Short Reviews #5

Movies  

Annabelle: Creation

Rating: 3/5 Stars

If there was one thing I was not expecting this year, it was that a Conjuring universe would be established. But, it seems that is the case, as there is now yet another movie revolving around Annabelle, the frightening doll that appeared in "The Conjuring". I really liked the way the doll was utilized in that film. It was more of a small subplot, but man the moments with it there were some of the absolute scariest in the whole film. However, the prequel film "Annabelle" was just awful. All the scares it had were just jump scares with no buildup, the characters are bland, the plot is predictable, and the movie is just boring. It has every single horror trope you'd expect, and they aren't manipulated cleverly. I did become interested with Annabelle Creation once I saw that David Sandberg was the director. He made a really solid horror movie in "Lights Out". It's clear he's influenced by James Wan, and Wan has even said Sandberg is his protege. Although "Creation" isn't as good as his other movie, it still is much better than its predecessor.

There are quite a few things going for this movie. One of them is that it is legitimately scary a lot of the time. There are so many memorable moments here where I was certainly on edge. One of them in particular had to do with this scarecrow that was established in the beginning of the film. The payoff with it created one of the scariest horror scenes I've watched in recent memory; I was holding my breath the whole time. Annabelle is thankfully utilized a lot more in this film, the doll is really a character here. It was interesting to see the doll get a bit of sympathy with her very human backstory. Sandberg has a lot of different ways of scaring his audience with seemingly innocent objects such as  an electric chair or that aforementioned scarecrow. He is clever in establishing them at the beginning and always giving the audience an effective payoff. In addition to good scares, there are also some great performances in this movie. Talitha Bateman as main character Janice is an easily identifiable highlight. She is a great child actor, actually giving her character complexity and the audience a reason to root for her. We actually care whether she survives. The same can be said for Lulu Wilson as Linda. I was impressed with her work in "Ouija: Origin of Evil", and she impresses once again here. I won't be surprised to see her in other movies as well. In fact, pretty much all the child actors here are good, and since they are the main characters, that helps elevate this film.

There are some weaker points to the film as well. While there are some good scares, there are also some cheap ones. Unlike in Wan's films, the jump scares here don't always have payoffs. A lot of times they're just annoying "gotcha" moments. Also, I feel as though some of the characters in this movie, particularly Sister Charlotte and Janice, can be really stupid. They make decisions in this movie that just don't feel logical, like constantly going back to Annabelle's room or trying to get rid of the doll on their own. There are plenty of intelligent moments in the movie, which is why the stupid ones feel all the more out of place. Also, pretty much all of the adult performances weren't that good. I didn't care at all for Stephanie Sigman as Sister Charlotte; she was completely bland. I also didn't like Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto as Annabelle's parents. They just weren't given anything engaging to do. Even though the negatives of this movie are a problem, "Creation" is still a massive improvement over "Annabelle". I would recommend giving it a shot if you want a fun horror flick.
 

Music  

“The Peace and the Panic” by Neck Deep

Rating: 4/5 Stars

I am not normally the biggest fan of the pop/punk genre. There are the few exceptions such as Green Day and the newer band Waterparks. But overall, the genre just feels like its stuck in a rut of repetition to me. Neck Deep's critically acclaimed album "Life's Not Out to Get You" didn't convince me that they were any different. I didn't understand the praise of that album, as it just felt overall very cliched to me. Every song sounded the same, and all the pop/punk tropes were there. But, with this new album, my interest in them is now piqued, and I might even say in the future that I'm a fan of them. This album does have some songs of the aforementioned styling, but most of them are actually really fun. Opening track "Motion Sickness" definitely fits the pop/punk genre. You just can't help bobbing your head along to it, and the chorus is very catchy. "Happy Judgement Day" is one of the highlights of the album, with a smart, satirical approach to politics. You can tell that the whole band is enjoying themselves here, and the more rock styling of this song works in its favor. "The Grand Delusion" has  some serious sincerity to it as Ben Barlow states, "I'm coming to the conclusion/I think I would rather be/Anyone else but me". The best track on the album for me is "In Bloom", which received a lot of controversy by fans because they thought it was too pop. I personally find the track to be charming, especially in its bright guitar work. Barlow's voice is at its absolute best here. "Don't Wait" is an intense hard rock track which is fun in its own way, and Sam Carter of Architects' feature here is amazing as expected. Other highlights include "Parachute" and the contemplative closer "Where Do We Go When We Go". As far as negatives go, I don't care too much about "Wish You Were Here"; it's a cheesy breakup ballad. I also find "Heavy Lies" not very engaging. Still, overall this is a really good release for the pop/punk community, as we finally have a newer band in the genre who is willing to take risks!

Favorite Tracks: "In Bloom", "Don't Wait", "Happy Judgement Day", "Motion Sickness", "Where Do We Go When We Go"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Wish You Were Here", "Heavy Lies"

“The Beauty Between” by Kings Kaleidoscope
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Kings Kaleidoscope have made an excellent release for the worship community a third time. They prove that they are actually a band that wants defy worship conventions rather than make it a convenient selling point. This album isn't really a worship album, it's actually a mixtape, which I didn't think any kind of worship band could pull off. But KK does it very well. The album starts off comfortably with the title track, which initially sounds as though it could be at home on their first album. But then, Andy Mineo comes in, and the hip-hop influences appear. It's executed very naturally, and it sounds like KK have been doing this genre for years. The track moves into "Alive", easily the best song on the whole release. It's pure hype fuel, with Beleaf, Braille, and Derek Minor all making some excellent contributions. It's also a victorious statement about how in God we can rise up. "Safe Retreat" works as a beautiful worshipful moment in the middle of the album. This song has some touching lyricism as well: "It's when I'm broken that I'm standing open handed/Reaching out to my father/Knowing you understand me/In Your arms I can safely rest". KK prove yet again that they have some of the best worship lyrics out there. I also really love "Sticks and Stones" and especially "Playing With Fire", which effectively tackles white privilege. The album closes nicely with the contemplative "Rain". One of the tracks here that doesn't work as well is "Sometimes Phoenix", which doesn't stylistically go with the rest of the album. I also feel as though the interludes are awkward and unnecessary. Still, this album marks another risk-taking work in KK's discography. I just can't wait to see what this band does next to shake the foundations of worship music.

Favorite Songs: "Alive", "Safe Retreat", "Rain", "Playing With Fire", "The Beauty Between"
Least Favorite Songs: "Sometimes Phoenix", "Does It Feel Like Love Yet"/"Every Branch"

“Revival” by Third Day
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I've had an interesting relationship with Third Day's music over the years. As a kid, there was a time when Third Day was my favorite band. I must've listened to "Wherever You Are" and "Revelation" dozens of times. As I grew older, I fell off from them, especially when they released two lackluster albums in "Move" and "Miracle". But when I got older, I went back into their older discography and found a lot more to love. Their new album "Lead Us Back" revitalized my interest in the band's modern releases, as it is a superb worship album in every way. "Revival" might legitimately be one of Third Day's best releases to date. It goes back to their southern rock roots while adding in a gospel infused sound. It feels like you are in a southern church service from back in the day, and that's not a bad thing at all. The album starts off excellently with the title track, which is so much fun with the way the guitars and pianos work. Like in most of the songs on this release, Mac Powell's baritone voice just fits in naturally with this style; the last time he sounded this good was on "Revelation". "Gonna Be There With Me" is a foot-stomping anthem and expresses such an excitement about heaven that it's contagious. "Leave This World Behind" and "Gather Round Now" are two of the most intense rockers that the band has done in recent memory. But my favorite song actually comes in "Loves Me Like a Rock", which has some really good gang vocals and almost sounds like a Gaither Band song. I think most Christians will find it easy to enjoy this bluegrass infused tune which just has a pure fun vibe to it. I also really dig the more radio friendly songs on this album, especially the beautiful and touching "In Your Hands", which gives the listener reassurance that all their troubles will be answered by God. "Nobody Loves Me Like Jesus" is cheesy, but it's still enjoyable. "Devotion" ends off the album in an appropriately reverent way, and stands tall as another major highlight. The only song I really don't care for is the somewhat conventional "Faithful and True". I can't help but love this album though, as it already sounds vintage and timeless. It doesn't sound like Third Day is going anywhere soon, and if they keep releasing material like this, I'm all for them staying around!

Favorite Tracks: "Loves Me Like a Rock", "Gonna Be There With Me", "Devotion", "In Your Hands", "Revival"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Faithful and True"

"Dunkirk" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5

Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite directors (if not my absolute favorite). I love how over and over again he is able to make great movies- including what is still my favorite film of all time, "The Dark Knight". Even some of my least favorites by him still have a lot of great material to digest. "Dunkirk" takes place in World War II, when allied soldiers from Belgium, the United Kingdom, and France are all surrounded by the powerful German soldiers. Because the war has become extremely dangerous, Winston Churchill orders that many of the soldiers be evacuated, but this rescue mission won't be easy. German bombers are still a present threat and there are a lack of military ships to help, so instead the soldiers will have to rely on the help of common people. While I wouldn't call this movie one of Nolan's best, it is still a unique movie in the war genre. It's an absolute visual spectacle with some great understated performances, and it effectively shows the horror of one contained moment.

It's no surprise in this movie that Nolan constantly shifts between different points in this movie as well as show how the different plots collide. There are three main moments the viewer is focused on: The Mole (which takes place over 1 week), the sea (which takes place over a day), and the air (which takes place over 1 hour). It took some getting used to at first to consider that all these events were actually taking place over different stretches of time. But, once I got used to it, the way Nolan utilizes these three places is creatively executed. At different points in the movie, one of these elements can collide with the other (for example, a character we see getting rescued at the Sea actually interacts with the main character who is on The Mole), and it's cleverly done. Nolan knows how to manipulate complicated timelines- although this timeline is much more straightforward than some of his other films). What really had me enjoying this movie, though, was the sheer spectacle of it all. Right from the very beginning shot of this movie, I was hooked. I don't remember the last movie that drew me in that quickly. But it felt like most every shot in this movie had some memorable image that will be burned in my memory for a while, such as the shot with hundreds and hundreds of soldiers all ducking down as a German plane comes towards them. It's one of the most chilling shots I've ever seen in any film. The plane sequences in this movie are some of the best parts. I felt the visceral intensity of being in the plane, because Nolan took the time to make his audience feel like the planes were real. He did a lot of practical interior/exterior shots of the plane, as if we were the ones on the plane. I'd never seen plane battles done the way he did them. That aspect, along with the intense gun shot sound design, always made me feel on edge whenever those scenes were happening. There were a lot of moments with the camera just sweeping over the beach or the sea that were gorgeous to look at. The usage of darker blues and greys in the film helped add to the grim feel of this movie. Although there are some other problems I have with this film, I can't deny that "Dunkirk" is Nolan's greatest technical achievement to date in every way. It takes risks that many films won't. If this movie does not win an Oscar for special effects or something along those lines I will consider it a huge disservice to all the hard work that Nolan and his team clearly put in.

As far as the performances go, I felt like they were all respectively great. Fionn Whitehead as Tommy is the main character, although he's one of the people in the movie with the least amount of dialogue- but that's not saying much because there wasn't a whole lot of dialogue in this film in general. This choice by Nolan works well for the situation these characters are in. It's a frightening one where people would definitely be stuck in their heads trying to survive, not trying to talk to one another constantly. Nolan has some great dialogue in his other movies that make powerful thematic statements. In this film by not having minimal dialogue, he's making a totally different statement, and it's powerful in its own way. But back to the performances now that I've gotten that point out of the way. Whitehead is superb as Tommy; I really did like following him and seeing things through his eyes. The way his character reacted felt very accurate to the situation he was in: while Tommy didn't want to sacrifice himself and die in this rescue situation, he also didn't want anybody else to have to die either. I was a little concerned about Harry Styles being a part of this movie, as I'm pretty sure he hasn't acted in the past, and I thought Nolan only cast him because he's well-known in the music scene. But, Styles honestly surprised me and put in a balanced performance; he never went over the top or showed up anybody. In fact, he has one of the most memorable scenes in the whole film. My favorite performance was Barry Keoghan as George. I felt George actually had the most character development out of everyone in this movie, and he wasn't even a soldier. But that powerfully showed Nolan's theme of how ordinary people in extraordinary situations could still be heroes. Keoghan makes George out to be a funny and compassionate character. I felt the weight in him saying that he'd like to actually do something for a change. Tom Hardy has yet another excellent performance under his belt as the main pilot Farrier. He shows once again that he can emote so much in his eyes without having to say a word- that's what makes him one of the most underrated modern actors. Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance both (of course) gave superb work. They really disappeared into their roles. I never saw either of them. Instead I saw their characters, and that really goes for every performance in this movie. I didn't feel there was a weak link in the cast.

There are just a few problems I have with this movie. One is sort of a minor nitpick- there was hardly any blood in the film. Now, I understand that "Dunkirk" is PG-13, and maybe Nolan just wanted to make it more accessible rather than super gory like "Saving Private Ryan". I think that maybe just putting in a little blood could've increased the realism of what was already an intense feeling movie. But my bigger problem is the lack of character development. Now, I understand that having one central character in this movie was not the film's purpose. Nolan wanted to focus instead on what was a frightening event for everyone. But the only characters that I really cared about were George, Mr. Dawson, and Peter. They weren't really the ones whose lives were in peril, at least not to the extent of the soldiers. I'm not proposing that the characters should've had deep,long conversations with one another (like the stupid padding time that occurs in "Pearl Harbor"), but I think at least a few conversations between characters like Tommy and Alex could've helped. I repeat, I understand not having any one person developed was Nolan's intent. I still think at least a few of the soldiers could've had their personality revealed in subtle ways a bit more so we could care for them.

The slight problem of character development aside, I still can comfortably say that "Dunkirk" is really good. I've never seen a war movie like this. Although it's not quite the masterpiece that some of Nolan's other movies are in certain aspects, it is still easily his best movie on the technical side. All the visual moments in this movie just stick. Of course, movies are supposed to have great visuals, but this movie really felt like a visual experience, which can't be said about every movie out there. That alone makes this film sure to be in my top 10 at the end of the year. I definitely recommend watching it just to see a great director hitting gold once again. Be on the lookout for my ranking of all of Nolan's movies!

PVRIS "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

PVRIS came into almost instant popularity with the release of their debut album "White Noise" in 2014. And I personally think that was for good reason. This album has been on repeat for me for a long time. I love how seamlessly it combines electronic/synth with hard rock elements. There are so many memorable songs on here, especially the aggressive rocker "My House" (still my favorite song by the band to date) and the calling out of hypocrites in "Holy". What attached me to this band more than anything else was the superb vocalist Lynn Gunn. She really does have a powerhouse of a voice, and can sound beautiful or harsh with ease. So, there's a lot going for PVRIS. Their sophomore release has an interesting concept in being inspired by Emily Dickinson poems. "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell" is certainly a solid release, but it doesn't impress quite as much as the debut did.

This album starts off excellently with the first three tracks. "Heaven" was a great choice for a lead single, as it is definitely one of the best tracks on the album. The atmosphere of this song is haunting to say the least; Lynn's voice sends chills up my spine every time. The subtle addition of a piano works as well. Subject-wise this song has a heartbreaking weight to it, given in part by the huge emotion that Lynn evokes through the power of her vocals. The lyrics "You took my heart/You took my heaven away" have an intense vulnerability that works well for the song. The chorus of this track is musically awesome, with fast paced drumming, big synths, and a powerful guitar. The next song "Half" is also incredible. This one is more of just a straight up rock track, and for that reason it stands all the more tall in the track listing. The more subtle use of electronics strengthens the song further. The musicianship in this track is just tight overall, and Lynn's voice is really able to go to some amazing places here. I love getting to hear her full voice here, as that isn't always the case on this album (more on that later). "What's Wrong" is definitely the best song on the album, and it may even end up being one of the best songs of the year. This one feels like it could fit right into "White Noise", and maybe that's why I like it so much. The aggressive feel on this one is amped up even more than the previous two songs, making for the first three tracks having a nice progression of intensity. This song is also lyrically very angry, but the anger feels fitting: "I know it’s so wrong but I’m so far gone/Don’t need you to tell me I’m so cynical/Quit being so over-skeptical/Don’t need a metaphor for you to know I’m miserable". The sheer honesty here is compelling to me, and it helps the chorus even more that it is so catchy. This track reaches an amazing height where Lynn gets to unleash in her voice and verge on screaming; it's truly a delight to hear. This is one of the band's best songs to date.

There aren't any songs that quite reach the heights that the first three tracks go to, but there are still some tracks on here that I would certainly consider good. "Same Soul" is the only acoustic track on the album, and Lynn's more light vocal textures work well on the song. The lyrics are also very well-written: "I think we’ve loved a thousand lives/I try to find you every time/Searching for those same wide eyes that locked me in, in my first life". There's a sort of simplistic beauty to this song where it doesn't necessarily have to try to be an epic rocker. Also, Lynn's little laugh at the end comes across as charming rather than forced, and it's an effective way to relieve from the overall dark content the rest of the album has. "No Mercy" is a catchy pop/rock tune that reminds a lot of "Fire" from the band's debut. Although it's not all that unique, I still can't help but have fun and sing along with it. "Winter" is probably the biggest highlight out of the remaining tracks that I enjoy, as the chorus in this song sticks. The imagery that Lynn evokes here is also intriguing: "Can you burn a fire in my flesh?/Cause your love’s so cold I see my breath/I can’t take another night/Always frozen by your side." The musicality of this song really vibes with me, as the way the synths and guitars combine together is nicely executed.

There are some songs on this album that don't work quite as well, even though I don't necessarily hate them. "Walk Alone" is my least favorite, because its five minute run time is simply not justified. I've heard the subject matter it's talked about many times before, and done in better ways. I also feel as though musically this song is actually way too overproduced- a problem apparent in all of these weaker tracks. Lynn's voice actually gets bogged down in the production here, which is disappointing. The song also has this weird bizarre ending interlude that just doesn't work as a good transition. While I could feel the sadness coming from Lynn's voice, "Anyone Else" is still a bit of a cliched break up song. No new ideas are presented here, and the synths and guitars don't come together as naturally here as they do in other songs. Lynn's voice once again doesn't have the power it should due to the production. "Nola 1" is an underwhelming ending which I think was trying to exude the catchy rock feel that "Let You In" had on the band's debut, but it's not done as well.

There are some weaker moments on this album, especially in terms of some of the problematic production, and a few songs running too long. But I still can't help but enjoy this release overall. It's not going to turn any heads as a legendary rock release, because this album just isn't at that level, and I don't think it's trying to be. However, I can see the potential for PVRIS to make a game-changing album in the future based on the excellent first three tracks. "All We Know of Heaven..." is far from a sophomore slump. It's one of the most fun rock releases of 2017, and I'm going to have it on repeat for the rest of the year!

Favorite Songs: "What's Wrong", "Heaven", "Half", "Winter", "Same Soul"
Least Favorite Songs: "Walk Alone", "Nola 1", "Anyone Else"