ABDC (FW)

MTV has been known for having some of the most questionable shows ever. From 16 and Pregnant, to Teen Mom, and of course Jersey Shore, it is a huge wave of reality TV shows that make us say after its over "what did I just watch?" I've never really been that interested in MTV, as I'm not really interested in reality shows. However, there was one show that caught my attention last year, and it has held my attention since. I'm talking about America's Best Dance Crew.

I know some of you might be thinking "really, a dance competition show. Isn't there a hundred others?" While there may be a bunch of different dance shows, this one is completely different. These crews all dance to some form of hip hop and are given very unique challenges each week, with everyone trying to win the 100,000 cash prize and be crowned "America's Best Dance Crew."

 

There are so many reasons why I like this show so much. One of them is the amazing music. The songs are cut and shortened into one minute "Master Mixes" with amazing beats that make you want to dance. I also found that the theme for each week was very creative, and the challenges were completely unique and difficult at times, making people wonder how they were going to pull them off on stage. However, the main reason that I like this show are the insane performances pulled off by the crews. You think that it would just be perfect choreography with some tricks, but the stunts and performances they pull off would put every single Mock Rock we have done to shame. That's something considering the most they get to dance is between 1 and 2 minutes.

 

Unfortunately, I got into ABDC right when MTV cancelled it, so that's a little bit of a let down. However, the I was still able to watch all seven of the seasons online and every performance blew me away. One crew in particular captured my attention each week with their high flying stunts and mind-blowing tricks; Season 3 Winners Quest Crew. Their Last Chance Challenge performance to hook the voters left me only saying "Wow." If people don't understand why I admire them so much, watch the video below, it'll make everything clear. (I apologize for the crappy quality).

                                     

While I'm disappointed that its gone, I'm glad that it was here and that it was able to supply me with great music and amazing dancing.

Review of Gravity (IR)

Recently, I saw the movie Gravity and it was, without a doubt, spectacular. The story is pretty straightforward, two astronauts (Bullock and Clooney) are stranded in space and are trying to get home, but what was really amazing about this film in my opinion was the way you could feel the emotions coming from Bullock and Clooney without ever actually seeing their faces. This movie was incredible not just because of the acting, but because it was able to elicit so much pathos from just two characters. Except for some voices and dead bodies, the only interactions in the whole movie were between Ryan(Bullock)and Kowalski(Clooney).



I decided that I wanted to see how other people thought of the film, and the review I found mirrors my own. The special effects used in the movie were unreal and at times it felt like you were actually up in space, experiencing it with them. It also is able to capture the audience's attention with its realistic feel. Obviously, what happened in the movie didn't happen in real life, but it makes people think that it could happen, which is not only interesting, it is also chilling. Something like this could actually happen and hardly anyone would ever know about it.

While this reviewer saw the film in 3D, I unfortunately did not and I'm now regretting that decision. It would have been amazing in 3D, seeing all the debris flying at me. However, even though I didn't see it in 3D, it was still unbelievable. The story in itself is amazing and at the end of the film, there is a little bit of symbolism when Ryan gets out of the space suit. Overall, this movie was fantastic and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in it.
Link to Review: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20483133_20721919,00.html

Game of the Century (CM)

One of the greatest breakthroughs in entertainment and technology was the invention of video games. It began with Pong, a simple tennis like game that began the age of gaming. As time moved on, games began to evolve and they began to go from a simple game like Pong, to games with a story like Super Mario and Donkey Kong. Throughout history, video games have gotten better in graphics and game play. Today, there are an uncountable amount of games, all representing the best of their time and many are called the greatest game ever. However, that title is reserved for one game and one game only, the masterpiece released by Naughty Dog in mid 2013; The Last of Us.



It tells the story of Joel and Ellie, two survivors living in a post apocalyptic world. A strain from a fungus mutated the population and turned them into zombie like creatures that destroyed the world.

The last of the population is living under martial law with a group called the Fireflies trying to restore the government. To call this game great is insulting; this game is incredible. The story line is interesting alone, but everything the game does is amazing. The graphics are great and the sound quality is amazing. The gameplay is great too, allowing the player to construct various tools to use in situations like shivs and medical kits. But what's truly amazing about this game is how its told. It actually feels like you're watching a movie rather than a cut scene. The work with sound is also incredible, as it allows the player to almost feel the emotions from the characters. The prologue has elements that makes you feel like you're watching a movie and the emotion felt almost made myself cry.

 

I'm not saying that there isn't great fight scenes or guns in this game, there is. But that doesn't make a game great. To me, a game is great when it has an amazing story and gameplay. This game redefines amazing story with its incredible voice acting, characterization, and writing. I haven't even beaten the game, yet it was able to gain my respect and admiration for it in just 1 hour. This is by far the greatest game ever and I doubt that there is anything that will top it in the future.

 



 

The Greatest Movie Ever: The Godfather (CM)

Yes, this is a post about entertainment again. This will probably be a regular thing for me as I am very interested in TV and movies.

Movies are considered one of the greatest innovations in modern culture. When film was first shown, it set the standard for future inventions, like the television. During World War II, people went to movies mainly for news, as this was the only outlet at the time. However, as the world move forward in 20th century, film began to change and in the 1970s, one film came out that redefined movies altogether. This film centered on the affects of organized crime not just on America, but on the Mob family also. This masterpiece was The Godfather.

The movie mainly focuses on Don Corleone, the head of the Corleone family, and also his son Michael as he enters into the world of organized crime. The plot from this film was amazing by itself, but there was so much more about this movie that made it amazing. It actually looked at a crime family from the inside, depicting their lives and it showed that they weren't monsters like people thought, but actually a modern family. It depicted Don Corleone as an Anti-Hero, a criminal who wouldn't hesitate to kill someone, but was compassionate for his family. The emotion felt by him for his family is breathtaking.

This film goes down as one of the greatest because of its impact on the world. It shed light on a dark time in American history and made it amazing. The acting was also amazing, with Marlon Brando's performance winning him the Oscar. It also set a standard for future films with it amazing acting and writing. What makes it so amazing was that it was so member able, with lines like, "I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse" going down in history as one of the most famous quotes of all time. This film also set the standard for future shows and films about crime, like The Sopranos and Goodfellas.

Overall, this movie was incredible just from everything. From the acting, to the plot, and even to the score, this movie brought everything to perfection. There may be amazing movies in the future, but none will have more of an impact than The Godfather did on America.