Battle of the Pops Semi-Finals

I got so busy with downloading Johnny Entertainment (JE) projects that I totally forgot about Battle of the Pops.  If one of the JE boys were in the battle, I wouldn’t have forgotten it.  IDK, maybe it still depends on which JE group. 

Now, Battle of the Pops is down to four. 

Rain vs. Ayumi Hamasaki  and   Nidjii vs. Jason Mraz.

My friends would definitely pick Jason Mraz. We went to sing karaoke/videoke last Saturday, and my friend Ichi put in mostly Jason Mraz.  I was looking for Arashi’s Happiness, unfortunately, there was none.  No Glamorous Sky by MIka Nakashima either.  Didn’t bother to look for Anna Tsuchiya anymore.  Settle for Utada Hikaru and Laruku.  Music 21, please add more new J-Pop songs.

I was surprised to see Ayumi Hamasaki won over Rihanna.  The last I checked (also voted), Rihanna was winning.  I guess, I can’t underestimate the powers of J-pop fans.  I was also surprised by Nidii’s win.  I’m not familiar with SEA-Music (IDRK — correctly e please) so IDK how popular they really are.  But, I guess, they’re pretty popular. They did win against pretty boyband Farenheit (oh poor cuties).

I think Rain will win against Ayumi. Ahhh … duh, that’s Rain. Nidjii is currently winning against Jason Mraz.  But who knows, the tides might change at the last minute.

Round 4 ends on March 25.

Vote here now!!!

I didn’t vote. I just couldn’t choose.  But I’ll definitely vote in the finals.

Channel [V]: It’s the Battle of the Pop: Asia vs America!

AAAAAAHHHH!!! I missed March 16th’s voting.  But I still have time to vote for March 29th’s face off.   Good thing, almost all of the winners of the 1st round are on my list of votes.  This is so much fun!  Many Asian artists are now breaking out in the pop-culture empire of Hollywood.  It started with Bruce Lee — and continued on until last year with Rain’s co-starring in Speed Racer.  Gackt is already filming his Hollywood debut.  This month, BoA will be r eleasing her first album in the U.S. of A.  I wonder, who will be next.  Hey WEST!  Get ready for an Asian Invasion. Not to mention the numerous Asians included in Dragon Ball the Movie (I still think that’s a riot since the original series is mainly Asian characters now turned into Americans. LOL)

Ok, so I’m over reacting.  How can Asian artists win over Western artists?  Western artists have a bigger market, wider reach and a more universal language.  I mean, I’m into Asian artists and I still have a hard time understanding their Engrish.  I’d rather listen to them in their native language.  And what about those who doesn’t speak English at all?

Who am I kidding?  Whathever language they’re using, Asian invasion is on! AJA-AJA-FIGHTO-OH!  VOTE HERE!

Round 1 is done.  Battle for Round 2.

1.)  Rain vs. Utada Hikaru

Rain (or Bi for all of us) won over Akon.  No contest there.  Bi is a better dancer and has a gorgeous body.  What about the song?  I don’t listen to Rain much (I’m more into boyband songs) but I don’t really like Akon.  So I’ll let my biases take this one.

Utada Hikaru won agains Ne-Yo.  I have a copy of these two’s collaboration.  It was one hellava sons.  But I’ve been Utada’s fan since her “Automatic” days and I continue following her.  But please stop the sexed-up music videos.  That’s not her, even if it’s for the American market.  That’s just plain rude.  Still, no contest for me here.

Rain and Utada are facing off.  Rain is currently on the lead.  I voted for Utada because she’s one I’ve already put on the pedestal.  She’s Japanesey RnB.

2.) Wondergirls vs. Fergie

Wondergirls 100; Pussycat Dolls 35.  Not much of a doll domination, is it?  It really is a wonder, how these sexy-cute girls won over the seductive Dolls. But, I guess, sexy-cute is better than just plain sexy.

It was a close fight between Malaysian Dance-Pop sensation Che’Nelle and Fergie.  Sexy as she might be, Che’Nelle is still a little too fresh to fight against Fergieliciousness.

So it comes down to  Wondergirls vs. Fergie. Though at this point, Fergie and her humps couldn’t compete with 5 sets of humps.

3.)  Rihanna vs. Ayumi Hamasaki

Jolin Tsai is no competition to Rihanna.  Rihanna right now is the hottest act in the world.  While Jolin Tsai may be one of the cutest Taiwanese stars (for me though, top taker is Rainie Yang — I wanna be like her), I believe Rihanna’s music is far sexier and more stimulating.  Not to mention, infectious.  Umbrella is still ringing in my ears.

Ayumi Hamasaki would no doubt win over Gwen Stefani (ah! I made a pun!).  For one,  Ayumi Hamasaki is a real Japanese, while Gwen Stefani has been popularly called  “Wapanese” in the interwebz with her Harajuku girls and Japanses fashion inspired clothing line.  (DISCLAIMER: I am not a wapanese, though I like lolita clothing, anime and J-dramas, my love for anything Asian is not limited to Japanese culture).

Between Rihanna and Ayumi Hamasaki, though, for a moment I thought Ayumi Hamasaki might have a chance.  But with the current votes Rihanna is leading.  I voted for Ayumi Hamasaki just because I like her music more than the over-played Umbrella-ella-ella-ey-ey.  Ey.

4.)  Stefanie Sun vs BoA

Singapore pride Stefanie Sun won against Katy Perry.   I like Katy Perry; she’s perky and weird.  Brattyneelah listens to he, too.  I know nothing about Stefanie Sun.  I don’t get to follow much Singaporean pop culture.  Maybe I should.  Basing it on interwebz info, Stefanie Sun is a bigger star than Katy Perry; at least in every Chinese state.

BoA against Miley Cyrus. WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  Of course BoA will win.  Come on, everything about BoA is better than Miley Cyrus.  Don’t get me wrong, I like Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana.  But  BoA and I, we come a long way.  I actually started listening to K-Pop and started watching Arirang because of BoA.  I take back what I said earlier.  I want to be BoA (only with the looks of Rainie Yang). She’s a total package.  And have you seen her dance?  She’s the sexiest tomboyish girl I’ve ever seen on stage.  I can’t say anything bad against her.

Of course I voted for BoA.  I don’t know anything about Stefanie Sun, so my biases would take over.  I love BoA.  I just hope that the Americans like her, too.  But please, please, PLEASE, stop the sexed-up version.  She sexy enough.  I hate the American video of “Eat You UP”. But I love the Asian version that really shows her dancing skills.  Now that’s hip-hop!

 (Edit: Remoived “P1″ in title because of futility of not putting up a part 2)

Star Trek XI DisIllussion

  So, for the last couple of days, Paramount and JJ Abrams have been releasing statements that NO PICARD OR DATA will be showing up in the movie.  Dissappointment for all three of us guys here at The House of Geeks — but I kinda had the feeling that everything is a conspiracy enfolding before us.

   So as a peace offering here’s the latest Star Trek XI trailer from youtube  — can’t help but love the cockyness of them all.

 Thanks to ImperatorAquila for the clip.  Don’t know him, just borrowing his (or her) stuff.

 Can’t wait to don those uniforms … hehehe …

Public Enemies Poster

  Found another great find and addition to the list of posters I want on my walls.  But because I’m lazy what you’ll be reading below are quotes from other sites.

  The plot is as follows:  (Taken from IMDB — A Universal Pictures marketing release)

The true story of legendary Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger (Depp)the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoovers fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public. No one could stop Dillinger. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyonefrom his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression. But while the adventures of Dillinger’s ganglater including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham)thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw’s capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI. He made Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One. Hoover sent in Purvis, the dashing “Clark Gable of the FBI”. However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis’ men in wild chases and shootouts. Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) who were real gunfighters and orchestrating epic betrayals from the infamous “Lady in Red” to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nittiwere Purvis and the FBI able to close in on Dillinger.

It’s a great movie because:

• Johnny Depp hasn’t made a mistake in his choice of projects (yes, including Ed Wood and Friday the 13th).  I’m fan, and will always be. 
• Christian Bale is once again starring.
• Michael Mann directs it.
• The great ensemble of actors who will be supporting the two main stars:

• Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette: Dillinger’s torch singer girlfriend.
• Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd^[5]: An American bank robber and alleged killer.
• Giovanni Ribisi as Alvin Karpis: A noted criminal in the United States known for his alliance with the Barker gang in the 1930s. He was the last “Public Enemy” to be captured.
• Stephen Dorff as Homer Van Meter: A criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson.
• Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover: The first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States.
• Leelee Sobieski as Polly Hamilton: Dillinger’s final girlfriend, ignorant of his true identity.
• Jason Clarke as John “Red” Hamilton: A Canadian criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of Dillinger.
• John Ortiz as Frank Nitti: Al Capone’s right-hand man and Underboss in the Chicago Outfit.
• David Wenham as Harry Pierpont: A member of Dillinger’s crew.
• Stephen Graham as Baby Face Nelson: He was a bank robber who acquired his moniker, Baby Face Nelson due to his youthful appearance and small stature. After Dillinger’s death in July 1934, Nelson became Public Enemy Number One.
• Richard Short as Samuel P. Cowley: He was the FBI agent who brought down Baby Face Nelson but was mortally wounded in the gunbattle in Barrington, Illinois.
• Christian Stolte as Charles Makley: A known associate of Dillinger’s and who broke him out of prison in 1933. By the end of that year, Makley ranked fourth on Illinois’ list of “public enemies”, behind Dillinger, Pierpont, and Hamilton.
• Stephen Lang as Charles Winstead: He is the leader of the Texas Rangers who join the manhunt for Dillinger and his gang.
• Shawn Hatosy as John Madala: An FBI agent who helped capture Ma Barker.
• Branka Katic as Anna Sage: the infamous “Lady in Red” who was romantically involved with Dillinger at the time of his murder.
• Emilie de Ravin as Anna Patzke: a bank teller who was taken hostage by Dillinger and later released.
• James Russo as Walter Dietrich: a man who Dillinger met while in the Michigan City penitentiary. He taught Dillinger and others “the methods of Herman ‘Baron’ K. Lamm, a Prussian army officer turned highly successful bank robber”.
• Lili Taylor as Sheriff Lillian Holley: Sheriff of Lake County Jail, Crown Point, Indiana, where Dillinger was incarcerated

(Got from Wikipedia)

The story.  The cast.  The director.   Promising.

STAR TREK XI — Possibility of Picard and Data Appearance?

   So Wondercon just wrapped up.  Star Trek XI is already creating the hype.

  I heard from LATINO REVIEW.COM that in one of the comics panel a super secret was revealed by a slip of the tongue.  It was a panel consisting of the writers and artists for the 4-issue comic book prequels to the movie (which I never knew — have to ask Capt. Retcon about this one). What they claim is the movie will start from the cliffhanger ending of the comic books.  The comics started last year.  Trade Paper Backs will be available starting April, but they’ve started accepting reservations already.

So here’s what they said in the site:

“The end of issue 4 is a cliffhanger and is going to continue in the first few minutes of the movie.”

Right after that was said, another writer (or artist) said that part of the movie will take place with the Next Generation cast crew and to look out for that. Another guy on the panel gave him a quick “uh oh” look and smiled.

After that, someone from the audience asked “So are members of the Next Generation cast in the new Trek movie?” to which the same guy replied, “I really cannot say anything about that.”

  Interesting.  Don’t you agree?  While Thor Rentzky (the real Trekkie among us) is sleeping, I’m sure, he’ll be surprised and won’t believe it.  He’d say, “Data died in Nemesis! They killed off a hero!”  

  So as a proof (if you can hear it) … below are youtube vids of the said panel discussion.

 And here’s another one …

But the questions remains … Is this fact or fiction?  Is it true or false?  Is it just our imagination?  Or all these panel thingy a mis-direction planted by the marketing people to appease TNG fans who are already getting ready to make war because the reboot will affect the future of the past Star Trek series?

What do you think?

Terminator Posters

I’m not too excited about the Terminator Salvation movie.  As a kid, we followed it seriously.  But somehow the third installment — Rise of the Machine — left me a little dissapointed.  Surely, everyone loved Kristanna Loken’s kick ass femme killer android.  (beep beep! Claire Danes fans) I’m not so crazy about Claire Dane’s inclusion though.  It’s also a pity that Edward Furlong couldn’t join the cast to reprise his role.  And the Governor’s appearance, seemed to me forgettable (either that or I was to pre-occupied by Kristanna Loken’s hotness burning the theatre).

Christian Bale’s inclusion in the movie is the only one that’s going to bring me to the theatre’s this time.  I’m not really a Bale minion like my two brothers, but I do respect him as an actor — and a really good one at that.  McG is a good director, but it’s James Cameron who makes this one a cult classic worthy.

So like any other movie, the posters excite me.  And this one, I could definitely say is worth a glass frae of its own.  Especially the single image of the terminator robot — or whatever you call it.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Countdown

March is already upon us.  People are already counting down the days to their favorite highly publicized movies.  I, certainl, am one of them.

I’ve read the novels — all seven of them and one supplementary about mythical creatures — and I’ve seen the past 5 movies.  I will tell you honestly, though it  is not the greatest piece of literature ever graced mankind, it is highly entertaining and somewhat inciteful (something another highly publicized tween drama novels/movie[s] lacked).  Throughout the years the books stood in our bookshelf, I crack a smile remembering the funny moments in each and every one of them.

Now book 6 has come to life and will soon light up the white walls of theatres around the world — July 17, 2009.

I originally wanted to share with you a feature MTV made — a behind the scene look, with new never-before-seen footages of the movie; more exploration on the romantic side — especially Ron and Hermione’s (yes, I am one of them who thought they’d end up together); and more wizard duels.

MTV’S BEHIND THE SCENE LOOK

I believe Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the most pivotal of all books — as this is where all the struggle starts — the real struggle between good and evil.  For now, I’ll leave you with the official trailer floating around since last year.

 I’m trying hard to put an Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Countdown widget — I’ll see what I can do about this one.