Just another college student's blog about music, films, and news.

Posts tagged “Interesting

101 Films You Must See Before You Die


These are 101 films that you must see before you die in my opinion. I will try and keep it chronologically correct. It looked better but WordPress wouldn’t post it, so I had to take out all the details and pictures.

1.The General (1926)

2. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

3. Dracula (1931)

4. Modern Times (1936)

5. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

6. Sunset Boulevard (1950)

7. Singin’ In The Rain (1952)

8. On The Waterfront (1954)

9. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

9. Dr. No (1962)

10. Doctor Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb (1964)

11. The Graduate (1967)

12. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

13. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (1968)

14. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

15. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

16. A Clockwork Orange (1971)

17. Dirty Harry (1971)

18. American Graffiti (1972)

19. The Godfather (1972)

20. Last Tango in Paris (1972)

21. Chinatown (1974)

22. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

23. Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

24. Annie Hall (1977)

25. Animal House (1978)

26. The Deer Hunter (1978)

27. Alien (1979)

28. Apocalypse Now (1979)

29. The Warriors (1979)

30. Caddyshack (1980)

31. Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

32. Raging Bull (1980)

33. The Shining (1980)

34. Blade Runner (1982)

35. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

36. Ghostbusters (1984)

37. The Terminator (1984)

38. This is Spinal Tap (1984)

39. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

40. Platoon (1986)

41. Top Gun (1986)

42. Evil Dead II (1987)

43. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

44. Do The Right Thing (1989)

45. Glory (1989)

46. Goodfellas (1990)

47. Hunt for Red October (1990)

48. Silence of the Lambs (1991)

49. Reservior Dogs (1992)

50. Wayne’s World (1992)

51. Tombstone (1993)

52. Clerks (1994)

53. Natural Born Killers (1994)

54. Pulp Fiction (1994)

55. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

56. Desperado (1995)

57. From Dusk Til Dawn (1996)

58. The Rock (1996)

59. American History X (1998)

60. Armageddon (1998)

61. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

62. The Thin Red Line (1998)

63.Being John Malkovich (1999)

64. Blair Witch Project (1999)

65. Boondock Saints (1999)

66. Dogma (1999)

67. Fight Club (1999)

68. The Matrix (1999)

69. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000)

70. Black Hawk Down (2001)

71. Donnie Darko (2001)

72. Enemy at the Gates (2001)

73. 28 Days Later (2002)

74. Bowling for Columbine (2002)

75. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

76. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

77. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

78. The Machinist (2004)

79. Saw (2004)

80. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

81. Domino (2005)

82. Lord of War (2005)

83. Crank (2006)

84. The Departed (2006)

85. Into the Wild (2007)

86. The Mist (2007)

87. Shooter (2007)

88. Vantage Point (2007)

89. Exam (2008)

90. The Hurt Locker (2008)

91. Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

92. Trick r Treat (2008)

93. The Crazies (2009)

94.  Inglorious Basterds (2009)

95.  Rampage (2009)

96. Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

97. When You’re Strange (2009)

98. The Green Zone (2010)

99. Kick-Ass (2010)

100. The Kids Are All Right (2010)

101. Shutter Island (2010)


Top Ten 03/12/2011 Legendary Creatures


10.  Kirin (Qilin)

Although it looks fearsome, the Kirin only punishes the wicked. It can walk on grass yet not trample the blades and it can also walk on water. As it is a peaceful creature, its diet does not include flesh. It takes great care when it walks never to tread on any living thing, and it is said to appear only in areas ruled by a wise and benevolent leader (some say even if this area is only a house). It is normally gentle but can become fierce if a pure person is threatened by a sinner, spouting flames from its mouth and exercising other fearsome powers that vary from story to story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Phoenix

A phoenix is a mythical bird that is a fire spirit with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet (or purple, blue, and green according to some legends). It has a 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self.

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Minotaur

In Greek Mythology, the Minotaur, as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Ovid, “part man and part bull”. He dwelt at the center of the Cretan Labyrinth, which was an elaborate maze-like construction built for King Minos of Crete and designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus who were ordered to build it to hold the Minotaur. The Minotaur was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Satyr

Satyrs acquired their goat-like aspect through later Roman, conflation with Faunus, a carefree Italic nature spirit of similar characteristics and identified with the Greek god Pan. Hence satyrs are most commonly described in Latin literature as having the upper half of a man and the lower half of a goat, with a goat’s tail in place of the Greek tradition of horse-tailed satyrs; therefore, satyrs became nearly identical with fauns. Mature satyrs are often depicted in Roman art with goat’s horns, while juveniles are often shown with bony nubs on their foreheads.

 

 

 

 

6. Wyvern

A wyvern or wivern is a legendary winged reptilian creature with a dragon’s head, the hindquarters of a snake or lizard with two legs or none, and a barbed tail. The wyvern was often found in medieval heraldry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Cockatrice

A cockatrice is a legendary creature, essentially a wyvern (a two-legged dragon) with a rooster’s head. The cockatrice, which no one ever saw, was born by accident at the end of the twelfth century and died in the middle of the seventeenth, a victim of the new science. Its reputed magical abilities include turning people to stone or killing them by either looking at them — “the death-darting eye of Cockatrice” — touching them, or sometimes breathing on them. Like the head of Medusa, the cockatrice’s powers of petrification were thought still effective after death.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Orochi

Orochi, translated as the Eight-Forked Serpent in English, is a legendary 8-headed and 8-tailed Japanese dragon that was slain by the Shinto storm-god Susanoo.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Valkyrie

Valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who decide who will die in battle. The Valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals, where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Succubus

Succubus (plural succubi) is a female demon appearing in dreams who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse. The male counterpart is the incubus. Religious traditions hold that repeated intercourse with a succubus may result in the deterioration of health or even death.In modern fictional representations, a succubus may or may not appear in dreams and is often depicted as a highly attractive seductress or enchantress, in contrast to the past succubi were generally depicted as frightening and demonic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Cthulhu

Cthulhu is the high priest to the Great Old Ones. He also is one of the central figures of the Lovecraft Mythos. It is often cited for the extreme descriptions given of its hideous appearance, its gargantuan size, and the abject terror that it evokes. Cthulhu is described as “yielded simultaneous pictures of an octopus, a dragon, and a human caricature…. A pulpy, tentacled head surmounted a grotesque scaly body with rudimentary wings. Represented a monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind.”

Cthulhu is depicted as having a worldwide doomsday cult centered in Arabia, with followers in regions as far-flung as Greenland and Louisiana. There are leaders of the cult “in the mountains of China” who are said to be immortal. Cthulhu is described by some of these cultists as the “great priest” of “the Great Old Ones who lived ages before there were any men, and who came to the young world out of the sky.


Top Ten List – 12/14/2010 – Best Selling Albums


TOP TEN BEST SELLING ALBUMS:

10. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

Genre: Rock

Rumours is the eleventh studio album released in 1977 by British-American band Fleetwood Mac.  Since Rumours‘s release, the album has sold approximately 40 million copies, making Rumours Fleetwood Mac’s most commercially successful album ever released.  Some notable songs that are included on the album are “Go Your Own Way”, “Dreams”, and “You Make Loving Fun”.

9. Bee Gees / Various Artists – Saturday Night Fever

Genre: Disco

Saturday Night Fever: The Official Soundtrack was released alongside the film Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta, in 1977.  Saturday Night Fever was well known for reviving the disco phenomenon and starting an American obsession of disco.  Saturday Night Fever: The Official Soundtrack was certified 15x platinum for over 15 million sales, with a current tally of about 40 million copies. The Bee Gees recorded five original songs for the soundtrack, including “Stayin’ Alive”, “How Deep Is Your Love”,  “More Than A Woman”. The soundtrack also won a Grammy award for Album of the year.

8. Backstreet Boys – Millennium

Genre: Pop

The Backstreet Boys rose to fame during the boy band craze during the 1990’s. The Backstreet Boys second album, Millennium, sold about 40 million copies, making them the most successful boy band during the 1990s. In the United States, it holds the record for most shipments in one year, with 11 million in 1999. It was nominated for five Grammy Awards and spawned four Top 40 singles, including the single “I Want It That Way.” Three of the singles, “I Want It That Way“, “Larger Than Life” and “Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely“, became some of their most successful and remembered hits of all time, with “I Want It That Way” becoming their biggest hit to date.

7. Various Artists – Dirty Dancing

Genre: Dance / Pop

Dirty Dancing is the original soundtrack of the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. The album became a huge commercial success in the USA. It spent 18 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales charts and went multi-platinum. The album sold 42 million copies worldwide. As of 2007, it is still re-entering the Irish charts on occasion, having spent more than 230 weeks in the top 30.

6. Eagles – Their Greatest Hits (1971 – 1975)

Genre: Rock

Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) is the fifth album by the American rock band the Eagles, a compilation of the Eagles major hits. As of November 2009, 29 million copies have been shipped in the domestic market, making it tied with Michael Jackson’s Thriller as the best-selling album in the United States.[1] With an additional 13 million internationally, for a total of 42 million, it is one of the top-selling albums in music history.

5.  Meat Loaf – Bat Out Of Hell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Genre: Rock

Bat Out Of Hell is the second album by American rock artist Meat Loaf, released in October 1977. Selling approximately 200,000 copies per year as of 2010, it is the fifth best selling album worldwide, having sold 43 million copies worldwide. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 343 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003.  Some of the hits off of the album include: “Bat Out Of Hell”, “Paradise By The Dashboard Light”, and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad”.

4. Whitney Houston / Various Artists – The Body Guard Official Soundtrack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Genre: Soundtrack

The Bodyguard is the soundtrack  from the film The Bodyguard, released on November 17, 1992.  The soundtrack features songs by Whitney Houston, as well as songs from various other artists. With this album, Houston became the first act (solo or group, male or female) to sell more than a million copies of an album within a single week period. The soundtrack later went on to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year and was certified 17× platinum. To date, it has sold over 44 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling soundtrack album of all time and overall the best-selling album by a female artist soundtrack or studio.

3. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon

Genre: Progressive Rock

The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. The concept album built on ideas explored by the band in their live shows and earlier recordings, but it lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterized their work following the departure in 1968 of founding member, principal composer and lyricist Syd Barret. The Dark Side of the Moon‘s themes include conflict, greed, the passage of time and mental illness, the latter partly inspired by Barrett’s deteriorating mental state. The Dark Side of the Moon was an immediate success, topping the Billboard top 20 for one week. It subsequently remained in the charts for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988, longer than any other album in history. With an estimated 45 million copies sold, it is Pink Floyd’s most commercially successful album.

2. AC/DC – Back In Black

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Genre: Hard Rock / Heavy Metal

Back in Black is a hard rock album by Australian band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band. Released on 25 July 1980, Back in Black was the first AC/DC album recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott  who died on 19 February 1980 at the age of 33, and was dedicated to him. The band considered disbanding following Scott’s death, but they ultimately decided to continue and shortly thereafter hired Brian Johnson as their new lead singer and lyricist. The album has sold an estimated 49 million copies to date, making it the best selling hard rock or heavy metal album, as well as the best selling album ever released by a band. On 13 December 2007, Back in Black was certified it 22× Multi-Platinum,for the sales of 22 million in the United States. Many AC/DC hits were recorded on this album, including “Hells Bells”, “Shoot To Thrill”, “What You Do for Money Honey”, “Back In Black”, “You Shook Me All Night Long”, and “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution”.

1. Michael Jackson – Thriller


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Genre: Pop / R&B

Michael Jackson’s Thriller was released in 1982 and has sold about 120 million copies worldwide.  Thriller is the only album to have sold over 50 million records and is still selling millions of copies in today’s market.  Many of Michael Jackson’s famous singles are included such as “Thriller”, “Billie Jean“, and “Beat it“.

 


The History of the Wilhelm Scream


The Wilhelm Scream is one of the most frequently used sound effect in film, television, and even some video games.  The Wilhelm Scream is held in the Warner Brothers stock sound library.  The Wilhelm Scream has become a cliche in the sound industry after being used in Star Wars and other major franchises, composing a nice portfolio of about 216 films and some video games.  If for some reason you have no idea what the Wilhelm Scream sounds like, there is an example below:

Wilhelm Scream Sample

The Wilhelm scream is normally used when someone dies from an explosion, falls from a great height, or being penetrated by an arrow.  The Wilhelm Scream’s first appearance was in the film “Distant Drums” (1951) when a group of soldiers were wading across a swamp and one of the soldiers is bitten and dragged under water by an alligator.  The original recording artist of the Wilhelm Scream was a mystery for a long time, until a well known sound producer, Benjamin Burtt Jr., discover records at Warner Brothers that contained a list from the editor of all of the actors who were hired to produce the scream.  After much research, Burtt discovered that the original artist of the Wilhelm Scream is actor and singer Sheb Wooley, Wooley played an uncredited role as Private Jessup in “Distant Drums” and was the soldier who was eaten by the alligator.

The Wilhelm Scream, however, was not given a name until its second appearance in the film “The Charge at Feather River”.  The Wilhelm Scream was named after one of the characters, Private Wilhelm, who was shot in the back with an arrow in “The Charge at Feather River”, in the scene where the effect was used.  The Wilhelm Scream was also used a second time in “The Charge at Feather River” during a death scene of about two to for Indians during a raid.  Other films that the Wilhelm Scream is used include: All four Indiana Jones movies, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, as well as many other George Lucas and Steven Spielberg films.  Here is an example of the Wilhelm Scream in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi:

Within the past decade the Wilhelm Scream has been used in a number of video games, many of these being apart of the Star Wars franchise.  These include Star Wars: Dark Forces, LEGO Star Wars, and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga.  In both LEGO Star Wars games, the Wilhelm Scream is used when the player loses all of their hearts on the Battle for Coruscant.  The most recent video game to have the Wilhelm Scream used in it is Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption, when the player (John Marston) is rafting down the Rio Grande with Irish in a desperate attempt to enter Mexico.  The Wilhelm Scream is probably the most frequently used sound effect in sound industry, so be sure that we will probably see it in a number of more films for many years to come.


Weekly Top Ten List – Nov.22 2010 – Best Covers!!!


The Content of this blog is not for copyright, entertainment purposes only

Top Ten Best Covers:

Everyone knows that when one band covers another band’s song, it is never better than the original.
But in this case, that is definitely not the case.

10. Dope – Spin Me Right Round

The band Dope decided to turn this older dance hit into a metal extravaganza.

The change between both the original and the cover is clearly imminent, so take a look at the original below:

Dead or Alive – Spin Me Right Round

9. Aiden – Die Die My Darling

Aiden is considered a gothic rock band, they have done multiple covers of songs, it was a tough debate between Die Die My Darling or White Wedding.  The Original is below:

The Misfits – Die Die My Darling

8. Killswitch Engage – Holy Diver

In order of the passing of Ronnie James Dio this year, this had to be on my list.  Dio would be proud of Killswitch’s cover.

Original: Dio – Holy Diver

7. Jimi Hendrix – All Along The Watchtower

Ah Jimi, did such and expert job with this song. Even the original artist, Bob Dylan, stated that Hendrix’s version is just better than his.

Original (Sorry about the quality, couldn’t find a studio version)

Bob Dylan – All Along The Watchtower

6. Italobrothers – I Died in Your Arms tonight

I am a die hard Italobrothers fan, so this one might be a little biased.  It gives a jumpier more party atmosphere to the song.

Original: Cutting Crew – (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight

5. Disturbed – Land Of Confusion

This is such a great cover of a great song.  Phil Collins, front man of Genesis, made a stipulation that Disturbed had to make an animated video if they were to cover it.

Original: Genesis – Land Of Confusion

4. Drowning Pool – Rebel Yell

Drowning Pool definitely made this song a hell of a lot darker than the original.  This is off of Drowning Pool’s Third Circle album.

Original: Billy Idol – Rebel Yell

3. Van Halen – You Really Got Me Now

One of the many covers that is mistaken as the original artist, Van Halen’s You Really Got Me Now, released on the Van Halen first studio album, is actually a cover of the original You Really Got Me Now by The Kinks.

Original: The Kinks – You Really Got Me Now

2. Johnny Cash – Hurt

Johnny Cash’s Hurt is not very well known as a cover.  As a skeptic, I looked up to find out if it was true and it happened to be true!  The original was written by Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor.  I think Johnny Cash’s version has more impact because of the dark theme and the fact it was released days before Cash’s passing.

Original: Nine Inch Nails – Hurt

1. Five Finger Death Punch – Bad Company

The bad-ass guys of the Death Punch did the right thing and decided to change a great classic song into a great metal hit.  Some bands just try to merely cover a song, but it takes a true band to cover a song and make it their own.  Long live the Death Punch!!!

Original: Bad Company – Bad Company


Weekly Top Ten List – Nov. 15th 2010


For this week (Nov. 15, 2010) I decided to do my first list as:
TOP TEN JUMP STYLE SONGS

Hope you enjoy these songs and get ready for next week’s list!

10. DJ Showtek – FTS (Fuck The System)

9. Dj Brainsick – Monkey Say Monkey Do

8. Dj Coone – Doggystyle

7. Party Jumpers – The Riddle

6. The Cranberries – Zombie (Andrew Spencer Jumpstyle Remix)

5. Bob Sinclair – Rock This Party (DJ Wicked Remix)

4. Italobrothers – Stamp On The Ground

3. DJ Manian/Tune Up! – Raver’s Fantasy

2. Dj Drunkenmonkey – Calabria (Jumpstyle Remix)

1. Italobrothers – Love Is On Fire