What's your favorite Scary Movie?

U.N.Owen’s Rating: 3.7/5

Victim to Ghostface : “Don’t mess with me. I have a 4.0 GPA & 135 IQ”

It’s been 11 years since we got to have a glimpse of Woodsboro again  a.k.a. Ghostface’s lair. Scream 3 was the last (I mean LITERALLY the last of a “trilogy”) & the worst one of the lot. Not only was it bad in terms of acting & the story, the horror element was absent with a lame ending. Craven felt the need for a 4^th installment despite stating Scream was meant to be a trilogy. Well either way we Scream fans were waiting with complete curiosity how they were going to change it up this time. No disappointment from my side, well at least not really, maybe a bit.

Several years after the Woodsboro murders, Sydney returns to her hometown on a book tour. She decides to stay with her cousin (her mom’s sister) while marketing her book. Soon she bumps into her Scream 1,2,3 friends : Dewey & Gale. Once the reunion is over, the murders begin &  “scream” stuff happens.

One reason why I didn’t like the movie was because it was trying too hard to be a stand alone but seemed more like a remake of the first movie. With a lot of known faces (from TV shows & movies), younger cast & more blood – Scream 4 doesn’t really disappoint. The climax was not great but I can live with it. The comedy interspersed with the movie was good as usual from any scream movie. They made Dewey more “intelligent” than the previous installments. Courtney Cox looks OLD! Too much make up & surgery does that I guess, Sydney has also aged (duh!) but she performed well.

Verdict: If you love the “Scream” genre (meta horror?), then Scream 4 or “Scre4m” won’t disappoint. While they threw a lot of red herring’s the ending was bit of a surprise to me. Would I want a Scream 5..not sure. If they can really come up with a good script unlike the previous screams then I wouldn’t mind giving it a shot. So till then y’all enjoy answering ghostface’s : “What’s your favorite scary movie?” 

Bruno can catch a Grenade

Album: Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Artist: Bruno Mars
U.N.Owen's Rating: 3.99/5
Standout Tracks: " Just The Way You Are", "Grenade","Marry You","Talking To The Moon"

1.Grenade : Bruno Mars' second single. Personally, I feel this is the best track of the album even better than award-winning first single "Just The Way You Are". The lyrics & tone are sublime on this record, you actually feel bad for him.The video accompanying the track helps it's success. Also, it has got to be the most "covered" track on youtube!

2. Just The Way You Are: The very first single from the album & has received a lot of praise for its awesome tune. Lyrics-wise this song is at the top with "Grenade" and deserves its #1 Billboard spot rightfully.

3. Our First Time: Now this where the album falls apart for me. This track tries too hard to be a R&B-reggae mix with its slow beats & its annoying "Oohs" & "Aahs". While Bruno does some cool runs & uses his flawless falsetto, it isn't enough to carry the track as a potential single.

4. Runaway Baby: Fast-paced,Motown-ish with a twinge of rock - this track is infectious. However, once it reaches the chorus, it fizzles out. Not a bad track, not great either. Meh!

5.The Lazy Song: Keinan "Waving Flag" Warsame (aka K'naan) co-wrote this song.Doesn't sound anything like what K'naan would sing! The title is pretty apt & the tune feels like a "loll-on-a-hammock" beach type song. Fun song, yet lazy attempt. Can anyone smell "Filler"!!!

6.Marry You: The only worthy track after "Grenade" & "JTWYA". Fun,catchy & vivacious song which has even been covered by Glee! Actually feels like a wedding song with the bells ringing in the background.Funny, it sounds like a Lene Nystrom song. Score 3 for Mr.Mars

7.Talking To The Moon: Whoah! Is it Grenade part 2?? Well it does sound a lot like Grenade but isn't as good as the former.His strong suit seems to be slow & heart-felt songs.

8.Liquor Store Blues Ft. Damian Marley: If you like Bob Marley-like songs(Bob's son is featured in this song), you might like this one. While its good at certain parts, its passable.

9.Count On Me: Snooze! Skip it.

10.The Other Side Ft. Cee-Lo Green & B.o.B: Bruno Mars had his first hit with the brilliant B.o.B song "Nothin' On You". Teams up with him again as well as "Crazy" hit-maker Cee-Lo Green. While the album ends on a good note, this song has too many similarities with "Crazy".

Verdict: Overall, a good album from Bruno Mars , but could have been so much better.He has a lot of potential & hopefully his second album will be proof of  his musical talent.Vocally flawless, this guy should do more collabs which would ensure more hits like "Nothin' On You" & "Billionaire". I would recommend you buy the standout singles from iTunes & skip the rest of the album.

Sparta! Let's Go! (for a third time!)

Platform : PS3

U.N.Owen’s Rating :  4.0/5

Kratos is back to avenge the death of his family. He did kill Ares in the first installment, but now he wants to kill the remaining Gods. With Kratos being so powerful, the Gods headed by Zeus are fearful & decide to do away with him. As you all know, Kratos isn’t going down so easily. With his blades & some additional weapons (cool ones!), he takes down each God one by one. In the end, does he survive against Zeus? You guys need to play the game to know the rest (or you could Wiki it xD).

Controls are the same with the graphics & cut scenes being epic as usual. However, I miss the Kratos of GOW1 & GOW2. The blood & general sketch of the characters seems very cartoony, ‘different’ would be the best word to describe it. Colors are more vibrant, though. The enemies are more or less the same (boo Sony!) making it a breeze to pass through the stages. Boss fights aren’t too difficult except the first one. Although the boss battles are easy, there is a logical continuation in the story without being abrupt or “huh-how did he get here?”.Once you defeat the bosses you get their souvenirs which can be used as weapons, like I said COOL CRUEL WEAPONS!!  The story was well-thought out while maintaining the Greek Mythology intact.

Verdict: While the game looks stunning & boss battles are interesting, the game as such is too short lasting about 2 days with game play of 3-4 hrs a day. Also  replay value isn’t great. All in all, a good experience & definitely worth the buy for those who haven’t played the first two & also for those die-hard GOW fans.      

Faute! ~ ATP/WTA 2011 News!

Monte Carlo Masters  :

1^st Round Results -

ü  Jarko Nieminen beat Julian Benneteau         4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3)

ü  Richard Gasquet beat Denis Istomin  5-7, 6-3, 6-4

ü  JW Tsonga beat Juan Monaco          4-6, 6-3, 6-2

ü  Ivan Ljubicic beat Jeremy Chardy     6-1, 6-2

ü  Oliver Rochus beat Juan Chela         6-4, 5-7, 7-5

ü  Radek Stepanek beat Marcos Baghdatis       3-6, 6-1, 7-6(7)

ü  Florian Mayer beat Mikhail Youzhny  6-3, 2-6, 6-3

ü  Frederico Gil beat Sergiy Stakhovsky           6-1, 6-3

ü  Daniel Gimeno-Traver beat Santiago Giraldo            7-6(4), 7-5

ü  Tommy Robredo beat Ivan Dodig      6-4, 6-2

ü  Viktor Troicki beat Jean-Ren Lisnard 7-6(4), 6-1

ü  Ernests Gulbis beat Alexandr Dolgopolov      6-1, 6-4

ü  Milos Raonic beat Michael Llodra      6-3, 0-6, 6-0

ü  Robin Haase beat Nikolay Davydenko          7-5, 4-6, 6-4

ü  Nicolas Almagro beat Marcel Granollers       6-3, 6-3

ü  Marin Cilic beat Filippo Volandri           6-2, 6-1

ü  Philipp Kohlschreiber beat Andrey Golubev   5-7, 7-6(6), 6-4

ATP Ranking :

            No change in the top 10.

WTA Ranking:

            Victoria Azarenka moves to 5^th spot having won WTA Marbella.

Matches to watch today:

·         P Kohlschreiber vs [2] R Federer

·         E Gulbis  vs M Raonic

Note:  Guys I’m playing ATP Fantasy, its fun. Do take part & let me know your picks in the comment section.

" Innocence Dies Abby Doesn't "

U.N.Owen’s Rating :  4.0/5

Remakes of Foreign movies has really taken over Hollywood. First it was J-Horror movies like Ringu & Ju-On which got a westernized face-lift (pheew ugly!) & now Swedish movies. Based on the Swedish novel, Let The Right One In, the Swedish version was remade into its English version & released in 2010. Surprisingly, this was a hit & a well-deserved one.

Strange happenings leads detectives to wonder if there’s a ferocious creature on the loose. Meanwhile, Owen is  a lonely kid (played by Kodi-Smit Mcphee) who is raised by his mom & is a constant victim of a  certain group of bullies. They bully him to the extent of giving him bruises. One fine day, his life changes as he meets his new neighbor, Abby. Abby is queer, she always meets him when its dark, she never wears footwear & doesn’t accept food stuff from Owen. Despite her peculiar nature, Owen & Abby get along well. She even gives him advice to deal with the bullies. The strange deaths continue to occur & Abby turns out to be a vampire being helped by her “uncle” (he isn’t her uncle though!). Owen & Abby form such a strong bond of friendship that when the time is critical he saves her & when he is being bullied, she comes to his rescue.

This movie maybe a bit clichéd with all the “you are my best friend & I will always stand by your side” view. But  the way in which it was executed was perfect. The blend of vampire-horror genre with such a delicate topic was splendid to watch. Heck it even made me shed a tear. With vampire tales like Dracula & twilight, this one is not only different but refreshingly good.

Verdict : With a good plot, acting & awesome concept, this movie deserves to replace Dracula from its spot of “The best vampire movie”.

Deliciously Devious

Dexter (Season’s  1,2,3,4,5)

U.N.Owen’s Rating : 3.6/5

Dexter your favorite serial killer is back for another season (6^th season) & fans are hopeful of a better season. Including me! Let me recap a bit..

Season 1 introduced us to Dexter the “blood splatter guy” , his dirty-mouthed sister Deb, and several cop friends including Angel Batista, Maria LaGuerta & Vince Masuka. However, underneath the innocent visage lurks a deadly killer waiting to pounce on his next victim.. ..mostly serial killers. Dexter is the resident Robin Hood minus the “stealing from the poor” part. Season 1 covers the killings of the Ice-Truck killer who happens to  have a link between Dexter & his sister. No spoilers but season 1 is worth the watch (3.9/5)

In Season 2, one of Dexter’s cop friends suspects him of all the killings & gets closer to foiling his plans. Meanwhile, Dexter & Rita get closer & more attached. Overall, a bit of a downer compared to Season 1 & its thrilling finale. (3.0/5)

In Season 3, a new character enters & befriends Dexter. They bond  & their friendship grows. But to what extent can Dexter  trust his new “partner”? Deb as usual has boyfriend issues & is perennially crying. The “Skinner” is torturing his victims, taking a bit of their skin. Also giving clues to Dexter. I found this to be the worst season! (2.9/5)

Season 4 started slow but was very interesting keeping my attention. Lithgow has portrayed his character with a great amount of conviction. Deb’s life is at risk & Dexter wants revenge. Dexter shuffles his work, his “other work” & managing a family (having married Rita with a 3^rd baby on the way).The finale is truly gripping. The best season apart from season 1. (4.5/5)

Julia Stiles plays a victim of abuse & torture who witnesses one of Dexter’s crime. While initially suspicious, she realizes his true intentions. She needs his help to extract her revenge on those who abused her. Can Dexter help her without getting caught? Will she be a liability to his “work”? Like I said, I don’t want to spoil anything for you guys, so check it out.  Season 5 is ok, step back from the 4^th. (3.5/5)

Verdict: If you like “anti-hero” concepts, this one is for you, with a gory twist here & there. The acting is good for most parts. Hoping the next season will be like Season 4. Watch it!!!

Resident Evil 5 : RE + FPS = Blech!

Platform : PS3*

U.N.Owen’s Rating :  3.0/5

As I mentioned in the “About me” section, I love Horror & everything associated with it (no im not some deranged psycho!). So decided to review the closest thing nearest to horror, a video game. “Resident Evil 5” the latest installment from the Resi-series from Capcom was expected to be a grand hit in the series. After watching the E3 trailers I thought so too. Boo Capcom! RE5 is not like the others, hell its not even close to RE4 which was a mega success.

RE5 stars Chris Redfield (from RE1 days) & newbie Sheva Alomar (sounds like some soap!)  assigned to the task of looking into strange happenings in Africa. Mostly BSAA & BOW stuff again. Las plagas from RE4 are replaced by some black goo called Uroboros. Albert Wesker, the resident villain (pardon the pun), is back to wreak havoc again (snore!). The sad & annoying part of the game is the fact that RE5 feels more like a shooter & co-op than a survival horror game. Even the chainsaw majini’s don’t instill fear in me.

The Gold Edition is worth the buy though, with loads of extras & playable stages/side stories. The voicing, graphics & controls are good though. However, nothing beats RE4 & its controls. The puzzles are dumb mostly non-existent.

Verdict :  If you like Mercenaries & multi-player co-op with friends blowing zombie brains, then this is the game for you. Else chuck it or rent it.

*The game version I played. I know the game is available on XBOX 360 as well.