GOOD CITIZENS DOT COM!

Hey y'all!

So if you haven't already heard, all upcoming Hollywood 2021 stuff will be posted on the brand new GOOD CITIZENS web page.  I will post here when I have finished a new section, but you will have to go to the GOOD CITIZENS site to read it.  Hopefully this will clear up the confusion, and keep things organized.  Part Two is finally completed in full, and is online now!  So get over there and read it!

www.goodcitizens.webs.com

(Insert witty greeting),

BraXteN

NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE

Hey there friends!  Welcome to the new layout of Slick, Chrome, Americana!  I think the new look and feel is much more a reflection of me, and I hope y'all like it too.  Stay tuned for more changes as well!  As I said before, the main focus of the blog will now be my writing.  I hope to have something for everyone to read this Friday (the first part of a short series I have been chewing on for a while).  Thanks for stopping by.

TTFN,

BraXteN 

DESOLATION ROW

Hey everyone, I bet you are all wondering what the new picture up top is all about, and all I can tell you is that I'm working on a whole new format for Slick Chrome Americana.  I will still post about me and what is going on in pop culture and movies and music and stuff, but I will also be including some of my writing.  My plan is to have some sort of short fiction online every week.  Hopefully my first piece will be on by Friday, and by then I will have updated the look of the blog.  Oh and by the way, check out My Chemical Romance's new cover of Bob Dylan's Desolation Row.  You won't regret it.

See ya real soon,

BraXteN

PUT THE PEN TO PAPER, WRITE YOURSELF OUT

Sorry it has been so long guys, I just haven't gotten around to posting.  So anyways, as I was driving my beloved car Jenny to Utah last Saturday, to surrender her to my parents for fear that I might speed my way into another ticket, I realized something: most bands suck at writing lyrics.  This realization came to me as I was listening to The All-American Rejects' new album "When The World Comes Down."  On my first listen, I was instantly drawn to the infectious pop beats and the fluttering vocals, but on two additional run throughs, I realized how boring and generic the lyrics were.  I guess in many ways the heart of a song is in the music itself, but I believe the words complete it.  When all I hear on the radio is the same old stock chatter about similar relationship situations, I lose interest, and it just becomes another song to me.  People give me a hard time about the bands I like, but I listen to them because they know how to write songs.  Bands like Hinder, Nickleback, Plain White Ts, Metro Station, Boys Like Girls, 30 Seconds to Mars, ext. write in a way that I can almost predict the lyrics on a first listen.  I like a band that keeps me guessing, and keeps themselves guessing too.  Thoughts?

Contemplating, not hating,

BraXteN

AND I'LL WHISPER...YES

Ladies and gentlemen, today the long overdrawn Watchmen battle has ended.  Fortunately for all us Watchmen fans out there, we get our movie on its scheduled date (March 6th) and Warner Brothers is paying Fox for us.  The settlement amount agreed upon by Warner and Fox has not yet been released, but it appears as though Fox will be getting a hefty upfront fee, as well as a large chunk of the back end.  In other words, even though Fox will not control any part of distribution, they will be making a large amount of money.  So bittersweet news for Warner, great news for us.  Only something like this could put a smile on my face after the day I've had.

Thanking my lucky stars,

BraXteN

PS:

The music single for Watchmen, a cover song of Bob Dylan's Desolation Row, comes out at the end of this month.  Oh, and guess who made it...yep, My Chemical Romance!

HEATH LEDGER WINS

I am happy to report that the hopes of most sane film viewers came true tonight.  Heath Ledger did indeed win the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor at tonight's ceremony.  The posthumous award was accepted by The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan with a simple, but stirring speech about Ledger's far too short career.  Although it was truly fulfilling to see an incredible actor presented with such a deserved honor, I kept thinking back to the stormy day I learned of his passing.  Heath's performance of The Joker will no doubt be forever cemented in the depths of film history.  Congrats Heath.

What doesn't kill you makes you stranger,

BraXteN

A WATCHMEN UPDATE TO SMILE ABOUT

So as dire as the Fox/ Warner suit over Watchmen has become during the past few months, a settlement between the two companies may be more than just a glimmering hope.  January 20th will ultimately decide the fate of the film as Judge Feess makes his final ruling, but spokesmen from both Fox and Warner have released information hinting at a positive agreement.  Although I am still anxious about the outcome, I personally have faith that money will ultimately save the day.  Fox will get paid a ridiculous amount of money, and Warner will release the film on its scheduled date.  Hopefully this story will have a happy ending, and with any luck, March 6th will stay marked on my calendar.

Knocking on wood,

BraXteN

OH HOW IT'S BEEN SO LONG

Hey there friends,  sorry it's been so long since my last post, I've just been getting settled up here in Rexburg.  This is going to be quick because I am still trying to patch my room together, attempting to make it both a practical and a creative environment.  Anyways a couple of things you should all check out, and a few you should avoid at all costs:

Do go and see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, it may be a little long winded, but the payoff is immense.

Do watch the new Fall Out Boy music video for America's Suitehearts.  The song is great, but the vid is better.

Do get a good start on the new semester.  If the bottom level of a house is built with twinkies and chocodiles, it WILL fall down.

Do not take a job as a model for an art class.  Your neck will never be the same, and you will lose a large chunk of self confidence.

Do not ever miss another exciting edition of Slick, Chrome, Americana...more to come soon.

Keeping it 99% real,

BraXteN

BACK TO THE NORTH

Hey y'all, sorry it has been a couple days since I posted anything, it's been quite a weekend.  Anyways, today I go back up to Rexburg for yet another semester of college fun!  I am not excited for the freezing temperature, nor am I excited for the dull people or nearly retarded police force, but I am excited to be on my own again (at least for a few months).  Stay tuned for some updated movie reviews and other current events stuff once I am comfortably moved in.  Which reminds me, what kind of blog is this anyways?  Is it about me?  About movies?  About music?  About nothing?  Well it doesn't really matter, I think I have at most three people who actually read it.  If you are one of those people, thanks.

Wishing you well,

BraXteN

2009 REASONS TO GET OUT OF BED

Welcome to 2009 everybody!  This is going to be a) the last year we have a "double 0" in the middle of our date and b) the last year we get to say "two thousand (insert number)" because next year we will be saying "twenty ten" (which is much cooler in my opinion) - so eat it up people.  Anywho, yesterday I included a list of the best stuff in ol' 2008, so today I have prepared a list of the things to look forward to in 2009.  Enjoy.

MOVIES OF 2009

The Unborn - An actually decent looking horror movie - January 9th

Coraline - A great book, looks to be a great movie - February 6th

Watchmen - My number one film of 2009 - March 6th

Monsters vs Aliens - Looks to be a very charming animated feature - March 27th

17 Again - It has Chandler in it, enough said - April 17th

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Looks to be better than the awful X-Men 3 - May 1st

Star Trek - Never been a fan of the show, but the film looks amazing - May 8th

Angels and Demons - Hopefully better than DaVinci Code - May 15th

Bruno - Remember Borat?  This is the same thing with a new, funnier character - May 15th

Terminator Salvation - The start of a new Terminator trilogy - May 22nd

Up - The next Pixar film, looks hilarious - May 29th

Land of the Lost - A film adaptation of the old TV show, should be really funny - June 5th

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - The sequel to the surprise Blockbuster - June 26th

I Love You Beth Cooper - I've actually seen this movie (testing screening) I highly recommend it - July 10th

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - It's Harry Potter, what more can you ask for? - July 17th

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - From what I've seen, looks to be a fun action movie - August 7th

9 - A new animated picture from the mind of Tim Burton, looks interesting - September 9th

Where the Wild Things Are - This film has had its ups and downs, but is finally being released - October 16th

The Wolfman - From what I've seen, I am intrigued - November 6th

Sherlock Holmes - A hilarious take on the famous detective starring Robert Downey Jr. -November 20th

Avatar - A new Sci-Fi epic from the director of Titanic - December 18th

The Princess and the Frog - Disney's return to traditional animation - December 25th

MUSIC OF 2009 (A little too early to know exactly what is coming out this year)

Expect new albums from...

Muse

My Chemical Romance

Panic At The Disco

U2

Aerosmith

Ringin' in the new year,

BraXteN

BURN THOSE CALENDARS BABY

TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2008

1) The Dark Knight - An obvious choice but with good reason - 96/100

2) The Fall - A beautiful, nearly perfect independent film that nobody saw - 92/100

3) Pineapple Express - A surprisingly heartwarming comedy with non-stop laughs - 88/100

4) Iron Man - Perhaps unfairly eclipsed by Batman.  Both cerebral and action packed - 88/100

5) Wall-E - One of Pixar's best.  These robots have more humanity in them than most actors - 88/100

6) City of Ember - Poorly advertised, but an extremely accomplished adaptation - 85/100

7) Australia - A little too long, but a scorching epic from an amazing director - 83/100

8) Baby Mama - For some reason, I loved this movie - 80/100

9) Forgetting Sarah Marshall - Yep, another comedy, we had some great ones in '08 - 80/100

10) Bolt - Disney is back!  Bolt holds his own against even his Pixar cousins - 80/100

THE 5 WORST MOVIES OF 2008

Jumper - Come on!  Who keeps giving Anakin acting gigs? - 20/100

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D - Three dimensions of terrible - 18/100

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Cardboard, that's all I have to say about this film - 15/100

Twilight - The book was bad, the film was worse, and the fangirls keep drooling for more - 30/100

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - This one should have stayed in the tomb - 15/100

TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2008

1) Pretty. Odd. (Panic At The Disco) - Haters be silenced, Panic is here to stay.  I'm not the only one who thinks this, read the reviews people - 95/100

2) Day & Age (The Killers) - Although not quite what it should have been, The Killers prove once again how catchy their songs can be - 90/100

3) Razia's Shadow (Forgive Durden) - This epic musical comes from out of nowhere to be the surprise entry on my playlist - 82/100

4) Folie a Duex (Fall Out Boy) - Although Pete Wentz continues to make my list of most irritating people of they year, the skill of this record cannot be denied - 80/100

5) One of the Boys (Katy Perry) - Miss Perry is no one hit wonder.  This album is sugar coated hit after sugar coated hit - 80/100

BEST SONGS OF 2008

1) Human - The Killers

2) Nine In The Afternoon - Panic At The Disco

3) I Can't Stay - The Killers

4) What A Catch, Donnie - Fall Out Boy

5) The Exit - Forgive Durden

6) Love Lockdown - Kanye West

7) If You Can Afford Me - Katy Perry

8) Spiralling - Keane

9) Paper Planes - MIA

10) No Vacancy - Breathe Carolina

WORST SONGS OF 2008

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Right Now (Na Na Na) - Akon

Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis

Love In This Club - Usher

Shake It - Metro Station

Bye bye 08

BraXteN

WATCHMEN UPDATE

So earlier today when I posted my thoughts on the Warner, Fox death match over Watchmen, I took a more calm and collected approach.  Unfortunately, today brought more bad news from the front lines.  Ladies and gentlemen, time to panic.  Fox went on the record this morning to say that they actually intend to fight for a push back on the release date.  Is this just a dirty ploy to pressure WB into a sloppy negotiation, or have Fox executives actually lost their marbles?  Interestingly enough, Warner seems to have no intention of backing down.  For the first time since the whole fiasco began, I am actually beginning to worry as to weather or not we will be getting to see Watchmen on its intended release date.  My hopes are that these threats are just nasty business weapons, but whatever the two production giants have in mind, a big can of worms just clunked open.  Stay tuned for updates.

Keeping the faith

BraXteN

WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?

...Well maybe nobody.  It isn't likely that the upcoming Watchmen film, an adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore, will be shelved forever, but its future is quite uncertain.  Fox studios, notorious for a recent slew of severely bad films, has just won its slimy lawsuit against Warner Brothers (the studio originally distributing the picture).  Fox claimed that they still had ownership over the rights to a Watchmen adaptation (even after a failed attempt at one themselves.)  Through some extremely unfortunate miscommunications, Warner Brothers never completely gained the rights, and judge Gary Allen has ruled that Fox has won the film's distribution.  Although complete details are still scarce, it looks like the long running legal battle of almost a year has finally ended.

So what does this mean for our dark, brooding bunch of costumed heroes?  Well nothing as drastic as most fanboys are dreading.  Although the dastardly Fox Studios will now control some sort of distribution, that doesn't mean they will have any sort of creative control over the finished reel.  More likely, Warner Brothers will end up paying through the nose to keep complete ownership of the picture, and Fox will be making a bunch of money for doing nothing.  We will probably also be seeing Fox's outdated "Twentieth Century" logo on the finished product.  Although I have absolutely no respect left for Fox, the outcome will be no skin off my teeth.  Warner will do whatever it takes to keep the release on schedule, and Fox will probably never even enter the cutting room floor.  I will be watching the Watchmen on March 6th, and you should be too.  Oh, and don't worry, Fox will get what's coming to them, it's karma (AKA a bunch of terrible movies that don't make jack squat in theaters).

Don't go changin'

BraXteN

A SNEAK ATTACK IN THE NIGHT

So I am in about the fourth month of periodically working on my first attempt at a full length novel tentatively titled Camisado.  I won't divulge any plot points or anything like that, but I will say that I am almost ready to actually start writing.  I originally hoped to just bust out a story from mind to fingers to computer, but after a few weeks of delete button mashing, I realized the need for a more in depth planning process.  So now that I feel pretty confident in my character development, shock and awe, and all around literary oomph, I can finally begin to see the fruits of my labor.  Stay tuned for actual updates on the writing process.

Later

BraXteN

MOVIE REVIEW #1: "THE SPIRIT"

For my first online movie review, I have chosen a new release that isn't very cut and dry in terms of how "good" it is.  Where the film succeeds is where it also fails.  Director Frank Miller (Sin City) relies almost too heavily on his trademark pulp imagery and stark visuals.  While The Spirt is one of the better looking holiday releases, it fails to grip even its intended audience of comic lovers and noir fanatics.  While the actors do their best to translate each character from comic panel to screen, the laughable dialogue quickly takes the film from campy to absurd.  The one exception may be the usually predictable Samuel L. Jackson, who seems to be genuinely enjoying himself as the demented Octopus.  The nature of Jackson's character allows him to use the ridiculous script as a catalyst for many surprisingly funny moments.  This may be one of Jackson's best roles to date.

 

So is The Spirit worth the price of admission?  Well, it depends on who you are.  If you are able to keep your tongue nestled comfortably in your cheek for the duration of a 103 minute running time then yes.  If you are looking for a cerebral super hero/ action flick in the realm of Iron Man and The Dark Knight, then a thousand times no.  As first and foremost a comic writer himself, newbie director Frank Miller makes the mistake of attempting to re-imagine Will Eisner's Spirit in full Sin City garb.  Although a slick piece of cinematography, The Spirit doesn't really know what kind of movie it wants to be, and ends up becoming a beautiful, pulpy mess.  I liked it, I didn't love it.  However, if you are just a casual movie goer, stay home and let this spirit float away to DVD.

54/100

THE SPIRIT: Starring Gabriel Macht, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson - Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of stylized violence and action, some sexual content and brief nudity. - Running Time: 103 minutes - December 25th, 2008 - Lionsgate

CHRISTMAS PAST

And so another Christmas comes and goes, how was yours?  Mine was pretty great!  I got everything I wanted and more, plus I was fortunate enough to just hang and relax with my fam.  The only draw back to my yuletide festivities, my Facebook account got hacked.  Yep, some jerk had the nerve to hack into my account on Christmas day, simply to advertise some weird photo website.  I don't necessarily feel violated in any way, it was just a pain to inform my friends of the imposter.  Well no harm done, just be thankful your life isn't so meaningless that you have to geek your way into someone else's business.  Until next year Santa.

To all a good night

BraXteN

CHRISTMAS MUSIC FOR THOSE WHO HATE CHRISTMAS MUSIC

I hate Christmas music.  Maybe it is the total overload of holiday cheer on the airwaves this time of year, but I just can't stand the constant reminder of the impending 25th. (about a half hour away now) There are really only a few xmas songs, but they are repeated over and over with various artists taking a crack at holiday jams, beating dead horses with oversized candy canes.  So for those of you like me (with maybe just a little Scrooge in your veins) here are three ORIGINAL Christmas songs by one of my favorite bands The Killers...

1.  A Great Big Sled

2.  Don't Shoot Me Santa

3.  Joseph, Better You Than Me

Enjoy my little elves, MERRY CHRISTMAS

BraXteN

WELCOME TO THE BLOG

It seems like everyone and their dog has a blog these days, so as an aspiring writer, I thought I'd spill some of my brain fluids on the web.  So ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Slick, Chrome, Americana: a place where I can parade the illusion that what I have to say actually matters.

BraXteN