Hey! Here are my top five tunes for this month... more writing come soon...
1. Remy Zero- Save Me
Having been sitting through the WGA strike over the past couple months I have been introduced to some television shows that I have not watched before, new and old... One of those has been Smallville, the story of Superman as a teenager, starring Tom Welling. Anyway, this is the theme tune and after watching one episode, I was straight onto iTunes! I can't really point my finger on what they sound like because they sound different to most other generic sounds and after the calm introduction to the rockier ending, the song takes you through the motions with some great lyrics.
2. MGMT- Kids
After being lent their album on recommendation and already loving the single, "Time to Pretend" MGMT have spent some time getting to the top and although they are not everyone's taste, their tunes are consistently catchy and memorable. Kids, one of the songs on the album, Oracular Spectacular, happens to my favourite. Starting with the layered rhythms all the way till the end this shows some real talent. " Picking insects off of plants, No time to think of consequences" Some really meaningful lyrics and certainly a highlight from the album, look forward to hear more from them in the future.
3. Justin Timberlake- What Comes Around/ Goes Around (Interlude)
The 7 1/2 minute version of this song from the album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, has put the faith back into this guy for me. I am the first to say that of recent, the music from Timberlake sounds like a sell out, his first album, Justified had a variety of stuff and sounded really good but on the sophomore release, I was not surprised to hear the constant reminder of the bland music that people like these days... But this song, has certainly surprised me, almost a sequel to single, 'Cry Me A River', this song is accompanied by a great video starring Scarlett Johansson and contains lots of twists and turns along the way. I particularly like the album version with the added two minutes including Timberland's extra... The story behind the story is also great, but I'll let you get that.
4. Thomas Newman- Six Feet Under Theme Tune
I know officially not a song but all the same, a great piece of music showing some amazing talent. Another of the shows I started watching, Six Feet Under, about the dysfunction American family who own the funeral home had this amazing theme tune. With the added bonus watching the beautiful video with it... This is a real gem, when the bass comes in you feel really relaxed and I could listen to this 1 1/2min tune for such a long time.
5. The Devlins- The World Outside
I heard this song on an HBO advert advertising various shows from years ago (thanks to YouTube). This rock song starts with the beautiful piano part and then the guitars come in followed by the drums and then lead singer, Colin Devlin adds to the mix, this Irish quartet show that sometimes Indie music can really be touching as they don't just stick to the mediocre conventions attached to this music. Seen with REM a while ago- certainly a song to listen to.
Don't worry, I will be back with some stuff for you to read soon, revision has been mental recently- exams are too close, but I will be back!
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
April 06, 2008
February 11, 2008
Ollie///Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (Skins Review)
A requiem for the heart, a song for the soul…
I was so happy to see those credits again and as the name of the show appeared on screen, the excitement inside bubbled up. After watching the first episode of series two of Skins, I had to sit down and collect my thoughts. To sum it up in one word, WOW. But it’s not that easy. The landmark drama on E4 about the chaotic lives and lusts of a group of teenagers living in Bristol stormed onto our screens last year with the return of Nicholas Hoult (whom we last saw in ‘About A Boy’) except this time, his fringe was cut, his age had increased and the vulgarity of his language had certainly expanded. A cast of virtually unknowns joined Hoult as the writers of Shameless wrote this comedy drama revolving around these teens’ lives. As well as the day-to-day teen angst, the writing was full of stereotypes, which although some people laugh at and push under the carpet, they do happen. The typically Muslim family as their son tried to rebel, the gay dancer who was starting to come into his own, the best friend who always tried a little too hard and the flirty girlfriend who
all the guys wanted. This was just a selection of the treasure of characters in Skins. After the thrilling season finale last year, we were left on the cliffhanger, was Tony going to survive his grave car collision or was he going to be just another ones of those who died under the stars?
This year we were promised more drama, more controversy and more meaning behind the characters. Last year's group are joined by some new faces as well as the series-giving host to some brilliant guest stars (Bill Bailey, Shane Ritchie) we are in for a journey. The first episode aired and what a way to begin a series. Set some time after the last episode we see that Tony did survive but not without his drawbacks. This is not the Tony we grew to know last year, this is someone completely different and here is the first major highlight of the series. The acting from this group is flawless; they never fail to evoke the right emotion with the audience and sometimes they hit a note of personal history.
Similar to the last series, each episode will contain stories about all the characters but will draw attention to one specific each time. The first episode was about Maxxie- although we did not see much of the dancer in the last series, the writers have promised that he will be used to the best of their abilities this year. Being the only one left is hard and he learns that when all the friends leave him to look after Tony, as they can’t deal with the consequences of their past. He has to look after him when he’s out and make sure he returns home. Although the writers picked times for comic hysteria (near the beginning when Tony is having trouble on the toilet, enter Maxxie’s mum) they also manage to persuade the audience to look from a different point of view and so if people are coming back to this series, for the sex or the parties then I think they will be surprised to learn that with time the writers have become more confident and therefore are able to explore the characters in further depth. Last year laid the groundwork, this year; they can put them up high and tear them down.
Maxxie realises that he wants to leave college to pursue his dancing career but his dad (Bill Bailey) wants his son to get qualifications and then join him on the building site, there is a clash of opinions. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this year, the recording of Skins holds much more beauty than the previous. From the rooftop dancing of Maxxie to the underground rave, the director knows what he is doing, the colours marching across the screen scream out for attention.
Skins, one of last year’s top gems seems set to go even further this year, an enjoyable view of
life and definitely one to looks out for, teens and adults alike.
I was so happy to see those credits again and as the name of the show appeared on screen, the excitement inside bubbled up. After watching the first episode of series two of Skins, I had to sit down and collect my thoughts. To sum it up in one word, WOW. But it’s not that easy. The landmark drama on E4 about the chaotic lives and lusts of a group of teenagers living in Bristol stormed onto our screens last year with the return of Nicholas Hoult (whom we last saw in ‘About A Boy’) except this time, his fringe was cut, his age had increased and the vulgarity of his language had certainly expanded. A cast of virtually unknowns joined Hoult as the writers of Shameless wrote this comedy drama revolving around these teens’ lives. As well as the day-to-day teen angst, the writing was full of stereotypes, which although some people laugh at and push under the carpet, they do happen. The typically Muslim family as their son tried to rebel, the gay dancer who was starting to come into his own, the best friend who always tried a little too hard and the flirty girlfriend who
all the guys wanted. This was just a selection of the treasure of characters in Skins. After the thrilling season finale last year, we were left on the cliffhanger, was Tony going to survive his grave car collision or was he going to be just another ones of those who died under the stars?This year we were promised more drama, more controversy and more meaning behind the characters. Last year's group are joined by some new faces as well as the series-giving host to some brilliant guest stars (Bill Bailey, Shane Ritchie) we are in for a journey. The first episode aired and what a way to begin a series. Set some time after the last episode we see that Tony did survive but not without his drawbacks. This is not the Tony we grew to know last year, this is someone completely different and here is the first major highlight of the series. The acting from this group is flawless; they never fail to evoke the right emotion with the audience and sometimes they hit a note of personal history.
Similar to the last series, each episode will contain stories about all the characters but will draw attention to one specific each time. The first episode was about Maxxie- although we did not see much of the dancer in the last series, the writers have promised that he will be used to the best of their abilities this year. Being the only one left is hard and he learns that when all the friends leave him to look after Tony, as they can’t deal with the consequences of their past. He has to look after him when he’s out and make sure he returns home. Although the writers picked times for comic hysteria (near the beginning when Tony is having trouble on the toilet, enter Maxxie’s mum) they also manage to persuade the audience to look from a different point of view and so if people are coming back to this series, for the sex or the parties then I think they will be surprised to learn that with time the writers have become more confident and therefore are able to explore the characters in further depth. Last year laid the groundwork, this year; they can put them up high and tear them down.
Maxxie realises that he wants to leave college to pursue his dancing career but his dad (Bill Bailey) wants his son to get qualifications and then join him on the building site, there is a clash of opinions. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this year, the recording of Skins holds much more beauty than the previous. From the rooftop dancing of Maxxie to the underground rave, the director knows what he is doing, the colours marching across the screen scream out for attention.
Skins, one of last year’s top gems seems set to go even further this year, an enjoyable view of
life and definitely one to looks out for, teens and adults alike.
January 26, 2008
Ollie///Beauty is the actors feelings...
A show where the end appears to be the beginning...
Over the recent weeks I have been watching Damages on BBC1, a new legal drama from FX. It started all the way back in July last year, and a second and third season have been commissioned, just as soon as the WGA strike is over. The on-going plot line surrounds the court case against Arthur Frobisher, in a situation similar to that of Enron, Frobisher is accused of insider trading and lying to his workers about the status of his company even as he sold of his stock.
This is where Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) comes in, a big shot lawyer with a big shot firm, and her only option is to win. Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne), a newly minted lawyer is offered a job at Hewes & Associates, what she does not know is that although her new employer is one of the best in the industry, Patty's workings are usually unethical.
From the opening 30 seconds of the pilot, we are shown a half naked Ellen, running from an apartment, she is arrested but won't talk without a lawyer, this is when we are taken several months back to her being hired by Hewes.
One of my music recommendations for the month is The VLA- When I Am Through With You, the theme to Damages. This song, perfectly mirrors the deception and the darker side of litigation, as seen in the show. With the drum beats in time to flashes of NYC, the theme not only gives the audience a sense of whats to come but also, a little bit of audience expectation. What they don't know is that all their expectations are not only going to be ignored, they are going to be surpassed.
Glenn Close, heads the cast of Damages and what a fine job she does. Not appearing on out small screens since her season four appearance in the FX police show, The Wire (currently in it's sixth season), she manages to captivate all the show sets out to do. What I love about Close's fine skills as an actress is the way that she looks even more beautiful when she is playing a character. She puts all her effort into making sure that we, as the audience, understand how she if feeling and if her character wants to betray on screen, we, too off screen will feel betrayed.
Her face mimics the feelings of the character as we view her emotions. Over the years, Close has had many different roles, from being the bunny boiler in Fatal Attraction to the dog hating, clothes loving Cruella de Ville in 101/102 Dalmations. Yet, she can perfectly take a role, however small or large and make sure that she is noticed. Now, that is not a negative criticism, she is not an attention seeker, she does not want her character to over outshine another, but through her facial expressions, her posture and her gestures, she manages to clasp onto our attention and manipulate all expectations we have of her, either the dramatic Close or the comedic Close, we forget her past and see her as the character she plays now.
As Patty Hewes, Close's vision of a Machiavellian type of character contrasts beautifully with Byrne's bright and sharp graduate. Adding this strong cast is Ted Danson as Frobisher, a charismatic self-made billionaire, Noah Bean as Ellen's fiancee, David Connor, Tate Donovan as Patty's advisor, Shayes and Ċ½eljko Ivanek as Frobisher's manipulative attorney, Ray Fiske.
Comprising of themes, not just to do with law but also family and safety, Damages is not one to be missed.
Over the recent weeks I have been watching Damages on BBC1, a new legal drama from FX. It started all the way back in July last year, and a second and third season have been commissioned, just as soon as the WGA strike is over. The on-going plot line surrounds the court case against Arthur Frobisher, in a situation similar to that of Enron, Frobisher is accused of insider trading and lying to his workers about the status of his company even as he sold of his stock.
This is where Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) comes in, a big shot lawyer with a big shot firm, and her only option is to win. Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne), a newly minted lawyer is offered a job at Hewes & Associates, what she does not know is that although her new employer is one of the best in the industry, Patty's workings are usually unethical.
From the opening 30 seconds of the pilot, we are shown a half naked Ellen, running from an apartment, she is arrested but won't talk without a lawyer, this is when we are taken several months back to her being hired by Hewes.
One of my music recommendations for the month is The VLA- When I Am Through With You, the theme to Damages. This song, perfectly mirrors the deception and the darker side of litigation, as seen in the show. With the drum beats in time to flashes of NYC, the theme not only gives the audience a sense of whats to come but also, a little bit of audience expectation. What they don't know is that all their expectations are not only going to be ignored, they are going to be surpassed.
Glenn Close, heads the cast of Damages and what a fine job she does. Not appearing on out small screens since her season four appearance in the FX police show, The Wire (currently in it's sixth season), she manages to captivate all the show sets out to do. What I love about Close's fine skills as an actress is the way that she looks even more beautiful when she is playing a character. She puts all her effort into making sure that we, as the audience, understand how she if feeling and if her character wants to betray on screen, we, too off screen will feel betrayed.
Her face mimics the feelings of the character as we view her emotions. Over the years, Close has had many different roles, from being the bunny boiler in Fatal Attraction to the dog hating, clothes loving Cruella de Ville in 101/102 Dalmations. Yet, she can perfectly take a role, however small or large and make sure that she is noticed. Now, that is not a negative criticism, she is not an attention seeker, she does not want her character to over outshine another, but through her facial expressions, her posture and her gestures, she manages to clasp onto our attention and manipulate all expectations we have of her, either the dramatic Close or the comedic Close, we forget her past and see her as the character she plays now.
As Patty Hewes, Close's vision of a Machiavellian type of character contrasts beautifully with Byrne's bright and sharp graduate. Adding this strong cast is Ted Danson as Frobisher, a charismatic self-made billionaire, Noah Bean as Ellen's fiancee, David Connor, Tate Donovan as Patty's advisor, Shayes and Ċ½eljko Ivanek as Frobisher's manipulative attorney, Ray Fiske.
Comprising of themes, not just to do with law but also family and safety, Damages is not one to be missed.
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