Embrace the Flux

Dexter: The Killer Show

// August 30th, 2009 // 6 Comments » // Movies

Paradox. Insanity. Gore. These words characterize Showtime’s longtime series Dexter quite nicely. But who ever said a serial killer can’t be good? Season number four is rapidly approaching (September 27), and we’re more than ready for a return to the infamous irony, gore, sex, eerie music, additional gore and soothing narration. The story’s timeline is fairly simple. Dexter was unofficially adopted by police officer Harry Morgan (James Remar) after a violent end to his mother’s life. Plagued by murderous impulses at a young age, Dexter would kill animals to relieve tension. To combat the urges, Harry trained the boy in the art of “justified compulsion,” thereby establishing the serial killer who targets only the evil and the corrupt. Now an adult, Dexter works as a blood analyst for the Miami Metro Police. During the night his bipolar tendencies breathe life—and a few unpunished killers welcome death.

The show couldn’t be the success it is if it weren’t for the man himself: Michael C. Hall. Hall is the perfect actor to play a covert killer. He’s made the transition from Dexter as a loner to Dexter as a family man – all the while trying to balance bipolar urges with family commitment – perfectly believable. Tune in September 27 to witness the madness.

Click here for a sneak peak of season four.

“Tonight’s the night, the night when a primal sacred need calls to me…” – Dexter

JET: Shaka Rock

// August 28th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Music

Just take a hint of modern lime and add it to the classic taste of rock and roll. You’ll probably get something close to JET’s latest album: Shaka Rock. Hard-hitting riffs, smooth melodies, and Nic Cester’s emphatic voice comprise the majority of the album—though presented in a neo-retro tone, we think these elements offer everything a JET head could desire. Don’t worry, JET hasn’t lost their AC/DC or Zeppelin influence, they’ve simply learned to channel it through a modern vibe.

Vocal melody seems to be the primary factor in defining JET’s revamped sound. Check out “Seventeen” and “Walk”—these tracks highlight their new style quite nicely. But just because the boys are changing direction slightly doesn’t mean they’ve lost their classic approach altogether. JET’s lyrical themes of anti-conformity, partying hard, loneliness, and sexy women are hotter than ever. Lend your ear to “She’s a Genius” and you’ll see what we mean.

Shaka Rock is now available on iTunes.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

// August 25th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Technology

Call of Duty and first person shooter have become nearly synonymous terms in today’s video game world. Hailed an epic shooter by consumers worldwide, Modern Warfare 1 propelled the series to new heights. But subsequent complications over the direction of the series (historical warfare vs. modern warfare) triggered the fifth, less renowned installment: World at War. Now, two years after Call of Duty’s first epic staple, Modern Warfare is back. Are you as pumped as we are?

With night-vision goggles in the prestige edition, custom characters and classes, and a newly-incorporated RPG aspect, Modern Warfare 2 seems to have received a serious makeover. Want more endurance? Do a little sprinting. Need some iron lungs? Hold your breath while you’re sniping—you’ll get an adrenaline rush. Featuring updated armor, new clothing and a wider array of weapons, Modern Warfare 2 sounds like it’s going to set the bar once again. Pre-order it now at GameStop.

Keep patient a bit longer and you’ll wake up with a Christmas morning feeling on November the 10^th—official release date for installment number six.

Check out the trailer below for a preview of things to come.

MUG’s Desert Boot

// August 24th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Fashion

With the fall and winter seasons approaching, a shoe that has style and warmth is hard to come by. Enter Minotaur sub-brand, MUG. A Japanese-based brand, MUG has created a desert boot with a bit more fluff than most. The slick outer suede is complimented by a warm and comfortable inner lining made from fur. Available in beige, mustard, or dark brown, the boot can easily top off any fall outfit. The MUG Desert Boot is now available at tokishirazu.jp (translated for your convenience). Cold temperatures are approaching—better keep those ankles warm!

Inglourious Basterds: Back with a Vengeance

// August 23rd, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Movies

Storybook form, flashbacks abound, and certainly not lacking in your supernatural gore, Inglourious Basterds screams quintessential Tarantino. But aside from a return to the quirkiness that is Quentin, we think Basterds might indeed be Tarantino’s “masterpiece,”—as echoed by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) to precariously conclude the film.

Not too surprising, Basterds proved less action-packed than the trailers led us to believe. When there was action, it was Tarantino action. But as a whole, the film was oriented further towards its overarching story.  And unlike the Kill Bill series (some might disagree here), story is what propelled Basterds to potential “masterpiece” status.

The story’s characters, in classic Tarantino fashion, do purvey a hint of parody. But contrary to some of his other films, Tarantino models his characters this way not to poke fun at the peculiarity of mankind, but to force a mental reaction upon his audience. He takes our historical perception of “the other” – German perception of the WWII American, American perception of the WWII German, the Frenchman, the Englishman, the Italian,  etc. – and models such perception in a way that directly reexamines the global lack of humanity during the war. Ultimately, he spells out the irrationality of WWII through exaggerated character conduct. In so doing, Tarantino defies all odds by attaching humor to a point in history that couldn’t be further from the fact.

Inglourious Basterds might be fiction, but the fiction portrayed is ingenious allegory. Quentin’s message is clear: the Nazis have only themselves to blame for their undoing.  And this message couldn’t have struck with such force if it weren’t for the incredible performances of Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent (Shoshanna Dreyfus) and Cristopher Waltz (Col. Hans Landa). Intelligent art direction, witty humor, a loaded story and first-rate acting (all with a Tarantino cherry on top)—Inglourious Basterds passes with flying colors. Get to your local cinema quick! This one’s definitely worth the $10.50.

Artist of the Week: Jared K. Nickerson

// August 22nd, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Technology

Jared K. Nickerson, known online as “J3Concepts,” is a freelance illustrator with a one-of-a-kind style. His work is a form of “vector art,” where geometric principles – points, lines, curves – are used to give a cartoon-like impression of shadows, textures, and a particular frame of reference. But unique to the traditional vector style is Jared’s ingenious use of color. Through color, his art seems almost otherworldly—it’s hard to imagine a J3 color palette appearing freely in nature. Still, his uncanny ability to convey emotion and metaphor through geometry and color has such a natural feel.  Although vector art deviates slightly from our topical modus operandi, we feel the technical means employed through Jared’s imaginative work is worth a mention at the very least.

Nickerson recently released a pack of twenty extraordinary wallpapers, collectively titled “Jthree Wallpack 2009.” Available exclusively at BloodSweatVector.com, we urge you to give the collection a download.

To see more of his work – a wide array of graphic tees, print outs, toys, and more – check out Jared’s deviantART page at j3concepts.deviantart.com.