Book Review: THE TWELVE

THE TWELVE: Sequel to The Passage (big spoilers for the first book after the jump)
Genre: Fiction - Post-Apocalyptic - Vampire

Tune of the week: KREWELLA

This week features an act I've been listening to for awhile now called KREWELLA, an electronic group that incorporates elements of dubstep, hard electro, and even some progressive house.  Accompanying the thunderous beats are sexy vocals by the two ladies of the group. They add in elements of pop at times, but my favorite tracks are those that just pour on the bass.  Here is the title track off their EP, "Play Hard", that showcases all of their different flavors at various points in the song:


If this suits you, check out "Come & Get It" (intensely upbeat yet still smooth) and "Killin' It" (a dubstep banger).  "Alive" (more pop sounding) is also very good.  I love how the silky vocals balance out the sometimes harsh sounding drops.  Excellent.   Lastly, here's an hour long mix (the third that they have released) available for free download that proves they are also awesome DJs.  Can't wait to see them live, hopefully sometime soon!

Movie Review: Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies (IMDb score: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes 78% Fresh)
Writer and Director: Jonathan Levine (50/50)
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer


Based on the novel written by Isaac Marion, this romantic comedy features an unusual protagonist: a zombie.  The film opens by following the zombie, soon to be called R, around as he shuffles aimlessly in an abandoned airport.  He makes amusing observations about the zombie life, and is frustrated about his lack of connection with his fellow brain eaters.  Soon he encounters a human woman, and instead of eating her brings her back to the airport.  Then changes start happening which could affect the entire world. (continues after the jump) 

Movie Review: Side Effects

Side Effects (IMDb score: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes 86% fresh)
Director: Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike, Contagion, Traffic, Ocean's Eleven Series)
Writer: Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum, Contagion)
Cast: Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones



Soderbergh has claimed this will be the last film he will direct, and if that's true (please no!!) this is a fine way to go out.  Filled with suspense and intrigue, this is a film that has a LOT going on beneath the surface.  I went into it knowing very little about it, and I would advise you to do the same if you plan on seeing it.  This is another movie that intrigues me as a psychology major, as there is a heavy focus on depression, the drugs that millions take to cope with this disease, and the impact they have on their lives.  The tone is eerie and captivating, and as the tension mounted my attention never wandered, which is rare during January, a month usually bereft of high quality cinema.  (continues after the jump)

Movie Review: Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (IMDb score: 6.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 15% fresh)
Director and Writer: Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow);
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen


The first movie I saw with a 2013 release date, Hansel and Gretel is in many ways a mess.  The dialogue is cringe worthy, there's minimal character development, and the gore/blood effects are comical.  However, my earliest fear in life?  WITCHES.  So seeing these BAMFs get shot, stabbed, beat up, burned alive, etc. was cathartic for me.  I loved it, because these old hags don't go down without a fight.  There is plenty of action, in the form of hand to hand combat as well as numerous chase scenes.   The movie opens with the actual Hansel and Gretel tale, with a few alterations, and the rest of the story takes place 15 years after. (continues after the jump)

#1 - We Can Be Heroes, Just for One Day

1 – THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER: Another timely release for me personally, as I am not far removed from graduating college.  This left me reflecting a great deal on my life so far, and left me appreciating just how important my time in high school was.  It has also been a period of transition, and the main character Charlie is undergoing a huge one as he begins his 9^th grade journey.  Charlie is utterly alone, with some serious emotional distance between himself and others around him after his best friend committed suicide.  This loneliness leads him to befriend an enthusiastic slacker senior Patrick and his friend Sam (Emma Watson).  They decide to take Charlie under their wing, and suddenly he has a life worth living, partly through his deep infatuation with Sam. (continues after the jump)

#2 - Forever Trust In Who We Are

2 – ZERO DARK THIRTY: Perhaps the most controversial film of the year because of its depiction of torture and its suggestion that torture was vital in finding Osama Bin Laden, this will stand the test of time as the definitive take on The War on Terror.  At least the early years of it, because I see no end in sight.  From the opening, bone-chilling 9/11 representation, the movie spans the last decade as the CIA did what it thought was necessary to protect the US and carry out the largest manhunt in history.  Except, as the movie shows, they didn’t do a particularly good job in those early years, as terrorists continued to brazenly attack Western nations.  Meanwhile, the CIA did some pretty horrific things to helpless captives, and you can justify it however you want.  In my view, it’s simply immoral, and it’s very interesting to see how the politics changed as time passed.  To each their own on this one.  (continues after the jump)