It's just a little small review, nothing too big or fancy. Anyway, Muse's new album is called The Resistance. If you're expecting Showbiz or Origin of Symmetry... then this album may not be for you. However, if you really loved Absolution and Blackholes & Revelations, then you will love this album. Let's go through the tracklist:

1. Uprising - A great way to start off the album. Also kinda gives you a feel of what's coming. 4/5
2. Resistance - The cool catchy chorus is was attracted me to his song. 4/5
3. Undisclosed Desires - The beat of this song for some strage reason reminds me of Supermassive Black Hole. It's an interesting experiment with the use of computer beats by the band. 3.5/5
4. United States of Eurasia(+Collateral Damage) - Another good song... very Queen-esque too. The Chopin piece at the end won me over. 4.5/5
5. Guiding Light - Amazing song. Probably one of the best of the album. 5/5
6. Unnatural Selection - Another contender, I believe, for best song of the album too. It's just so raw and great how they change tempos a lot. This gets very close to something you could find in Origin of Symmetry. 5/5
7. MK Ultra - Another good song that does very well with tempo changes. Not as raw as Unnatural Selection, but close. 4/5
8. I Belong To You/Mon Coeur S'Ourve a Ta Voix - I get a very jazzy feel to this song. I wouldn't say the best of the album, but it's definately one of my favorites. 4.5/5
9. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture) 4/5
10. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 (Cross-Pollination) 4.5/5
11. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption) 5/5

Exogenesis: Symphony is an amazing piece of work. Probably the best Muse has ever done. It was better than I expected. I really felt that it got better as it went on. Part 3 is definately the best of the three. Kudos to Muse for pulling off something this huge.

Well, that's pretty much it. Overall i give the album 4/5. There is not a single song I don't like here. I guess I love it because I really love Absolution and BH&R more than Origin of Symmetry and Showbiz. If you do too, I recommend this album.

The Hurt Locker, Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Starring Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie.
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War movies these days today tend to focus on either one of two things: action throughout whole movie, with not that much character development; or character development and not that much action at all. (If you know one that does both things, please let me know so I can watch it). The Hurt Locker thankfully focuses on a perfect mix of both, not mention adding suspense throughout the film.

From Wiki, The Hurt Locker follows a U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit as it works to defuse a series of improvised explosive devices in the streets of Iraq. Jeremy Renner plays the leader of the EOD team, as he contends with not only defusing bombs in the backdrop of a war, but also the psychological and emotional strain that it inflicts. As the unit deals with one explosive device after another, it confronts the unpredictable and extreme violence of a growing Iraqi insurgency. Team members struggle constantly to distinguish enemy insurgents from innocent Iraqis and to protect themselves while avoiding civilian casualties.

The film stars Jeremy Renner, Brian Geraghty, and Anthony Mackie as the three members of the EOD unit. First-time screenwriter Mark Boal did an amazing job with the screenplay. Everytime they go to disarm a bomb, you're on the edge of your seat, cringing, hoping that the bomb doesn't go off. This is due to the wonderful character development he created with these three soldiers, that you just care for them so much, you don't want them to die at all. Throughout the course of the film, the horrors of war begin to take a toll on them, emotionally and physically and it's done very well because it's happening right in front of your eyes.

Kathryn Bigelow does a fantastic job directing the film. Yeah, it uses handheld camera possibly 85% of the time (mind you that's just a guesstimation, but it's a lot) and it really works. It's not like the motion-sickeness-Cloverfield camera. It's a little hard to explain, but when you see it, you'll find the camera movements to be soothing. Jeremy Renner, whom I believe to be a very underrated actor, was fantastic in the film, as was Anthony Mackie. Other members of the cast include Guy Pierce (Memento) and Academy Award nominee, and one of my favorite actors, Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List).

I find The Hurt Locker to be one of the best war movies to come out about the war in Iraq, and in general probably one of the best war movies since Saving Private Ryan, but I might be jumping the gun a little. Another viewing to two might make me settle down on a definite position of what I really think of this film. Who knows, it might make me lower the rating a little, but I doubt it. I would enjoy seeing it again.

Final Words: This film should be on the top of the list of best films come Oscar season.

...as soon as I come up with an idea for one. Haven't even started, and I already have writer's block. Maybe I'll do a slasher or a drama.

Well, regardless, I'm off to create creative characters creatively (tongue twister!) or maybe just some cliche teenagers who have sex and are murdered by a guy in a motorcycle helmet.

Hasta la vista.