Despite the fact that many individuals only know Kevin Eubanks for the time that ey spent on The Tonight Show, ey is a pretty voluminous performer. This means, that since 1980, ey has been a considerable part of well over 20 distinct recordings. “Zen Food” represents eir latest work, the seven full-length ey has released in the 2000s. There is a sort of clarity present in this release, one in…
I love the fact that there are a number of North American companies that are falling over themselves to release all sorts of Asian films. Where the quality does tend to vary depending on the company that is releasing them, Well Go is one of the few that continually releases strong stuff. Case in point is Assault Girls, a 2009 film released by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, The…
It has been a number of years since there has been a good trail-based movie. It seemed almost as if the art form died out after the nineties, but The Trial looks to restore faith in the previously-fallen style. The Trial is based on a book by Robert Whitlow, a lawyer that is able to provide some realism to this flick that is sorely missing in many similar films.
It is interesting to see the evolution of Darius Rucker’s musical career. Where ey had a tremendous amount of success as the leader of Hootie and the Blowfish, many fans have not had the chance to pick up eir later works. From the forgotten-about 2002 release “Back To Then” out to 2008’s blockbuster “Learn to Live”, Rucker’s post-Hootie career has rapidly taken off. “Charleston, SC 1966” is an album that…
Gothic has been one of my favorite RPG series of all time. While Arcania 4 was developed by a different company (Trinigy) rather than Piranha Bytes, it seems as if the titles contains much in the way of cohesion. The biggest change to the title, in my opinion, has been a freeing from the mooring that Gothic 3 had. My biggest complaint about Gothic 3 was how players were introduced…
I feel that, after years of ignoring GLBT-positive imagery in films, that there has been an influx of American and British-based films in the last few years. One specific sub-segment of GLBT cinema has been ignored, though – those films with a more international focus. Water Bearer Films has ensured that there is a United States-based venue for these types of films, and that the films do not require an…
Recently some parts of the internet have been heralding the coming of a new browser that is about to enter into the Browser Wars. The saga began many years ago when the Jedi like minded people in the internet business decided that enough was enough, and Internet Explorer was going down. They had had enough of the tyrannical ways of the Sith-like Internet Explorer. First to answer the call, in…
Country music is a genre in which it seems tremendously hard to break through. The number of established acts that are on the charts at any one time are few, and consist largely of those performers that have been doing their thing for a number of years. However, this trend may yet change with the release of The Band Perry’s first, self-titled album. This album was able to practically reach…
Jim Beam Black is the latest release by Beam Global, and it showcases an extreme amount of casking (8 years) that actually doubles the amount of time that the white version of Jim Beam enjoys in wood. This results in one of the best bourbons that I’ve had the chance to sample, right down to the fragrant nose that immediately hits when one opens the bottle. While pushing the limits…
Prior to Starstruck, I think it’s safe to assume there had never been so much in depth research put into why Paris Hilton managed to become frighteningly famous when Tara Reed didn’t. On the surface they could almost be doppelgangers: blonde-haired party girls with extremely questionable talent, both thrust into the spotlight. But while Hilton has managed to thrive, building a mini-empire of realty shows and perfume, Reed has become…
Michael Madsen is one of cinema’s most slept-on actors. At least, that’s how ey typically looks when viewers first see eir in a film. Seriously though, Being Michael Madsen is a mocumentary that brings viewers into the hectic, crazy world that is Michael Madsen’s life. Expressing Madsen as the hottest movie star this side of The Rock, Being Michael Madsen showcases the creation and execution of a trap against a…
There are few in the way of titles that seem to pull for a slightly older-skewing audience that have broad relevance in cinema. While I totally understand that these titles have a built-in audience, I feel that this allows the filmmakers to get a little lazy. To be honest, I was expecting more of the same when I popped Mrs. Washington Goes To Smith into my DVD player. However, I…
It really is a bit of cinematic skill to make a tragedy such as the Altamont Free Concert (1969) funny, but that is precisely what happens with Altamont Now. Throughout the film’s runtime, a story is filled in that is while humorous, also points a sharp dirk at the throat of any overly preachy or otherwise heavy type of historical concert film. Altamont Now features the trials and tribulations of…
You Don’t Know Jack is an in-depth (and theatric) look into Jack Kevorkian’s life. Much like HBO’s previous epic, 2003’s Angels in America, each bit and piece of eir life is filled by an actor of tremendous talent. Key of these would have to be Al Pacino, who dons the killer’s cap and steals the show as a result. However, far from being a one-actor film, You Don’t Know Jack…
I have always viewed remixes as an unnecessary and often cynical move by record labels to milk the music –buying public one more time, buying slightly reworked – and in most cases weaker versions of songs they already own. I view it akin to George Lucas tossing out a new edition of Star Wars DVDs every couple of years.
We’ve had a number of words that decry the trend of tying in popular toys with video games, and it seems as if some game companies and designers may be listening. Case in point would have to be the new Zhu Zhu Pets title for the Nintendo DS, Wild Bunch. Released by Activision (and bundled with an adorable plush hamster toy), Zhu Zhu Pets: Wild Bunch would still be interesting…
For those Dylan fans who have never quite recovered from the musician temporarily putting down his acoustic guitar to plug into an amp at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, The Witmark Demos, the latest in Dylan’s stellar Bootleg Series, is a godsend. Forty-seven songs spread out over two CDs, featuring the artist formerly known as Robert Zimmerman accompanied only by acoustic guitar, and occasionally harmonica and piano, this collection…
Disney titles usually rest on the strength of the films that they are related to (and in some cases, the Disney Channel shows which they are related). However, Disney All Star Party showcases that Disney can create an absolutely stunning Wii title that will be purchased based on the game’s merits rather than the characters or IP associated with it. While each of the different mini-games that await players are…
There is a contemporary flair to Conditions’ effort on “Fluorescent Youth” that will ensure the widest possible listenership picks up this album. Where there have been a number of different musical movements attempting to strive for dominance in the course of the last few years, Conditions deftly tie together these different style into a cogent and unique style. From when the album begins with “The End of Progression” all the…
No matter how many different documentaries get green-lit to deal with a subject, there is always room for a title that looks to increase the dialogue that is present. That is precisely what Rock Prophecies does, but it ensures that fans of all generations will be able to understand and appreciate what is going on. That is due to the fact that the narrative does not assume any level of…