Author: chimesfreedom

Editor-in-chief, New York.

“World War Z” Is Expected Fun (short review)

World War Z poster World War Z (2013), starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster, is about what you expect from the preview. And that may be a good or a bad thing, depending on what you expect. I found it to be a fun ride with some high-tension scary scenes (without long shots of gore). Just make sure you are not holding your soda during one of the many times something jumps out at you, especially if you see the movie in 3-D like I did.

The movie follows the beginning of an outbreak of zombies attacking people around the world, as Brad Pitt tries to get his family in Philadelphia to safety. Then, Pitt is called upon by his former employer at the U.N to go on a global journey to try to track down how the zombie outbreak started and to find a way to stop it from spreading.

If you are a fan of the book by Max Brooks, World War Z, which I have not read, my understanding from others is that the movie only has one thing in common with the book. While the movie has made me interested in delving into the book’s deeper subtext, the superficiality of the movie is not necessarily a bad thing if your expectations are adjusted.

Conclusion? I will not go into greater detail to ruin what happens in the movie, but if you are looking for a summer popcorn movie with some excitement that does not require too much thinking, check out World War Z. Maybe I even will watch the sequel.

Other Reviews Because Why Should You Trust Me? According to Rotten Tomatoes, critics do not especially love World War Z (with a 67% rating), but audiences like it better (with an 86% rating). Peter Travers at Rolling Stone finds the movie is a “pleasant, suspenseful surprise.” Mark Kermode at The Observer, though, finds that the movie lacks a sustainable pulse.

What did you think of World War Z? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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  • Analyzing Actors’ Accents in Films
  • That Dirty Little Coward That Shot Mr. Howard
  • 12 Years a Slave (Short Review)
  • Ambiguous Morality With Casey Affleck (Missed Movies)
  • “Stars” Visit Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Blue Ivy on SNL

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    Bobby “Blue” Bland Was All Right With Me

    Bobby Bland Bobby “Blue” Bland, one of the great blues and soul singers, has passed away at his Memphis, Tennessee home the age of 83. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame, Bland has thrilled audiences and influenced other performers since he began recording in the early 1950s.

    Bland started out as a valet and chauffeur for B.B. King, but later ended up performing with him on a number of occasions. In this clip from Soul Train, you can see the two legends performing after a brief interview.

    In 1957, “Further On Up the Road” was Bland’s first number on on the R&B charts. One of my favorite Bland recordings, though, is “Turn on Your Love Life,” which was a hit in 1961.

    Finally, for something a little different, here is Bland singing Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey” with Morrison. Van Morrison was a long-time fan, and it is great to hear those two changing verses on the great song that was recorded in 2000 (and appears on The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3 (2007). RIP.

    What is your favorite Bobby “Blue” Bland song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • B.B. King: “Why I Sing the Blues”
  • RIP Richie Havens
  • Joe Ely’s “She Never Spoke Spanish to Me” (Song of the Day)
  • Bringing in a Brand New Year
  • Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
  • Wonderful Redwood Tree

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    Mickey Mouse Enlists in Viet Nam War

    Anti-War Mickey Mouse movie

    A 1968 silent anti-war film, “Mickey Mouse in Viet Nam,” has been circulating on the Internet recently. In the video, which runs not much more than a minute, Mickey heads off to war in Viet Nam, and the ending is not happy.

    Milton Glaser and Lee Savage created the very short film for an Angry Arts Festival. While there were rumors that a Disney lawsuit kept the film underground, the truth, as explained on Slate, was that Glaser and Savage just moved on to other things after creating the film for the festival. For example, Glaser created the “I ‘heart’ NY” logo and founded New York Magazine. And, there was no Internet in those days to keep videos circulating. Today, though, we do have the Internet, so check out “Mickey Mouse in Viet Nam.”

    What do you think of “Mickey Mouse in Viet Nam”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Pluto Discovered
  • The Ambiguous Anti-War Underpinnings of “Galveston”
  • Disney Recycled . . . Animation
  • My Lai and “The Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley”
  • Summer of 1969: “In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)”
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    The Vespers and “The Fourth Wall” (Missed Music)

    The Vespers The Fourth Wall

    If you like banjo and some nice harmonies, you should check out The Vespers if you have not done so already. The Nashville Americana/folk quartet is made up of sisters Callie Cryar and Phoebe Cryar and brothers Bruno Jones and Taylor Jones. Below is their video for the song “Lawdy.”

    The song appears on the band’s second album, The Fourth Wall, which was released in 2012. The Vespers formed in 2009 and have attracted some attention with their two albums, both of which were released independently. If you would like more of a sample from the Cryar sisters and the Jones brothers, you may hear the entire album of The Fourth Wall below by pressing the play button. [2015 Update: The option to play the whole album is no longer available.]

    The Vespers are giving away a free download of a track off the album using the “Free Download” button. Or you can go to their Noisetrade website to get a download of the album for whatever donation you want to give to help support their music. For more information about the band, check out the bios of the members and an article in the Huffington Post.

    What is your favorite track on “The Fourth Wall”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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  • Jackson C. Frank’s Beautiful Music From a Tragic Life
  • Paul Thorn Has a Good Day Every Now and Then (Missed Music)

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    Steve Earle Performs Tracks from “The Low Highway” on KEXP

    Steve Earle performed some of the songs of his latest album The Low Highway (2013) live in the KEXP radio station studio in Seattle on a program hosted by Stevie Zoom. In the video, Earle performs “The Low Highway,” “Burnin’ It Down,” “Invisible,” and “Remember Me.”

    The final song, “Remember Me,” is a touching song Earle wrote to his newest child as Earle contemplates his own advanced age and the probability he will not be around for long. The segment was recorded on April 18, 2013.

    What is your favorite song in the video? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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