Tag Archives: 1989

Other (DC, Marvel, Disney etc.)

F1-USGP and Taylor Swift

F1 USGP –Austin, Texas

I wanted to write this article because the US F1 Grand Prix at Circuit Of The Americas in Austin, Texas is quickly approaching. This year’s race weekend, (October 21-23) is on pace to be bigger, better, and more exciting than ever! I am very excited to share that I will be attending the festivities all weekend long. The race is sure to be a good one!

The announcement that superstar performer and 10x Grammy Winner Taylor Swift would be headlining a concert (her only concert of 2016) during this year’s race weekend enticed a lot of non race fans to attend from all over the world. Speculation that this may be where Taylor debuts new music will likely even bring more attention to the race. But that is something we will just have to wait and see. More recently, additional festivities were added including a post-race concert from R&B artist The Weeknd, a downtown takeover fan fest, and performers and acts of all types at the track!

The just under 200 mile race will take place on Sunday, October 23 and is certainly going to be one to remember. Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are neck and neck in the championship standings. Also of note is that this race will be one of the final events for talented Brazilian driver Felipe Massa, who tearfully announced his retirement earlier this year.  Massa has been a driver for a long time and his career almost ended in a tragic fashion during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. Massa was struck in the head by a part that came loose from a car in front of him; that piece fractured his skull and nearly ended his life.

Fans from everywhere are hoping that the race weekend will be wonderful. Last year, the race did not go as planned because of a big rainstorm. Hopefully this year, the weather is sunny and rain free!

Since I am most excited about the Taylor Swift concert, I thought it would be fun to name the 15 songs that I think are going to make up the set list.

First up is music from Taylor’s self titled album which was released in 2006.

1) Tim McGraw- (her first single). This would be a throwback that would mean a lot to her fans.

2)Our Song-a song that Taylor wrote for a high school talent show. This song was very popular and is an exciting, cheerful hit that would be sure to bring smiles to the audience’s faces.

Other songs that did not make the cut: Teardrops On My Guitar—this song is wonderful and full of emotion but sadly, I don’t think Taylor would include it in the set list because the person this song was written about got into some legal trouble for abuse of a child earlier this year.

Next is music from Taylor’s second album, Fearless, which was released in 2008.

3) You Belong With Me- a mega hit that Taylor wrote during her time in high school that is totally relatable. This song is often requested and may be my favorite Taylor Swift song of all time!

4) Fearless- this song really encompasses the theme of going for something even if you are afraid.

5) Fifteen- a song about growing up and learning important lessons that Taylor wrote about freshman year of high school. The line “Back then I swore I was gonna marry him but I realized some bigger dreams of mine” would be the perfect time to pause and look at the crowd for some much deserved applause.

Speak Now, which came out in 2010, is next on the list.

6) Love Story- a very well known and well liked song. Taylor loves playing this one at concerts (it has been on every tour’s set list). Most recently, it got a 1989 remix. It will be exciting to see what she does next!

7) Mean- a catchy song with its country twang that she wrote about a critic has become an anti bullying anthem showing that whispers behind your back don’t define you.

8) Sparks Fly- This song has a great sound and seems to be loved by Swift and her fans. Taylor included this song on the set list for 2 tours.

RED is the next album and it was full of hits. It came out in 2012.

9)We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together- So catchy. Great Break Up Song that Taylor wrote when an ex came back to her.

10) I Knew You Were Trouble- Powerful song that got a remix for the latest tour but is sure to delight.

11) 22- Basically EVERYONE KNOWS THIS SONG. This will get people dancing and is so fun. I’m looking forward to it because this would be the only time I’d get to hear 22 live while being 22!

1989. Record Breaking and Iconic, 1989 is the album of the century….ok maybe the greatest of all time.

12) Blank Space- a satirical song about the media’s opinion of Taylor. Described by her as “the biggest song I’ve ever had”

13) Shake It Off- a true earworm. A well known , feel good song for all ages.

14) Out of The Woods- Swifties love the power that this song has. One of the most loved tour performances and the song Taylor decided to perform to open this year’s Grammy Awards

15) Style- A fun song that encompasses the feel of the album.

Other (DC, Marvel, Disney etc.)

RDT Reviews Batman (1989)

Big spoilers here…it has been out for over 25 years afterall.

Tim Burton’s Batman is the prototype characterization of Batman that we see today. After Batman’s popularity had sunk throughout the 1970s, mainly due to the camp version no longer connecting with audiences, several producers (primarily Michael Uslan) looked to restore the dark, serious version of Batman. Many movie studios scoffed at the idea though until Warner Bros. decided to take a chance on it. It still took years to for Warner Bros. to truly believe in a Batman film adaptation project. This mainly happened because of several successful comics depicting Batman as that serious, dark character (The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns for example).

Ultimately this direction worked. While the film isn’t perfect by any means, it set the tone to which DC Comics and Batman especially uses today. Batman has two major positives that outweigh pretty much all of the negatives. For one, it’s visually impressive. Batman looks great, the Joker looks great, the set pieces look pretty cool, especially since the film was made in the 1980s. The film’s dark look also helps the Joker stand out, which is a positive. Lastly, I should point out that the Batmobile is pretty awesome as well.

The other major positive that makes Batman work is that Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne and Batman is very good, and Jack Nicholson is incredible here as the Joker. Had those two performances not worked we may be looking at an entirely different way comic book films are looked at. Nicholson outright steals pretty much every scene he’s in. Most of the memorable scenes in the film involve him. The defacing of the artwork. The parade. “The pen is truly mightier than the sword”. And of course, his first appearance as the Joker.

It’s interesting that Batman v Superman has gotten so much heat for not being fun when this film is pretty much just as depressing. Roger Ebert made this argument that it looked like it was a depressing experience for everyone, even those who made the film. Perhaps Nicholson’s Joker was fun enough that no one cared? Maybe it was what people wanted from the comic book characters in 1989, especially from Batman? I’m not sure, but it definitely worked here.

There’s really not much else that’s to write home about in Batman. Kim Basinger is bland as Vicki Vale (no reaction whatsoever from finding out Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same person?). The plot is pretty basic with several changes from the comic book that would infuriate comic book fans today (like Joker being the one to kill Bruce Wayne’s parents).  The only other standout is that the music is great and really sets the dark and gloomy mood.

But none of these negatives really matter. Batman is about two comic book icons (or freaks, as Tim Burton put it) creating one another and then finally having their big fight. It’s about two characters who operate with different levels of freedom: one operates in the shadows while the other opening mocks the city he’s attacking. And both characters are done exceptionally well. That’s what mattered.

Pros:

+Jack Nicholson as the Joker is amazing.

+Michael Keaton also works well as Bruce Wayne and Batman.

+Great change of the darker version of Batman that served the prototype for many future comic book films.

+Visuals are pretty good.

Cons:

-Outside of Keaton and Nicholson no one stands out whatsoever and Kim Basinger falls flat.

-Nothing special about the plot.

One of the most influential films in history that inspired some of the biggest comic book blockbusters in history. And it even holds up thanks to the performances of the main characters.

Grade: A