THE PATRIOT

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything. My bad. But I haven't been lazy. In fact, I've been working in a new medium, video. I worked up a mock Showtime series title sequence for my motion graphics class. Here's the scoop:

Retired detective sets out across America finding the scum that slipped through the cracks in our crooked legal system. This aged gunslinger uses his police and military background to add a cold and calculated approach to his methods which is mirrored by old school brutal Louisiana justice.
Enter, The Patriot.

 
The Patriot - Title Sequence from LASTDEVIANT on Vimeo.

KEEP NET NEUTRALITY

We just lost Net Neutrality and that super-duper sucks. What is Net Neutrality you say? Watch this short and easy to understand video.... then I can do my little rant.

 

Now keep in mind, nothing will change for consumers this very second, but it will. This is only the beginning too. More regulations will follow now that this big one got through.

The Problems:

1. Everyone gets their Internet from an Internet Service Provider. With net neutrality gone, ISP's can discriminate, favoring their business partners while delaying or blocking websites they don't like. So if AT&T, Cox or some other ISP gets in a pissing match with let's say Facebook or Twitter, they can block it no questions asked.
2. ISP's can charge fat fees to websites that want quick content delivery. This means those long load times will go to poorer sites that can't pay up. No more free websites or indie sites which means even more hardships for small business.
3. An ISP could slow or block all peer-to-peer file sharing, or all online video streaming. So Netflix watchers and BitTorrent users might want to beware. No more cheap (let alone free) video and file streaming. If netflix has to pay more for big bandwidth, then so will you.
4. ISP's will be able to make even more money off their existing customer base. They won't need to improve service or bring broadband to rural areas because they'll be able to keep growing (financially, at least) by charging content providers more for faster delivery and charging customers more for faster access. In all likelihood, this ruling means the problems with America's slow internet will only get worse.

The Internet was designed as an open medium, not to be regulated so fat cat companies can hog bandwidth and charge us commoners an arm and a leg to not have archaic speeds. They have enough damn money. When the net is not free, we will lose the biggest tool to educate and to help keep freedom and truth alive.

Mad yet? I sure hope so damn it. There is still hope so use that motivation! The FCC could reinstate Net Neutrality right now. The Save The Internet site below has all of the info that you need to understand this debate and how to take action.

www.savetheinternet.com

POST BOMBSHELTER SHOW REVIEW

The Bombshelter show went extremely well last Friday and far better than I had expected. For starters, I sold a print of George to Christopher Gulick, a bigger name Wichita based sculpture artist. I also sold four of my shirts and gave away almost 200 stickers. There was a huge turnout with all kinds of people from young to old and every walks of life. The bands were all entertaining and there were plenty of inspiring works to be seen. I met a lot of really rad people! This is the kind of art show/scene that needs to happen more often here in Wichita. Unfortunately, I heard that this is a once a year event.

I actually got filmed doing one of my live screen printed shirts of The Raven all guerilla printing style without a press. The video is a bit long due to the slow drying process of using a heat gun instead of a flash dryer so I'm only in the first 3 minutes. Check it out!



Thanks to my printing helpers that are in this video, Sydney Fish (inking and registration), Joe Moss (screen pressure), Phil Nellis (dryer), and of course Jonathan Clark (videographer).

I also want to send out a massive high five to everyone that came out to support the art and music scene here in Wichita. This place can only kick ass if we make it that way.

IMAGINE DRAGONS: RADIOACTIVE

I've been diggin' this song as of late and the video is fairly humorous too. I mean it has Lou Diamond Phillips in it for Pete's sake, so it has to be awesome!

 

JASON ALDEAN'S 1994 = SHIT

Country has hit an all time low with this turd of a song. All those years of rednecks hatin' on hip-hop and now they want to jock their style? Hillbillies trying to act gangsta. *sigh*

 

THRIFT SHOP THEME SONG

This is my new theme song for the thrift shop hopping that Nicky, I and the kids do on weekly basis. I totally rock old man clothes.

WOODKID - RUN BOY RUN

Woodkid has done it again! This is the second video that he has released and it looks as though it's a series. That's freaking dope as hell. I like the song better in the first one but the video is way more interesting in this newest installment. Just like the first, it's classy, artsy and different. Check it out for yourself:



Every boys fantasy... to have an army of monsters!

PALADIN SAYS DADDY

I know it's just another baby video and everyone thinks their baby needs to be recorded 24/7. I really don't buy into all that. But I had to be a little selfish, cash in a "proud father" token and capture this moment. My son Paladin has said dada a plethora of times but it has always been mainly chattering. This is the first time that he really said daddy, which is then followed by the standard growling that he does so often. Oh and this is just two weeks shy of his first birthday.

Sorry for the video quality. I didn't have the 7D on hand, just my crappy phone.

WOODKID - IRON

This video/song is my newest obsession. Simple, classy, artsy, dope as hell and all set to an epic song in dramatic fashion. I can't stop watching this video, especially on my fat ass HD TV. It looks absolutely gorgeous. Plus my son and daughter are completely enamored with it too. They turn into steely gazed zombie when they see and hear that first flag flapping in the wind.

I would totally put this song in my movie... if I ever get randomly funded to make one that is. I would use it for when the hero takes his first defeat  or maybe even dies. The tears would flow, the drama would be high and the guts would be wrenched. But he would show that even if you can't win, you must always stand your ground and spit in the face of your fears. Oh it would be glorious.

Anyways, check it out and enjoy!

REVIEW: PROMETHEUS

Short (Semi-Spoiler Free) Verdict

Impetuous scientists race to another world to find the beings that made us. But as every Sci-fi junkie knows, aliens rarely play nice and deep space trips always go awry. Predictable and ripe with cliche's but it's still a pretty entertaining space flick. This is a good movie to see at the theaters on a huge screen and extremely loud.

Movie Stars: ★★★★☆

Full Review (SPOILER ALERT)

Ridley Scott, the man behind Aliens, has brought us a prequel to the Alien movies... kind of. But before I get the Alien connections, let me tell you what I found retarded.

My biggest complaint was the cliche and moronic scientists and crew. First of all, they were probably all far too young. Couldn't the insanely rich Weyland corporation afford the best of the best in each field? Then you get to each character individually and there are some serious flaws.

The geologist was a money hungry Neanderthal with tattoos all over his head. This totally makes sense because there are lot's of experts out there that look like they came out of Braveheart.He contributes by mapping out the area yet he still gets lost? The biologist was also a joke. When confronted with a new lifeform, he makes goo-goo noises at it until it attacks him. It reared up like a damn cobra and he wants to pet it?  Worst. Scientist. Ever.

The rest of the crew just bumbled around making rash decisions and acting extremely unprofessional. Sex was rampant and everyone acted like they were on a trip to Hawaii. If I land on a uncharted planet, I'm going to assume everything is hostile and be on point at all times. Plus there was no security personnel on board. The owner of this insanely rich corporation is on the ship and he doesn't even bring a body guard? At least they had the forethought to bring a few flame throwers and guns.

Then you get to the robot David which didn't act like a robot at all. For a cybernetic organism that should have some sort of ingrained safety and scientific protocols built in, it sure did act without regard to itself and others quite often. It kept opening doors before the team was ready and touching potentially infected things. Then it kept smiling all the time, giddily played with the star chart and it dyed it's hair? Sorry Michael Fassbender, you sucked in this role and your character was lame.

Lastly, I want to bitch about the lead chick. She did fine in her role but they had her doing stupid and impossible stuff. Later in the film she has a cesarean to remove a squid baby while completely conscious. Immediately afterward she hops right up, goes running, jumps chasms and even gets slugged in the gut. Even if she could bypass the pain with drugs and sheer willpower, those staples would have ripped out. She would have bled to death in her space suit after her first space jog.

Our creators, The Engineers, were pretty cool though. I like that they never spoke. The only issue that I really had was that they used a freaking flute to start a star ship. That's just stupid. But they looked rad, were pretty bad-ass physically and their suits were cool and that leads me right into my connection with the Aliens movies.

The associations were there, just not exactly like it was in Aliens series. The bacteria pods looked like face-hugger eggs and there mural on the wall looked remarkable like a xenomorph from Aliens. The Engineers ship was almost just like the one they found on LV-426. For those that don't know, LV-426 was the planet where Sigourney Weaver first came into contact with the acid blooded creatures that we all know and love. Even the Engineers suit and control room was damn near identical to the one in Alien. Then of course the Weyland corporation has had their hand in all of the movies.

What I don't get is the bit about the zombie geologist that comes back to attack the ship. Everything else points that we are just hosts for killer creatures. The one infected guy coming back as a mindless juggernaut of death is out of place. Were the Engineers making us the bio-weapon to kill ourselves? Was the xenomorph a miscalculated side-effect? Ridley, get your shit straight.

This was still a very entertaining movie even with it's traditional Hollywood blunders. The effects and sets were awesome. The story wasn't super original and it was a little predictable though I very much enjoyed the whole "Where did we come from?" aspect. This movie just needed some tweaking.

The moral of the story was that dicks beget dicks so whoever made us must be flawed as well. Aliens are just as shitty as we are.

Poster Examination

This poster isn't bad but it doesn't say much. Are we looking for huge statues and if so, is this a futuristic Indiana Jones? I'm a fan of not giving away too much but this needs something else to let us know that it's space or alien related. Even the tag line could be misconstrued that we are searching for our cavemen ancestors. But the poster itself is well designed and looks neat so I have to rate it fairly high.

Poster Stars: ★★★★☆

Trailer Analysis

This trailer was freaking cool. The music was daunting, powerful and creepy. Then they showed enough outer space stuff and action scenes to get you interested yet they didn't reveal any of the aliens themselves. Best of all, they didn't use any stupid voice overs or cheesy lines. High five!

Trailer Stars: ★★★★★

RISE UP

Tom Morello from Rage Agaisnt The Machine rocking with Cypress Hill?!
Now that's bad fucking ass.

PORN AND BEETHOVEN

Today I had an interesting and quite humorous time in my History of Western Music class. As I headed up the stadium seating towards the back, I noticed that the guy all the way to the side had his laptop open. This is normal, but what was playing full screen wasn't. It was porn. Full on raunchy porn!

I'm the only guy behind him and he didn't pay me any mind. I guess I look like someone that wouldn't care, which I don't. But there he sat, headphones on, for the entire class. The best part of it was that we were learning about Beethoven. So as the teacher is loudly blaring Ludwig's 6th symphony, I get to enjoy it to a dirty flesh marathon over a fellow students shoulder.

Definitely a memorable experience.

OLD MAN

This if for all those hard working fathers out there.
Past, present and future... much love.

99 PROBLEMS

So it's twangy rock and the chorus was straight up stolen from Jay-Z but I'm diggin' it.



Now for the dope Jay-Z version!

SEX OR JIZZ

It's Valentine's Day and I expect to hear everyone to be singing this at some point.



or at least this:

GWAR, MANSON AND MY DAUGHTER

My daughter Alexandria had been wanting a boom box (yes, that was in fact what she called it… how dope is that?!) for her room. So she got one of our old CD players to jam out to. Then for the holiday season, Nicky gave her a CD of Christmas music to fit the mood.

This weekend, Nicky and I were working on a mix CD to give to her. Nicky randomly picked some stuff that she might enjoy. I then added songs that I thought she might dig as well, along with ones that I remember her singing or mentioning that she liked. As I was adding my contributions, Alex came over and sat on my lap to help.

Alex picked a couple of Disney songs and the credits theme song to Spongebob, standard kid stuff. We stuck Around the World by Daft Punk and a few other oddities as well. Then she asked if she could have the songs School's Out and This is Halloween. I know she has heard the originals by Alice Cooper and Danny Elfman, but she wanted the harder versions by Gwar and Marilyn Manson. I nearly exploded with glee.

I only mention this because until I moved back to Kansas two years ago, she had only seen me a few weeks out of the year. Her main influence was her mother and my ex and I have completely different tastes in... well... everything. To put it mildly and completely non-derogatory towards her, my ex just likes what the radio or MTV says is popular. Now do you understand my excitement?

So in tribute, here are the videos:

SOPA AND PIPA

In an effort to stop copyright infringement and trademark counterfeiting, congress is trying to make it legal for the U.S. government to block sites and censor what they deem as piracy or piracy related. It's unlimited control and it will no doubt irreparably harm the free greatness that is the internet. If we give them an inch, they will take a mile. Fight for your rights!

If you do anything, at least take 15 seconds to sign the petition Google is hosting. It's on the right side of the page:
Help Google Tell Congress: Don’t censor the Web

Want more info? Go Here:
American Censorship

Check out this video for an explanation:

BLACK SABBATH VS METALLICA VS DUBSTEP

I found a cool song that I wanna share! But let me begin with a little disclaimer since it involves Metallica. I began to lose my love for Metallic beginning with the black album. It was a decent album but not like the metal thrashing goodness that had come before it. Everything after that got worse and worse. Then there's the drama that ensued when they sued their fans and officially ruined Napster... dicks. Frankly, Hetfield and Ulrich are just ass clowns. To give credit where credit is due and previous animosity aside, their first few albums rocked. The song that's mashed up in the video below is from their Master of Puppets album, Disposable Heroes. So I allow myself to enjoy it like the old days. The other half of this mashup is War Pigs from Black Sabbath and as we all know, Ozzy will always rule.

Sorry for the lame one image video, this is for listening purposes only.

Metallic vs Black Sabbath vs Dubstep… GET SOME.

WHITE ROOM

I'm driving in my truck with two girls, both in their twenties. The conversation is light and flowing. Our chatter turns towards the interesting names that some artists give their studios and what we would all name our own. I then proceed to explain why I would name mine "The Station."

ME
"I'm naming mine The Station because the whole thing is completely white. As my brother and I were painting it, the song White Room by Cream popped into my head. We sang it heartily and it just fit! I'm totally going to hang black curtains up too."

GIRLS
(blank stares)

ME
"You know…"
(I begin to sing terribly)
"In the white room, with back curtains, near the station…"

GIRLS
(silence)

ME
You know… Eric Clapton?

GIRL IN BACK SEAT
Yah, I've heard my dad play that.

ME
(awkward laugh)

The awkward moment came and went and the conversation rolled on without a hitch. I just felt like sharing that little bit of sadness.



That song fucking rules.
The End.

MOVIE REVIEW: RUBBER

Short (Semi Spoiler Free) Verdict
A tire that can blow things up with psychokinesis. See where this is heading? Random. That is the point of this movie all the way through. If you enjoy insanity and odd hijinks, this is your flick.
Movie Stars: ★★★★★


Full Review (SPOILER ALERT)
I take such delight in random because order and the traditional is boring. The director starts by setting the mood of random by explaining that every movie has an element of it. The little speech really got me excited to see what oddities were in store. The plot winds back and forth between you watching the film and then you watching spectators watching the film. It's hard to explain but it's quite entertaining. Most of the "audience" either loses interest or gets killed fairly quickly, poking fun at the fickle nature of the regular movie goer. I love that because every time I go to the theater I am always surrounded by morons. Hell, every where I go I'm surrounded by morons… anyways. It doesn't stop there. This movie takes little clever stabs at bad directors, horror movies, actors and the police, just to name a few. Rubber ingeniously spits in the face of Hollywood at every turn all while watching the shenanigans of a naughty super powered tire.

This movie is freaking awesome. I was super entertained from beginning to end. It's well shot with great lighting, angles and scenery. It's so well done yet it retains that indie film feel. The quirky acting fits perfectly with the erratic experience that the whole story is trying to convey. The soundtrack was perfect as well seeing as it was done by Gaspard Auge of Justice and Mr. Oizo. What a combo! I haven't seen a movie this enthralling and giggle inducing in quite some time. Explosions, chaos, nudity, gore... all sewn together with random. I can die happy now.

Poster Examination
The first is the more themed like your typical horror movie poster. Crisp, clean, muted colors, a little over Photoshopped, but it works. It's a freaking tire, which is way better to look at then let's say… Nicholas Cages ugly mug? The second is pretty much an ode to Boris Vallejo and the font reminds me of the Ninja Turtles. This one is also a win. The third and best of the three, is simple and classic. From a design aspect it's perfectly balanced and the use of color is phenomenal. I love it when posters are kept simple. You don't need everything to be all sparkly and full of over Photoshopped actors. High fives all around Rubber graphics team!
Poster Stars: ★★★★★


Trailer Analysis
The trailer is amazing. It shows focuses you on the oddness of a movie revolving around a killer tire and all the insanity that it must portray. This was more than enough to lure me in. It doesn't give away any of the more intellectual aspects as it pertains to the randomness and subtle humor. Even though you see a lot of the action in the trailer, it doesn't spoil the fun of the movie.
Trailer Stars: ★★★★★


This flick and everything related to it gets buckets of thumbs way up, which is no small feat. I had to cut off a few more from the people under my stairs. I should just stop watching movies now and end on a good note.