Posts Tagged by review
Journey – a review
| November 15, 2012 | Posted by L. Wollny under technology |
Journey… Journey… Journey. I’m not really sure how to come at this review. It’s an odd one if I’m honest, because I really don’t know where to start describing this work. I guess I’ll start with the obvious. The first thing I noticed was that the game itself was beautiful. Not vaguely pleasant, reasonably nice graphics, Assassin’s Creed style. Genuinely exquisite, breathtaking, glorious landscapes which invited lengthy explorations. I’m talking about scenery porn. I’m not really sure how this effect was achieved, as the graphics didn’t feel any better or worse than the usual, but somehow, there was a seamlessness which made it feel… natural. Quite unlike a cheap imitation of reality, the game felt like it was in its… more
Album review: Coexist by The xx
| September 9, 2012 | Posted by Michael Smith under entertainment, reviews |
It’s over two years since indie darlings The xx won the Mercury Prize with their debut album xx, yet the storm of hype surrounding them has been maintained as many people questioned how the follow-up would sound. It seems that the answer is pretty much the same. While many expected Coexist to follow the more dance-inspired direction Jamie Smith took with his side project as Jamie xx, the album actually sticks with The xx’s general mantra of less is more. xx demonstrated perfectly that music doesn’t have to be over-the-top to stand out, with understated tracks where minimalist production (consisting of sparse guitar, keyboard and drums) is intricately woven around the dual vocals of Oliver Sim and Romy Madley-Croft. Three years later… more
Review: Spring Espresso, York
| August 20, 2012 | Posted by Dan Peacock under lifestyle, reviews |
Up until very recently, I considered myself a tea connoisseur. I had based this self-evaluation on the fact that I’d sampled a small handful of different teas and could just about tell you the difference between an Assam and an English Breakfast. I even bought a small ceramic teapot in an attempt to sink deeper into the tea-connoisseur’s world (giving up a week later after finding the whole teapot debacle too much of a faff, and just dumping the teabag in the cup like I did in the first place, the price of a teapot worse off). I thought I knew the slightest thing about tea. How wrong I was… At first glance, Spring Espresso in York is very easy… more
Review: Cafe Concerto, York
| August 3, 2012 | Posted by Dan Peacock under lifestyle, reviews |
The other day I stumbled cross a wonderful little website, tripadvisor.co.uk. Much like IMDB’s “Top 250 Films,” it collates thousands of user reviews about restaurants and cafes in any specific area and draws up a ranking. Type in “Leeds,” say, and you’ll be presented with conclusive evidence as to which place in Leeds does the best cappuccino and, if you scroll far enough, which places you should never ever go to ever unless you want food poisoning or your date to never call you back. Of course, like IMDB’s Top 250, a user-generated ranking system has its flaws, namely that: a) not everyone has eaten everywhere and thus places off the beaten track are less likely to get as much opportunity… more
The Newsroom
| July 20, 2012 | Posted by Elliot Davies under entertainment, reviews |
The Newsroom is the latest brainchild of Aaron Sorkin, the prominent Hollywood writer who brought us A Few Good Men, The West Wing and The Social Network. The show focuses on a television newsroom at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN), where anchor Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) holds court with the support of his new executive producer, MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer), and newsroom staff including Jim Harper (John Gallagher, Jr), a producer, and Maggie Jordan (Allison Pill), an associate producer, all overseen by Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston), the news division president. The format of the show will be familiar to fans of Sorkin’s previous work. Much as The West Wing focused on the inner workings of the White House, so The Newsroom focuses on the inner… more
Album review: Channel Orange by Frank Ocean
| July 19, 2012 | Posted by Michael Smith under entertainment, reviews |
There’s something of an elephant in this review’s metaphorical room, so let’s get it out of the way now. Frank Ocean isn’t heterosexual. You see, just over two weeks ago Ocean posted an extract from Channel Orange’s album inlay on his Tumblr, which described his experience of falling in love with his friend when he was aged 19. Said friend was male. I know, terrifying right? I’m sure your face is twisted into a mixture of despair, fear and shock at this hideous revelation. Well, hopefully it isn’t, but if the world of hip-hop had a communal face then it would have adopted that expression when it found out. You see, the hip-hop community have never taken too kindly to… more
Around the world in 50 films: #10 Senegal — Moolaadé (2004)
| June 12, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
Into unknown territory for me, with a film from Africa. Why I chose this film Easily the most famous Senegalese film-maker and accredited by many as the father of African film, Ousmane Sembène was an easy choice for director. Moolaadé had been on my watchlist for some time, so I decided that this was the perfect time to watch it. This marked a milestone in my film viewing in that it was the first African film I had ever seen. After years of watching more Russian and Japanese films than any Scotsman should have business seeing, I found it very interesting to be introduced to a culture completely different from that which I am used to. What could push a Westerner out… more
Album review: Some Nights by Fun.
| May 31, 2012 | Posted by Michael Smith under entertainment, reviews |
Fun.’s break out single We Are Young went to number one in the UK singles chart last weekend, so my instant reaction was to wonder what the album sounded like. Oh Michael, you are a fool. I came into this album having only heard the aforementioned single, and I wouldn’t exactly have considered myself a fan. The chorus is fantastically catchy, yes, but the rest of the song is just plain dull. For a song whose chorus screams out, “Let’s set the world on fire, we can burn brighter than the sun,” it feels disappointingly sombre and monotonous. The guest vocals from Janelle Monáe (creator of one of the best albums of 2010), which caused my original excitement for the… more
Around the world in 50 films: #9 Iceland — Nói Albínói (2003)
| May 11, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
Why I chose this film: I’m not going to lie here: this was the only Icelandic film I had on my watchlist, and I think the only one I’d actually heard of. If someone is outraged at my ignorance of Icelandic cinema, please let me know and suggest films for me to watch. I started my Red Desert review with a rant about use of colour in films. I hope you will forgive me for doing the same here by saying AAAAAHHH, COLOUR FILTERS! WHYYY!? Seriously, Nói Albínói could be an incredibly beautiful film if the team would stop screwing around with different filters and turning the contrast settings up to 11. I feel bad about starting the review on such a negative note, as… more
Around the world in 50 films: #7 Iran / #8 Mexico — Taste of Cherry / Japón (1997 / 2002)
| May 8, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
Kiarostami is arguably the most famous name in the Iranian New Wave. Having seen The Wind Will Carry Us previously, I was eager to see some of his other works and Taste of Cherry seemed as good a place to start as any. Why I chose Japón: I had originally planned to review one of Alejandro Jodorosky’s films, since they are mainly produced and made in Mexico. After watching Japón because I liked an image I saw of it online, I decided I would sneak Jodorosky in under Chile later, because this film needs to be better known. Iran has an exceptional and mature independent film industry, despite (or perhaps because of) the draconian restrictions placed on it. Kiarostami’s humanist style of cinema has thus far evaded the… more
