First Blog Of 2008 - Captain Jacks Tracks Whats In Store For 2008

Hello and welcome to 2008 folks. New year, new font, new ideas and many many new features to tempt you into reading my little weekly contribution to the blogging world. I know it has been an inspiration to so many to write their blogs and fill them with light hearted witticism's and that is Ok, but I shall remain here to inform and entertain you for the rest of 2008 with the original and the best Captain Jacks Tracks.

So what can you expect from the blog this year. Well to start off with my non blogging time has been spent doing some heavy researching into what makes a good blog...... well good. And after much soul searching and loads of plodding through page after page of crap on the Internet I have come up with several new features I'm sure will be a hit.

First up will be Captain Jacks Classic Track. This will do exactly what it says on the tin. It will be a chance to eduficate the non believer's into just what makes a classic track. Not all will be my favourites, some will be suggestions from other's, or maybe even guest choices from the readers. Each snippet will include the video of the classic track, and a brief summary of the song, the band, the album, the video itself, the impact it may or may not of had in the annuls of time you know my usual gubbins. All in all I'm sure it will prove a lot of fun.

Next up will be a weekly dose of mirth with Captain Jacks Joke Of The Week Yet again this one speaks for itself. I get loads of jokes either sent via text or through mates on a Friday night booze up, so as I am every the sharing type I will put one up for you all to laugh at. WARNING as some of you may know my jokes are usually better heard after beer, so if you don't find them funny first time you read them, save them until your blathered!

Now this one is strictly for the blokes (and the rug munchers if you read this) Its Captain Jacks Hot Chicks. Again it will do exactly what it says on the tin. A picture of a hot "Celeb" for you to peruse on those long sea voyages and a snippet of her most exciting points!

My next new feature, me being a star and all, will be Captain Jacks Celebrity Bull-Plop Story Of The Week. This one will be for all you news hungry readers after your fix of our famous cousins making arses of themselves. Thankfully Pete Doherty is not in jail yet so he should provide me with weeks of material.

Finally, and this will be a big wrench for some of you, the Homer quote of the week has run it's course and is going to be replaced by my all brand spanking new blog ending Film Quote Of The Week. A never ending supply of classic film lines from all manner of films will be coming your way to end the blog each week, and for those of you that miss Homer, well they have released the Simpson's Movie so there may be the odd visit from the man himself D'oh!

So what does 2008 hold instore for us then. Well I have compiled a list of what may be the biggest list of what we can expect to see in 2008 that will make this a damn fine and entertaining year for us to look forward too in Film, T.V., Games and Music.

Films

So lets start off with this years big film releases for us to enjoy. Lets start off with the rumour mill. According to a lot of sources on the Internet, two more 80's T.V. classics are to be updated. First we have The A-Team, rumoured to have Owen Wilson already signed up to play Howling Mad Murdoch, and Mr T to make a cameo appearance. The Magnum P.I. rumours won't go away, with George Clooney top of the wanted list to take on the Tom Selleck role, and Ricky Gervais top of the wanted list to play 'Higgins'. And after George Romero's success in the Day/Dawn of the Dead remakes, Sam Raimi is in talks to update and re-gorify 'The Evil Dead' films with Bruce Campbell almost certain to make an appearance.

But away from the films not yet made on to the year's releases. January will see Aliens Vs Predator:Requiem, the sequel to the 2004 film, and the continuation of the Alien and Predator franchises that have been so successful. Also out is Rambo, which will see Sylvester Stallone reprise his role as John Rambo, as he did with Rocky last year. It is rumoured to be the best of the series so far, and the clips look very good...see for yourself.

February sees the next in the George Romero zombie films with Diary Of The Dead, which will probably be as gory as all the others but with no story at all. Also a new sc-fi film Jumper is out which looks very good, and star's Samuel L. Jackson and Hayden Christensen, who of course last worked together in the Star Wars franchise. Also out is Cloverfield, a good old fashioned monster movie, which has been getting rave reviews everywhere. Here's the trailer.....



Not a lot then until May, but what a month this promises to be. To start we have the next comic book hero to take to the big screen from the Marvel franchise, with Robert Downey Jnr taking on the role as Iron Man. Eddie Murphy attempts to re-ignite his comedy career with the long awaited Starship Dave. But the biggest release of the year so far goes to the return of one of the best loved movie franchisees ever, with the release of Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. Great website as well with lots of Indy goodies for you to download. The film sees the return of Indy set 19 years after we last saw him in the Last Crusade. Returning will be Harrison Ford as Indy and from the first film Indy's love interest Marion Ravenwood will be reprised by Karen Allen. Ray Winston also stars as Indy's friend and rival Mac, and Jim Broadbent as a fellow academic colleague at Indy's university, brought in to replace the role of Indy's fried 'Marcus Brody' played by Denholm Ellliot, who sadly died in 1992. This should be a stonker of a film.

In June we have the next in the Incredible Hulk franchise, with Edward Norton taking over from Eric Bana as the angry green man. Also out is Will Smith's new comedy Super Hero flick Hancock, which in true Will Smith style look very funny. Also out will be the next in the Narnia series, with The Chronicle's Of Narnia:Prince Caspian to hit the screens.

Again with the Super Hero films in July, with the next installment of the Batman franchise The Dark Knight, with Christian Bale returning as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and Michael Caine as Alfred, and also Heath Ledger as Batman's ultimate foe The Joker. Also in July the next Pixar film hits the screens with WALL-E.

The summer film battle continues with another franchise return. This time it is The Mummy:Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor, with Brendan Fraser back in his role as Rick O'Connell. Next up Is Hellboy 2:The Golden Army, with Ron Perlman back as Hellboy. Next up is Valkyrie, with Tom Cruise in a complete change of direction in this World War 2 war film about the German plot to assassinate Hitler.

September again brings us another sequel with Sin City 2:A Dame To Kill For. This is the sequel to Frank Millers hugely successful 2005 Sin City and sees Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen and Brittany Murphy all returning to reprise their roles, but no return for Bruce Willis.......yet. Also out this month is the remake of Deathrace starring super-hard Brit Jason Statham, who appears to of found his niche in these ultra violent action films, a sort of British Jean Claude Van Damme, but shorter. Simon Pegg also returns to our screens with the very funny looking How To Lose Friends And Alienate People.

On to November, as the only film that may be out in October worth looking at is the possibility of The X-Files 2 movie, which as yet is due for release in October even though none of the cast has even signed up for it yet! But November does provide a couple of biggies to look forward to. The next installment of the Harry Potter films will be out. Daniel Radcliffe returns as the wizard in the sixth film of the series Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince. But the really really big one out this month is Bond 22. As yet untitled Daniel Craig returns for his second stint as the ultimate British spy. The film is set to follow on from Casino Royale, and sees Bond in a vengeful mood after the death of his love interest Vesper Lynd. It promises to be as gritty as Craig's first outing, but this time we are promised that Bond will have a few gadgets thrown in. Dame Judi Dench will return as M, and a bevvy of beauties have already been added to the cast list destined to be Bond's next nudge nudge conquests, including Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton, both of which are very likely to make Captain Jacks Top Chicks list!

Rounding the year off in December we have even more sequels to look forward too. Madagascar:The Crate Escape brings the animated animals from Dreamworks back to our screens with David Schwimmer and Chris Rock returning to voice the characters from the first film. Angels & Demons will see Tom Hanks return as Robert Langdon in the film based on Dan Browns novel, but the story is actually set before the better known Da Vinci Code. Finally, on December 26th probably one of the most anticipated films of the year comes out, Star Trek XI. Taking on the roles of some of the most well known sc-fi characters are Chris Pine (Just My Luck/Smoking Aces) as Kirk, Zachary Quinto (24/Heroes) as Spock, Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz/ Shaun Of The Dead) as Scotty, Karl Urban (Lord Of The Rings/Bourne Supremacy) as Bones, Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog) as Chekov, John Cho (American Pie 1&2/Ugly Betty)as Sulu, and Zoe Saldana (Pirates Of The Caribbean:Curse Of The Black Pearl) as Uhura. Also making appearences in the film will be Eric Bana as the film's baddie Nero, Winona Ryder as Spock's mother and a special appearance by Leonard Nimoy as Spock himself. William Shatner and George Takei who played the original Kirk and Sulu respectively have also been lined up for cameo's in the film.

T.V.

So what is in line for us on the old soap box this year. Some old favorites are being resurrected, and if the writers strike ever ends some of our faves will be back on the small screen.
First up is the re working of an old favourite The Bionic Woman, starring ex Eastender Michelle Ryan as Jamie Sommers. Next up is another re working of an old classic with Flash Gordon returning to our screens in an updated version of the comic book classic. We have the return of Nip/Tuck now set in Los Angeles, 24 now set in Washington and Lost now set in who knows where!
New to our screens is Terminator:The Sarah Connor Chronicles and a brand new version of Knight Rider.
Well that's enough from the other side of the pond, but what about from good old blighty. Coming soon in 2008 is the second series of Skins on E4 and for the first time on Channel Four.Brand new from the BBC is a new police drama called Kiss Of Death starring Danny Dyer. It is a new outake on the police show with each episode being shown from the perspective of each individual character, flipping in time before and after the events of the show including the investigating officers, the victims and the killer. Next up is the brand new series of Torchwood, the spin off from Doctor Who starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack (Bloody Copycats!). The shown is now going mainstream for a 9pm slot on BBC 2 rather than BBC 3 where the first series was shown, and will feature lots of guest's including James Marsters (Spike from Buffy). But the one we've all been waiting for is about to begin on BBC One. Ashes To Ashes see's the return of Gene Hunt played by Phillp Glenister, along with sidekicks DS Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) and DC Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster). This time there is no Sam Tyler, and no Manchester. Its set in the 80's intead of the 70's, and Gene Hunt has now moved down south to the Met and his inimitable style of policing will take on the southern nancy criminal scum. Replacing John Simm as Sam Tyler is Keeley Hawes (Spooks) as Alex Drake. Here Alex comes face to face with some familiar characters, not just from her own life-time, but also from the reports logged by none other than Sam Tyler, which Alex has spent months pouring over. It looks great and Gene Hunt is bound to be back at his best. Take a look at the preview below.



Games

On now to the PS3 market, which this year looks to have some great titles over the next 12 months. It may have it's faults, but lets face it, the fact you have such a huge back catologue of games from the PS1 and PS2 to play on it really does give it the edge over the X-Box. Good old Sony, yet again proving that they are truly the masters of the console world. So here is a run down and quick synopsis of what will be new in 2008.
Devil May Cry 4: Action fighting game continuing the Capcom series.
Destroy All Humans - The Path Of Furon: Third in the series following the adventure of Crypto complete with Anal Probes and Death Rays. This time it's set in the 70's and will include a great soundtrack from the era.
Everybodys Golf 5: The fifth in the successfull golf series makes it's debut on the PS3.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six - Vegas 2: Follow up to the 2006 firsit game the tactical shoot em up will feature the seedier side of Las Vegas with all new weapons and missions.
Gran Tourismo 5: Fifth game in one of the most successfull driving game series on the PS format. First outing on the PS3 for the game and it will feature the Blue Ray capabilitys of the console. It has been stuck in development hell for ages but is due for release in April with loads of new features, both on and off line.
Time Crisis 4: The first person shooter game makes its debut on the PS3 along with the new GunCon3. Namco promise that this is the closest to really shooting a gun you can get, with the new GunCon the most realist ever.
Fifa Street 3: EA have the upper hand in the football game stakes in my opinion, and the two previous Fifa Street games have been great, if not a little tricky. The PS3 version promises to be more arcade like, meaning better gameplay. EA have promised loads of online features and loads of mini games as well. And with the Fifa licence at least you get to play with Lampard and Rooney intead of Lumperd and Rainey!
Motorstorm 2: Next installment of the Motorstorm series promises loads more tracks and vehicles, and promises another great soundtrack.
Rock Band: Rock Band allows players to perform in virtual "bands" by providing up to four players with the ability to play three different peripherals modeled after music instruments (a guitar peripheral for lead guitar and bass guitar gameplay, a drum peripheral, and a microphone). These peripherals are used to simulate the playing of rock music by hitting scrolling notes on-screen. Players can interact through both online and offline multiplayer capabilities. In addition to the songs shipping on the game disc, hundreds of new tracks will be made available as downloadable content. 58 tracks are on the first bundle, and 51 of the 58 are original recordings due to the fact that game designers Harmonix just happen to be tied into MTV. There will be many more tracks available to download in the coming months, with whole albums available as well as single tracks. The multi-player mode online allows you to create a band, and go on a World Tour, with real venues from around the world included, such as Madison Square Gardens in New York.
Grand Theft Auto IV: The ninth outing for the GTA series promises to be the best, and we've had to wait a bloody long time for this one due to development hell. New character Nico Bellic has come over from Russia to follow the american dream in Liberty City. It has been reported that the city in the game is so big it would take an hour in real time to walk from one side to the other. Missions will now take place over several days, allowing you to start other mission while you wait for instructions on previous missions. Stealing cars has now become an artform in the game, with you having to sneak up, smash the window and hot wire the cars. The usual Liberty City Radio will blast out its usual great soundtrack as you drive around the city, and a whole new range of weapons is promised to be included. And for the first time a milti-player mode has been included for online play, allowing you time to visit the entire city, and aimlesly kill loads of innocent bystanders......heaven.
Also due out is Star Wars:Feel The Force, Resident Evil 5, Ghostbusters, Silent Hill 5, Tom Clancy's Air Combat and Indiana Jones, all of which look worth dipping into the money box for.

Music

So what does 2008 hold in store for us to listen too this year. New albums are expected from U2, Coldplay and Keane. The Fratelli's are busy in the studio, as are Biffy Clyro, hoping for successfull follow ups to their last albums.
On the tour front, Foo Fighters will play Wembley in two sell out shows in the summer. Bon Jovi are again to do a summer UK tour. Def Leppard have announced they are to tour a headline UK tour with Whitesnake. 30 Seconds To Mars have promised a full UK tour this year, as have The Enemy and Biffy Clyro, who are currently touring with Linkin Park. As of yet most of the summer festivals have not been announced, so no news on Download 2008 or Hyde Park Calling. No news either on Reading or Leeds, although Carling has been dropped from the sponsorship, probably because it tastes like p**S. As soon as I have the line ups I will let you know, as last year's season of tours provided me with some great moments, and I hope 2008 will be even better.
As for my hot tips for 2008, well a couple of bands have caught my ears, who I think may be a lot bigger in twelve months time. First up is Stone Gods. This is the remenents of The Darkness, who split when Justin Hawkins left. First release by them is called 'Burn The Witch' and is a lot heavier than The Darkness, but still with that old style rock vibe, very much in the vein of Thin Lizzy.




Next up is a band I predict big things for in 2008, One Night Only. Five lands from Yorkshire with a great melodic sound and a new single getting a lot of airplay at the moment. The single Just For Tonight is reminiscent of early U2 and in this live video they show they can play a bit as well.

Finally another rock band Paramore. US fourpiece who have been backed by Jo Wiley from Radio 1 to do big things in 2008. Very catchy vocals from lead singer Hayley, and thier first album Riot has already done well both in the US and Uk charts. Take a listen to their latest single 'Misery Buisness'

So there we have it folks. Just a few little thing's to be going on with and to look forward to this year, and to top it off Karaoke is back on Thursday's at the hotel.

Just as a final little ending to the blog, my new convert to the PS3 Shaun has mentioned his unlucky streak of results on our Fifa 08 online gaming. Two games and two defeats for the plucky new boy, and only one goal scored has left him wondering if his goalscoring talent has deserted him. Anyway, I think it only fair to record the results in true football fashion. Until next time folks!

January 1st 2008 A New Year - A New Start - A Message To All

Happy New Year to one and all. Lets hope this one pan's out to be as good as 2007. Now as the first blog of the year as many of you who read this will now know, Thursday nights have now been given a back burner for what may be the foreseeable future. A shame but an inevitable outcome to the dwindling demand for the Karaoke. We have had a good run at it to be fair, with the locals enjoying the night now for many years, and this goes back to when Andy was at the Sneyd in the good old day's. As a group we have been together now for almost 20 years, so some serious ties and friendships have been formed in that time, ties that to others may seem to be something they are far from, but through thick and thin we have stuck together and delivered week after week to countless people who have become firm friends with us over the years.
2007 ended on a bit of a sour note for some of us, and others have misconstrued this as a ridiculous notion that we are, well me mainly 'bullies' (Tar one of us you tar us all). How far from the truth do certain people want to stray. Now I'm far from petty, and certain individuals have taken it upon themselves to do the thing they accuse me of themselves, but in the true sense of the word bully, they have chosen to hide behind a pseudonym of their real name, and not as a nick name given to them by friends, as I have done with my blog from the start. My views are my own, and if I don't like someone or something, then that is my opinion, and in the old days things would of been dealt with in a very different way, and the nameless individuals, who find it easy to post childish comments about an opinion then go off and do the same themselves, would of suffered a fate far worse than being called a few name's. I mean Shaun, just imagine what Allan would of made of all this and how he would of dealt with it. I'm sure if he still reads this (he informs me he does) then he may make 2008 the year of his comeback!
If the kids want their fun then I am big enough to let them have it, after all if my comments have provoked a response then fair enough. On the other hand I am not about to be made to look like a bully by someone who doesn't know the meaning of the word. From now on I will refrain from any nit picking at what has been said previously and draw a line under the whole thing, no apologies for what was said that was meant, but lets face it the nameless coward hasn't the guts to even name themselves, let alone apologise for what they have said.

Karaoke is about entertaining people. We have spent years entertaining people. In the dark days we entertained ourselves, as we were often the only people out on cold nights in winters. Some of the thing that have been said on another blog have struck a firm note to me and my friends, and as my life as a 'bully' is over before it began, then I will say only one more thing on the subject. if you want to have a pop at me then fine, stand up be a man and instead of trying to make out I'm the villain in all this, try and find facts out first before you make a fool of yourself. Believe me if i wanted to make comments about people I would do it to their face and loud enough for everyone to hear, something I have not done. I have become firm friends with Nicky, and was proud to have her come to my wedding reception and sing on our karaoke. She is a wonderful individual who suffers a great deal in her private life, and as I have always been one to stick up for the little people, like me she has overcome her hardships to become a person who loves to live. To be accused of being a wannabe rock star is one thing that I may of chuckled at as well, I mean lets face it that's why we all get up on Karaoke in the first place to sing like our favourite artists do. I have never claimed to be the best singer in the world, but I know I am as good as anyone else who gets up, and I applaud anyone who has the guts to get up, no matter how bad they may or may not be, but when people try to ruin things for people who are their to enjoy themselves, then I feel its up to me as a veteran of Karaoke nights, to let them know that sometimes enough is enough. That is meant as a suggestion nothing more. I have been accused of many things but I will not bow down to being petty enough to fall for childish games, which I am far to grown up to be bothered with. If you don't like who you are or what you represent they get a new life and stop trying to blame others for you own shortcomings.
Five years ago I was blessed enough to find someone who believes in me, and will always be by my side. A few weeks before we were due to be married, a low life tried to be funny by attempting to sabotage our wedding plans. They may not of thought it at the time, in fact I'm sure they thought it was a big joke, but the events that took place were very distressing for my better half. Not many people seemed to see our side of it and thought the old me was just looking for a fight, but if it was their wedding plans that were being played with then I'm sure their views would change. Luckily nothing happened and the day and night went perfectly, but a red mist had been released and was still looking for the joker to take it out on them. For a whole year the paths did not cross, but then with the cancellation of our night then our paths were sure to cross again, and they did, which resulted in me losing my usual calm exterior and almost coming to blows, but hey such is life and nothing happened. Now some may wonder' if I'm such a 'bully' why nothing happened. Well the reason is simple, I never hit a coward, even when egged on by the staff who find certain individuals very annoying as well, and a coward is all this person is really. I on the other hand will not tolerate anyone taking this argument to my wife, because that is a line you don't want to cross. She has been my brick for a long time, and if people were to ask then they would realise just how much she has changed my life. For this reason then I would recommend that you refrain from subjecting her to your childishness, because if she is upset again, then that is a war you do not want.
This has been a rather cold start to 2008, and I'm not sure that the mind numbingly stupid readers who will run along and copy what I have done in their own way, will get what has been said here, but I'm sure their more intelligent friends may have a word in their shell like and let them know that as long as lines are not crossed then all will be well. Shaun, bless his cotton socks, has been drawn into this, and as a good friend of mine, he will know where I am coming from when I say this has become a ridiculous situation. He has tried to keep everyone happy and has been a 'friend' to all, but as the designer of most of what we see on the Karaoke screen, then I'm sure it hurts him more as all he wants to do is go up and sing, just like I do. His lists throughout 2007 were done for his own curiosity, and were great fun. I used my blog list to entertain the people I know, and any other passing readers. But if you don't like my views then don't read them, I'm not asking you too. There has been a lot of hard work put into our blogs, and if your not happy with what is in the blog your not forced to read it. But how is it that for someone so hurt by my supposed jibes and comments, that they read mine and then scuttle off home to write their own, now how petty is that!
When done and said all this is going to be a new year with a lot of hope for all of us. I wish all my friends the very best in 2008. As for the others, well I'm man enough to draw a line under what has gone on, and if they feel they need to push the wrong buttons then so be it, but to refer to my earlier 'Piss Us Off At Your Peril' comment let me rephrase it as 'Piss Me Off At Your Peril'. My lines have been drawn, if you wish to cross them then that is up to you, but remember this, I have been intelligent enough not to do anything stupid yet, but after some comments my patience is wearing thin. I will not have my wife upset. She has been forced to make comments at your petty remarks as she was upset at the things people have wrongly accused me of, people not worthy of being mentioned in polite conversation.
Good Luck to all your endeavours in 2008. I will continue to bring you the most entertaining blog that is humanly possible, and if you don't like it you don't have to read it. Karaoke is still going to remain high on the agenda for the year, regardless of what night it is on, and Captain Jack, Tina, Hayley, Andy and Shaunio, Into The IUnknown himself, will be their to enjoy it as we have done for many years before and many years to come, after all we are the best of friends and will stick together whatever life throws at us.

Happy 2008