the producers (the movie)

the producers, produced by mel brooks, is a film based on a broadway play about a musical. it has two main characters played by nathan lane (the scheming broadway producer) and matthew broderick (the neurotic accountant). matthew was dissatisfied with his life as an accountant and has decided to produce a play with nathan that will bomb in the ticket sales. this maneuver would somehow earn them both a lot of money. im not sure how that works.

for the play to suck, they had to choose a story and unsuitable actors to play the characters, that will repulse people. but this plan backfired and the play became an instant hit.

with the absence of broadway plays where im at, i thought seeing a film version is an adequate replacement.

another observation. uma thurman has very very very long legs.

rating: 3 out of 5
entertaining and hilarious

Cover Songs Even Better Than The Original

Good songs don't fade away - rather, they are remade and repackaged in a different form for the newer generations to enjoy. Artists will frequently cover a popular oldie and make it their own. And people listening to the cover song for the first time may actually think it's an entirely new composition.

Some cover songs are dreadful. They don't add anything new to the original and frequently even ruin what was once a classic. The A-Teens remakes of the ABBA hits is one good example of this. It pains me to hear good songs being remade into bad ones.

Then there is that rare breed of cover song that improves on the original. These are remakes that add flavor and sometimes provide a different angle on a popular song. A great remake has the magic of the original, while at the same time adding an edge to it. These are cover songs that end up surpassing and eventually supplanting the original. Here is a list of better-than-original remakes:


Don't Make Me Over - Sybil
(original song by Dionne Warwick)

Here's one cover I enjoy listening to. It adds an emotional punch to the original through Sybil's melodic voice that lingers on the chorus. It ventures into unfamiliar territory by blending slightly off key vocals to produce a totally unique sound. It moves an established R&B hit into smooth jazz territory.


Wooden Heart - The Lizards Convention
(original song by Elvis Presley)

I'm amazed at the creativity that this small Singaporean band displayed in totally revising and remaking an Elvis original. They sound like different songs altogether. In my opinion, the original was kind of lackluster, but I guess The Lizards saw something in it, and revised the tempo, gave it a female voice, and made it into a kickass ballad worth remembering.


I Will Survive - CAKE
(original by Gloria Gaynor)

Most people think this is CAKE's way of mocking the original Gloria Gaynor rendition. But John McCrea actually said in an interview that he liked the original 'I Will Survive' and this was his way of paying tribute. There are several key differences between the two. The original was a song about positive resolve and liberation, while the remake is actually kind of down, sarcastic and even angry. The original was a disco hit that closely matched its fancy tempo, while CAKE's doesn't even try to match the vocals to the music, lagging by half a step the entire song. The original had nice clean lyrics. While CAKE modified it slightly with the line "I should have changed my fucking lock" which I felt was more appropriate. CAKE's version added an edge to a 70's classic, and succeeded in creating something totally new.


Don't Leave Me This Way - The Communards
(original by Thelma Houston)

OK, the original Thelma Houston version is pretty good too. I enjoy them both. In fact, this is one of my favorite songs of all time in any form, whether sung disco-style like the original, 80's new wave style like The Communards, or even karaoke-style sung by complete strangers. The Communards added their own twist to it by singing falsetto the entire way while at the same time upping the feel-good energy factor by a couple of notches. The music video is good too.


Tainted Love - Soft Cell
(original by Gloria Jones)

Bet you didn't know this was a remake. I didn't know either. In fact, I confess I haven't heard the original version. But I'm still 100% sure that Soft Cell's Tainted Love rendition will be better. Why? Because this stands as one of the best new wave songs ever made. It also contains the best synthesized riffs in music history - a killer intro followed by 'Sometimes I feel I've got to.... run away, I've got to... get away...' It was also sampled in Rhianna's Rescue Me SOS, nice.


When You Say Nothing At All - Ronan Keating/Alison Krauss
(original by Keith Whitley)

This is debatable because there are times when I think the Keith Whitley country original is superior to its remakes. But I do like the Ronan Keating and Alison Krauss versions. Keating punctuates it with a slightly off-key, irish accented chorus which adds emotion and depth to the song (plus it sounded great in the movie Notting Hill). Alison Krauss had the sweeter all around melodic vocals that is easy to fall in love to.


I'll Always Love You - Vina Morales
(original by Michael Johnson)

I'm going to commit sacrilege and and say that I liked Vina Morales version of this timeless classic better than the original. OK, OK, I know in the grand scheme of things, Michael Johnson's original will probably be judged better by almost everyone. In fact I know some people who feverently detest the Vina Morales remake, calling it an insult to the original tune, and I understand their viewpoint. Johnson's version was more heartfelt, emotional, sad, matching the mood of the lyrics more accurately. In contrast, Vina's version was happy, cheerful, cute, and in no way matched the lyrics. In fact it made no sense to sing it this way because this was a song about a breakup. It just doesn't match up. However, I like irony and contrasts in my music, and this gave a good vibe, so I'm picking it.


Have I missed any other good cover songs?

The Best Songs of the New Millenium (Part 3 of 3)

The past two weeks, I've posted a bunch of songs that I thought were the best of the best of this decade so far. If you haven't read them yet, check out part 1 and part 2.

I've also forgotten some songs which deserved to be on the list, perhaps maybe in the top ten. One noteworthy song is 'Breathe Your Name' by Sixpence None the Richer. This was my top song for 2002. Did I mention that Leigh Nash looks stunning in the music video? A departure from her traditional Christian girl look. One other track to check out is 'Out of my League' by Stephen Speaks, I love the lyrics of that song.

Alright, here are the top five songs of the decade so far. In other words, the best songs that were released from the year 2000 up to the present. I've gone over the list numerous times, changing the order of the rankings more than once, evaluating each song meticulously to make sure I got it right. My top 3 picks are mostly even with each other, and each is a number one song in its own right. Depending on how gracefully these songs age, we could reorder them again when we come to the end of the decade.

One last thing, I reserve the right to be biased as it makes life more interesting.


5. Nobody's Fool - Avril Lavigne

I didn't take Avril Lavigne's first CD seriously. I thought she was a passing fad, popular at the moment, but easily forgotten. This song proves me wrong. And I also feel a little silly for making this number five but what the heck, it's one of my personal favorites. She raps, she sings, the song makes you feel good while listening to it, and it's about liberation and empowerment (I guess targeted for teenagers, but I'll ignore that just so I can enjoy this). Unexpectedly good and very underrated track.

4. No Phone - CAKE

This is from CAKE's latest CD and one of their best songs yet. I must warn you, the tune is extremely addictive and catchy. You will find yourself chanting over and over again to yourself "no phone". This song also has special meaning to me, as it captures my dislike for cellphones and its influence over modern society. No phone, no phone, I just want to be alone today. It just captures my whole emotion of despondence coupled with a lack of caring. Ten years from now, this song will be even ten times better.

3. Complicated Man - Minnie Driver

I was blown away with this song the first time I heard Minnie Driver sing it live on a late night talk show. I didn't even know she could sing. This song is very cool. Imagine an 80's style melody, combined with Driver's easy jazz type vocals, topped with some modern flair and interesting lyrics. By the way, I'm still looking for the complete lyrics to this song and for it be properly released as a single, rather than a bonus track in a Japanese Import CD. More than a year after first hearing it, I'm still not tired of listening. Plus I love murmuring the opening line of the song: "You turned out to be an ass like me..."

2. Then the Morning Comes - Smash Mouth

For some reason, I entirely missed hearing this masterpiece by Smash Mouth back in 2001. I heard the David Benoit instrumental version first, thinking this was some fine piece of work by Benoit. Only later to find out that this was actually an original Smash Mouth tune. To paraphrase Jim from The Office, I'm in love with this song. I wanna be more than friends with 'Then the Morning Comes'. It comes close to musical perfection. First of all, the singing and melody are extremely catchy and unique. You haven't listened to anything close to this. The lyrics are also something special, check this out:

You are you foe
Your friend
You are the paparazzi
You are the tragedian

Here's my favorite part:

And when it comes it moves so slow
Kinda like it's saying I told you so
Looking back before she goes
Tomorrow's gonna hurt

The words are kind of tough to decipher, and I guess it will mean different things to different people. Fortunately, I can personally relate to the lyrics. It's like it was describing my life in this decade. It's not often you get a song that is cool and personal at the same time. Makes me wonder why this isn't the number one.

1. In The End - Linkin Park

I'd like to congratulate Linkin Park for creating one of the best pure kickass songs ever made. This is a song about anger, betrayal, and revenge - in that precise order. It has every negative emotion you can find and that's why it's so good. The rap part is cool and calculating, the singing is intense and emotional. There's a story that's told that has a beginning and an ending. One of the best parts is the part where the lead vocal sings the same verse twice: "I've put my trust in you, pushed as far as I can go..." The first time is quite mellow, almost pleading. Then it repeats the same line, but this time with a more furious tone of voice. Same verse, entirely different meaning, pure genius. This song will age well over the next decades and will grow into a classic. And its popularity matches its quality which is a rare thing for a hit nowadays.

There you have it, the best songs of the new millenium. We're just about past the halfway point of this decade and I'm predicting the best song of this current time is still yet to be written.

The Best Songs of the New Millenium (Part 2 of 3)

Last week I posted a list of songs that were released this decade that didn't make my top 10 best songs of the new millenium.

In compiling the list and ranking the songs, I came to realize that we actually have some pretty good songs released this decade. Only the truly good songs last, and the bad or fad songs are easily forgotten. The decade isn't over yet and I'm hoping we get lots more good stuff in the next five years.

In ranking the songs, I give plus points to those that were released earlier over those which were released just last year. This is in order to overcome any recent euphoria I felt towards newly released songs. For example, 'Krafty' is still pretty fresh in my mind so I may be a bit biased in favor of it. This makes the rating process more difficult. I tried hard to go back to the time when I first heard those songs released earlier this decade, and try to recall how I felt at the time. Mainly, those emotions I felt determine the ultimate rating. Actually it felt good recalling those older songs, it was like being in a time machine wherein I would go back to my thoughts and feelings at the time.

So without further ado, here are numbers six to ten:

10. Call Me Mellow - Tears for Fears
This song and the CD it came with was one of my favorites from 2004. It was very new and different to all the packaged stuff that was being played on the radio. Very refreshing sound, feel-good lyrics, and a Beatles 60's rythym.

9. Beverly Hills - Weezer
This will be a future sports anthem classic. Expect to hear this in NBA games and school events (in fact I heard it being played once in one of this year's NBA playoff games on TV). This could replace Queen's 'We Will Rock You' as the ultimate cheer song. And by the way, I like the lyrics, it describes how I feel about myself and the simple thought me and my friends had when we were in college.

8. Don't Call Me Baby - Madison Avenue
I bet you didn't expect this to be here. I thought this song captured the carefree spirit of the start of the new millenium. And it kind of reminds me of those yuppies who gather around Makati on Friday nights. The song is catchy, funny and was just right for the time. Too bad, the group Madison Avenue no longer exists. I can predict this song will be remade ten years from now and become an even bigger hit.

7. Me, Myself and I - Vitamin C
I have a confession to make. Yes, I own a Vitamin C CD. And when I first heard this on the radio I thought this song kicked ass. Then after thinking about it for a while, I thought I liked it only because I felt pretty good about myself the time I listened to it. But no, this song is really good. Extremely addictive pure pop music.

6. Krafty - New Order
This song is great because it is a throwback to 80's music and proves that New Order is better than ever. I listened to it over and over without getting tired of it. This will be a classic and will get even better the next few years. Good lyrics, good melody, good use of synthetic instruments, and just makes you feel good listening to it. It gives you a liberating outlook on life.


Up next: the top 5 songs of the new millenium and the shocking conclusion to the series.

The Best Songs of the New Millenium (Part 1 of 3)

Lately I've been listening to a lot of songs from the 80's and 90's. I always wondered why music from previous decades tend to be better than the current hits played on the radio. Then it hit me. The reason why old songs always sound better is due to natural selection - only the best songs from the past survive. True quality music has a long shelf life. It will be popular many years, many decades after it is released. In contrast, many songs are popular for a short time but don't have any nutritional value so they disappear fast and are forgotten. We only remember the really good songs and forget the bad ones. This is why old music always sounds better.

That said, I decided to undertake my most ambitious project ever for dangerous reviewers. I will play visionary and attempt to predict those songs from this decade will last the test of time. That is, which songs from the first decade of this new millenium will I fondly look back on 10, 20 years from now and proclaim them to be 'classics' from the past. The goal is to create a top 10 list of great songs released this decade (2000 to the present). And I'm actually gonna rank them from number ten to the number one song of the decade.

Due to the fairly ambitious scope, this will be a three-part series. So in this post, I merely list those songs that did not make the cut. These are songs I thought were noteworthy, some I consider excellent work, yet not top ten material. The next two parts will cover my ultimate top ten.

(Note: I reserve the right to be biased, it makes life more interesting.)


Songs that didn't make the cut, in no particular order:

All the Small Things - Blink 182
Circles Round the Moon - Geri Halliwell
Everybody Loves a Happy Ending - Tears for Fears
When It's Over - Sugar Ray
Follow Me - Uncle Kracker
Breathless - The Corrs
The Way I Am - Eminem
Answer the Phone - Sugar Ray
Boom - P.O.D.
The Reason - Hoobastank
Angel - Shaggy
Here's to the Night - Eve 6
Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz
Something to Talk About - Badly Drawn Boy
Complicated - Avril Lavigne
Widow's Walk - Suzanne Vega
Give Me a Reason - The Corrs
Butterfly - Crazy Town
Seasons in the Sun - Westlife
Beer for my Horses - Toby Keith and Willie Nelson
Soak up the Sun - Sheryl Crow
All the Things She Said - T.A.T.U.
Maybe Katie - Barenaked Ladies
Look What You've Done - Jet
This Love - Maroon 5
How You Remind Me - Nickelback


Coming up: The bottom half of the top ten.

joyeux noel

it is written on the cover that it is a strue story. i distinctly remember that there had been a story about how a certain christmas song that became very popular during the first world war because of extra ordinary events happening that centered on that song. i am only familiar with very vague details about this war. it was never discussed in school as far as i can remember. so it inspired me to read about it in wikipedia. type first world war. wars are between nations / governments / kingdoms. wars are not between people. people are usually just dragged into one without realizing, or are misinformed of what they were fighting for. most people are forced into it.

there were several plots. the first plot was between two opera singers who were lovers. they were german. they were initially separated since the guy was forced to join the war effort. the woman who wanted to be with her lover founded a way to be with him, by asking the german government if they could sing together. all in the service of the nation. the second plot was a priest and two of his sacristans. i wasnt sure which side of the war they were from. they sounded german though. the third plot was about a french man, his wife abroad, and his relationship with his father, who was also fighting the war at a different location.

it was the eve of christmas. every camp celebrated in their own way. the opera singers sang. to which the other camp over heard, where the priest was played bagpipes as accompaniment. the different leaders of each camp agreed to a ceasefire. until all camps exchanged gifts and stories. they got to know each other as people. they got each others symnpathies. they were in general, in agreement that they were in a war that they didnt want. it was moving. i say in general because there was one which had been taken over with hatred, because he lost his friend earlier (gunfire).

one particular scene which i thought was very important was about the seniour priest scolding our war priest of conniving with the enemy. the seniour priest then later held mass to new soldiers, to which he told lies about them. he painted a simple picture of good and evil. he manipulated and appealed to their emotions so that hatred will take hold of their hearts. much like of what we see of priests in the philippines, when they need their political agenda addressed.

rating: 3 out of 5
its out of season, but a good (true) story to watch