X-Men: Apocalypse

X-Men: Apocalypse is a 2016 American superhero film based on the X-Men that appear in Marvel Comics. It is the ninth installment in the X-Men film series. Directed by Bryan Singer, with a screenplay by Simon Kinberg from a story conceived by Singer, Kinberg, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, the film features an ensemble cast starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn and Lucas Till. In Apocalypse, ancient cyber-mutant Apocalypse awakens and plans to take over the world, so the X-Men need to stop him and defeat his team, the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse.

In ancient Egypt the immortal psychic mutant En Sabah Nur rules ancient Egypt until he is betrayed by his worshippers, who entomb him alive just as he and his fellow mutants perform a ritual to transfer his consciousness from his aging body to a new one. He is accidentally awakened in 1983 by Moira MacTaggert and a cult worshipping En Sabah Nur, causing an earthquake that is heard across the globe. Believing that without his presence humanity has lost its way, En Sabah Nur decides to destroy the world and remake it in his image. En Sabah Nur recruits new Horsemen, beginning with Cairo pickpocket Ororo Munroe. He also takes in underground black marketeer Caliban’s enforcer Psylocke siding with him and leading him to Angel. In Poland, Erik Lehnsherr lives with his new wife and daughter, Nina, but when authorities attempt to capture him for the incident at the White House, his family is accidentally killed in the crossfire. En Sabah Nur approaches the heartbroken Erik and takes him to Auschwitz, where he upgrades his powers. Erik destroys the camp and joins Sabah Nur, completing his new Four Horsemen.

This team ambush the X-Men’s mansion and abduct Professor Charles Xavier as Apocalypse wants to transfer his consciousness into the latter’s body as when he does so, he will also gain Xavier’s powers to control everyone on earth. It’s upto Raven / Mystique, Beast, Jean Grey, a newly recruited Cyclops & Nightcrawler, with CIA agent Moira McTaggart and Quicksilver (who saves everyone from the exploding mansion when he arrives to meet Xavier and find his father Magneto) to get Xavier back and kill Apocalypse before he destroys the world. In the fight Magneto and are convinced to turn on En Sabah after spotting his true nature through his brutal attack on Quicksilver and Mystique (who happens to be Ororo’s role model). They must also ward of Col. Stryker and the US military who fear the Mutants. Lots of action, especially in the second half and some comedic relief with Quicksilver and Nightcrawler.

So what did I think of this movie? It was good but not as good as I was expecting. The villain wasn’t as awesome as I had hoped while watching the trailers even though he had some good scenes. The special effects were awesome but I felt that they had too much focus other than the main story. I do like it but I think they could have done a lot better. We finally learn how Xavier became bald! I thought the cast was awesome with special mention to Sophie Turner (who looks awesomely sexy) and Michael Fassbender. And Olivia Munn – smoking hot!!! 8 outta 10!

RIP Nick Menza

The former drummer with the US thrash metal band Megadeth, Nick Menza, is reported to have died after collapsing on stage at a gig in California. Menza, who was 51, is said to have suffered a heart attack during one of his regular sessions with his band OHM at a small Los Angeles jazz club, the Baked Potato. Mike Simpson, a fan who said he was at the gig, reported that Menza collapsed before the third song in the band’s set. “ I was watching his band OHM at the Baked Potato tonight and he collapsed on stage. Paramedics were saying it looked like a heart attack,” he wrote. Menza, son of a jazz musician, played with Megadeth on several of its most successful albums in the early 1990s, including Rust In Peace, Countdown to Extinction and Youthanasia. He left the band when he had to have knee surgery during a tour for the 1997 album Cryptic Writings. He had been playing regular sessions at the Baked Potato club with the band OHM, founded in 2002 by another Megadeth veteran, guitarist Chris Poland.

The professional drummer best known for his work in Megadeth from 1989 to 1998 and in 2004.[2] He recorded drums on four of Megadeth’s albums: Rust in Peace (1990), Countdown to Extinction (1992), Youthanasia (1994) and Cryptic Writings (1997). Beginning his professional musical career at the age of 18 drumming in the band Rhoads featuring singer Kelle Rhoads, brother of the late Randy Rhoads, Nick released his first record with Rhoads called Into the Future in Europe. Moving on to session playing including styles ranging from R&B to gospel, funk and heavy metal, recording with the likes of John Fogerty, Nick caught the attention of then Megadeth drummer Chuck Behler and became his tech. When Megadeth needed a drummer in 1989, Nick Menza was asked by Dave Mustaine to join the band. Mustaine noted that Menza previously filled in on drums when Behler was unable to. Menza first played live with Megadeth on May 12, 1988 in Bradford, England. This prior experience and personal relationship led to the invitation to join Megadeth for the 1990 recording Rust in Peace.

During his stint in Megadeth, Nick also played drums on his bandmate Marty Friedman’s three solo albums Scenes (1992), Introduction (1994), and True Obsessions (1996). By the summer of 1998, while the band was still touring in support of Cryptic Writings, Menza was having knee problems and sought medical advice. He was informed he had a tumor, which was later found to be benign, and had it removed. As a result, Megadeth hired a temporary replacement by Jimmy DeGrasso rather than cancel any dates. When the time came to record a follow-up album, Menza was not asked back and DeGrasso became the band’s official drummer. Menza has said in several interviews that, while in the hospital recovering from knee surgery, he received a phone call from Mustaine that simply said “Your services are not needed anymore”. After his departure, he began work on Menza: Life After Deth with guitarist Anthony Gallo,[5] bassist Jason Levin and guitarist Ty Longley. Following the reissue of the entire Megadeth catalog, Menza was invited to reunite with Megadeth in 2004. Days after a reunion was announced Menza was fired after rehearsals and replaced with Shawn Drover. Dave Mustaine said that this was because Nick “just wasn’t prepared” for a full scale US tour, physically.

In April 2006, Menza joined the Los Angeles-based metal band Orphaned to Hatred.[9] The group describe their sound as “a continuation of the heavy style of ’90s Pantera”. He left the band in late 2010. n March 2011, Menza appeared in a music video for Mindstreem’s “We Up Next” a song originally written by current SIN 34 guitarist Anthony Gallo featuring Tony Lanza and Daniel Wayne Jr. on Vocals. The actual recording is Menza (drums), Gallo (guitars), Gregg Babuccio (bass), and Tony Lanza and Daniel Wayne jr. (vocals).