<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721</id><updated>2011-04-21T17:59:51.642-04:00</updated><title type='text'>It came from West Virginia!!!!11</title><subtitle type='html'>&lt;u&gt;Never&lt;/u&gt; believe you've the whole perspective.</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>14</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-9188894013463029190</id><published>2011-03-30T10:42:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2011-03-30T10:42:04.422-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Crisis</title><content type='html'>I'm beginning to realize the only time I come to write in blogs anymore is when I am at a breaking point in my life. Perhaps not a breaking point, but it feels like it for sure.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Actually, I just remembered I have my pen and journal sitting right next to me...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;...sorry, blogspot. I'm old fashioned. ;)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-9188894013463029190?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/9188894013463029190/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=9188894013463029190' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/9188894013463029190'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/9188894013463029190'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2011/03/crisis.html' title='Crisis'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-1421756138901103350</id><published>2008-10-19T15:33:00.003-04:00</published><updated>2008-10-20T14:32:17.400-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Halloween Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;img src="http://www.moviedownloadmatrix.com/Halloween-Rob-Zombie.gif"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I wasn't going to mention John Carpenter in this review at all except for this one statement. And that is exactly the point! John Carpenter isn't included at all in this version of Halloween except for the creation of the original characters and plot.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A lot of people feel that the original Halloween should be untouched territory. That it was perfect the way it was. And I agree with them! The original Halloween was not just an incredible horror film, but a great movie in general. It is, in fact, my favorite horror film of all time. Enter Rob Zombie. Not just with a sequel, mind you, but a movie with the simple title "Halloween." A remake? I was not excited to say the least. Especially when there was talk about Zombie not knowing if he wanted to use the original mask or an alternative.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However--&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***SPOILERS***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Rob Zombie did use the original mask. Yes he changed it a bit. The expression on the mask was not as "emotionless", which I think was very important that it remained that way. Another change was the dirt and grime added due to the mask being buried under the floor of his old house for fifteen years. Yes, that makes since, but I preferred the pure white mask that you could see more clearly in a dark room. Very creepy. Yet, despite the minor changes I didn't exactly agree with, I was able to looks past them and even appreciate them to an extent.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I've never been a big fan of Rob Zombie to begin with, and that's what took me off guard with this film. I felt that Zombie's style and directing ability have matured a great amount since his last two films. I actually found myself admiring some of the direction. I loved the instability of the camera during the "hunting" scene with Laurie. I also loved how much darker this version of Halloween turned out to be. It gives Michael even more of an evil edge.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The movie itself was terrifying when it wanted to be. I have not found myself more on edge with a horror film in a LONG time. Michael Myers was brutal in this version. Yes, he would bust through walls in the original, but not the way he did in this one. Tyler Mane's Michael Myers was a monster, and he didn't hide any of that from the audience. When Laurie is running out of the house and Michael comes walking out behind her, it is not reminiscent of the old Michael who would just casually follow. This Michael Myers comes stomping out like a predator determined to get his prey. Not only his he determined, he's furious! And you can see it!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Another thing I really liked was that Michael did not want to kill his sister at first. He wanted to reunite with her. But because she didn't understand that and stabbed him in the back, or the shoulder for that matter, his child-inside personality kicks in to kill anything that he considers to be not for him, but against him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As for Dr. Loomis, I thought Malcolm McDowell did a fine job. He looked and sounded much like Donald Pleasance, (as much he could). I also liked how Michael and Loomis, though they had much different perspectives, had a respect, even a soft spot for each other. Michael could've killed Loomis, but did not. Perhaps it was because he was too focused on his sister. Even so, the connection was still apparent.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I loved the ending. Laurie screaming her head off while straddled across her dead brother that she just shot in the head at point plank. Blood covering her chin. And then the close up of her screaming in terror with the sound of police sirens getting closer. Credits. I loved it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In conclusion, I really enjoyed Rob Zombie's Halloween. I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much is because I did not have a problem comparing it to the original at all. I didn't have a problem, meaning I simply didn't compare them. The thought did not enter my mind. I did not consider this a remake. For fans to really see this movie for what it is, the have to truly realize this is not Carpenter's Halloween! It's just a different version. One that went deeper into the person of Michael Myers. And while some might argue that the mystery of Michael Myers was one of the very aspects that made him so scary (and I agree), I still enjoyed his story line and was able to continue to fear his icon just as effectively, if not more, because if his beefed up, barbaric personality.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Well done, Rob. I don't know if I'll ever enjoy another one of your movies as much as I did this one, but you've shown me you do have some talent after all. No sequels, though! Michael Myers is DEAD!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;P.S. Thank you for keeping the original music! It was scary as hell!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Rating 9/10&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God Bless. Jer. 32:27&lt;br /&gt;John L. Pelzel&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-1421756138901103350?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/1421756138901103350/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=1421756138901103350' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/1421756138901103350'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/1421756138901103350'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/10/halloween-review.html' title='Halloween Review'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-6494705435427701044</id><published>2008-09-25T10:03:00.015-04:00</published><updated>2008-09-25T10:42:40.311-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Metallica: Death Magnetic Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;img src="http://entertainment.ie/images_content/120X120/metallicadeathmagnetic.jpg"&gt; Death Magnetic is a very interesting release by Metallica. For the past 17 years, Metallica has been receiving negative remarks for their work due to the change in style of their music. Most notably was the criticism from Load and on, save S&amp;M. People have been asking the musicians to return to their roots ever since. With the release of St. Anger, they claimed to have accomplished this, but the result was their most embarrassing album ever. St. Anger was not just a bad album for Metallica, it was one of the worst musical sessions I have ever heard from any band or artist, period. However, Death Magnetic takes a different approach.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are both pros and cons to this new release. I'll start with the pros. First and foremost, the CD starts off well. The sound is reminiscent of their earlier work. There are shredding guitar solos with a qualifying "heavy" output, and on some aspects, it fits in with the likes of ...And Justice For All, my favorite Metallica album.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Actually, that's the only pro that I can come up with at the moment. But that's not a bad thing! This was a very important accomplishment for the band, and it's, for the most part, decently consistent throughout the entire album. Unfortunately, it is also connected to my cons, and I do have more than one of those.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When you start Death Magnetic, it sounds as if it's going to take you back to the Metallica of the 80's. Most songs have some resemblance to their older works, but at the same time, you also hear their more recent inspirations as well. Thankfully, nothing like St. Anger, but more like Load and ReLoad. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing either. I, myself, while not liking Load and ReLoad near as much as the previous albums, I did not loath them. But, for a lot of people, they did, and therefore, will get a hint of the same with the album of topic.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are a couple songs where, the songs as a whole, sound very Load era influenced, and then in the middle, they'll break into an ...And Justice For All solo. This, for me, did not entirely work and the two styles did not compliment very well. It sounded a bit crunched together, as if they said "Hey, we need a solo in here because the fans want it," and just threw it in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The further you get into Death Magnetic, the less and less it sounds like the old Metallica. Like I said before, there are pieces of each song that have a bit of Justice in them, but sometimes they take it a little overboard. Solo in Unforgiven III? I didn't like it. The mood the other two had and that 95% of the third has is a sad, melancholy "unforgiven" feel. An energetic solo does not fit. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Toward the end of the album, though, they start to go back to their raw metal influence. Evidence in attempting to recreate ...And Justice For All is prevalent in the last two songs. An instrumental, followed by a thrashing speed metal encore. Exactly like Justice. "My Apocalypse" was a satisfying ending. Possibly my favorite song on the CD.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lastly, I'd like to make the most important realization as far as Metallica trying to get back to their old style. It's not going to happen. Reason being, James Hetfield's voice is very different from his earlier days. From Master of Puppets and back, he had a very young rebellious voice. On ...And Justice For All, it was still juvenile, but was vaguely starting to get deeper. Now, James has a more mature, gruff voice. This affects the sound of their music greatly, as far as tone and feeling.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Another unfortunate thing, over the years, I've noticed Hetfield's lyrics, while I'm sure are from the heart (as they should be), have become a little, for lack of a better term, cheesy. Not so much cheesy as they just aren't poetically written as they used to be. It's either that or he just can seem to find the way to sing them as effectively as before. And for me, that's been one of Metallica's biggest problems lately. They need to sound more serious about their message and not so scripted. It's almost as if you can feel that James doesn't really know what to do with his material. I frequently get the same feeling from Kirk Hammet. His guitar writing in their most recent CDs frequently sounds a little uncared for. Like there's not as much thought, blood and sweat that goes into it as there used to be.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All in all, Death Magnetic is an nice attempt to bring back the old fans, but has a faint nagging voice in the background begging for approval. You get a slight vibe that Metallica is trying very &lt;i&gt;very&lt;/i&gt; hard to please their listeners, but can't quite find that old familiar magic that they used to have back in their prime. It's a great attempt, but it's just a step behind. I would put this album in between "the black album" and Load. A great deal above Load, but a small inch below the former mentioned. I did enjoy the album, and the direction Metallica has been heading takes an exciting turn. While I would not be so quick to say "Welcome back, Metallica!" I will say, "Welcome back to Earth!"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Rating: 8/10&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God Bless. Jer. 32:27&lt;br /&gt;John L. Pelzel&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-6494705435427701044?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/6494705435427701044/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=6494705435427701044' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/6494705435427701044'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/6494705435427701044'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/09/metallica-death-magnetic-review.html' title='Metallica: Death Magnetic Review'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-6267281434709951066</id><published>2008-09-15T09:13:00.008-04:00</published><updated>2008-09-15T09:42:59.937-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Reflection</title><content type='html'>So I’ve been pretty sick here for the past two weeks. I’d had a terrible cough, deep in the chest. There were many times that I was very concerned it might be something pretty serious. Perhaps bronchitis or pneumonia. Thank God, though, it seems to be finally clearing up. I think it’s because I started taking medicine. I personally like to hold off on taking any medicine for as long as possible to allow my body the opportunity to try to fight off the germs itself. I consider it exercising my immune system. I believe that one can eventually make their body become dependent on medication over time if they do not let their immune system do &lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;some&lt;/span&gt; of the work. Unfortunately, I was not seeing any relief, so I decided it was time to start taking medicine. I still have a small cough, but it is nowhere near what it had been. I would guess that I will be back to normal within a couple of days, hopefully.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;It’s amazing to think about how wonderful it is to breathe. Taking in a deep breath and feeling your lungs functioning. Very good feeling. Our lungs are very hard workers. Especially if we put them through so much trauma, like smoking. I used to smoke all the time. At one point in my life, I was probably smoking an average of 15 cigarettes a day! I even smoked over a whole pack in one day, one time. As of late, I’ve been off and on, and for the past couple of months had narrowed it down to approximately one a day, if that. Now, I’m on the track of being completely cigarette free. It’s not very hard when all you’ve been smoking recently was one a day. And I know that I’m definitely done smoking cigarettes in any kind of consistency from now on. After having this cough, I considered the possibility of having lung cancer or emphysema. It is not a good thought or feeling &lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;at all&lt;/span&gt;! To have the idea that your days on earth might very well be greatly limited. Especially when you are lying in bed, holding your wife while she sleeps. That is a moment you never want to leave. I want to be here with her for as long as I possibly can, and I’m not going to take the risk of being taken away by lung cancer just so I can have a 10 minute moment of nicotine enjoyment. It’s not worth it at all. Not to mention how terrible it would be of me to die and leave her here, in this life, alone, with two kids and no protection. What a selfish act, to smoke cigarettes and play roulette with my life, when I have loved ones that I desperately need to be here for. I need my wife, and I know she needs me just as much. What a terrible fate to risk putting her in. A widow at just 20 years old. It shames me to know that I was playing those games. At least now I truly understand how irresponsible it is. I might’ve saved my life in the process. Thank you, God.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I’ve been writing a bit more lately. Maybe not on screenplays as much as I’d like to be, but writing nonetheless. It feels really good, and I think, like exercising the body or immune system for that matter, writing is a habit that needs to be exercised. It seems the more you do it, the more you crave it. Soon, hopefully, I will find myself sitting down and writing out one of my screenplays with little effort. If not a screenplay, at least a story or book.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God Bless. Jer. 32:27&lt;br /&gt;John L. Pelzel&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-6267281434709951066?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/6267281434709951066/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=6267281434709951066' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/6267281434709951066'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/6267281434709951066'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/09/reflection.html' title='Reflection'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-543958926943468386</id><published>2008-09-02T13:10:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-09-02T13:17:57.625-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Life</title><content type='html'>Things are a little down for me at the moment. It's just one of those things--where you don't see any relief in sight. Thankfully, I know that that is not true and that situations never last forever. I love being a husband and father all too much, but that doesn't stop life from knocking on your door. And sometimes, life doesn't have too many good things to say. That's where I am right now. But I look forward to the day that I'm sure is soon to come, where I get to take a deep breathing sigh of relief that everything is back to working order again. I long for that. In the meantime, I will just sit back and let God mold me into the stronger person that He wants me to become. As painful as it is, I know He is transforming me into something even greater than before and that there is a reason He is choosing to mold me the way He is right now. Nobody said it was easy, though.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God Bless. Jer. 32:27&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-543958926943468386?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/543958926943468386/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=543958926943468386' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/543958926943468386'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/543958926943468386'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/09/life.html' title='Life'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-2477657921935914264</id><published>2008-08-25T09:14:00.003-04:00</published><updated>2008-09-15T09:29:21.642-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Hope</title><content type='html'>My love,&lt;br /&gt;It feels hopeless, doesn't it?&lt;br /&gt;The battle of living,&lt;br /&gt;With the world smashing down on us,&lt;br /&gt;Trying to break us,&lt;br /&gt;Suffocating us to the very last breath.&lt;br /&gt;But we'll carry on.&lt;br /&gt;I know how you feel.&lt;br /&gt;With an eternal dark void in the distance,&lt;br /&gt;No light at the end of the tunnel.&lt;br /&gt;But we'll carry on.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My love,&lt;br /&gt;For you, is undying.&lt;br /&gt;It blooms every day only with new life.&lt;br /&gt;The one thing keeping me whole,&lt;br /&gt;From crumbling apart.&lt;br /&gt;And the tears that fall from my eyes,&lt;br /&gt;Are tears of joy and gratitude,&lt;br /&gt;That you are here by my side.&lt;br /&gt;And we'll carry on,&lt;br /&gt;Because we have that one thing,&lt;br /&gt;That doesn't feel hopeless,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Us.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- John L. Pelzel 2008&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-2477657921935914264?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/2477657921935914264/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=2477657921935914264' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/2477657921935914264'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/2477657921935914264'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/08/hope.html' title='Hope'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-2605899228417942468</id><published>2008-08-22T12:46:00.016-04:00</published><updated>2008-08-22T13:37:37.492-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Munich Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;img src="http://kenny.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/munichmovieposter.jpg"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mr. Spielberg,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am so sorry. Let me explain. One day, while on Netflix, I decided I should probably rent Munich and get it over with. I don't remember hearing anything about how well the movie was received by the critics, but I honestly couldn't get very excited about the movie. It seemed like a very dull film, but with your name being on it, of course I have to see it. The DVD showed up unexpected in my mailbox one day, and I was a little put out that I didn't get a different movie that I was more interested in. Now, back to my apology. I'm sorry for doubting you. That is all.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sincerely,&lt;br /&gt;John&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes. Munich was very enjoyable. I was actually quite shocked at how "unboring" the movie turned out to be. I was expecting a slow, historical-event film revolving around a "let's catch these guys" scenario. Not at all. First of all, the characters were very personal. These aren't just a bunch of guys running around on a television screen that you don't care about. You connect with them, which I believe was my greatest fear, wouldn't occur. Character development, in my opinion, is one of the most important, if not &lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;the&lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; most important aspect of a film. Second of all, the film did a great job of making the plot interesting. It wasn't an "arrest them!" story, it was a very captivating crime thriller. Now, I don't know (and doubt) that everything that happened in the movie actually happened in real life, but hey, who cares? That's what movies are all about. Besides, it said "inspired by" real life events.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My one complain was the ending (which has involuntarily become my "complaint of choice" as of late). It seemed a bit short and unfinished. Unresolved. Still, it did not distract from the enjoyment of the film as a whole. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I thought Munich was great. Definitely overlooked. Good job, Mr. Spielberg. You never cease to amaze me (except for perhaps the latest Indiana Jones addition). I hope you live until you are 150 and continue to direct movies the entire time. Bring on Lincoln!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;8.8/10&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-2605899228417942468?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/2605899228417942468/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=2605899228417942468' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/2605899228417942468'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/2605899228417942468'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/08/munich-review.html' title='Munich Review'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-6703757192569278551</id><published>2008-08-14T09:04:00.015-04:00</published><updated>2008-09-15T09:33:46.598-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Revelation</title><content type='html'>***Read previous post first***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;. . .and then it happens.&lt;br /&gt;The ravenous dragon, "Love," roars with victory,&lt;br /&gt;But a hero emerges in the distance.&lt;br /&gt;A white knight, riding a glorious steed,&lt;br /&gt;A brilliant sword at his side.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The creature takes note and suddenly feels threatened,&lt;br /&gt;Taking charge at the lone, brave soul.&lt;br /&gt;The knight draws his sword and advances.&lt;br /&gt;Quick with his movement, he slices the beast,&lt;br /&gt;Revealing the true identity of the monster.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This was not Love,&lt;br /&gt;Devouring the pitiful and heartbroken,&lt;br /&gt;It was another demon in disguise.&lt;br /&gt;This one's name was Infatuation,&lt;br /&gt;And he was a vicious tyrant.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His fury erupts, for his secret is no more,&lt;br /&gt;But the valiant knight rides on.&lt;br /&gt;The battle does not last long,&lt;br /&gt;And the demon is slain.&lt;br /&gt;Then everyone comes to their senses.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And out of the sky descends the most beautiful sight,&lt;br /&gt;An awesome bright light,&lt;br /&gt;Created by a magnificent bird.&lt;br /&gt;It's feathers are pure white,&lt;br /&gt;And it is radiant with divinity.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;This&lt;/span&gt; was the one, true, Love,&lt;br /&gt;And man will never be deceived again.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- John L. Pelzel 2008&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-6703757192569278551?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/6703757192569278551/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=6703757192569278551' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/6703757192569278551'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/6703757192569278551'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/08/revealed.html' title='Revelation'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-1637728814762409801</id><published>2008-08-14T09:02:00.001-04:00</published><updated>2008-08-14T09:10:17.745-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Love</title><content type='html'>What is love?&lt;br /&gt;Love is a beautiful curse.&lt;br /&gt;One that picks up the lost,&lt;br /&gt;Letting them look upon the world.&lt;br /&gt;Handing them a new experience.&lt;br /&gt;Enriching their spirit with delight. . .&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And so it strikes,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This beautiful creature called "Love,"&lt;br /&gt;Turning into a demon from the depths.&lt;br /&gt;Slaying the millions it has deceived.&lt;br /&gt;And when it is all over,&lt;br /&gt;It mocks us once again,&lt;br /&gt;As we come crawling back for more. . .&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- John L. Pelzel 2002&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-1637728814762409801?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/1637728814762409801/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=1637728814762409801' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/1637728814762409801'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/1637728814762409801'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/08/love.html' title='Love'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-3557606540745553242</id><published>2008-08-12T11:06:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-08-12T11:10:06.448-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Boom Blox (Wii) Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/329925400.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;     The master of cinema, Steven Spielberg, has now also become the master of video games! Just kidding. The master of video games is now and forever will be Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong, but this review has nothing to do with him, so back to what I was saying...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;     Steven Spielberg has invaded the video game industry and done a wonderful job doing so. Boom Blox was an idea that he apparently had after the release of the Wii, and he wanted to make it a reality. The game is, in a sense, what the title states. Boom Blox. You make blocks go boom, crash, explode, fly, fall, spin, and topple over. What more could your inner 4 year old ask for?!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/329932346.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;     A lot! How about games with the blocks after you get tired of blowing them up? Okay! Boom Blox has many games modes too! There are four different categories: Throw, Shoot, Grab, and Attack. In Throw mode, you throw a ball at towers of blocks with all sorts of different objectives in mind. Knock over all the blocks you can, knock over all the blocks expect a few, etc. Shoot mode is pretty much the same thing as Throw, except you don't throw, you shoot. And Grab mode obviously gets its inspiration from Jenga, but totally beats the pants off of it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/329932821.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;     There is also a Creator mode where you get to create your own levels. I'm still playing with this and so far desire a little more freedom and content. From what I can tell, it won't let me customize my levels to make them similar to the modes in the game. Still, it's a lot of fun to build a stage and knock it all down or design a crazy Rube Goldberg contraption.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/329932818.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;     All in all, this game is a "blast"! Ahem. It's a great party game. One that'll keep you coming back for more. And being as how the blocks themselves react so realistically to how they are hit, you will never play a level even close to the same way twice! Well done, Steven. Thank you. And I want a sequel with more modes in it and a more intricate Creator mode very soon!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;     8.9/10&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-3557606540745553242?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/3557606540745553242/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=3557606540745553242' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/3557606540745553242'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/3557606540745553242'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/08/boom-blox-wii-review.html' title='Boom Blox (Wii) Review'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-2939708747155342497</id><published>2008-08-07T10:18:00.022-04:00</published><updated>2008-08-07T12:40:46.967-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/329180314.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I bought this book the day it came out. July, 21 2007. I finished it yesterday. Over a year later! Reason being, Jordan and I started reading it together, but it was very difficult to get together and read it. I don't know why. Maybe it was because we were sharing the book as opposed to having our own copies to follow along with. Regardless, the end was spoiled for Jordan via the "intronet" and we both agreed to read the second half separately. She finished reading it the following day (without my knowledge). To my astonishing surprise, I found out a week later and started reading it, finishing the book within a couple of days as well.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, now I would like to give my thoughts. (Spoilers to those who have not read it--which would be no one.)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. As difficult as it is for me to recall on what I read sparingly throughout the past year,  I do remember feeling like the story took a hell of a long time getting to anything interesting. Yes, things need to be said, but I honestly couldn't care less about Bill and Fleur's wedding. After that, it felt to me like the search for the Horcruxes took a long long time. Now, I know that this could be an illusion due to the fact that it took me, myself, over a year to get through them all, but still, even as I was reading, I remember getting a little exasperated with it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Other than that, the book on was, for the most part, very pleasing. Unfortunately, I predicted pretty much everything that happened aside from the revival of Harry. I figured Snape was a good guy. I saw the high possibility that Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him (though I did not know why). I also predicted that Harry had become a Horcrux when Voldemort tried to killed him as a child, and that Harry would have to sacrifice himself to kill Voldemort. In all honesty, though, I did not think that it was actually going to turn out that way (though I was hoping so with Snape). And with that, it didn't turn out &lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;exactly&lt;/span&gt; the way I predicted. Voldemort had another Horcrux remaining after Harry's was destroyed, and as I said before, I never thought Harry would have been able to cheat death. I was also hoping the veil that Sirius passed through did not cause death like everyone had assumed. Jordan and I thought that Bellatrix Lestrange had not completed saying the killing curse and that he could possibly still be alive, but after watching the movie again last night, Bellatrix did say the whole spell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I did, however, feel that the battle between Harry and Voldemort was very anticlimactic and was a little disappointed with that. I wanted the wizard duel of the century, only challenged by perhaps Dumbledore and Grindelwald's duel. Maybe the movie will change that up a bit and show us a little more fireworks, even though Harry probably doesn't have it in him just yet, which would explain the quick, mediocre battle which resulted in a deflection.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The book did a very good job at making me feel the depressing obstacles that awaited Harry and put me in Harry's shoes, making me realize how he must've felt knowing that his life in the world was about to end. It was very gloomy. The book also did a great job of throwing the trio into predicaments that felt as if they would be impossible to get out of (much like all of the Harry Potter books).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All in all, I was pretty pleased with the finale of the series. Voldemort loses. Good wins out and everyone's life turns for the better, aside from the death of so many loved ones throughout the books. Originally, I had been partially hoping for two of the latter endings. Harry either dies at the hand of Voldemort or Harry kills Voldemort, taking his place as the Dark Lord. But, alas, happy endings are always a good way to leave the reader with a happy feeling and that should never, in my book, be a complaint. And after thinking it through, I'd rather leave Harry a hero than a villain. Good job, J. K. Rowling! And as sad as it was to come to the final end, thank you for finishing the series like you said you would and not drowning us with an additional 50 worn out Harry Potter books.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;9/10&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-2939708747155342497?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/2939708747155342497/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=2939708747155342497' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/2939708747155342497'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/2939708747155342497'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/08/harry-potter-and-deathly-hallows-review.html' title='Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Review'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-1185808406391721766</id><published>2008-08-01T10:53:00.005-04:00</published><updated>2008-08-01T12:16:14.337-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Top 10 Villians of All Time</title><content type='html'>Seems like I'm in a list mood...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So I thought I'd do one I haven't done before. My top 10 favorite villains of all time. At first I was making a list of my Top Movie Villains, but the I changed it to all villains everywhere. Let us begin!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;10. Jason Voorhees (&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Friday the 13th&lt;/span&gt; series)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328274131.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;9. Dracula&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328274114.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;8. Ganon (&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The Legend of Zelda&lt;/span&gt; series)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328274142.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;7. Venom (&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Spider-Man)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328275657.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;6. Michael Myers (&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Halloween&lt;/span&gt; series)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328274184.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;5. The Joker&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328274163.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;4. Sephiroth (&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Final Fantasy VII&lt;/span&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328274147.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328274209.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3. Bowser (&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Super Mario Bros.&lt;/span&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328274107.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2. Voldemort&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328274104.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. Darth Vader&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/8375999/328274110.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And there it is, folks! My Top 10 Villians of All Time! Hope I didn't offend too many people! Just kidding! I don't care if I offended you with my choices! It's my list!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Honorable mentions:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- Dr. Hannibal Lecter&lt;br /&gt;- Jaws&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God Bless. Jer. 32:27&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-1185808406391721766?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/1185808406391721766/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=1185808406391721766' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/1185808406391721766'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/1185808406391721766'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/08/top-10-villians-of-all-time.html' title='Top 10 Villians of All Time'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-3895726436243648179</id><published>2008-07-31T09:37:00.026-04:00</published><updated>2008-07-31T13:48:24.296-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Extra! Extra!</title><content type='html'>I have done something completely unexpected! I decided within the past half hour to reevaluate my top 5 favorite movies of all time! It took a very interesting turn! I sat down and forced myself to be completely honest, and this is what I came up with.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Top 5 Favorite movies of all time:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;5. Saving Private Ryan&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328107389.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Saving Private Ryan&lt;/span&gt; was one of those movies that took me by surprise. From the famous opening scene, I didn't know what was happening inside, but I knew it was powerful. Chaos everywhere in front of me. I was at war. No other war movie has brought me to the full understanding of what our soldiers go through. This movie made me, and continues to make me proud of my country, our soldiers, and the soldiers of the past who not only died in battle, but also the ones that didn't die and put their lives on the line so that we could keep our freedom. Thank you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***If I had to pick one movie to tie with my number 5 spot, it would be &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The Godfather&lt;/span&gt;.***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;4. Harry Potter series&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328106896.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328106886.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328106848.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328106891.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328106889.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Good ol' Harry Potter. I hated him so! My mom bought my sister the first Harry Potter book before it became a global phenomenon. In fact, the bookstore clerk hadn't even heard of the book. Then it started. Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! It wasn't until after I was dating my beautiful wife that I was drawn into the "magic." Ahem, excuse the pun! We were at the movie theater and she pointed out the teaser poster for &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The Goblet of Fire&lt;/span&gt; and said she wanted to see it. I had see &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The Sorcerer's Stone &lt;/span&gt;in the theater an &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The Chamber of Secrets&lt;/span&gt; on DVD. I didn't like &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The Chamber of Secrets&lt;/span&gt; so I passed on the third film. Still, she wanted to see the fourth one so I decided to watch &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The Prisoner of Azkaban &lt;/span&gt;to catch up. I really enjoyed it. Shortly after, we went to see &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The Goblet of Fire&lt;/span&gt; in the theater and I was blown away. I immediately started to read the fifth book, &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;The Order of the Phoenix &lt;/span&gt;afterward, but she insisted that even though I had seen the first four films, that I start the first book. So I did, and evolved into a full-blown Harry Potter fan. And thank God the movies are closely every bit as good as the books! Yes, I love me some Harry Potter.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3. American Beauty&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328106851.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first time I saw this film, I was on the fence about seeing it because of the "pedifilia." I'm glad I saw it. For the longest time, I considered &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;American Beauty&lt;/span&gt; my favorite film of all time. Moving down to number three is not an insult to the movie at all. I just had to realize that there were a couple of movies out there that deserved higher positions. But &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;American Beauty&lt;/span&gt; definitely deserves to be in my top 5. The film was colorful, well thought out, and just all around an enjoyment to watch. It portrays the average American family and you can't help but love the characters. &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;American Beauty&lt;/span&gt; is what I consider a movie should be like. Interesting, creative, and memorable.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2. Jurassic Park&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328106883.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Remains to this day the movie that I saw the most times in the movie theater. 7 times. I also consider &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Jurassic Park&lt;/span&gt; the most awe-inspiring film I have seen to date. Nothing compared to what &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Jurassic Park&lt;/span&gt; brought at the time it came out and nothing has been, in my opinion, as incredible as seeing dinosaurs roam the screen in a truly realistic fashion. And not just dinosaurs, but being able to see CGI used the way it was for the first time. Absolutely stunning. The best part was, the movie was not just visually pleasing, but it had the compliments of John Williams with an outstanding score along with the best director in the entire world, Steven Spielberg and writer David Koepp. Can't go wrong there. &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Jurassic Park&lt;/span&gt; easily takes my number two spot.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. Star Wars trilogy&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328106861.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328106866.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img src="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2175/4032037/20217192/328106858.jpg" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I cannot deny Star Wars the number one spot. What can you say? IT'S STAR WARS! Let me say it again. STAR--WARS! I think that's all I have to say here.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Actually, I did want to mention that there was a reason why Star Wars was not my number one originally. If I recall correctly, I ixnayed trilogies because in my eyes they weren't one movie and I didn't want to pick one of three over the other. But I no longer consider that an issue. With that said, let me say it one more time. IT'S STAR WARS!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order):&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- Braveheart&lt;br /&gt;- The Dark Knight&lt;br /&gt;- E.T.&lt;br /&gt;- Garden State&lt;br /&gt;- The Godfather&lt;br /&gt;- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly&lt;br /&gt;- Indiana Jones trilogy&lt;br /&gt;- The Lord of the Rings trilogy&lt;br /&gt;- Pulp Fiction&lt;br /&gt;- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves&lt;br /&gt;- Spider-Man 2&lt;br /&gt;- Toy Story&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God Bless. Jer. 32:27&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-3895726436243648179?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/3895726436243648179/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=3895726436243648179' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/3895726436243648179'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/3895726436243648179'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/07/extra-extra.html' title='Extra! Extra!'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525399973051458721.post-4966684374335373425</id><published>2008-07-29T12:32:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-08-12T11:28:50.486-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Harry Potter and the Deathly Spoilers!</title><content type='html'>***Spoiler ALERT!*** &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes, I know. I STILL have yet to finish the final Harry Potter book. Reason being, Jordan and I are supposed to be reading it together and we haven't been doing a very good job, especially now that we have two kids to take care of. We are about halfway through the book. Anyway, I guess anyone that hasn't finished the book yet and doesn't know the ending is one lucky bastard, i.e. me! Unfortunately, Jordan just called and informed me that she had been reading an article on a book series she has really gotten into as of late called &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Twilight&lt;/span&gt;, and a comment she read under the article revealed the ending of Harry Potter. So she now knows the ending. I too have found out some information ahead of time, that Snape is a good guy (which I'd been predicting the entire time!) but don't know the finale. We decided to start reading the book separately, and I'm going to finish this book once and for all before I suffer the same fate as my lovely counterpart.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Btw, this is my first time with Blogger. My fourth attempted transfer from a blog site.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First blog site ever: DeadJournal&lt;br /&gt;Second blog site: Xanga&lt;br /&gt;Third blog site: LiveJournal (didn't really use)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Maybe, just maybe, I'll keep this one up to date.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God Bless. Jer. 32:27&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8525399973051458721-4966684374335373425?l=johnpelzel.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/feeds/4966684374335373425/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8525399973051458721&amp;postID=4966684374335373425' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/4966684374335373425'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8525399973051458721/posts/default/4966684374335373425'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://johnpelzel.blogspot.com/2008/07/harry-potter-and-deathly-spoilers.html' title='Harry Potter and the Deathly Spoilers!'/><author><name>johnelitist</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00314258786839950941</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='26' height='32' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6mn7XDYdwNU/TOwhPR0aL1I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aOZSN4Ujels/S220/76020_10150330338605705_629425704_15624151_4110700_n.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
