Saturday, November 30, 2013

Hunger Games: Catching Fire May be Setting Records

While I was never a big fan of the Hunger Games I did sort of enjoy the first movie. I don't find it that compelling to read the books, or care all that much about it, but I did like the first film during a weekend where I was somewhat depressed. Only time I wouldn't consider it foolish I expect.

Black Friday arrived at the box office this Thanksgiving weekend with moviegoers showing sustained appetite for leftovers. In its second weekend in theaters, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is on a course to not only come in first; it may score one of the most robust opening weekends in movie history.

The sci-fi sequel to 2012’s “The Hunger Games,” “Catching Fire” hauled in $31.2 million Friday, putting it in position to smash the five-day Thanksgiving holiday record -- of $82 million held by “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” -- with a projected $113 million gross.

Alesis Drum

The alesis drum is some of the newest and best high tech drum and percussion systems around today. All the new tech you want for the new age of music, but still giving you the old sound if you want that as well. Electronic drums have come a long ways over the years and these are showcasing some of the best around for the price range and value that you will get from the sets.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Total Recall Remake wasn't too bad

While the original Total Recall was quite cheesy, I still was a big fan. I quoted the movie in general conversation quite a bit back int he day. Saying things like: "I want a ticket to MArs!", and of course my favorite: "What aobut the guy that got lobotomized? Did he get a refund?".

So I finally rolled up in my bed warmer and watched the remake. While it wasn't even close to as cheesy as the original, it wasn't too bad. They really amped up the effects and the action, and took out a lot of the story. It kept some of the strange scenes from the original in some form of course. Mainly the iconic 3 breasted woman scene, and part of when Arnold went through the weapon detectors. The "2 Week, 2 weeks, 2 weeks" lady I think was the exact same one as they had in the original. She looked identical. Strangely, she was more of a decoy in this one and if you saw the original it kind of throws you off. You expect it to be the same, but she isn't. Anyways, not too bad, but not great. Decent action flick, better looking women, and Quaid isn't such a meathead that Arnold was.

3 JD Salinger Unreleased Stories Leak Online

Mysteriously, I book sold on Ebay that was unauthorized claims to contain 3 short stories from the late author JD Salinger. The reclusive Salinger lived as mysteriously as the stories that found themselves on sale on Ebay. Living in isolation around his fireplace mantel shelf rather than being out in the public eye. It was difficult to trace the origin of the collection called "Three Stories," with the only known copies of the stories existing in research libraries at the University of Texas and Princeton University, it said. The stories are "The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls," "Paula," and "Birthday Boy." The book appears to be one of those in a 25-copy compilation of the stories privately printed without Salinger's permission in London in 1999. The stories leaked on the Internet appeared as a "pdf" scan of that book, the New York Times said in its online edition.