Michael Jackson: Smooth Criminal

Michael Jackson: Smooth Criminal

“Smooth Criminal” is the Michael Jackson song that works both on the page and on stage. During MJ’s transition to following the trends of the 90s instead of leading them, he created this break out song. Jackson wrote and composed this song, while Quincy Jones produced it. In my opinion, the Jones and Jackson era was MJ’s best work. MJ seemed to move away from the influences of Jones' work in the later 90s.

Originally, MJ wrote the song back in 1984 under a different title “Al Capone”. “Al Capone” was intended for aBad album release, but it never made it onto that album. So, MJ re-wrote it into what we hear in Smooth Criminal. I love to get my hands on the Al Capone demo version of “Smooth Criminal”.

MJ had envisioned the music video/movie as an old school Western, but later changed his mind. I think the song works better with the 30s setting anyway, considering that the song originally was called “Al Capone”.

Random Notes on the video

~MJ’s suit is badass. I’d love to get my hands on one just like his. The blue silk (?) shirt fits in nicely with his pants and jacket.

~The dancing and the stomping scenes with background players are just amazing.

~Some of MJ’s famous chords are heard here and reused in Sonic 3.

~That famous Strange (climax) moment happens at the 5:09 mark: There is another extended version of this video that cuts down this versions moment. It does get a little strange until he starts to chant. I love the transition back into the song after the chanting.

Are they having group sex…ghosts sex?

~Is the cat a ghost too?

~The cool blue lighting gives it a surreal appearance. Is this supposed to be the color of the dead?

~Leaning forward bit is NOT real, it was a rig that MJ patented. Here is the patent information. Oh, and it's called the Anti-Gravity Lean.

Today, people like Lady Gaga and others have tried to make these grand music videos, but they don't have slickness that many of MJ's old videos. This is MJ at his best.

Grade: A-

Update: MTV has compiled stories and information on Michael Jackson over at their site.

FF7: Cosmo Canyon Cover

FF7: Cosmo Canyon Cover

Even in the original game, the Native American influences were there. I really like this cover version of the song. The drums really are the best part of the original song.

Lobo: The Animated Series

Lobo: The Animated Series

Lobo is one of those characters that non-comic book fans don't really understand or get. From the DC Universe, Lobo was intended to be a parody of many of Marvel Comics' anti-heroes from the 90s. He basically went around killing other bad guys and causing trouble for other superheroes, mostly Superman. He would just show up on Earth just to kick Superman's ass in some issues.

He even fought Wolverine and lost in the DC/Marvel crossover. He later claimed Professor Charles Xavier paid him to take the fall.

The flash video above is loosely based on a proposed Lobo Animated Series. WB passed on the series. I personally believe this series in in continuity with the rest of DCAU. While Brad Garrett voiced the character in Superman TAS and Justice League, Kevin Michael Richardson did the voice for the web-episodes.

Steven E. Gordon did the character designs, and you can check them out here. They're very interesting when compared to other shows, I really like the style. Dare I say Disney-like from the 80s.

The flash animation is a little crude and a bit dated, but it is an interesting look back at flash animation back in 1999/2000.

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Janet Hubert-Whitten morphs into Daphne Reid: The firing of the first Vivian Banks.

Janet Hubert-Whitten morphs into Daphne Reid: The firing of the first Vivian Banks.

Fresh Prince of Bel Air inconsistencies: Some of these I don’t remember. But, I remember them replacing Vivian Banks (Janet Hubert) with another actress that looked nothing like her. Daphne Maxwell Reid was a bit heavier and light-skinned, while Janet Hubert was skinny with a dark complexion. At least they could have casted someone that looked like Hubert.

So, why was Janet Hubert-Whitten fired from the show? Will Smith and Hubert-Whitten were at odds with each other. They clashed a lot on the set.

From Will Smith, (("I can say straight up that Janet Hubert wanted the show to be |The Aunt Viv of Bel-Air Show' because I know she is going to dog me in the press ... She has basically gone from a quarter of a million dollars a year to nothing. She's mad now but she's been mad all along. She said once, |I've been in the business for 10 years and this snotty-nosed punk comes along and gets a show.' No matter what, to her I'm just the AntiChrist.))

Wow, that’s some revealing stuff. I don’t see Will Smith, Space Church and all, being this forthcoming today. He’s a bit more guarded on what he says.

Janet Hubert had this to say after Smith’s remarks. (("He probably is responsible for my firing. He has a lot of clout. It's-too bad that it's a Black-on-Black attack. I tried not to name names. I have more class than that. I wish Will would tell the truth. If you're going to talk, tell the truth. He has gotten me fired from the show and now he is trying to snatch my career away from me (with his recent comments). I have not slandered him in any way. Anyone who stands up to Mr. Smith on "Fresh Prince" is gone. I reprimanded him constantly for being rude to problem and locking himself up in his room....))

Ouch, part of me does understand her point of view. But, I don’t think Will really acted that way during this period in his life. I just can’t see it. Probably today, but not back then. He wasn’t married to Jada Pinkett Smith when this all went down with Hubert. And, this was before he started thinking that 2+2=5 in another universe. (Cough, Cough Scientology)

It was probably 50/50 on their sides of the dispute.

It should also be noted that Hubert sued NBC over what she felt the damaging of her marketability. And, it is worth noting that IMDB has her last credit listed as one episode in "One Life to Live" in 2010. It looks like her Hollywood acting career between 05 and 10 was absent, but there was a reason. Come to find out, Hubert has Osteoporosis.

Further reading:

-Here’s her official Web site.

-Her Tell all book slams Smith.

Hipster vs. Redneck

Hipster vs. Redneck

He wants his f'ing cheeseburger. I can't believe this redneck went crazy wanting his cheeseburger. I like that his friend did the countdown and left his butt there. Speaking of butts, just wait till you see him get into it with a Hipster. This is the best fight ever.

Bobby Brown “Every Little Step”

Bobby Brown “Every Little Step”

Speaking of Bobby Brown, I remember hearing one of his songs in GTA. I was like, “I had totally forgotten about most of his songs with the exception of his work in New Edition and that Ghostbusters II song.

The song is clearly set during the beginning of the New Jack Swing age just like many of Bobby Brown's songs from his Don't Be Cruel album.

Notes

~The women wearing the skin-tight, black, mini-skirts are pleasing to the eyes. I also like that the damn video opens with the three women! We know where the mind of the director was focused on. We also get shots of the camera zooming in on the girls’ asses. Very classy.

~I also like the oversized letters in the background that tell us the name of the video. As if we’d forget.

~Put a damn under-shirt on, Bobby.

~Like the Wiki says, I do remember people doing the dances preformed in the video.

~The Gumby hairstyle is really bad. Sorry, Bobby.

~The Album version has people talking at the beginning while the video version doesn’t.

~Is there a bash against New Edition in Bobby's rap portions? It sound like it to me.

For the pure cheese of the late 80’s/early 90s, I still like this song. Plus, this was before Bobby turned into a washed up singer hooked on drugs (allegedly).

Grade: C+

Here’s the extended version of the song. (A lot of songs during that age had extended versions of the original songs for clubs)

Training videos...(90s?)

Training videos...

Well, that was certainly strange...in a New Jack Swing Era kind of way. I love that the guy singing in this video is giving it all his best, when you consider that he's just doing it for this shitty training video. Yeah, the song is silly, but it is still better than anything Kesha has come up with.

I wouldn't be surprised if this video is still being shown in training classes at Wendy's.

So, how did this video come to be on the internet?

Strange Randy, the person that posted the video, left this comment: ((My friend worked at Wendy's when he was 16. Before he quit he stole this training tape. He gave it to me and I put the songs on YouTube. I am very happy everyone is enjoying them so much. Thanks for watching. ))

Soft Drinks

Never have I found soft drinks more arousing than this training video. I love the really bad ad-libs in the middle of the song. BTW, did they sample Bobby Brown's “Don't be Cruel” beat?

Biking While Black…(Part 2 of 2)

So, there I was standing between two polices cars with my bike parked on the street. I stood there and was just upset about the whole thing. Mixed with anger and nervousness, I decided to sit down on the curb and just rest, because I wasn’t going anywhere. I had planned on going through the Highlands over to U of L and then back to the Riverfront Park, but that plan was shot.

“Well, I am a student and I work,” I said, as if that made a difference.

“We’ll check on your info,” the policeman said. He began to talk on his radio as he held my ID. He went inside his car and brought out a sheet of paper and began to write down stuff on it. I’m not even sure what he wrote.

We had some small talk while we waited for the radio guy to respond back. But, the tension was still there. I should also note that they were as nice as can be given the circumstances. I can tell these cops probably took racial sensitivity classes, because they seemed to be holding back. You usually get an attitude whenever you have to deal with police officers, and especially when you’re black.

They got the call back and I had a clean record, naturally.

The male cop handed me back my ID. “You’re just a hard working guy riding his bike. You’re all clear,” he said, nodding. “We’re sorry about that.”

After a few more words between us, he said, “If you see anything strange, please notify us.”

I shrugged. “I come through here all the time. I’m sure you’ve seen me here before. I see you guys all the time.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve seen you riding through here before. We just had to double check.”

I was still a little upset over the situation, but it could have been a lot worst.

He looked over at my bike and pointed. “That’s a nice looking bike there.”

I kind of got a chuckle out of it because everyone says that about my bicycle. I get more props about my bike more than anything else.

They let me go and I went back to Riverfront Park and back to my car. I was still a little upset for being stopped while riding my bike, and the fact they kind of boxed me in when they pulled me over. But, a part of me understands why they did it. I want cops stop more crimes and less petty speeding and traffic tickets, but not when they stop an innocent man.

Anyway, I didn’t end up in jail or get into anything that bad. And, now every police officer in that “city/town” knows me. I also got a wave from the male cop that pulled me over in the first place two days ago when I rode through there. So, it ended well.

I just thought the story was rather interesting. I’m always witnessing strange things while on my bike anyway.

Jay Leno proves once again why he's not funny...

Jay Leno proves once again why he's not funny...

Leno was at a club and told this lame joke about Mel Gibson.

From Radar.com, (("That Mel Gibson, huh? What a mess. Mel Gibson actually had an uncle who died at a concentration camp... yeah, really," he told the crowd.

The audience remained silent, as Leno repeated: “Yep, died at a concentration camp.”))

I'm not attacking the subject matter, but the fact he goes for a far-reaching joke that dates back to the 1940s. Way to keep it current, Jay. Plus, there is a goldmine of Mel Gibson jokes you can get away with and he picks this one.

Then, he adds this little gem at the end.

((After a few more seconds pause, he sniped: “Yep, he fell out of the guard tower, drunk!” ))

What?

Who in their right mind would pay to see this guy do standup?

Don't worry, we'll make more...

Random Stuff

There is nothing wrong with purple hands right?

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Random Stuff

~Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag: Can we banish them to the forbidden zone with the three villains from Superman II? Words can’t express my hatred of these two assholes. Neither one of them has an ounce of talent, yet they headline the news. Then we have this fake divorce drama every few days.

~Katie Holmes working again?: Scientology-Babymaker Katie Holmes seems to be returning to higher profile movies. I personally thought Holmes made a bad career move when she literally got in bed with Church of Xenu and Tom Cruise. When she left the Batman franchise for the shitty movie Mad Money, I knew she had completely lost her mind. She has a new gig in an Adam Sandler movie called Jack and Jill. Plus, she’s going to be in bigger movies coming up too. I just want to know when she will have enough of Xenu?

~Westboro Baptist Church: These people are crazy, and you have to see this guy interview these crazy protest. He even asked an “Edward or Jacob” question, brilliant.

Sonic Rush: Wrapped in Black!

Sonic Rush: Wrapped in Black!

I really like hearing this song. It seems strange to hear “Too Black, Too Strong” in a Sonic game, but it is all good.

I tried looking around for where they got the sample “Too Black, Too Strong”. It’s not confirmed, but some say it’s taken from Malcolm X, but I' not sure.

I also like how they use the Stereo sides with the voices.

Here are the different sides of the song separated.

Right

Left