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Friday, January 27, 2012

MOVIE REVIEW: UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING

UNDERWORLD!!! NO other movie franchise is filled with more over-the-top CGI action, black-latex hotties and (not to mention) vampires on werewolf beat-downs than Underworld...and that's just the way I like it! The newest chapter in the Underworld saga is Underworld: Awakening, the fourth movie in the series, unless you don't count the last one: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009), which was in fact a prequel.
Kate Beckinsale returns as the vampy death-dealer Selene, who has since her last appearance in Underworld: Evolution (2006) been battling Lycans and Vampires alongside her half-vampire/half-werewolf hybrid lover Michael (Scott Speedman). As the epic war between the species continues, humans have finally entered the fray as they endeavor to rid the world of BOTH species in what is called "The Purge". As Selene and Michael attempt to escape, they are suddenly attacked, Michael is presumed dead and Selene is captured and put into cryogenic stasis! 12 years later, Selene is mysteriously freed from the lab and finds a world were vampires are virtually extinct and the last few Lycans are desperate, starving and living underground. While she searches for answers she discovers a mysterious hybrid teenage girl, Eve (India Eisley) who had been experimented on by humans and (SPOILER ALERT!) just happens to be Selene's daughter!!! Selene and Eve then find refuge with one of the last few remaining vampire covens and meet David (Theo James). Soon they are attacked by a new mutant-like version of Lycan, which is twice the size of a normal Lycan and even more powerful. So ultimately, Selene must battle this über-Lycan and try to find what happened to Michael!
Although panned by most critics and moviegoers, many seem to forget that the first Underworld movie did extremely well at the box office, earning over $93 Million in 2003! Although it's sequels earned much less, there is still a very strong fan-base. While many of the gripes and complaints about these movies encompass every aspect of the franchise including acting, special effects, story and even plot (or absence thereof), I find that these movies are not truly given their due credit. Yes, they are extremely over-the-top, filled with melodramatic acting and embellished CGI-enhanced action sequences, but that's why we love them!. They ARE entertaining and while they succeed in not taking themselves too seriously, at least they don't go so far as to parody themselves (yet?). The archetypal themes, especially in the original and even the prequel have this very Shakespearean feel of forbidden love. That, combined with the dark and moody color-schemes and not to mention the vampire and werewolf effects, make it great! I'm not saying it deserves great praise or even Oscar nominations for that matter, but they are perfect examples of a typical Hollywood action movie. They fall in the same vein as the Schwarzenegger films and Die Hard series in the 80's. Everybody loves them, despite how campy and over-the-top they are and that's what makes them fun! If you enjoyed the original Underworld movie and were perhaps a little disappointed by the sequels and prequels, give Underworld: Awakening a chance, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
UNDERWORLD Official Site: http://www.entertheunderworld.com/

Monday, January 23, 2012

2012 YEAR OF THE DRAGON: TOP 12 DRAGONS

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!! http://chinesenewyear2012.net/ 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, and to celebrate CHERNOBOG'S BLOG is counting down the Top 12 Dragons! What would the world be without dragons? No other mythological creature has been so prevalent in so many different cultures all over the world than dragons. While this fact has been attributed to the number of dinosaur fossil sites found all over the world, nevertheless the dragon is an important mythological creature and the most important creature in the Chinese zodiac. While I was born (unfortunately) in the year of the Sheep and/or Goat, characteristically being artistic, indecisive, a worrier, pessimistic, and over-sensitive! The Dragon is strong, self-assured, proud, noble, dignified, and intellectual! There have been so many great dragons in both mythology, literature, movies, and even video games. So, for this Year of the Dragon, CHERNOBOG'S BLOG Proudly Presents The Top 12 Dragons: xiang shou! (Enjoy!)
#12 Toothless (a.k.a. The Night Fury), How To Train Yor Dragon (2010)
#11 Bahamut from Final Fantasy VII (1997) video game and Final Fantasy: Advent Children (2007) animated movie
#10 King Ghidorah from the Godzilla movie series
#9 Deathwing from World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (2010) PC MMORPG
#8 Falkor, The Neverending Story (1984)
#7 Haku, Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2007)
#6 Maleficent in dragon form in Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959)
#5 Draco, Dragonheart (1996)
#4 Taro, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
#3 The Dragon from Beowulf 
#2 The Dragon (a.k.a. Vermithrax Pejorative), Dragonslayer (1981)
#1 Smaug from The Hobbit (1937)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

INFLUENCES: EDGAR ALLAN POE

Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. Even 203 years after his birth he is still a major influence on popular culture. Very few American writers are considered as influential and recognizable except for maybe a handful of writers including Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. As a writer, teacher and lover of literature myself, I hold Poe above all others as both a major influence on my life, my writing and even my own personal philosophy. Having discovered Poe at an early age I was instantly captivated by both his stories and poems. His tales of the macabre, murder, and mystery appealed to me in a very strange way and I craved more. While many people may have their favorite story such as his most famous "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and my personal favorite "The Black Cat" or even his poems like "A Dream Within A Dream", "The Bells" and the popular favorite "The Raven". One poem in particular, although short, appealed to me in a very special way as it reflected much of the same feelings I had felt growing up and even still feel today. The poem was "Alone"...

From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were — I have not seen
As others saw — I could not bring
My passions from a common spring —
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow — I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone —
And all I lov'd — I lov'd alone —
Then — in my childhood — in the dawn
Of a most stormy life — was drawn
From ev'ry depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still —
From the torrent, or the fountain —
From the red cliff of the mountain —
From the sun that 'round me roll'd
In its autumn tint of gold —
From the lightning in the sky
As it pass'd me flying by —
From the thunder, and the storm —
And the cloud that took the form
When the rest of Heaven was blue
Of a demon in my view.


Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849 in Baltimore, Maryland, penniless and alone. Even the cause of his death is a mystery itself. If not for his writings and the efforts of devoted readers, he would not have been remembered. Even today his legacy lives on as new readers discover his work in schools, libraries and on the Internet. His tales have been adapted in movies, animation, comic books and games over the years. His life and works are still celebrated today such as on the anniversary of his birth in Baltimore, Maryland. The Poe House and Museum sponsors the annual Poe Bicentennial, wherein I had the fortunate privilege to experience the 201st Celebration in 2010 (See my past blog entry: 2010 Edgar Allan Poe Bicentennial Birthday Celebration). Although the famous "Poe Toaster", a mysterious figure who would appear at the grave of Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore for over 60 years finally stopped after 2009, the 200th anniversary of his birth, the Poe Society still carries on the tradition of celebrating his birth. This year will see the release of another tribute to Poe in the new movie The Raven starring John Cusack as Poe, in a fictitious story about a serial killer who mimics the murders in Poe's stories. As a devoted Poe fan, I am looking froward to this movie in the hopes it will maybe spark new interest in Poe.

"Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality." - Edgar Allan Poe

Friday, January 13, 2012

TOP 13 "FRIDAY THE 13TH" MOMENTS

It's Friday the 13th!!! As a horror movie fan one of my favorite horror movie killers in the 1980's was Jason Voorhies from the Friday the 13th film franchise. Next to Michael Meyers (Halloween) and Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare On Elm Street), Jason did his bloody best to rack up a body count of countless teenagers during that era and beyond. The main thing I liked about Jason was that originally he was just some misunderstood (although deformed) kid with an overprotective mother (very relatable). Not too overprotective obviously since she left him in the hands of the lusty and distracted, teenage camp counselors, who let him drown in Crystal Lake! Even after 12 movies in the series, including Freddy Vs. Jason (2003) and the 2009 remake with Supernatural's Jared Padalecki; Jason remains one of the best slashers of all time! CHERNOBOG'S BLOG celebrates this Friday the 13th with The TOP 13 FRIDAY THE 13TH MOMENTS! Enjoy...
#13 While Friday the 13th Part III (1982) is probably one of the worst in the series and poorly shot in 3D, the one good kill is where Jason kills one girl with a harpoon-gun, shooting her in the eye...IN 3D!

#12 In Jason X (2002) Jason wakes up in the future and kills Adrienne (Kristi Angus) in a lab by submerging her head in liquid nitrogen, then smashes her frozen face on the counter!

#11 While Friday the 13th Part II (1981) introduced Jason Voorhies as the new killer, we find out very quickly that no one is safe, not even the handicapped! And while it might be in poor taste; the best kill is when Jason kills the guy in the wheelchair with a machete to his face then he rolls down the stairs!

#10 In Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) After a feeble one sided fist-fight with Jason takes one punch and knocks the guys head off, which then falls into a dumpster!

#9 In Freddy Vs. Jason (2003) when Jason kills the guy in the bed: first repeatedly stabbing him with his machete and then folds the bed up, crushing him in an awkward pose!

#8 The ending of Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993), when Jason is dragged down to hell by demonic hands...but then Freddy Krueger's hand pops out!? 10 years after...?

#7 One of the first kills in Friday the 13th (1980) after a brief, lusty romp, Jack (Kevin Bacon) lies back in his cot to smoke a joint when a single drop of blood falls on his face as he looks up, he his held in place by a fast hand from under the bed as an arrow is shoved through his throat!

#6 Jason is resurrected (Frankenstein-like) by a bolt of lightning in Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) while two teenagers are trying to destroy his corpse. He then brutally kills one of them by reaching through his chest and tearing out his heart by hand!

#5 In the reboot of Friday the 13th (2009) Jason kills Trent (Travis Van Winkle) first with his machete in his back and then impales him on the back of a tow-truck as it drives off!

#4 Jason Voorhies defeats Freddy Kreuger in Freddy Vs. Jason (2003) then he emerges victoriously from Crystal Lake with Freddy's severed head in hand! Awesome!

#3 At the end of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman) shaves his head and brutally kills Jason with a machete then proceeds to continually hack away at Jason's body while screaming "DIE!"

#2 At the end of the first Friday the 13th (1980) movie after Jason's mother has killed all of the would-be camp staff except for one, Alice (Adrienne King) seeks refuge on a rowboat in the middle of Crystal Lake. In the morning when the cops arrive and find the survivor on the lake, all seems safe...until a rotting Jason emerges from behind and grabs her! The only reason this scene is not #1 is because IT'S A DREAM!...or is it?

#1 Probably THE best kill in the whole series, which surprisingly ISN'T by Jason or his mother but by the main character Alice in Friday the 13th (1980) when she kills Jason's mother Mrs. Voorhies (Betsy Palmer) by beheading!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Top 12 Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2012 promises to be a BIG year for movies and there is plenty for all of us salivating fanboys, eagerly waiting...so don't hold your breath too long! I hope you are looking forward to many of this movies as much as I am...CHERNOBOG'S BLOG PRESENTS The Top 12 Most Anticipated Movies of 2012: Enjoy!

#12 G.I. Joe: Retaliation - Director Jon M. Chu (Step Up 3D) brings us the sequel to G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (2009), starring Channing Tatum returning as Duke and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Roadblock. http://youtu.be/bSX2oxLdcWA

#11 Underworld: Awakening - Kate Beckinsale returns as the beautiful yet deadly Selene who battles human forces threatening the extinction of both Vampires and Lycans! http://entertheunderworld.com/

#10 Skyfall - Daniel Craig returns for a third time as Agent 007: James Bond, in this action-packed film directed by Sam Mendes (Jarhead). http://www.facebook.com/JamesBond007

#9 World War Z - An adaptation based on the epic zombie novel by Max Brooks (The Zombie Survival Guide) starring Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane. While not much has been released regarding the story it has met with many production problems and fan controversy.

#8 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - Nicholas Cage reprises his role as the fearsome flaming-skull biker Johnny Blaze who battles Blackout (Johnny Whitworth) and The Devil (Ciarán Hinds) who tries to take on human form! http://www.thespiritofvengeance.com/

#7 Resident Evil: Retribution - In the 5th film in the Resident Evil series, Milla Jovovich returns as Alice to battle the evil creations of the Umbrella Corp.! http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/

#6 The Raven - John Cusack stars as Edgar Allan Poe in a historical fiction where the author helps to pursue a serial killer who mimics elements of Poe's stories. http://www.theravenmovie.com/

#5 Prometheus - Director Ridley Scott returns to the universe of the original Alien (1979) film with the story of a team of space explorers who discover clues to the origins of mankind on Earth. Starring Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Noomi Rapace. http://www.prometheus-movie.com/

#4 The Amazing Spider-Man - Director Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer) directs this Marvel movie reboot with Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man! Also featuring Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard! http://www.theamazingspiderman.com/

#3 The Avengers - Director Joss Whedon brings all the of the most powerful Marvel movie heroes together including: Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), along with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansen), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), led by Nick Fury (Samueal L. Jackson) of S.H.I.E.L.D. to battle Loki (Tom Hiddleston). http://marvel.com/avengers_movie

#2 The Dark Knight Rises - When the terrorist leader Bane (Tom Hardy) causes anarchy in Gotham City, it forces Batman (Christian Bale) to return from hiding to protect the city! Also starring Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake. The Dark Knight Rises is supposed to be the third and final chapter in director Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy! http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/

#1 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) returns to the Middle Earth to tell the original Tolkien story that started it all: The Hobbit! Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is recruited by Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a band of dwarfs led by Thorin (Richard Armitage) to reclaim a treasure stolen by the dragon Smaug. Unfortunately fans will have to wait even another year for the end of the story as it has been broken up into two parts, the second There and Back Again to be released in 2013! http://www.thehobbit.com