The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

It’s rare for me to go into a theater with exceptionally high expectations and come out exhilarated. The last movie to do that for me was The Dark Knight. Eclipse did exactly the same thing. This film is not only a vast improvement over the previous installment, it gives me a ray of hope that this series can be respected, not only by the fans, but everyone else. I may be dreaming big here because a lot of people think this series is a joke, but you have to take it as it is – an angsty teen sexual fantasy. Laughable? Yes. An abomination? Definitely not.

I am clearly speaking from a fan’s point of view; I very much enjoyed this movie and this has officially become my favorite of the series…so far. Unlike New Moon, if you are not a fan of the series, I think non-fans will enjoy this. It is much darker and while the pace may be slow at times, it satisfies. Much like what human blood would be for the Cullen family.

This film finds Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) graduating from high school and thinking about the future. Bella wants “the change” to happen, but Edward is, well, pessimistic about that. Jacob (Taylor Lautner) soon finds out that Bella wants to become like Edward, throws a quick tantrum and spends the rest of the movie cracking jokes and being shirtless. Meanwhile, Victoria (a surprisingly good Bryce Dallas Howard) is concocting a plan to eliminate the Cullens by forming an army of new, bloodthirsty vampires.

While the first installments had somewhat ham-fisted acting, the actors dive deeper into the characters making the performances truer, but never become show-boaty. Kristen Stewart gets better with each movie, as does Robert Pattinson. Billy Burke, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, and Anna Kendrick are standouts – while having little to work with. The rest of the supporting cast is equally good in their roles – feeling more comfortable than the first two installments. The weakest link is Taylor Lautner. He is just not a good actor and his performance is stale, much like it was in New Moon.

The feel of the film was the definite high-point. I love horror movies and this felt like a suspenseful vampire film. Sure, they still sparkle, but you remain uneasy when they are on screen, lurking in the shadows. Taking over direction is David Slade, who also directed 30 Days of Night, a more brutal vampire adaptation. His direction differs from Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), who gave the first one a gritty, indie-type feel, and Chris Weitz (New Moon), who has an eye for detail and made New Moon an epic endeavor.

I was very satisfied with this installment, having aspects of horror, humor, romance, and drama – mixing well together. The soundtrack fit well, the acting felt more real, and the plot kept you in the film. Even if you are not a fan, I would give the film a chance. You might be surprised.

4.5 stars out of 5

Eclipse Soundtrack

Ah, yes -- the first good thing about my summer so far. With the chaos that our lives entail, it's good to soak in some fresh air. And here in lies the Eclipse soundtrack, which is breathtaking. I have a spot saved in my heart for the Twilight and New Moon soundtracks, but this one, just wow. Every single song is amazing. Even if you are no way a fan of the Twilight series, rest assure, I guarantee you will love this soundtrack. Even if you do not love it at first, give it another chance.

1. Eclipse (All Yours) by Metric - A bouncy, carefree tune by Canadian rockers Metric. Great opener for this album, though this is just the beginning. 4/5

2. Netron Star Collision (Love is Forever) by Muse - The Twilight series' band that has appeared on every soundtrack so far, yet this one is the soundtrack's headlining song much like "Decode" by Paramore was for the Twilight soundtrack. This overly-theatric, Queen-inspired, and heavy song with a dash of disco-esque beats (yes, I said disco) is beyond awesome and screams out of the speakers. 5/5

3. Ours by The Bravery - My favorite song on the album, quite possibly my favorite song of the moment. Everything about this song is incredible. On the surface it just seems as an indie rock tune, but it's so much more than that. I am a fan of The Bravery and this song shot them up on even further on my list of favorite bands. In somewhat of serendipity, alot of my favorite bands appear on the Twilight soundtracks. Paramore being on the Twilight soundrack and the Killers being on the New Moon soundtrack. Now, The Bravery appearing on this one. I think it's in the stars, don't you think? ;) 5/5

4. Heavy in Your Arms by Florence + the Machine - Wow, just wow. The pipes this girl has is amazing. Definitely a song to blast on your stereo if you're feeling depressed or just down - will definitely change that mood once the song ends. Speechless. 4.5/5

5. My Love by Sia - This song is getting alot of praise from critics who have reviewed the album and this song deserves the praise it receives and then some. This haunting piano ballad channels Lykee Li's "Possibility" though not as depressing. 4.5/5

6. Atlas by Fanfarlo - Believe it or not this song seems out of place on the soundtrack. But once I gave it a second listen, I was completely wrong. This song is very folky, but for all the right reasons. Definitely one of the songs you will be playing at a barbecues during the summer - it's almost country-esque, but never sounding like a typical country tune, thank goodness. 4/5

7. Chop and Change by The Black Keys - Definitely Twilight-esque, deserves it's spot on the soundtrack, though it would have been better if Muse would have performed the song. Great tune nonetheless. 4/5

8. Rolling in on a Burning Tire by The Dead Weather - Very bizarre song, but I love it. Can't say too much about this song because it's unlike anything I've heard in a while, if ever. 4.5/5

9. Let's Get Lost by Beck & Bat for Lashes - I love Beck, always have. He's somewhat of a guilty pleasure and I adore Bat for Lashes, though she has been a secret I've kept from people - until now. Very atmospheric and very romantic. Can't get enough. 5/5

10. Jonathan Low by Vampire Weekend - What can I say about this song? It's very well put together and I F-ING LOVE Vampire Weekend. This is definitely a soft listen and quite magical. A great song to drive around and think to. 5/5

11. With You in My Head by UNKLE - Psychedelic pop seems somewhat dated but UNKLE brings it to a whole 'nother level in all the right directions. Great tune, amazing lyrics, and awesome beat. 4/5

12. A Million Miles an Hour by Eastern Conference Champions - Deathcab-inspired tune that flows smoothly through the headphones. One very haunting piece and would like to see more from this band. 4/5

13. Life on Earth by Band of Horses - A very brave song, if you will. I am going to give this song a few more listens because this one feels lost. An awesome song, don't get me wrong, but I'm not totally feeling this one...just yet. 3.5/5

14. What Part of Forever by Cee Lo Green - "What the hell is the guy from Gnarls Barkely doing on this album?" is what I asked when I first read the lineup for the soundtrack. Boy was I surprised when I first heard this soung. Very catchy and since when did Cee Lo sound like The Smiths? I'm very fond of this track and can't wait to listen to it as I type this. 5/5

15. Jacob's Theme by Howard Shore - Haunting, profound, and stellar. I can't wait to see what the rest of the score sounds like and by an amazing composer. 4/5

So, there you have it. If you haven't bought or downloaded this album, I encourage you to do so...right now! It may not change your life, but will definitely give you a better sense of the day.

Neutron Star Collision

Picture this situation with an open mind and attitude: the person you love and pine for suddenly becomes repulsive in your mind and cannot stand the sight of them. Pretty cliche scenario, I know, but how do you answer that question? Some say, if the two people are in a relationship, is to get OUT of the relationship. Why stay in a relationship if it is one-sided, or worse, there are no sides? I'm merely stating a hypothetical here. I, myself, am in no relationship, nor do I have repulsive feelings for someone I love whether it be a family member or friend. Listening to Kate Nash's "Foundations" brought this idea to mind. And I feel I should explore it.

The song is, on the outside, a break-up song. But after delving deep into the lyrics and watching the music video, my mind was overflowed with scenarios and ideas on how things like this come into play. Simply put, feelings change over the course of time. It happens, folks. Sad, but true. In any kind of relationship, whether it be a long-term committed one, an open one, or, hell, just a friendship, things tend to get repetitive, boring, and stale. It's our job to keep things fresh and on the move or else this will help , if not, the relationship is ultimately doomed. Thoughts of being annoying, distant, evasive, come into play. (I am also sounding like an anti-depressant commercial). But nevertheless, everyone has felt those feelings. In the end, we are all human. We make mistakes. We learn from them. And eventually, move the fuck on.

Which brings me back to the original question. What happens? It's hard to imagine someone you love not loving you back. Love is a brutal thing. In the beginning, love is supposed to give you butterflies, enjoyment, and inevitably happiness. But once love gets complicated, messy, and depressing, things are in need for a change. I'm not going to preach to you about relationships, because 1) I have no room to talk and 2) I don't know a damn thing about them. What I do know is that, we all get into arguments with our significant others, friends, family, co-workers, strangers on the street -- it's the human condition.

It's a scary thought to wake up one day and realize - wow, I don't really love this person. Why are they in my life? And worse, how to I get rid of them? Ugh, that hurt just typing that last part. "Getting rid of someone" is never an easy task, nor do you want to take part in it, but sadly, things like this happen. Things fall out of orbit, things that were placed apart collide into one another unexpectedly. And to think, maybe things that were placed apart SHOULD be put together. Maybe that will make the relationship work? In my opinion, in a working relationship, in order to keep things balanced, things are meant to be apart, not put together. Might be a dumb analogy, I know, but that's my personal opinion on the subject. Because sometimes, when things collide, they cause an explosion, and I'm not talking about the "feel-good-sparks-ignite-explosion", I'm talking about the kind of explosion that end in pain and confusion. And while they may be cool to look at from a distance, they sure do suck if you're involved. That's all I'm going to say.

Dancing Alone

A speck of light is overshadowed by darkness. Things like this happen too often. A precious moment captured in my mind fades away. I'd like to think that things get better, and every so often, they do. But what about the moment where you are stuck in the in-between? The fear of rejection, loneliness, isolation, and uncertainty seem to cloud over every, single thought. This may last briefly or for days or weeks on end. For the most part, I am a pretty optimistic guy. I try to remain on the bright side of things -- not everything is bad, right? But what happens when you almost lose someone? Your mind is put on pause. You can't think of anything else other than that one problem. This is what I call "dwelling".

People are faced with obstacles everyday. A homework assignment is late, my significant other hasn't got a hold of me all day, work seems to be consuming my life, a best friend becomes a stranger. And these are just a spot on the map of problems people go through each day. Even if the problem is somewhat juvenile, it's still an obstacle, right? The solution is to conquer it, and move on. Not to dwell. Sometimes the problem goes unsolved, which is an easy out clause, but lingers in your mind until it resolved.

I lost something close to me this year. That something being a pet. And before you all go "Jesus, Clay it's just a rabbit!", think about that for a second. For those who have lost a pet know how hard it is and must deal with the idea of "death". Ethel was, in a sense, like a friend of mine. If I needed to talk something out if I was angry, frustrated, or just needed to let something out, rather than talking to a wall, I sat and talked to Ethel. Sounds corny, I know, but dammit, it actually helped. Now, when I get home late, my room is empty. Eerily silent. Before, when I would get home from a late night escapade, Ethel was there. Probably waiting for food because she ate like no other, but nevertheless, it was nice. I didn't feel so...alone, in a sense.

I also lost my job this year. By my own wrongdoing. It has been, to date, one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made, and hopefully will ever make. The job, itself, wasn't necessarily spectacular, but I really enjoyed the job. The hardest part is thinking I let who I worked with down. I miss the people I used to work with so much. And it hurts to know that I, myself, fucked up something that could have ultimately been something great. It still renders.

What brings me to my point -- shit happens. You could win the lottery one day and lose a close friend the next. Life is a funny, but tricky thing. It's just a matter of knowing how to deal. What I do know is that I have amazing friends and a supportive family. Sure, there are times where we don't exactly get along, but if anything would ever happen, they would be there. Over time, the people who are true friends stick out while everyone else disappears. If a true friend isn't having a great day, as long as you know that they know you'll be there, even if they don't ask for help, then you're good to go. I'd like to think that my life is like music -- a rhythm that never stops, a beat that transcends into your soul, and lyrics that are your thoughts. There will be days that not everyone wants to get up and dance, but if you can put yourself out there and dance alone to your own music, then everything will be okay.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Ah, yes. I have kept this off for too long. This is a movie for the fans. Not mainstream audiences. It's pretty obvious people who hate Twilight won't be in the line to see the next installment and believe me, some of my closest friends are what we call "Twi-Haters", which is fine. As for me, Twilight captured what's left of my beating heart. It has sentimental value -- the Twilight series, not my heart. Ha.

Anyways, New Moon is the second book in Stephenie Meyer's *ahem* very successful series about a girl who falls for a very hot vampire. The movie, however, is what I call -- a beautiful travesty. I personally enjoyed the movie because I love the Twilight world. New Moon, however, is my least favorite of the series. Love it, but still #4. Bella is a complete mess in this one. Her heart was ripped out of her by the love of her life, Edward, not literally, but that would be a sight to see. After getting attacked by Edward's brother, Jasper, Edward decides to leave the ever-gloomy Forks, for Bella's safety. Bella is, well, not too happy about that. Falling into a depression that lasts for several months, cutting off ties with her friends and her dad, Bella is "saved" by her best buddy Jacob Black, who may or may not have a deep, dark secret. Is he gay?! No. He's a werewolf. Who would think? In this day and age. Anyway, the semi-ridiculous plot fades into bigger obscurity when Bella must save Edward from KILLING HIMSELF in Italy. And that's exactly what she does. Girlfriend of the Year, ladies and gentlemen? Now, it may seem like I am poking fun at all this. I am but let me tell you, I am in complete love with this series. Escapist fare always does well with me. And that's what Twilight does. It throws you into a new world, away from your problems, and you focus on well, other people's problems.

The movie, though, is relatively solid. Kristen Stewart proves to us that she is a stellar actress. I have a love/hate relationship with Ms. Stewart. Her awkward approach is weird, but I love it. She is also very radiant in this picture - a major improvement over the last one. Robert Pattinson is salivating. Even if his acting skills aren't Oscar-worthy, you can't take your eyes off of him once on screen. The same goes for Taylor Lautner. The rest of the cast are subtle, yet superb. Dakota Fanning rules. Michael Sheen wows. Kellan Lutz is so damn gorgeous (Team Emmett!!!). And Nikki Reed & Anna Kendrick are my girls. Rachelle LaFevre makes an awesome Victoria (will miss her in Eclipse). Lautner and the wolf pack are probably the weakest in the cast.

The movie is HEAVILY flawed for sure. Like I said, I am a huge fan, so the movie was an awesome adaptation to the book in my eyes. If you aren't a Twilight fan, stay far away. You won't get it and you'll write it off as terrible. However, I'm a sucker for atmosphere and this movie literally takes you to Forks. The warm sepia tone works well with the surroundings. The movie also boasts an AMAZING soundtrack. The Killers. Deathcab. Muse. Lykke Li. Band of Skulls. Need I say more? I did miss Paramore, though, sad to say.

Pop this movie in only if you are a Twilight fan or want to get swept up in a cheesy, but elegant romance. New Moon, however, is the weakest of the series. Twilight introduced us to the love story. Eclipse will have killings, backstories, and action sequences. And I am very interested to see what they will do with Breaking Dawn. That book is, well, another story :)

Three and a half stars out of five.

Kick-Ass

Okay, back to some movie reviews :) I recently made my way to the theater to catch a movie I knew little to nothing about. And I was actually pleasantly surprised! Kick-Ass offers stylized action sequences and a good sense of humor, which is something that needs to be handled very carefully otherwise it becomes campy. I think this movie steers clear from that.

After a slew of mediocre superhero movies (Superman Returns, Watchmen), Kick-Ass offers something fresh to the table. Not going too serious a la The Dark Knight, but not going too humorous a la Iron Man (even though humor worked out in Iron Man's favor). Based on the comic of the same name, we're introduced to our average teenage protagonist, realizing NYC is in dire need of some superhero action. Throw McLovin and Nic Cage into the mix and you get a breath of fresh air.

Though the movie was heavy on violence and language, the movie worked tremendously well. Growing up on the original Batman and Superman movies, it was nice to see some blood and guts added to the superhero genre (though Watchmen offered that also, but I think they took it too far).

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie but there were some flaws. Some of the acting was a little over-the-top and laughably unrealistic. But then again, maybe it was supposed to be. I think if the story had a more of a realistic tone, then the movie would have been more of a spectacle once the action scenes were incorporated. However, the production design and art direction were amazing. Had a flair of a Spider-Man atmosphere, but reminded me of the breathtaking New York City skylines we seen in Superman.

Three out of five stars.

Knock You Down

Lately, I have been feeling less than stellar, things have been getting better each day. I have compiled a list of steps I have kept stored in my mind that have been gradually helping. I'm not going to say I'm fully happy, because I'm not, but I'm not depressed either. Kind of stuck in a weird limbo.

1. Don't tell yourself you've hit rock bottom.
Life happens. One day you may have it all, then the next it comes crashing down. That happened to me. Maybe not so much on a personal life sense, but definitely with the job life. If you tell yourself you've hit rock bottom, then you will never get out from the abyss. I know I have told myself I have hit the bottom, but I've learned to stop saying it, propelling me to move forward.

2. Never think anyone is out to get you.
Sometimes when you do something bad, you think you are being judged almost immediately when you step outside. I thought that for a good chunk of time, and that may have kept me from doing the things I wanted to do. But I pushed myself to get out there and enjoy life at a depressing time. I realized that if my friends judged me for a mistake I have made, then they weren't true friends. I'm happy to say that this didn't happen.

3. It's always the darkest before the dawn.
Generic and cliche phrase, I know, but it is so true. I realize that we are all on the brink of a new season, and truth be told, things change when the seasons change. Summer is on the horizon. I'm not letting myself be down for the duration of the summer. Summer is supposed to be fun, spontaneous, wild, and relaxing. Why spend it moping around and not taking any steps to get better? Things are always at their worst before they get better. "It'll get better." rings true in my ear.

4. A healthy daily routine should be established.
For me, a routine helps me stay on track. When the routine disappears or ends, I'm spun out and lost. When this happens, I feel inadequate and sometimes, worthless. But I am working on a routine that should get me back on the track of life. We all have our rough patches, some more than others, but we eventually get through them. Now, I'm not saying your whole LIFE needs to be on a routine, you need some spontaneity in your life to keep things fresh.

5. Surround yourself with the things you love.
Things that are a constant reminder of happiness is amazing to keep around. Some people keep pictures, some keep notes, hell, some people keep old texts. And that's not even the tip of the iceburg. For me, certain songs and movies bring me back to a place I cannot describe. You put on "Jump" by Van Halen, I'm instantly put in a good mood. If Mean Girls is on the tv, I forget about everything else and laugh my ass off. This all sounds cheesy, I realize, but this step is my secret weapon. If I'm fighting with a friend or just facing daily obstacles, I surround myself with things that take me back to a happier time that eventually turn into peace of mind. This may sound like you're running away from the problem. That's not it at all. This is a matter of taking a break from the problem. We still have to face the problem head on, or it will remain forever. Taking breathers is completely healthy. If you're head is under the water, it is nice to come up for air sometime. :)