Reviews

CD Review: BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE and TARZAN soundtracks

BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE soundtrack | ©2014 Intrada Records

David Newman’s rocking, rambunctious voice for electronics and the orchestra provided the beat for two cult teen movies from the late 80s – one involving a bitchy clique of “Heathers,” and the other pairing the far more lovable, dunderheaded duo of Ted “Theodore” Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esquire. While the first picture got a snarky, country-flavored synth beat, the clever, time travelling conceit for BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE afforded Newman the opportunity to energetically combine a full-blast, history-spanning symphony with a rock-pop beat for the Wyld Stallyns’ first quest. It was indeed a truly ingenious stylistic combo as […]Read On »


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Movie Review: LIFE AFTER BETH

LIFE AFTER BETH | © 2014 A24

Rating: R Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Paul Reiser, Matthew Gray Gubler, Anna Kendrick, Eva La Dare Writer: Jeff Baena Director: Jeff Baena Distributor: A24 Release Date: August 15, 2014 There are more of them out there, but for the purposes of this discussion, we’ll just name SHAUN OF THE DEAD, WARM BODIES and now LIFE AFTER BETH. It’s official – the zomromcom or romzomcom (i.e., romantic zombie comedy) is now its own subgenre. LIFE AFTER BETH, written and directed by Jeff Baena, uses a new (or at least new-ish) zombie mythology as […]Read On »


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Movie Review: SEPTIC MAN

SEPTIC MAN | © 2014 Starz Digital Media

Rating: R Stars: Jason David Brown, Molly Dunsworth, Robert Maillet, Tim Burd, Julian Richings, Stephen McHattie Writer: Tony Burgess Director: Jesse Thomas Cook Distributor: Starz Digital Media Release Date: August 15, 2014 Not for the faint of heart, or the weak of stomach, SEPTIC MAN combines the horrors of serial killers, claustrophobia and psychological damage with a hefty continuing dose of physical filth. It is effective and remarkably sober, except for a derangedly cheerful country-style song over the end credits. There may be a couple of thematic similarities, but no one is going to confuse this with, say, THE TOXIC […]Read On »


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CD Review: THE RIVER MURDERS soundtrack

THE RIVER MURDERS soundtrack | ©2014 Caldera Records

After their impressive initial releases of Guy Farley’s SECRET SHARER and Johan Soderqvist’s KING OF DEVIL’S ISLAND, Caldera Records continues to show excellent taste in finding subtle, yet powerful scores from composers of creative note – especially when it comes to their work for movies that might have flown under the radar. Now Pinar Toprak’s THE RIVER MURDERS sounds off with such tragic, heavenly resonance that you could easily have imagined this as the score for MYSTIC RIVER. But it’s a testament to her music’s melodic production value that you wouldn’t expect this score as belonging to a 2011 straight-to-DVD […]Read On »


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Car Review: 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited

The 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited is one tough car | ©2014 Assignment X

Car Manufacturer: Hyundai Model: 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Suggested Retail Price: Starting at $25,000 It is fitting that on a trip to San Diego Comic-Con 2014 for a whole slew of SHARKNADO 2: THE SECOND ONE events (which I directed), I was able to test drive a deep red colored 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited on my journey  there with my family. This was the first time I had a chance to drive a Hyundai and I have to say, the Santa Fe Limited certainly impressed. The space was impressive, capable of fitting six people comfortably in the car. […]Read On »


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CD Review: OVERLORD soundtrack

OVERLORD soundtrack | ©2014 Kritzerland Records

While reveling in such mainstream classics and well-known composers as Alfred Newman’s HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY and Dmitri Tiomkin’s IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, Kritzerland has also shown a penchant for such artier composers as Toru Takemitsu (RISING SUN) and Dana Kaproff  (WHEN A STRANGER CALLS). But of all the unknown gems they’ve put out so far, perhaps none is better timed, or shines amore beautifully than Paul Glass’ OVERLORD, an alternately modernistic and classical score composed for Stuart Cooper’s truly revolutionary war movie about the D-Day invasion, an amazing film which has also now received a blu ray debut […]Read On »


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TV Review: TRUE BLOOD – Season 7 – “Almost Home”

Anna Paquin as Sookie in TRUE BLOOD "Almost Home" | © 2014 John P. Johnson/HBO

Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Alexander Skarsgard, Chris Bauer, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Lauren Bowles, Anna Camp, Nelsan Ellis, Jim Parrack, Gregg Daniel, Noah Matthews, Bailey Noble, Nathan Parsons,  Adina Porter, Carrie Preston, Deborah Ann Woll, Karolina Wydra, Will Yun Lee, Ashley Hinshaw, Malcolm Goodman Writer: Kate Barnow, series created by Alan Ball, based on Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels Director: Jesse Warn Network: HBO, Sundays @ 9 PM Airdate: August 10, 2013 In last week’s episode of TRUE BLOOD, we were reminded why human/fey Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) fell […]Read On »


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CD Review: JOE soundtrack

JOE soundtrack | ©2014 Milan Records

It might be said that David Wingo’s winning, southern-fried soundtrack for MUD was akin to an artily existential take on Charles Bernstein’s South-ploitation score for WHITE LIGHTNING. But now Wingo ventures once again into the land of valiant, and villainous rednecks with nary a rustic instrumentation in earshot for JOE. Joined by director David Gordon Green’s frequent composer Jeff McIlwain (SNOW ANGELS, THE SITTER), this duo instead hear the dark brew of ambient trouble growing to a boil inside of Nicholas Cage’s ex-con turned reluctant hero. It’s a palpable, unsetting atmosphere of dread that could just as easily serve as […]Read On »


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Composer Brian Tyler gets busy with scoring TEENAGE MUTANTS NINJA TURTLES, EXPENDABLES 3 and INTO THE STORM – Interview

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES soundtrack | ©2014 Atlantic Records

When it comes to musical testosterone, Brian Tyler’s work is the equivalent of a soundtrack Stairmaster playing at top speed. Whether he’s scoring Viking gods, international speed racers or not-so over-the-hill brothers in arms, Tyler’s dynamically percussive rhythms blast multiplex speakers with maximum impact, his mighty cues throttling from one explosive crescendo to the next. But while Tyler’s action-centric scores are all about energetic attitude, he rocks out in a way that shows his old-school understanding for the importance of themes, let alone melody. It’s exactly this dynamic way of incorporating an orchestra with cutting-edge chords that’s made Tyler into […]Read On »


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CD Review: MILLION DOLLAR ARM soundtrack

MILLION DOLLAR ARM soundtrack | ©2014 Walt Disney Records

When A.R. Rahman first gained Oscar-winning attention in the western world for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, it was as if some musical pitch hitter had arrived from nowhere, able to capture the exotic rhythms of his heritage via a pop beat as fresh as any album-spinning club kid (despite the fact that this relatively youthful composer-producer had been updating ancient Indian beats for quite some time). It’s a situation that couldn’t have made Rahman a better composer to play the sweet culture clash of a bunch of cricket players from the continent being potentially thrust into major league baseball for this Disney […]Read On »


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