Music Review: Lazarus A.D. - Black Rivers Flow

Wow. That is the word that comes to mind while listening to Black Rivers Flow. Simply put Lazarus A.D. puts it all on the line and just rocks hard. This is a pure form of metal that simultaneously wears its influences on its sleeve as it stands on its own two feet and makes you want to stand up on your two feet and raise the horns in their honor, even if you are listening all by yourself. Quite inspiring. This is an album that I can listen to repeatedly for a day and not get bored. Not only that, I suspect I would want some more in the not to distant future. Basically, if you are a metal fan you are going to want this.

Netflix'ns: Return of the Living Dead Part II

Netflix'ns is a series of review shorts of films discovered on Netflix, be it DVD or streaming. For better or worse, I sat through these films and have lived to tell the tale. These are not so much reviews as just comments on the film watched. This is also a work in progress.

Music Review: Eradicate - Demo Tracks

Recently I was approached about checking out some demo recordings from a local metal act called Eradicate. Always on the lookout for new metal, and being a supporter of the local scene, I agreed. I since come into possession of a pair of demo recordings from the band and I have to say that while they are not great, they are more than solid and show a band that clearly has the talent to succeed.

Movie Review: Blue Valentine

We've all seen movies about relationships. We've seen relationships begin, we've been there through the good times, and we have seen relationships come to an end. In that respect, Blue Valentine is not a groundbreaking film. Nope, not at all. It is a look into a relationship as it finds its way in the good times and in a fractured storytelling fashion we get the crumbling of the relationship. I guess that makes the question of why you should bother with it at all. I think you should bother with it. It may tread some familiar ground, but it is definitely an interesting film that will leave you thinking in its aftermath.

Music Review: Ghost - Opus Eponymous

A lot of bands that are perceived as Satanic are usually anything but. Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi has his interest in the subject, but is not a satanist, Marilyn Manson is a priest of the Satanic church, but I don't buy his commitment beyond its use as a marketing tool, Glenn Danzig has been said to be a Satanist, but I don't really buy it from him either. Then there is Behemoth, which strike me as more anti-Christian than Satanic. What does this have to do with Ghost? Well, they could possibly be the real deal. From their lyrical content, artwork, costumes, and the fact they are not named all seems to point towards something a bit more legitimate. It is also possibly they are just really good at making the perception appear to be reality.

Movie Review: The Dilemma (2011)

This movie could have been interesting. It could have been dramatic, it could have been comic, it could have been shorter. Any one of those things, if actually worked at, would have made this movie better. In fact, replace "would" with "could" and you would be on the right track. On top of that, it is not recognizable as a Ron Howard film, save for the gratuitous Clint Howard cameo (and there is nothing wrong with a Clint cameo). In any case, this is a romantic/dramatic/comedy that dares to dive into the idea of how long it takes to know someone and the dangerous waters of giving your best friend bad news.

Movie Review: Green Hornet (2011)

Green Hornet has had quite a ride back to the big screen. The property was originally in the hands of Kevin Smith, who wrote a couple of drafts but eventually left the project. Steven Chow, following the success of Kung Fu Hustle, took the reigns and was also set to co-star as Kato but he left after having some creative differences. Finally, Michel Gondry signed up to direct from a script by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (as their follow up to Pineapple Express). Now the film is here and seems to have split audiences with its level of success (or lack thereof).

Netflix'ns: Dance of the Dead

Netflix'ns is a series of review shorts of films discovered on Netflix, be it DVD or streaming. For better or worse, I sat through these films and have lived to tell the tale. These are not so much reviews as just comments on the film watched. This is also a work in progress.

2011 Golden Globes - Quick and Dirty Movie Edition

I had completely forgotten about the Golden Globes coming up so quickly. This being true, I haven't the brain power to come up with a big column, so I figured I would just give a quick video-based rundown on who I would like to see win. And perhaps a note if there is someone else I would have liked to see nominated. Let's get into it...