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Nick

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    In an effort to increase the activity and interest in Other Entertainment, I've decided to become more involved with the forum like I used to be. I have been neglecting this forum for obvious reasons, but I suppose that really isn't going to help improve the activity that the members bring to Other Entertainment. Here's hoping this changes that!

    Write a review for a movie, television series, album, soundtrack, movie score, book, or anything of the sort and get a reward. I'm a very generous person with a few extra bucks to spare here and there, so the reward can be something from supporter status to an iTunes gift card. But there are a few rules that you must follow and obey in order to get what you may, or may not, deserve. A complimentary gift to all those who participate will be a nice new emblem - never before seen. There will only be one winner, however, who will be rewarded with a prize (or another) I exampled above.

    Other Entertainment Review Rules

    a. All reviews must be written in English.
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    c. Spell check your work before you submit it.
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    f. Recap the events or songs briefly. Don't spoil anything for anyone.
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    i. Proofread your work before you submit it.
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    l. All reviews must be in paragraph format.

    If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to direct them to me in any form of communication. Whether it be via private message, visitor message, instant message, email, or even replies in this thread.

    Submit reviews for anything in this thread. Remember, submit a good review and you'll earn a prize. Contest ends April 17, 2010!

    To submit your review, click here. In the Title, post the title of the work and then, in brackets "[]", include the type of entertainment it is. For example, if I were to be writing a review for How to Train Your Dragon the movie, the title of my reply would be How to Train Your Dragon [Movie].

    Thank you,
    Patchisou Yutohru
    Other Entertainment Moderator
     
    Last edited by a moderator:
    Every Single Day - Bonnie Pink [Album]

    Every Single Day - Bonnie Pink [Music]
    CD1
    The Album Starts With A Quite Soft Rocky Song Called "Heaven's Kitchen". In The Verse The Music And Bonnie's Voice Is Quite Laid Back, Same With The Second Verse. However In The Chorus, It Gets A Little More Rocky, And Almost Is Exactly The Same As The Next Verse. The Bridge Starts With Bonnie Talking, And Then It Goes Into A More Extended Chorus. Repeating The Words "Heaven's Kitchen" Over, In Different Contexts. This Song Is A Very Good Structured One, Except For The Ending Which Is Just Repeating The Title Over Again. So I Would Say A Very Nice Opener
    The Second Track Is Bonnie's First English Single Which She Released In Japan Alone, "Forget Me Not". It Starts Off With Some Guitars, Then The Drums Kick Into To Make A Pop-Rock Kind Of Sound. Through Out The First verse Her Voice Goes A Little High In Some Places. In The Chorus She Repeats "Forget Me Not", And the Music Changes To A Rocky Theme. the Second Verse Is Almost Exactly The Same As The First But With A Change Of Lyrics. Then She Starts 'Doo'ing And Goes Back Into The Chorus. And Then Ends Off With A Little Instrumental. Not Very Well Done To Me, Personally, since You Can't Understand Her Mostly.
    "Awa ni Natta" Which Translates Into "I Became A Bubble" Is The Next Track, With Very Good Vocals Indeed Is Sounds Like A Soft Rock Ballad Kind Of Thing. Her Vocals Are Very Powerful Through Out The song. And It Makes Quite An Asian Theme With An Guitar, I Think? It's Still Very Nice And Soothing. I Really Recommend It!
    The Next Track, "Kanawanai Koto" Which Translates Into "Not To Hope" Is A Rock Themed Song, Maybe With A Dash Of Pop has An Excelent Beat, But The Vocals Could Be A Little More Better To Start. Her Vocals Start Over Powering When You Get More Deeper into The Song. Nearer You Get To The End Of The Song, The "Yeah!"'s Start Coming. Anyway I Would Say The Song Is A Little Dry.
    Finally! We Get To Bonnie's Debut, "Orenji" Which Translates To English As "Orange". It Starts With A Piano Then A Guitar Slips In, But Nicely Though, Same With The Drums. Her Vocals Are Very Powerful And Strong, But Also Add To The Nice Rhythm. She Keeps this Going Though Out The Whole Song, Very Strongly. And I Also find The Lyrics Are Speaking To Me, It's Like Her Voice Is Fully Of Meaning. Anyway I Love This Song, I Would highly Recommend It.
    Now Is "Inu to Tsuki" Which Is "A Dog And The Moon". A Very Nice Laid Back Song, Like "Heaven's Kitchen" And Her Vocals Are Powerful, And Going With The Rhythm. I'm Not Sure How to Explain The Music And Not The Vocals. It's Strange But A Good kind Of Strange. I Love Her Power In The Chorus. I Love The Way She Says "Motto" At The Start Of The Second Chorus. And The "Yeah!"s Start Again But With Repeating Some Of The Lyrics And the Song Ends. Very Good Song, I Really Recommend It!
    "Suprise!" Is Bonnie's Second Single, And Is Quite Rock Themed. And I Don't Seem To Like Her Vocals As Much. It's Very Out Of Tune And....I Will Never Recommend It.
    "Lie Lie Lie" is another laid back song. But Her Vocals Are Not As How I Would Like. But However They Do Kind Of Grow Onto You At Some Point. I Would Call This A Ballad Kind Of Song. Another Strange Song, But it's Quite Nice.
    "Kingyo" Meaning "Goldfish" Is Next. This Is A Very Nice Soft Rock Ballad, Her Voice Is Powerful, But I Don't Like The music Itself. It Just Doesn't Suit Her Voice In Some Places. Not Very Recomendable.
    "It's Gonna Rain!" Is A Really Fun-Sounding Jazzy song, Full Of Energy. And As She Starts Singing, Goes With the Rhythm And She Sings "Ciao!" In The First Verse, And Its Very Good. The Chorus Is Even Catchier! The Word She Sings in The Second Verse Is "Nothing", But It Is An Really Awesome Song, Ecspecially The "It's Gonna Rain!" Bit. And The Chorus Is Kind Of Short, and In The Instrumental She Sings The Title Of The Song. I Highly Recommend This Song, And It Is Really Catchy All The Way through.
    Next Is "Do You Crash?", It Starts Off With A Banjo Or Something, And It's Not Completely Perfect. But It Has A Nice Beat. Anyway, The Banjo sort-of goes and leaves us with a nice sounding guitar and drum. Then The Banjo Returns for the second verse. it's the same kind of sound of the first verse and chorus. And Her English Is Better Here. So It's Recommendable, I Guess.
    "The Last Thing I Can Do" Is A Guitar Ballad, Completely In English. This Is More Understandable That "Forget Me Not" And Sometimes Is A Little High On The Vocals, But Has Nice Speaking Lyrics. And She Has A Nice Voice Too. I'm Afraid I Can't Find No Rhyming Lyrics, But They Are Really Nice. This Is Recommendable.
    We Get CD1 Finished With "Evil And Flowers (Piano Version)". It Starts Off With A Nice Tune On Piano And then Bonnie Comes In. She goes A Little High In Places But Its Okay, She Does Also Go A Little Out Of Tune In Places But, That's About It. Her Voice Does Add To The Piano A Little. This Is Also An All English Song, Very Nice Pronouniation. Near The End She Does Her Thing And Repeats "Evil and Flowers" Twice Before The Song Ends.
    CD2
    We Start CD2 Off With "So Wonderful", A Nice Bubbly-Pop Song. Her Voice Is Perfect And Fits To The Beat. Her English In The Chorus Isn't Half Bad. But Still Carries On Holding That Beat Into Place. Then It Goes To the Bridge Where A Load Of Violins Come in for a few seconds then it returns to the beat and the chorus, leading on to the end. It Is Again, Highly Recommendable and is a Good Start Off To The Second Disc.
    "Daisy" Is A Guitar Based Song and Is Really Nice to Listen To. It Rhymes A Few Times And In The Chorus She Starts "tootoo"ing. Her Voice Goes With The Beat And Rhythm Perfectly. And This Is A Full English Song Too, Bonnie's First English Song To Ever Impress Me. Again Near The End And The Last Chorus She Goes "tootoo"ing Again. This Song Is Highly Recommendable!
    The Next Song On CD2 Is "You Are Blue, So Am I". By The Sound Of The Title I'm Guessing A Ballad? I Was Right. It's A Guitar Based Ballad, Again, Her Voice Goes High and Out Of Place In some places, but it is a nice song. It Maybe Quite Strange Sounding But I Personally Like It. It's Recommendable.
    "Kako to Genjitsu" which Means "The Past And Reality" Is Next On Our List. It Starts Off Quite Jazzy Sounding, And Bonnie's Voice Fits Perfectly. The Beat Is Nice And Flowing And so Is The Rhythm. But Something About Her Voice Tells Me, This Is Quite a Sad song Or A Depressive Song. Anyway, Highly Recommended!
    "Sleeping Child" Is Next, And It is a Guitar Based Song, I Think It's A Fully English Song And Has A Nice Beat, During The Song. And It Hardly Changes During The Chorus, Maintaining That Perfect Beat. But Also Is Slightly Boring.
    "Tonight, The Night" Starts off With Her Singing In English And The The Song Is Quite Strange Sounding, But Then She Goes into Japanese. Very Jazzy Song, Maybe Mixed With The Element Of Blues? Then We Get The Exact Same English For Each Chorus. But This Is An Extremely Smooth song And Is Nice To Listen To If You Like The Jazzy Laid Back, kind Of Think. Highly Recommended.
    Next It's "Take Me In", Which Is Has A Bubbly-Jazzy-Blues Sound. Her Voice Is Nice And So Is The Rest Of the Song. She Uses Some English in the Chorus And That's About It, Really. But Her Singing Is Class And The Music Is Awesome. Very Flowing Rhythm and Beat! Highly Recommmedable.
    "Nemurenai Yoru" Which Translates To "The Night When I Can't Sleep", starts with static and a piano, then she starts singing. It Makes Me Feel, "Ballad!" All Over. It's Like Another Version Of "Evil And Flowers (Piano Version)". Her Voice Is Absolutely Beautiful And I Just Love It. Nothing Is A Little To Much. Later, A guitar And Drums Come In And It Sounds Really Nice
    As They go And Add A Beat To The Next Verse. Highly Recomendable!
    "Thinking Of You" Is Next And Is A Type Of An Accoustic Song With Her Vocals Adding to the Clicking And The Guitar. Then more Of A Beat Adds In. Which Adds To The Song Well. And Her Voice Is Absolutely Perfect! I Couldn't Ask For Any Better! And It's Quite Catchy As Well! I Highly Recommend, And I Mean, High!
    The Next Track Is "New York" I Would Say A Ballad At First When It's Just Her singing To Static. Then A Piano comes In And Adds More To The Song. Her Voice Is Very Soothing And Is Powerful, But Not Over Powerful, Which Would Wreck The Mood All together. Anyway A Highly Recommended Ballad!
    "LOVE IS BUBBLE" Is Next And Is A Bubbly-Pop-Jazzy Song Which I Love. It Represents A Show Girl In Many Ways And It Starts Off With "I Want Bubble, I Want Trouble". Even this Is Quite Hard To Hear. It's A Really Nice Jazzy Song, That Was Popular During World War II, Or Would Have Been, If You Understand The Show Girl Bit. But It Was Amazing! The best 3 Minutes and 17 Seconds Of My Whole Intire Life. I Swear Down. THIS IS AN AWESOME SONG AND DESERVES TO BE RECOMMENDED!
    "Private Laughter" Is A Ballad With A Flowing Ballad, That Warms My Heart. In The Chorus It Gets Rock Themed And Then Returns To The Same Rhythm Of The First Verse. Very Sweet And Innocent In Some Parts. Then The Rock Theme Returns In Time For the Second Verse. Very Recommended.
    "Souldiers" Is Next And Is Another Ballad. And Is Another soft Rock themed Ballad. Very Nice And Has Some Very Nice, Innocent Parts Like "Private Laughter". Recommended!
    "A Perfect Sky" Is Next And Is A Spring/Summer Pop Song that Is One Of Bonnie's Best at Heart That Contains it's Fair Bit Of The English Language. Very Catchy And Bonnie's Voice Matches The Beat And Rhythm. So If you're Looking For a Summer Song, this Is It! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!
    The Final Track Is "Last Kiss" Which Is A Heart Touching Ballad, She Ends the First Verse In Strange Way And Then The Chorus Is Rock Themed And then Calms Back Down Into The Rhythm And Beat. This Song Is A Nice End To the Album And Shows Off Her Vocals At Their Best. Again, Highly Recommended!
    I Think "Every Single Day" Proves To Be One Of Bonnie's Best Albums To Be Released, Showing Off Her Talent As A Vocalist And Showing How Good She Has Become From 1995 To 2006. And She Is Still Shining Now. This Is A Recommended Album And Deserves To Be Brought!​
     
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    Owl City- Oceon Eyes [music]
    At the beginning of the CD It Starts off with a cool electro song called 'Cave In' . At the beginning of the song it is lower pitched, but gradually as the song progresses it gets higher and higher as if he is in a cave but reaching to the outside world. It finishes with him singing a melody that puts a smile on your face.
    The second song named 'The Bird and the Worm' lightens up your day as soon as you hear it. At the beginning there is just guitar playing, changing chords every 2 or so lines and it sounds like he singing to someone telling them about there relationship and asking questions to her. He sounds laid back and relaxed through most of the song but on the last chorus he gets louder before most of the noise goes away and becomes slightly emotional before all the instruments come back and end the song nicely.
    The next song 'Hello Seattle' was quite a relaxing song with a beat to it. Every verse starts with the same notes and saying what he is, whether it be a mantray, seahorse or old lighthouse. as the song progesses there is a build up, followed by a pause, then many instruments play before eventually ending suddenly.
    After a nice slow moving, relaxing song, 'Umbrella Beach' is the opposite! This fast moving, dance like song, like 'The Bird and the Worm' brightens up everyones day. Owl City starts off in quite a low pitch but once he reaches the chorus it turns into almost a completly different song! Fast Moving and high pitched, followed by a nice tune, repeated chorus that I thought was slightly higher still, before slowing down and vanishing completly.
    The next song in Oceon Eyes is 'Saltwater room' starts off with him and a guitar. I also thought he was quite laid back at the beginning and talking to someone. It also says it was cold so you can actually imagine and picture what he is singing about. He explained everything so well you could picture everything literally see it all happening! In the chorus a lady keeps saying 'do you think we should fall in love' followed by the 2 voices singing 'all the time, all the time'. they continue talking to eachother through the rest of the song until they fall in love at the end.
    I loved this song! 'Dental Care' so simple! I love it. he starts off like he is talking to someone. He then says what we all do, we all still get the chills when going to the dentist! In verse 2 he starts talking to us, explaining what the dentist says, and what he does. In verse 3 he speaks about tooth ache, swallowing an aspirin and basically thats it! After that theres another short verse then a solo followed by Owl City singing the chorus but in a slight higher pitch. After that theres another solo when finally it ends.
    After that bubbly kind of song 'Meteor Shower' relaxes everyone, starting off with a piano solo. Owl City then softly sings in low pitch before lots of instruments are added and the feel changes completly. Then He yet again starts singing to someone else.
    It then returns to piano but then switches again and doesn't change. Gradually theres another build up before the song ends.
    'On the Wing' is next with a build up of instruments every 2 or so lines. it builds up before the singing starts. He yet again makes you picture everything that goes on. I think he was writing a letter, but I may be wrong. In the second verse a girl is singing aswell, and the chorus changes. I thought he was talking to someone actually there. Then there is a slight build-up while Owl City sings sadly, followed by a pause then loudness. This continues to happen all the until he starts singing again, then it starts building up getting loud then quiet.
    After that the song that everyone knows! 'FireFlies' sure is a very good with the full package. At the beginning there a slight build-up before the singing. Owl City sounds tired and restless at the beginning, before the chorus before it sounds like he suddenly wakes up. He sounds like he is explaining everthing. After the second chorus, verse 3 has 'please take me away from here' repeated after each line. The next Chorus is the very loud! It is repeated twice before instrument, one by one is taken away from the song before it ends in silence. Amazing!
    After that its the tip of the iceberg, 'The Tip of the Iceberg' is very nice christmas kind of song with a good feel to it. It starts off with Owl City singing in low pitch followed by a great build-up, then a girl sings for a while before it all goes away and back to Owl City singing in low pitch. After the awesome intro in the second chorus Owl city yet again sings in low pitch but then after build-up its stays and the main line in the story 'thats just the tip of the iceberg' changes the feel and turns it into some guy on an adventure. Then, it changes into a dance tune! with that electro feel Owl City gives. then in goes back to a nice winter like song before finally ending with a nice sound of snowflakes falling.
    'Vanilla Twilight' is next. it gets a lot of bad things said because of the high pitched tapping at the beginning (thats really the only way to describe it) but I personally love the song! its so emotional and the music is just pure and saddening. He is writing a letter to someone longing for her to be there even though he knows it ain't possible. as the song progresses he gets more loud and sounds more confident.
    Best song in the whole album I think
    Coming in next is 'Tidal Wave' which I thought was such a cheery song even though they are meant to be sad etc Still its a great song! At the Beginning they are regreting things they have done until one chorus when 'courage swept over' them so they were more confident. I think it has a nice story to it.
    Next its 'Hello Seattle' remix! I kept hearing a bit of Owl City's song 'Cave In' so they mixing the two. I thought it was great dance tune and had the full package, literally. It had a lot going on at the same time but sometimes, thats a very good thing.
    Finally to finish off the album with an emotional song. 'If My Heart Was a House' made a nice ending to the album showing off what Owl City's voice can do. It gave a nice ending like I said. Not much else to say!​

    Verdict: Overall the album is extremly good with high quility electro music! The only let down is 'Umbrella Beach', it was so short and although a good song I thought it was just an add in
    Rating: 10/10​



    EDIT: My Spell check won't work :( so there will be mistakes, sorry​
     
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    Castle in the Sky [Movie]

    Review: Castle in the Sky [movie]​

    I think it's safe to say that at least half the people on this website enjoy Japanese Animation or Anime. I'm not quite sure why we like Anime on this website as much as we do. Could it be how different it is? Or do we all just crave some form of animation but there really aren't that many cartoons on TV for adults and even less for children. Or maybe it's because how we all were introduced to it when we were young watching Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Digimon, Pokemon, so on and so forth. Although we still see Anime on TV, seeing Anime in a movie theatre has rarely happened. Until Disney, one of the largest animation companies of all time, bought the English dubbing and distrobution rights to an Japanese Animation company by the name of Studio Ghibli, founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. They started out with two movies before they really were Studio Ghibli, Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind, and Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro. They're first, actual Studio Ghibli film was Laputa: Castle in the Sky.

    The story follows Patsu, a young boy working in the outside of a coal mine played by James Van Der Beek and Sheeta, a girl who is constantly being chased by two, conflicting groups played by Anna Paquin. The Dola Gang, a group of pirates who use dragonfly-esque planes instead of ships. They're led by Dola, a headstrong, old lady who acts as the mother figure to the Dola Gang. She's played by Chloris Leachman. The other group is the government. Although, most of the work is done by Colonel Muska, the antagonist and overall douche figure in the movie played by none other than The Joker himself, Mark Hamill. Although Patsu and Sheeta are the main characters, Dola and Muska are quite memorable in their own right. Their personalities are so pleasant, villain or otherwise. Dola, being the leader of a group of pirates, is quite shocking considering how mom-like she is. The cares for her men instead of being like a dictator. Speaking of dictators, that's kind of how Muska acts. He is a douche of such a high pedigree, he's approaching near Kefka levels of douche. He's cruel, he's power-hungry and not only does he not care who he steps on, he doesn't even notice. It's like his consciousnesses just gave up. The voice acting on, pretty much every character, is nice. Nothing quite spectacular on everyone, but what made Muska and Dola memorable, is their picture perfect voices.

    And about the movie's animation, let's just say, visually it's stunning. 9 out of 10 times, something somewhere is moving and sometimes they'll exaggerate something for the simple sake of animating it. It's also strange, because Anime doesn't really have the best animation. Usually it's still and they cut a lot of corners. This still does have the mouth flaps, but besides that, it's a visual spectacle and is technically impressive. And along with the stunning visuals, the composition, done by Joe Hisaishi, is an epic soundtrack which truly helps set the mood of things. He's done the music for almost every single Ghibli film and, so far, he's never let us down.

    The movie begins with Sheeta in an air ship, looking out the window when the Dola gang appears. They immediately break into the airship and rush anyone who gets in their way. The people on the air ship make an effort to stop Dola and her gang, but to no avail. At first, it isn't clear where their going or why their on the ship. But the action here is both enjoyable and I found it kinda funny. The pirates head into a hallway but are blocked out by four men, guarding a near-by room. One of the men goes into the room their were guarding and begins sending a radio message in Morse Code. Sheeta then finds a bottle on the ground, picks it up, holds it up, cringes, swings and before contact is made, there's a camera cut back to the Dola gang, who've gotten through the men. It then cuts back to Sheeta who reaches into the man's vest pocket, and pulls out a pendant. She begins putting it on when the Dola gang begins trying to break down the door. Seeing how it was the only door and they were pirates, Sheeta climbs out the window and hides out the window by grabbing onto a tiny ledge and putting her feet on another. The pirates break through the door and find her when she's halfway to the next window. Dola then draws attention to her pendant, explaining what they came there for. Sheeta makes it to the other window, but a pirate comes through the door for her. The man runs to the door and Sheeta slips and falls. Halfway through her fall, Sheeta's pendant starts glowing a bright light and her decent begins slowing.

    We then cut to the opening credits, then to the small, steam-punk inspired village below. And then to a boy named Patsu. Another, 13 year old boy who's out buying dinner for his boss back at the coal mine. On his way back to the mine, he sees a light fall from the sky above the coal mine. He begins running to the light and as he gets closer, he sees that it's a girl. He runs all the way up a platform to its end, and catches her.

    Well, that's around the first 10 minutes or so of the movie, so I don't want to give anything away. The entire movie feels like one big battle between the greed of man and the beauty of nature, and it did send me a message, subtly though. It also had some really epic moments which I won't spoil, but I just want to say they were some really memorable moments. The characters feel flushed out and the story is well written and interesting. The twists usually aren't unpredictable, but some scenes will really catch your attention.

    So that's what I thought of Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky. It's a spectacle in almost every way. The animation is impressive, visually and technically, the characters are memorable and their voices help, the story is interesting and the third act and ending are quite epic. Overall, it's a wonderful movie I'd recommend to anyone who wants to watch a movie.

    4/4​
     
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    Tales From Earthsea [FILM]

    (Not to be confused with Ursula K. Le Guin's novels that this film is based off, the Earthsea series.)
    Tales From Earthsea​
    Directed by Gorō Miyazaki​

    Tales from Earthsea . . . well, where do I begin? I suppose the beginning would be a good place to start, and it allows me to get one of my major quibbles with this film out of the way right off the bat.

    What happens to all the potential plot devices?     There are so many concepts picked up and discarded in the first ten minutes that it's not funny at all. The drought, some kind of flu that I'm not sure was even there because of how fleetingly I recall it being mentioned, Arren's relationship with his parents . . . All we see of this last one is some worried servants commenting worriedly that the young prince has disappeared, only to be scolded by the queen for being unnecessary worrywarts. Then Arren kills his father, the king, and runs off with his sword. Later on, some form of explanation is given for his actions, but it still doesn't make much sense. And dragons! In the first few minutes, two dragons appear, locked in aerial combat, causing the witnesses to panic and flee, but the creatures aren't even referenced until virtually the end of the film.

    In short, the main problem with this film is that it relies heavily on the viewer having read Le Guin's     Earthsea novels to understand the plot. I personally had to watch it a couple of times (in English and in Japanese) to get my head around what was happening, but once I did, I was fully blown away.

    For starters, the quality of the settings is just as would be expected from a Ghibli film – nothing short of magical. It features flying sequences, a favourite of Miyazaki's father, and perhaps a nod to his animation style. The character animation is done with consistently good quality, and the voice actors (in English and Japanese, for that matter) are surprisingly good, which is refreshing after being exposed to Claire Danes' slaughtering of the titular character in     Princess Mononoke.

    The best part, however, is how     real the characters are made to be. Arren has a problem with some alternate form of himself that sometimes takes him over, making him do things he would never do, and sometimes manifests itself separately. Does he bravely stand up to it, facing his fears and discovering his true self in typical protagonist style? No, he acts like any teenage boy would do when faced with such a problem. He gets scared and runs away from it. Arren is a real character. He has believable flaws and realistic strengths, and combined with that magic sword, he's a character you just have to love to bits.

    The heroine, Therru, is equally three-dimensional. She's a quietly feisty character that happens to be a lot stronger than she looks. Her voice actor in both languages has an adorable singing voice as well, and     Therru's Song is currently my favourite piece of film music.

    The story jumps around a little bit. I later found out that this was because the writers took material from books one, two and four of Le Guin's     Earthsea series, which is a little confusing. I personally think it would have been better just to focus on one book in more detail, rather than skimming through three books and skipping one entirely. Little attention is given to explaining the setting and backstory (if there even is one).

    The characters, however, just seemed so real to me that they almost managed to redeem the film's poor setup. Almost. Overall, it was a beautiful, visually pleasing film, but it just wasn't terribly logical, and there were a few slow segments. I would give it three and a half stars out of five, if we're doing star ratings.
     

    THE ETERNAL
    SONIC YOUTH (2009)


    [PokeCommunity.com] Write a review! (Contest)

    The album...


    After a three year break, Sonic Youth are back with a brand new album that strikes an all-too-familiar chord with fans of the band. The Eternal, although different, lacks the innovative sound that accompanies every record brought out by the alternative rock legends. A trademark of the New York rockers is their ever-changing sound, spanning from their beginnings in the early 1980s to the present day, however their latest release mimics old songs in a more produced format. Nevertheless, do not conclude that this is an album not worth listening to; although it isn't another Daydream Nation or Sonic Nurse, it's definitely an album that should be added to your collection.

    Sonic Youth have a secret ingredient that is mixed in with all of the feedback, obscure tunings and powerful vocals that the band is associated with, that keeps bringing you back, hungry for more, and this again shows on their latest venture. Although some fans are discouraged by the compressed tracks which depart from the band's traditional raw sound, the record provides a more accessible medium to introduce the band to fans who would usually shy away from their confronting image. The Eternal is a perfect starter album for new fans of the band and in time becomes yet another favourite for old fans too.

    The 2009 release is also the first album featuring Mark Ibold, veteran bassist from the 90s lo-fi band Pavement. The addition of a fifth member opens up a range of opportunities to expand their creativity, similar to what the band did with Jim O'Rourke from 2000-2005. Ibold's presence is made known with prominent basslines in songs such as Calming The Snake and Anti-Orgasm, however even with a new member some tracks from the new album sound like they have come straight off previous albums. Sacred Trickster, for example, sounds like it could have been on the 1990 album Goo. Other songs are powerful and beautiful at the same time, such as Antenna and Malibu Gas Station.

    Thurston Moore, co-guitarist and credited by some as being the founding member of the band, stated during the lead-up to the album's release that some of the lyrics he wrote for the album had black metal influence. Not being a black metal listener, I'm unable to verify whether or not the lyrics are similar to that genre, however one thing is for certain and that is that the lyrics for many of the songs are shocking. Even though you'd be hard pressed to find a bad Sonic Youth song, most fans will remember the dodgy rhymes in Sleepin Around or the constant references to underwear by Kim Gordon in past songs and pick them out to be bad lyrics. Sonic Youth is not a band with bad lyrics - on the contrary many of their songs have great lyrics (eg. Incinerate) - but The Eternal has one too many songs with words that sound rushed and as if they had been included simply because they rhyme. A few examples of this are Sacred Trickster ("That's so quaint to hear/I feel so faint my dear"; "I wish I could be/Music on a tree") and Leaky Lifeboat (Leaky lifeboat sleeps off shore/It was sailing backwards to the freaky north"). Meanwhile, songs like Poison Arrow and Anti-Orgasm ensure that you can still give credit to the band for delivering some great lyrics.


    The songs...


    01 Sacred Trickster: the first and only single from The Eternal, the song brings back some grunge back to the Sonic Youth that was becoming increasingly tame in their music - the distorted, noisy guitar and loud vocals from Kim Gordon. If you can get past the lyrics and listen to the structure and how everything fits together, you'll find that it's an amazing song. Also avoid the video clip.

    02 Anti-Orgasm: opening with two brilliant simultaneous guitar bends, the song only continues to get better. A terrific melody, powerful and with a strong beat and good lyrics, a shortened version of this song would have worked as a single for the album. The second half of the song, an extended jam in a relaxed aftermath to the intensity of the first half, highlights Mark Ibold's bass-work. The double vocals of Kim and Thurston during the verses may take a while to get past, but it works wonders during the chorus with the male-female responses.

    03 Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso): a different take on vocals for Sonic Youth - all three vocalists sing in this song. At first you'll be thinking "they're overdoing the multiple vocals" but in time it really suits the song. The actual instrumental side of the song is genius, and the wah-guitar before and during the verses sounds terrific. The vocal harmonies during the "la-la-la" part is the highlight of this song.

    04 Antenna: probably the most underrated song on the album. A lot of people find this song boring, but if you really listen to the beauty of it and the brilliant instrumental parts you can appreciate just why you got another Sonic Youth album. Thurston sings in this song.

    05 What We Know: another song that could have been picked for the single off the album, Lee Ranaldo sings passionately and the straightforward pop-rock sounding song is one that will stick in your head for ages.

    06 Calming The Snake: a song that almost sounds as if it could be straight from their 1992 album Dirty, Kim Gordon sings desperately with strong musical back-up. Another good listen.

    07 Poison Arrow: sung by Thurston, the song is another great listen, a perfect mix between Sonic Youth's more recent melodic sound and a Junkie's Promise-style vocal part. Good lyrics and another good song.

    08 Malibu Gas Station: possibly (and in my personal opinion) the best song on the album, Kim's depressing yet beautiful vocals thunder straight through to your soul. The accompaniment is pretty and together the song is sure to be on repeat many times. The instrumental part of the song is one of the best things I've heard from Sonic Youth across their almost thirty year career. This song truly shows Sonic Youth at their best and is the highlight of the album.

    09 Thunderclap (for Bobby Pyn): the familiar "I don't wanna know, woah-oh" is sometimes a laughing matter among friends and other fans as being lame, but put in this song it's actually quite catchy and very creative. It suits the feel of the song perfectly and highlights Thurston Moore's terrific vocals. Great lyrics and extremely catchy, it could have easily been the single off the album.

    10 No Way: another Thurston song, the music is terrific and the melody is even better. This is another song that could have been the single instead of Sacred Trickster. A catchy tune that you'll find yourself humming along to.

    11 Walkin Blue: another great Lee song, the song is a masterpiece. Although it sounds like you have heard it before, you can never put your finger down on just what it is - Sonic Youth have captured a sound that is relevant to everyone. The layered instruments sound great.

    12 Massage the History: an amazing finisher to the album and often underrated, it sounds like a mixture between something off Sonic Nurse (2004) and A Thousand Leaves (1998) with a new spin on it. It's a terrific song but it requires a few listens before it can be properly appreciated. Gordon's vocals suit the song perfectly.


    The verdict...


    Sonic Youth have branched out with their style of playing, however the album can be reminiscent of a more produced mix of older albums. Unlike albums such as EVOL (1986), The Eternal is an album that will instantly appeal to you, and with much listening it will continue to get better and better. The lyrics are in most cases one of the down-points of the album, although the vocal work by Lee, Kim and Thurston make up for it. In particular, everything after and including Malibu Gas Station is amazing, as is Anti-Orgasm, but everyone will have different favourites on this album.

    Compared to their other albums, The Eternal isn't groundbreaking, however the special something in Sonic Youth's songs that make them so perfect is still present and so this album is definitely something you should add to your collection. One of the unfortunate things is that until Malibu Gas Station and afterwards, the album doesn't really feel like an album but more like a collection of songs in a random order, however all of the songs on the album will stick in your head. For older fans, if you aren't impressed with the album, listening to the individual songs will slowly but surely make you remember just what made you like Sonic Youth in the first place.

    L I S T E N: Malibu Gas Station, Thunderclap
    IN A WORD: Nostalgia

    * * * * *​
     
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    Three Days Grace-Life Starts Now [Album] [Music]
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    Three years ago, before Beyonce with "Single Ladies" and Owl City with "Fireflies" and Ke$ha with "Tik Tok", rock fans were purchasing the latest rock songs, whether it be from iTunes, or there local music store. Somewhere in there lay One-X, Three Days Grace's second, and many people agree (until now that is), there best album. It brought about the singles such as "Animal I Have Become" and "Never Too Late" both which have peaked onto spot number one on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, and have placed number one and number two on the Billboard Alternative Songs. Now three years later, they have come back with a new album: Life Starts Now

    I remember waiting for the album back in September 2009. The pre release single "Break" went up on there official site www.threedaysgrace.com and it took people by the second. On the release day, the site started to lag so much that the song started to buffer. But being the true fan I am, I didn't click that red x in the corner of my screen. I waited and eventually people caved in and had to "break" from the site. When the album was released, I could never find the album, because it was sold out everywhere. Being as lazy as I was, I just downloaded them. And I'm glad that I did. Adam Gontier and his gang sure lived up to what was expected of them. All there songs were electric, and they were more emotional as well. Brad Walst (bassist) told us that Life Starts Now talked about "confronting life and how fragile it can be". Well, they sure explained that alright, and many people listened. Life Starts Now peaked at number three in the Billboard 200, there best to date. Who knows what we can expect of Three Days Grace in another three years. One thing is for sure: there going to rock… pun intended

    The Songs~:

    • Bitter Taste- The only thing this song is going to leave an after taste of is the taste of contentment. With awesome guitar riffs and a small but extreme drum solo, this song is sure to be a song you want more of

    • Break- You are not going to want to ever take a break after hearing this song. You just have to listen to it once to be completely addicted to this song. A true magnum opus made by Three Days Grace. Extreme guitar riffs everywhere in this song, yet, you get the meaning of this song clear as a bell. But I'm not going to ruin it for you, so listen!

    • World So Cold- One of my favorite songs in this album. One of the more emotional songs here, it truly amplifies my thoughts for the one I love, and after you hear it, I guarantee, you will too.

    • Lost In You- I certainly am lost in this song. A classic Three Days Grace song about love and desire. A classic, and a masterpiece

    • The Good Life- The second single of Life Starts Now is beyond good. One of the more hard rock songs, you are going to want to get up for this one.

    • No More- "What do we stand for, when we all live in fear?" This one lyric of the song is enough to truly make you think about your life

    • Last To Now- A song about rejection, then triumph, this song is (in my vantage point) the most emotional song in this album. A fragile song, with a powerful meaning

    • Someone Who Cares- One of my personal favorites, this song will surely make you want to hug your mom and dad

    • Bully- The more hardcore song in the group, this song is a classic. The beginning part defiantly adds some flavor to the song. Your going to look at the school bully a different way after hearing this song

    • Without You- I surely wouldn't be able to live without this song, this song is a Three Days Grace classic

    • Goin' Down- This song can be taken many ways, but most people refer it to sex. A more hardcore rock song, but it is still a classic.

    • Life Starts Now- My favorite song in this album. Just listening to it reminds me of the times I've wanted to tell her how much I love her. After hearing this album, your life will start now.


    In the End: This album is a truly emotional album. Every song will surely make you think about life in some way. But being emotional doesn't make it have bad quality. You'll still have that Three Days Grace flair to every song, and that is something special in itself. Out of five stars, I give it a:
    5

    Rock Out!
    ​
     
    How to Train Your Dragon [Movie]

    How to Train Your Dragon [Movie]: Review


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    A darkly picked setting surrounds the opening of this movie, a domineering island surrounded by an ocean crashing upon the perimeter of the home to the Vikings; this setting is washed away by the upbeat tone of our protagonist by the name of Hiccup. Most villages have their average pests such as mosquitoes or mice, at a glance this village might seem distant from any form of civilization other than its own but no, it is being constantly attacked by marauding dragons who fail to fear an over ambitious, overly confident Hiccup.

    Welcome to How to Train Your Dragon! Adapted from the Cressida Cowell book by screenwriter Will Davies and directors Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders we follow Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruche). Hiccup is ironically roughly half the size of the older Vikings within the settlement but his slick, sarcastic attitude; deaf to orders, still yearns for the respect of his father. Hiccup's father is adamant on not letting his son become a warrior Viking as his ancestors and neighbors have become. After a solo confrontation with the most esteemed dragon to ever grace the island, Hiccup vows to learn more about the dragon's ways and no longer holds the desire to kill or to harm dragons. The irony is that Hiccup's father relents to having him join the youngsters in their training in dragon killing. As Hiccup engages in his daily routine of learning how to fight dragons, he seems to be blind to the fact that his parent's war is about to become his and that of those within his generation. He's become all too interested in finding out more about the largely mysterious "Night Fury", the dragon in which he had been confronted by and had the chance to kill but opted out of doing so, knowing that the dragon was as insecure and as frightened as he was.

    The dragons are as realistic and stunning as the ones you will see in Avatar, you'll find yourself plainly waiting to see more, thankfully they are plentiful and don't just tease your desires. This film is absolutely stunning in 3D and doesn't give off the "I'm just jumping on the 3D bandwagon" vibe; it actually fits the purpose of the film expertly. This is how a 3D film is supposed to look, it is so evident in the flying scenes that the 3D was intended to make this film shine and add to the versatility and beauty of the flick, this may contrast with films of late such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, unlike those How to Train your Dragon doesn't fall that little bit short of actually crossing the line of grasping 3D enhancement completely. Little by little we see the Night Fury bonding with Hiccup and not some sentimental montage lasting 3 minutes mid way through the film which adds to the purpose this movie was intended as well as increasing the somewhat typical but crisp and simplistic storyline, which appeals to both a younger audience as well as reflecting upon every day issues in which adults can relate to. This is shown of course, in a different way showing the protagonist taking a contrasting and less violent view whilst approaching the dragons. We see this on Hiccup's third training day when he encounters a two headed dragon, rather than trying to take the physical and potentially harmful approach, Hiccup manages to level with the dragon verbally showing it who is in charge as if it were a pet. This is much like his relationship with the Night Fury though he is proving to be much more of a challenge to tame. The film is at its weakest is when it digs into the familiar string of clichés though you'll remind yourself that this is a Dreamworks film and not something that should delve into a storyline as much as something like Pulp Fiction does.

    Hiccup continues to progress in learning more about the dragons and their ways as this movie excellerates into heart filled moments and extremely picturesque scenes. Dreamworks animation is capable of producing brilliant work when it's on top form. Within the more than able hands of directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois (the duo also created Lilo and Stitch) the latter is proven by showing that Dreamworks can produce not only extremely stunning visual appeal but also displays great family entertainment. The character dialogue isn't overly powerful but Hiccup is an extremely well written character without any contradictions of what he does compared to who he is. Although How to Train Your Dragon presses many everyday occurrences in a more contemporary and fantasy themes, it never comes across as preachy. It continues to remember to be a fun film and you'll find that How to Train Your Dragon is in fact a lot of fun. The voice actors all portray their characters in great light and keep the same theme and crisp tonality throughout the movie added quite the connection between our world and the one we see on the cinema screen. This is a film in which you don't just view, you share. Rather than just seeing Hiccup's joy when he's soaring through the sky with his Night Fury nicknamed "Toothless", you're sharing it.

    How to Train Your Dragon is one of Dreamworks' top releases as far as a good movie goes. Though it may not be as high in profit as some of their past releases due to the fact it doesn't have "Shrek" in the title but is most certainly a dark horse to compete with some of the best animated films we've seen this decade. When you look at films like Shrek you'll know that a lot of the success derived from the fact that they had some renound actors play the roles, however How to Train Your Dragon isn't as star studded yet it still seems as if it is due to the absolute quality of the film itself.

    The humor tends to be somewhat hit and miss as the dark setting of the film tends to work more as a whole, still there is a right balance between up beat and dark. Dreamworks answer to 2009 and early 2010's mega animated hits such as Avatar and Up, this is likely to be a big summer smash.
    How to Train a Dragon is a film with just the right amount of humor match with a cloak of intensity and action packed scenes that will keep you on the edge of suspense and over the edge of delight. The ending lives up to the rest of the film so How to Train You Dragon is extremely consistent and has very few flaws. Even without 3D it would be able to withstand the beating of the most harsh film critics as well in truly, this film soars.
    While other movies are generic and typical, How to Train Your Dragon has brilliance.

    Rated: PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language.
    Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
    Also Like: The Iron Giant, Shrek
    In Short: It'll have you in suspense, tears, jumping for joy and smiling. A feel good flick definately to be shared with a friend. You will get your monies worth. Guaranteed.

    92%
     
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    The Fame Monster [Album]


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    Lady Gaga exploded onto the radio just over a year ago. The Fame Monster has been released as her second album. It has already seen charting success from the U.S. #1 singles Bad Romance and Telephone. Up next is the Latin-flavored Alejandro in the singles chronology. The Fame Monster takes on a surprising twist to her image. It certainly brings out the darker side of her. Lady Gaga herself described that every one of those songs represent a metaphoric monster that makes her afraid. Let's review!

    First on the track is the dark and edgy Bad Romance. This song is arguably the best song on the album with endless hooks and stunning vocals. Instruments in this song are a change in rhythm for Lady Gaga with many intense percussion beats. The song starts off with a deep, almost scary room-filling "Rah rah ah ah ah". She definitely shows off the unique side of her vocals here. This part of the song is definitely its strongest hook; it's ridiculously catchy! The song then turns to a stunningly beautiful deep section of the song, with fantastic lyrics such as "I want your ugly, I want your disease." Her vocals drop down to an E3 here. Then comes what I would call the weak part of this song. The two chants, "You know that I want you..." and "Walk, walk, fashion baby..." seem somewhat forced to parallel the "I wanna take a ride on your disco stick" chant in the previously successful Love Game. It was rather poorly executed and did not stay in my head for long. The next part of the song is the beautiful chorus. Her vocals switch up here and exchange her deep room-filling sound for a higher and sweeter sound. Her vocals are quite versatile if she can switch from dark and heavy to sweet and angelic so easily. The second part of the chorus is a faint echo of her voice that holds out a pure "Oh" and then transitions into "Caught in a Bad Romance". Both segments sound sweet and harmless, not to mention catchy. The sweet and harmless Gaga is then broken up by the same dark-sounding "Rah rah ah ah ah". Skipping over, we hear "I want your love, and I want your revenge". This part is strikingly beautiful; Gaga's deep notes are absolutely stunning. Then -- wait, what is she saying? She has FRENCH in the song! It's a superb idea; you don't hear that on the radio very often. Her vocals slowly ascend to an groundbreaking scream, "Want your Bad Romance", and nails the high C. The same sound is heard within intervals of the song as the chorus plays. The song comes to an end when the instruments stop and the "Rah rah ah ah ah" is played; it is here where you can hear every single dimension of her voice. While it may not be instantly appealing on the first listen, this song WILL morph into that killer dance song that Gaga is known for.

    The next song, Alejandro, opens with a theatrical talking-line which sounds just a tad bit cheesy. This song is probably the weak point of the album. It's held at a much slower tempo than all her other songs. It gets a unique spanish-flavored vibe from the rhythm and instruments, but it wasn't well executed. Most of the song is nothing special at all. It's signature chant, "You know that I love you boy..." is another rather poorly executed one. Her vocals seem rather confined in this song and we don't really get that edgy powerful growling vocals that we love so much from her. The multitude of Latin men's names appearing in this song is not doing the song any justice. The chorus is decent but it isn't anything near remarkable. It's an okay song, but an okay song is a disappointing song for Lady Gaga.

    Monster is next in the lineup, and it is probably the most adorable thing I have ever heard! Once again, like Alejandro, it has a cheesy talking-line opening. However, the synthesized line of "He ate my heart" is incredibly adorable. The melodies that follow it seem 80s inspired and are quite catchy. However, the chorus of this song is rather weak. It seems like Lady Gaga couldn't think of anything to fill the open gap in this song, so she just repeats "That boy is a monster." It's not a good characteristic to have in a song. Skipping over, we have a very synthesized yet very cutesy part that says "He ate my heart, he ate my heart instead, there was a monster in my bed." It really gives off the vibe that Lady Gaga is just a little girl in the song and is still afraid of monsters -- so adorable! Shortly after is a clever lyric, that references her debut single, Just Dance. The lyric itself is "I wanna Just Dance but it took me home." At the end of the segment, we hear a weary yet powerful moan from Gaga which is accented by some beautiful vocal runs. A fast and sweet "Boom clap boom clap boom clap" is heard -- another very adorable part of the song -- and then transitions back to the chorus. This song is a very different take on pop music. It's cute and a very worthy song of mentioning.

    The next song is Speechless. It sounds very classic rock inspired. Speechless is the only ballad on the album and was written for Gaga's father, which probably explains why she performs it so frequently though it has not seen charting success yet. I did not like the song on the first listen, but it has grown on me just like all her other songs. Its a rather soft and sad song. You can definitely feel her emotion in this song, especially when she hits her high notes like "Would you give it all up? Could you give it all up?" Though a soft song, it has a shocking and unexpected vocal growl near the end. I leaped a little when I heard that, but I guess that's what Gaga's good at -- shocking people. This is without a doubt the best ballad that she has ever written.

    Dance in the Dark is probably the albums most chilliest song. The opening is almost frightening when you hear Gaga's moans and a deep synthesized mans voice. "Silicone, saline, poison, inject me baby" chant is yet another weak part. The lyrics of the chants are the best and the most spine-tingling lyrics of the whole song, but ironically the execution was probably the low point. It sounds like it was forced onto the track and sounds cheesy. Aside from the chant, it is a very decent songs. Dance in the Dark has more raw vocals of Gaga and shows off her power and raspiness of her voice in the chorus. The instrumentals are quite lively synths. You can hear Gaga's faint screams in the background of the song, which really gives the song a frightening feel.

    Up next in the lineup is a collaboration with the two biggest names in pop music? A song with Lady Gaga and Beyonce is surely expected to be a killer track, and that's exactly what it is. The song opens with a sweet and lonely harpsichord melody followed by a soft and unsure Gaga. You can hear that little bit of rasp in her voice that makes her sound ever so sweet. Then, it immediately ditches the lonely sound for a blast of synths and instruments to make it feel almost as if the party has just started. Later comes the chorus, and Gaga's voice sounds beautiful, however slightly synthesized. The party-intoxicated lyrics assure it to be a killer club anthem. Then comes the repetition of "Eh eh eh eh eh" which is the song's most unique hook. Strangely enough, it actually made a human voice sound like a broken telephone. A series of fast-paced melodies come shortly after, with lyrics like "Out in the club and I'm sippin that bub". It sounds really cool to hear, but all in all it isn't too catchy. Then comes -- guess who? That's right, Beyonce; she explodes onto the track with some pretty powerful vocals. Her voice seems a bit monotone in this segment and some of her high notes seem a little forced into the melody here. Lady Gaga and Beyonce exchange lines to sing as a transition back to the chorus. At the very end of the song, the lonely harpsichord melody is heard again, but it's not alone. A genius assortment of answering machine voices accompany it. Who would have thought of that other than Gaga? Overall, this song is more instantly appealing than Bad Romance, but it does not have very memorable hooks. It sounds a lot like her debut single, Just Dance. Overall, it is a nice sounding song, but I feel as if I have heard it all before.

    So Happy I could die is the seventh song of the album. It does talk about self-pleasure, which is a bold topic to be singing about. It is a decent song. The chorus has a great beat it was aiming for, but its execution was just a tad bit lacking. The main hook "Eh Eh, Ye Ha, Ye Ha" just sounds a little bit awkward. Its seems as if Gaga was trying a little too hard to find a hook for the song. The best part of this song is when Gaga transitions to the chorus, in which you could hear a high, strong and resonating note "Yeah!" These moderately high notes are Gaga's definite strong points and she should probably incorporate more of this.

    The album closes with a surprising twist. Teeth is a dark, fierce, intimidating 80s inspired song with a lot of percussion and strong beats. This song is definitely a song to be remembered. It shows of Gaga's lovely raspiness in her high notes. This is the one song where Gaga's chants actually add something nice to the song. It's fierce, it's bold, and its surprising. Teeth is a truly unique song and a great way to close the album. It could very well be a dance song with all those fierce percussion beats and stomps. Her vocals are at her best here.

    * * *

    Overall, this album was a great piece of work. There is a ton of original ideas for songs. Lady Gaga has proven that she is extremely versatile and not just making every song using a synthesizer. With only eight different tracks on the album, she has incorporated so many great ideas. Her chants remain weak on the album however. Perhaps they should be chanted in a higher key. This is a step up from The Fame. Nearly every song on this album could be a single. Fantastic.

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
     
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    Robots in Disguise - "Wake Up!" [music video]
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    Right from the get-go, Robots in Disguise have been loud, brash and, most of all, colourful. The duo - Dee Plume and Sue Denim - have gone from barely known to the owners of a huge following thanks to the likes of Myspace and Youtube, and now, as they announce their success in raising the funds for their fourth album, they've written a song for Barry M.

    Inspired by Barry M's most recent commercial - which consists of a girl strumming an electric guitar and her make-up changing colour with the music, to advertise a wide range of product colours - the Robots have taken the tagline, 'Wake up your Make-up', and turned it into an eclectic electro-pop track with a definite march beat to it, especially with the repeated chorus, "It's an order! It's an order!"

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    The catchy chorus of "Wake up, wake up! You-ou-ou-ou!" is only emphasised by the gentle verses that sound almost poetic in context, with lines such as "Petrol-black on my nail tips," in reference to Barry M's nail polish line, and "Robot Blue on your lips," which takes on a new meaning when you consider that, in honour of the Robots' song, the make-up company made a new shade of lipstick called Robot Blue, which is currently on sale. Indeed, many of Barry M's shades are pinpointed in the song, including Midnight, Aqua Gold, Parrot Green and Chocolate.

    Of course, all beauty is shattered by the heavy and sudden return of the chorus, which, as it commands you to, genuinely 'wakes you up' from the lull of the verses.

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    The video for the song, directed by Elisha Smith-Leverok, is just as striking as the song. Taking a military theme in line with the chorus of the song, the girls are kitted out in Robot Blue uniforms and take part in a crazy robotic march. There are also snippets of other situations, including Dee and Sue body-painted to look as if theywere inside a piece of Pop Art, which relates to the vibrant colours and loudness of their entire persona, plus sections in front of a set of mirrors sending multiple relections of them about the screen - the Robots really are aiming for world domination! Other snapshots show the whole band playing live in a propaganda-themed studio, in the style of old wartime posters that follow the military theme. By the end, the girls are riding a giant Robot Blue lipstick across a set to the sounds of the trademark Barry M strum.

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    With the single set to become part of the lineup for the forthcoming fourth album, which the Robots had to ask fans to pledge for its existance, and "Wake Up!" being released for download in the hopes to top the Download Chart, the Robots really are moving ahead in the plans for fame, fortune and world domination!

    Single released: April 19th [download only, via iTunes]
    Summary: Catchy, colourful and crazy to boot - the Robots have done it again!
    Score: 9/10
     
    Tomatometer: 31%​



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    Rating: PG-13
    Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy​

    Clash of the Titans has recently been released and I went out with my family to see it today. I was not dissapointed. It did not recieve very good critical reception, but do not let that deter you. Clash of the Titans is a remake of the 1981 film of the same name. I have seen both films as the older version was on the tube not many days ago, and it was a pretty good movie. The story line is similar to the Disney Film Hercules made sometime back in the 90s, (if I'm not mistaken, it may be the same story) which was one of my favorite Disney films of all time.​


    I went into the movie with a 50/50 view of whether it would be terrible or amazing. It was a pretty good film, between so-so and great. The film relied heavily on CGI and tended to drift away from the actors. It was produced in a similar style to Lord of the Rings, but with less close ups so to speak. This is where the spoilers start so if you want to see this movie do not read this.
    Spoiler:


    I enjoyed the movie because it reminded me of my high school english classes when we would read Greek plays and such which I quite enjoyed. The acting was a tad sub-par, and it relied heavily on computer generated graphics. Do not let this deter you, it is a good story and if you like adventure films and/or Greek legends you should enjoy this movie.​


    Overall rating: 7.0/10.0
     
    Originally released last November, this big-budget blockbuster exemplifies one of my favourite phrases - enjoyable hokum. At the risk of being tangential, allow me to elaborate. Enjoyable hokum is not something that you watch for a deep plot, complex symbolism or cleverly constructed characters. Enjoyable hokum is a film that you watch for nothing more than pure, unadulterated fun. And 2012 certainly delivers on that front.

    The plot is simple but functional. It's the end of the world, for some reasons of questionable scientific validity, and an unsuccessful writer is trying to survive it, along with his recently divorced wife, their two kids and the wife's new boyfriend. Cue 'hilarious' banter interspersed with action sequences that give a new meaning to the phrase "over-the-top". So sure, the storyline is clearly never going to do anything truly innovative. But the other characters, ranging from a Russian billionaire to a Tibetan monk all manage to become involved somehow, resulting in a passable, if clichéd climax. The truly international nature of the film is also emphasised by this variety in the characters. Nevertheless, you won't be seeing any truly surprising twists from any of them.

    But of course, that's not what you're watching 2012 for. 2012 is, like already mentioned, enjoyable hokum and as such, you know the plot won't be winning any awards. The really important thing here is that the explosions were loud and numerous, the tidal waves were ludicrously massive and the buildings were either collapsing or about to collapse. And in a schlocky disaster movie, can you really ask for anything else? The whole disaster genre relies on, to put it simply, things falling over and I can assure you, a lot of things fall over in this film. This is Volcano, Titanic, The Day after Tomorrow and every disaster movie rolled into one. In fact, the director is quoted as saying: "I said to myself that I'll do one more disaster movie, but it has to end all disaster movies. So I packed everything in." And boy, does he mean everything. From the Vatican, to the White House, to the whole of Los Angeles, there is very little left standing by the end of the movie.

    Of course, I can't honestly say that it's all good. The film could definitely do with losing a few minutes of unnecessary sentimental padding – no film that's getting by on the 'enjoyable hokum' idea should be two and a half hours long. The beginning spends too long trying to explain the reasoning behind the film with so-called science that could have come from The Core. It could have been much better if the film had simply embraced its own stupidity (for want of a better word) and practically glossed over the actual reasoning. Nobody wants to see this movie for anything other than explosions and earthquakes, so it seems pretty cruel to hold out for the best part of half an hour. Of course, when it does arrive, you won't be disappointed.

    I guess the point with 2012 is that whether or not you enjoy it depends or your mindset. Looking for something deep, thought-provoking or meaningful? I dunno, go watch Fight Club or something. But if you're looking for a pleasant way to spend an afternoon with a few friends, laughing both at and with a film that really doesn't take itself too seriously? 2012 is one of the best you could get.

    ---------------------------------


    Off topic: will there be a public vote after the closing date, or are you picking the winner personally?
     
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    Desperate Housewives [Television series]

    Eva Longoria Parker, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Teri Hatcher all star in the TV series, Desperate Housewives. The series has a religious backbone to it, with the title sequence in reference to the Garden of Eden. A snake is leaning down from the tree, while the tree is growing apples. The four housewives are standing in front of the tree which gives the implication of having given into temptation, or intending to. This sets the scene, as these are the main four characters within the show. In the opening minutes, narrated by Mary Alice Young, a theme is given, which is mentioned in conclusion at the end of the episode in a story-like fashion. This generally is the moral of the episode, however in a few episodes, such as when a neighbour dies, or another "filler" episode, the opening narration is based purely on the storyline. This is able to sometimes foreshadow the upcoming narrative in a way which is cleverly presented.

    Eva Longoria Parker plays Gabrielle [Gabby] Solis, the ex-model, who is stereotypically self-centred. She cares a lot about how she looks and how she, now as a parent is presented to the public. Recently, a character was introduced, her niece, who has similar career goals to Gabby. This is a positive for the series, as it shows how Gabby is able to use her experiences to shape the life of another for the better. It shows the caring side of her character, which isn't always expressed. This allows the audience to associate to her better. She has two daughters, who are both overweight, much to Gabby's disappointment. Due to this, sometimes Gabby comes across as someone who doesn't care for her kids. This is solved by Gabby caring for her daughters when it matters most, in her opinion, which is regarding makeup, clothing and shoes.

    Felicity Huffman plays Lynette Scavo, the mature mother with a husband who never grew up. Tom, Lynette's husband often acts immature, aka as in going to college to learn another language in his late 40s, leaving Lynette feeling as if she's mothering him as well. Lynette has twins, a son and a daughter, with two more twins on the way. This makes Lynette's life seem hectic. Recently, she had to juggle working, pregnancy and looking after the family all at once. This resulted in tension afterwards between herself and Gabby, as she had to sue Carlos for discriminating against her because she was pregnant. Lynette is a character that the working mother can relate to; the one that often has to suffer for the good of her family. This allows the audience to connect with Lynette, understanding where she's coming from and then sympathising with her character.

    Marcia Cross plays Bree Van de Kamp, the perfectionist. She is the stereotypical mother, as well as housewife, aiming for perfection in her cooking and parenting. A few years ago, this image was destroyed, as her son turned out to be gay and her daughter had a child while she was still a child. Bree aims to be a successful chef, which she achieves, which allows the audience to connect with her due to her achievements. However, her stereotypical housewife image causes Bree to lose a connection with the audience, as in today's society women just don't act like Bree.

    Teri Hatcher plays Susan Mayer, the housewife that seems to have issues. She has the husband that her friend is obsessed with and she has a daughter who got strangled. Not just this, but she has had relationship problems in the past. This character can relate to anyone who intends to find true love eventually and shows through perseverance, they can be happy.

    Overall, the characters are able to relate to women in society. This series implies that after watching it women should feel empowered and learn by the mistakes made by the characters. However, this is not necessarily the case, as both women and men are more likely to enjoy watching the series for its comedy, rather than it reflecting serious issues. I rate this series 7/10, purely for the comedy aspect, although if it was able to concentrate on serious issues, it would lose a lot of its audience, so the current setup is fine how it is.
     
    Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures [Album]

    18th May 1980, Ian Curtis, a man suffering from epilepsy and a marriage breakdown, decides that this life no longer holds any value to him. He hangs himself that morning. Thus, the tragic death of their frontman brings the career of Joy Division to an abrupt halt, after just four years and two studio albums. They created only a small amount of music, with just one chart success, their single "Love Will Tear Us Apart"; nevertheless, their 1979 debut album Unknown Pleasures had a large impact and established Joy Division as one of the most influential bands of their time, pioneering the post-punk music movement, as well as being referred to as inspiration by bands that would meet great achievements in the future, such as U2 and The Cure. U2 would go on to dedicate their 1980 single "A Day Without Me" to Ian Curtis.

    Unknown Pleasures only achieved moderate success upon its release, merely reaching #71 on the UK albums chart; however it was soon recognised as a landmark album. As post-punk's popularity increased considerably after its release, the album reached #1 in the UK indie chart a year later in 1980. Unknown Pleasures drew much from the sound of punk rock, but replaced the raw anger with a darker, much more melancholic atmosphere accompanied by the gloomy lyrics which would soon begin to dominate the alternative rock music scene. By recording just a single album with ten songs, Joy Division managed to make an astounding contribution to the development of music throughout the 80s.

    Rather than focusing solely on guitar, which was commonly seen in most rock bands at the time, they emphasised more of the sound to bass and percussion and only used minimalistic guitar chords, echoing the music of the 60s; Joy Division also often including repetitive synthesizer rhythms during their songs to contribute to the bleak mood they created. This is instantly noticeable on the first track of the album, 'Division', the instruments are played in harmony using a simple rhythm; lacking any anger, yet still expressing a certain sense of energy. Followed by the gloomy 'Day Of The Lords', this song makes 'Disorder' seem upbeat. Here is where Joy Division demonstrates what could almost be described as proto-industrial rock, the guitar is highly distorted, a slow and purposeful pounding of loud drum beats, the bass guitar is heavy, whilst synthesizers drone as Curtis repeats his lyrics in an almost hypnotic chant. A slower paced, less distorted track 'Candidate' follows, the guitar is almost non-existent here, whilst the bass guitar leads throughout the song. This style of playing is one that was widely used by many of the punk rock groups, Joy Division adopted this into their sound, a move that was mimicked by post-punk groups that followed, as seen in U2's single "With or Without You." The remainder of Unknown Pleasures continues to display these methods as well as various other derivations from underground music genres ranging from industrial to noise rock, and even dark ambient at times. It's apparent that Joy Division wasn't aiming to create a conventional album. Although rather than settle for being an unnoticeable underground band, they take many characteristics of underground music and learned to blend it with much more accessible forms of rock, helping to define a whole new genre of music and gaining popularity for more unconventional forms of music.

    Curtis's song writing for Unknown Pleasures nearly always contained emotionally negative themes; but his songs didn't exhibit an angry or foreboding mood, a type of music that appealed only to the minority. He delivers his lyrics with a harsh realism which makes them all the more hard-hitting. While most punk rock groups of the 70's often intended for their songs to illustrate ill-tempered emotions, Unknown Pleasures focused on a more melancholic approach to gain appeal to a different and potentially wider audience. Most bands that tried using lyrics in this way never managed to break into mainstream success, although Curtis aimed to write in a similar fashion to popular mainstream songs, rather than a flood of long-winded confessions that most people wouldn't really want to hear. He applied a particular subtleness to both his singing and song writing, which made them all the more accepted.

    Joy Division broke new ground as Unknown Pleasures was soon inspiring other bands to work towards changing the face of pop music. Lyricists would explore new themes, guitarists would focus on setting a mood rather than taking the spotlight, bass guitarists would take a more prominent role in leading the rhythm and drummers would concentrate on a slow and purposeful beat. The post-punk movement had begun and Unknown Pleasures was the album at the forefront.
     
    Highlander [Movie]

    Highlander
    ​

    This 80s action movie sets you up to think you're going to spend the next two hours watching something that can only be called epic. After a musically stunning opening song by Queen I can believe it, at least until the credits clear and I'm treated to several minutes of... professional wrestling? I start to wonder if I got my hopes up too soon.

    Okay, so the wrestling seems like it's meant to lead up to the dramatic sword fighting scene which follows it, but somehow it feels completely unnecessary to the plot. That's because, well, it is. Not that the sword fight is much better. It's not very dramatic, or artistic, or anything else good that ends with -tic. Ten minutes into the film and my attention is already drifting. The scene does include a gratuitous backflip and plenty of stunt doubling, and it might have looked really fantastic - in the 80s - but it can't hold up to what I expect from an action movie.

    I should probably say a few things about the plot. Forgive me if I forgot there was one. Highlander stars Christopher Lambert as Russell Nash, ruggedly handsome man with an 80s hairdo, who also happens to be Connor MacLeod, ruggedly handsome Scottish warrior with an 80s hairdo from hundreds of years ago. The film continually flashes from Nash's budding yet sullen romance in New York to MacLeod's in ye olde Scotland and all his trials and tribulations as he tries to live happy and free with his love. Aww, our 80s action movie has a touching romantic side. Excuse me while I retch.

    You might be wondering how the two stories are connected and why the same guy is in both of them. Then again you might not and I wouldn't blame you. It's because Nash/MacLeod is an immortal, destined to fight all the other immortals to the death until there is only one left standing, or as the movie likes to beat you over the head with: "There can be only one." There's this walking cliche of a villain, "The Kurgan" (Clancy Brown), who only lives to kill and destroy and is somehow a such a threat to humanity that Ramirez the Spaniard (played by Sean Connery) arrives to teach MacLeod how to fight. You might wonder why a Scottish warrior needs to learn how to fight, but that isn't the question here. It's why they think they could pass off Sean Connery as Spanish.

    This is a movie I had to watch in two sittings because I couldn't stay interested for more than an hour due to the bad acting, bad dialogue, and bad everything else. No, that's not entirely true. Among the few good things this movie has are Sean Connery's acting, which is a given and several good songs by Queen, but not even an entire soundtrack with Freddy Mercury's vocals could save this movie. When the plot isn't lagging (which is most of the time) the movie is trying to show off its fledgling special effects and working so hard to be cool, but not just any cool - 80s cool, that it was probably already dated the day it came out.

    I like movies from the 80s... when they're good, and I like action movies... when they're good, but as far as how I rate this movie, there can be only one... out of ten.

    1/10
     
    Due to requests, the review contest is being extended for a week. It will now end on April 24, 2010.
     
    Stand By Me [Movie]

    The movie Stand By Me directed by Rob Reiner and originally written in the book The Body by Stephen King is a telling story about four twelve year old boys who don't necessarily fit within society and end up embarking on a small journey fifty miles from their hometown. It stars Wil Wheaton as Gordie Lachance, River Phoenix as Chris Chambers, Corey Feldmen as Teddy Duchamp, Jerry O'Connell as Vern Tessio, and Kiefer Sutherland as John 'Ace' Merrill. The backdrop of the movie is the small town of Castle Rock, Oregon and later proceeds to the town of Chamberlain.

    The story begins with the main character Gordie who is a quiet boy that has a knack for writing. After his older brother died in a car accident he has been constantly ignored by his parents. With little recognition from his family, Gordie is emotionally struggling inside, but his quiet nature keeps him from letting others know of his deep pain. Gordie's best friend is Chris Chambers. Chris's family has a reputation of being criminals and abusive alcoholics. Many people within the town of Castle Rock assume that Chris himself is a troublemaker and he is often wrongfully blamed at school. Teddy Duchamp is Gordie's more outlandish friend. He is somewhat unstable and sometimes seen as crazy which can be contributed from his father who once burnt his ear to a stove. The last of Gordie's friends, Vern Tessio, is an overweight apprehensive young boy. He is rather cowardly and easily disrupted which causes others at school to make fun of him.

    Since each boy is either both disconnected from their family or unaccepted from their peers they are the only enjoyable company they have. This then leads to them regularly wishing for the ever hardening society around them to see their underlying talents and contributions to humanity. When Vern hears of a boy named Ray Brower who was struck dead by a train and whose body still lies on a set of tracks fifty miles from town he informs his three friends of the matter. Since each of the boys feel little acknowledgment from their parents they leave in secret in hopes that by finding Ray Brower's mangled body they will become famous. Although it seems like a fun journey Gordie and his friends will not only all have to confront their inner emotions, but also with a group of older boys led by Ace.

    Stand by Me is one of the few movies that I can say was flawlessly directed. Many of the emotional scenes were accompanied by the darkness of the forest and the brisk light of an open camp fire. The dark forest recurrently signifies the deep emotions within the boys while the brisk lighting, whether from a camp fire or streams of light pouring in from above the forest, shows the fervid camaraderie between the boys. The soundtrack, just like the lighting, thoroughly complements the movie and causes small moments to have a light hearted effect. All the songs have a jazzy or rockabilly upbeat tone that reflects heavily on the 40's and 50's music era. Such songs as "Lollipop" by the Chordettes and "Everyday" by Buddy Holly help uplift a rather emotional movie. I found this to be invigorating for the viewer since the emotional conflicts can take a toll after a while.

    All and all Stand By Me is one of the most telling stories I have ever seen. The cast fits so perfectly within their roles that you almost get lost into the film. There were many times where reality and the emotion of this movie infused within each other. With that being said this is truly another Rob Reiner classic. If you've enjoyed one of his other works such as The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, or Misery then I can guarantee that this will become one of your new favorites. For it has the same quality and adoration that only the best of movies can give you.
     
    The contest is over; winners have been decided. There will be four placings, each will be awarded an individualized emblem for their placing. All, including those who placed, will also receive an emblem for participating. First place will be awarded something special.

    Winners will be announced in the thread regarding the next review challenge as there will be another. It will involve only music. More information to come.
     
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