Movie Review: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

"Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" is the 3rd movie in the "Underworld" franchise. This prequel to "Underworld" tells the story of the rise of Lycans (werewolves) and their leader, Lucien.

In "Rise of the Lycans" we see Lucien as boy, grow to manhood in service to the Vampires. Lucien is unique, because he is the first of the Lycans that can take human form. The Lycans who are unable to take human form prey on humans and Vampires alike. Using Lucien, the Vampires create an army of enslaved Lycans to protect them, during the daylight hours, from the original Lycans.

Got all of that? The action really picks up when Lucien, aided by the Vampire Sonja, decides he's tired of slavery, and attempts to break the Vampires grip on the Lycans. From this, we see the beginning of the war that is raging when "Underworld" picks up.

If you liked the first 2 "Underworld" movies, you'll like this one. I found it on par with the 2nd movie "Underworld: Evolution", but not as good as the original. I think it's a 3-3.5 star movie. In a movie like this, you don't really have to comment on the acting, because it's not about the acting. Overall, it's a solid movie that fits well into the franchise.

TV Series Review: The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.

"The Adventures of Brisco County Jr." is my latest TV series rental from Netflix. The show stars Bruce Campbell as Brisco County Jr., a bounty hunter in late 1890's San Francisco. Any show with Bruce Campbell automatically goes up a notch. He's an actor that just doesn't take himself or anything he does too seriously, which makes for a fun show.

Brisco is assisted by Lord Bowler (Julius Carry) and Socrates Poole (Christian Clemenson). While "Brisco County Jr." is set in the Wild West, it also incorporates some science fiction, including villains from the future, and a series of crazy inventions. While Brisco County Jr. is no Jack Bauer, he is a likable character who is easy to get behind.

Overall, the 27 episodes were pretty fun. The series ran from 1993 to 1994 on Fox. The effects are pretty cheesy, and some of the dialogue is cheesy as well, but what do you expect from a Bruce Campbell show. I rated this show 4 stars on Netflix. It's a good time...so if your Netflix queue is getting light, "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr." is a good way to have some entertaining evenings.

I Have No Party

I've been a registered Republican since I was first able to vote. I never subscribed to the theory that if you weren't a Democrat at 18 you are heartless...though I used to subscribe to the theory that if you weren't a Republican by 40 you are brainless. ; - )

But, since the election, and even before that to some degree, I've come to the realization that the Republican Party doesn't stand for what I believe in any more. Maybe it never did, and I was just fooled by the rhetoric. The Republican Party of today is all about big government, just their own brand of big government. In the Bush era, the Republicans controlled everything, and what did they do? They spent like drunken sailors, screwed up education (it was already screwed up, but they made it worse), and created a new medicare entitlement.

Now that the Democrats control everything, what is the Republican Party doing? Nothing! They aren't even trying to stop Obama and his cronies as they run up debts our grandchildren will have to pay. They aren't doing anything as the Federal Government takes control of the Banking and Auto industries. My guess is they won't put up much of a fight when the Government takes control of health care.

So, what do I want? I want a political party that believes in a limited federal government and state's rights. I believe that the Federal Government's primary role is to defend the states through a strong military. I believe the only other roles the Federal Government should have are those specifically granted by the Constitution, and those don't include Social Security, Medicare, Auto Bailouts and Bank deals. The Federal Government has taken the authority to regulate interstate commerce to the extreme, and it needs to be reined in. Above all, I believe that the people in our country function best when government gets out of the way and lets people flourish.

Yes, the Republican party has abandoned people like me. Lately they're more interested in figuring out how to out-democrat the Democrats than they are in working for the people of this country. I know there are others like me who feel this way, and we keep hoping that the Republicans will wake up and take us back. But, I fear that isn't going to happen any time soon. For now anyway, I plan to remain registered Republican, on the off chance that someone who shares my views is in the next primary. But, if a 3rd party rises up that shares my views (and isn't crazy), the Republican party will lose me.

Susan Boyle Gets 2nd

Susan Boyle, who rocketed into the spotlight several weeks ago on Britain's Got Talent, finished 2nd in the contest. During the semi-finals, Boyle sang "Memories" from Cats, but for the finale, she was back to "I Dreamed a Dream". She improved a lot for the finale. It was a bit of surprise that she didn't win. But, she's still expected to make millions in CD and endorsement deals, so the experience paid off for her.

I know that there's a way to embed a video, but I can't figure out how to do it, and I don't have time right now. So, here's a link to the finale: Susan Boyle Britain's Got Talent Finale.

If you hunt around on YouTube, you can find Boyle's semi-final video as well.