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Hello all,
I'm sure many of you have experienced the thrill of finding out that one of your favorite books will soon be released into a film. Unfortunately this feeling is typically followed by those such as disappointment and irritation when you see what a mess the director made of such a fantastic book. It happened to me with the Harry Potter series, and just recently with Angels & Demons. No matter how many miserable times I've walked out of a cinema, I just can't abandon the hope that one day a director will get it right.
Angels & Demons was given a C+ by the critics, according to Yahoo! Movies, and it was well deserved. For those of you who have yet to see it, don't worry there are no spoilers here.
I've read the book twice myself and have recommended it to just about everyone. I know it's thickness can be a bit scary, but the action, brilliantly structured plot, and expertly devised fact vs. fiction situation that Dan Brown creates for his readers puts you in a state where you're almost wishing it was longer! As you can well imagine, I was naively chuffed to find out that it was going to made into a film.
I did what many dedicated fans decided to do, which was see it at the midnight showing. My party and I found ourselves decent seats, and as the lights dimmed I made myself comfortable for what I thought was soon going to become one of my favorite films. Well, I'm afraid I have a bone to pick with director Ron Howard: he couldn't have made the start of the film more unlike the actual book. I was literally disgusted with how incorrect everything was, which left me in a bad mood until it was over. Honestly, the man's been in showbiz since childhood, you'd think this would have been a piece of cake.
It is lucky that great actors like Tom Hanks (Charlie Wilson's War, The Da Vinci Code, The Polar Express) as protagonist Robert Langdon, Ewan McGregor (Miss Potter, Star Wars series, The Island) as the Camerlengo, and Armin Mueller-Stahl (The International, Eastern Promises, Jakob The Liar) as Cardnial Strauss took up the leading roles, otherwise this would have been a complete disaster. I understand that a book's length is unlimited, and that when it is being converted to a film scenes are typically cut, but I never understood the point of changing major situations from how they were originally created. Wasn't it those very situations that made the book a best seller to begin with? For instance, two specific situations involving leading lady Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer: Vantage Point, 28 Weeks Later, Munich) were recreated in such a way that they robbed her great discovery of its intense level of importance and secrecy that Brown so strongly stressed in the book.
In addition, an important character, who started off the story, was completely cut out. This person would have been great as a key suspect in Brown's mystery, as he had a very suspicious personality. I suppose his lack of presence was pushed onto the Camerlengo, who I noticed was a lot less kinder in the film than he was in book.
Furthermore, the mystery behind the killer pretty much remained a mystery; his charcter wasn't developed in any way, and the aundience got no visual notification of who was directing him on his mission. There was not a single secret phone call, or even a letter, directing this guy. It was terrible, because the motive behind his horrendous actions were incredibly weak.
I suppose one plus-side to this was that I couldn't make myself turn way from the screen, since it was so different that I wasn't sure what would happen next.
As a film, I suppose it was pretty decent; the action was brilliant and the acting was superb. As mentioned in regard to the killer, there was a lose end, but many viewers don't care too much for lose ends in an action-packed film. I also liked the way anti-matter was visually explained; I think it was a lot more effective than having an actor verbally describe what it is.
As a film based on a book, however, all I've got to ask is whether Howard took the time to actually read the book or if he decided to take a short cut and read the cliff notes instead.
Hi everyone,
I saw Gogol Bordello perform at the Majestic Ventura Theatre on the 20th of May, and I can confidently say that it was one of the best shows I've ever been to.
For those of you who are not too familiar with the band, Gogol Bordello is a gypsy-punk 10-member group local to New York. In addition to the standard drums, guitar, and bass (played by Eliot Ferguson, Oren Kaplan, and Thomas Gobena) this group manages to incorporate the accordion (Yuri Lemeshev), violin (Sergey Ryabstev), and fire bucket, played by frontman Eugene Hutz.
The last punk show I was at was The Adicts at the Key Club, and although I had the time of my life, I did end up going home with a couple scars and bruises, so I was a bit apprehensive on how the crowd was going to be for this show. The doors opened at about 7, and the show kicked off at some point after 8 with Pedro Erazo spinning some tunes. It was interesting having a DJ open up for a band, and although we was spinning for longer than I hoped, I quite liked that approach.
About a hour later Erazo packed up his gear, and out came the band! Unfortunately I wasn't able to score the track list, but I did leave with Hutz's Yellow Tail wine bottle haha. Some of the hits they played were: Wonderlust King, Think Logically F*ck Globally, Start Wearing Purple, Not A Crime, and Immigrant Punk. What I loved about this band was that they played each song as if it were their last. They went all out dancing all over the stage and almost every member managed to shake hands with the audience at several points during the night. Elizabeth Sun and Pamela Racine (both backing vocals) were placed at the right-hand corner of the stage, and occasionally would leave their post to dance. They were dressed in black leotards with flowy skirts and were the perfect touch to each song they danced along to; they weren't over-the-top, and didn't demand attention, but rather helped build up the hype for the songs. At the end Sun came out with cymbals and Racine had a huge drum attached to her stomach, causing chaos and commotion along with the rest of the band.
Surprisingly, the audience wasn't violent at all. The music died down the urge to push and shove, and intensified the urge to dance - I wish I could have seen a bird's eye view of the pit! It almost felt like being in a club, as we all danced the night away. At one point I felt as though a little warm up session would have been a good idea, because I reckon I got quite the work out that night!
Unfortunately I found out on the way to the show that I left my camera at home, so I don't have any cool shots. I do encourage everyone, however, to keep an eye out for this lot. They've been banned from CB/GB, the Mercury Lounge, and Bowery Ballroom immediately after their first performances for being too over the top! I promise you will have an unforgettable time.
For more on Gogol Bordello, see:
www.GogolBordello.com
www.myspace.com/GogolBordello
Hey all,
Writing about music for the past seven months has taught me several things, one of which is that the longer it takes for a group to record an album/EP doesn't necessarily mean it'll turn out better. Pete Dee of The Adicts once mentioned how it's sometimes a good idea not to mess around with music, and rather just get together, record, and publish the "raw talent." That type of method works well for the The Adicts, and definitely worked in favor of Outliar. This four member group, who have been practicing in vocalist James Ghaleb's garage for just under a year, were recently determined to finally record their tracks; five days, 13 boxes of Trader Joe's peanutbutter cups, and "frequent pocket-fulls of Jelly Beans" later a self-titled EP was born.
The Outliar EP is a good balance of catchy beats and relaxing melodies, all of which carry a jazzy/blues undertone.
Here's the track list:
1. Say Sorry
2. Back To You
3. Very Fragile Thing (Hollow)
4. Cowardice
5. Thousand Man War
6. This Side Of The Ocean
The first track, Say Sorry, is one of my favorites. Ghaleb opens up with about five seconds of acoustic guitar, and then comes in with the vocals, accompanied by the rest of the band. This is a mellow track but catchy enough to tap a foot to. I find it incredible how the average age among the members is 18, and despite the growing present influnce of the matinstream, these guys are still able to keep it so old-school, it's a pity Chet Baker isn't alive to hear this.
Very Fragile Thing (Hollow) is another one I really like. This one also starts off with acoustic guitar, and is shortly followed by the rest of the instruments. Just under minute later, the beat starts to progress, as the disco bass and stream of open hi-hats lay in a dance-able beat. During the second half of the song, Ghaleb gives his voice a rest, leaving us with an approximate 45 second instrumental.
The final two tracks, Thousand Man War and This Side Of The Ocean, were recorded back-to-back on final fifth day. Thousand Man War leans more towards the mellow side of things, and both are acoustic.
I've had the chance to meet the guys behind the music and I don't think they realize just how good they are. I wouldn't miss an opportunity to check these guys out, because I reckon if they keep it up they're definitely going to make it.
For more on Outliar, see:
www.myspace.com/OutliarMusic
Hello everyone,
As I'm sure many of know from previous entries, my favorite band is The Clash. One of the reasons that I like them so much is because they never limited themselves, as they combined various musical styles while still staying true "the cause." A current band who has taken on similar actions is a four-man group from the UK who call themselves The Carletons.
The group recently released a three-track demo, resulting with "a mix of indie, rock, punk, and ska all thrown into one."
Here's the track list:
1. Out Of Your Control
2. On To A Winner
3. Tiny Little Problem
Out Of Your Control starts off with Adam Darwen laying out a fierce beat on the drums, as Jack Benton ad Rob Eatough come in only seconds later on the guitar and bass. Alex Mckay slaps on some vocals about twenty seconds into it, reminding me a bit like Pete Doherty of Babyshambles. The whole group joins in for the chorus of "They are against us/They are against us/Woah/They are against us/They are against us" which refers to the addiction of gambling, and how it's always a losing battle.
On To A Winner starts a little less aggressively, with Benton placing a beat as Darwen compliments it with some cymbals. This song's got more of a serious tone, reflecting the band's wonder of "where [they'll] be in five years" and what the future has to hold for them. I really like this one since it's got a really good punk-rock feel to it, even though it's not extremely fast-paced. Almost three minutes into it, the beat slows down to where we're only left with Mckay, Darwen, and Eatough. This part's great because it gives us a taste of the bass work.
Tiny Little Problem's got more of an indie-feel to it, establishing a beat sounding like a cross between The Libertines and the Arctic Monkeys. This was actually the first of the three songs to be written, and is what the band believes helped them find their unique sound. They pride this song on pulling away from typical indie values of love or "how shit life is," and instead lean more towards the old-school punk view of representing "the lower class people who seem stuck in their own little world." The group believe that the song's meaning gives it "that extra aggressive edge" and I completely agree.For more on The Carletons, see:
www.myspace.com/TheCarletons
Hey everyone,
Have you ever bought an album only to find that just a small handful of the songs were ones you actually liked? I realize iTunes has now virtually eliminated such a problem, but lucky for us there's one EP out there that can save the trouble of testing out each song before we commit to buying it. The Surveillance State EP by Inner Voices was released in March, and includes three songs that have been placed at number one positions on several independent charts, along with two semi-finalist positions in the UK Songwriters Competition of September 2008.
Here's the track list:
1. Surveillance State (radio version)
2. Carbon Shadow
3. My Aberration
4. Surveillance State
This one-man band has found that "just right" balance between electronica and rock which, coupled with his incredible vocals, results in a similar style to that of Depeche Mode and New Order.
Adam Brierley, the man behind the band, pushes that synthesizer in Surveillance State to where it sounds as though it's just putty in his hands. He starts it off with a misty beat that just gets catchier by the second, bringing the guitar and drums about ten seconds in, establishing a firm framework for the rest of the track. It is definitely my favorite track off the EP, as it's so danceable. Brieley expands on the song as being about "a society sleep walking into a surveillance state justified by 'anti-terror' legislation." This track actually has already receieved a finalist Effigy Award from MMi-ABC Radio Famegames, USA and Europe in January of this year.
Carbon Shadow's meaning gets even deeper, as Brieley "questions the motivation of the religious leader who asks the people to sacrifice their lives for their own gain." He starts his second verse with "Drilling through your head, these words they carry tasks.../Guilty man for ending life too soon/bending words to enhance your personal tune" makes reference to suicide bombings and essentially opens up the listener's ears to what is going on in the world. It's really refreshing to hear artists pull away from the typical theme of writing about personal issues, and instead enlightening us with world issues. What's so great about this track is that it still has that danceable synth and guitar; Brieley successfully keeps the listener going while getting his message across.
My Aberration starts off slightly different to the other two, opening up with an exotic Spanish beat. About fifty seconds into it the synth starts to creep in. The mood is a bit more serious in this track, expanding on truth that our identity isn't about how we're made up, or "molded," but who we are beneath the outer layer.
Brieley, just like so many other unsigned artists out there, is a good reminder that quality music doesn't necessarily come from a fancy studio. He puts thought into his music which leaves him with a talent that, judging from the Surveillance State EP chart positions, shines bright and clear.
For more on Adam Breiley's Inner Voices, see:
www.myspace.com/AdamBrierley
