iTunes Complete Album

Finally, iTunes announced today the launch of "Complete My Album". It allows you to buy an album at a reduced price when you purchase a single off that album. This should help spur more full album sales on iTunes. I definitely think I would take advantage of it. I have purchased single songs in the past and then went back to buy the full album because I ended up really liking the song. There is a time limit, but this is better than nothing. Thanks Apple and iTunes! Finally!

Sabres are #1 in new ESPN the magazine - giving back to fans

Hey,
ESPN the magazine just named the Buffalo Sabres the #1 pro team in sports in what kind of a product is given back to their fans. I whole heartedly agree and what a great comment for the city of Buffalo. Considering just a few years ago the team was in bankruptcy and was almost lost, this is a huge honor.

Check out the article.

Also read this one if you have time. Ales Kotalik should be back in action for tomorrow's game.

Good news indeed all around.

Sabres lose to Toronto

My Buffalo Sabres have got to get their act together. They have shown throughout the season that they can play well and play consistenly well. That's why they're at the top of the standings in the East. But I'm worried as we approach the playoffs that the injuries have gotten to them and they're not giving it their all. They lost Saturday night to Toronto 4-1. They have kept Toronto's playoff hopes alive. This comes on the heels of a 5-4 comeback victory on Friday night. They won that game, but were manhandled by the Leafs for the better part of the game.

I guess we'll have to see, but I have high hopes for this team after such an incredible season so far. I don't want them to run out of gas at the end of the season. Here's hoping they don't. LET'S GO BUFFALO!

Read the story in the Buffalo News about goalie Ryan Miller trying to spark some fire in his team.

Jon's new indenation podcast

Jon's get a new indenation podcast. This first one was a test. It's a chat with him and LaRue Binder about the NBC hit show "Heroes". Download the podcast and check it out. I am working on stuff very slowly, but now this is a little more of a kick in the butt for me, since Jon found time to complete some of his projects. I'll keep you posted.

Jon also gave the main site a refreshed look like he likes to do. Check it out.

no clue movie review - 300

I went to see the movie, 300, directed by Zack Snyder, today. I have to say that I enjoyed the movie immensely. It is ultra violent, highly stylized and a great action flick. It's not for history buffs. At least, I doubt that this is a true representation of acient Greece.

The movie is an all out action flick about King Leonides and the city of Sparta being overrun by the army of persians led by the God King Xerxes. The source material for this movie though is not a history book, but the graphic novel "300" by Frank Miller. I felt like the movie was an all out rush of adrenaline for me. So many intense action scenes featuring beheadings, mass death and sword fighting. I just felt a rush from scene to scene. It did seem to drag a bit toward the end and maybe could've been cut a bit more in the editng room, but I have a feeling they were leaving room for some soundtrack montages. But, all in all, I really enjoyed the film.

Again, no marvelous acting. This movie is about style. And it has a lot of it. It's got a very unique look to it. I've read it was shot with a lot of green screen elements and the backgrounds were added later. But it's more than that. Shot on film gives it a grain which usually doesn't happen with the modern green screen films of today. Many of those are shooting digitally, which gives them an intensely polished look. This movie isn't like this at all. He's playing with colors in the film to make the red capes of the Spartan men just pop off the screen. The other colors are very subdued. It makes for a very breathtaking look. He's also got the bodies of the men in the movie as part of the style. Miller's graphic novel had these intensely buff men of Sparta fighting the Persians and Snyder's film has that too. Which must of required tons of intense physical workouts all the time by the entire cast. But it does lend to the style of the film. It gives it this graphic novel come to life look.

The movie also has fantstic sound. I mean really big sound. It's amazing. See this movie in a good theater to take advantage of all the amazing rumblings, fighting noises, screams of the armies, thundering armies, etc.

Overall, I'd say I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it if you like highly stylized, violent films. It's not for everyone. But I liked it a lot. It was a good movie to release tension and just have a good time. I've seen a lot of films that require concentration lately with subtle story points, etc. This movie was the complete opposite. It has a very clear simple story and purpose. I just sat back and watched all the fighting, cool look and cool filmmaking on display.

You can find out more at the official website.

Come back again, and I promise to have more movie reviews coming. Until then, i'll be at the movies....