hard

Eagle-Armoury Records 2009 Metal/Hard Rock Sampler [Explicit]
$0.00
I already have most of the songs on this album, but for those 2 or 3 that I DON'T have already, this free album is a good sampler for some bands that I'd like to invest some more time in. However that doesn't change the fact that the music selection itself is odd to say the least. Two selections from Black Label Society? I love BLS as much or more than any/everybody else, but more than one of ANY band is unnecessary for a "sampler" album. Live tunes? C'mon... live tunes suck if you're not actually AT the show (additionally, live tunes are a bad choice for sampler albums anyway because you don't get to hear the music for what it really is. But really, I'm nitpicking here. This is a pretty good album for being free, but any price for this half-"sampler" that isn't free is a waste of money. I really feel like the label could have done a better job of finding a good balance of heavy rock, metal, heavy metal, death/doom metal than is expressed in this sample album.

Hard: Special Collector's Edition
$39.95
Where William Friedkin's luridly exploitative gay-themed crime drama CRUISING dropped the ball, HARD picks up that missed opportunity and runs with it. Its low-budget origins are undeniable, and the acting talent, which ranges from fairly good to almost non-existent, happens to be the best the producers could get for free (one must assume that 99% of the cast worked for 'deferred pay' or no money at all.) But the true power of the movie lies in its message - about the aftermath of society's proclivity to marginalize and even isolate a segment of the community it considers less-than-human and utterly disposable.

Newly-promoted Detective Ray Vates (co-producer and star Noel Palomaria) is almost immediately thrust into a grisly serial murder case with his hard-bitten partner (Charles Lanyer), involving the brutal mutilation and murder of a string of male hustlers and teen runaways in the seediest areas of Los Angeles. Compounding the difficulties he faces in this investigation - no viable witnesses, virulently homophobic colleagues - is the secret that Ray carries himself: he's deeply in the closet to everyone (except for his ex-wife).

While canvassing a gay bar for witnesses, one of the same kinds of bars he frequents in his off-duty hours, Ray encounters Jack (Malcolm Moorman), a handsome, charismatic patron who contacts Ray again and challenges him about his "secret identity." Their rough, antagonistic second meeting sparks irresistible sexual chemistry between the two men, and a night of passionate sex ensues. The cold morning light brings even more chilling reality with it, when Ray discovers that Jack is the serial killer he's been hunting all along, and a smirking Jack steals the detective's badge, taunting him to "come and find me."

But that means that Ray is forced to confront his greatest fear - coming out to everyone in the precinct and to the world, something he's left no choice but to do, and a decision that leaves him vulnerable, reviled and ostracized by everyone save his straight partner, whose help Ray will rely on as the desperate game of cat-and-mouse between him and Jack escalates, leading to a suspenseful and chilling climax.

Regardless of the technical and creative shortcomings, HARD is definitely an admirable effort from the team of Palomaria, John Huckert and John Matkowsky. The writing is insightful, sharp and well-researched, incorporating the aspects, habits and psyche of a serial killer in an alarmingly realistic way that not even SILENCE OF THE LAMBS or SEVEN did. The sadomasochistic relationship between Jack and the bisexual married man whose home and family he completely takes over, recalls episodes from the life of Henry Lee Lucas and his lover/accomplice, Otis Toole. And several close encounters Jack has with the police, with his intended victims in plain sight, intentionally reference documented events that took place in the Jeffrey Dahmer case.

The production values and cinematography are outstanding for a film with such a limited budget, and acting-wise, Palomaria as Ray Vates, Malcolm Moorman as Jack and Charles Lanyer as "Lucky", Jack's partner all carry the film admirably with their understated but committed performances.

Lovers of gritty crime dramas would find much to like here, if they can accept that HARD is completely uncompromising about scenes that will make more than a few viewers balk even more than the violence...especially the depictions of men having sex together. This is not a politically-correct, Hollywood-sanitized product for mass-market appeal. Much like BASIC INSTINCT took an unblinking look at the sexual proclivities of its flawed hero and voraciously promiscuous anti-heroine, HARD does the same for its main characters as well.

And as for the violence, the film takes the tried-and-true classic "less is more" approach, which is incredibly effective. The killings, torture and rape are seen more after-the-fact, letting the viewers' minds fill in the blanks and making what little on-screen brutality that is shown that much more effective.

The filmmakers have flung down a gauntlet that the big-name "players" of the industry would never accept, and in a way, I'm glad. HARD is intended to be the first part of a trilogy, and I certainly hope that the production team gets their chance to complete it. The characters of Ray and Jack are memorable enough that you do wind up wanting to know what happens to them after the end of this film. It's certainly HARD not to think about it...

Hard Candy
$18.98
At first glance, Hard Candy seems a bit contrived--a pop icon in her fifties trying to win over a younger audience by enlisting big names like Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Pharrell. Most of the negative reviews I've read about this album mostly focus on this particular aspect of the album, criticizing Madonna's choice to work with big names rather than unknowns like she has on previous albums (Music and Ray of Light). However, pop stars working with big names is nothing new, even for Madonna. The question is, "is the music good?"
The tone gets set early with "Candy Shop," which recalls the sound of her first album, both in terms of production and lyrical content. Madonna sounds sexier than she has in years and Pharrell brings the song to life with a vibrant, uncluttered production that puts her voice front and center.
"4 Minutes" is clearly meant to be the "Madonna's back!" 1st single, with it's ominous horns trumpeting her arrival. Madonna has been known to bring out the best in her producers, and this song is proof of that. "4 Minutes" is a blast of pure energy that we haven't heard from Timbaland in awhile. Justin Timberlake and Madonna have great chemistry; they share the song without trying to overpower the other. At times the bass threatens to drown out the singing, but it's a stylistic choice that works in this case. Lyrically, it's a bit of a throwaway, but a fun song regardless.
Madonna fans that were turned off by "4 Minutes" due to it's commercial viability will probably say "all is forgiven!" after hearing "Give it 2 Me." Usually by track three Madonna takes her listeners to dance heaven and this is a great slice of it. Rollingstone magazine pointed out that the creative friction between Madonna and Pharrell worked for this album, and I believe that friction is most evident here, as the song blends Madonna's dance sensibility and Pharrell's hip-hop point of view to great effect. One of the album's best moments!
"Heartbeat" is the most retro moment of the album. It sounds like a song that she wrote for her first album, brought to life by modern production. On the surface it sounds like a fun throwaway song about feeling alive on the dancefloor, but there's a world-weariness that sneaks into the song, especially when she sings "it may feel old to you but to me it feels new." You sense that Madonna is thinking about her own relevance, a feeling brewing just under the surface of this simple song, thus elevating it's artistic complexity.
The real meat and potatoes of this album comes in the following trio of songs, "Miles Away," "She's Not Me," and "Incredible." Madonna's divorce has been no secret in the press, and although she hasn't gone public about what went wrong, these songs seem the most inspired by it.
"Miles Away" is another brilliant blend of acoustic pop akin to "Don't Tell Me." However, "Miles Away" hits much harder than it's predecessor. It's a song about how the man in her life seems more comfortable with their relationship when they're separated from one another ("you always have the biggest heart/when we're 6,000 miles apart"). It's a bit of cutting truth that we've come to expect from Madonna, with a beautifully atmospheric production to boot.
"She's Not Me" is actually a fun song, and she could be talking about her man cheating on her or her competition in the pop world (ie. Britney Spears). Sonically, the song has a fun disco vibe over a throbbing bassline. It's not clear as to whom she is talking about, but sandwiched between "Miles Away" and "Incredible" the song gains more gravitas as a deft pop song about infidelity.
"Incredible" is the album's showstopper: it's a grandiose slab of pop that builds and builds into pop experimentation and lyrically goes from sad and fragile to fierce and determined. In it, she sings about how wonderful and exciting relationships are at the beginning and her desire to bring her relationship back into that territory. At first she doesn't know what to do ("can't get my head around it/I need to think about it") and by the end of the song (an unchained bit of dance euphoria reminiscent of the dance breaks in the "Erotica" album) she's proclaiming "I don't want this to end/ I'm missing my best friend". . ."sex with you is incredible!" By the end of the song you hope that those crazy kids work it out after the drama of the two songs that preceded it.
After "Incredible," the album loosens up for a few songs. "Beat Goes On" brings Madonna back to familiar lyrical territory--life is short, live it--in the same vein as "Jump" off her last album. The tinkling bells sound in the song gives it a "Lucky Star" 2008/Sex and the City soundtrack kind of vibe and is a strong contender for being a single. Kanye West doesn't add too much to the song, though he doesn't sound out of place either, which is a kind of victory in and of itself. One of the albums strongest tracks!
"Dance 2Night" is by far the loosest song on the album. It's as though Justin and Madonna went into the studio and freestyled while the producer did his thing. Definitely not the most memorable song on the album, but it's nice to hear a more relaxed moment on such a tightly-composed album. Fun and forgettable!
"Spanish Lesson" is the worst thing Madonna has done in a long time, with its "I'm Madonna doing my Spanish shtick" repertoire that she has done more effectively in the past. A glaring misstep on this otherwise great album.
"Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" is an intriguing ballad that again seems to reference Madonna's divorce. Lyrically, it's stunning: "The steps that edge along the ledge/It's much higher than it seems/That I've been on that ledge before/
You can't hide yourself from me." Madonna sells it with a restrained vocal that matches the moodiness of the production. However, the production has a couple of problems that distract from the song's beauty. First, it's very similar to "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake, and second, Timbaland had a very heavy hand on this song and it can sound a bit overproduced (particularly the rubbery/bubbly sound effect buried in the song). These are minor quibbles though, as this song is still a strong ballad.
"Voices" ends this multifaceted album, and it takes no prisoners. Thunderous and ominous, this song is a clear indictment of the male protagonist referenced in the other songs: "so you claim madness like it's convenient/you do it so often that you start to believe it/you have demons so no one can blame you/but who is the master and who is the slave?" Madonna is in full diva mode, as she lacerates with sarcasm in a way we haven't heard since "Waiting" from the "Erotica" album. Timbaland is still a bit heavy-handed on the bass, but it works here. A great ending to a deceptively powerful album.
All in all, Madonna delivers the goods yet again, going from fun and poppy to whistful and sarcastic often within the same song. Almost 30 years into her career, Madonna hasn't lost her edge or talent. Don't be fooled by her choice of producers or the sauciness of the album cover, this is an album that, like its predecessors, is a fantastic balance of fun and depth. Here's looking forward to the next album!

Western Digital WD Elements 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive WDE1UBK10000N (Black)
$99.99
I bought this product from circuit city it worked very good for 3 months and it stopped working now and I lost all information I stored in it.