Rave/ Rant: YouTube

I have this love/ hate relationship with YouTube (YT).

I love the fact that I can watch movie trailers, music videos and matches of Tekken and other games at my leisure. It also has a massive library to watch from as well because nearly everyone uses YT and uploads stuff as well.

I love how it is easy to upload something on YT and I can share it with a friend that lives in Australia without having to send him a raw file over MSN that takes up most of a night. All this is awesome.

On the other hand I hate YT because of it's limitations. WMG and YT still haven't settled their differences so there are no WMG artists on YT... if there music is uploaded, they get taken down straight away. I actually like some of WMG artists so this is frustrating that these two haven't settled their quarrel yet. On top of that, Universal Music Group is awesome with uploading music videos by why don't they allow embedding. I want to share the latest video on my Myspace but I can't because UMG doesn't allow it. Umm... huh? I am giving you free publicity and sharing your artists music with people who might also get interested in it but you don't want me too? How does that make sense?

Don't get me started how you can't upload your own videos with other people music either. I have beaten that horse before and it still annoys me.

And then we have my main beef with YT. The racists, ignorant and down right stupid people who use it to spew their hateful speech. I read all these comments on videos with people just being plain hateful and they are allowed to be because they are hiding under the anomity of the internet. It's digusting and after awhile I stop reading comments all together. I know this isn't YT's fault BUT it really does dampen the experience.

And finally YT is filled with some seriously silly people who don't know how to rate videos and because of that I refuse to allow them to rate my Tekken match videos anymore. People seem to rate videos for dumb reasons, like their favorite character didn't win, or the camera was shaky or something lame like that. Because of that from here on in, all my Tekken match videos I will disable ratings. I given people a chance to rate matches with my first batch of T6 vids and YT audiences failed miserably. Watch the matches, post your opinions that is all.

Well that was fun to get off my chest.

pP

Rain is Coming Down

EDIT: Trailer is no longer available. View it
Here.

This is what me and my wife have been waiting for. The official trailer for Ninja Assassin starring our fave Korean pop star Rain.

The people behind this film gives me reason to look forward to this. We have Rain, Naomi Harris (from Street Kings) and Sho (master ninja of the '80's) Kosugi.

The film is directed by the same guy behind V for Vendetta and produced by the Warchowski Bros. (of Matrix fame). Add Dark Castle (one of my favorite production companies) and I am more then sold.

Trailer looks awesome too with some serious bad ass moments. I can't wait to see this on a big screen. I am also happy to see an Asian star in a Hollywood vehicle that is not Jet Li or Jackie Chan.

November is going to be awesome!!

pP

Funny How Things Work Out

A couple weeks ago I was preparing to write a blog for 'Cloudale' but as I was I got news about Michael Jackson's death. Because of that I changed my post to reflect my thoughts. I always wanted to get back to the original blog I had planned but as always life got in the way.

Now in the quiet moments of Wednesday morning, I can re-visit what I was originally intended on writing.

In my 'Signpost' blog I premiered the 'Cloudale' teaser video. This is the original version and the way I intended it to be seen. However when I went to upload the video on Facebook, they wouldn't allow the video to be upload due to music clearance. So I went back to the storyboard and re-did the trailer with new music. The new music is actually from a game called 'Final Fantasy X' (great game btw) and is actually a very popular track called 'To Zanarkand'. Now here comes a funny story... I did this because I had to have a track that couldn't be music claimed BUT in the end I ended up liking just as much as the original intended version. Funny how that worked out eh? In the end, I am extremely happy with both teasers.

When I get back from my family reunion in Alabamba, I might sit down and actually start writing 'Cloudale' in earnest. The again, life might get in the way again.

pP

Makes Me Wonder

So once again it's that time to update my music on my blog.

Now usually I would go to myflashfetish.com to update as I have since I have started this blog. However some recent changes at that site (including a lot of additional steps and forcing one to use a secondary site called mixpod.com) has left a really bad taste in my mouth. Let it be known that because of these changes I now REFUSE to use that site again. It's a shame because for awhile I relied on it a lot. This is a 'Rant'... myflashfetish/ mixpod.com/ whatever... you have lost some serious patronage.

Fortunately another site (which I will link y'all too) called www.profilepitstop.com has the same set up that myflashfetish used to have so, people this is a 'Rave'... it's great. It user friendly and it doesn't require you to go through the loops unlike a certain site I used to use. Sure the players ain't as fancy but I can deal with that.

So the music itself. This month we have a very diverse mix which is great because that reflects me and my strange taste.

Makes Me Wonder- Maroon 5. One of those songs that is so dang catchy that once you hear it you can't get it out of your mind. I liked this song when it first came out and a couple years later, it is still one of my favorite songs from them.

Faust- Gorillaz. Thanks to my awesome local library (www.lanepl.org) I was able to hear this and many other Gorillaz songs. I really enjoy the dream like quality of it and with a cool title like 'Faust' I couldn't resist using it.

Street Lights- Kanye. A main stay of my music players, this is like the 4th (4TH!!) time I have used a song off 808's and Heartbreak. I really dig the album even tho it's auto tune theme. This song strikes a cord and it fits in well with Makes Me Wonder.

Time for a everything is connected moment... all of these songs are albums that I was able to get from my local library... yep... I need to write a blog about how awesome Lane Public Library is... ahh well next time.

pP

Monster Mash

So I hope you checked out the trailer below. It is the very first Apocryphic Visions/ Fairy Tyme Entertainment co-production. For y'all who are not in the know, Fairy Tyme Entertainment is my wife's company and we now also have a YouTube page which we shall be sharing and uploading videos together. Check it out www.youtube.com/fairytymeent.

We shall still keep our respective pages (www.youtube.com/pigeondrago and www.youtube.com/blackfairy2079) for our own favorites and what nots.

So the actual trailer/ teaser. I have decided to do a Primal Rage combo video using the Genesis/ Megadrive engine. As most people know, the Gen/MD version of 'PR' isn't as flexible as the arcade or later versions of the game but it does have something exclusive to it. That of course is the short-cuts. Yes, in the Gen/MD version if you use a six button controller, you can use the left over buttons (PR is a 4 button game) to peform instant special moves. Using this unlocks a lot more combo potential in the game which I hope to explore and show off.

On top of that, I will also show off the fatalities (including Chao's infamous 'Golden Shower' one) as well as some of the extra eggs. I will also be editing in more 'Cloverfield' and 'Jurassic Park' footage as well.

In all honesty, I don't want to get this video banned and I might be using claimable music so I might put the final product exclusively on Blogger.

Stay tuned... Rage is coming!

pP

Rage: MD/GEN Combo Video Trailer

It is Coming!

Rave: Transformers: RotF

Warning: This rave about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen may contain **SPOILERS**

So me and my brother Larry (technically he is my brother in law but I consider him as much as my brother as my blood brothers are) went and saw what is being called the biggest blockbuster of this summer. LOL if you can not figure out what it is, there really isn't much hope for you. I mean the picture didn't 'slightly' give it away?

I am an 80's child through and through. I love the 80's and part of the reason I love the 80's is because it is filled with good memories, especially watching cartoons as a young kid. One of my favorite shows was Transformers (now called Transformers: Generation One by the marketing people). It was awe inspiring to see these big robots transform into cars and planes and battle it out. Certain character names have been forever etched in my mind and many others. I mean if I say Optimus Prime, you know I am talking about a massive blue, red rig right? Or if I say Starscream, you have visions of a fighter jet with a screachy voice.

Well two years ago, Transformers got the Hollywood treatment and it was a success. Everyone loved it, critics and fans. It was not the Generation One version, sure certain characters had the same names but it was updated to look more current. I had no problem with Bubblebee no longer looking like a beetle and not talking because deep down it was the same loyal Bubblebee I remember from the cartoon.

No surprise, due to the success, they decided to make a sequel. The producer and director, Michael Bay (i.e Mr. Big Explosions) heard the complaints we had. We complained that some of the scenes where the robots fought didn't look right, we complained that we didn't get enough transformers. So in the sequel he addressed our complaints.

He gave us incredibly detailed battles with slow-motion at the right moments to emphasis a big hit (the fight between Optimus and multiple decepticons in the forest is a great example). Transformations went to the next level and looked alot more detailed and we had tons of new robots along with the inclusion of old favorites like Soundwave and Ravage (updated of course).

So he gave us what we wanted. He also gave us more Megan Fox because the fan boys demanded that. So why, oh why, do the critics feel the need to tear this film apart?

Reviewers are pointing out plot holes, what movie does not have some plot holes. You are just nit picking and you know it. Critics are deriding the acting, come on, was it that bad? And now bloggers are having a field day on the Mudflap and Skids, twin robots whom some people are calling racist. Umm WHAT? Why do people see racism where it clearly doesn't exist. Yes, they were using ebonics, yes they acted stupid. Yes, one had a gold tooth BUT since when did these things equal racism? We have tons of stupid kids out there who speak like Mudflap and Skids, Black, White or Asian. They were clearly younger Transformers put into the movie for comedic relief. Racist tho? I feel people who say that are looking in an empty room and saying "that's a mighty nice chair". They are seeing something that does not exist.

So sterotypes yes... and believe you me, I hate sterotypes but racism? I simply do not believe it. I took it with a grain of salt and even laughed and some of there dumb moments.

All in all, see the movie. Make up your own mind. Do not be a sheep and follow the herd. Make up your own mind.

My personal opinion stands (read my opinion, yours may differ but that's what I am encouraging you to do, make your OWN). It was a great Hollywood blockbuster. Filled with explosions, action and some really nice scenes. I did not go in expecting a masterpiece of modern cinema. I wanted to see robots fight it out just like I did when I was young. I went to the movie to be entertained.

And entertained, I was.

pP