After many months of pouting and wishing they had actually released this film to standard Australian cinemas (it was made in New Zealand! We should have got it here), I have finally had the opportunity to watch the brand new Evil Dead film.
Like so many films, especially the ones that are remakes or sequels of beloved favorites, I went into this with an expect the worse but hope for the best attitude. I knew it wasn't going to be that strongly tied to the original and much loved Evil Dead trilogy and I had already heard, as many have, that Bruce Campbell was not in this film at all. The main thing I had heard was that it was bloody, gory and supposedly had some people retching in their seats in the American cinemas.
Wow, distracting! I'm trying to write this up right after having watched the film but the other half has Olympus Has Fall playing at the same time.
Anyway, back to Evil Dead. I kept notes while watching the film, pretty much checking off all the 'needed' classic horror movie elements. I'd list them...but, you know, spoilers. It had them all and then some. You know all those things that movies like Cabin in the Woods makes fun of? Yah, they're pretty much all there. To me, an avid horror fan, it was both really welcome and a little cheesy. It means, though, that you start to recognize things and kind of know what to expect.
This movie has been tag-lined as 'The most terrifying film you will ever experience' To that, I have to say only if you don't generally watch horror movies. For pure scary or creepy factor, I personally didn't find it that strong. But the gore...the gore was definitely one of its strengths. For pure blood quotient and things you really wouldn't want to have done to you, this film did pretty good. And for anyone who's a fan of the original Evil Dead film, that very first piece of classic horror cinema, you will definitely recognize and enjoy certain nods to that film.
Overall, the writing and the storyline could be called a little soft and the actors and characters probably don't have quite the charismatic strength that Bruce Campbell and his cohorts managed to express. In a time where almost everyone has seen movies like The Ring, the Hostel films, anything from the Saw franchise or Paranormal Activity, this film probably doesn't have quite the impact the filmmakers would have hoped but it's a straight out, decent horror film and an alright addition to the Evil Dead family. I enjoyed watching it, I will probably add it to my collection because it was straight out fun even if it could have been stronger and I will almost definitely watch the sequel when it happens. Just don't expect it to be everything you might have dreamed of.
I do very much wish I could have seen it in the cinemas, though. I'm sure the impact would have been much greater.
Oh yah, you might want to watch until after the credits, too.
Jul 18, 2013
Jul 14, 2013
Post Hardcore 2013
Whether you call it punk or hardcore or something else entirely, there is no question that this is a genre of music that has its lovers and its haters. Thankfully, its lovers don't care what the haters think so we get great little music events like the ongoing Hardcore one held this past weekend at The Hi-fi in The Entertainment Quarter.
I personally listen to a rather large range of music, often depending on my mood, but I'm one who has had a long time love of punk music. I got introduced to the classic likes of The Ramones, The Clash and the Sex Pistols, along with their more hardcore cousins Black Flag, The Misfits and the Dead Kennedys, as a young teenager. The perfect time, really, to first hear these bands. They're all still on my playlist too, even if they aren't always in high rotation, along with several much newer bands of the genre.
This weekend, I went out to see some bands in this loved genre that I honestly knew almost nothing about, so you could say I had the most open mind possible. I had originally planned to get tickets but, like many things, I forgot. Luckily, I happened to enter the Hi-Fi's contest for a double pass and won, so I have them to thank for the chance to check out some local Australian talent and a great old school hardcore band from the States. So, without further adieu...the roll call and review.
Higher Power
First off the rank, and facing a still quiet and slightly undersized crowd, were this Melbourne based crew. My first impression about these guys were of the bass player and the guitarist. Both were really good, fingers flying like they had wings (pardon the cheesy metaphor) and they were both really into the music they were playing. The music itself didn't grab me off the bat. Hardcore is a great genre but it's sometimes hard to stand out from the crowd of hard-rocking, hard hitting hardcore bands. I couldn't help but feel that these guys hadn't yet found something to pull them up out of the pack, something to make them stand out from the rest of the background noise. Which made me a little sad for such obviously talented musicians. The main thing that stood out for me about the vocalist was that he was angry and having one hell of a fight with his microphone...which he was losing. In all, they were a good standard band and I didn't mind listening to them at the time, but they didn't with me.
Boneless
I feel bad for this band. Stuck in what was probably the hardest to remember spot, I am actually struggling to remember much, if anything, about them. I even briefly forgot their name! I know that there wasn't a single bad band that I listened to last night but some definitely stood out more than others, for various reasons. This was not that band. They are Sydney based, like several of the bands playing Hardcore this year, so I may have the chance to hear them again. I'm hoping that if/when I do, they leave me with something more memorable.
Vigilante
Another Sydney based band, these guys were one of the most cohesive and 'on' bands of the night. Good sound, good rhythm, I found myself enjoying them quite a bit. They seemed to really be enjoying their time on stage and the crowd was into them. I also really liked that they had a message, that the vocalist had a message he felt he needed to put forward against violence and also about being yourself. It made it feel like they were putting more feeling and more thought into the sounds they were making. I think this band just needs a little something more to bring them up to the next level, a little something more to their music and maybe something distinctive to their look to make them stand out. I'd see them again.
Warbrain
While Melbourne based Warbrain were not my favorite band of the night, they were defineitly one of the favorites with crowd. Guys and girls rushed up front, screaming and chanting the lyrics along with the band. The lead vocalist was also really into his music, running up and down the stage, probably doing as many laps as half the guys in the pit. There was something about the guitars, the music that I did like, that caught my attention. One or two songs kept dragging my memory back to The Crow soundtrack, certain riffs triggering a bit of an emotionally response. It wasn't anything directly from any song or band, more of just a feeling, a mash up of the soundtrack's specific mid-90's sound with a little bit of a Nine Inch Nails meets My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult vibe with hard hitting,screaming vocals. It's entirely possible no one else will ever hear it, but it was something that hit my while listening.
Toe To Toe
This first of the 'old school' hardcore bands to finish out the night, these guys have been rocking Sydney since their formation in the very early 90's and their full on, balls-to-the-wall sound showed it. Definitely a much earlier sound than some of the first bands which are almost all fairly newly formed. Good though and the crowd were into them so if you want classic hardcore punk sound, these guys had it.
Youth Of Today
The closers of the night, and the major draw card, this was the classic hardcore band's very FIRST visit to Australia and they were making the most of it. Vocalist Ray Cappo was owning the stage like it was 1985 not 2013, though his powerful mid-song affirmations to the crowd might have been a bit more breathless than back then. The short Conneticut born Italian (his words!) has done a lot of things in the years since the birth of this band, to the point where flyers for a day of yoga with him were being handed out between sets, but he still had the crowd jumping and revved up. Old school songs, old school sound, I really loved having the opportunity to see these guys in person. The only thing missing were classic punk clothes and 80's big hair. In all, a great sounding band that I had the pleasure to see perform before they call it quits forever.
It was a great event and a lot of fun, if you love the genre, and I think that there was only one thing that disappointed me the whole night. Not a mohawk in sight all night, though there were some impressive beards and one truly great mustache. The crowd was a lot more mixed than I expected, lots of girls truly into the music as well as a real mix of ages and looks...skaters and old school punks mixed with Sea Shepherd activists and metalheads. Next year, I might check out the second day of the event, which presents more bands than the 18+ night I attended and is also All Ages.
I personally listen to a rather large range of music, often depending on my mood, but I'm one who has had a long time love of punk music. I got introduced to the classic likes of The Ramones, The Clash and the Sex Pistols, along with their more hardcore cousins Black Flag, The Misfits and the Dead Kennedys, as a young teenager. The perfect time, really, to first hear these bands. They're all still on my playlist too, even if they aren't always in high rotation, along with several much newer bands of the genre.
This weekend, I went out to see some bands in this loved genre that I honestly knew almost nothing about, so you could say I had the most open mind possible. I had originally planned to get tickets but, like many things, I forgot. Luckily, I happened to enter the Hi-Fi's contest for a double pass and won, so I have them to thank for the chance to check out some local Australian talent and a great old school hardcore band from the States. So, without further adieu...the roll call and review.
Higher Power
First off the rank, and facing a still quiet and slightly undersized crowd, were this Melbourne based crew. My first impression about these guys were of the bass player and the guitarist. Both were really good, fingers flying like they had wings (pardon the cheesy metaphor) and they were both really into the music they were playing. The music itself didn't grab me off the bat. Hardcore is a great genre but it's sometimes hard to stand out from the crowd of hard-rocking, hard hitting hardcore bands. I couldn't help but feel that these guys hadn't yet found something to pull them up out of the pack, something to make them stand out from the rest of the background noise. Which made me a little sad for such obviously talented musicians. The main thing that stood out for me about the vocalist was that he was angry and having one hell of a fight with his microphone...which he was losing. In all, they were a good standard band and I didn't mind listening to them at the time, but they didn't with me.
Boneless
I feel bad for this band. Stuck in what was probably the hardest to remember spot, I am actually struggling to remember much, if anything, about them. I even briefly forgot their name! I know that there wasn't a single bad band that I listened to last night but some definitely stood out more than others, for various reasons. This was not that band. They are Sydney based, like several of the bands playing Hardcore this year, so I may have the chance to hear them again. I'm hoping that if/when I do, they leave me with something more memorable.
Vigilante
Another Sydney based band, these guys were one of the most cohesive and 'on' bands of the night. Good sound, good rhythm, I found myself enjoying them quite a bit. They seemed to really be enjoying their time on stage and the crowd was into them. I also really liked that they had a message, that the vocalist had a message he felt he needed to put forward against violence and also about being yourself. It made it feel like they were putting more feeling and more thought into the sounds they were making. I think this band just needs a little something more to bring them up to the next level, a little something more to their music and maybe something distinctive to their look to make them stand out. I'd see them again.
Warbrain
While Melbourne based Warbrain were not my favorite band of the night, they were defineitly one of the favorites with crowd. Guys and girls rushed up front, screaming and chanting the lyrics along with the band. The lead vocalist was also really into his music, running up and down the stage, probably doing as many laps as half the guys in the pit. There was something about the guitars, the music that I did like, that caught my attention. One or two songs kept dragging my memory back to The Crow soundtrack, certain riffs triggering a bit of an emotionally response. It wasn't anything directly from any song or band, more of just a feeling, a mash up of the soundtrack's specific mid-90's sound with a little bit of a Nine Inch Nails meets My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult vibe with hard hitting,screaming vocals. It's entirely possible no one else will ever hear it, but it was something that hit my while listening.
Toe To Toe
This first of the 'old school' hardcore bands to finish out the night, these guys have been rocking Sydney since their formation in the very early 90's and their full on, balls-to-the-wall sound showed it. Definitely a much earlier sound than some of the first bands which are almost all fairly newly formed. Good though and the crowd were into them so if you want classic hardcore punk sound, these guys had it.
Youth Of Today
The closers of the night, and the major draw card, this was the classic hardcore band's very FIRST visit to Australia and they were making the most of it. Vocalist Ray Cappo was owning the stage like it was 1985 not 2013, though his powerful mid-song affirmations to the crowd might have been a bit more breathless than back then. The short Conneticut born Italian (his words!) has done a lot of things in the years since the birth of this band, to the point where flyers for a day of yoga with him were being handed out between sets, but he still had the crowd jumping and revved up. Old school songs, old school sound, I really loved having the opportunity to see these guys in person. The only thing missing were classic punk clothes and 80's big hair. In all, a great sounding band that I had the pleasure to see perform before they call it quits forever.
It was a great event and a lot of fun, if you love the genre, and I think that there was only one thing that disappointed me the whole night. Not a mohawk in sight all night, though there were some impressive beards and one truly great mustache. The crowd was a lot more mixed than I expected, lots of girls truly into the music as well as a real mix of ages and looks...skaters and old school punks mixed with Sea Shepherd activists and metalheads. Next year, I might check out the second day of the event, which presents more bands than the 18+ night I attended and is also All Ages.
Jun 6, 2013
The Truth About Emo
If there is one thing I loathe with the power of a dying sun, it's the term 'Emo'. I mean, what is it? It's not even a THING! Emo is a bunch of teenagers trying to make themselves feel special in the way they express how Awful and Terrible it is to be a teenager. Guess what? That's not a new thing.
www.beyondblue.org.au
www.headspace.org.au
au.reachout.com
www.lifeline.org.au
Everyone who has ever had to grow up (ie EVERYONE) is aware that it sucks to be a teenager.
And by the way, cutting yourself to show how emotional and angst ridden you are isn't Emo, either. It's not even a part of being a teenager, it's just dumb. As a way to make yourself feel better, it's self-defeating and self-destructive. Don't do it! If you REALLY feel that badly about life and/or yourself, talk to someone and get some help. Please!
Emo isn't a style. All it ever was, was a confused mix of hipster and goth with the only distinctive thing about it being a bad hair cut. And guess what? Making like you're trying to hide from the world behind your hair? Not new, really really not new.
There is no Emo music genre. The bands that got labelled that way mostly just had the dual misfortune of being popular during the supposed 'Emo period' and being popular with the teenagers who were trying to show how Deeply Upset™ they were. Also, here's food for thought. Emo is supposedly short for Emotional but if you're listening to or creating music that doesn't have any emotion basis to it, then you're doing it really wrong. And you kind of don't need to label it.
All Emo is, is an empty made up label that doesn't mean anything to anyone and that even the creators of it refuse to admit to anymore. Emo is a joke. Emotions are real, being upset as a teenager is real (not new, but real), music is real, finding your own sense of style rather than following the crowd...is real. The rest is just empty boxes that nothing actually fits into and sad attempts at marketing.
Need help? PLEASE click!
(Links below are Australian organizations but there are groups like these anywhere so please get help if you need it)
(Links below are Australian organizations but there are groups like these anywhere so please get help if you need it)
Mar 20, 2013
Trains, Books and Reasons
There are a lot of stories about rape culture, female safety and so forth going around at the moment. It's a major issue affecting us all right now. And between the Steubenville case, Unwinona's blog and some conversations (online and off) with some female friends, the idea of train safety and the issues of public transport have been heavily on my mind.
Part of this is because I worry for the safety of my friends and partly because I am one of the fortunate females who hasn't had to deal with some of the kinds of issues others have. I find myself wondering why.
My first thought is kind of negative and self destructive but I have it anyway....maybe I'm just not attractive enough for the guys to bother with. The thought doesn't really affect me much, I'm capable of owning up to its silliness and inconsequential nature, shrug and move on. Whatever. From there I have to look at true facts and subjective issues.
I'm tall, but not overly. I'm average weight, Caucasian and have long blonde hair. I'm generally a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl but dress up on occasion and even DRESS-UP on the trains too. I don't go out of my way to worry about attracting attention, that's for sure.
One reoccurring theme that I've noticed come up is one thing I don't do; I don't read on trains. I'm an avid reader and adore books but I don't bother reading on trains. I have in headphones almost all the time, 7 out of 10 trips I have to stand or deliberately chose to stand and part of why I don't read is a lifetime habitual preference to be aware of my surroundings. I like to people watch, plus I was heavily bullied as a teen so I like to have an awareness of the people (men, women and kids) around me, something I don't have when I get lost in a book. I'm also paranoid about missing my stop and impatient to be one of the first out of the carriage because I hate being stuck in the cattle crush. I'm a very friendly, open person but I'm told I have a distinct 'back off' vibe at times, though I can't tell you when or how.
In there, somewhere, is the reason or reasons I've been so fortunate to have as little trouble on trains as I have. (Which I hope continues after this!) I'm tempted to run tests and add or subtract the variables until I figure out what it is but that would be almost impossible to do properly and probably not overly safe. Is it the book thing? It's the only reoccurring thing I've been able to pin point in the tales of friends and strangers. Which is ridiculous because why shouldn't a girl be able to read on a long train ride if she wants to, without attracting unwanted attention? Is there something about the nature of the action that causes curiosity or gives off an easy target vibe? The lack of awareness maybe? Or is it something infinitely more subjective and/or more personal about each individual involved?
It's something I would like to figure out or have SOMEONE figure out, in order to help ensure the safety of women everywhere. Of course, we shouldn't have to constantly worry about being safe, protecting ourselves and avoiding adverse situations but until the whole world changes, we have to live in it and deal with the current society issues. Ignoring them to make a point obviously isn't safe for anyone.
I hope that maybe something I've said about my personal scenario above may help someone, even just one person, or may strike a chord somewhere in how to fix things in general to make them safer.
Part of this is because I worry for the safety of my friends and partly because I am one of the fortunate females who hasn't had to deal with some of the kinds of issues others have. I find myself wondering why.
My first thought is kind of negative and self destructive but I have it anyway....maybe I'm just not attractive enough for the guys to bother with. The thought doesn't really affect me much, I'm capable of owning up to its silliness and inconsequential nature, shrug and move on. Whatever. From there I have to look at true facts and subjective issues.
I'm tall, but not overly. I'm average weight, Caucasian and have long blonde hair. I'm generally a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl but dress up on occasion and even DRESS-UP on the trains too. I don't go out of my way to worry about attracting attention, that's for sure.
One reoccurring theme that I've noticed come up is one thing I don't do; I don't read on trains. I'm an avid reader and adore books but I don't bother reading on trains. I have in headphones almost all the time, 7 out of 10 trips I have to stand or deliberately chose to stand and part of why I don't read is a lifetime habitual preference to be aware of my surroundings. I like to people watch, plus I was heavily bullied as a teen so I like to have an awareness of the people (men, women and kids) around me, something I don't have when I get lost in a book. I'm also paranoid about missing my stop and impatient to be one of the first out of the carriage because I hate being stuck in the cattle crush. I'm a very friendly, open person but I'm told I have a distinct 'back off' vibe at times, though I can't tell you when or how.
In there, somewhere, is the reason or reasons I've been so fortunate to have as little trouble on trains as I have. (Which I hope continues after this!) I'm tempted to run tests and add or subtract the variables until I figure out what it is but that would be almost impossible to do properly and probably not overly safe. Is it the book thing? It's the only reoccurring thing I've been able to pin point in the tales of friends and strangers. Which is ridiculous because why shouldn't a girl be able to read on a long train ride if she wants to, without attracting unwanted attention? Is there something about the nature of the action that causes curiosity or gives off an easy target vibe? The lack of awareness maybe? Or is it something infinitely more subjective and/or more personal about each individual involved?
It's something I would like to figure out or have SOMEONE figure out, in order to help ensure the safety of women everywhere. Of course, we shouldn't have to constantly worry about being safe, protecting ourselves and avoiding adverse situations but until the whole world changes, we have to live in it and deal with the current society issues. Ignoring them to make a point obviously isn't safe for anyone.
I hope that maybe something I've said about my personal scenario above may help someone, even just one person, or may strike a chord somewhere in how to fix things in general to make them safer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)