4. A Game of Conjuring Some Panic!

Movies

1. The Bling Ring - IMDb

Directed by Sofia Coppola, this interestingly artistic feature re-tells the story of The Bling Ring, a group of kids who took Hollywood by storm- and by Hollywood, I mean a good hunk of Hollywood's belongings.

"Like, I don't even know what I did wrong."

This not-so-mainstream film stars Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, Israel Broussard, and Katie Chang as the main thieves, breaking into celebrities' houses and thinking they're living 'the life' as they wear Paris Hilton's clothes and consider taking her dog.

LOL WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG

While this movie could use a bit more story and less house-robbing (because really, we get it. Don't worry), I did honestly think it was interesting to see the events portrayed by some pretty well-known young actors. Watson, while she wasn't necessarily the main character, stuck out as her character craved the spotlight. Her stuck-up, all-about-me attitude was both annoying and hilarious. It was really Israel Broussard, though, who stole the most screen time, and like I said, these characters were interesting, but seeing more about them instead of what they eventually ended up doing would have been better for the movie as a whole.

Trailer:

2. The Conjuring - IMDb

One of my favorite directors returns with another ghost story- this time, he goes above and beyond to frighten the hell out of his audiences. James Wan, known for Saw and Insidious, has an extremely creative mind when it comes to terror. 

Horror is my favorite genre, so you can probably guess the moment I saw the first trailer for this movie I was all over this one. Honestly, the best thing about this movie wasn't even the scares. It was the atmosphere, the tension building up to said scares. Wan captures the darkness so eerily, drawing you in to basically guarantee a jump. Most of the time after jumping, I'd laugh because the ghost looked like this: 

Ok that was mean... 

She actually looked like this:

My grandmother is scarier than that.

I'll be honest that's the only picture I can find of the old lady from the movie, and I was confused because you see her in every trailer, so it's not like I'm spoiling anything for you...

But I let this old lady demon monster thingy slide because James Wan provided us with the perfect set-up to a villain like her. I'm just not scared of elderly people who seem to have forgotten how to bathe and that no, you can't have your house back- you're dead. 

You can keep the kids, though. Even the mother is considering it in this screenshot.

The Conjuring stars Bates Motel's Vera Farmiga (one of my favorites, as well as sister of Taissa Farmiga of The Bling Ring and American Horror Story), and Insidious's own Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren, famous paranormal investigators, as well as Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston as the Perron family.

Trailer:

Music

1. Panic! At The Disco - Miss Jackson (feat. Lolo) - Single

Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith are back with the quirky band Panic! At The Disco. Forming in 2004 and preparing to release their fourth studio album entitled Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! in October, Panic! and their fans are booming with excitement. 

Drummer Spencer Smith (left) and lead vocalist/guitarist Brendon Urie (right)

The band just released their first single for the forthcoming album, Miss Jackson (feat. Lolo). It's not nearly as witty as their original album was in its entirety, but this track is much more powerful. I found it to be catchy and both lyrically and instrumentally different. 

Through it all, the members' talents remain, as they always will. I find it great that the band is delving into new styles, while other fans find it too much like the new music by Fall Out Boy, with whom Panic! are touring late 2013. What many people don't understand is: if we picked apart every song that sounded remotely like another song, we'd have no music. None at all. 

Exactly. So shut it.

And for those of you who throw around the word 'sheep' like it's supposed to offend me, you can also shut it because the sophomore album from this band called Pretty. Odd. was pretty. Bad. 

Right.

I'd say to give the song a listen if you haven't already and see for yourself how fun and catchy the new tune is. I'm just happy that Panic! is back, exclamation point and all, and they don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Video:

2. Palms

Very instrumentally-oriented, Palms is a band who just released their first, self-titled studio album in June 2013. It only consists of 6 tracks, but the album takes you on a slow, spiritual ride through the senses, guided by none other than Chino Moreno of Deftones.

The album was set to be released in 2012, but was pushed back over a year. The other three members of the band, Jeff Caxide, Aaron Harris, and Bryant Clifford Meyer are former members of the band Isis. 

Palms is: Chino Moreno (vocals, guitars), Jeff Caxide (bass), Aaron Harris (drums), and Bryant Clifford Meyer (guitars, keys)... Not in any specific order because it's hard to make out faces other than Chino's in this photo, second from the right. (I take my work very seriously)

Each song ebbs and flows smoothly, giving a relaxed and artistic vibe compared to much of today's popular music both in the rock genre and mainstream radio tracks.

Audio for Tropics:

Books

1. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card

Okay, listen- I know this book isn't new by any means, having originally been published in 1985, but I'd heard a lot about the sci-fi novel, so I thought I'd give it a shot. After reading the story of Ender Wiggin, a young boy who climbs the ladder of education in outer-space war tactics staggeringly quickly. Seen as both a prodigy and a freak by his peers, Ender never fits in, but his teachers in the Battle School that he's sent to see him as the perfect strategy for the upcoming Formic invasion. Formics, commonly referred to as "Buggers," are an insectoid alien species who have been at war with Earth twice, and plan on returning a third time. 

The author, Orson Scott Card, is the winner of two Nebula awards and three Hugo awards, making him the only author to win both of science fiction's top two US prizes in consecutive years.

Ender's Game was definitely a gripping read; what struck me the most was Card's spot-on knowledge of the human mind, being able to understand a child's mindset in such an advanced and stressful situation. Ender never knows his own strength, being sent to the Battle School at young age of six. The author places you right in the mind of this young boy, solving puzzles and figuring out different war tactics to take down his enemies. He is elevated in rank at an alarmingly fast pace, and before he knows it, Ender is more important than he realizes, yet he saw it coming all along.

Ender's Game is coming soon as a feature-length film, starring Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, and Viola Davis, in theaters this August.

TV

1. Game of Thrones - IMDb

I know, I know- this HBO show is nothing new, and the latest season ended in June 2013, but I've finally caught up with the series and it's safe to say I'm hooked. 

The show takes place in the mythical Westeros, in which seven noble families fight for the Iron Throne to rule all seven kingdoms. That is literally the simplest I can put any summary, because there are so many characters and story lines to follow that by the end of each episode, my head is throbbing, yet I want more.

I'll say this about this intense series: try your best not to get too emotionally attached. Or at least be decent about your emotions being brutally played with, because the twists and turns this television show takes are absolutely insane. Characters either murder or become murdered, and all you can do as a fan is watch in horror. But dragons soar, swords clash, and so do families as the Iron Throne is sought by many contenders.

Game of Thrones is based off the book series A Song of Ice and Fire, written by George R.R. Martin. The first installment, entitled A Game of Thrones, was published in 1996, and since then, the series has won the Locus award in 1997, the Hugo award in 1997, and the Ignotus award in 2003. Author Website

When it comes to the series in general, I am so invested at this point and happy I jumped on the crazy train of murder and greed. But as for these twists and unexpected deaths of some of the best characters, I'll use my favorite character to express my feelings:

Game of Thrones season 4 arrives in 2014, and the latest in the book series, A Dance With Dragons, is in stores now.

Until next time-

Don't answer him.

Honorable Mentions

Movies: Despicable Me 2 - IMDb

Music: The Ocean of the Sky EP -The Used

Switchblade Serenade EP - Switchblade Serenade

TV: Hannibal (IMDb), Season 1

3. Zombies, Demons, and Cops- Oh My

1. World War Z - IMDb

Brad Pitt stars in this summer blockbuster as a father and husband who is called back to the service to help defend against a whole new enemy- 

Bieber fans.

With a deadly (in a sense) virus running as rampant as its victims, these zombies do anything and everything they can to take a bite of their prey. Like in the picture above, they pile atop each other to get over this protective wall. That's just one example, but in World War Z, directed by Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace, Stranger than Fiction, Finding Neverland), these zombies are attracted to sound.

Yep, you read that right.

City buses, too. They can keep those.

From someone who read the book written by Max Brooks, I can say that for what it was, the movie was pretty well-done. I didn't even complain about the overuse of CGI because unless they could find hundreds of extras willing to trample each other, I can't think of any other way to recreate scenes like those above. I see what they were thinking in terms of the movie adaptation, though, since the book was based around accounts from different survivors of the war, while the movie was about the zombie attack itself. I found that a bit more exciting, but for both adaptations, I found them decent. Neither will really stand out to me, but the book was well-written and the movie was a fun time.

Regardless of any criticisms, I recommend seeing/reading World War Z. Just don't make any noise.

And don't be this stupid, or your peers will probably just sacrifice you.

Trailer:

2. This is the End - IMDb

Comedy stars unite to fight off an apocalyptic disaster in This is the End, directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen (Superbad, Pineapple Express, The Green Hornet).

That disaster being an angry Emma Watson.

With names such as Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, and Watson herself, to name a few, you know you're in for a good time. The movie starts with Baruchel and Rogen, old friends, reuniting for the first time in about a year. They head over to Franco's house for a housewarming party when everything goes awry...

Michael Cera shows his true colors as a coked-up ass-slapper...

And even our favorite Kardashian shows up!

This movie is full of laughs- seriously, it's hysterical. I don't think I've ever laughed this hard in the movies in a long time. It's a film that doesn't take itself too seriously; we know that from the start considering these actors all star as themselves and make fun of each other to no end. Jonah Hill stands out as the ridiculously friendly guy who just wants everyone to get along.

Scarface style.

Really though, go see this movie. Sex and shit jokes galore.

Trailer:

3. The Heat - IMDb

Another comedy, but this time we see Melissa McCarthy the Great and Academy Award-winner Sandra Bullock as the timeless stuck-up cop, clinically-insane cop duo who tackle dangerous drug dealers alone.

Mostly because no one else will work with them except for Marlon Wayans, probably because no one else will work with him either. I blame that 'A Haunted House' movie.

McCarthy and Bullock connect perfectly with their imperfections and different types of humor. McCarthy lets Bullock have it over her lonely, near-pathetic lifestyle apart from her job as a higher-up FBI agent, and Bullock retaliates with jabs at McCarthy's tendencies to be a fat slob.

And a crazy psycho.

But that's a compliment because she's one of my all-time favorite fat slob/crazy psychos ever.

The Heat is jam-packed with comedy and action, and this is Melissa McCarthy at her finest. I mean, Bullock is great too and she really has a great sense of humor of her own, but this is McCarthy's home turf. She thrives in this type of humor and it shows. 

And she's a little violent, too. 

Trailer:

Honorable Mentions: 

Books: World War Z, by Max Brooks (website linked above)

Odd Interlude, by Dean Koontz - Author Website

Throwback:

Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, the fifth studio album by the band Seether - Band Website

2. Man of Steel, Mud, Black Sabbath, The Civil Wars

Movies:

1. Man of Steel - IMDb

The native of Krypton and, in turn, the savior of Earth has returned to the big screen for a long-awaited re-boot. Zack Snyder of 300 and Watchmen fame has taken the helm of this Superman origin story, the timeless tale of family, home, and heart- and butt-kicking. 

Lots of it.

Bringing an even larger scale of nerds by being even remotely attached to this film is none other than Christopher Nolan himself, helping to write and produce this alien epic. Clark Kent has always been different, and after 33 years on Earth, he finally discovers the story of his real parents, the martyrs of Krypton. Russel Crowe and Ayelet Zurer, as Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, gave birth to Kal-El, the first natural-born child of Krypton, sending him to Earth right before their home planet is destroyed. Injected into Kal-El's very cells are those of Krypton's ancestors, from the Codex, which General Zod escapes imprisonment to retrieve, and he will face all costs until he finds it...

... snatching animals off the ground for shits n' giggles.

Ok obviously the .gif is fake, but imagine how badly you'd need a new pair of pants.

As for the film itself, the crisp designs, the riveting score, and the talented group of actors tie it together for the perfect bundle for this modern audience. New to the role but not to the big screen, Henry Cavill charms as Clark Kent/ Kal-El of Krypton. He brings out Clark's shyness and his buried feelings of not fitting in. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner rock the screen as Martha and Jonathan Kent, humbly raising their adopted son to be not only greater as an otherworldly being, but as a human- as a man. 

Michael Shannon is fierce as General Zod, although at some points he seems to be close to popping a blood vessel.

Or all of them.

Last but not least, I have to say my favorite portrayal of a classic Superman character, was that of Amy Adams in the shoes of the dedicated Lois Lane. She is snarky, striking, and passionate when it comes to her job of getting that hard-hitting story; Adams has tried hard over the years to land this role, and now that she finally has, I'm glad she didn't give up, because Lois Lane never would.

Trailer:

2. Mud - IMDb

Not as wide a release or big a budget as ol' Supes, Mud captures big issues in a small town with Matthew McConaughey as Mud, a homeless man who appears to show up out of nowhere, right into the hometown of two young boys, played by up-and-comers Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland. Mud is a heartfelt film that carries a lot of deep subjects such as family issues, unlikely friendships, trust, murder, revenge, and... Girls.

I would have picked a different photo, maybe one where Tye Sheridan runs around punching EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IN THE FACE.

These two young boys come across this strange man who calls himself 'Mud.' They help him survive on an island not too far from town by delivering canned food to him, because talking to strangers and giving them all of your food is an amazing thing to do. No harm can come from that, right?

Of course not. Not at all.

But really- Mud teaches about true love and the trials and tribulations that come with it, especially if you just happened to have killed someone. McConaughey shines as the misunderstood runaway, and Reese Witherspoon shows what she's got as Mud's childhood friend and lover. All-in-all, this film is definitely one to check out. It does drag at points, but it's a movie that takes a lot from the smaller moments.

Trailer:

Music: 

1. Black Sabbath - 13 - Official Website

The return of Black Sabbath has both fans of the band and fans of the Prince of Darkness trembling with excitement. It's been 35 years since Ozzy Osbourne fronted the popular metal band, and he's definitely still kicking with this return. This is the band's 19th studio album.

And starting forest fires, apparently.

Black Sabbath isn't what it used to be, and Ozzy isn't in his prime, but the album as a whole is a decent listen. Their single, God is Dead? reached #6 on the UK Rock Charts.

"I guess the eyeliner's still a thing."

I'd say this is a great reunion album. Tommy Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Rage Against the Machine's Brad Wilk put together instrumentals that take the listener back to the good ol' days, reminding the listener that this band is very instrumentally driven, and Osbourne's voice is backed up very well throughout the course of the album. Black Sabbath doesn't seem to be trying to be bigger or better, but they are showing us that they're not going anywhere anytime soon.

Video for God is Dead?:

2. The Civil Wars - The One That Got Away (Single) - Official Website

John Paul White and Joy Williams follow up their debut album Barton Hollow with the single for their new, self-titled album called The One That Got Away. With louder instruments and deeper tones and lyrics, this single is powerful and strongly emphasizes this duo's talent. It seems like this album will be a lot darker, packing more punch in each song than the last album, which focused more on the vocals than the instruments. Now, both work together to create something different, but The Civil Wars will always be super-talented and leave listeners wanting more.

It seems like Johnny Depp's singing career has taken off.

The Civil Wars caught me with their single of the same name as their debut album, and I've been interested ever since. They've announced a hiatus, but they're releasing the sophomore album anyway, slated for August 6. 

Video for The One That Got Away:

Honorable Mentions:

Movies: The Purge- IMDb page

Music: Man of Steel Official Motion Picture Soundtrack - Hans Zimmer - Artist Website

Throwback: Koi No Yokan, the seventh studio album by the rock band Deftones - Band Website

1. Gatsby, Odd, Paramore, and More

Movies:

1. The Great Gatsby - IMDb

Directed by Baz Luhrman, the story of Jay Gatsby is brought to life on the big screen once again, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. He graces the screen with his obsessive, yet heartfelt portrayal of the famous millionaire along with Tobey Macguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, and Isla Fisher. The glossy vision of Luhrman is near-perfect for the tale of Gatsby. The only criticisms I'd have are the overuse of CGI animation, and constant Jay-Z songs. Yes, I know he was a producer of this film, but his music stuck out like Amanda Bynes at an adult gym, whatever that is. 

On the other hand, the music provided by Lana Del Rey, Florence + The Machine and The xx are perfect for a movie of this type.

Trailer:

2. Star Trek Into Darkness - IMDb

JJ Abrams is at it again, only this time he expands on the close-to-home Star Trek film of 2009 with touches of his own, meaning he goes bigger and better, and adds a little bit of flavor to the characters we're already familiar with. Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and Benedict Cumberbatch, Into Darkness tosses the audience into a world full of action, suspense, and major character twists and turns.

I couldn't help it.

I guess the only criticism here would be the fact that these guys are lucky I had the slightest idea as to who the villain was... If I didn't, the big 'announce' halfway through the film would have left the room silent and awkward.

Trailer:

Books:

1. Odd Apocalypse, by Dean Koontz - Official Website

If you're a Dean Koontz fan like I am, then you follow the stories of Odd Thomas and wait pretty impatiently for each installment. 

In this fifth part of the ongoing saga of the quirky fry cook, Odd and his new friend, the pregnant Annamaria, wind up at the Roseland estate, an ominous place kept in tip-top shape even though Odd never sees anyone actually tidying up. Of course, Odd meddles around and not only runs into a horde of strange creatures, but he also stumbles upon a secret so important and dangerous that the lives of many are at stake. 

I loved this book, as I've loved all the other installments, however- like the third book, Brother Odd, I found that it got a little bit too into the fantasy aspect for me. The concepts Koontz plays around with are great, but Odd's got a lot more going on that I've been more interested in. However, Odd Apocalypse still kept me on the edge of my seat and left me wanting more. 

Also, check out the sixth installment, Deeply Odd, in stores now.

2. It Takes Balls, by Josh Wolf - Official Website

This one's for all you comedy-seekers out there! Chelsea Lately alum Josh Wolf is the latest of the writers of the hit late-night talk show to release a book of tales, and just like he is on the show, the stories he has to tell are nothing short of hilarious. Wolf's carefree personality mixed with being a father and working for television mix together hysterically for a great laugh. 

All I wondered upon finishing the book was: "Is that it? I want more."

Let's pray to Kelly Clarkson that Josh releases another book with more stories asap.

Catch more Josh on Chelsea Lately on weeknights, and also his radio show "Josh and Ross" on the Toadhopnetwork. 

Music:

1. Thirty Seconds to Mars - Love, Lust, Faith + Dreams - Band Website

Mars is back with their fourth studio release, following 2010's This Is War. The band takes a more electronic turn this time around, spicing things up since their alt-rock background that began in 1998. Mars has evolved through the years, and although this isn't my favorite album, Love, Lust, Faith + Dreams is promising and has many more elements to offer. 

Thirty Seconds to Mars is: Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, and Tomo Miličević.

Check out the band's first single off this album, called 'Up in the Air:'

2. Paramore - Paramore - Band Website

We're in the business of misery again with the return of Paramore.

Please excuse that God-awful pun. 

With the new lineup and a stylish new look, Paramore has improved upon their mature sound from Brand New Eyes. While some songs simply don't add up to the levels of others, Paramore still has its rock-out moments while remaining grown-up and polished. 

Paramore is: Hayley Williams, Jeremy Davis, and Taylor York.

The first single off their fourth studio album is 'Now:'

Honorable Mentions:

Movies- Iron Man 3 - IMDb, The Hangover Part III - IMDb

Books- Dan Brown's Inferno, Ross Mathews' Man Up

Music- Device- Device - Band Website, Stone Sour- House of Gold & Bones, pt. 2 - Band Website

Throwback: No Country For Old Men - IMDb, directed by the Coen Brothers

The New 'Ryan Recommends'

So I've decided to change things up a little bit.

After a little while of reviewing different books, movies, and music albums, I realized one pretty major setback: I watch too many movies, I get into too many books, and I listen to too much music.

I know what you're thinking: "No! There's no such thing as too much of those!"

Yeah, about that... My list for movies I SHOULD have reviewed by now is about five times longer than the list of reviews I have posted on here.

From here on out, I will periodically post a good-sized list of music, movies, and books y'all should be checking out. I'll provide a short (probably witty) review of each one, and I'll provide more links to trailers, websites, etc. to make the "checking out" process easier. I'll keep my previous reviews up because... I don't feel like removing them. So... Yeah. We keep it professional here.

I know, I know- no need to thank me, I do this all out of love.

So expect more periodic posts from this blog! See ya soon.

I'll leave you with what I'm listening to right now:

"Broken Wings," by Alter Bridge, from their debut album, "One Day Remains"

Sorry for the awkward thumbnail... Myles Kennedy is the best.

Music: The Neighbourhood- I Love You.

Greetings once again. It's been a while, I know, I know.

Don't worry, I've been compiling a list of things I should review!

And I basically shat on that list because this album is new and I just recently got it.

But the thing is, it's different for my tastes and I've been in love with it, so I need to share said love with all y'all, ya know? No? Too bad.

I feel like this is what all my readers look like after my random hiatuses. 

Ha. Why are you wearing a hat inside? And that computer looks ancient.

And don't worry, I don't feel totally in love with all the albums I've heard.

Here' s my review of The Neighbourhood's I Love You. 

I Love You. was released on April 23, 2013.

This California-based band formed in August 2011. Following the release of their two EPs, I'm Sorry... and Thank You in 2012 and early 2013, this quintet finally released their full-length debut album, I Love You. in April. Rolling Stone raved over the album, calling it "moody" and "atmospheric." 

The Neighbourhood is: (not in any specific order) vocalist Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Zach Abels and Jeremy Freedman, drummer Bryan Sammis, and bassist Mikey Margott.

The Neighbourhood has been known, from the start, for their overall tones and themes of their music and videos. They have shot all of them in black-and-white, giving their visuals an older, more vintage sort of feel. Singer Jesse Rutherford's voice is soft and smooth, yet at the same time gives off an edge that reels the listener in. 

What's funny is almost every picture of them online is in black-and-white, too...

All-in-all, I've related this band to the 50's, with Rutherford's slicked-back hair and cool-cat demeanor along with the band's overall sound feeling like a refreshing blast from the past.

Hits like "Female Robbery," and their first hit single "Sweater Weather" rocketed the band into popularity, sending their 'dark pop' sound into the masses. 

I have a feeling The Neighbourhood will be around for a while, and I Love You. is just the beginning.