Reviews Archives | Page 19 of 22

Edgar Wright’s Fandom Pays Off in “The Sparks Brothers” (Review)

18Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Music, Reviews

Edgar Wright’s Fandom Pays Off in “The Sparks Brothers” (Review)

First things first: you don't need to be familiar with the band Sparks to have a great time with Edgar Wright's fantastic new documentary. Before watching it, the extent of my musical knowledge about them came from enjoying their 1983 single "Cool Places," a duet with Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's. Hell, I didn't even know they were brothers or from America. https://youtu.be/WNKIba_yZJo Ron and Russell Mael have been making music together since the late 1960s and have bounced around to so many different record labels over the decades, but never found much chart success here in the U.S. They have been decidedly more successful in Europe, although still experienced a wide range of highs and lows when it has come to critical reception and sales. British filmmaker Edgar Wright (...

Em Beihold Released “Groundhog Day” At The Moment We Needed It Most

17Jun

By KaylaNo Comments

Music, Reviews

Em Beihold Released “Groundhog Day” At The Moment We Needed It Most

Summer has begun and for most of us recent graduates, a looming question of “what now?” comes to the surface. Em Beihold, a 22-year-old singer-songwriter, is able to relate to every single person feeling stuck after this enormous change in their lives through her on-point lyricism and catchymelodies. She experienced tremendous success after her debut EP release, which included a song titled “Not Who We Were”, which went on to be featured in the indie film I’m Not Here starring the talented J.K. Simmons. Em continued to grow and attract many listeners as she released “City of Angels” in July 2020, which went viral on TikTok. Her music is now receiving millions of streams and a little over 480K listeners each month. Her most recent single, “Groundhog Day”, exploded after she posted the f...

‘Quantum Physics’ Is An Ode To Potential Love And All That Comes With It

16Jun

By KaylaNo Comments

Music, Reviews

‘Quantum Physics’ Is An Ode To Potential Love And All That Comes With It

If falling in love was painless and easy, then we would let ourselves do it more. Ruby Waters released her album “If It Comes Down to It” in 2020, featuring her most-streamed song “Quantum Physics” and many other gems. With over 210,000 monthly listeners, Ruby is definitely an artist to keep an eye on. Her music is streaming over 3 million on Spotify and her music videos are story-driven and mesmerizing. “Quantum Physics” is a story about letting love in and feeling all of the pain and fear that comes with it. Through beautiful lyricism, Ruby conveys the good and bad emotions that arise from being vulnerable and open to another. Her lyrics are somewhat abstract in nature and in combination with her melodic choices go straight into the listener’s heart. This is the type of single that y...

Tribeca 2021: “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” (Review)

15Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Tribeca 2021: “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” (Review)

Anthony Bourdain rose to fame after his bestselling book "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly" was released in 2000. By that point, he had already spent over two decades working in restaurants all over New York City. As a celebrity chef he was reluctant, but it did open the door to opportunities he previously could have only dreamed of. News of his death by suicide in early June of 2018 was simply shocking and still hard to fathom. No matter how famous or how rich you become, addiction and depression can feel insurmountable. Director Morgan Neville ("20 Feet From Stardom," "Won't You Be My Neighbor?") never had a chance to meet Bourdain. When this project was conceived, the one thing that made it simultaneously easy and overwhelming to tackle was the fac...

Your Guide to the Virtual 2021 Tribeca Film Festival

11Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Events, Features, Film, Reviews

Your Guide to the Virtual 2021 Tribeca Film Festival

It's the 20th Anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival and, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, this year anybody in the United States can still sign up and enjoy streaming movies from the comfort of home. For New Yorkers, there are plenty of in-person screenings this year, but I am going to focus on recommending how can you attend virtually. There are four ways to buy passes for online screenings. Tribeca At Home Shorts Pass: watch all of the festival's short films for $25. Tribeca At Home Awards Pass: watch any of the films that win awards at the end of the festival for $50 on Saturday, June 19 and Sunday, June 20.Tribeca At Home Festival Pass: watch any of the films in the virtual program (features and shorts) from June 9 - June 23 for $150. Individual Tickets are avail...

The Metrograph Introduces Us To “Sisters With Transistors” (Review)

8Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Art, Film, Reviews

The Metrograph Introduces Us To “Sisters With Transistors” (Review)

The Metrograph is one of the country's finest art house theaters. Their physical NYC location is still closed through at least September, they have been delivering fascinating programming through their website. Last week, they launched an app that easily allows for television viewing and is available for Apple TV, FireTV, and Roku devices. Films are available within the United States for streaming, some are scheduled live events and others can be viewed on-demand for a specific period of time. Such the case with Lisa Rovner's "Sisters With Transitors." It premiered on the Metrograph website back in April and they brought it back for an encore booking this week. Narrated by Laurie Anderson, this documentary tells the story of the pioneering female artists who experimented with e...

A Single That Is Healing To Many, FARR Releases “Someway Somehow”

5Jun

By KaylaNo Comments

Music, Reviews

A Single That Is Healing To Many, FARR Releases “Someway Somehow”

In a society that pressures us to have everything figured out, FARR creates a soothing space for their listeners to be present in the moment they are in. After the success of their single “Indecision” released in 2018, FARR would go on to release “Someway Somehow”, a single that breathes relief of worries and reassures its listeners that it will all be okay somehow. Released in 2019, “Someway Somehow” has over 2.1 million streams on Spotify and continues to grow as it proves to be timeless in nature. FARR consists of two talented individuals, an LA-based vocalist by the name of Romeo and a London-based producer, Linden Jay. The two randomly met at a studio session and began to create the electronic soul music we hear today. They blend alternative pop and a classic feel, creating a soun...

Mythology Gets a Modern Twist in “Undine” (Review)

4Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Mythology Gets a Modern Twist in “Undine” (Review)

Born out of the Nereids who were attendants to Poseidon in Greek mythology, the mythological figures known as Undines were water nymphs who first turned up in the works of Swiss author Paracelsus. These spirits lived underwater but became human if they fell in love with a man. On the flip side, they were ultimately doomed to die if he was not faithful. German filmmaker Christian Petzold ("Phoenix," "Transit") has taken this lore as inspiration for an imaginative fable set in Berlin. Undine (Paula Beer) is a historian who specializes in the history of Berlin's development in the wake of reunification. She becomes distraught after her lover Johannes (Jacob Matschenz) leaves her for another woman, telling him that if he leaves her, she'll have to kill him. He assumes she is being over...

Disney’s “Cruella” is Darkly Wicked Fun (Review)

26May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Disney’s “Cruella” is Darkly Wicked Fun (Review)

Disney has always had a habit of raiding their past in order to fuel their present-day success. Before home video, they frequently reissued their classic films in theaters and that eventually turned into the cash-cow of the Disney Vault wherein their most classic films would get released on vhs/dvd/blu-ray for a limited time and then they would build up demand for those same titles by pulling them off the market for years at a time. In 2014, they turned their focus onto a famous Disney villain by releasing the live-action film "Maleficent," which had Angelina Jolie tackling the evil queen from the animated classic "Sleeping Beauty." It racked up over $750 million at the international box office and spawned a sequel, so it can't be a big surprise that they are back to flesh out another ...

If You Haven’t Been Paying Attention To Mammoth WVH, You Should

25May

By SimonNo Comments

Reviews

If You Haven’t Been Paying Attention To Mammoth WVH, You Should

More than five years in the making, the world is getting a chance to hear the music of Wolfgang Van Halen. We've had a chance to see him on the road previously on a number of tours alongside his father and uncle Eddie & Alex. The difference now is that we're getting a chance to hear the original material he's been cultivating in recent years. Keep in mind Van Halen wrote, sings, and plays all the instruments throughout the album. Mammoth WVH is set to release a self-titled debut album on June 11. A steady stream of material has seeped out since the announcement. Six of the album's 14 songs are now public so there's plenty of material to wrap your head around. Back in November, the first track to be released was 'Distance', a tribute to father Eddie Van Halen who tragically passed th...