The boat that rocked big time!

Ok so last Friday I went to go and see Japan's finest metal core group Coldrain at the Thekla.

They are perhaps one of the best international band's going today as well as Crossfaith.
Their performance was excellent and the whole band played brilliantly non stop without losing steam, they are a really talented group that know how to please a crowd of screaming fans.

Lead singer Masato's cold screams blend with melodic choruses that really work well together. And makes anyone bob their head to the breakdowns as well.

I will definitely recommend Cold rain to anyone who is a fan of metal or hardcore such as Crossfaith, Asking Alexandria and Bring me the horizon.

The Jungle Book 2016 Review and Thoughts

So recently I had the pleasure of viewing the highly anticipated film The Jungle Book. 

It is a visually stunning film which I think is similar to Chicken Tikka Masala. A dish that never fails to please the pallet or the senses. Depending if you like curry or not.

But really the film is a very enjoyable film which left me feeling like I'd been injected with a needle of pure Nostalgia for a number of reasons. 


The whole premises of the film such as the atmosphere and scenery is gorgeous and truly makes you feel immersed as the re-imagined story unfolds, the depth of detail is in incredible.
The CGI characters are very well thought out and have tonnes of believability and charm, naturally making small hints of the 1967 classic show through. Bill Murray is fantastic as Baloo and is perfect for the of role of a lazy , charismatic Bear that is funny and fits in well with the performance. 

Neel Sethi is exactly like Mowgli in the original classic, with his brave but almost vulnerable stance which  feels like the character has been reincarnated in the real world. His fluent interaction with a completely CGI cast is great and makes the experience more enjoyable as he knows what to interact with at what time. 
Idris Elba is absolutely fantastic as Sheer Khan and makes the villanous Tiger feel much more powerful and intimidating than the original. And Christopher Walken is. Well. Christopher Walken need I say more. He was born to play King Louie.

However considering the pros of the film it also has its cons. Scarlet Johansen playing Kaa was fairly disappointing. Not that her role was bad at all in any way, but how much screen time the character has which makes Kaa forgettable. This was very disappointing as Kaa was a quirky character in the original classic who was sly but comical, but in the 2016 version I feel its not quite the same.
Another thing which bothered me was how much the film made me jump in places, I mean I'm not usually a jumpy person *Eyes dart in different directions*. But the sheer amount of jumpiness in the film was not even funny, John Favreau stop it man.

But really. The Jungle Book is a warm hearted film for all ages and would definantley recommend it, as it is on par with the original. It mixes modern Computer film making skills with old fashioned story telling and it works very well. I feel that from now on Disney should get Favreau to make other live action retelling's of old story's, because although Digital effects are considered over used whilst taking away the craft of making a film. The Jungle Book shows that you can create gorgeous visuals with Digital effects which has soul and passion.

Well done Mr Favreau and co. You should be proud.

4 great Horror Films you've (probably) never heard of

Hello people. 
Crikey I haven't put up a post in over a month and half that's crazy ! 
But as this is the first post in ages I decided to do a top 4 of some obscure Horror gems that are Surprisingly very good. All films are not positioned in the rank of obscurity.

At no.4

Pi 
Year of release 1998 
Directed by Daren Aronofsky 

Not part of the horror genre but truly a nightmare scenario.
Pi is a strange film that uses quirky dreamlike conventions to tell a compelling story of obsession. The plot is about paranoid Mathematician Max Cohen (Sean Gullettee), who discovers he has found a number which could be the key to unlocking the universal patterns in nature. This tale of a mathematicians unhealthy solution to finding life's hidden mystery is also shot in gorgeous monochrome Black and White due to keeping the budget low, added to the gritty and unnerving atmosphere of Max's decent into pure insanity. 





No.3

Splinter 
Year of release 2008
Directed by Toby Wilkins 

This indie monster movie is a gem which shouldn't be over looked by any avid horror movie fan who loves practical effects and gore. When a couple go on a camping trip to celebrate their anniversary, all hell breaks loose when their Car is hijacked by a man and woman on the run. And the cherry on top of the cake of disaster is that there is an aggressive parasite on the prowl looking for sustenance in the gas station they go to. Claustrophobic , Grizzly and Stressful. Splinter is a film which is superbly acted and written that will definitely make you squeal with terror.




No.2

Bad Taste 
Year of release 1987 

Directed by Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson's cinematic debut Bad Taste is a fun and bloody film about an Alien Invasion who is looking for food, and their preferred option is of course you guessed it. Humans. 
Filmed over the span of four years and on a shoe string budget, Jackson and his mates built everything themselves from the weaponry to the Aliens themselves. Bad Taste won best film at Cannes film festival in France 1992, it is a cult classic which helped put Peter Jackson on the map of film making whilst demonstrating that anyone can make a film with passion, dedication and also no budget. 



No.1


Tetsuo: The Iron Man 
Year of release: 1989 
Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto 

Now this films is like Marmite, people love it or hate it. Tetsuo is about a Salary man (Tomoro Taguchi) and his girlfriend who run over a pedestrian known as the Metal Fetishist (Tsukamoto) and leave him for dead in a hit and run incident. 
Slowly the Salary man begins to turn into a Scrap metal robot that is being controlled by the Fetishists rage. Dark, Psychotic and completely off the rails. Tetsuo is a film that will leave you feeling assaulted and confused beyond measure when the credits role. 
Filmed in 8mm black and white whilst taking inspiration from directors David Lynch and David Cronenberg, Shinya Tsukamoto is one of Japans finest and well known underground film makers still working today and truly kicked off the Cyberpunk genre.