The Criterionist Ep. 25: ALPHAVILLE (1965)

   In this episode of The Criteionist I talk about Jean Luc-Godards's ALPHAVILLE.  I talk about how weird the movie is but come on guys is that really different from any other Godard films.

Ep. 25: ALPHAVILLE (1965)

Hey, if this episode is not available or want any other episodes just E-mail me at darincriterion14@yahoo.com and I'd be glad to send it to you.

The RoseBuds Ep. 49 - Play All 3 w/Tyler Hoffman

 

   In this episode the gang is joined by Tyler Hoffman (Spare Time podcast*) to, well, play all.  They talk about a number of topics like Community, trilogies and many more.  Happy listening!

Episode 49 - Play All 3

Hey if this episode is not available then just send us an E-mail at therosebuds13@gmail.com and we'll be glad to send it to you.

*Spare Time podcast coming soon 

Top 10 Favorite David Crowder Band Songs

 

By Darin Skaggs

     Here begins a journey in which I take ten bands  I like and countdown my ten favorite tracks from them.  Just so you know, this is my favorite not what I think are the greatest.  So here we go…

     For me, worship music is a tough genre to pull off.  Some artist do it well, but are not creative enough musically and others just can’t seem to pull off interesting lyrics.  The only artist that does it truly well is David Crowder Band.  They make music that is interesting enough to just have on.  And if you just need some good worship music, DCB is the go to.  So without further or do, here it goes my top ten favorite David Crowder Band songs.

Gotcha, here are some honorable mentions: Because He Lives (Give Us Rest), God Almighty, None Compares (Church Music) and Church Music - Dance[!] (Church Music)

10. Here Is Our King (A Collision)

     This song is one of their more popular songs.  It does everything right.  It is catchy, lets us know there is a God who is there for us and has metaphorical Bible like lyrics comparing the blooming of a rose to how we feel about God.

9. After All (Holy) (Give Us Rest)

     With its calm, whisper like verses and strong, anthem like choruses After All helps DCB’s finale album be one of its most powerful.

8. How He Loves (Church Music)

     Probably DCB’s most popular songs, being sung in the majority of church services, and does not seem to be going anywhere.  Their version so pure and calming, you can’t help but feel something every time you listen to it.

7. Oh Great God, Give Us Rest (Give Us Rest)

     DCB, while making beautiful, powerful worship music also can have a sense of humor about them naming their finale album Give Us Rest.  With the title tracking opening the album, the song is almost a prayer for the world (“Have you seen this place it’s all a mess”) and themselves (“I’ve done my part too well I ‘fess”)

6. Never Let Go (Remedy)

     Never Let Go is a simple song with its only mission to give the listener peace that God, well, never let’s go.  The whole Remedy album is an attempt at bringing peace to the listener and this track is a highlight.

5. Wholly Yours (A Collision)

     The first third of A Collision is full of classic songs like Here Is Our King and Foreverandever Ect but nothing quiet tops Wholly Yours. It makes for a great worship song and DCB is having fun with their lyrics, “You are Holy, Holy Holy.” Then near the end of the song proclaiming “I am wholly, wholly, wholly Yours.”

4. Can I Lie Here (Church Music)

     An unconventional track from DCB, but a great one.  Taking the idea of “Love like a child” and making it their own. Throughout the song he asks if he can lie in His arms much like a vulnerable child.

3. Surely We Can Change (Remedy)

     Closing out their best record, in my opinion, is a beautiful song that with the choruses struggles with the temptation from man and the immense love of God.  Of course, choosing the love of God and wanting to save the world the song proclaims “The whole world’s about to change!”

2. Oh, Happiness (Church Music)

     Maybe the bands least worship like song and again maybe it is their most.  For the chorus David Crowder brought about twenty of his friends to all sing “Oh, happiness! There’s grace, enough for us and the whole human race.”  With this song, and most of Church Music, DCB attempts to rewrite the rules for what worship should be. The song is pure fun and gives us what it promises, happiness.

1. The Glory Of It All (Remedy)

     Maybe the most powerful worship song I’ve ever heard. Hiding a small church service in the song preaching God was there at the beginning and will be till forever, then says if you’re lost come to Him.  The chorus stirring your emotions each and every time it is sung.

The RoseBuds Ep 48 - Our Five Favorite Actors

    In this episode the gang counts down their favorite actors of all time.  Darin explains how he gained 45 pounds since recording last and they also talk U2 to U. Happy listening!

Episode 48 - Our Five Favorite Actors

If this episode is no longer available or you just have a question E-mail us at therosebuds13@gmail.com 

SNOWPIERCER

By Darin Skaggs

     Joon-Ho Bong directed The Host about a decade ago.  On first look it is an incredibly fun monster movie.  With a deeper examination it is a look on the US government, family and countless other things.  With Bong’s new film and first English speaking film Snowpiercer he has made one of the best action flicks of the year that is also coated in deeper meanings.

     Snowpiercer takes place in a future version of earth that is going through a second ice age due to the humans trying to play God.  The entirety of the human race is all on this train that, as long as it keeps moving, everyone on it can survive.  It makes zero sense but the presentation and tone makes you forget the implausibility of the story.  Our introduction inside the train is in the very back.  This compartment is dirty, not taken care of and it is clear that it is not really cared about.  We learn very soon the back is ready for a revolt.  They plan to move up the train to take it over and get what they deserve.

     Chris Evans plays our protagonist, Curtis, in one of the best performances of the year.  He is not the leader but is fully on board for the revolt with many others including other great performances by Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer and John Hurt.  There are several great cameos in this film; it makes you feel excited for who comes next. 

     Now let’s get down to the silliness of this film.  It is never stated how big this train is but all the compartments are so different that each and every one feels like its own short story.  Sometimes there is a classroom story, there is a room solely made to make food with a gut wrenching reveal and other rooms are just for showering.  Much like the wait for who got a cameo appearance next you will be excited for what is in the next section.  None of this makes sense but as said before the film’s tone pulls you into the movie and makes you completely on board with it.

     This is also an action packed thriller.  Most scenes are our heroes struggling to survive their way up to the front of this long train.  There is a room that is just full of masked men holding axes whose one goal is to stop our group.  The scene also promises in this film, no one is safe, and keeps that promise throughout the film.  With all this action you could miss all the social commentary.  The film takes a look at class with the back of the train being the lower class and the front of the train not really struggling, mostly having raves and relaxing in saunas.  Like Joon-Ho Bong’s other film The Host he sprinkles some political overtones into the film. 

     Now films similar to this in tone and structure sometimes have a hard time deciding on an ending.  This film knows the right way to take it.  It is a dark, ambiguous and strangely beautiful ending that fits with the film as a whole. Snowpiercer is a blast of a film that gets you thinking about the struggles of our world.  Filled with fantastic performances from some familiar faces that you do not see coming, it is a wonderful film.

The Criterionist Ep. 24: HIGH AND LOW (1963)

  

   In this episode of The Criterionist I talk about Akira Kurasowa's HIGH AND LOW. I talk about the play like aspect and the tonal shift in the second half of the film.  Just click the link below. Happy listening.

Ep. 24: HIGH AND LOW (1963)

Hey if this episode is not available then just E-mail darincriterion14@yahoo.com and I'll be happy to send you any of the episodes.

The RoseBuds Ep 47 - Our Five Favorite Actresses

     In this episode Andrew and Darin countdown their favorite actresses of all time.  Also Darin recaps his busy week. Just click the link down below. Happy listening!


Episode 47 - Our Five Favorite Actresses


Hey if this episode is not available or you want to know about our other episodes E-mail us at therosebuds13@gmail.com and we will be happy to send it to you.   

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

By Darin Skaggs

     The Marvel cinematic universe has become a familiar one.  One of our four main heroes, either together or on their own, will have to stop some bad guy plotting to take over the entire world.  Even though the films are rising in quality, they are still too familiar.  Fortunately, James Gunn’s new film and next step in the Marvel cinematic universe Guardians of the Galaxy takes a new look at a whole other world and lesser known characters. 

     Guardians tells the tale of earthling Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) who is abducted by aliens moments after his mom passes away.  Twenty six years later Quill is sarcastic, a fugitive and gives off major Indiana Jones/Han Solo vibes.  Eventually the team all end up together and have to stop the evil Ronan from, yes, taking over the universe.  Even though it is a similar plot to all the other Marvel films with its save the world story, that is all secondary to the fantastic origin story of a team forming and a friendship blossoming between these unlikely heroes. 

      The film gives off major Raiders of the Lost Ark vibes in the first scene and throughout the film gives off big Star Wars vibes.  Quill has the tragic back story of Luke Skywalker, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) plays a strong female lead much like Princess Liea.  The buddy duo of Rocket Racoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Voiced by Vin Diesel) mirror Han and Chewbacca.  Drax doesn’t mirror another character much, maybe a bit of C3PO, but he is a great addition to the already great cast.  With the similarities story wise, even the villain Ronan (Lee Pace) seems like a Darth Vader type, it is certain that director James Gunn took a lot of inspiration from Star Wars and many other aspects of his childhood.  It almost seems he is using these characters to remake Star Wars. He is giving us the movie we should have got instead of the prequel films we have.

     When Gunn is not remaking Star Wars, he is parodying The Avengers and Marvel in general.  The Avengers are slick, shiny, formed by an organization and refer to themselves as Earth’s mightiest heroes.  The Guardians are rude, dirty, self-employed and are constantly referring to themselves as a bunch of A-holes.  They mirror some traits as the Avengers, Quill has a mask like Iron Man, Dax mirrors the Hulk among other similarities.  It seems Marvel is making fun of itself which is a good move on their part.  Also they become friends and partners on their own which really comes through in the script and the acting. 

     Just like the other Marvel films this has spectacular action.  There is a prison break scene that is fantastic.  The finale to the film could compete with any other scenes Marvel has done.  Guardians plays with your expectations as well, saying you don’t have to shoot your laser or beat up someone to defeat the villain, you can just use your wit to overcome the situation.

WINTER'S TALE

By Darin Skaggs

    Films are on a pattern of unoriginality and cliché story making.  Some filmmakers take this to task and attempt to make original material with some instances of successful attempts.  Others however do not, including the filmmakers of Akiva Goldsmith’s Winter’s Tale, which is an original tale but an over the top crazy film that all adds up to a confusing, unsatisfying mess.

     Winter’s Tale is a story about Peter Lake (Colin Ferrell).  He is a fugitive on the run from the mysterious Pearly (Russell Crowe).  While in a home, that Peter is there to rob, so he could get by, he meets a dying girl named Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay).  They form a relationship and fall in love.  Eventually she dies, he is heartbroken.  This leads to a scene of Pearly throwing Peter off a bridge.  Somehow, it is explained but still, Lake survives the fall and comes out of the water.  It has been one hundred years and is now 2014.  He then does many other confusing things along with other characters having very confusing conversations.

     The film is downright silly.  The first scene between Peter and Pearly, Peter escapes with a horse that is clearly magical because he jumps a ten foot fence.  The magic or better said supernatural quality comes out of nowhere and is definitely out of place in the film.  You learn a bit into the film that Pearly may or may not be a demon better proved by one of the most hilarious and bizarre cameos in film history.  The first two acts of the movie are based on this love story which ends with her death.  He then somehow time travels one hundred years and starts a new adventure after he remembers who he is.  This apparently takes the one hundred years.  The film loses your interest after the love story and it definitely loses focus.  It speeds up a story we don’t have much interest in and concludes other story lines with mediocre scenes. 

     The film is a complete mess and does nothing with its story.  It is acted fine but nothing can really save this story.  It mixes magic and romance genres but fails to do so in an interesting way.  It is a film that could be watched as a so bad it’s good, but will frustrate anyone looking for a good film to watch.