AREA 51 Performed By The Las Vegas Academy World Jazz Studies: Fall Jazz Concert '09

Featuring guest artist Bob Sheppard, one of the most respected improvising artists on the music scene. In addition to his successs as an international jazz artist, he is in more than 100 television and movie soundtracks. A skilled musician, Sheppard meets the demanding requirements of session work with equal artistry in all musical genres and has built a career consisting of long-term collaborations with leading artists.

Among the many artists he has collaborated with are Steely Dan (where he met Victoria Cave, a jazz singer with whom he developed a relationship), Rickie Lee Jones, The Manhattan Transfer, Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello, Randy Newman, Chick Corea, Billy Childs, Scott Henderson, Michael Franks, John Beasley, and Marilyn Scott. He is currently a member of the Peter Erskine Trio. He has also been an educator at the University of Southern California.

Here he performs with the Jazz 1 B Band. Incidentally, the trombone solo is performed by my son.

The Blog-o-Rama Spooky Fest.

Tonight's Fantastic Film Of Fear: The Immortalizer (1990)

A greedy and devious doctor discovers a serum for brain transplants. He is the mastermind behind a maniacal scheme to abduct young, attractive students and transplanting the brains of the aged and the very wealthy into their bodies. If you're thinking of plastic surgery... Dr. Devine would like to change your mind!

One of the stars of this film is Melody Patterson. You may remember her from the TV show "F Troop" as "Wrangler Jane". She lied about her age to producers of the series to get the part. At the time she was only sixteen.

Melody married actor James MacArthur, who at the time

was starring in the television series "Hawaii 5-0," and had to put her career aside to move to Honolulu, Hawaii. During the next seven years she appeared in many episodes of Hawaii 5-0, and started modeling and making commercials.

Another star in the movie is Rebekka Armstrong, Playboy's Miss September of 1986, she was also a successful lingerie and swimwear model. Then in 1989 she had an HIV test. It came back positive. She believes she caught the virus from a boyfriend at age 16.

Hope you enjoyed tonights film and tune in tomorrow night for another horror classic!

Technorati Tags: the immortalizer,melody patterson,james macarthur,hawaii five-o,rebekka armstrong,horror,frightfest,fearfest,horrorfest,monsterquest,riesen2b

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Death Cab For Cutie Has New Video For "New Moon" Song

Image by Satsukiame via Flickr

This is the video for the lead single off of the "New Moon" soundtrack. The song, "Meet Me At The Equinox", starts with the band performing in what looks like Bella Swan's house in Forks. From there it moves forward to the scene in which Edward Cullen emerges from the shadows to tell Bella he can't see her ever again. The video smartly continues to lay it on thick with clips from the film.

Death Cab For Cutie |MTV Music

The video focuses on the love story and is basically Taylor free. Want to know more. Click here to visit a Twilight/New Moon website that has a lot of info.

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Trailer For Heath Ledger's Final Performance

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Well, I have to say that this trailer took me by total surprise because I imagined this film to be a low budget, art house movie. Turns out that it is a film deluged with elaborate special effects and also looks like it may be highly interesting.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I read this synopsis at IMDB.Com:

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. Long ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this 'coming of age' milestone and Dr Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all...

Sounds pretty cool, huh? Here is the trailer:

Looks like Imaginarium will be opening on Christmas Day. The film stars Heath Ledger, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Christopher Plummer. Oh yes, and also Verne Troyer (Mini Me).

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Halloween Horror Month: A Nightly Horror Film For Your Weakened Hearts.

Image via Wikipedia

With so many places and choices on the internet these days to watch free movies and TV shows, I thought why not have my own Horror Festival here at the blog-o-rama. So, between now and Halloween, check back daily for a new fright filled post of horror.

Tonight, I present "Count Yorga, Vampire". Released in 1970, (that would have made me 12 years old at the time), I always got a kick out of this vampire movie as it modernized the genre for that era, and was actually scary. Sure today it may seem campy and out of date, but you should still enjoy it.



Sixties couples Michael and Donna and Paul and Erica become involved with the intense Count Yorga at a Los Angeles seance, the Count having latterly been involved with Erica's just-dead mother. After taking the Count home, Paul and Erica are waylayed, and next day a listless Erica is diagnosed by their doctor as having lost a lot of blood. When she is later found feasting on the family cat the doctor becomes convinced vampirism is at work, and that its focus is Count Yorga and his large isolated house.

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Want a copy for your collection? Get a copy containing not only the original film but also it's sequel for less than 10 bucks by clicking on this amazon banner:

Trailer For "The Messenger" Is Powerful.

Image via Wikipedia

Movie Must Be Even More So.

In his most powerful performance to date, Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Samantha Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will's emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival. Featuring tour-de-force performances from Foster, Harrelson and Morton, and a brilliant directorial debut by Oren Moverman, The Messenger brings us into the inner lives of these outwardly steely heroes to reveal their fragility with compassion and dignity.

 

I watched this trailer and was immediately engrossed in the story.  It would be a shame if a large audience doesn't go to see this when it comes out on November 13.

I've heard that rumors about Oscars® are already swirling about this film.

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Disney's Hand Drawn Animation Treat "The Princess And The Frog: Watch The First Five Minutes.

Here is a video of the first five minutes for "The Princess and the Frog." There are still some unfinished scenes in the video but what is completed is fantastic.  No matter what the killjoys are saying about this film and whether certain aspects are politically correct, I think this will eventually be included in the Disney Vault with their other classic stories of princesses such as Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

After you watch this video, check out a previous post on the blog-o-rama that shows another extended clip as well as behind the scenes videos.  Along with this latest video, these other videos should help you make up your mind as to whether or not you agree with me that Disney has a hit on it's hands. 

While I love the Pixar films and their CGI style of animation, this return to traditional. hand drawn animation is what made Disney, and it is just totally refreshing to see the work of these master artisans.

 

 

Here is a partial cast listing for the voices of  "The Princess And The Frog":

John Goodman

Eli 'Big Daddy' LaBouff

Keith David

Dr. Facilier

Terrence Howard

James

Oprah Winfrey

Eudora Anika Noni Rose

Princess Tiana

"The Princess And The Frog" opens in theaters on December 11, ahead of the original release date of Christmas Day.  It's like getting a present two weeks early

.

Technorati Tags: disney,walt disney,the princess and the frog,anika noni rose,oprah winfrey,john goodman,traditional animation,hand drawn animation,princesses,snow white,cinderella,sleeping beauty,release date

 

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The A Team Remake: Here is the Team!

The first pics from the set of the "A Team" remake have hit the web with Liam Neeson taking on the George Peppard role. Rampage takes the place of Mr. T. There are a lot of pictures at WWTDD.Com for you to look at.

Cast

Liam Neeson as Col. John "Hannibal" Smith
Bradley Cooper as Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson as Sgt. B.A. Baracus
Sharlto Copley as Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock
Jessica Biel as Face's ex-lover
Patrick Wilson as a CIA operative

I got the following information about the story development at Wikipedia.Com.

The film has been in development since the mid 1990s, going through a number of writers and story ideas, and being put on hold a number of times. Producer Stephen J. Cannell hopes to update the setting, perhaps using the first Gulf War as part of the backstory.

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Need For Speed Shift: This Game Races Past All Other Racing Sims.

In a way, writing a review for Need For Speed Shift is probably the easiest review I am ever going to review.  When you find a game that you absolutely love, telling what you like about it should be easy.  And believe me, I absolutely love this game.  Since getting it last Tuesday, I don't know how many racing miles I've logged, but I do no that it is a lot.  Like a great book, NFSS is hard to put down, and you end up staying way past your bed time.

 

On the other hand, I can see where writing a review for this instant classic is going to be hard.  Why?  Simple.  It is so good that I am afraid that I will find it to hard to pick the correct superlatives for this game.  And, if I do, you the reader, will think I'm overstating the entertainment value of this game or that I have some connection with Electronic Arts that impels me to write a positive review.  I can assure you that neither is the case.  (If I did have one though, I sure wouldn't knock it.  EA, are you listening?)  Just kidding.

I first heard about Need For Speed Shift on the Internet, probably at GameTrailer.com or some other gaming website, exactly when or where, I don't remember.  I do remember that it was early in the summer and have been looking forward to it ever since.

 

I am a big fan of racing games  I have played a lot of them over the years and generally have enjoyed most of them to some degree, rarely actually hating a race game, even when I could seemingly get nowhere with the game because of an AI program that sought only to kick your butt.  By the way, in a unique way, I think, EA has managed to create a tough AI that you don't even mind all that much.  More on this later.

Here are some of the key features of NFS Shift:

- True Driver’s Experience – A variety of visual cues delivers the true driver’s experience including a three-dimensional HUD that mimics driver head movement, inertia and G-forces. The depth of field also adjusts based on the speed of the car; so when the car is traveling at high speeds the perspective will shift to the distance putting the car/cockpit out of focus.

- Driver Profile – What kind of driver are you? Driver profile tracks the player’s evolution as a race driver from event to event. This system is made up of a driver’s personality on the track, their success rate and any profile points and badges accrued all of which work together to create a tailor-made career and game play experience. Driver profile is pervasive throughout all modes: career and online.

- Dynamic Crash Effect - When the player hits a static object or opponent car, the player will feel like they are 'taking damage'. A combination of visual and audio effects will leave the player disorientated and briefly disrupt the race.

- Total Customization – Need for Speed SHIFT features a comprehensive customization option that lets the player tailor every aspect of the cars performance and styling. Go under the hood to upgrade and tune your vehicle to increase its performance. The visual customization system allows players to personalize both the exterior and trick out the interior to reflect their individual style and preferences.

- Photo Real Cars and Tracks – Nearly 70 licensed cars are available including the Pagani Zonda F, Audi RS4, and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. There is also over 15 real-world locations like Willow Springs and Laguna Seca as well as fictional circuits like downtown London and Tokyo.

So, first of all, I should tell you about the graphics.  After all, isn't that the first thing everyone notices about any game?   From the very first videos that introduce the game to the first race you attempt, the images that you see in Shift are simply mind boggling.  The backgrounds are recreated in painstaking detail, so much so, that as I raced along the course, I actually felt like I was zooming past real objects, including the trees that are so vivid that they almost seem real.   This game is like a total immersion experience where your mind actually believes you are zooming down that race track.  The cars are so lifelike that you would swear you are watching an actual race rather than playing a game.  What is really cool though, is the damage that is inflicted on your car as you meet with numerous wall and vehicle collisions during your journey to master the roads and complete the challenges.  From watching your hood rip itself off of the vehicle to the cracks in your windshield on hard impacts, you would swear you are seeing something out of a demolition derby.  It makes for great fun.

The game gets started by letting you choose from either Career Play, Quick Play, and Online Play.  In my case online play would be XBox 360 Live.  In Quick Play, of course you go straight to picking a track and a car, but no records are kept.  And in Career Play, you start out on a journey to become the ultimate racer, a challenge that no one ever said would be easy.   This review deals mostly with the Career Play, since that is what I started playing first and have spent the most time doing.

      

 On the first stage of your career path, you race long enough for the computer to analyze your level of playing.  After you complete the first race it will make suggestions as to what level of play is best for you.  It is up to you to decide whether or not you want to accept these settings.  For entertainment purposes and to see if the AI was correct, I went with their suggestions.  By not forcing you to accept these settings though,  it was one of the first things I liked about the game.  I didn't want to be forced into a method of game play that I wasn't comfortable with.

 

So, how is the gameplay?

 

First, let me make the suggestion that while racing you do so in the view that you are in the cockpit of the car.  You will soon see that this gives you the actual feel of being in a real race.  Using the third camera view where you are watching from just behind your car is the norm for most race games.  The cockpit driving sets Need For Speed apart from the also rans and will just overwhelm you with the experience of playing this way.  Plus, at least in my case, it seemed like  I was a better driver in this mode.

Slightly Mad, who developed the game, has made it easy for newcomers to play by keeping the controls in an arcade mode, and the result is that you are essentially given a racing experience that is extremely close to the real thing in terms of presentation but is a much easier entryway into the game than the likes of say,  Gran Turismo.

 

So often with video games, and especially true with racing sims, is that at first the game is so hard and it takes seemingly forever to master the controls and get anywhere on the career path.  So what do you do?  It seems like you end up just spending most of your playing time on a quick play option and never get to enjoy the thrill of monitoring your improvement on the career path, and you wind up with nothing to show for your effort.  This isn't the case with Need For Speed Shift.

During the race you earn points based on your driving precision and also on aggression.  As these points add up your driving level increases, eventually unlocking medals, bonus races, and also new tracks.  Your ultimate aim however, is to earn five stars on each track.  The first two stars seem to come relatively easily, even if your performance is under-whelming, while the final three stars are awarded when you make it to the podium for being one of the top three finishers.  The video above is one of the bonus rounds.

This game will have your adrenaline rushing and your heart pumping with the intensity of each race that you compete in.  It is a full throttle rush of fun and energy that may even leave you breathless as you zoom across the finish line.

Incidentally, the background music played during replays of your race or while looking at your statistics is nothing to sneeze at.  I have no idea who the artists are or the titles of the songs, but they provide the perfect touch to a game that is without a doubt the best racing game that I have ever played.

And with that being said, we go to our blog-o-rama blog-o-meter and for the first time in our three year history, award Need For Speed Shift a perfect 10.0 out of 10.0.  Take my word it. Rush out and get this game.  If you don't want to take my word for it, visit NeedForSpeed.Com and find out how you can play the demo on your PC, Xbox Live, or Playstation 3.

Technorati Tags: need for speed,need for speed shift,electronic arts,review,racing,racing sim,video,latest pics

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