Category: reviews

video review : Inglourious Basterds

video review : Inglourious Basterds

“I think this just might be my masterpiece,” a character says to another just before the ending credits begin. It’s an obvious wink from director Quentin Tarantino. Inglourious Basterds is his best movie yet, even better than Jackie Brown and Reservoir Dogs, and he seems to know it. There’s no “might” about it. It’s a masterpiece. It’s also one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.

The story takes place during WW2 as Nazis, led by Hitler, seize control of France, killing Jews along the way. Their opposition? A small troop of Jewish soldiers whose primary goal is to kill Nazis and off their scalps for souvenirs. It’s a brutal battle with clever crossplots; scenes simmer with suspence until someone’s killed once their cover is blown; thrown in for narrative measure.

my rating : 5 of 5

2009

Crocs Specialist work shoes

Crocs Specialist work shoes

Crocs promotes these as “work” shoes because they’re designed to meet typical job dress codes; the toe area is completely hidden; but that marketing decision is limiting. Not only are they appropriate for medical Specialists and the like, they’re appropriate for anyone who wants to wear comfortable shoes that hide their toes. “Comfortable” is the key word. I wear mine not only when I’m out but also at home. In theory, fashion aside, I could go the rest of my life not wearing any other type of shoes and get by just fine. The back strap even makes them practical to run in.

The bottom soles eventually begin to deteriorate as the grips smoothen away, which can cause you to slip on wet surfaces; much more so than normal shoes; and too much sockless traveling can cause painful skin irritation where the cuboid bone rubs against the inside rim. But those are relatively minor flaws. I usually wear mine with socks… on dry surfaces. I prefer laceless slip-ons and these shoes are among the best. They’re made with a simple two-piece design; a shoe and a strap; which makes them easy to wipe clean. The rubbery Croslite material is also odor-resistant.

my rating : 5 of 5

the Lumix GH4

the Lumix GH4

My only gripe with the GH4 is that the stereo mics are located on the top as opposed to the front. It’s not a problem that is by any means exclusive to this particular camera; a lot are made this way; but it’s an illogical design. The direction of the mics should coincide with the lens. As is, the subject of the video isn’t necessarily reflected as such in the audio. That means if someone holding the camera is interviewing someone it’s pointed at, for example, the voice of the person holding it is more dominant. A simple solution is to add an external mic that points forward; which, depending on the mic, will probably improve the sound quality anyway; but that, of course, adds to the overall cost, bulk and weight.

The GH4 is excellent nonetheless, especially for those of us who use it more for video than photography. I, for one, use it for video exclusively. It comes with a host of advanced features and settings normally reserved for (expensive) pro-level cameras, but the main draw is that its resolution goes all the way up to 4K; “4096×2160” Cinema 4K; which makes the details clearer and crisper than most of what you’re used to seeing on TV and Youtube, even when its 4K images are downsized in post to be viewed in standard “1080p”. With the right lenses and audio equipment; let’s hope the mic thing is fixed in the GH5; a talented videographer could literally make a Hollywood movie with this one camera alone.

my rating : 5 of 5

2014

video review : Jurassic Park

video review : Jurassic Park

T-Rex and other dinosaurs come back to life in Jurassic Park, an on-screen adaption of the Michael Crichton novel. It begins as a thrill-ride the whole family can enjoy, quite literally, before developing into another entertaining Steven Speilberg movie. It would be better if it were more serious and less predictable; meat-eating dinosaurs only catch expendable humans; but it’s a memorable adventure nonetheless.

my rating : 4 of 5

1993

video review : The Lost World [ Jurassic Park ]
video review : Jurassic Park 3

video review : Curse Of Chucky

video review : Curse Of Chucky

Chucky looks sort of gay now, at least when his face goes from that of a still doll to a live one. When he smiles, he looks like a little fat Asian kid. The CGI, which doesn’t kick-in until about the movie’s halfway point, is to blame. The corny Freddy-like one-liners he mutters before kills, overdramatic musical score and cliché horror-flick plotting are the fault of writer and director Don Mancini.

For what it’s worth, Curse Of Chucky is better than Seed Of Chucky as it takes the series back to the more serious, less campy, tone of the original Child’s Play trilogy. There are, however, major continuity problems. Why didn’t a certain surveillance video acquit a certain character in court? I also wonder why the movie has two contradictory epilogues tacked onto the end.

my rating : 3 of 5

2013

audio review : Black Messiah ( album ) … D’Angelo And The Vanguard

audio review : Black Messiah ( album ) ... D'Angelo And The Vanguard

Black Messiah sounds like it was made in the 1960s or 1970s during a funk/soul era dominated by the likes of Sly And The Family Stone. In that regard, D’Angelo is an outstanding talent. The retro soundscape he conjures via Voodoo magic, a virtual soundtrack for black people who consider race significant enough to get emotional about, is mighty convincing. From what my ears can detect, nearly every instrument is played live.

His talents plummet, however, when it comes to the composition of the songs themselves. The vocals, well-harmonized, too often lack melodies to match their gritty grooves. 1000 Deaths, the intro speech of which combines two of people’s biggest stupidities; racism and religion; captivates during the chorus, but the rest of the song is, well, dead. The rest of the album is better, but nothing compares to the best of the era it emulates.

my rating : 3 of 5

2014

audio review : Sharp On All 4 Corners [ 1 + 2 ] ( albums ) … E-40

audio review : Sharp On All 4 Corners [ 1 + 2 ] ( albums ) ... E-40 audio review : Sharp On All 4 Corners [ 1 + 2 ] ( albums ) ... E-40

There’s a track here entitled Heavy In The Game. The song itself, a duet with B-Legit, is nothing special, but the beat is a slapper. It’s the type of music that should dominate E-40 albums instead of standing as basically the sole highlight amongst a collection of songs that, despite the set title, are comparatively dull.

Sleep, a sex anthem featuring Ludacris and Plies, is enticing, but almost every other track of the 28 included here isn’t. And this is just the first two of another four-album project, reportedly. So while E-40 is more prolific than ever, it is, unfortunately for us long-time fans, an ongoing case of quantity over quality.

my rating : 2 of 5

2014
 

R. Orwig :

You might need a hearing aid playa, cuz most of these tracks slap on here. There might be a total of 5 tracks on here that are average, but most of both albums are dope!

audio review : PRhyme ( album ) … PRhyme

audio review : PRhyme ( album ) ... PRhyme

The music is provided by DJ Premier. That’s a beat check. Royce Da 5-9 also gets a verse check for his raps, though it must be said that his overdramatic vocal inflections and juvenile bravado do have the tendency to irritate. He was better when he used to just rap; his prime actually ended several years ago, shortly after his 1999 Bad Meets Evil debut; but, however diminished, his skills are decidedly better than average.

The one big flaw here, aside from the “PRhyme” concept itself, is the hooks. That’s a song-dooming weakness for most MCs and Royce; this is and should be marketed as a solo album; is no exception. Even Premier’s scratch samples come across as a stale, sometimes corny, novelty. This is vintage hip-hop for whatever that’s worth, Premier virtually guarantees it, but that’s never enough when it comes to making good songs.

my rating : 3 of 5

2014

audio review : A Better Tomorrow ( album ) … Wu-Tang Clan

audio review : A Better Tomorrow ( album ) ... Wu-Tang Clan

The main problem I have with this album is the title. Wu-Tang Clan (members) made a song called A Better Tomorrow in 1997. Making a new one that seems to have nothing to do with the original and titling a new album after it, or vice versa, is conceptually outlandish. Surely they could’ve thought of a different name for this project. I guess Rza is the one to blame. He’s not only the leader but also my favorite member. As an MC, he’s generally underrated in comparison to the more critically acclaimed ones like Method Man, Ghostface and Raekwon. Not that he has many chances to rap. Wu-Tang Clan is a group of nine; Cappadonna seems to have unofficially taken the place of Ol Dirty Bastard; and Rza’s busy making beats.

That mix of raw eclectic hip-hop is more elaborate but usually less fulfilling than his earlier simpler stuff. It does, however, represent the best parts of an album with raps that are rarely better than decent and hooks you don’t want to hear more than once. Crushed Egos, Hold The Heater, Ruckus In B Minor; all fall victim to banal breaks. Miracle, the chorus of which sounds laughably out of place on a Wu album, needs a Disney disclaimer. Felt, a disaster in wordplay à la KRS-One’s Hold, is stupid. Forget the lack of chemistry between rappers; the monologues consist of old Dirty Bastard clips; the album is basically another 8 Diagrams. That means I’ll play the one or two songs I like and just hope they do better next time.

my rating : 3 of 5

2014

audio review : Shady XV

audio review : Shady XV

If there were any doubt, you need not go further than the first song on this set to establish the fact that Eminem can still rap his ass off. He’s rarely as great as he once was; his last classic verse was probably from 2011’s BET Cypher; but this title track, which consists of one long verse over a sparse rock beat, trumps all of his pop peers. That includes his own artists, which Shady XV; a very needless 15-year Shady Records celebration; is designed to showcase.

The concept is reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s History; one half new songs, one half old songs; though that comes via an awkward 12/15 split. I also question the oddly-sequenced tracklist, which, as far as the old songs go, ignores whole albums; namely every Eminem solo; in favor of double dips. The new songs also miss the mark musically. Eminem peaks early with that first song. The rest represents his label for all the mediocrity its released over the years.

The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP, Devil’s Night, Relapse; all good albums. Most of the rest are just okay. So while Eminem remains my favorite rapper, it has little to do with albums or songs. My Band and Purple Pills are funny, but the new “D-12” song, which doesn’t even feature Em, is a joke. There are solid beats here, but no noteworthy hooks. Skylar Grey and Kobe are seemingly talentless. He should stop featuring them on his songs.

Not that Sia does any better. Shady foolishly bashes his own We Made You single, from his aforementioned Relapse album, but that song, at least the beat and chorus, trumps everything (new) here. I’ll say for the third time that the Shady XV theme track is a lyrical triumph, but the self-proclaimed Rap God is generally rapping too fast these days. His new verbose style, which crams so many words in a verse that it often makes him sound off-beat, is annoying.

my rating : 3 of 5

2014

video review : Little Shop Of Horrors

video review : Little Shop Of Horrors

The plant, a flytrap personified, is the star of this show, but it’s the music that makes it worthwhile. Little Shop Of Horrors is based on a stage play, but it works best as a seamless collection of songs. When they’re not being performed, there’s nothing to distract from the annoying characterization. When they are, it’s a delightful experience.

From the opening theme, sang by a trio of up-dressed street urchins; the only characters allowed to eavesdrop in front of the cinematic fourth wall; to the epic closer, the tunes branch the plot in a charming sing-along kind of way. My personal favorite is Suppertime; Audrey Two’s feeding theme; a two-part act led by a psychedelic funk groove.

my rating : 4 of 5

1986

audio review : Detroit Versus Everybody ( song ) … Royce Da 5-9 + Big Sean + Danny Brown + Eminem ( featuring Dej Loaf + Trick Trick )

The hook is structurally okay. What’s annoying is Dej Loaf’s kid voice and the way she mispronounces “Versus”. I hear other rappers say it this way, including Danny Brown, but that makes it no less annoying. It’s actually a bit of a shame because a winning chorus is all that’s holding this Motor City anthem; all six vocalists are from Detroit; from being a notable (GOOD-Fridays-like) collaboration.

That’s despite the fact that Eminem, the obvious MVP, disappoints with a stiff and frenzied vocal delivery. If it’s him “verse” everybody in a race, he wins. If, however, we’re referring to quality, well, at least he outshines Danny Brown. The best part of the song is the beat, produced by Statik Selektah, especially when it strips down to a solemn piano groove during the aforementioned (Eminem) verse.

my rating : 3 of 5

2014

audio review : Shady XV