Category: reviews

video review : Taylor Swift : The Eras Tour

video review : Taylor Swift : The Eras Tour

Speaking of Eras, Taylor Swift is probably the most popular singer, Man or woman, in modern times. This concert is actually a montage of shows performed during her newest Tour, but it’s limited to SoFi Stadium in California; a fact that should’ve been referenced in the overgeneralized title, which covers her “17 years of music”.

That she’s made so few good songs in all that time is almost beside the point. Taylor Swift is overrated when it comes to her music, but she’s a sexy Disney princess; who are all these lucky guys she’s falling in Love with; and her performances, at least when filmed and edited as cinematically as they are here, entertain.

The final act suggests this Tour would be even better if, like the previous ones were based on albums, it were limited to Midnights; the Lavender/blue colors of which are nice. She’s also sweaty from hours of dancing, which makes me wish she’d throw her fishnets in the crowd so I can catch and do naughty things with them.

my rating : 4 of 5

2023

the Lumix GH6

the Lumix GH6

My one big complaint with this camera, which follows the GH5, is that you no longer have the ability to focus manually via Touch screen by wiggling your finger on the subject. It’s an incredibly useful feature that seems to have been simply overlooked this time around. Minor flaws include noisier blacks at low ISOs and the fact that the new confusing Dynamic Range Boost isn’t automatic.

The Lumix GH6 is otherwise a worthy successor. It’s better than the GH5 if only in a technical sense as it has more to offer when it comes to overall specs, including “even more robust image stabilization”. The ability to shoot open gate on the 4:3 sensor means it’s also possible to reframe vertically in post without losing any resolution, which now goes up to 5.7K, and that’s just splendid.

my rating : 4 of 5

video review : Friday The 13th

video review : Friday The 13th

Though there is more to this horror flick than “babes in the woods”, there are some pretty girls in it. A quirky one gets her throat slashed. Another takes an axe to the forehead. They’re counselors at Camp Crystal Lake; a place haunted not by ghosts but an inconspicuous killer, the deranged motives of which aren’t revealed till day’s end.

my rating : 3 of 5

1980

Black Rifle Espresso 300 [ Triple Shot ] : Vanilla Bomb

Black Rifle Espresso 300 [ Triple Shot ] : Vanilla Bomb

This Bomb dissipates on impact to the point where you can’t even taste the Vanilla. It tastes more like chocolate, oddly enough, due to its main ingredient; “Arabica brewed coffee”. The 300 bit has to do with the fact that it packs said milligrams of caffeine, which the can promotes as “freedom fuel”.

my rating : 3 of 5

video review : Saw 2

video review : Saw 2

It’s a horror flick cliché; a group of hapless victims bordered-up in a house. The difference here is that they’re not hiding from deadly beings lurking outside. They’re trying to get out before they kill themselves.

Every character in the movie, including the cops trying to find them, comes across as a character with the exception of Jigsaw; credit to actor Tobin Bell; but Saw 2 is better, stronger and sharper, than the first.

my rating : 3 of 5

2005

video review : Vacancy

video review : Vacancy

This is a slasher flick with not a lot of characters or plot twists. It’s just the simple story of a married couple who, after their car breaks down on a lonely road, reluctantly decide to take refuge in the only overnight shelter within walking distance; The Pinewood Motel.

That’s where the tension begins; the kind you feel when you suddenly hear a loud banging on your door in the middle of the night. The game, played by sadistic voyeuristic killers, gets a tad mundane after a while, but the plot lodges enough scares to last till checkout.

my rating : 4 of 5

2007

video review : Vacancy 2 [ The First Cut ]

audio review : B’day ( album ) … Beyoncé

Beyoncé’s Birthday is like any other for ghetto pop music’s number-one diva. She’s the girl the block jocks want and lame dames want to be in a world where all revolves around girlfriend/boyfriend relationship stuff over sassy hip-hop beats.

“Get on up and shake it,” she commands to the crowd. It’s her party and she’ll scream surprisingly lackluster vocal melodies at the top of her lungs if she wants to. It’s not like anybody’s going to complain. They’re just happy to be invited.

my rating : 3 of 5

2006

video review : The Twilight Zone

video review : The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone; a “middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition”; is conceptually an interesting place. It’s how those ideas play out that tend to lead nowhere. The series, presented in five seasons, wouldn’t be bad condensed to a short one of its best stories.

The Fever, The Shelter, It’s A Good Life, The New Exhibit, Living Doll and Night Call would all be included. Most other episodes are subpar, thanks in part to corny hyperbolic characterization. Some, especially the ones that abandon the sci-fi/horror genre for comedy, are downright stupid.

my rating : 2 of 5

1964

Icee Cereal

Icee Cereal

“Feel the freeze,” the catchphrase exclaims. This Cereal “cools your mouth as you eat”. It’s a gimmick that fits the concept; it’s based on those Icee slushies kids drink in the summer; but ultimately ruins the taste. That chalky antacid-like bit, which, ironically enough, starts to become nauseating, lingers long after you’re done eating.

my rating : 2 of 5

Raze Energy : Rainbow

Raze Energy : Rainbow

I don’t think the Rainbow here represents LGBT. At least I hope not. The illustrations on the can suggests it stands for a Rainbow “of flavor”; candy flavors; à la Skittles, though the taste is more akin to bubble gum. In any case there’s “zero sugar”; it’s sweetened with sucralose; and 300 milligrams of caffeine, “which is more than two cups of coffee.”

my rating : 3 of 5