What Versailles does during the opening of “Broken Dolls†is link together a number of different musical styles, the piano line variously shifting through alternative rock, goth, and even pop as listeners are given a hint as to what the rest of “Broken Dolls†will present. Versailles also makes a play for the minds and hearts of fans of music; there are arrangements and approaches taken that will please fans…
This DVD set has a high value for fans of ambient or new takes on classical music. This is due to the fact that Brian Eno’s (and Bang on a Can All-Stars) “Music for Airports†is present, while Frank Scheffer’s “In the Ocean†operates as the B-side to “Music for Airportsâ€. Together, these pieces hover at about 105 minutes, allowing viewers to get deep into the heads of everyone associated…
As individuals may already know, Vodka is one of my favorite alcoholic spirits. I mean, I usually do it up in Screwdrivers, but I’ve been known to do a shot or two in my day. I was understandably excited when a bottle of Jett Vodka came to our door. As some may already know, Jett is one of the first spirits to be caffeinated, linking together the titular compound with…
Just barely missing the twenty-five year anniversary of the show, MPI has captured the 1983 mini-series Kennedy and released it this year. I was not aware of this series before receiving this title from MPI themselves: after investing six hours of my time, I soon realized that not familiarizing myself with the show before then was a folly. Martin Sheen captures all the mannerisms and idiosyncrasies of John F. Kennedy;…
The “Live At The Royal Albert Hall†DVD captures an ELP concert from 1992; this concert immediately followed the release of their “Black Moon†album, which marked the end of a 14-year break up. Where possibly interested viewers may think that the three members of ELP would be rusty after all the time spent apart, the first full track – “Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression – Part 2†– will…
The amount of customization that players can have in All Star Cheer Squad is simply fantastic. Of course, players can go forth and create their own hairstyle, hair color, and countless other features about themselves, but the ability for players to choreograph cheer routines is on par with a Smackdown vs RAW or similar title. Do note that the routines that are learned in the game are not just unrealistic…
The box for Inkheart for the DS does not say too terribly much. There is a picture of Brendan Fraser holding open a book on the front cover, where the back just mentions that the game is an adaptation of the film (which itself was adapted from a book). After I got the game out and started to play it, the amount of work that Dreamcatcher put into the title…
Tequila is one of those spirits that are stereotypically associated with Mexico. Hot peppers are associated in much the same way. That, I believe, is why Agave Loco Brands commissioned Mexico tequila producer La Cofradia to go forth and craft a spirit that blended both things into a cohesive spirit. When I had the chance to actually same the spirit, the first thing that hit me was the intense pepper…
Spiced rums are the next big thing. That is, I see more and more often different companies trying to go out and create their own version of spiced rum for common consumption. A few year backs, Lady Bligh was all the rage, and this year, Captain Morgan’s came out with their own version. However, Kilo Kai is a spiced rum that seems to be one of the better efforts in…
The Bloody Beetroots come forth on their “Rombo” EP with Rombo, a track that links together Gabber with The Crystal Method and The Chemical Brothers. When there are vocals, they are ancillary and are used more for their instrumental quality rather than a narrative one. The act suffers slightly from a level of repetition during this track that is a little high, but looks to come back strong with I…
Being There is a 1979 film; it was originally interpreted and created based on a work earlier in the decade by author Jerzy Kosinski. Chance The Gardiner (SellerS) is an individual that, for the entirety of eir life, has been charged with tending the garden of a well-to-do individual. When ey is put out onto the street, ey is hit by a car. The individual that hit Chance, Ben Rand…
Most players of casual games will already know who Popcap Games are. Their flagship game is Bejeweled, and latest sales records show that over 10 million copies of the title have been sold since the title first came out. However, when it comes down to it, Popcap Games can come out with some pretty solid titles. Case in point would have to be Mystery P.I. Vegas Heist, released this month…
Comedy Central has really stepped up their game when it comes to having some of the best up and coming comedians on the circuit. I remember back in the middle to late nineties, when Comedy Central seemed to show all the specials from the lower rungs of the comedy ladder; that is simply not how the current iteration of Comedy Central works. That is a good thing; “Red, White and…
Henry Poole is Here is a film that discusses the moving-in of a neighbor (Luke Wilson) after getting some morbid news from eir doctor. Instead of being seen as a charity case or someone to pity, Henry Poole looks to do nothing but spend eir remaining time trying to be left alone. Moving to the suburb seems to be the perfect way to go and do that, bringing Poole into…
One of the best things about Square Enix is the fact that they can go back into their vaults and pull a stellar – but dated in terms of graphics – title and then completely renovate it to the point that even players intimately familiar with the original will have tremendous amounts of fun with the newly-minted release. Star Ocean: Second Evolution is another example of that, as it is…
With a run time that approaches 9 hours, the Pokemon Battle Frontier collects the first half of the titular series. For those individuals that do not know where exactly Pokemon Battle Frontier fits into the whole Pokemon storyline, the events that take place during this box set are stuck right between the Advanced Battle and the Diamond and Pearl Saga. For individuals that may have not had the chance to…
As a political science graduate student, Commander in Chief is a game that really interests me. It is an up to date (using data for values up to January 2009). The game itself is touted as placing players in President Obama’s shoes, but don’t let that limit your imagination. No matter what state, what individual, players want to be, they take on the duties and roles associated with those heads…
“Angel†has Jeff Brodnax create an intriguing composition. Where most vocals have only one duty (to further the narrative of the track), Brodnax’s take on an added responsibility. During this track, the vocals are charged with providing extra harmony, melding with the rest of the instrumentation and creating a track that touches upon such acts as Pink Floyd and Radiohead, even as the narrative part of the vocals take on…
The first taste that individuals will have of Alchemia will forever impart “smoothness†as a quality to the vodka. Alchemia is smoother than even storied brands like Belvedere and Grey Goose, ensuring that this vodka can pull double duty as a mixing spirit or as a straight shooter. For my money though, I would just put this in a highball glass and go to work; without or without ice, Alchemia’s…
Unless individuals have had the chance to really plumb the depths of Soviet-era cinema from Russia chances are good that they may have only heard of Larisa Shepitko. This Criterion Collection release acts as the bookends for Shepitko’s career, collecting eir final work (1976’s “The Ascentâ€) with a 1966 piece (“Wingsâ€) that exists as Shepitko’s first post-college work. While there are a few other efforts that Shepitko released during eir…