kid. The movie is also one of the few to show casualities of the monster's rampage, adding to the overall darkness of the film.

The bad: It's the one where Godzilla flies.

Another interesting point of the film is that it shares many similarities to the original Godzilla film. Many fans like to ponder if this was on purpose or not, and if there's other symbolism in the film. (Many people lose an eye in this film including the big G.)

Beyond bizarre, this movie still manages to entertain. If you're looking for a different kind of movie, a really different kind of movie, then this is the one. While it's not without its flaws, it's probably be the most unique entry in the series, and one of the best to come out of the 70s. B-

Movie Review: Corpse Bride

Victor Van Dort's got a problem: he's gone and married the wrong woman. And by "woman" we're refering to Emily, otherwise known as the Corpse Bride. But does Victor have feelings for Victoria, his forced fiancee? What will his parents say? Is it even legal to marry a corpse bride?

This film highlights all of Tim Burton's more eccentric tastes for ghouls and such while not going too far over, which makes this more of a mainstream movie than Nightmare Before Christmas. And there's no good reason why you shouldn't see this film. Animated "old school" style with painstaking stop-motion techniques, this movie is a prime example why this method shouldn't be abandoned for fancy computer graphics. Every character is sculpted to perfection and given graceful movement, whether they're scurrying away to a darkened forest or dancing with the dead.

It helps to have a grade A cast, though most have worked before with Burton. Everyone from legends (Christopher Lee) to obscure British actors (Richard E. Grant) put their best voice forward, and let's not forget the ever talented Johnny Depp. All do a wonderful job in this movie, and even get to do a little singing as well.


But the best part of the movie is the message Burton wants to tell us: "I'd rather be dead than to live in Victorian times." The "real" world is drenched in dull blues and blacks, while the netherworld that Victor visits is alive with color. Even Danny Elfman's score highlights this with dreary harpsicords for the living and styling jazz sounds for the world of the deceased.

With all of this positiveness, I either really liked this film or was bribed by Warner Brothers. Sadly, it was the first. But if you never liked or understood Tim Burton's films before, you probably won't like this one either. But please support this film and tell Hollywood that we want more stop-motion animation. B

Captain America - Traitor?!?

Oh, Mark Millar, how could you do this to the pure and great icon of America? Oh, wait. That's regular Captain America, not the arrogant jerk with the AK-47 who says stupid things like, "The A doesn't stand for France." Frankily, it shouldn't be surprising that he turns out to be the traitor.

It certainly wasn't surprising to me, and I don't even read the series anymore. Just by flipping through the comic every month to see if Black Widow was in the series anymore, I could tell that it was Cap who betrayed the Ultimates and killed Hawkeye. (Again? People at Marvel really don't like Hawkeye.) Sure, easy for me to say it now that the latest issue of Ultimates is out and Nick Fury arrests Cap, but hey, I got nothing else to write about. And it probably won't even be Captain America, just some clone or Skrull or something.

So, thank you Mark Millar for more of the same things I expect when reading your stories. At least it wasn't about an alternate universe where all the superheroes are vampire zombies... (They're making a spin-off of that, you know. Sad, Marvel. Truly sad.)

Zenon or Xenon?

Ultraman Lah! reports that the new Ultraman to appear in Ultraman Max will be called Ultraman Xenon, according to Tokusatsu Ace issue 11. (See picture.) That is unless there's been a typo. Xenon's first appearance will be in episode 13: Daughter of Z-Ton, airing this Saturday in Japan.

I apologize that all my posts seem to fixate on Xenon/Zenon, but there's not too much else going on right now, expect being swamped with work. And he is a cool looking Ultraman, right?

Newest New Ultraman Yet

I wondered how Bandai would have approved the new Ultraman Max series, one with the first non-transforming Ultraman in quite a bit. But it seems they've got enough ideas on how to make more toys out of the series. First, there's the "new" version of Ultraman Max with his "Max Galaxy," a bracelet-type weapon handy for creating all new action figures.

Second, there's a new Ultraman coming to the Ultraman Max series: Ultraman Zenon! I'm assuming he too comes from Nebula M-78. Unlike Max, who looks like a Ultra Seven wannabe, Zenon has a more individual look to him, more successfully capturing the feel of the "classic" Ultra Brothers. He does have a striking resemblance to Ultraman Melos from the old Ultra Brothers manga I read. I'll try and post more information on Ultraman Zenon as I learn about him.

Ultraman Zenon!

CD Review: The Best of Godzilla 1954 - 1975

This nicely made collection of music from the "Showa Era" of the Godzilla series spans from the very first Godzilla movie to Terror of MechaGodzilla. Most of the music is composed by Godzilla regulars Akira Ifukube and Masaru Satoh. I was pleasantly surprised to find that "All Monsters Attack" was written by Kunio Miyauchi, known for his work on "Ultra-Q" and the original "Ultraman" series.

Akira Ifukube's scores have a very traditional orchestra sound, while all of the other composers have more of a then-contemporary sound. Ifukube's scores have a timeless quality to them when compared to the other scores. It's easy to hear his "voice" evolve from the first Godzilla film (which sounds like it has a much smaller orhestra than the later ones) to the last film on this CD. Besides creating the Godzilla theme heard on a number of tracks, I also like this wailing jazzy-brass motif first heard in the track for "Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster" (at about the 1:24 point) and later in "Destroy All Monsters" and "Terror of MechaGodzilla" cues.

With the music are some sound effects which give this album a genuine Godzilla feel to it. It also comes with a nice booklet with the full track listing, descriptions of all of the Godzilla movies featured in the collection, and some background information. It even has the lyrics to the Mothra's Song, performed by the Peanuts. So now, you too can sing along. There's also a bonus track by Neil Norman and his Cosmic Orchestra.

The only bad thing is that this album skips over "Godzilla VS the Sea Monster." Joe Sena, the producer and liner notes writer, remarks that it is "an unremarkable score." I personally would like to decide that for myself. The movie's even skipped over in the movie summaries! The least they could have done was put one track on the CD. The other thing is that it's a very uneven selection. Some movies get four to six tracks while others only get one track.

But petty complaints aside, it is a great introduction to Godzilla music and while it was made to cash in on the then-impending 1998 American Godzilla movie, it's professionally done and great fun to listen to. B+

TV Review: Ultraman Max Episode One

I got a chance to see the first episode of the new Ultraman Max series during the "Ultramania" festival in California this weekend. The series, at least the first episode, is the anti-Nexus: kid-friendly and a cookie cutter plotline. You can tell who will become Ultraman the minute you meet him: a young twentysomething guy who does volunteer work and likes rescuing kids from rampaging monsters. You'd also be able to guess the love interest pretty quickly. (Hint: the only female member of DASH.)

It was neat that this Ultraman hails from the famous Nebula M-78. It's been a long time since we've seen an Ultraman come from there. I've already discussed my feelings on his design, but he is cool to look at when Max springs into action. The battle between Max and the two kaijus is way too short, and Max already resorts to his signature move to destroy both monsters, which while I'm not a huge fan of "hand waving" is a little lackluster.

While there's a couple hiccups in the plot, "Hey, I suddenly mention that I took an entrance exam to DASH last week and can now fly the ship," it was still pretty enjoyable. All those disspointed kaiju fans who gave up on Nexus will have plenty of reasons to to love this series. While I enjoyed watching the episode, I'm not overly thrilled with it, so that makes it about a... C+

Daredevil 2?

Now that the creature known as Bennifer 2 has married itself, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are said to both want to make a Daredevil 2, since it was on the set of this movie (Well, Daredevil 1) that they met and become the focus of a gazillon tabloids. I have mixed feelings since neither Daredevil (or its Director's Cut) or Elektra were that great, but the hope of a better Daredevil movie gives me strength. Unforunately, this means that Ben Affleck can't be in the sequel...

Ultraman Nexus Soundtrack Review

Click on the picture to jump over to the Godzilla Monster Music web site and read my review of the second volume of Kenji Kawai's Ultraman Nexus score. Here's a hint: I liked it.

Movie Review: Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle, or Hauru no Ugoku Shiro in Japanese, is based on a book written by Diana Wynne Jones about a young girl, dissatisfied with her looks and life, is cursed by a witch after accidently bumping into a rival wizard named Howl. And yes, he does have a castle that moves. Sophie, the aforementioned girl, manages to find Howl's Moving Castle (that's catchy) and his stange assortment of assistants the apprentice Markl and the fire demon Calcifer. Unforunately for her, said wizard turns out to be a spoiled brat, and both governments want him to be on their side over a war he doesn't approve off. What's a girl to do?

Disney seems to have done a good job with distributing this Miyazaki film to the States. There are no obvious cuts, that I could tell at least, but it is a Miyazaki film which usually contains a low amount of blood and gore except for Mononoke. I've not seen the Japanese version, but I'd guess that Disney's again guilty of over-dialoguing (adding dialogue to increase exposition because Americans are stupid. Disney's words, not mine.) The only problem I have with the English version is the innane dialogue. In Japanese, this one character would probably have said "Look" or "Up there," but the English version says "There's were the bomb came from."

Surprisingly, Disney went into overkill in hiring English voiceovers, including current Batman Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall (yes, that Lauren Bacall), and Billy Crystal. Crystal was very fitting for the voice of Calcifer, much like the late Phil Hartman was for Kiki's talking cat. But I couldn't help but feel that existing voice actors could have done as good or even better in some of the roles, such as Steven Blum as Howl. Meanwhile, talented voice actors like Crispin Freeman and Will Friedle are stuck with bit parts. And what, no Patrick Stewart?

Anyways, the movie is good, though the writing's a little weaker than some of the other films. Miyazaki's talent has not wain and shows off his usual flair for detail. I always like his strange blend of reality and fiction, but I can't help but wonder if he can't do something different. I mean, all of the characters look like they're from a Miyazaki film. It seems in ways too similar to all the Miyazaki films that have come before and perhaps Miyazaki is becoming a bit set in his ways. Perhaps he should consider doing his new movie as something totally different than everything he's done before. B

TV Review: Justice League Unlimited

Tonight's episode: "Epilogue"

In the not so distant future, Terry McGillis is having troubles being the new Batman, and starts acting like he's Spider-Man's replacement: contast whinning, not marrying his childhood sweetheart, and spontaneously quit becoming Batman. It seems that he's Bruce Wayne's son (through a lot of convoluted exposition) even though Terry thought he's some kind of clone of Bruce.

The whole episode becomes a justification of Batman Beyond, which is five years too late. Yes, Terry isn't some young "clone" of Bruce Wayne and through his series, evolved into his own character and was at least more interesting than Kyle Rayner. Unforunately, this series is about the whole League, and if the writers of JLU felt the urge to write another Batman Beyond episode, they shouldn't have let the series get cancelled in the first place.

The highlight of the episode was the flashback that contained the only actual League-related content. I was expecting another example of the dark, grim Batman of today, but was surprised by witnessing a wonderful scene with the "true" Batman. Also, Dr. Light, one of my favorite Leaguers in the series with many cameos under her belt, had her first speaking part. When will she go solo?

The episode's filled, as usual, with tons of references from past DC series, but almost to an extreme. I mean, Phantasm?! Why would you hire a woman in her sixties to be your assassin? If not for the overall predictableness of the plot (Terry stays as Batman), it could have been really entertaining. B

What The ?!?!

The great icon of the 80s, The Transformers, are getting the live action movie treatment with producer Steven Spielberg and director Michael Bay. Recently, the official site was put up, www.transformerslive.com. Visiting this site, you can watch a movie of Spielberg talking about how happy he is to be working on the movie and has been buying Transformers for himself.

What The ?!?! Steven Spielberg a Transformers collector? This seems even less believable than that Tom Cruise romance thing. Notice he doesn't mention a single character's name, but manages to plug in Hasbro once or twice. I just don't see Spielberg as a crazed Transfan. Maybe it's his monotone voice that makes it less believable or the fact that he's Hollywood's most respected director not Hollywood's most gifted liar. But at least he made the effort of convicing fans that the Transformers were in good hands.

Expected in the live action movie are all the characters expected in a Transformers movie: Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Starscream, Soundwave, Arcee, Jazz, and Tom Cruise. (Just kidding.) The movie has a 2007 release date.

CD Review: War of the Worlds

In their billionth collaboration, John Williams composed the music for Steve Spielberg's latest movie, War of the Worlds, and for better or worst, it's nothing like you've heard before from Williams.

For one thing, there is no main theme, hardly any new thematic material at all. There are no hallmark sentimental/lighthearted/heroic themes found in most of Williams' scores for Spielberg. Instead, most of the music is very abstract and atmospheric. In fact, all of the music (at least on this soundtrack) is very dissonant, mournful, and tense. Even the optimistic sounding horns in the Reunion soon succumb to the reserved and tragic sounding Epilogue. Making this one of Williams' darkest score to date.

Not to mention his most modern. Here, he has strayed from most, if not all, of his traditional formulas. Like my remarks on Episode 3, Williams takes the path less traveled with creating complex orchestra sounds to create fear and panic instead of just throwing together a theme that could create the same effect.

Williams is also very inventive with his orchestrations. Instead of using a theremin, he uses a choir ( or is it the string section?) to sustain this very high pitch sound that can be heard at the end of The Intersection Scene and the beginning of Confrontation of Ogilvy. I really enjoyed his use of brass, the somber horns at the end of Reaching the Country and Epilogue. The Ferry Scene is the stand out action piece, while Escape from the City sounds more like typical Prequel action music. There are a few tracks that have more of a traditional Williams feel to it, like Attack on the Car, and the brass build up in Return to Boston. The dissonant horns towards the end of Reaching the Country remind me of Boba Fett's Departure.

My only real problem with the soundtrack is the narration. You see, the point of buying a soundtrack is to hear the music that everyone's talking over in the movie, so having someone talk over it in the album defeats the purpose of buying it, doesn't it? Luckily, the narration is only two tracks, and the voiceover for the Prologue works well with the music, thanks to Morgan Freeman's smooth voice, but I don't like it during the Reunion, when after an hour of music, Freeman pops up again and ruins the mood, not to mention the end of the movie.

This score sounds like a mix between Minority Report and Episode 3. It's one of the best examples of Williams' "modern" style and like most of his modern works, rewards repeat listenings. At first, I'd have given this score a B tops, but every time I listen to it I find more that I like about it. B+

Favorite Tracks:
2.The Ferry Scene
3. Reaching the Country
4. Intersection Scene
10. Separation of Family
11. Confrontation with Ogilvy
12. Return to Boston
15. Epilogue

Fantastic Four saves Hollywood!

They did what the legendary Jedi Knights and the Dark Knight could not: raise Hollywood out of its box office slump! With us today are the Fantastic Four's leader Mr. Fantastic and the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing.

"Don't forget me."

Who said that?

"Me. The Invisible Woman."

There's that voice again.

"Never mind."

Here's what Mr. Fantastic had to say about the biopic depicting the fateful journey into space that turned scientist Reed Richards, pilot Ben Grimm, Sue and Johnny Storm into the superheroes they are today: "Of course, this had the highest possible potential to succeed with today's audiences. I made a few tests, and it seemed to stimulate the right potions of the brain, provoking relaxing emotions throughout the person."

"In other words," interrupted the Thing. "It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. And there's plenty of clobberin', too."

The popular biopic has already made over 50 million dollars on its opening weekend, higher than the execs at Fox expected.

"You could say we clobbered the competition," stated a smug Thing.

When asked what the Fantastic Four will do with their share of the profits, Mr. Fantastic had this to say, "As you are well aware, most of our income comes from the revenue generated from my patents. We hope to donate all the profits from the movie to our favorite charities here in New York City."

And that's what makes them truly heroic.

Movie Review: Fantastic Four

I was very excited when I heard that they were finally making a Fantastic Four movie, almost as excited as when I learned that they were making an X-Men movie. Like X-Men, this is an origin story. The four explorers (with Victor Von Doom for a twist) go into space and get zapped by strange cosmic rays that forever change them...

But unlike the X-Men and most of Marvel's superheroes, the Fantastic Four are welcomed by the people they protect. They are celebrities. The series is also more lighthearted in tone than that of X-Men, Blade, and Daredevil. This translates pretty well into the actual film, especially the characters' various relationships, except for the Reed-Sue-Doom love triangle that never was. Unfortunately, the humor goes too far sometimes (like the pigeon thing, the dog covering its eye, etc) and could possibly hurt the viewing experiences.

The cast overall was pretty solid. I liked Ioan Gruffudd as Richards (my favorite character) though his gray streaks as a result of the cosmic rays seemed a bit silly. Chris Evans and Michals Chiklis were born for their roles, and can only make the usual rocky relationship between Ben and Johnny all the more amusing. While Jessica Alba wouldn't have been my choice for Sue, she held up better than I thought, leaving Julian McMahon as the weakest link.

But that might not be all his fault. His character, Von Doom, is an unfortunate clone of Willem Dafoe's Norman Osborne: After having business troubles and exposed to strange matter, Doom just decides to go crazy and start killing people. And the final battle between the FF and Doom seemed all too short. (That whole "First lession in chemistry.." started to get a little cheesy too.)

The movie's a commendable effort to bring Marvel's First Family onto the big screen. It's better than X-Men and Daredevil, but just doesn't hit the heights of X2, Spidey, and Batman Begins. Still, it was one of the most enjoyable introductary-exposition movie since Hellboy. B

CD Review: Batman Begins

Okay, I've read enough reviews for this score to know what to do. First, I blantly gush about how good this movie. (Seriously, it is really good.) Then, I mention Messrs. Elfman and Goldenthal, and that this score is nothing like their work and that Elfman's theme will always be associated with Batman, and while Goldenthal's scores were more over the top they too kicked butt. (I also should be mentioning all the fan boys sad that there's no more Elfman theme, but that's too silly.)

Anyway, onto the review: First of all, it isn't a question of if the score is good. I've seen the movie. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard wrote a score that fits this movie like a glove. It's dark, moody, scary, heroic, and a touch romantic all when it needs to be.

But I'm not reviewing the movie (yet). I'm reviewing the soundtrack which is a different story all together. All the tracks are named after different species of bats, which Zimmer and Howard must have thought was clever clever. Unfortunately, when you're listening to six plus minutes of quiet, ambient cues with no real thematic tug, a real title might help the listener picture what scene the cues supposed to be from.

But it's rather hard to do that, even after seeing the movie, because all the cues are cut up and placed together in a general mish mash. Only a few cues, like Myotis and Molossus, sound like they're intact. Zimmer and Howard created a few good themes for this movie including the Batman theme (heard at the end of Vespertilio and mostly through Molossus), the Wayne theme heard at the beginning of Macrotus, and Ducard has his own Eastern motif that snuck onto the end of Artibeus.

These themes are all rather cool to hear, but the soundtrack disappoints in the most vital way that every superhero soundtrack must deliver: a dashing, heroic version of the hero's theme. In the movie, it's everywhere. On the soundtrack, it's almost nonexistent. It's present in such tracks like Myotis and of course Molossus, but it should also be on a lot of other tracks too. The beginning of Artibeus is the cue for batman's first appearance but the music is cut off before it comes to the grand protrayal of the Batman theme. The same could be said for Antrozous.

In summary, it's the sad case of a good score getting a bad presentation on the soundtrack, much like The Last Crusade and X2, or at least having a vengeful editor.

Favorite Tracks:
1. Vespertilio
3. Myotis
10. Molossus
11. Corynorhinus

Music in the movie: A- Music on the CD: C

Fantastic Four Score Preview 2

Go to composer John Ottman's web page (www.johnottman.com) to hear clips from the Fantastic Four score, and see pictures from the recording sessions.

Fantastic Four Score Preview

Amazon.com has some clips from the uncoming movie, the Fanastic Four. 4 are based on the main characters: Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the ever-lovin' Thing. They also have an exclusive clip with the Thing saving the fire truck from falling off the bridge. If you listen closely, you can hear John Ottman's score. It's more lighthearted than X2 but not as over the top as Goldenthal's Batman scores. (I hope.) The score will hopefully come out on July 14, about a week after the movie is released.

R.I.P. Ultraman Nexus

The last episode of Ultraman Nexus has been shown. Apparently, in the episode, Ultraman Nexus transforms into Noa, and defeats his dark counterpart, Dark Zagi. So, I guess Project N's come full circle. Ultraman Noa was the first to appear, but ironically the last in the actual continunity. You see, first came Ultraman the Next, who appeared the movie after Nexus started on television. Next would evolve into Nexus (and Nexus Blue) and finally into Noa.

Noa quickly becoming one of my favorite Ultramen, I wished that I could have seen this episode so I could have finally seen Noa in action. Oh, well. I was overall pleased with the more mature, though slightly convoluted, style that Project N took, even though many people seemed to have disagreed, and the next Ultraman, Max, will be more "traditional," i.e. juvenile.

TCM Scheduling

TCM has recently started showing 1950s "Cold War Sci-Fi" movies, and tonight have been 70s Sci-Fi movies like Soylent Green. Unfortunately, they're showing 2001: A Space Odyssey and Logan's Run tonight at 11:30 and 2 AM repsectively.

How am I going to see these great classics? I actually have a job to wake up to. Thanks, TCM!

Batman Begins Soundtrack- Delayed?

The new Batman Begins soundtrack was supposed to be released yesterday, but none of the stores near me got it in. Someone at Best Buy thought that they'd get it in today, and also thought that it was delayed so that it would coincide with the video game release.

Whether this is true or not, I don't care. I'm dissappointed with the unprofessionalism that Warner Brothers can't even release something on time.

X3

For all those who are worried now that Brett Ratner is the new director for X3, cheer up! James Marsden will be returning as Cyclops. Though how big of a role he will have is still a mystery....

Check It Out

SoundtrackNet have "First Listen" pages up for both Batman Begins and War of the Worlds. Each contains track by track analysis as well as 30 second clips. Both sound promising, but I'm more eager to hear Williams's new score. Afterall, once you've heard Zimmer's action music in one movie, you've heard them all. Batman Begins score is coming out on June 14, and War of the World's release date is the end of the month.

Fantastic Four Score and More...

Good news: John Ottman's score for the Fantastic Four movie will be released on uber-cool record label, Varese Sarabande, despite all of the major record companies' efforts. Batman Begins will have a score-only release featuring the combined talents of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard.

Bad news: Matthew Vaughn has left the production of X3, leaving it in the mercy of either Behind Enemy Lines's John Moore or After the Sunset's Brett Ratner. Among the revealed casting are Vinnie jones as Juggernaut, Maggie Grace as Kitty Pryde, and Kelsey Grammer as Beast.

Eyes No Show One Million

It's June, and "EYES," the stylish series starring Tim Daly, is still not being aired on ABC. According to the TV Guide, it will continue to not be broadcasted next week as well.

Sources from ABC have cited "being extremely evil" as the reason behind this move, and that Ian McDiarmid, former Scottish actor and current Emperor of the Galactic Empire, was in charge of scheduling. Replacing "Eyes" will be a new reality show starring fallen Jedi Darth Vader.

When asked for a comment, Vader shouted, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" as he lurched from the operating table.

Check This Out

Go to saveeyes.com, a website dedicated to saving the best show on television. Unfortunately, ABC doesn't seem to be listening to the outcry of all of EYES's fans, and has not renewed the show for a second season.

Go sign the petition so that at least we might get to see the rest of the episodes ABC failed to air during May or at least get a DVD set released. The site also includes a ton of news links, wallpapers, and icons.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on Bad Poetry

Vogon poetry is of course, the third worst in the universe. The second worst is that of the Asgoths of Crea. During a recitation by their poetmaster Grunthos the Flatulent of his poem "Ode to a Small Lump of Green Putty I Found in my Armpit One Midsummer Morning" four of his audience died of internal hemorrhaging and the president of the mid-galactic Arts Knobbling Council survived only by gnawing one of his own legs off. Grunthos was reported to have been "disappointed" by the poem's reception, and was about to embark on a reading of his 12-book epic entitled "My Favourite Bathtime Gurgles" when his own major intestine, in a desperate attempt to save humanity, leapt straight up through his neck and throttled his brain. The very worst poetry of all perished along with its creator, Paul Neil Milne Johnstone of Redbridge, in the destruction of the planet Earth. Vogon poetry is mild by comparison.

ABC Jeered

TV Guide recently jeered ABC for neglecting unwatched hit TV show, "EYES" during the sweeps month of May. I bet ABC's feeling pretty bad right now...

John Williams' Music in the Movie

Commenting about where the music is in Revenge of the Sith is probably going to have spoilers.

"Revenge of the Sith:" It starts with the main title but with its usual fade-out music, then there's some new music that goes into the militaristic Force Theme as featured in the track and continues with the music from the track until Grievous' motif. It then goes into new music and tracked music. I don't really know where the last two minutes are used.

"Grievous and the Droids:" I heard about thirty seconds of music towards the end of the track, when Obi-Wan and Anakin are fighting Grievous in the ship's bridge. Where's the rest of this track?

"Grievous speaks to Lord Sidious:" Pretty intact up until Grievous' motif, the rest of the track is from the end of the movie where Padme's leaving for Mustafar.

"Anakin's Dream:" Intact in the movie.

"Palpatine's Teachings:" From all over the place: the beginnings from part of the opera scene, then goes into about 15 seconds of when Palpatine reveals himslef to be a Sith, then the part with the Imperial March hint and the Force Theme are from anakin facing the Jedi Council, and finishes with Obi-Wan meeting up with Bail and Yoda.

"General Grievous:" All cut up: Begins with Obi-Wan taking a boga and listening in on Grievous. Fragments of it are used during the chase and final battle between the two of them.

"Padme's Rumination:" First part is used as Anakin considers going to Palpatine. The second half, that sounds more foreboding, is used after Anakin and Palpatine have killed Mace Windu.

"Anakin's Betrayal:" Mainly used for when the Jedi are slaughtered. Sounded like it started from the middle of the track. I'm also sure that part of this track is used for when Anakin confronts Padme on Mustafar.

"Enter Vader:" Intact. It's featured when Lord Vader goes to Mustafar.

"Anakin's Dark Deeds:" It starts with Anakin killing the Separatists, then I can't tell if the middle is used, but the ending is used when Anakin's on the bridge/ledge.

"Anakin Vs. Obi-Wan:" Pretty intact expect for a few pauses in the film. The Imperial March music is used when Yoda confronts Palpatine.

"Battle of the Heroes:" A substantial amount of it is used when Obi-Wan and Anakin fight on the lava.

"Immolation Scene:" Intact.

"Birth of the Twins and Padme's Destiny:" Pretty intact, expect the track ends before the final rendition of the funeral music that actually covers Padme's funeral.

"A New Hope:" Some new music at the beginning.

"End Credits:" The whole Throne Room sequence is edited out.

5 Most Listened to Tracks

5. "Enter Lord Vader" Once you hear this in the movie, it will make total sense, and you'll have a new appreciation for it.

4. "The Immolation Scene" One of most emotional and well composed tracks on the score.

3. "Anakin Vs. Obi-Wan" Battle of the Heroes and the Imperial March. What else do you need?

2. "Anakin's Betrayal" Beautifully tragic and works so well in the movie that it'll make you cry your eyes out.

1. "Grievous and the Droids" Still my favorite track, despite hearing very little of it in the movie.

The Last Star Wars Movie

is out. Have you seen it yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

CD Review: The Revenge of the Sith Part III

Many describe this soundtrack as a disappointment, but I believe that it's a matter of what your expectations were from the start. If you were expecting each track to be like "A New Hope" (crammed with old themes), then yes, you'll be disappointed with this score. My only expectation was that Williams would, like the previous movie, do something completely different than his previous score. And in that aspect, Williams did not disappoint.

Rather than relying heavily on themes, Williams took the much harder task of using more nonthematic music. His use of themes in the score, or at least the measily seventy minutes (out of rumored 140 minutes he wrote), are more subtle and fragmented. Again, this left fans without a score oozing the Imperial March and the Emperor's theme. I was personally happy just to hear him use the main theme (Luke's theme) in the actual score again. ("Grievous and the Droids" and "A New Hope")

Also, Revenge of the Sith presented Williams with a chance to try some new sounds, especially the ambient droning in "Palpatine's Teachings." Unfortunately, some of his cues sound similar to already existing scores, most notably "Padme's Ruminations" which is commonly compared to Hans Zimmer's "Gladiator." Some have even flat-out accused Williams of stealing from his contemporaries. While I find that unlikely, I believe that Williams, with less experience creating such sounds, just ended up creating music that was not up to his usual standards and therefore sound similar to other scores. (Either that or Lucas tracked the music over Williams' original music.)

This album is for us diehard music fans. Those who just gloss over it, expecting easy themes to recognize and enjoy, will not like this music. Williams has woven a complex web of music, and I enjoy listening to it, time and time again, picking up those little jems: hints and fragments of past themes. And while more new themes would have been nice, the Battle of the Heroes theme and Grievous' motif easily kick musical butt.

To sum up, Revenge of the Sith isn't a perfect score and barely contains any new themes. But it's still the best prequel score. Williams seems to have really pulled out all the stops in trying to create the best music for the last Star Wars movie. And here's the reason why I'm giving this an A: I have always found that the two previous prequels scores have sounded a little flat. That the orchestra just doesn't sound the same as in the original trilogy. But the Revenge of the Sith score is vibrant and has that energy I usually associate with John Williams. A

Eyes No Show 2

The brilliant show, Eyes will not be on tonight. It will also not be on next week thanks to Alias' two hour finale. Is the show cancelled or is it getting pre-empted due to May sweeps? Only time will tell... One thing is for sure:

ABC sucks.

CD Review: The Revenge of the Sith Part II

Here's the second half of my track by track analysis:

8. "Padme's Ruminations" (3:17): The other track that many people don't like. It starts with quiet synth sounds followed by wailling/moaning by a female vocalists, something akin to the finale from the last movie or Minority Report but not as good. I like the last minute or so when the orchestra joins in and creates some cool eeiry/menacing sounds. Overall, it's much too subdued for me to really sink my teeth into and enjoy. 5/10

9. "Anakin Vs. Obi-Wan" (3:57): Easily one of best tracks on the album. We're treated to samples of the "Battle of the Heroes" theme with interruptions from direct cues from the Empire Strikes Back duel music. (Mainly the Imperial March with a flourish from the Escape from Bespin cue.) It ends with a great use of the Force theme over chorus sounds. A great action cue that's more theme-oriented to keep old school fans happy. My only problem with the track (artistically speaking) is that up to this point, Williams has been very subtle with old themes, and it's a little jarring that all of the sudden there's a track that's blaring the Imperial March. Not that that's really such a bad thing. 9/10

10. "Anakin's Dark Deeds" (4:05): Opening quiet, this track contains more dramatic music backed by chorus while Anakin goes farther towards the dark side. The music is highly energized with its own motif that slowly builds into a grand overture. I'm curious to see how this track (and the next one) plays out in the movie. 7/10

11. "Enter Darth Vader" (4:14): Everyone's probably disappointed with this track because it's not four minutes of the Imperial March, me included, but with further listenings, it's really grown on me. It contains this upbeat march that persists through most of the track with some quiet undertones in-between. This march continues with a very militaristic tone that ends with a few bars of the Imperial March. The music climaxes with the Force theme and an all-too-brief snippet of the Emperor's theme, which is strangely enough its only appearance in the soundtrack. 8/10

12. "The Immolation Scene" (2:42): This is another favorite that grew on me. It begins with a very string-oriented elegy that's simple yet mournful. Horns pick up towards the end to create a very satisfying track. It's way too short though... Oh, well. 9/10

13. "Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious" (2:49): This track is composed mainly of a upbeat fanfare. A chorus comes in at the end of it, and while it produces a good sound, the chorus seemed a little like overkill. The rest of the track seemed to be mainly quiet undertones except for a reinteration of the fanfare theme (or is it Grievous' motif?) and Across the Stars. While cool to listen to, it doesn't really add anything nor is it really that special of a track. 6/10

14. "The Birth of the Twins and Padme's Destiny" (3:37): The beginning of this track sounds very Harry Potterish. It also contains one of the only other thematic links to the other films: the funeral music from the Phantom Menace. (Is that a spoiler?) Anyway, the funeral theme is then repeated. The funeral theme really fits in with the overall emotional content of this score. 8/10

15. "A New Hope and End Credits" (13:06): "A New Hope" is wonderful yet short. It manages to perfectly flow from Leia's theme to Luke's theme and concludes with a full statement of the Force theme. The end credits, on the other hand, is a totally different matter. It's presented as Luke/main title theme, Leia's theme, Battle of the Heroes, Throne Room, variations on the Throne Room, and then back to the main theme. Unfortunately, at around 12 minutes long, the end credits just don't justify wasting that much space on this CD. Leia's theme and Battle of the Heroes are pretty identical to previous concert versions, and many transitions were awkward at best. I would have prefered an edited version with more music from the actually movie. A really disappointment compared to the end credits to Williams' last Potter film. "A New Hope" 10/10, End Credits 5/10 Average: 7.5/10

Next will be my conclusion to this review and final comments.

CD Review: The Revenge of the Sith

Well, since this is the last Star Wars soundtrack, i thought I'd do something different and do a track-by-track analysis. Here it is:

1. "Star Wars and the Revenge of the Sith" (7:31): It opens with the traditional main title theme, supposedly the same one used in Phantom Menace and not a new recording. Then before it does its usual fade-out, the orchestral explodes into a rousing action cue that dominates the rest of the track. An energized version of the Force theme appears early into the track. I could swear that from time to time I could hear the fragments of the droid army theme or at least the arena/ pseudo-droid army theme. Listen for the miltaristic snare drum. It will also be used on later tracks like "Enter Lord Vader" and "Grievous and the Droids." A great example of "modern" Williams-style action cue and one of the best action cues from the prequels. 10/10

2. "Anakin's Dream" (4:46): This track is one of the only cues containing Across the Stars from the previous movie. It's beautifully rendered with stings at the beginning, leaving a more conventional version later on. There's also a quiet hint of the Force Theme. 7/10

3. "Battle of the Heroes" (3:42): Considered the "single" of the album and the only new major theme. I really hope that this is actually scoring part of the final duel rather than just a concert piece. I'm still convinced that the theme is a clever reworking of the Duel of Fates, but I lack the music background to support that. It's not as powerful as Duel nor as lyrical as Across the Stars but a very rousing piece none the less and the use of the Force theme over the chorus doesn't hurt. 7/10

4. "Anakin's Betrayal" (4:04): This track is very powerful especially when the chorus and the brass rise to an emotional peak. I read somewhere that it's a reworking on the Across the Stars, but I haven't heard it enough to make that connection yet. I've heard what sounds like fragments of the Force theme, but maybe that's from part of Across the Stars. The last minute or so is very haunting that slowly builds and then tapers off. 9/10

5. "General Grievous" (4:07): To a casual listener, this track may sound like a mess: just a jumble of percussion and brass, but upon closer listening, you can hear Williams weaving a satisfying action cue. Within it is what I believe to be the Grievous motif. (But more on that later.) The Force theme also briefly appears at the beginning in a low, almost dissonant tone. About a minute and half into it, it starts reminding me of Jurassic Park music. Those who aren't a fan of prequel non-thematic music will probably not like this. I love it. 8/10

6. "Palpatine's Teachings" (5:25): One of the two least liked tracks on album by most Internet reviewers. It starts off with about 90 seconds of low moaning, which I love because of my own love of ambient-techno-sounds and am glad to hear Williams going for a new sound. As the orchestral starts to join in, we can hear a brief cue from Darth Vader's theme and a slightly longer statement of the Force theme. The music sort of lingers until the end: a reprise of the approach to Naboo from the Phantom Menace. I like the beginning; I like the end; but the middle could do with some work. 6/10

7. "Grievous and the Droids" (3:28): This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It begins with a great use of brass that quiets down very quickly. We then catch the briefest of hints of Luke's theme before the action music kicks back in. The deep brass puctuate what I believe is the Grievous motif. It persists until the end of the cue with another quiet rendition of the Force theme. I can't wait to see what part of the movie this is from. (I'm hoping the final battle between Obi-Wan and Grievous) 10/10

Well, this is about half of the album. I'll be back soon with what I think about the second half.

Movie Review: Kingdom of Heaven

Ridley Scott's newest film depicts the Crusades through the eyes of Balian (Orlando Bloom), son of Godfrey (Liam Neeson), who goes onto to Jerusalem looking for redemption for himself and forgiveness for his wife who committed suicide. There, he finds the court divided between the Marshall Tiberias (Jeremy Irons) who wants to promote peace between the Christians and the Islamic and the fanatic Templars who feel only Christians are worthy of living in Jerusalem. Soon, the Templars prevoke a war with the Islamic and it's up to Balian to protect Jerusalem from the massive army arriving.

I was surprised how well Orlando Bloom worked in the role, this being one of his first leading roles. On the other hand, I was disappointed that Liam Neeson pulled a Terrance Stamp by only appearing in the first twenty minutes of the movie. Jeremy Irons and David Thewlis were also impressive. So was Scott's decision to use Muslin actors to protray, you know, Muslims!

According to an A&E special, most of the story actually follows what actually happened historically. The movie also carefully depicts both sides, Christianity and Islam, and how there were both good and bad people on BOTH sides. The only real problem can from one Christian priest during the big battle at the end who seemed very cowardly and, well, unChristian-like almost to the point of becoming the comedic relief. Reynald and Guy de Lusignan seemed at times to hover on the edge of becoming full-blown two dimensional stereotypical villains that everyone hisses at.

Also, the love story aspect seems to be pretty neglected at times, favoring the historical/political maneuverings and the massive battles over Orlando Bloom and Eva Green smooching.

Ridley Scott is still great at creating mood and atmosphere, even if it's ambient synthesizer music during Medieval Times. His slow-mo "gut-and-splash" style is pretty much what he did with Gladiator. Speaking of... Some critics will eagerly point out the similarities, both stylistically and story-wise, between the two movies.

I enjoyed this movie, which lets you draw your own conclusions in the matters of war and religion. B

Star Wars Soundtrack Out

The newest (and last) Star Wars soundtrack was released on Tuesday. It includes a 70 minute CD plus an additional DVD entitled "Star Wars: A Musical Journey." I'll be reviewing it later this week or next, but there's plenty of reviews out already if you're curious. I'm sure John Williams has done another superb job.

Eyes No Show

"EYES" was pre-empted yesterday for a lame expo on American Idol. Who didn't already know that the show was rigged?

Correct Track Listing for Episode 2

Here is how the soundtrack should have been labeled:

01. Main Titles/Kamino Storm/Arrival at Kamino
02. Across the Stars
03. Zam the Assassin/ Chase through Coruscant
04. Forbidden Love/Yoda and the Younglings
05. Departing Coruscant
06. Anakin and Padme
07. Jango's Escape/Return to Tatooine
08. Meadow Picnic/Dark Mysteries
09. Bounty Hunter's Pursuit/ Clone Army Revealed
10. Lars Homestead/ Search Montage
11. Tusken Camp/ Bringing Mother Home
12. Love Pledge/The Arena/Going After Dooku
13. Lord Tyranus Returns/Finale
14. On the Conveyor Belt (Bonus Track on Limited Edition)

CD Review: Attack of the Clones

John Williams's take on Episode 2 was totally different from the previous film, Phantom Menace. Replacing the vibrant yet shallow theme-oriented pieces is more a minimlistic score.

The main title starts off the album followed by one of my favorite motifs, that of Kamino. This is followed by a concert version of the only new theme in the movie, Across the Stars. This melodic and haunting theme is what I've been expecting from Williams and what he failed to produce in the Phantom Menace: a truly emotional piece that lives up to the Star Wars tradition.

Many of the older themes (the Force theme, Yoda's theme, Imperial March) are present as well as the ones from the first movie. (Duel of the Fates, Droid army theme, Anakin's theme) The use of the themes from Phantom Menace create a sense of continunity between the two films.

I personally liked to focus on three best tracks on the album, which make this CD a must. (Besides the Across the Stars suite, of course.)

First is the Chase Through Coruscant. This seven plus minutes action cue is a prime example of WIlliams's minimlistic efforts in the film. The piece is percussion-oriented with no major motif presented within it. It shows how much Williams' style has changed over the years since the days of "Asteroid Field" and "Here They Come." There is also a hint of electric guitar, just enough to anger hardcore fans and thrill fans like me who like their composers to experiment with new sounds.

Next is the eight minute cue "Love Pledge and the Arena." The music starts with a wonderful flair of Across the Stars, as Anakin and Padme declare their love. This is followed by a miltaristic motif, a re-working of the droid army theme, which dominates most of the Arena music. Lastly, the lengthly cues ends with more snippets of the love theme and the Force theme.

But neither of them hold a candle to the last track. It starts with a flurish of the Force theme and then switches into a haunting theme performed by a female vocalist. The music then builds up into full-blown fanfare of the Imperial March right before flowing into another touching rendition of Across the Stars. All of this finished off with the main Star Wars theme as the end crdits roll.

Most of the other tracks are softer pieces which include either Across the Stars or the Force theme. Jango's Escape and Bounty Hunter's Pursuit are average action cues, but pretty bland when compared to some more exciting cues Williams produced from Minority Report.

This would be a perfect score if it wasn't for the way it was treated. George Lucas had chopped it up in the movie. He took out the Arena music, and tracked most of action music for the Battle of Genosis finale from Phantom Menace. The soundtrack itself has many mislabeled tracks.

Overall, a great improvment, in my opinion, from Phantom Menace. It sounds more like a good and proper Star Wars soundtrack. Unfortunately, there is no "Ultimate" version of this soundtrack which is a shame because it deserves a proper treatment. B+

More Ultraman Max Info

Ultraman Lah has posted more info on the new series, Ultraman Max, including images from Team DASH's (Defense Action Squad Heroes) vehicles, crew, and emblem. Go to their features section to check some scans magazine pictures of the new Ultraman and his deunamist, Kaito Touma. This series looks like it will please many die-hard fans. Not only will the series have many classic kaiju, but also this Ultraman will hail from the well-known M-78 nebula that the original Ultramen originated from.

In Nexus news, there seems to be a new villain, Dark Mephisto Zwei to appear on the show to battle Nexus Blue. (and the other Dark Mephisto?) There's also a Playstation 2 game of Ultraman Nexus coming out. Those lucky buggers...

Graeme Revell Article

I stumbled onto an article on composer Graeme Revell and his work on the Sin City movie at ign.com. Check it out!

Ultraman Max Update

Ultramanlah.com has posted the official web site to the newest Ultraman: Ultraman Max! There's not much on the site yet except for a couple pcitures of Max and some familar kaijus, but then again I can't read Japanese or Chinese. Ultraman Max is decked out in the usual red and silver colors. I like his chest design and his fancy guantlet, but I'm not too thrill with his face design. This series looks like a back to basics, fun for all ages type of show.

You can check out the official site at:

http://hicbc.com/tv/max/main.htm

CD Review: The Phantom Menace

First of all, I'd like to point out that all three prequel "albums" are roughly seventy minutes of music, but in my opinion fail to capture the overall scope of John Williams's brilliant scores which run at least double that time. Only Phantom Menace has received the 2 disc "ultimate" edition, and probably the one that least deserved it.

As always, it opens with the traditional Star Wars title theme and then cuts to a totally different cue, Arrival to Naboo: a grandiose motif that's reprised in track 13. Next are two concert pieces for the main new themes: Duel of the Fates and Anakin's Theme. While it's nice to have these stand alone versions of the new themes, they are very similar to their arrangements in the end credits. If the concert pieces are taken out, then there would have been more room for more unique tracks.

Duel of the Fates alone makes the soundtrack worth a listen. Its use of vocals and orchestra is breathtaking. One of my other favorite new themes is the droid army theme, a proto-Imperial March that's also reused as the Flag Parade. Most of the old themes are also present such as: the main theme, the Force theme, and even hints of the Imperial March (Darth Vader's theme). The Municipal Band is an unique composition, similiar to Cantina Band, with its fun combination of vocals and percussion that leads into the main theme.

The Phantom Menace is an excellent example of John Williams "lite." There's a lot of solid themes and bombastic sounds, but it just lacks the emotional depth that I expect from Williams and his recent works on A.I. and Minority Report. Anyone who loved this soundtrack should also check out the first Harry Potter score. B

Comics This Week

Another great episode of Eyes last night with the same pathetic ratings. But that's not what I'm going to be talking about today...

Klarion #1 (of 4): The newest series from the Seven Soldiers saga, Klarion depicts a strange world of pilgrims and the undead under threat from the Sheeda or something far worst. It hasn't really impressed me as much as the Guardian and Zatanna series, but shows potential. C

Metal Gear Solid #8: Will Snake and Meryl survive the deadly Mantis and Sniper Wolf? No? Oh, well. Includes a cool cover of Sniper Wolf. More of the same action yet little actual plot movement. B

Spectacular Spider-Man #27: In the final issue, Paul Jenkins reunites with Mark Buckingham to tell a very touching tale of Peter Parker. Jenkins was always talented at showing a very human portrait of Parker, and not the usual self-hating version littering current comics. This is proof of why Jenkins and Buckingham will always be my favorite Spider-Man team. A

Star Wars: Episode 3 #3 (of 4): Why are all that fuss about keeping the plot of Episode 3 a secret when you're going to release a comic book adaptation before the movie even comes out? Anyway, Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader. Palpatine is evil. Obi-Wan kicks butt. Is there anything I missed? (Didn't read to keep a movie a surprise, but the Dave Dorman covers make it an automatic A.)

Superman #215: I don't read Superman, but I've read the last twelve issues because of one of my all-time favorite artists, Jim Lee was doing the art. The storyline was a lot better than that lame Hush series, but it seemed that both story and art had begun to detoriate during the second half of the story arc. This conclusion left me unsatsified. C-

X-Men #169: The X-Men suffer against their inner demons and each other. Nothing that hasn't been done before in some story. I was kinda of expecting more out of Milligan. B-

A New Doctor Already?!

The new Doctor Who series has become a big hit in Great Britain, and it has already been renewed for a second series (season). Unfortunately, the offical ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, will not be returning. Eccleston cites that he's not returning because of a "grueling" schedule and the large amount of attention the role's brought him, including the tabloids.

Billie Piper, who plays companion Rose Tyler, will be returning for the second series. David Tennant has been offically chosen as the tenth Doctor.

In other news, U.S. fans may only get a look at the newest series from a DVD release sometime after the U.K. release in late Fall of 2005. There will be separate episodic DVDs and a collected DVD season set with extras.

The Last Star Wars Soundtrack

John Williams' last score for Star Wars wll be available to buy the first week of May. In the next couple weeks, I'll try to review the previous two prequel scores that have been written in the last six years. There are already reviews from critics who have gotten preview copies of the soundtrack. I recommend checking out the Filmtracks.com's detailed, yet ultimately negative, review of the score.

To find out more of the release, check out the John Williams Fan Network at jwfan.net.

The Newest Ultraman?

Go to Ultraman Lah and see pictures of the Ultraman, who is rumored to replace Ultraman Nexus (once that show has finished its run) Ultraman Max. Pictures include Ultraman Max in a familiar pose and some close-ups of his face. The Ultraman Max series is supposed to start this July.

WOW

Just when I thought Eyes's ratings couldn't get lower...

It's a shame too, because last night's episode is my favorite so far. While introducing Daly's wife, soon-to-be ex-wife, and hightlighting more of Daly's evil ex-boss's plotting, the episode also juggled the main plot of a stolen plane and a much more rounded sub-plot about a mysterious bag of money that was found.

Ultraman is Coming!

Henshin Online has reported that the Ultraman the Next movie will premiere in America during the Japanese Giant Monsters Festival, held at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA from June 24th through the beginning of July. Other films being shown with it are Godzilla VS MechaGodzilla (1974), Terror of MechaGodzilla, Godzilla VS Megalon, and King Kong Escapes to name a few. Ultraman the Next will be shown during "Ultraman Day" with short features and a live stage show before the movie.

Ultraman the Next will then be shown at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA on June 26th, and at the FanTasia Film Festival which runs throughout July in Canada. (Will there be English subtitles or French ones?) Finally, at the end of August, it will be shown as a part of an "Ultraman Event" during the Bay Area Film Events in San Francisco. It's also rumored that it might be shown at this year's G-Fest in Chicago.

I would be really excited if I had the money, resources, or even time to run across the country to see it. It would be a great thrill to see Ultraman the Next on the big screen, with hopefully no dubbing, but I'd be happy if it just got a domestic video release, done with respect by a company like Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters.

You Haven't Been Watching "EYES"

According to Zap2it.com, repeats of Law and Order and CSI: NY had better ratings Wednesday night than Daly's new show. Now, that's sad. Why is no one watching "EYES?" Is it because it's stylish, fun, and I like it? Or is there some kind of government conspiracy against Tim Daly being in a nicely written show that doesn't last more than a season. (And being very optimistic when I say that "EYES" will even last for one season.)

Wednesday's episode was great, with their client being an old roommate of Daly's whose mistress was kidnapped and held for ransom for a large sum of money that the roommate claims he can't pay. Of course, Daly finds out he's lying, and wants to make a deal with the kidnapper... The only thing that I was disappointed with is that the subplot, the "B" plot if you will, seemed rushed and not as well written, like it needed more time than it was given to fully develop itself, just like last week's subplot with the hate crime.

Still, I'm going to enjoy this series for as long as it lasts. Which may not be much longer...

Hugh Laurie NOT in new Superman Movie

The British actor, best known for his roles in Blackadder and other Brit comedies, was going to be Perry White in Bryan Singer's new Superman movie, but due to an unforseen act of God, (House was renewed for a second season) Laurie now can't fullfill his contract with Singer and must bow out. He's being replaced by veteran actor Frank Langella.

I have mixed feelings about this. First, I couldn't really picture Laurie as White, but then again, being Dr. House, Laurie has shown us that he has a profound gift for portraying irascible bosses. But I'd rather have him in a new season of a good show, than in one movie. Perhaps Singer will hire him in a future role, such as X4 or Usual Suspects 2 or ... well, you get the idea.

Tim Daly on "Ellen"

The former "Wings" star was on the talk show promoting his new series. While it was only a five minute interview, it was nice to actually see him on a talk show. Besides talking about his new show, Ellen showed off his embarassing high school photo.

Anyway, he will also be on the Jimmy Kimmel's show tonight with, I hope, a longer interview segment. More on this tomorrow.

Did You Watch "Eyes?"

Probably not.

Nope, this slick drama with Tim Daly in charge of his own "risk management" investigation firm with a team filled with secrets and hidden agendas. Each member is unfortunately the usual gang of minorites and stereotypes, like the classic two-in-one minorites: the black women, and the black gay man. Then, there's the "attractive" blond woman, the nerdy guy, and so on. But Daly's the one who shines as the glib and sarcastic Harlan Judd, who confesses that this character is more like himself than his usual "by-the-book" do-gooders.

The pilot introduces each character, and a number of their vices, and their relations with others (i.e. conflicts), and this takes precedence over the actual cases which seem to be treated in a very light tone. I enjoyed watching Daly use every trick in the book to get his man.

Daly compared his new show as "The Rockford Files of the Twenty First Century," which is an just comparison. Starting off, Judd is faced with a lawsuit, going bankrupt, his former boss (who's morally impaired) wants to buy Judd's firm, and there's a mole within his firm. This avalanche of bad luck does sound like something that James Garner's legendary alter ego would have to handle every week.

The ratings for the pilot are average, if not bad, so start tuning in...

Comics This Week

Daredevil #71: After writing a great story, Bendis once again retreats into the past as a group of people recall the time when Daredevil ruled as "Kingpin." I wished that Bendis would keep going foward, especially since this whole support group thing seemed forced at best. Maleev's art doesn't seem as detailed as other issues, but a great use of colors during the fight scene. B

Guardian #1 (of 4): For his Seven Soldiers series, Grant Morrison reinvents the Guardian as ex-cop Jake Jordan who gets a second chance as the superhero mascot for the newspaper "where the readers are the reporters." His first story? Subway pirates! Great flow and pacing, not to mention Cameron Stewart's art fits it like a glove. What else can you ask for in a story? A

Metal Gear Solid #7: For those of us who who don't play this game or lack the ability to beat it, this series is perfect replacement. Each issue features fresh art from Ashley Wood, though his abstract art can sometimes make the action hard to follow. This issue also has the first appearance of Sniper Wolf. The only reason it doesn't get an A is because of its price tag. B+

Rogue #9: Besides the cool cover, which is an homage to one of my favorite X-Men issues, this issue is a mixed bag. Rogue's still in Japan with Sunfire, tracking down The Silver Samurai and Lady Deathstrike, but this issue doesn't really contribute anything new or really interesting, and Donovan's art is very inconsistant. C

Star Wars Obsession #4 (of 5): Obi-Wan, Anakin, and whole bunch of other Jedi invade Boz Pity in the continued search for Dark Jedi Ventress. Art and story are nice, but nothing really amazing. Don't be fooled by the cover. General Grievous is only in the last two pages... C

X-Men #168: Part three of Peter Milligan's first story as the new X-Men writer is pretty entertaining, considering its unoriginal plot. The X-Men went to an isolated camp to find something had driven all the mutants crazy, and now it's affecting all mutants in L.A. Once the X-Men have stopped the riots, it seems that this "Golgotha" is now starting to affect the X-Men. Larroca's very clean and pretty art actually works better than I thought for such a dark story. But still, from the guy who wrote Batman stories with golems and "Hungry Grass" he can do better. B-

"EYES" is Coming!

Next week is the debut of Tim Daly's promising new series, "EYES." Hopefully following the very popular series "Alias" will help give it a ratings boost. Check out ABC's official site for a summary of the pilot, pictures of the cast, and other stuff. Having seen two commericals for the show, I feel very optimistic for the show and will be very sad when it does get cancelled.

People are Stupid...

Disney's "The Pacifier" has grossed over 70 million dollars. I want names, people. Who wasted eight dollars on this "Kindergarten Cop" wannabe? Probably the people who own "Kangaroo Jack" on DVD....

The SciFi Channel is run by idiots. They're showing "Liar Liar" tonight. Is that a science fiction movie? (The correct answer is no.)

Something Weird...

I was watching Adult Swim's strange yet unamusing new show, Robot Chicken, which contains stop-motion dolls performing skits.

In the skit I saw, a frightfully realistic Harrison Ford doll was teaming up with Aerosmith to save the world from an astroid. The weird thing is that Harrison's voice was provided by Star Wars alumni, Mark Hamill, who would also play himself in the skit.

This has been "Something Weird..." Thank you. Good night.

Novel Review: Prisoner of Azkaban

I was introduced to the world of Harry Potter through Chris Columbus's film adaptations, which are pretty much the same as the novels but this book was different.

Both the movie and the book share the basic plot: Harry returns for his third year, and Sirius Black is free from Azkaban, the prison for bad wizards, and seems to have it in for Potter. But the book has a lot more details than the movie, or rather the movie left out a lot of the details. One of the major scenes, where Harry confronts Black, is much better written in the book, and the exposition is handled a lot better.

By the third book, J.K. Rowling has definitely developed her writing voice, and keeps expanding the Potter universe and its characters. I especially enjoyed learning more about Harry's parents, and seeing that Hermione got more fleshed out than the nerdy kid who's an overachiever.

This book was highly addictive, even though I've already seen the movie, and any book that gets kids to happily read a 500 plus page book is okay with me. With only a couple stretches in the plot to complain about (Like (blank) is really (blank) who we all thought was dead), this is the best of the first three books. A-

Mel's Second Coming

According to Internet Movie Database, Mel Gibson will be re-releasing his hyped- er- controversal movie, the Passion of Jesus Christ in time for Easter. But this is not the same movie that you can now rent or buy on DVD. Gibson is releasing an "unedited" version of the movie, with six additional minutes which will probably be more of Romans torturing Jesus. While I'm already weary of commercial endeavors concerning Jesus Christ and other religious figures, it deeply saddens me that Mel Gibson has just pulled a George Lucas.

And what's stopping Mel from doing this next year with another edition? Why don't we all just re-release every movie that's made a profit, in hopes of making more money?

That is, after all, the American way.

SciFi Channel Screws Up

The SciFi Channel has passed up the new Doctor Who series that will be premiering on BBC in a few weeks. Reports say that the the executives found the show "lacking." Probably lacking in women and sex which the SciFi Channel uses shamelessly to get nerds to turn in every week. Also, the Doctor Who series has way too much science fiction for it to be shown on the SciFi Channel. (Plus the fact that there would be little chance for a Doctor Who Atlantis.)

People are still pretty optimistic that someone in the U.S. will eventually pick up the new series for broadcast in the States, but sadly they will be disappointed in the end.

Alas, Poor Jack

Let's all feel bad for British actor Jack Davenport, who's getting bad parts in American films.

True, he was in Pirates of the Caribbean, but he played the uptight, by the books British captain who you know Keira Knightly is going to dump for Legolas.. er, Orlando Bloom. Not only was his best scene trimmed to a deleted scene, but he's not even getting an action figure out of it.

Now, he's going to be in Wedding Date, a shameless movie about a girl who hires a man to pose as her boyfriend and they fall in love... Yes, yes we've all seen this plot dozens of times. Jack plays a character called Edward Fletcher-Wooten, that just proves to you that Hollywood writers have never actually met a Brit. If God is mercifully, it is a short part where Jack can slink out of the movie with some dignity.

I just hope that Coupling lasts a long, long time so that he doesn't have to rely on Hollywood to support his career.

Movie Review: Phantom of the Opera 2004

I did not want to see this film. For the record, I was forced to see this film, like most men who have seen this film.

The movie's about very pretty young people with great hair bursting into song. For two hours and twenty minutes. Yes, this movie is over two hours long. Way more than any musical to film adaptation should be. Director Joel Schumacher, the man who created the Bat-Tit, must not understand that people, like me, do not want to sit through a musical that's two hours and twenty minutes long.

But does PotO really need a film adaptation? Based on the musical that's based on a movie that's based on a book, the movie probably does not resemble the original novel by Gaston Leroux. The supposedly sinister Phantom is more handsome than scarred, what with his loose white shirts. Heck, Phantom's gellin', for God's sake.

But let's face it, this is nothing but Andrew Lloyd Webber cashing in on one of his most popular musicals, so he can buy a new summer home. The movie offers nothing exceptionally new, except for one new song that's only used in the end credits. So if you're a fan of the musical, this movie is sure to be your cup of tea without the risk of being offended by someone's originality.

As for me, this is a typical musical: a pretty story told with pretty songs that seems to suck all of the gruesome reality out of the story. It takes great effort to take a story of a deformed stalker and turn it into a fanciful piece of fluff that this movie is. D+

Something Cool

Corgi, who is famous, at least to me, for making the die cast replicas of James Bond cars with working gadgets, is making a line of die cast Batmobiles, based on various models in the comics over the years. Included in the first series is my favorite Batmobile: the futuristic 1990s Batmobile. it was used for about five years, until it got blown up at the end of the whole Knightsend thing. My only gripe with series one is that it features two models from the 2000s, both from the Jim Lee "Hush" series. Neither car is very exciting to look at, and I wish that they had done more obscure cars, like the 1990s version.

A series two is already being made to come out this summer. Included are the Redbird, Tim Drake's vehicle of choice, and 1990s Batmobile Version 2 which is more faithful to Norm Breyfogle's original design.

"EYES" Premieres March 30th

I've just learned recently that Tim Daly's new series, "Eyes," will premiere on ABC at the end of March. I've been waiting since September for news on his show's debut. TV Guide says it's "cool, stylish, and smart." So kiss it goodbye when it gets canned 3 weeks later.

Hey, Guess What? I'm Sick

Physically ill, that is. But that's what I get for watching "Stars Without Their Makeup."

Actually, I'e been sick since Sunday. The illness wasn't life-threatening, just the common cold, but man, it was one nasty bug. I just felt awful and couldn't move out of this little corner I had dug for myself. There, I eat, drank, watched television, and, for the most part, slept. Oh, and take drugs. I did take a lot of drugs.

Thankfully, my family was there to help me. If not for them, and the heating pad, it would have surely taken another week or so for me to heal. Or die. For some strange reason, I find it totally plausible that I'd die from something as lame as the common cold.

According to my estimates, I drank, in five days, four gallons and lay waste to at least two boxes of Kleenex. (Actually I think they were Puffs.) Tuesday and Wednesday were the worst days, but ever since then I'm been getting better.

But seriously, is any of this really interesting?

TCM's Poor Timing

It's that time again. TCM's month of Oscar-winning movies, but most of the more obscure films are getting lousy placement.

Movies like the Seven Samurai which was shown at three in the morning. Tonight was TCM's "premiere" of Burton's Batman, and it got a 10:15 PM timeslot. Even James Cameron's Aliens should get a better ranking than half past midnight.

Why are all these great films, which TCM usually only shows once a year anyway, get these bad times? Is it because they're too "modern" for TCM? Or because they're not done by Hitchcock? I enjoy the occassional "modern" movie on TCM, like Beetlejuice, while it still retains the dignity that AMC has lost years ago.

But it seems that TCM is far more cautious with the more current films they show. TCM, please treat your more modern "classics" with the same respect as you do with your usual movies and occassional art/foriegn film.



(No, seriously. TCM once showed Beetlejuice, widescreen and everything. I'm not making it up.)

This Week in Comics

Daredevil #70: This is the storyline I've been waiting for since Bendis came aboard this title. Intricate flashbacks and era-influenced art enhances this story of revenge as Bont, the first Kingpin, is finally released from jail and seeks vengence on the man who put him there all those years ago: Daredevil. All things that make Bendis a great writer with none of his super-slow pacing. A

Green Lantern #4 of 6: Sinestro beats up Green Arrow and Kyle Rayner, while Hal Jordan frees himself of the Parallax parasite and the Spectre to become Green Lantern once again. I'd have thought that Johns would have waited for the penultimate issue to make Hal GL again. Same solid storytelling, but this issue seemed to have become more slugfest than plot. B

Spectacular Spider-Man #25: It really hasn't changed much since last issue. blah blah blah Where's Jenkins? blah blah Wasted talent blah blah When will the hurting stop? D-

Street Fighter #13: Ken's getting married, and Guile, Ryu, and Sakura are invited to the celebrations. But Balrog and Vega show up with some thugs, and things get messy. Same great characterizations and enjoyable action sequences. Not much Chun Li though. B+

Wolverine #25: Wolverine vs the X-Men. People uncharacteristically cursing. Northstar's dead. Mark's writing is nothing new. Romita Jr's really wasting his time here. C

Julie and Elliot

I've been recently listening to the Frida soundtrack with music by Elliot Goldenthal and other Hispanic songs featured from the film. The songs are pretty good, but I usually focus on Goldenthal's score. Some of my favorite tracks are the lyrical "The Floating Bed" and the eerie "La Calavera." "Burn it Blue" also a pretty good song with Goldenthal's music and lyrics by director Julie Taymor.

I find that working with Taymor brings out Goldenthal's best, having worked together on many projects over the years. Her first film, an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Titus A.," resulted in a schizophrenic score that has cues from a traditional orchestra, swing bands, and industral sound. As you may guess, it's my favorite Goldenthal score.

What you may never guess from reading the linear notes that Julie and Elliot write about each other but they're actually a couple. I thought that they were married, but according to Internet Movie Database, they're not. In fact, the IMDB states that a "mutual friend" introduced them in 1980 because the friend thought that "they shared a similar sence of the grotesque."

Anyways, I look forward to their next collaboration, which should bring about the usual artistic excellence.



Still reading? Here's some interesting trivia:

Julie Taymor graduated from Oberlin College, Ohio. (Ohio's cool.)

Elliot Goldenthal was a student of Aaron Copland. Yeah, that Aaron Copland.

Movie Review: Ultraman Cosmos VS Ultraman Justice

This movie was the last chapter in the Ultraman Cosmos series, which had to be pretty popular, considering its abnormally long 65 episode run and three movie sequels. I'm not familar with the Cosmos series, but it didn't stop me from enjoying this movie.

But perhaps that was because its main focus was on Ultraman Justice, who was introduced to the UltraFranchise in the last Cosmos film. But I'm getting ahead of myself. As the movie starts, ex-Cosmos host Musashi has achieved his dream: create a rocket to send a bunch of friendly monsters to a vacant planet so that they can live in peace. Then Ultraman Cosmos appears fighting off some Big Robots, but even with Musashi reuniting with him, Cosmos is not match for them, when Ultraman Justice comes to the Big Robots' aide. Cosmos' timer stops, he and Musashi die, and the robots destroy the shuttles.

And that's the last we see of Cosmos and Musashi for a half an hour or so. A group of characters from the series slowly meet and seek out Musashi and finally bring him back to life, but I found this to be the least interesting thing in the movie, but those familar with the series will probably enjoy the reunion.

While that happens, we observe Juli, Ultraman Justice's host, as she walks among humanity in its seemingly last moments. She's working with an alien force that wants to wipe out humanity before it becomes a menace in 2000 years. Juli is motivated by bitter memories of having given a monster 200 years to mend its way, only it didn't change, and she was forced to kill it. She meets different manners of people, including stereotypical biker gangs and members of the current anti-monster team who try to convince her that humanity's worth fighting for.

But what warms her cold heart is a cute girl and her pet dog. (Luckily the girl isn't as annoying as some children stars that seem to lurk in these UltraMovies.) The main thrust of this film seems to be Juli's moral dilemma, her struggle to discover why Cosmos found humans so worthy of his protection. I was reminded of the Silver Surfer's plight, when he revolted against his master, but I digress.

But the rest of the movie's pretty much pure action. After Juli watches the friendly monsters try in vain to stop the Big Robots and save the little girl's dog, she realizes that Cosmos was right. So, she changes into Ultraman Justice, reveals the new Crusher Mode, and start kicking butt. Justice has trouble defeated the Big Alien Ship that Transforms into Big Robot, but by then Cosmos is revived, and together they destroy it with some teamwork.

With everything patches up between the Ultramen, they fly off to stop the huge Death Machine that's decending over Earth. All seems hopeless until...

You get the idea. For the most part I really enjoyed this movie. I wished the movie could have focused more on Juli's relationship with the aliens, some arguments/discussions about what they're doing that could have better illuminate Juli's inner conflict, or even a conversation with Cosmos, who speaks to Musashi while they float in some other dimension. Also, Ultraman Legend should have gotten more screen time, that Death Machine blew up way too soon.

Did I ruin the ending? Ooops. Anyway, the fights and special effects are typical of Ultraman movies, like the Tiga/Dyna one. Fukiishi Kazue did a great job as the first female alien host of an Ultraman and makes the movie worth watching just for her. Not that all the Ultraman battles didn't help. (This movie boasts the first battle between two good Ultramen.) Cosmos fans will probably enjoy the "reunion" scenes more than me, but may also be put off that Cosmos isn't in it as much.

But me? I love this film, and wish that Ultraman Justice (and Juli) had gotten their own series. A-

Movie Review: Shi Mian Mai Fu

More commonly known as "The House of Flying Daggers" in the U.S., this movie is sure to amaze fans of both "Crouching Tiger" and "Hero."

The movie is set during the Tang dynasty while the current government is struggling against a secret clan known as "The House of Flying Daggers." Mei, a blind dancer, is suspected of being a member, so Captain Leo assigns one of his men, Jin, to befriend her and help her escape from the police capitivity, in hopes of learning the location and identity of the Flying Dagger's new leader. Of course, in their three day trek across China, Jin and Mei fall in love, but not everything is as it seems...

And it would ruin the movie if I told you all of them, but one of them seemed obvious to me. Let's just say that blind warriors are more of a Japanese thing. Anyway, the love story aspect is the typical lovers from different sides fall in love, nothing too original. And aside from some plot hiccups, like how long someone can live with a dagger in their chest, the story flows smoothly.

Some of these hiccups may have been from the rewites made when veteran actor Anita Mui died, and director Yimou Zhang decided to remove her character rather than replace her with another actor.

Anyways, despite any flaws that the movie has, it has plenty of action sequences that are all beautifully choreographed. The only thing more distracting is the breathtaking locations that this film was shot at. Actors Takeshi Kaneshiro and Ziyi Zhang bring their characters to life with great passion. Andy Lau's Leo didn't seem to be as developed as the others, but he's also not in the movie as much.

While this movie may be nothing totally new, its witty banter and enthralling battle scenes elevates it higher than "Hero." B