Tag Archives: movies

Hot Chelle Rae- A review

by Alex Rivera

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Hot Chelle Rae is an up-and-coming band who, by the looks of their video “I Like To Dance,” is a carbon-copy of everybody else. The video looks like Cobra Starship’s “Good Girls Gone Bad,” the song reminds me of something off of Metro Station’s CD, and the video in it’s entirety makes me think that it was produced by Lady Gaga. Even the lead singer has a slight resemblance to Gabe Saporta.

All the video is is a bunch of people jumping around in weird costumes and masks, a bunch of TVs, a girl that get’s in trouble for hosting the party at her job at an electronic store, oversized glow sticks, and barely any footage of the band except for the lead singer. This video basically has every aspect of every other video made by other bands, completely ripping off their styles and music.

The band also makes frequent use of the name of their album “Lovesick Electric” throughout the song and even in the effects, aka the big words “LOVESICK ELECTRIC’ popping out at you during every bridge of the song. It gets ridiculous after a while and you can tell that there is a complete and total lack of individuality throughout the entire song.

This band is completely unoriginal. The cover art reminds me of Boys Like Girls’ debut album, and to me it seems like yet another bunch of scene kids trying to make it big in the industry. However, being signed to a label and trying to be like another band rather than setting yourself apart from everyone else in the scene isn’t going to get you very far.

Motion City Soundtrack is Back!

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by Alex Rivera

Four words: MOTION. CITY. IS. BACK. Their first single off of the new album “My Dinosaur Life” is “Disappear,” and upbeat and catchy song that’s fast-paced and will get you ready to dance. The chorus is completely sing-along worthy, the transitions are smooth and clear, and the song will undoubtedly be stuck in your head for days.

The video tells the story of a curious and explorative young boy that lives in the woods and who has an imaginary friend, as shown by a panda mask that he has and wears. One night, as he’s talking to his “friend,” he hears a noise outside, and when he looks out the window, he sees a disfigured faceless man that starts jerking around. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty creepy, and throughout the video he pops up EVERYWHERE. The boy and his family then leave their home and run through the woods trying to escape the horror of this freakishly disturbing, yet random, guy. During their escape, the boy loses his family, thus “disappearing” from their sight.

The director of the video made good use of panning back and forth from the action of the story to the band and its members, also efficiently using effects to highlight the use of guitar and especially the drum cymbals. The effects add to the intensity of the song and the overall feeling of the video.

“Disappear” is an amazing song and Motion City Soundtrack did an amazing job with it. I can’t wait to hear the rest of “My Dinosaur Life,” which is already gaining rave reviews as a whole. If you like “Disappear” then definitely check out the rest of “My Dinosaur Life,” which is in stores now. According to what everyone else is saying, you won’t be disappointed.

Twilight: New Moon Review

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by Vanessa Paredes

It’s here. The highly anticipated, overly hyped, oh so talked about film: New Moon. The second installment of the Twilight Saga hit the big screen this November and you can bet your life savings that the lines were outrageous and theaters were sold out all over the nation. Fully equipped with a new director (Chris Weitz), New Moon definitely out staged the production of Twilight, but not by a long shot. If one thing is for certain though, it’s that Edward Cullen is about to blend into the shadows and a new obsession will arise; his name is Jacob Black.

In New Moon, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) couldn’t be more awkward with each other, and there is a reason behind it. Edward plans to leave forks and Bella behind. He does so early into the film, and the “break up” shakes up the story line, bringing forward Jacob black (Taylor Lautner) to our attention.  Once Bella really starts warming up to her new “friend” another fantastical secret is unraveled. Vampires are not the only non-humans roaming around Forks; Jacob and his “clan” take the form of wolves in order to “protect” the town from vampires, or at least the evil kind. Naturally, Jacob falls in love with Bella while Edward is absent, and this creates a chaotic love triangle that will be a major theme in the movies to come. Just when it seems like Bella is finally warming up to the idea of liking Jacob back, Edward is forcefully engrained back on to her feeble mind when he makes a phone call to the Swan residence for the first time after his disappearance.

Bella gets on a plane to Italy faster than you can say vampires are not real, in attempts to save her soul mate from killing himself. Edward had been misinformed that Bella had passed away, and finds only one solution: plead with the Volturi (Organized coven of vampires) to take his life, which is no easy task, being a vampire and all. The Volturi consisted of the best actors in the film, including big shots such as Dakota Fanning playing Jane, and Michael Sheen as Aro. How the movie ends is yours to figure out.

New Moon shouldn’t break a sweat impressing the teenage female population. Weitz incorporates all the right elements, and some of the scenes are beautifully done. Although the movie does lack decent actors, because let’s face it, Robert Pattinson can’t act to save his life, the movie-goers will still sink their teeth into this vampire fantasy flick. In addition the film was successful in staying true to the book, which will hopefully keep the Twi-hard’s complaints to a minimum.  So get those movie tickets and enjoy the era’s newest craze.

Paranormal Activity-A Movie Review

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Movie Review
Paranormal Activity
By: Stephanie Figueroa

Its been called “the scariest movie of all time” and been demanded in hundreds of cities. What’s with all the hype about Paranormal Activity? Well, its not your typical horror film, thats for certain. Its safe to say, movies like these don’t come around often. If you are easily frightened and prone to sleepless nights, then suggesting to watch this movie would be pointless. If not, read on.
One aspect that sets this movie apart from others is the way it was filmed.
Writer-Director of the movie, Oren Peli, is a fan of slow-burn type movies. He created this film with a nominal crew of himself, his best friend, his girlfriend, and a hired make-up artist. The entire movie is through the point of view of a home purchased camera held by either of the two characters, Micah, played by Micah Sloat or Katie, played by Katie Featherson. The sensation of being a home video is really what is the most eerie, being that it seems realistic.
The couple in the film decide to record their daily lives, including their nocturnal ones, in case they discover what has been creeping around their house. As the movie progresses, Katie and Micah begin experiencing worse and worse “paranormal activity” in the house. On a nightly basis, something always seems to be disturbing their sleep. Whether it be footsteps or slamming doors, whatever it is, it wants Katie and Micah’s attention. And that is just what it gets.
The movies turning point is definitely towards the end. By then, the audience is on the edge of their seats. What comes next is something beyond unexpected. The ending will leave viewers speechless and questioning the little things that go bump in the night.