All posts by Kev Brock

I'm a musician, singer/songwriter, blogger, writer, poet, bodybuilder, movie lover, music lover, video gamer, history/political buff, conservative/republican, etc. I like to do a lot of things.
Books

Book Review: “50 Shades of Grey” by E.L. James

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After all the internet buzz about this book, “50 Shades of Grey” by E.L. James, I just had to give it a read for myself. While I refuse to get into details about my personal life and sex life, I would say however, that I do enjoy porn and enjoy reading “erotica” fiction. I just had to give this book a read myself, just out of curiosity. For the past few months, women all over the internet has been going crazy over this book. Saying this book is addicting to them and pretty “steamy”. There are mixed opinions on this book, some say that this book is terribly written. So whose side am I on, the fans or the haters? Sorry, but I’m going to side with the haters on this one and agree that this book was terribly written.

Throughout the entire book, I felt like the book was written by a teenage girl. You know the way a teenage girl talks? Well, that’s how the narrator talks throughout this entire book. The main character, Anastasia Steele, will talk like this throughout most of the book: “Holy Fuck”, “Oh shit”, “Oh no”, etc. You get the deal. The way she wrote Christian Grey was kind of silly as well.

Now let’s talk about the topic of this book of what made it so popular. All the sex and “Bondage”. Was it steamy that some said it was? No. It wasn’t all that steamy, in my opinion. Most of the sex was boring. Maybe like one or two sex scenes in the book were pretty good, but could have been hotter. Plus, most of the sex was all repetitive bullcrap, nothing new going on. I appreciate E.L. James trying to promote “Bondage S & M” (aka, BDSM for short) and trying to get people interested but even the bondage stuff in the book was pretty silly. She did an okay job making the “BDSM” stuff realistic, the written agreement was real, the safewords were real, and the equipment used were real. If you did research on bondage, it can be more disturbing and a little risky than the stuff you’ve read in the novel. I never did any, BDSM. No lie. I don’t think I’ll ever be into it but I’ve read about that stuff on the internet, so I know some stuff about it.

EL James wasn’t the first to bring BDSM into novel fiction. Stephen King did it with his book, “Gerald’s Game”, and Anne Rice did it with the Sleeping Beauty novels. If you’re interested in “erotic” stories and want to read more, “BDSM” fiction, there is plenty of that everywhere. Go to your adult book stores in town that sells porn books, and I’m sure you can find plenty there. Also, if you have good spyware/virus protection, the internet can have better “BDSM” stories too. The point is, forget the overrated “50 Shades of Grey”. Look else where for porn. The one thing that I am impressed with this novel is that it got most women to show that they are interested in sex more than anything. I also respect EL James for trying to bring BDSM, into the mainstream and get more people interested.

With all this being said, this book was okay. Some of it can be entertaining but most of it was boring. I don’t think I’ll bother reading the other two books. Now if Hollywood is planning to do movies on this series, good luck on trying not to get an NC-17 rating, which is going to be kind of hard. I don’t care who plays Anastasia Steele or Christian Grey. This film is going to be a hard movie to make and I’m not sure if they’ll be able to pull it off even with a simple R rating. Thumbs down on “50 Shades”, I wouldn’t recommend it. Yes, I did feel like reading a young adults “Twilight” book.

Kev

movies

Christopher Nolan needs to move on from superhero films at some point, let the man move on already!!!

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So Christopher Nolan made three Batman movies and after that, he wants nothing to do with superhero films whatsoever. Of course, typical Hollywood keeps begging him to do more superhero films. I’m glad he’s not going to make the “Justice League”, movie. Would be cool if he directed it, but I understand he wants to move on after years of making Batman movies. He’s made three Batman movies and that’s enough for him. Like everyone else, I would like him to do more superhero films, don’t get me wrong, but keep in mind, this guy is a film maker himself. He needs to move on to other projects.

I wish people would respect his work outside of the superhero genre. Well, people did respect his work outside of superheroes before, and that film was “Inception”, so it’s close enough. People need to respect more of his work. I’m pretty sure most Batman and “Inception” fans haven’t even seen “Following”, “Memento”, “Insomnia” or “The Prestige”. The man is a master of film making. He still needs to finish the new Superman movie, “Man of Steel”, since he’s producing it. Then he’ll be done after that.

When the “Dark Knight: Rises” comes and goes, don’t worry folks, I’m sure the man will still make amazing movies outside of the superhero genre. The man’s a genius. It’s going to be interesting to see what he’s planning to do next after, “The Dark Knight: Rises”. Will he still do action adventure movies or something different? Christopher doing Batman movies will help his film making to a whole new level. I’ve explained this before, but I don’t mind doing it again, just to help get people to back off on him doing superhero movies. If he doesn’t want to do anymore, that’s his decision.

He’s a writer and storyteller himself, let him tell other stories. Give him a chance, and you will realize that he is way more than just a superhero film maker. Congratulations to Chris on his new star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Well deserved!

Kev

movies, music

Film Review: “Katy Perry: Part of Me”

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Starring: Katy Perry

Directed by: Dan Cutforth

Today, I’ve seen Katy Perry’s documentary film, “Part of Me” in theater, and here is my review.

Plot/Synopsis: The main focus of the film is that it tells the life story of iconic pop star, Katy Perry, who got her shot at fame with her hit song, “I Kissed A Girl”.

I’m a really big Katy Perry fan, and I’m not sure why. She is addicting to me for some weird reason. It’s not just her beautiful looks and her big cleavage. It’s who she is as a person. She has a personality which makes you feel like you’ve already known her for years. Plus, her music rocks. I’m a fan of her music and I’m not ashamed of it either. When I first heard about Katy Perry, I didn’t know much about her before I saw this film. This film has pretty much everything you need to know about, Katy Perry.

She has been largely accused of being a fake manufactured pop star by the industry, but this film wants you to prove that she is the real deal. She did all the work herself. She definitely did not become famous over night. Before her pop star days, she started off being a Christian singer/songwriter. She started off being an acoustic singer/songwriter performing small clubs and cafes before her fame. Before her Katy Perry name, she released a Christian album under her real name, Katy Hudson, back in 2001 before she changed into the pop star that we all love. Since that albums failure, she was inspired by Alanis Morissette, and she wanted to get into the rock & pop genre. So she hooked up with producer, Glen Ballard, to work on an album, but she kept getting dropped from a few different labels including Def Jam Records, Columbia, etc. She finally got one of her songs called, “Simple”, to be included for the, “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” movie. Later on, Katy finally got a record deal with Capitol Records, in which she released her debut album as Katy Perry titled, “One of the Boys”, which was obviously a huge hit. Then she released, “Teenage Dream”, also a hit album. Her fame wasn’t easy as many people claimed it was. It was a difficult road for her to get there too.

The film would show stuff about Katy Perry performing on stage, and they would even show behind the scene stuff on the tour. They would film backstage stuff. The film had interviews with her stage crew, managers, family, etc. Even Russel Brand made a few appearances, of course. Speaking of Russel Brand, they had to bring up his divorce with Katy Perry. The film got pretty emotional and sad, when Katy found out that Russel filed for divorce, and she was heartbroken toward the end of it. It really showed that Katy can be human and real. The film wanted to show people that she really loved, Russel. I believe they also filmed those scenes ’cause Katy wanted to publicly show Russel how heartbroken she was. Remember, Russel was the one who filed divorced on Katy. Katy wanted to stay married to him. Katy crying and being all emotional in the movie seemed like it was real to me (not sure if it was acting).

This is actually one of the best music documentaries I’ve seen. I was pretty surprised by it. The film was heartfelt and it was enjoyable to see. Makes me a fan of Katy Perry even more. I also like her being the Candy Queen. Did you know that her brunette hair is not her real hair? I’m sure everyone knows that, it is actually a wig, of course. The film even showed hair stylists putting the wig on her in her dressing room. Her natural hair is actually, blond. Look it up yourself. This was a pretty inspiring and moving film. I respect Katy Perry even more. She has a lot of haters and doubters, but sooner or later, I think they will have a change of heart with her soon, once they realize that Katy Perry is a special performer and woman. I’m looking forward to all of her upcoming albums. Katy Perry is great.

You don’t have to be a die hard fan to see this film. If you’re curious about her and want to learn more about her and her music, this would be the film to see for everyone.

Score for Katy Perry’s “Part of Me” = **** (4 stars as in “Excellent”)

Kev

Local music

Why it’s a good idea to give out free music and play free shows…

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These days in local music there are too many money hungry musicians, and I can never understand why. A lot of them refuse to give out music for free and some of them won’t play for free at all. I know that we are still in tough economic times and that could explain why, more musicians and bands are becoming more money hungry than ever. So they use music for extra income, other than making money from their regular day jobs. To those that know me well, would know that I don’t obsess with money when it comes to playing music. I’m not looking to get wealthy off of music ’cause that’s not what I do this for. I’m just simply not into music for the money.

I’ve always believed that if people are supporting your music, you should reward them in return by giving them free songs. Plus, you should be willing to play free gigs ’cause it helps save people money after all the gas money they paid on their road trip to come out and see you. I do like performing paid gigs, don’t get me wrong. I’ll take paid gigs sure, but I won’t care if I don’t get paid much out of them. A lot of bands would complain and whine about getting ripped off money wise by venues, when they should have a good attitude and take what they get.

I know that being a musician is hard work, and a lot of musicians think they deserve to get paid after all the hard work and travelling, but you don’t need to be money hungry all the time. Leave your selfish ego at the door. Not being a hungry money musician, will show your true passion for music. That’s pretty much the main reason why I don’t obsess with money in music ’cause I want to show my passion and love for it.

This is another reason why, I will never do this “Kickstarter” program to get my album in the works.

Would I get an album in the works sometime? In fact, I already did in 2006, when I released that 10 song acoustic demo, “Dedication” when I recorded in that professional studio (you can hear that album on my ReverbNation page, that was my first album). I didn’t sell that album to anybody. I just made a bunch of copies and gave it all out to people. I uploaded it for free on the internet.

I will do the same when I do my next internet album, which is going to be a full blown rock n’ roll record.

Again, this is just “local” music, not the major label industry. Which gives the freedom that you can treat your music how you want to being an unsigned artist. It’s your choice if you want to give your songs out or sell them. I just think bands wanting money all the time, is just a bit greedy. Treat your fans with respect by not taking money from their wallets, you’ll earn even more respect from the public.

Kev

Local music

CD Review: Molly Durnin “Run”

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So this singer/songwriter from Upstate New York, Molly Durnin, has finally released her debut album titled, “Run”. I just bought this album from Itunes today. The album has 11 tracks on it, and the songs are like 3 – 5 minutes long. The album was very well recorded, professionally made, and the sound quality is good enough. Molly is the real deal. She’s a true, “Do It Yourself” artist, that knows her stuff. I listened to this album 3 times straight. Didn’t skip any tracks once, and listened to the entire album, all the way through without getting bored. She has great pipes with her singing voice, and that’s what immediately draws you to her music. There’s a mixture of genres on this album. Something for everyone on it. There’s a little bit of rock, blues, country, folk, acoustic, etc. Most of the songs on the album are full band, and there are even electric guitar solos on it as well! Each song is very catchy. There are some of them that will make you want to bop your head up and down all the way through. Her songs can be pretty energetic and tight. She writes songs with heart. So if you’ll ask me what song to recommend you what stands out the most, I would suggest all of them. Not just one song. Every song is excellent. When you listen to this album, she’ll remind you of artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Patsy Cline and Fleetwood Mac, maybe?

She’s a very talented singer/songwriter. I need to see her live soon or maybe even get on a gig with her, sometime in the future. She’s a brilliant artist and one of the best around. I think she’s going to get far in the business.

Check her out, here.

Kev

Local music

Learning music theory, it’s gotta be done!!!

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Yep, I figure it’s time for me to start learning music theory and take it seriously, if I want to be accepted as an actual musician. I’ve been doing a lot of reading about music theory online and through instructional books. It all seems pretty simple. Not that hard as you think! I figure if I want to become a better musician, I would learn it. I thought it would be important to learn before I start thinking about forming a band someday.

Why should I learn it? Well, it would be much easier to explain my songs to other band members like all the chords and notes and stuff. Plus, music theory would help me play better guitar musically, on a professional level. It would help me become a better songwriter as well. I’ve just grown tired of playing basic things, so I need to broaden my horizons to learn more complex stuff.

I am also taking ear training more seriously too. Trying to get better at tuning the guitar by ear and trying to memorize the sound of all 12 keys. If I want to be a full fledged musician, this is what I need to do. I need to become an actual musician, if I want other musicians to play with me. That way I won’t get lost with their playing as well.

It’s gotta be done. It is time to become a real musician here.

Kev

movies

Brock talks about the original, “I Spit On Your Grave” film, and why the film works more than the remake…

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Now that the original 1978 horror film, “I Spit On Your Grave” is now Netflix streamable, the film is still getting a lot of mixed responses to this day. You either love it or you hate it. I watched the original film last Sunday night. I’ve seen both versions. The original and the remake (I have the remake on DVD). While both versions got mixed opinions and Roger Ebert gave both versions negative reviews, I’m about to explain why this film is serious and why it works. While I do like both versions, I like the original a lot more than the remake. The original is a lot more realistic than the remake.

Both films are about this young woman who is a writer who takes a vacation out on her own to a cabin where she can write. Then she is stalked by a gang who works at a gas station nearby, and she was raped by all four of them. Then she goes on a killing spree, getting back at them for revenge. Both versions have similar plots, but the remake has a more modern feeling.

Reading some of the reviews by fans, some say the original movie is too gruesome and out of line. They also say the original mostly concentrated on the rapes throughout most of the film, when the revenge stuff starts toward the end of the film instead. Well, I believe that’s the way the films supposed to be. The film is mostly rapes throughout most of it ’cause they want you to get a clue that something like this can happen in real life. That’s how realistic the movie really is. The film wants to let women know that it’s okay to defend yourself if they’ve been raped. Without the gruesome rapes, and the brutal murders toward the end, the film wouldn’t have worked.

Yes, the film, both versions were going to create controversy in the media. They know the film would get banned by some countries and the media, but whatever it takes to get their point across about something serious. The films would get people angry, but I think that’s the goal with both films. The film’s goal is to bring awareness that women gets raped like this all the time, all over the world. It’s the film makers way of trying to protect women in this world. The film wasn’t made for entertainment purposes at all. I think the film was made as an educational kind of thing. The film wants to gross people out on purpose.

People also slam the original because of it’s bad acting. Well yeah. Of course. A lot of movies from the 70’s had bad acting ’cause that’s how films were back in those days. Older films like that were filmed on a tight budget, so the acting of these films are not going to be perfect. They don’t have to be Oscar worthy acting anyway. Most actors from the 70’s were amateur actors who didn’t have much experience in film, back then. Remember, those days weren’t like today’s movies at all.

It’s interesting how Netflix made the original streamable and it already got a big response. Which is understandable ’cause the title, “I Spit On Your Grave” is an eye catching title that draws people to the film quickly. The girl on the cover helps bring people to the film too. I really liked the original. The big difference between the original and the remake. The remake didn’t have much nudity in it, while the original had nudity throughout the entire film. Plus, I think the girl’s murders against her rapers were better in the original, than the remake.

If you haven’t seen this film yet, check it out if you like a pretty realistic revenge movie. I understand it’s not for everyone, but check it out and give it a try. You’ll find that it’s actually not that bad if you give it a chance, but if you find it too disturbing for your taste, that’s understandable. Like I said, I’m used to the disturbing and gross out material ’cause I’ve been watching this stuff for years. This stuff excites me.

Kev

movies

Happy 66th Birthday to Sylvester Stallone…

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Today is Sylvester Stallone’s 66th birthday. No matter what you think of Sly, love him or hate him, you can’t deny his work ethic. You can’t deny his legacy. He may have had plenty of ups and downs in his career, but I think he is past that now. In his earlier days in his career, his career was slumping terribly. In early 2000’s, Sly released the race car driving film, “Driven” which failed at the box office miserably. Then he made two direct-to-video movies “Avenging Angelo”, and “D-Tox (Eye See You)”. He came close to being like Dolph Lundgren/Van Damme, making direct-to-video movies.

Then in the year 2003, he had a brief comeback to Hollywood mainstream by starring in “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over” as the film’s main villain. The film was a major hit, and that film was partly responsible for helping Sly get his career back on track. After that film, Sly released the direct-to-video film, “Shade” in which he played a character called, the Dean, which also had his best acting skills. Then he took a few year break from films, to do “The Contender” TV show which didn’t last long.

Later on, Sly planned a sixth installment to the Rocky franchise to close out the series. Of course, Sly’s planned, “Rocky 6” film sparked some controversy in the movie industry. I remember MGM, Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff didn’t approve of Sly wanting to do another Rocky, so this led to a long legal battle over this film. Movie fans and even Sly’s fans were skeptical of Sly doing another Rocky ’cause they didn’t think he could do it at this kind of age. Well, guess what? Sly won. He got “Rocky Balboa” made like he dreamed of, and the movie was a success. The movie wasn’t a big hit but it was successful. Few years later, Sly made a fourth installment to “Rambo” which was also successful.

Now, here is Sly with the two “Expendables” films. “Expendables 2” soon to be hitting theaters. You’ve got to admit that what Sly did is pretty impressive. His film career was just about dead in his earlier days. Now he’s a mainstream star again. No matter what you think of “The Expendables”, I just think Sly teaming up with all of these action stars is a good idea. If Sly didn’t do that, I’m sure he would be in a career slump again.

Congratulations and a happy birthday goes out to Sly indeed. He had quite a career ride. I’ve admired this guy for many years. I’ve seen just about all of his films. I usually don’t care to meet celebrities in person but if I could meet Sly in person someday, that would make my dream come true. I hope I do get to meet Sly someday. My hero and inspiration.

Kev

music

Lamb of God finally releases statement about Randy Blythe arrest, also asks the public for legal fund donations…

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The rest of the Lamb of God guys, have been pretty silent for a while about Randy Blythe’s Czech arrest, but today the band finally releases a statement. Read what they have to say, here.

Of course, the band would find him innocent. Randy’s supporters will always find him innocent, no matter the situation. I also find their legal fundraisers for Randy, pretty ridiculous. The other band members are wealthy enough, I’m sure they can afford legal funds themselves.

Kev

Local music

Thought: Hit songs or just music???

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There’s a lot of local bands and solo artists around here, releasing songs in which they call, “Singles” or “Hit Songs”. You see, with my own music, I never called my songs, “Singles” or “Hit Songs”. When some of these “local bands” release so called “singles”, they would make a professional music video along with it and the song would get radio airplay for local radio stations. When I see all of this, I just throw my head back and laugh. Why do I find this all funny? Because this is more evidence that some of these bands are living the rock star fantasy, when this is just local music.

With my own music, I don’t think I’ll ever create a song that would be good for radio airplay. I wouldn’t want my music to be “mainstream” material. Which is one of the reasons why if I ever get a band, I wouldn’t film professional VH1/MTV like videos. I’ve said repeatedly in the past, that I hate music videos. Most of them are garbage and I find it kind of silly that local bands are doing them these days, but they do want they want to do to get themselves out there, it’s just not gonna be my thing.

Sure, I’m gonna release an official album sometime, but I’m not gonna pick three or four songs that would be considered, “singles”, off of it. This is not the major label industry, guys. We’re all unsigned, whether you agree with it or not. Stop taking yourselves so seriously. Just play the music, put it out there and that’s it. Enjoy yourself. I don’t pretend to be a rock star. I’m a guy that loves to play music and that’s the way it should be.

Kev