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Reviews

RUFUS DU SOL Drop New Unique Artificially Intelligent Music Video For “Next To Me”
13Aug By SimonNo Comments
Music, Reviews

RUFUS DU SOL Drop New Unique Artificially Intelligent Music Video For “Next To Me”

Grammy-nominated electronic trio RUFUS DU SOL had been laying low but they've officially come out of their shell. They've sold more than 70,000 tickets for their upcoming tour and are back with a new single and artificially intelligent music video. Directed by Osk, the video changes moods with the vibe of the music. Hailing from Australia, RUFUS DU SOL is comprised of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George, and James Hunt. They made their debut in 2016 going simply as Rufus but had to change their name when they learned it was already copyrighted in America. New Music Back in July, they released "Alive", their first new song in three years. The new material has started trickling after the recent fall tour announcement that will see them play marquee festivals like Bonnaroo, Austin City L...
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Nicolas Cage Returns To Form in ‘Pig’ (Review)
10Aug By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Film, Reviews

Nicolas Cage Returns To Form in ‘Pig’ (Review)

The last few decades have been a whirlwind of ups and downs for Nicolas Cage's career. He's gone from headlining blockbuster movies to frequently taking on mostly straight to video titles. Every few years he still manages to come along with a performance that is so outstanding that it defies some of the other work he seems to be taking more for the paycheck. I'm thinking of his brilliant turn in David Gordon Green's 2013 film "Joe" or Panos Cosmatos' insane horror film "Mandy" from 2018. You can safely add "Pig" to this list. In Michael Sarnoski's directorial debut, Cage plays Robin Feld. At one time, he was at the top of the culinary world in Portland, Oregon. After a massive personal loss, the renowned chef walked away from society and became a recluse. As the film begins, R...
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Be Reborn With ‘Nine Days’ (Review)
6Aug By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Film, Reviews

Be Reborn With ‘Nine Days’ (Review)

In a house planted seemingly in the middle of nowhere, Will (Winston Duke, "Black Panther") leads a mostly solitary existence. For the majority of each day, he faces a wall of televisions and VCRs watching life through the eyes of others. He takes extensive notes, recording key moments and tucking memories into filing cabinets. Will's job, as it were, is to interview unborn souls to determine if they're worthy of life on Earth. Presumably he is one of many tasked with this work, although we only meet a few others like him. He is quick to point out that he once was a human and so he knows what to look for. Unexpectedly, the point of view on one of his sets goes dark. He tragically loses a soul in an accident who was very meaningful to him. Replacing her won't be an easy task. T...
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‘Whirlybird’ Offers Intensely Personal Look at L.A. History (Review)
3Aug By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Film, Reviews

‘Whirlybird’ Offers Intensely Personal Look at L.A. History (Review)

It's difficult now to imagine a time before the 24-hour news cycle. Breaking news and remote coverage are part of our everyday lives, whether we like it or not. There was a married couple in Los Angeles who were at the forefront of the shift in news coverage starting in the mid-80s. Robert Tur and his then-wife Marika Gerrard launched Los Angeles News Service as stringers. They would literally chase police scanners and drive around the city looking to be the first video crew on the scene to film footage to sell to local news stations. Frustrated with how hard it was to cover the city by automobile, they bought a helicopter and really upped their game. By flying over the city, they were able to more quickly capture news as it happened and proved to be so indispensable that they...
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Apple TV+ Launches ‘Watch The Sound With Mark Ronson’ Today (Review)
30Jul By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Music, Reviews

Apple TV+ Launches ‘Watch The Sound With Mark Ronson’ Today (Review)

First things first: it would be impossible for me to be impartial when it comes to all things Mark Ronson. I fell deeply in love with his early production work for Nikka Costa. I played tracks from his first solo album "Here Comes The Fuzz" on the air at 97X/WOXY-FM in my past life as an alt-radio programmer. I put on my headphones religiously to stream his weekly East Village Radio show "Authentic Shit" in the mid-aughts. I have spent far too much money on collecting vinyl of his albums and remixes. All of that to say, when I got the press release for his new Apple TV+ docuseries called "Watch The Sound With Mark Ronson," I couldn't wait to watch. I was fortunate to be able to watch the full series early and am happy to say it doesn't disappoint. Mark is undoubtedly a ver...
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PVRIS release explosive new single “Monster”
30Jul By SimonNo Comments
Events, Music, Reviews

PVRIS release explosive new single “Monster”

Alt-pop heavyweights PVRIS have returned with a new single and tour. The synth-driven 'Monster' is another big step on their journey after the release of the Use Me album last year. The new album is seen as part of the bands' evolution as frontwoman Lynn Gunn stepped forward as leader and architect of the project. She wrote, played all the instruments, and sang on all 11 songs. JT Daly aka K. Flay produced the project. PVRIS' nearly month-long US tour kicked off August 6 in Detroit and runs through a sold-out September 2 date at the Fonda Theater in LA. Royal and the Serpent will be opening up on most of these shows. 'Monster’ is a song about reckoning with outside opinions and expectations put upon oneself. It can be easy to take on the weight of negative situations/opinions...
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Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” a Ride Worth Taking (Review)
27Jul By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Film, Reviews

Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” a Ride Worth Taking (Review)

After the wild success of five movies based on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride that collectively earned over $4.5 billion at the global box office, it shouldn't be surprising that Disney would adapt more of their famous theme park attractions for the big screen. When I first heard that they were going to make a movie out of the Jungle Cruise ride that began in Disneyland back in 1955, I was extraordinarily skeptical. It wasn't until I saw the first trailer that I started to get intrigued at what they had done. It all starts with director Jaume Collet-Serra, who has previously made several horror and suspense films like "House Of Wax" and "The Shallows." He's managed to take what could have been a rather boring idea and infused it with the kind of wild adventure spirit that har...
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Sundance Hit ‘How It Ends’ Brings The Apocalypse Home (Review)
23Jul By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Film, Reviews

Sundance Hit ‘How It Ends’ Brings The Apocalypse Home (Review)

When the end credits began to roll on its brisk 82-minute running time, I said to my partner how much I enjoyed "How It Ends" and that it reminded me of the glory days of American independent film in the 90s. He laughed and noted that the whole time he was thinking about Richard Linklater's 1990 classic, "Slacker." There is a shared cinematic universe between the two - both features offer a meandering "day in the life" scenario giving the viewer a series of characters who float in and out of the film and give us a handful of perfect moments. While "Slacker" showed us a random day in late 1980s Austin, Texas, this literal doomsday comedy has us on the streets of Los Angeles in the 24 hours before a giant meteor makes contact with Earth and kills us all. Zoe Lister-Jones and her h...
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“Fear Street” Trilogy Brings The Thrills (Review)
20Jul By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Film, Reviews

“Fear Street” Trilogy Brings The Thrills (Review)

R.L. Stine's original "Fear Street" book series was a step up from his "Goosebumps" books that offered age-appropriate scares for young readers. Director Leigh Janiak has taken things a lot further, accelerating the "Fear Street" series into full-blown R-rated territory with a captivating trilogy that recently launched on Netflix. Originally conceived as a theatrical play for Fox before Disney's acquisition, these would have certainly been fun to watch on the big screen with an audience, but play excellently at home as a fun summer escape. All three films are centered around the legend of Sarah Fier, a young woman in 1666 who was accused of being a witch and died after a man in her village named Solomon Goode (Ashley Zukerman) made a deal with the devil to provide his family w...
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‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ is Filled With Candy-Colored Carnage (Review)
16Jul By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Film, Reviews

‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ is Filled With Candy-Colored Carnage (Review)

Director Navot Papushado made a splash at genre festivals worldwide when he co-directed his first movie "Rabies" in 2010, which was pushed as the "first feature-length Israeli horror film." His third feature also marks his English-language debut and he rounded up an incredible cast of kick-ass women for an ultraviolent tale of revenge. "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Jumanji" star Karen Gillan takes the lead as Sam, a top-notch assassin who has followed in her mother's footsteps. She works for "The Firm" (led by a wonderfully grumpy Paul Giamatti) and is hired to kill a man who has stolen from them. Shortly after shooting him in the stomach, she discovers he has an 8-year-old daughter named Emily who has been kidnapped (hence, the stolen goods to get her back). This gives Sam a...
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