Star Wars Episode 7 in 2015

Don’t you hate when a television or movie series changes actors mid-way through? Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire changed the character of Vivian after 4 seasons and the show lost part of its appeal in my eyes. Well then you will be happy to hear that Episode 7 of the Star Wars series is looking at bringing back original actors Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fischer as Princess Leia, and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. The Huffington post talks about the likelihood of the actors’ return and ponders the question of who should direct? The film will be released in 2015, and Lucas, has already stated that he wants Episode 7 to be a part of a new trilogy, which would include an Episode 8 and 9.

Daniel Day-Lewis shines as Lincoln

In Steven Spielberg’s latest film, we get to see into a few months of president Abraham Lincoln’s life right before he died. The film has a great cast and is magnificently shot, with Daniel Day-Lewis playing the lead role of the astute Abraham Lincoln. According to Entertainment Weekly, Day-Lewis’s perform is absolutely spot-on and his resemblance to president Lincoln is remarkable.

Skillex spins his way to the bank

If I started talking about Sonny John Moore, most people who ask “Who?” But if I referred to him as his stage name, Skillex, then they might know who I was talking about. Moore, a very successful DJ, started performing under the name Skillex in 2010 and has rapidly gained popularity since then. Doing live shows is what brings in the dough and Skrillex is never short of that, hauling his turntables and pounding bass everywhere he goes. In an article about the $15 million DJ, Forbes magazine talks with Moore about his success.

Super 8 is reminiscent of E.T.

This past weekend I watched J.J. Abrams latest film “Super 8” which is available to watch instantly on Netflix and I was very impressed. The ability of the young actors blew me away and the entire film was reminiscent of E.T., which makes perfect sense because Spielberg was the Producer. There have been a lot of alien invasion movies, but I think this movie elevates itself above other alien movies because of the quality of the filming. MTV furthers explains the complexity of the movie in one of their reviews. The way the camera moves around the actors, by dolly or crane, in many of the shots is so well timed and coordinated, it blows my mind. The overwhelming emotional effect created by the perfect combination of subtle camera moves, music, and great acting is something every great film aims to do; and that is exactly what this film accomplishes throughout.

Phillip Phillips proves why he won American Idol

American Idol season 11 winner Phillip Phillips has wasted no time since winning the competition. His first full-length album, The World from the side of the Moon, is set for release on iTunes on November 19th. I was a big fan of his hit single “Home”, which is still no. 9 on the iTunes Store’s top ten most downloaded songs, but I wondered if it was going to be just another one-hit-wonder. Well, after listening to all of the one minute previews for each song on his new album, I have concluded that this kid has some serious talent, and he even wrote all but three songs on the album himself. In a world of lip-syncing pop icons, it is refreshing to see a musician with such raw talent and a great voice/style that reminds me of one of my favorite musicians, John Butler. It turns out that John Butler is one of Phillip Phillips’ favorite musicians as well … imagine that. This might be one of the best debut albums ever! Check it out and pre-order on the iTunes store.

Free Song on iTunes is actually good

I don’t know if everyone knows this or not, but every week the iTunes store releases one free song for download, and most of the time the song sucks. Last week, however, I was awestruck at how good the free song of the week was. I downloaded it right before leaving for class and I had it playing on repeat all day … yeah, it was that good. Although it is not free for download anymore, “San Fransisco” by the Mowgli’s is available on the iTunes store and it’s definitely worth the $1.29 it costs. It’s one of those song you can’t stop singing along with and makes you want to get up and dance. The song is off their new album “Love’s Not Dead”, which I haven’t checked out yet, but it’s also available on iTunes if your interested.

Pixar does it again with ‘Brave’

This past weekend, I ventured out to the movie theaters with my family (and succumbed to the overpriced popcorn and drinks) to see the newest Pixar movie, “Brave.” I am a huge fan of Pixar movies and haven’t missed one yet so I had to see if this one lived up to the others, and I was not let down. The main character, Merida, is a badass with a bow and a fiery mane of red hair, not too mention the most authentic and appealing Scottish accent. In this revealing post, Entertainment Weekly reviews the animated movie ‘Brave’ and rates the movie. This movie was funny, entertaining, relatable and original; fun for all ages.

‘The Campaign’ foreshadows Presidential debates

In light of the presidential debates, I thought it would be a good time to give a shout out to “The Campaign,” starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. This politically spoofy film, directed by Jay Roach, makes fun of political canidates and their corrupt ways. Rolling Stone Magazine reviews “The Campaign“ in one of their recent articles.

Red Hot Chili Peppers re-cap

Currently on tour, the Red Hot Chili Peppers recently stopped to play a show at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, KS, where they were welcomed by an enthusiastic and RHCP-deprived crowd of more than 13,000 people; their last show in KC was during the 2003 By the Way Tour. The funk-rock quartet enthralled the audience with their contagious energy and live antics, as well as a dazzling light show and magically expanding video screens. The Kansas City Star reviews the concert from this past weekend, including a set list and analysis of the show, which I happened to be at.

My friend and I bought tickets at the last minute and drove to Kansas City to meet some friends already going to the show, and boy am I glad we did! I have always wanted to see the RHCP live and it was by far one of the best concerts I have ever been to. At some point the bassist, Flea (who is damn-near a senior citizen; age 50), walked across the entire stage on his hands, flipped over and started playing. I was like, “um ok, that was freakin’ awesome!” The music was incredible too and the light show was out of this world. The Chili Peppers still got it!