200 Followers and an announcement!

Okay, I don’t know if I unwittingly gained some kind of power that attracts people to my blog or if you people just feel sorry for me. But this is honestly pretty fucking awesome. After having done this for a little over two and a half years, I finally reached 200 followers! Seriously, I am eternally grateful to anyone who decided to follow my silly stuff. For those who just arrived here, welcome to the madhouse! For those who have been here for a week or two, glad to have you here. For those who have been here for a few months, fun to see that you’re still on board. And for those who have been with me for the long run, thank you so much for sticking around for so damn long. Seriously, the fact that I even managed to get to 200 at all is fuckin’ incredible. I really can’t tell you how grateful I am about this stuff, it’s beyond words.
But since we actually managed to get here, we should have some sort of celebration. You know, some kind of special post to celebrate this thing. 10 favorite movies has already been done, favorite director has been done, favorite actors would be impossible to do. Yeah, I don’t know what to do. So I want YOU, the reader, to come up with something we can do to celebrate this momentous occasion. Leave any suggestions in the comments section of this post or send a tweet @TheMarckoguy with a suggestion, you decide where you send it. Again, thank you all so much for this, I really can’t express how awesome this is!

While were at it, I have a little announcement to make. I am currently planning for this year’s “Month of Spooks”. For those that don’t know, the “Month of Spooks” is a thing I started last year in October where I reviewed a whole bunch of Horror movies (because October equals Halloween). And I wanted to do it again this year, but try to expand it a bit. Last year it was a half-assed thing that I started in the middle of the month where I just started reviewing a few horror movies. But this year I really want to make something more out of it. Not sure exactly what I’ll do, but I got a few things up my sleeve for it that I might do. And you know what, maybe you could participate too. I’ll try to set up some type of thing where you could possibly sign up for the “Month of Spooks”.  So stand by for further word on that.

But yeah… that’s about it. Once again, leave suggestions in the comments or on twitter for what you would like to see as a sort of special since I hit 200 followers. You guys really are awesome, without all of you I wouldn’t have stuck around for as long as I did. Thank you so much, really. I salute you!

Have a good one!

 

Third time’s the Liebster Award

So the awesome Jia Wei from Film and Nuance has decided to nominate me for a Liebster award. First off, thanks man… really appreicate the love. Secondly, this is the third one of these that I have received. Not sure what it does, but it’s always fun to see one of these get thrown my way to then hit me in the face because I was never good at sports which means I wouldn’t have the ability to catch it in time. Anyway, rambling done, let’s do this shit. You know, the shit. Answer questions, nominate some people, give them questions. Also, at the start of it, thank the person who nominated you… done.

1.What is your favourite movie in your least favourite genre. And why?
I don’t really like romantic movies. Very few of them have any other purpose than to show two somewhat attractive people be in love nd then fight and then be in love again. But to give credit where credit is due, I do think “Brokeback Mountain” is a good example of a romantic movie that works. It’s a fantastic movie that features conflicted characters with many layers to them. Combine that with the fantastic performances from Ledger and Gyllenhaal and the magnificent directing by Ang Lee, and you get one hell of a drama with great emotional impact. I also really enjoyed Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris”, that movie was a lot of fun.

2.If you had to favour a certain style (for directing a film,writing a book or any other art form of your choice), would you prefer a no-frills and direct approach, or an artistic and ambiguous one. Why?
That is a damn good question. Hmmm… I don’t know, both styles offer things that I enjoy seeing within film/television/literature. I guess I’ll go with the artistic and ambiguous one because of it being able to generate some interesting discussion between people.

3.Name a movie you can watch any day. 
“The Rock”. Such a fun action movie with a badass and awesome performance by Sean Connery. I’d also say that several if not most of the MCU films can be easily digested at any time.

4.If you could keep an object that you had previously but by now either lost it,sold,misplaced,had it stolen or destroyed, what would it be?
There are a good amount of toys that I had as a kid that I’ve either lost or seen semi-destroyed that I would love to see on my desk/in my room. I’m a huge geek who loved a lot of those things back as a child and still have a soft spot for now. For example, I had some old Spider-Man action figures that I’d like to still have with me since he is my favorite superhero.

5.Pick an era to live in. 
1960s or 1970s. Lots of great films that came out in those times that would be awesome to see in those old theaters. But I do also to some extent like my times now because of the easy access to most things a person could need.

6.The best film you’ve seen this year and an unreleased 2016 film that you think might beat it. 
“Deadpool”. Fucking love “Deadpool”. Not sure if anything could really beat it, but I have a slight suspicion that “Rogue One” could reach those heights at least.

7.Name a memory you would keep till your death. 
I wouldn’t want to forget anything except for some times that were pretty meh. But if I have to pick out a specific one… My trip to England. Had such an amazing time, met a whole bunch of new friends who I still have some contact with. A lot of the thigns I saw and did too were pretty awesome, so I guess I’d like to keep that entire trip.

8.Ice-cream or popsicles? 
Ice cream, no doubt about that one.

9.Where do you stand on the Harambe case? 
I think that the memes are getting a little too out of hand because they’re stupid and honestly kind of disrespectful to both the great creature and the Cincinnati zoo. But to give my two cents on the situation itself: The mother should have kept much closer attention to the kid and made sure that it wouldn’t have tried to climb in. But I also need to say that the zoo needed to have checked their fences properly so that NO ONE could climb/fall into Harambe’s habitat so easily. Though it is kind of difficult to point fingers on specifically one thing because of so many possible factors playing into it.

10.Favourite type of music? And what does it mean to you? 
Even if people have never met me, they still most likely are aware of my love for rock music. And I’m not really talking about the style of rock that you heard Elvis or Bill Haley play (Sidenote: I think their music is great, so don’t think I’m hating on them), but I’m talking mroe the style that came in the 70s and 80s. More specifically, the music from my favorite band, AC/DC. And really I’m just addicted to that stuff, I think it’s absolutely amazing. Without it, I don’t think I would entirely be the same person that I am.

11.How do you cool off after being upset/angry? 
Walk away, sit down on the floor, deep breaths. So basically meditation, but in a less spiritual sense. Coffee also tends to help out a lot. Hugs can also be helpful, whether they’d come from my dog or one of my parents.

So those were the questions that were given to me. And I gotta say, they were really good, I could really tell that a lot of thought went into them. So now I gotta choose some sacrificial victi- I mean, nominees.

https://elenasquareeyes.com/
https://plainsimpletomreviews.wordpress.com/
https://keithlovesmovies.com/
https://zuts.wordpress.com/
https://theimpossiblegirlblog.wordpress.com/
https://sarahsawamovie.com/
https://epilepticmoondancer.net/
https://motionpictureblog.com/
https://bigfacesmallrazor.wordpress.com/

There, nine nominees. You might say that I’m cheating, but if you look up the official rules of the Liebster award, it says that you nominate 5 to 11 blogs. So as long as you’re somewhere inbetween there, you’re good. And nine is between those, so I win! Now, time to give them some questions to answer so I can learn their darkest secre- I mean, know what they think about stuff.

1. Is there a movie remake that you actually think is good?

2. You’re gonna be stuck in a prison cell for a long time, name three books that you’d bring with you to pass the time.

3. Are there any movie adaptations that you think are better than the book it’s based on?

4. Best/Worst film you’ve seen so far that came out this year?

5. Should the United states presidential campaign of 2016 be called Tron or Clump?

6. What was your favorite toy as a kid?

7. Global warming: Scientific fact or total bullshit?

8. Is there a song that always gets you emotional/makes you cry?

9. What’s your favorite documentary film?

10. Cats or dogs?

11. What is your most anticipated movie of 2017?

There, 11 questions. DONE! Have fun answering those and then giving some other people questions of your own!

I want to once again thank the awesome JW from Film and Nuance for nominating me for this. Sure, figuring out who to nominate and also coming up with questions is a task that takes a lot of effort, but I guess it’s worth it in the end. But it’s always fun spreading the love among people who may or may not need it, ya know.

So this has been Markus answering and questioning things once again. But before we go, I just wanna mention that I’m planning a little announcement at the moment, so look out for that shit!
Have a good one.

 

 

Ben Affleck reveals video of Deathstroke

Hello, my friends! Today I really didn’t have anything to talk about, so there wouldn’t really be any new post today. But then suddenly something very intriguing happened and I decided to make this post. So here we go.

So Ben Affleck, Oscar Winning director and screenwriter, revealed something very interesting and very awesome on his facebook page. He put out a video of something being filmed on a set. And that something is the one and only Deathstroke just walking a little bit forward and looking menacing. Now this shit is very vague, and doesn’t really say too much. But what we can gather from it is that in some future DCEU movie, whether it’d be “Justice League” or the upcoming solo “Batman” film (please let it be this one!) directed by Affleck and written by Affleck and DC chief creative officer Geoff Johns. As far as I know, it hasn’t been stated which movie Slade Wilson AKA Deathstroke would appear in, but just the reveal of him being in a movie is pretty fucking cool. And even if we don’t know to which degree he will be featured in the movie(s), we at least have his appearance in the CW series “Arrow” where he’s awesomely played by Manu Bennett. He has also popped up in a lot of comics and animated features prior to this. He also made it into some video games including “Injustice: Gods Among Us” and “Batman: Arkham Origins”, two games I really recommend.

So what do you think? Are you excited to see Deathstroke pop up in the DCEU? And what is your favorite version of the character prior to this one? Leave any and all answers in the comments!
Have a good one and enjoy the video. (Sidenote: I am still sticking to my #FrankGrilloForDeathstroke tag).

Movie Review: Everest (2015)

I like being outdoors and hiking… but I don’t like heights. So with that said, you will never see me go mountain climbing.

Disclaimer: I know this thing is based on a true story, but I will not base my review on how perfectly accurate to the real situation it may or may not be, but I will instead judge it as a movie… which it is. Disclaimer over.

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s climb to the top of… “Everest”.

Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) is a man who runs a business of leading expeditions up to the top of Mount Everest. So far it has gone pretty well with his previous expeditions. But when he in 1996 takes a group of people up there, the expedition goes awry because of a storm which results in some pretty terrible things. And from that we get a really interesting drama about people trying to not die. Now I don’t want you to go into this thinking that it’s gonna be a survival flick like “The Grey” where they have to use everything they can find to survive. This is not really as action-packed, but instead focuses on the drama of the climb up and then the climb down. But we don’t only follow Rob and his crew up on the mountain, as we also get to follow the team at base camp led by Helen Wilton (Emily Watson). And like I said, this is a really interesting story with a few decent moments of suspense and emotion. Though there are a few pacing issues occasionally, with a few bits where it rushes a little bit. While not the worst pacing that I’ve ever experienced, it was still noticeable and definitely worth pointing out.

The characters in the movie are for the most part pretty well developed. Sure, a few of them are not the most interesting, and that is a little sad since the movie made such a big deal of them being part of it all. Jason Clarke is terrific in the role of Rob Hall, he is such a likable man who just wants everyone to make and also make sure that everyone has a good time. And he did a great job with his performance. Josh Brolin is great in his role. John Hawkes is great as his character. Jake Gyllenhaal is terrific in his role. Michael Kelly is also really good, as is Emily Watson. Then I also have to mention Sam Worthington. I am generally not a big fan of him in movies, but I think he did a really good job in his role in this movie even if it is a relatively small one. And then there are a whole bunch of other great actors in the movie that I will not mention because I don’t want to be hear all day.

The score for the movie was composed by Dario Marianelli and I think that it is really good. It’s a very inspiring set of tracks that really work for this movie and really helps make this movie feel even bigger. I could actually see myself listening to this during a hike… mostly to make it feel more epic even though it isn’t.

This movie was directed by Icelandish director Baltasar Kormákur and he did a pretty great job with that. This reallt feels like an actual expedition, I really felt like I was there with the people who were climbing and freezing their asses off. I also have to give major props to the cinematographer, Salvatore Totino, because this movie looks absolutely beautiful… and terrifying because I don’t wanna fall into that pit the camera is looking down into. Yeah, this shit looks pretty terrific and real, yo.

This movie has been pretty well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 73% positive rating. On Metacritic it has a score of 64/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 7,1/10.

“Everest” is a good movie. Sure, parts of the plot are a bit rushed and some of the characters are not as interesting as they should. But the plot overall is good, several of the characters are interesting, the acting is really good, the music is great, the directing is really good, and the cinematography is terrific. Time for my final score. Snow (Hey oh!). My final score for “Everest” is an 8,90/10. So I’d say that it’s worth buying.

My review of “Everest” is now completed.

Done my fair share of
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING (Mountain Climbing)
Whoa! Its troubles I’ve got ‘em
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING (Mountain Climbing)
Whoa! It’s blues at the bottom!

 

Another Sunshine Blogger Award!?

So the owner of https://dbmoviesblog.wordpress.com/ (go check that shit out, it’s pretty awesome) decided to nominate me for a Sunshine blogger award. Firstly, thank you so much, kind person. Secondly, that’s the second one I have gotten this month. So for some reason, people think I’m worth nominating for these things. Oh well, better get going with this before I start rambling too much.
Ze rules:

1. Post the award nomination on your blog
2. Thank the blogger who nominated you
3. Answer 11 questions assigned to you
4. Nominate 11 other bloggers for the Award
5. Ask 11 questions to your nominees

So these are the kind person’s questions and my answers:

Name 3 movies, which had the biggest impact on you (your life)?
Hmmm, that’s an interesting question to think about. Uhm… Probably “Fight Club”, because it’s my favorite. “Star Wars” because motherfucking “Star Wars”.  And “Requiem for a Dream” because I’ve never been so traumatized by any movie ever (stay away from drugs, kids).

Movie that shocked you the most?
The aforementioned “Requiem for a Dream”. Seriously, it fucked me up pretty badly.

Favourite horror movie?
“Jaws”. Love that one so much.

“The Godfather” or “Goodfellas”? Why?
“The Godfather”, because I have not seen “Goodfellas”.

If there was a movie about your life, who would you select for a lead role?
Not that I’d ever want there to be a movie about my life, but if I had to choose someone to play me… Probably Tom Holland. We’re pretty close in age and he doesn’t look too different from me.

What movie you wish you’d never have watched (for any reason?)
“Jonah Hex”, good fucking god, it’s awful. When I was younger, I liked it. But when I was younger, I was also a huge idiot. Casting of Josh Brolin, great. Everything else, shit.

Any foreign-language movie you proud/glad you watched?
Probably “Pan’s Labyrinth”. A dark and masterful fairytale done by a master of amazing visuals.

Favourite song in a movie?
If by song you mean one with singing that’s been used in a scene, then I’d probably say “Where is My Mind” from the end of “Fight Club”.

Favourite music band/singer?
AC/DC. Anybody who remotely knows me is pretty aware of that by now.

Have you attended any film festivals? Did you like the experience? If not, which ones would you like to attend?
I have never been to any film festival in my entire life. But there’s one not too far from where I live every year, so maybe that one. Also, Cannes and TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), because obviously obvious answer is obvious.

What movie(s) are you looking forward to seeing soon?
I’m really looking forward to possibly seeing “The Magnificent Seven” in theaters in a month. Mainly because I feel like there aren’t enough big budget westerns being made these days. Plus, it just looks fun.

So those were my answers to the questions given by the owner of that previously mentioned blog that I told you check out because of the person nominating me for this thing. So… let’s see who my nominess will be.

https://hammyreviews.wordpress.com/
https://thetelltalemind.com/
https://hqofk.wordpress.com/
https://silverscreenings.org/
https://popcornography.co.uk/
https://plainsimpletomreviews.wordpress.com/
https://confessionsfromageekmind.com/
https://robbinsrealm.wordpress.com/
https://filmandnuance.wordpress.com/
https://wilsonreviews.wordpress.com/
https://filmcarnage.wordpress.com/

There, 11 people nominated. Now that the worst part (for me) is over, let’s get to the questions!

Is there a movie that you like but most other people dislike? If so, which movie is it?

Favorite movie of 1997?

What’s the best christmas present you have ever received?

Coffee or tea?

Is there a song that always gets you emotional?

Favorite color?

Favorite space movie that is not in any way part of the “Star Wars” mythos?

If you could bring back any dead celebrity for a chat (or something), who would it be?

What do you do to relax?

You’re stuck on a deserted island, what 4 movies have you brought with you to bide your time?

What canceled show would you want to see brought back from the dead?

So those are my 11 questions for my 11 nominees. Holy shit, this thing took some time! Once again, thanks to https://dbmoviesblog.wordpress.com/ for this award thingy.
Have a good one.

 

 

 

 

Movie Review: The Truman Show (1998)

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality. Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see…

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s… “The Truman Show”!

Insurance salesman Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) lives a pretty normal life with his wife Meryl (Laura Linney). But he soon discovers something very odd about himself and the world around him. And that odd thing is that his entire life is one big television show, running 24/7, thanks to the mysterious Christof (Ed Harris). And from that we get one of the most original plots every put to film. Sure, these days we have seen several different versions of the very same plot. Hell, even “Codename: Kids Next Door” did a parody of it. But back in 1998, this was some pretty revolutionary shit. But the twists and turns throughout are clever, and the ways that Truman puzzles all of this together is really engaging and interesting. It’s a pretty philosophical story too if you think about it, which makes it so much more interesting and great.

The characters in the movie are all very interesting and have a whole bunch of layers to them. Jim Carrey is honestly fantastic as the character of Truman. This is probably the best performance I have ever seen from him (Sidenote: As of the writing of this review, I have not yet seen “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, which people tend to call Carrey’s best movie). I honestly think he was the perfect pick for this movie, since he’s such a likable actor, playing someone who never chose to be the subject of this show. Laura Linney as his “wife” is great in her role. Noah Emmerich plays Truman’s best friend, Marlon, and he’s really good in the movie. And then we have Ed Harris as the ever watching Christof… and he’s great. Nothing else to say really, he’s Ed fucking Harris, he’s always great. Everybody’s great!

The score for “The Truman Show” was composed by Burkhard Dallwitz, with some help from Philip Glass. And let me tell ya… it’s some good stuff. It’s a mix of dramatic, whimsical, and surprisingly tense tracks. All of them perfectly fitting the scenes they were meant for. Often the tracks elevated the scenes they were used in to perfection.

This movie was directed by Peter Weir, a director who I haven’t really seen much from. The one movie of his I had seen prior to this was “Fearless”, and I loved that one a lot. But I gotta say that “Truman Show” is a very well directed movie. And the writing by Andrew Niccol was really good too. This movie isn’t a straight-up comedy, there’s a lot of dramatic stuff in it. But it is also a movie with plenty of funny moments, and a lot of feelgood stuff too, with a pinch of sad moments thrown in there. What I’m trying to say is that the writing gives us a bit of everything in regards to emotion.

This movie has been very well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a score of 94% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 90/100. Roger Ebert gave the movie 4/4 stars. And on imdb.com it has a score of 8,1/10 and is ranked #209 on the “Top 250” list. The movie was also nominated for 3 Oscars in the categories of Best Supporting actor (Harris), Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

“The Truman Show” was quite the awesome movie. It has an original and awesome story, really good characters, great acting, great music, great directing, and great writing. Time for my final score. AAAAAHHHHH! My final score for “The Truman Show” is a 9,90/10. So of course it gets the “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My review of “The Truman Show” is now completed.

Good morning, and in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!

Great Music #18

Hello my friends, I hope you’re all doing well. It’s been quite some time since we did another one of these (no, the “Summer-y songs” list the other day does not count). So let’s just get the fuck into it.

The song I chose today is Metallica’s “Hardwired”. And I really like it. Sure, it’s not really breaking any new ground, and you might call me a Metallica fanboy, but it’s really good. But I do have another reason as to why I shared it other than me really liking it… the band just released the song. That’s right, an all new Metallica song is out! It’s something that hasn’t really happened since… 2008, when the album “Death Magnetic” came out. Sure, they did help Lou Reed with that album “Lulu” in 2011, but I don’t really count that one as a Metallica album as much as a Lou Reed album. Anyway, let’s get back on track… “Hardwired”. This is the first song released for the band’s upcoming album “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct”, which will be out on November 18. And you know that I will be listening to it on day one! But yeah… new Metallica song, which is exciting for me (and a lot of other people).

Have a good one and enjoy! (By the way, the lyrics are about as explicit as me, so if you don’t like hearing the F(uck)-word in your music, don’t listen to this).

“Resident Evil 7” Gameplay Trailer

Hi guys, it’s me again. About a month ago I posted about a bunch of trailers that came out of E3 this year. First off, huge thank you to anyone who liked and commented on those posts, I really appreciate the support. Anyway, enough with the mushy stuff, back to the point. Now, one of the trailers I posted was the announcement trailer for “Resident Evil 7”. And in that post I said that the trailer didn’t really look like “Resident Evil”… so does this gameplay trailer fix that? Let’s check it out.

So in this we seem to follow a young woman from the first person perspective. And she leaves some kind of recorded message (or phone call) to someone named Ethan. And then we see her trying to sneak through some dark, abandoned place, trying to survive the psychotic, possibly possessed woman prowling the area. Okay, let’s talk about the positives of this thing first (because people like happy stuff). This looks genuinely scary, something that “Resident Evil” hasn’t really been since a few parts of “Resident Evil 4″… which came out in 2005. So that is cool. Also, the graphics look absolutely stunning and the sound design sounds pretty good despite only being a short preview of the game. Okay, now for the negatives, *sigh*… this does not look like “Resident Evil”. It’s the same problem as that initial announcement trailer from E3. I get that Crapcom wants to go in a new direction, but come on… give us something that makes it feel like it’s actually tied to the “Resi” franchise. I’m not asking for those huge, ridiculous action bits from “Resident Evil 6”, but at least something that ties it in to the actual franchise other than the name. Yes, this looks interesting and I would want to play it… even though it’s not “Resident Evil”.

So what do you guys think? Are you excited for this new “Resident Evil” game? And do you think that Crapcom are moving in the right direction with the series? Leave any and all answers in the comments.
Have a good one and enjoy the trailer.

Summer-y Songs

Summer, the time of year that tons of people go outside because it’s sunny and warm. Some go traveling, some stay at home. All they want is for it all to be warm and sunny. You know… so they can get a tan even though that might be a bad idea because reasons. Anyway, as you might have understood from my (not so) subtle text, I am not the biggest fan of the season. But that hasn’t stopped me from having the thought “Hmm, what songs are the most summer-y”. And what I mean by that, I of course talk about which songs make me think of summertime… or at least which songs are blatantly about summer. Here’s the thing too, I actually started preparing for this list quite some time ago… yeah, beginning of June is when I started this with a post on twitter regarding it. I also got a suggestion here on wordpress for a song on the list. So this list will have a mix of songs hand-picked by yours truly, and also some songs picked by some cool people here on the internet (all of whom will be credited). So let’s get into some basic rules for the list and the readers.

Rule #1: Since it’s been some time since my last list, I will remind you all that bitching is not allowed. If you see a song you dislike on here, you can’t be a little bitch about it.

Rule #2: This is not a “ranked” list of any kind. These are just some songs that make me and some other people think of summer. It’s just a list of some songs. Though it will look ranked because I like that “countdown” style on lists.

Rule #3: I will not include Mungo Jerry’s “In the Summertime” on here, because it’s a bit too obvious. Yes, it’s a really good song… but it’s not on the list.

Rule #4: There is no real fourth rule here… Let’s move on!

So here we go. These are seven songs that make me (and some other folks) think of the summer!

#7: Supergrass – Alright.

So our first song comes to us from my buddy Vinnieh . He decided to choose this 1995 pop-rock song from the British band Supergrass. And yes, this definitely gives off a very summer-y feel. I mean, there’s beaches and fun and people being young, seeing their friends, and just living life. Thanks for this suggestion, man… certainly a good pick.

#6: Jason Mraz – I’m Yours

This song is a pick by yours truly. Ever since I first heard it on the radio in like 2009 or 2010, I’ve enjoyed it a lot. My mom and I have actually talked a bit about how it does feel like a very summer-y song. Just close your eyes and imagine sitting on a lawn chair, with a cold drink in your hand, just chilling… all while this song is playing. That is the feel it gives off for me… a chill summer evening.

#5: The Strokes – You Only Live Once.

So at this spot we have a song that was chosen by the lovely Elly on twitter. I do not entirely get how she gets a summer-y vibe from this song, but that’s okay. This is a song picked by Elly, and I like her, so therefore it would go on the list. Thank you, Elly, for your contribution to this list.

#4: Jim Wolfe and Charles Brotman – Ukulele Girl

So here’s another one of my picks. As you may have noticed, I am going back and forth between my picks and the  guest picks. Anyway, this song is one I heard under interesting circumstances. I was playing the video game “Far Cry 3” (one of my favorites) and in the game I got in a car and this started playing on said car’s radio. And since then I’ve enjoyed it a lot. It’s a very laid back and chill song that fits perfectly when you wanna run over modern day pirates in brutal and hilarious fashion. Ahhhh, the sweet smell of murder.

#3: Squeeze – This Summer.

Time for the next guest pick, and this time it comes from the Lazarus Pit Pod account. Not sure who exactly of the two guys recommended this song (probably Nate), but I am glad it came along. It’s a fun and delightful little piece of Brit-pop from the 90’s. And honestly… I really like it. It’s a fun song that is about summer and love and it’s just perfectly summer-y. Thanks whoever it was from the pod that recommended this, glad to have it on board for the list.

#2: Santana feat. Rob Thomas – Smooth

This is another pick from me, and it’s one I actually made a separate post for quite some time ago. This was early on in the process of preparing this list. The reasons I picked this song for the list is because of it’s hot latino vibes and smooth (pun intended) lyrics. It’s an awesome song with some really good singing from Rob Thomas and some fucking fantastic guitar playing from Carlos Santana. For me it is a perfect summer-y song.

#1: Brad Paisley – Water.

And the final pick for this list is another one from yours truly. That’s right kiddos, I am selfish enough to make the “top 2” picks my own. But to be fair, I never got enough suggestions for this list to do it any other way. Anyway, what is this thing I picked? Well, it is a song from country musician Brad Paisley, who I have said before is my favorite country musician. And this is his song about water and how much fun can be had with it. Just listening to the lyrics makes me go “Yup, he’s definitely singing about summertime”. And if you ask me, it’s probably my favorite song about summer. That’s kind of why I saved it for last. It’s a song I can’t help but sing along to when I listen to it. It’s also just fun and cool and definitely something I’d play at a pool party (if I had one, that is). But I really do feel the summer vibe in this song and I simply love that feeling. I feel happy and smile when I hear this song. It’s a great one.

So those were the picks from me and those other people (a huge thank you to them!) So I ask you, the readers who weren’t involved with this… what are some songs that make you think of summer? Leave any and all answers in the comments!
Have a good one.

Series Review: Outcast – Season 1 (2016)

Exorcisms, an interesting subject for discussion. For the longest times it was a very common method of *ahem* pulling demons out of people who had been possessed by said demons. But for quite some time now it has also been seen as pretty taboo… except in movies, because in those they pop up all the time because that’s a cheap and easy way to get a scare out of the viewer. Sure, sometimes they can be okay like in the classic “The Exorcist”, but that’s about where the line goes.

Ladies and gentlemen… “Outcast”.

Kyle Barnes (Patrick Fugit) is a troubled young man. His life has been a real roller coaster, with a few ups and a lot of downs. Most of his problems have come from people near him being possessed by demons throughout his entire life. So with the help of Reverend Anderson (Philip Glenister), he seeks to find answers as to why all of this has happened to him. And from that we get a surprisingly interesting and compelling plot. Let me tell you this, don’t go into this and expect a straight-up spookfest, because that is not what “Outcast” is about. It’s more of a psychological drama with a demonic twist. Sure, there are scares in the show, but it’s not your typical horror bullshit. The story takes time to build the scary stuff and plot developments, and that is something I absolutely adored about it. It’s not just spooks and scares, but there’s actual human drama involved… which is awesome!

The characters in this show are all kind of messed up in one way or another and that makes them so much more compelling and interesting than most characters in horror movies/shows/games. Patrick Fugit as Kyle Barnes is absolutely fantastic in the role. You really feel that past in him, you feel that he’s troubled, all of it can be clearly seen in his eyes. You want him to solve all of these problems and have a good life, even though you suspect that it might never happen. I really do hope Fugit gets more recognition after his role here because he was truly fantastic. Philip Glenister was really good as Reverend Anderson, playing a man who slowly seems to be losing his faith over the course of the series, even though he keeps telling himself that Jesus is the fucking answer to the problems. Wrenn Schmidt plays Kyle’s adoptive sister and she is really good in her role too. We also get Brent Spiner (That’s right, Data from “Star Trek”) in the role of Sidney, a mysterious man who mysteriously showed up in a mysterious way for some mysterious reason. And he was really good in his role. The rest of the supporting characters were also really interesting and their actors did really well in their respective roles.

The music in the show was composed by Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, and Claudia Sarne. And if you like the music that Atticus Ross has helped compose for movies in the past, then I think you’ll like the music of “Outcast”. It’s dark, tense, and helps make scenes quite a bit more disturbing. So yeah, I think the music in the show is very well composed and perfectly works for it.

This show is based on a series of comics by Robert Kirkman. For those of you might not know, Robert Kirkman also created “The Walking Dead”. And not only did he create the comic, he also helped develop the show for Cinemax. And it’s a really well developed world they got here, it really feels like it has been lived in for some time. What I mean by that is that when a new show (or movie) comes along and sets up a world, it can sometimes feel like it just popped up there, and not like it’s existed there for a while. “Outcast” is one of those shows that really does feel lived in. I also like how this show is directed. It’s a really good looking show. What’s also fun to note is that the first episode was directed by Adam Wingard, the man responsible for “The Guest” (a movie I love) and “You’re Next” (A popular-ish movie I haven’t seen). There are also some computer effects in the show, but they look pretty good, mostly since it’s not something too advanced that they have to do.

This show has been pretty well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 79% positive rating with a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 70/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 7,8/10.

I was honestly not really interested in this show at all until some people I communicate with on twitter (@TheMarckoguy #ShamelessPlug) started saying some pretty good stuff about it. So when I checked it out, I was pleasantly surprised. The story is really interesting, the characters are great, the acting is terrific, the music is amazing, the scary stuff is really well done, and the directing is great. Time for my final score. BOO! My final score for “Outcast” season 1 is a 9,90/10. So yeah… it most definitely gets the “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My review of the first season of “Outcast” is now completed.

Maybe I should have saved this for October #ShamelessTease…