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Take a Wild “First Date” This Holiday Weekend (Review)

2Jul

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Take a Wild “First Date” This Holiday Weekend (Review)

A debut film can often act as a calling card in the industry. Even if it doesn't find a huge audience, the right buzz can earn enough of a following to become a cult classic and lay the groundwork for bigger things. That, in a nutshell, is exactly what I anticipate will happen for Manuel Crosby and Darren Knapp, who wrote and directed "First Date," an incredibly fun and totally bonkers movie that premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. https://youtu.be/EDNarSyQEcc Tyson Brown plays Mike, a shy high-schooler who has had a crush on a girl at school named Kelsey (Shelby Duclos) for a long time and finally decides to work up the nerve to ask her out. The only problem? He doesn't have a car. All he needs to do is get a decent ride and pick her up for a date. If it...

Aubren Elaine touches our hearts with her latest single ‘Waiting for You’

12Aug

By KaylaNo Comments

Music, Reviews

Aubren Elaine touches our hearts with her latest single ‘Waiting for You’

Time flies by faster than we know. People come and go through our lives, some making more of an impact than others. If we are lucky enough to find the person that makes us want to wait for them, no matter the circumstances, we know we are rare. Aubren Elaine reminds her listeners about this special kind of love that is too strong to let go of. She blends a classic-inspired sound with a modern pop R&B sound. Aubren’s first release was in 2019, 'No Good for You', streaming over 5K on Spotify, and has released 'Natural' and 'Electric Love' in the following year. Aubren’s latest release 'Waiting for You' is candy to the ear with her smooth and jazz-inspired production. Her skills as a producer shine through all of the little elements that we often miss but that actually create a str...

Questlove Takes Us Back to the “Summer Of Soul” (Review)

29Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Music, Reviews

Questlove Takes Us Back to the “Summer Of Soul” (Review)

Winner of the U.S. Documentary Competition's Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, "Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)" is the filmmaking debut from Roots drummer extraordinaire Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and one of the year's most exhilarating films. https://youtu.be/k99XO-UE5AQ In the summer of 1969, over 400,000 attended the Woodstock festival in New York State. That event is well documented in every respect, with a legendary film, album releases, and books to dissect every aspect of the cultural revolution. But that same summer, a series of music concerts were held in Mount Morris Park in Harlem, New York, that became known as "Black Woodstock." The Harlem Cultural Festival occurred every Sunday from late Ju...

James Vickery Spreads Love With His Latest Single ‘You Comfort Me’ (w/EARTHGANG)

12Aug

By KaylaNo Comments

Music, Reviews

James Vickery Spreads Love With His Latest Single ‘You Comfort Me’ (w/EARTHGANG)

Out of all the people that pass through our lives, when we meet our person we simply know. All of these unexplainable feelings and connections are hard to put into words but James Vickery does a beautiful job creating the feeling of finding your person through his latest single with EARTHGANG. If you haven’t heard of Vickery, you are in for a pleasant surprise. His vocals will go straight to your heart and make you feel every word he is saying. Vickery is an outstanding live-performing artist. He had major success withhis COLORS session which now has over 23 million views. He was born in London and has now caught the eye of many internationally. He had headlined in venues such as The Jazz Cafe, The Echo, and Rough Trade. In addition to this, he has performed at festivals such as MELT a...

25Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Tribeca 2021: “Wolfgang” (Review)

The launch of Spago in 1982 put Wolfgang Puck on the map and, next to perhaps only Julia Child a few decades prior, he became one of the first celebrity chefs to fully integrate into popular culture. His life from growing up in an abusive household in Austria to the commercialization of "California Cuisine" is the subject of this new documentary from David Gelb ("Jiro Dreams of Sushi"). Still hard at work at the age of 71, Puck's story is inspirational and aspirational. This may explain how the movie was picked up by Disney. It really tells the story of a person who fought against the odds and was consistently told they couldn't make it, but kept fighting for something he was passionate about. It paid off in spades. The man has two Michelin stars, over 20 fine dining restaurant...

Tribeca 2021: “Werewolves Within” (Review)

22Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Tribeca 2021: “Werewolves Within” (Review)

It takes a very careful balance to create a successful horror comedy film. If you want to expand beyond genre lovers, you need a strong cast of characters and a way to still have some impactful scares and enough laughter to lighten the mood along the way. Mishna Wolff (with her first screenplay) and director Josh Ruben have very loosely adapted a multiplayer Ubisoft VR game from 2016 where a town is being attacked by a werewolf and the players have to figure out if one of their own is the culprit. The residents of Beaverfield are a motley crew and they don't seem to get along too well. A proposed gas pipeline coming through town is only dividing them further. Enter Finn (Sam Richardson, "Veep," "Detroiters") - a forest ranger who is brand new to the community. He is a genuinel...

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 (...