Archive for the 'Editorials' Category
June 24th, 2017 by Gregg Senko
When their first album, Night Visions, was released in September of 2012, Imagine Dragons quickly started amassing a fanbase. There are very few albums that not only grab, but retain my interest for months and years to come. Night Visions did that in extraordinary fashion for me and many others and is still a record I go back to frequently. Roughly three years later, the band came out with its sophomore album, Smoke + Mirrors. For whatever reason, I never connected with it. Nothing jumped out and grabbed me and I always found its debut track, “I Bet My Life,” to be rather noisy. Critics were split on the record and I was bummed. Still, it went gold in the U.S. and was successful overseas. However, my musical concern grew. Could they be the proverbial rookie flash-in-the-pan? A one-and-done?
Continue reading ‘Imagine Dragons Releases Third Album’
June 24th, 2017 by Brian White
Hey folks! I don’t know about you, but I’m getting super excited! It’s now officially less than a month away to my favorite time of the year, Comic-Con 2017! After a three year personal absence from the event I’m stoked to be returning to action this year! Back in 2015 I wrote a post titled “Surviving Comic-Con 101” and I’m sure a lot has changed since then. Reluctantly I had to sit back over the years and watch my fellow reviewers report on Batman v. Superman, the unveiling of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, attend an impromptu Star Wars symphony concert and so much more. Although I’m thankful for my reviewers’ coverage of it all a little piece of me died each and every post that had gone up. Not this year! This year I’ll be damn if someone else is going to forget their laptop and experience the magic of Comic-Con over me. I work hard in life. I’m frickin’ going! It’s my God given right to Comic-Con! Bring on the Comic-Con exclusive Justice League movie trailer please! Continue reading ‘Getting Ready for San Diego Comic-Con International 2017!’
May 29th, 2017 by Gregg Senko
In 1991, author Timothy Zahn was tasked with the duty to write a trilogy of Star Wars novels that were the sequels to Return of the Jedi. From the get-go, these stories were magnificent and featured an array of new characters (Jacen & Jaina Solo) as well as ones we were already familiar with (Luke, Han, Chewie & Leia). One character that arguably stood out above them all in those books was the then newly created Grand Admiral Thrawn. He was such a hit with fans that even Disney couldn’t overlook him. It’s been out for about a month and a half now, but the alien commander has his own book.
Continue reading ‘‘Thrawn’ by Timothy Zahn’
May 27th, 2017 by Gregg Senko
In 1989, video game publisher LJN released the one and only Friday the 13th game for the NES. Based on the hit horror film franchise, you played as one of the Camp Crystal Lake counselors and made your way around the dreaded summer vacation spot to rescue children, kill zombies and ultimately face the man behind the mask himself, Jason Vorhees. Honestly, the game was done fairly well for its time and it was one of the earliest video games I beat. Still, time marched on with gaming technology, but that late 80’s product was the only thing gaming fans of the demonic serial killer had. Fast forward to May 26, 2017 and that appetite has been satiated.
Continue reading ‘Friday the 13th – (PS4 Game Review)’
May 5th, 2017 by Aaron Neuwirth
Wrapping up my coverage of this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival, I wanted to shine the spotlight on some of the short film programs I was able to see. Thanks to some hype created by my lovely girlfriend, I was particularly excited to see the animated and Irish short programs but was also able to see a set of horror shorts as well. There is always plenty to admire in these films, as they must tell a full story in a limited amount of time while also showing off a level of cinematic talent from newer and veteran filmmakers alike. Here are some thoughts on the short films in particular that stuck out to me in the programs I saw.
a Continue reading ‘NBFF 2017 Review: Animated, Irish & Horror Shorts’
February 3rd, 2017 by Gregg Senko
He talks to fish. He carries an underwater pitchfork. He looks like Biff the water polo star. The character of Arthur Curry has been the butt of numerous jokes and criticisms over the years. He’s been the proverbial punching bag of readers and critics alike. Yet somehow, despite all the knocks and jabs, Curry (a.k.a. Aquaman) has survived several decades. Though the Aquaman title has not achieved the commercial print success as some of his peers (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc.), it has grown substantially in popularity in recent years, establishing itself a prominent foothold in DC’s line of top tier heroes.
Continue reading ‘How DC Saved Aquaman’
January 31st, 2017 by Gregg Senko
Finally. I finally saw La La Land this past weekend. I took my seat, and though I’m not a fan of musicals, went in with an open mind. After all, I have grown quite fond of An American in Paris, Nine and of course Singing’ in the Rain. These were all great works with the latter most being nothing less than pure brilliance. Unfortunately, the days of Gene Kelly have long since passed, which brings us to the courageous and creative Damien Chazelle who wrote and directed La La Land. Now that the movie is over, I can tell all the award ceremonies why they’re wrong.
Continue reading ‘Why ‘La La Land’ is Overrated’
January 29th, 2017 by Gregg Senko
It’s no secret that Dave Matthews Band has been one of the most successful bands since the 90’s. There’s just something about their music that connects with me on a very soulful level. Maybe it’s the unconventional singing voice of Dave himself. It could be the marriage of all those instruments that blend into a unified musical journey. There’s also the story-telling element of Dave’s lyrics that add depth to their content. In actuality, it’s truly a combination of all those things and more. While the live concert is where the band thrives, there’s no overlooking their roster of studio albums. There’s no real timetable for their next release, but there is and admirable library to pick from today so let’s take a look at how they rate.
Continue reading ‘Dave Matthews Band – Ranking Their Studio Albums’
January 20th, 2017 by Aaron Neuwirth
On January 19th, I was able to attend the screening of the first film to be shot live and broadcast simultaneously into theaters in England and the U.S. While one would expect an experience like this to be the brain child of some indie filmmaker making his name, a new, unexpected Cloverfield movie, or some found footage experience coming out of Blumhouse Productions, it actually came from the mind of Woody Harrelson. Lost in London is the result of an idea Harrelson had for a film, following an actual experience he had in London back in 2002. As the film opens, we are told “too much of this is true” and are then off and running on a unique odyssey shot in one take, with one camera.
Continue reading ‘Lost In London: A Comedic Odyssey Matched With Experimentation’
January 6th, 2017 by Aaron Neuwirth
Given the research and only having so much to work with, this is always a tough list to put together. I see over a hundred movies a year theatrically and a lot of those films are ones I’ve been anticipating to some degree, while many others are smaller films that randomly arrive on the calendar months after the start of the year. There are many films in production and being completed in time for Cannes and other film festivals to keep in account, but I’ve provided a month by month look at what I’m looking forward to seeing (links for trailers where available). I am also curious to hear what others have to say as well, so feel free to add thoughts in the comments.
a Continue reading ‘Aaron’s Most Anticipated Films Of 2017 – A Month By Month Look’
January 4th, 2017 by Gerard Iribe
Happy New Year! Here we are together again, and as promised, my Top-tastic films of 2016! Please keep in mind that I did not see as many films as I wanted to after August of this year due to several traveling commitments. I did catch up on a few more within the last couple of weeks but they may or may not have made it onto my list. I published my Top Blu-ray list a few weeks ago and none of those films made it onto this list either due to different scales of grading. You may notice a theme in this list and that’s what I went for this time out. It’s a more “fun” oriented list of flicks that captured my attention and made me have a good time – as crappy of a year as we had – I needed to laugh and be blown away. In any event, let’s get on with the show! Continue reading ‘Gerard’s Top-Tastic Films of 2016!’
January 3rd, 2017 by Gregg Senko
It was certainly a turbulent year in the entertainment business as 2016 saw the passing of numerous stars. Bowie left us, then Alan Rickman and the list went on with Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds passing just days apart. While they have moved on to whatever the next stage may bring, we will always have them on film. Music and movies are two things that can bring people together so take a moment to remember those we admired while continuing to enjoy to the films we loved in 2016. Keep in mind this is not a list of the most artistic films of the year, just my personal favorites as well as a few that had me squirming in my seat in boredom.
Continue reading ‘Gregg’s Best and Worst Films of 2016′
December 30th, 2016 by Aaron Neuwirth
The end of 2016 means an end to another year of great cinema. I had a tough time putting together this final list of films, as there was a strong selection to go through. Having watched over 175 films theatrically this year, it was fun to narrow things down to a final list of ten films. This is especially the case, given how hard I worked to keep in mind my personal thoughts on all aspects of each of these films and how they resonated with me in the time since seeing them. So here we go with my picks for the Top Ten films of 2016 and the ranked runner-ups. (As per usual, I placed lots of Easter Eggs hidden in all of the pictures).
a Continue reading ‘Aaron’s Terrific Top Ten Films of 2016’
December 28th, 2016 by Brandon Peters
As always when I do these “Best” lists, I ask two things of you, the reader. Take the words best or top and replace it with “favorite”. And importantly, number or ranking doesn’t matter, what is included does. 2016 was an interesting year for me, in that I feel a hair underqualified, but still, this is the best films of the ones I saw over the year. During the summer, I found myself purchasing a new home (still trying to sell the other) and all that sort of “real life” stuff preventing some trips to theater for me. Also, sometimes I was just flat out exhausted or just selfishly wanting some time to myself. Who knows. But, I figure, while I’m not Aaron Neuwirth, I probably did see more than the average bear through going to the theater, reviewing Blu-rays or renting. There were a lot of disappointments during this year in terms of highly anticipated blockbusters, but many bright spots as well as some I look forward to checking out next year that I wasn’t able to see (Edge of Seventeen; Scott, I friggin TRIED to get to it and Moonlight; the night I was gonna go was the first night it wasn’t playing). I realize though, that of the “prestige” films I may or may not have missed, high end critics will be talking about them and my picks may be more unique. Aside from my #1, a lot of these could swap around their functional order. Anyway…I’ll just shut my yap and get to the ten films that made my list when I sat down and had to choose. Continue reading ‘Top 10 Films Of 2016: A Brandon Peters Story’
December 19th, 2016 by Aaron Neuwirth
Time to kick off some lists! First up we have the Blu-ray list. Like previous years (2013, 2014, 2015), I have decided to tackle every aspect of what I enjoyed about this year in Blu-ray. This list consists of what I consider to be the best 2016 had to offer for the Blu-ray format based on what I’ve seen, with a few rules to go with it. Going by the same standards as before, I have to have actually watched the movie on Blu-Ray, recognize the quality of the video and audio transfers, delved into the special features, and attempt to keep off any film that may also be on my “Top 10 Films of the Year” list in the final top ten for Blu-rays. I followed these rules for the sake of keeping my list interesting, along with creating some extra sections to provide even more highlights of the year. I may not have a fancy 4K setup like Brian and Brandon, but this works for me, so here we go:
Continue reading ‘Super-Sized Top Ten: Aaron’s Finest Blu-ray Picks For 2016’
December 16th, 2016 by Gregg Senko
It’s been a while since I amassed a favorite Blu-rays of the the year list. There was one final title I wanted to check out before concocting my ten favorites. I enjoyed Suicide Squad in the theater earlier this year, but just in case I enjoyed it even more after a second viewing, I had to see if it was going to make my list. It did not. While entertaining, it just doesn’t possess greatness, but I digress. Alright, enough rambling. It was all for the sake of filling space here in the opening paragraph anyway. I’ve kept Hollywood holding its breath long enough. Onto the list!
Continue reading ‘Gregg’s Top 10 Blu-rays of 2016′
December 15th, 2016 by Gerard Iribe
Another year-end Top Blu-ray list is upon us. Again, like last year’s Top Blu-ray list, I have removed the order of titles in terms of numbering system, with the exception of the #1 spot. We have a clear winner in that department and it is a doozy. All of the other titles are placed in no particular order. I should also clarify and say that if you don’t see a Blu-ray or Blu-ray set on this list it that you may think deserves to be on here – it may be because I have not watched it. I have a backlog of titles that I’ve yet to watch, so it’s nothing personal. Without further ado, I present my Top Blu-ray list of 2016! Continue reading ‘Gerard’s Top Blu-ray List of 2016!’
November 17th, 2016 by Brandon Peters
Barring some sort of super late rush surprise announcement, 2016 for the year of Blu-ray is pretty much in the books. And as always, looking back, it was another terrific year. Many more Wishlist films from years’ past were granted on Blu-ray and some that were being prepped for this list got announced before it was time to write it and publish it (Punch Drunk Love and Duck Soup, for example-yes, I have this article in mind year round). There were also many other great surprises. 2016 also brought us a new format, 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, which I’ve been fortunate to have been able to dabble with in year 1. Its far too early and easy to do a wishlist for that format, we’ve still got plenty to do for good ‘ol Blu-ray. This year’s list will be only 10 films because I had to scale back at some point, the years are counting up too high! While the picks aren’t all this way, I found myself getting slightly more filmmaker focused this year. Some great directors are missing films from their filmography on the format and would be a great addition to work to complete their catalog and just good movies in general to have on the format. Continue reading ‘Brandon’s Blu-ray Wishlist For 2017!’
