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Oh Cassius: On Such A Full Sea Are We Now Afloat

Lee Roberts — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 23:21:07 +0000

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Exclusive?:

Grade:

4.03

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On Such A Full Sea Are We Now Afloat

Oh Cassius

People ask me why do I write reviews on music when there are bands that I have to listen to that I don't like. Most think that it's because I'm wanting to get stuff and I won't deny that I don't like that, but that's not the reason. Why I write reviews is simple, it's for when I get a band that I like. I love hearing new music and even though the radio stations will play new stuff, most of the time the music they play is similar to every other song and it's by bands that really aren't that good but still get air time. That's why doing reviews is good, I get new bands that don't get radio time, bands that are just starting out, or maybe they have been around for years but never hit it big. These new bands can bring into my life some music that I might not ever want to hear again but there are times that I get to listen to music that I can't get enough of. For this review, it's the band called, Oh Cassius that I got to listen to and their album, "On Such A Full Sea Are We Now Afloat" that I just can't get enough of.

Oh, Cassius is the duo John Torres and Meredith DiMenna, both singer and songwriters, that create some wonderfully mellow, upbeat tempo songs. I was impressed with how they are able to keep a steady mellow beat in their songs while also have a good amount of energy in their songs. These are no laid back songs but they are still mellow songs with a easy beat to them. There also fun songs that are lighthearted in nature while also being serious. One example of the lighthearted fun that these two have is by putting a kazoo in as a played instrument. Not the typical instrument, especially for professional bands, but Oh, Cassius includes the kazoo where it actually enhances the song and is just fun to listen to. That's pretty much how this whole album is, just fun to listen to.

First thing to know about these songs is that they are captivating. These two singer/songwriters know how to create some interesting songs that have a mixing of sounds and instruments. This is a indie rock album with hints of folk, pop, and some electronic being used in the songs to give them a unique and different sound. It's because of this unique sound that this group has that make their songs so interesting and entertaining. Not to be overlooked are their skills with vocals and the way the instruments are being played. Vocals on the songs have some really good harmonizing between the two as well as having a good sense of tempos. They know when to make their vocals slow and when to pick up the pacing while always keeping the mellow, easy going nature in the songs. This is a interesting album with fun songs that make me want to relax but also want to get up to discover new fun places in the world.

Album:

On Such A Full Sea Are We Now Afloat

Band:

Oh Cassius

AJR: Infinity

Lee Roberts — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 01:36:51 +0000

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Grade:

3.99

You know that saying, one man band, how about a 3 man band? OK, so there's no saying about a 3 man band but there should be after you hear about the band, AJR. This is literally a 3 man band that consists of 3 brothers, Adam Met, Jack Met, and Ryan Met who not only play the songs, but they write, produce, and mix their own songs. If the fact that they do all that on their own don't impress you, maybe knowing that they do all that from their living room in New York City. Their music is one that is a mixing of different styles where these three brothers are trying to add to their talents by creating some creative songs.
I think I am more impressed with the fact that these three brothers do everything themselves in the process of coming up with a song to producing the EP. That EP they have produced is called, “Infinity” and yes it was done from their living room. The style of music they play is a pop, indie, dubstep, electronic style of songs that blend together for some interesting music. Now just because I'm more impressed that they did all this themselves from their living room doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the music. In fact, considering that this was done from a living room and it sounds as good as it does is only more impressive. Then again I don't know their setup and as far as I know their living room is huge and has the equipment of a professional studio giving them the resources to create professional sounding songs.
Their songs are fun, both in the way they sound and how they make you want to go out to have fun. From the way their music sounds, the brothers must have had fun playing these songs. There's a lot of energy in these songs where they are vibrant and infectious. There's some catchy lyrics in the songs and the vocals of Jack Met are strong and sure of himself. To give the songs just a bit more impressiveness, the songs on the EP changes up in their style and sound. It's hard not to stop listening to the songs on this EP but it's even harder not to have fun while listening to them.

Album:

Infinity

Band:

AJR

Fake Off Season 1 (PREVIEW)

AJ Garcia — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 00:02:33 +0000

Review:

Digital TV

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Grade:

3.95

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Fake Off

Reality Television

truTV

Fake Off is part of the new Fall line up for TruTV. It’s an America’s Got Talent formatted show which features three judges: Harry Shum Jr. (Glee), Michael Curry (Cirque du Soleil) and Chilli (TLC). Improvisational acts appear on the show, armed with a randomly picked theme they must act out, and the rest is up to them. Be they acrobats, mimes, dance crews, or theater troupes, they must both impress the judges as well as the audience, who votes at the end of the show to see what one group wont make the cut.

I had the privilege of viewing the first two episodes of the series. The opening episode for the show was, let’s just say, a little rough. My main issue with the show was that judges seemed to be blown away by everything they saw. Despite the horrendous format of American Idol, in which one guy gets to play the completely intolerable jerk of the panel, this group contained people who seemed to nice to be actually critical. That hurt the show a lot for me.

Coming in to yet another reality talent show I admit I was a bit jaded. There’s a huge amount of skepticism when it comes to reality shows and me. However, the win or lose factor, at least for the at home audience, really sits with the performances of the acts on the show. They’re not recreating already existing performances and they’re not being lead simply to work in the latest pop culture sale. The performance is created and acted out by the acts win or lose. That’s respectable.

By the second episode I think the judges had gotten into the spirit of things. Production of the show wasn’t bothered with showing contestants hollering the shows name and acting overly excited but rather dealt with the behind the scenes magic as well as provided a good angle on the magic of the performances on stage. It was clean, it was enjoyable, but most of all it was entertaining watching the acts play out with shadow play, before giant digital images as well as amongst huge props. There was even a story here and there between performers that seemed pretty interesting.

Is it just another reality show talent contest? Yes, but I think it works a lot better due to the fact that it isn’t trying to promote a celebrity judges career or a music artists brand. This is all talent unshackled by popular culture and set free to create and be judged on their execution and design. Worth checking out.

Fake Off

Season:

Episode:

1 & 2

Bayonetta: Bloody Fate

AJ Garcia — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 23:17:45 +0000

Bayonetta: Bloody Fate

Review:

Anime

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Grade:

2.78

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Bayonetta: Bloody Fate

Funimation

video game

Bayonetta: Blood Fate is an anime released in 2013 and is based on the game of the same name. That being said I know a lot of people are under the impression that films/animes based on video games cannot be good. Ever since becoming a massive fan of the Sengoku Basara series I know better.

The series is a mish mash of ideas that will inspire nostalgia in most viewers familiar with anime. The style of the show is reminiscent of series like Aeon Flux or Cowboy Bebop. The imaging is smooth and sharp, really pulling you in to a more mature vision of the anime format that some might not quite understand given the cartoon-like appeal the more popular anime giants are prone to representing.

I saw a lot of influence or homage in the styles. There were the angels in this series that at some point reminded me an awful lot of Evangelion. One of the powers at Bayonetta’s disposal reminded me of Lucy Heartfilia in Fairy Tail. Even Bayonetta’s first transformation from Nun to badass witch was like a combination of Sailor Moon meets Witchblade. Really, just a lot about the film that reminded me of something else.

The story behind the film, not having ever played the game, was a bit meh for me. There are a lot of minor characters that pop up here and there that never really get fleshed out and plot devices that seem to be held together by the thinnest of threads in order to move the story from point A to point B. Maybe if I had played the game and been a fan this would be a completely different type of review, but then again, if the film can’t exist all on it’s own as a stand alone without prior knowledge what is that saying.

Despite the above mentioned critiques I thought the Blu-ray quality of the film was pretty fantastic. Despite being a darker anime that took place in muted cities, night time settings, and otherworldly locations, the picture maintained a pretty consistent look to it. The angels were amazing looking with a sharp touch to defining every node and carving in their massive creepy faces and structure shots revealed a good amount of detail that didn’t really play a huge part in the storytelling, but I can appreciate that they weren’t muted and left out.

The set comes with both Blu-Ray and DVD and features Commentary, Storyboards and Trailers. Funimation can be pretty light on supplemental material, this being one of those cases, but fans will likely find it appealing just the same.

American Dad: Season 11 (PREVIEW)

AJ Garcia — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 20:55:23 +0000

Review:

Digital TV

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Grade:

1.79

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American Dad

Seth McFarlane

TBS

American Dad stumbled into it’s 11th season on October 20th with it’s premiere episode “Blonde Ambition” in which Hayley, after seeing a blonde activist (kind of) receiving tons of names on her petition, decides to dye her hair blonde and take advantage of man’s weakness towards blondes.

The episode fumbles its way through a staple plot device in which a character believes the grass is greener on the other side, and maybe it is as Hayley finds herself the popular life of the party and able to bring voice to her causes.

Her trip in someone else’s shoes includes a spoof on either Deadmau5 (hell it very well could be Deadmau5 for all I know) or the indie flick Frank. Either way, Hayley lives in a little.

Meanwhile Stan and Steve find themselves on a mission to find a new house and Stan has the perfect idea where to look, unfortunately it lands them both in a life or death situation with some not so friendly animals.

CIAPOW is the second episode in the season, airing October 27th, and felt a bit more thought out as Stan and his CIA buddies find themselves in Thailand and come face to face with the harsh truth, aka a drone, and realize that maybe they are obsolete.

Instead of fading out Stan and the boys decide to prove to their boss that they aren’t obsolete by putting themselves on a mission that will prove themselves capable. Unfortunately, if you’ve ever seen the show, these guys definitely do not have the right stuff.

Meanwhile the rest of the American Dad family is tied up in a slow motion race which is about as fun and exciting as it sounds.

American Dad

Season:

Episode:

Blonde Ambition & CIAPOW

Birdman

Matt Rodriguez — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 16:44:56 +0000

Birdman

Review:

Theatrical

Exclusive?:

Grade:

3.20

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Birdman is one of those films that you ponder what you’ve just seen as you’re walking out of the theater. Serious, yet satirical, the film paints a portrait of a washed up actor struggling to show the world he’s much more than a one trick pony. It’s a technical marvel that explores the inner workings of a man while simultaneously taunting the entertainment industry.

Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) was made famous for his role as the superhero Birdman back in the day, but since then he’s done his best to distance himself from the one-dimensional character, albeit unsuccessfully. His last and final attempt at doing so is producing and starring in his Broadway production, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, but numerous mishaps like a stage light falling on one of the lead actors the day before Preview Night, have caused Riggan to spiral out of control and make him question himself as to whether he can be anything more than just Birdman.

The film takes place entirely on Broadway and is shot to make it appear like a single continuous take. Birdman is visually spectacular with these extended shots that swivel and weave in-between characters and rooms. It’s all very dynamic and creates a wonderful sense of space. Long narrow hallways, bustling New York streets, cramped dressing rooms; there is always something that draws your attention even when there is nothing particularly important happening on screen.

Birdman’s narrative is another beast that can be overwhelming to comprehend. There’s an absurdity to Riggan Thomson and you soon question what’s going on in his head. At times he’ll move things with his mind or just simply fly around, although he’s the only one who see’s it this way. Whenever someone else is in the room with him, there’s always a more logical explanation for his doings. Keaton does a fine job as Riggan, but the real show stopper comes from Edward Norton’s performance as actor extraordinaire Mike Shiner.

Mike Shiner is one of those pompous actors who lives in the moment of his acting, favoring everything on set to be as real as possible so that he can stay in character. He’s an obnoxious little prick who steals the spotlight, both on stage and in the film. Norton does an absolutely fantastic job.

Birdman is quite out there in terms of its story. Some things aren’t fully explained and other ideas and themes are continually thrown in your face. At times the film even mocks Hollywood itself, saying how the industry favors ridiculous action scenes over something more sophisticated like two people having a dialogue. It’s very brash in it’s approach and that could turn some audiences away.

That being said, I feel it’s one of those films you have to at least see once. Great cast performances and an even greater cinematography make up for any doubts you might have with the story.Sure, there will be some things that are difficult to understand, but Birdman is not one of those films that so easily spells everything out for you at once.

John Wick

Matt Rodriguez — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 12:06:58 +0000

John Wick

Review:

Theatrical

Exclusive?:

Grade:

3.20

Tags:

John Wick

Keanu Reeves

The premise for John Wick is incredibly simple; a former assassin has his dog brutally killed in front of him and then goes on a killing spree to get his revenge against those responsible. There are no frills to the story or any overcomplicated dialogue. Everything revolves around Keanu Reeves piling up as many bodies as possible.

John Wick (Reeves) used to be the best assassin money could buy until he found love and managed to get out of the business. His happiness is short-lived, however, because not long after he gives up the gun his wife falls ill and dies. As a final parting gift, she leaves him a puppy to keep him company. Unfortunately, that too is quickly taken away from him by young thugs who only wanted his car. With nothing left, John Wick comes out of retirement for one last mission, and he will stop at nothing until those responsible have been brought to his own definition of justice.

John Wick doesn’t beat around the bush. The film’s first 10 minutes are used to set up the story and Wick’s motivation behind his rampage and then it’s basically pure action after that. He’s the best there is at killing, and the film constantly reminds you of it. Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist) is Wick’s former employer and also just so happens to be his latest target after his son is the one responsible for killing Wick’s puppy. As his so eloquently puts it, Wick is the guy you hire when you want to kill the Boogyman. The dialogue is cheesy, but it gets the point across.

Where John Wick really shines is the action. Keanu Reeves spends the majority of the film going on a rampage and taking out anyone who gets in his way. It’s one headshot after another, with a little hand-to-hand combat thrown into the mix. The action is reminiscent of Equilibrium in that it features close-quarters combat blended with gunplay. It’s a unique style that’s instantly recognizable and delivers a satisfying punch.

After a few stumbles, Keanu Reeves is back on the right action path. John Wick is a stylishly satisfying action film that delivers exactly as promised. It doesn’t try to sell audiences some overly complicated story, but instead focuses on what they really came to see; Reeves dish out some sweet, sweet vengeance.

Ouija

Matt Rodriguez — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 12:03:09 +0000

Ouija

Review:

Theatrical

Exclusive?:

Grade:

0.20

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Ouija

Hasbro has some great successes in the film industry (Transformers franchise) as well as some colossal failures (Battleship), but Ouija may be their biggest disaster yet. The tagline is “Keep telling yourself it’s just a game.” That’s likely because what you see on screen can barely be called an actual movie.

High schooler Debbie (Shelley Hennig) mysteriously hung herself one evening after playing with a Ouija board and while the cops and everyone else ruled it a suicide, her close friends believed something else was afoot. After using the Ouija board themselves, they soon discover that a malicious spirit has been possessing people and killing them. Now they must figure out how to stop it before they all end up like their friend.

Not all board games can be translated into film. As a matter of fact, I would say that the majority of them shouldn’t even be attempted. Clue is the only exception to the rule. Ouija is a lackluster attempt to cash in on the name brand and hopefully sell a few game boards for Halloween in the process. The film isn’t even the least bit scary, and only occasionally produces a few pitiful jump scares.

Even worse is it’s story, which feels like it was just haphazardly thrown together using Mad Libs. It rarely makes any sense and seems to just go along with whatever is most suitable at any given time. The spirit can apparently be seen and change forms at will as well as possess people whenever it wants. There are no rules. There is no standard. It just goes with whatever fits.

Playing with a Ouija board in the daytime is scarier than the film. Ouija is an uninspiring horror film that struggles to elicit any kind of reaction from audiences. The scariest thing about the film is just how bad it truly is.

Day Of Expedition (PREVIEW)

AJ Garcia — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 00:37:36 +0000

Review:

Digital TV

Exclusive?:

Grade:

4.40

Tags:

NatGeo

The Man Who Doesn't Breath

Mammoths Unearthed

K2: Death Mountain

Die Trying: Crossing The Ice

This Sunday (October 26th) NatGeo will be airing a marathon of amazing programs that lead up to their feature program, Mammoths Unearthed. Each program will contain icy stories set in chilling waters, frozen tundra’s, and deadly mountain peaks. Each true story will feature amazing people in amazing situations.

THE MAN WHO DOESN’T BREATH

To kick off the event NatGeo will begin with The Man Who Doesn’t breath, a look at free diver and world record holder Stig Severinsen. Severinsen hold a record for holding his breath underwater for a whopping 22 minutes. Severinsen will attempt to shatter his own record as well as make new ones in the frozen waters of Greenland attempting to make the longest swim under the ice.

The show reminded me of Stan Lee’s Superhuman’s in which people with abnormal abilities demonstrated their talents to the world. Stig Severinsen’s ability to hold his breath under water, dive to depths seemingly impossible for humans, and endure the harsh cold of freezing waters is simply amazing, but can he complete this latest feat?

K2: DEATH MOUNTAIN

The second program in the line up is K2: Death Mountain. This program sets a very different mood then the rest of the programs in the NatGeo marathon. While there are amazing feats of human will, there is also a darker underside to the program. A precautionary tale, if you will, about the infamous mountain top that has been the misfortune of so many would be trekkers.

While the program was interesting it didn’t really seem to fir the mold of the marathon to me. Maybe it’s because this particular program was about a group of people rather then one or two and their experiences, while amazing, brought the mood down a bit. Not a horrible documentary, just one that kind of sticks out amongst a marathon of mainly inspiring documentaries.

DIE TRYING: CROSSING THE ICE

In this final documentary we find two Australian friends named Cas and Jonsey, who have never even set foot on ice ski’s before, who have decided to travel from the shore of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, a feat accomplished by few.

I think this was probably my favorite documentary, mostly due to the fact that I have been watching so many documentaries like it this past year (Mile, Mile and A Half, Out Of The Wild, Happy People, and the fabulous work of the Okee Dokee Brothers (family music artists) who traversed the Appalachian Trail and traversed the Mississippi in a canoe.

We watch as Cas and Jonsey make their attempt all the while suffering the brutal touch of nature and the fragility of their human bodies in harsh conditions. Their spirit and friendship really inspired me, even at their worst they remained upbeat and motivating. Really one of the best of the bunch that I would highly suggest tuning in to see.

MAMMOTHS UNEARTHED

Though I could totally imagine any of these documentaries getting the Hollywood treatment, Mammoth’s Unearthed is easily the one that I think would be the best of the four to manifest to the big screen.

Paleontologist Trevor Valle and Archeologist Professor Tim King travel to Siberia where an amazing discovery is waiting. Unearthed and revealed in video, the local mammoth ivory hunters found a Wooly Mammoth so preserved in the frozen tundra that when they excavated it and began to chip away at the ice it began to bleed.

For the two unlikely men to reach their dream discover they must first travel 12,000 miles to Siberia, find transportation, then find an ivory hunter that will talk with foreign strangers. Not an easy task when a good percentage of ivory hunters do so illegally, and there is a pretty good chance they’d just as soon harm you then help you.

Trevor and Tim begin their adventure in style in an unusual transportation method that has to be seen to be believed. Once on the road they’ll be pitted against shifting cliff facings, harsh cold, and unstable tunnels once carved out by Ivory Hunters.

While I did enjoy the documentary I have to say it was tough as the two men had very little chemistry. It was like they were polar opposites that didn’t really mesh well as a team. The saving grace for the doc was excellent narration and the immeasurable excitement of discovery. Imagine, a mammoth so fresh it’s still bleeding. Makes you think of Jurassic Park.

Day Of Expedition

Mustang: The First 50 Years

Lee Roberts — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 23:55:48 +0000

Mustang: The First 50 Years

Review:

DVD

Exclusive?:

Grade:

4.00

MUSTANG:
It's a legend that still rides the roads today. People want it, some have one but can't get enough, it turns heads as it goes by, and it's become such a icon that it's a character itself. I'm talking about the Ford Mustang. This car has been around for 50 years now and in that lifespan it has been in every type of media and in the hearts of millions. This car embodies both the wild/fast side and the stylish/cruising side of people. It's a car that anyone can appreciate and love, even if you are the person that wants to race it around a track or if you are a grandmother going to pick up some groceries, the Mustang fulfills all needs and does it in style.

THE FIRST 50 YEARS:
Here on this 2-DVD set, the Mustang's first 50 years are being shown and talked about. There's some old archival footage of the car as well as full HD video of the Mustang of today. This documentary covers it and it covers it quite well. If you even like the Mustang then you will enjoy watching this documentary. I'm proud to say that at one point in my life I had the honor of having a Mustang to drive, a 1991 5.0 LX, cherry red, with a booming stereo system. Best yet, I had this car when I was in high school and I was the envy of everyone from seniors to freshmen. The power of the Mustang is amazing and I can attest to this because I had people wanting to race me all the time, a girl I was seeing who was usually pretty mellow and calm would turn into someone that was telling me to floor it, and I had people coming up to me just to talk about the car. All that and more happened because I had a Mustang and it was only a coup but just imagine if it was a classic or one of the more high end version.
I could talk about the Mustang all day, especially the one I had, but I'm writing this to talk about the documentary that talks about the car. Which it does very well and in a very interesting way. Though, is it interesting because the car is one that I like and wanted to see or is it interesting because it was shot well, has guests that are informative, and has interesting topics? Why, yes it's both. This documentary pretty much covers the whole history of the car touching on a lot of points. Though they can cover it 100%, the car has been around for 50 years and it would take a lot longer than 2 and half hours to cover that span of time. Still, they do a good job at touching on all the key points of the car and more while keeping it interesting and fun the whole time. I loved the old footage more than I did the new. Sure the new footage is cleaner and has that HD quality picture, but I can go outside, look at a road, and eventually a Mustang will drive by. But to see that old footage of cars so many years ago, that was very cool and very fun to watch. Not that I need to know why this car is so cool and why it has stayed around for so many years and still remains a great sports car, but if I didn't know something, it's covered on this documentary.