‘Danger Days’ fabulous addition to American rock

My Chemical Romance has been known for punk-pop anthems, lyrics that spoke to angsty teens and their dark, macabre style. But with the release of their new concept album, “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys,” the band completely reinvents itself.

Released on Nov. 22, “Danger Days” is not at all a typical My Chemical Romance album. While a few of the songs are slightly reminiscent of their old sound, this album is full of heart-pounding, pedal to the metal, fast-paced songs that go straight for the throat. The vast majority has a dance rock feel to it and is a relief from the latest heavy-handed genre rock. When listening to this album, try to be in an isolated room so that you can feel free to dance along to the catchy songs it’s absolutely packed with.

The concept of the album is reminiscent of comic books, Blade Runner, and pulp science fiction. It takes place in Battery City, California in 2019 and revolves around a gang of bandits called the Fabulous Killjoys. Each member of the bandits is played by a member of the band, and the characters take their names from the laser guns they tote. From the music videos for “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)” and “SING,” it is also shown that the Killjoys are fighting against an evil corporation called Better Living Industries and are accompanied by a young girl named Grace. There are three spoken interludes in the album (“Look Alive, Sunshine,” “Jet-Star and the Kobra Kid/Traffic Report,” and “Goodnite, Dr. Death) that also plunge the listener into the desert world of the album.

By far, my favorite song on the album is SING. It starts out soft but intense, promising to build up into a soaring chorus. Between the soft, intense parts and the soaring choruses, the song builds itself step by step, led by the lyrics, which encourage the listener to speak out and show their true selves. The entire song sounds almost completely unlike My Chemical Romance and shows that the band has truly stepped up and grown as artists. The first time I heard the song, I got goosebumps, and I still do every time I listen to it. It’s absolutely beautiful, and even if you don’t listen to the entire album, I highly recommend listening to that one song.

Overall, the album is another step up for My Chemical Romance. Over the years, the band has changed and evolved and grown, not allowing their sounds to be put in just one genre. With “Danger Days,” My Chemical Romance has finally found their place in American rock. On a scale from one to ten, I give this album an eight.

PBS brings ‘Sherlock’ into 21st century

Sherlock Holmes. When most people hear the name of the famous literary detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, they think of the foggy, cobbled streets of Victorian England and the characteristic pipe and hat of Holmes himself. But in the new series “Sherlock”, which airs on PBS at 8 p.m. on Sunday nights, Holmes has been translated into the modern world.  

Benedict Cumberbatch plays the titular detective and does a superb job of conveying the brilliance and caustic personality of Holmes. Unlike the 1984 series, “Sherlock” also explores the more unlikable aspects of Holmes, such as his sociopathic tendencies and anti-social behavior. Dr. John Watson is played by Martin Freeman, who brings a more sarcastic and scathing side to the character. Cumberbatch and Freeman have excellent chemistry and make the strained relationship between the two characters even more believable.

And let’s not forget the mysteries. The first episode revolves around a string of serial suicides that are Holmes and Watson become involved in after the police find a dead woman wearing all pink. The second episode has Holmes and Watson trying to stop a vicious Chinese smuggling ring that murders those who have betrayed them. Finally, the third, and last, episode, is about Holmes engaging in a battle of wits against a bomber. The mysteries are well set up and the audience is strung along as Holmes and Watson delve into the cases.

Overall, “Sherlock” is a wonderful British crime drama that delivers thrills and laughs and truly sells Holmes as a new sleuth for the 21^st century.

Canyon, Randall High Schools to host book study

Canyon High librarian Tammy Scarbrough and Randall High librarian Joe Sullivan will host a book study called Bullets, Blood and Bravery for students of both schools. Participants will read three books: “Purple Heart” by Patricia McCormick, ”War is…” by Marc Aronson and “Ghosts of War” by Ryan Smithson. 

 The first meeting will be Nov. 4 at the Canyon Area Library. Meeting dates will change monthly, but will usually be on the first Thursday of every month. Some of the meetings may be at the Southwest Branch Library because it is closer to Randall.

Scarbrough said she hopes to provide the books free of charge to everyone, but students are also free to get the books on their own. Students  interested in getting the book free need to contact Scarbrough in the library before the first meeting.

 Scarbrough and Sullivan had the idea for the book club when both heard author Ryan Smithson talk on a panel. Smithson authored the non-fiction book the group will read.

“We’re hoping to have Smithson speak to our group in April,” Scarbrough said.

 Scarbrough said book discussions will mostly be informal.

“I’m very excited about it,” Scarbrough said. “I think it’ll be good.”

Look beyond looks

 

It is over 100 degrees in Albuquerque Sept. 5. The people lined up on the curb fan themselves to try to beat the heat pounding down on them. The shade is a welcome retreat for most of them, and they share food and stories of exploits. Members of the Dir en Grey New Mexico street team make the rounds, handing out pins, telling stories of concerts they have attended and gushing about the times they have met members of the band.

This sounds like a normal scene before a concert, right? Well, apparently that is wrong, because the people waiting on the curb are Gothed out, wearing lace and leather and high-heeled boots. When people would pass by us, they would point, laugh, or make a snarky comment.

Why weren’t we treated in the same manner as people at a pop concert? Because people judge by appearances. Even if that man wearing high-heeled boots and a lacy coat is just as nice, or nicer than a teenage girl at a Miley Cyrus concert, he is treated as a lesser being.

The people sitting around us on that insanely hot curb offered us almost everything they had, even stories about the Dir en Grey and Apocalyptica concerts they had been to before. They offered us sushi, soba, udon and Dr. Pepper, simply because we were sitting there with them.

And yet, people driving by stared or pointed. Some even went so far as to outright insult us or laugh at us or throw things simply because of how we looked. But these strong, kind people didn’t let it get to them. They ignored the comments, dodged the things thrown at them, and rarely commented on the insults being thrown their way. Never before have I met such kind, selfless, interesting people.

So the next time you see Goths sitting out in the sun waiting for a concert, do the right thing. Think of them as human beings and show them the same respect you would show to any other person.

 

Scott Pilgrim movie takes the world

“An epic of epic epicness.” This is the slogan of the movie “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” based on the popular comics by Brian Lee O’Malley, and it couldn’t fit more perfectly. From the moment the video game spin of the Universal theme started playing, I knew that the movie was going to live up to all of my expectations.

The movie follows a 23 year old Canadian named Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) who is “between jobs”. He’s part of a band, the Sex Bob-ombs, and has a high school girlfriend, Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). His life seems happy and perfect until he meets and falls for an American girl named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). However, in order for them to be together, Scott has to defeat her seven evil exes, who include a movie star, a vegan bassist, and Japanese twins.

Filled not only with video game action and great special effects, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” also has an amazing soundtrack and truly engaging characters. With songs from Metric, Beck, The Rolling Stones, and various video games, the movie is filled with dynamic sounds and exciting music. The characters are all believable, from Scott’s gay roommate Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin) to my favorite character, the third evil ex and vegan, Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh).

All of the actors look like the characters they play down to a minute detail, which is a great bonus for fans of the comics. The actors also sell the characters’ personalities, truly translating them from the pages of a book to the big screen. Cera is believable as a young adult who struggles with life, Winstead plays the part of Ramona with a good dash of sarcasm, and Jason Schwartzman, who plays the last evil ex Gideon Graves, successfully conveys the evil aura of Graves.

As an added bonus for fans of comic books and video games, some members of the cast are from other comic book movies. For example, Brandon Routh plays the third evil ex. You may know him as the titular character from “Superman Returns.” Chris Evans, who plays the second evil ex Lucas Lee in “Scott Pilgrim,” also played The Human Torch in “Fantastic Four” and its sequel, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.”

Over all, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is a funny, enjoyable movie for not only fans of the comic books, but for anyone who enjoys a bit of nerdy fun. If you want a movie with romance, action, comedy, and a video game feel, then this movie is a must see. This PG-13 movie is still showing in theatres.

Say no to graphic novel adaptations

“The Losers.” “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.” “Captain America.” “Thor.” “Iron Man 2.” Look closely at upcoming movies or ones to be released soon and you’ll find that the vast majority are adaptations of comic books or graphic novels.

Hollywood has had a long history of making movies based on comic books or graphic novels, with some of the most successful being Christopher Nolan’s re-vamp of Batman and the film version of Frank Miller’s Sin City and 300. Some of these movies have stuck closely to the themes of the comic books that spawned them, and some, like 300, even kept the art style of Miller in the movie.

However, there have been movie adaptations of comic books that made me feel like vomiting profusely and then pouring the vomit all over the director’s head. Movies that fall in this category would be X-Men Origins: Wolverine, any Batman movie not directed by Christopher Nolan or Tim Burton, all of the Spider-Man movies, the Fantastic Four movies, and the first Hulk movie.

It seems like every time I look on IMDb or ComingSoon.net, every other blurb about a movie is an adaptation of a popular comic book or an Indie graphic novel. “The Losers” is based on a graphic novel series written by Andy Diggle and illustrated by Jock, and was published by DC Comics imprint Vertigo, which caters to more mature readers. “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is based on an Indie graphic novel series  by Bryan Lee O’Malley. “Iron Man 2,” “Captain America,” and “Thor” are all based on popular Marvel comics, while the upcoming Aquaman and Green Lantern films are based on popular DC comics.

Now, I don’t have a problem with Hollywood making adaptations of comic books. I love being able to see some of my favorite actors play my favorite superheroes. However, what I do have a problem with is the rampant adaptation decay in the movies. Hollywood will often change key points in the story to make it more “accessible” or friendly to the current ideals of society. For example, one of my biggest beefs with the Iron Man movie is the fact that they had Arabs kidnap Tony Stark instead of Viet Cong. Iron Man is an old comic, and I felt that the modernization killed the feel that the original comics exuded.

Another thing movies very rarely capture is the mood that the art captures in comic books. I didn’t enjoy “The Surrogates” as much as I could have, considering it’s one of my favorite graphic novels, because they didn’t capture the gritty feel of the original art. While the graphic novel tended to have more shady, darker tones in the scenery and characters, the movie was more bright, shiny, and futuristic. The movie didn’t feel like The Surrogates to me, and I enjoyed it as a completely separate entity.

So, to sum it all up, seeing a preview for an adaptation of comic books and graphic novels I love is bittersweet. It makes me happy, but it also scares me. Who knows what trash they might grind out for the absolutely profound plots of my comics? I’d rather not find out.

Push for celebrity full of hot air

 

The Heene family of Fort Collins, Colorado crossed that line recently with their elaborate hoax involving their six year old son Falcon and a homemade balloon.

Americans glued their eyes to their televisions Oct. 15, watching with bated breath as a silver balloon floated in the sky. It was reported that a child was stuck in the balloon, and both police and military raced to get the balloon to the ground. The child’s parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, gave tearful comments to the press, expressing fear that their child might be in grave danger.

Then, the balloon finally came to earth, and the truth was revealed. There was no child in the balloon. In an attempt to keep up the hoax, Richard Heene expressed concern that Falcon might have fallen out of the balloon.

However, the gig was up. The Heene’s hoax had been revealed on national TV. Later that night, Falcon was asked why he had hidden in the family’s home while the balloon was in the air.

“You guys said we did it for the show,” the boy said to his father.

Richard Heene still tried to keep the hoax boat afloat, however. He repeatedly denied that they had planned to deceive millions of Americans, even after his wife revealed that they had planned the entire hoax.

We Americans can put up with stars doing stupid things because most of the time, no one is hurt but the star. Nothing, however, will excuse lying to government agencies about the safety of your child in the eyes of the public

Richard and Mayumi Heene are facing several felony charges, including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and attempting to influence a public servant.

You would never see Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan convicted of indecent exposure. The Heenes crossed a very fine line in gaining celebrity, and now they’ll pay for it.