Life in the Material world, a review!

   
Hey there, Pandora here after a long absence but trust me it'll be worth it.

I have just finished watching George Harrison: Life in the Material world. I'm a massive Beatles fan, and a lot has been done on The Beatles as a group, and John Lennon as a solo artist, but there seems to be an absence of recent out put about the others. This is often explained by the sad loss of John at a young age, and although this is true (and tragic) I feel that this isn't completely fair. George Harrison, in my opinion, was an amazing guitarist and song writer. So when Life in the Material World came out I was intrigued, although I have to admit it did take a while to get round to watching it. At a whopping 208 minutes, its not exactly something you watch any time. So here goes, my thoughts on George Harrison: Life in the Material World.
   
    First off that run time. Although it seems long, none of it drags and it really didn't seem all that long to me. There was a lot to cover through his life and none if it rushed, or drawn out. Surprisingly more time is dedicated to the end of The Beatles career than the start. This may be due to the latter having the more profound effect on George. It also covers very sensitively the struggle George had within The Beatles to be recognised as a song writer on his own merit. Also, a lot of time is dedicated to his time with the Maharishi, again something that had a profound effect on his life and beliefs. I was genuinely thrilled that it has been balanced in such a way that the things that mattered to George where the things that got the most screen time. This shows how important it is to have someone who knew the subject of a documentary intimately is to the quality of the final product. It is also not afraid to cover things like his experience with drugs, which surprised me a little as drugs these days are kept off screen unless it's to enforce a negative image.

    The interviews were amazing, well balanced but personal. No one tried to paint him as perfect or a saint, Olivia for example mentions his affairs quite candidly. As well as talking about George as a person they also spoke about the impact George had made on there lives. Which, to me, is just as important. The idea of a documentary on a persons life is so you can know them better, and knowing the impact George Harrison had on so many people better explained the kind of person that he was. There is a good mixture of funny and moving stories, some have been previously publicised others are more personal. Even the more well known stories, for example the end of his first marriage and the break in at his home, are given new dimension by the personal touch the interviews add. So even if you think you know everything about George Harrison's life, it is still worth a watch.
   
    The visuals for this documentary I found quite strange. The mix of archive footage and interviews was fairly standard for a work of this type. The archive footage being a mixture of interviews and public appearances and home movie footage. The thing that I found strange, and this might just be me, was the slide show type sections of still images, often displayed with music over the top. I can understand the inclusion of the stills, but I feel that this would have been more effective if there was a story behind them being told. Slightly off topic, the use of Dhani Harrison for the voice over section for letter's was a great idea, he looks and sounds exactly like George.

    The only thing I have to say that is quite negative is I'm not sure what the mass appeal of this would be. I went into this as a fan of George Harrison and wanting to know more about him, however I'm not sure what a casual viewer would take away from this. This is a documentary not a biography, so it might be difficult for someone who knows little about The Beatles to enjoy. Maybe this is true of all documentaries, and an existing knowledge is presumed. Olivia Harrison was quoted as saying she wasn't sure she wanted people to see the documentary, but I for one am very glad I did.

Pandora: Rock Horror Picture Show Review

          Hey there, Pandora here discussing the Rocky Horror Picture Show. What makes this film so popular, and does it deserve its 'cult classic' status? The Rocky Horror Picture Show has become a massive phenomenon but is it really worth the hype?

          The story for the film is quite simple. A newly engaged couple is travelling to see a former professor, get a flat tire and they go to seek help from a nearby castle. That's really it. The rest of the story follows what happens to them inside the castle. Okay it's not quite that simple. The film is intended as a homage to, and spoof of, old sci-fi and horror films. The castle belongs to Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a scientist, alien, hedonist, transvestite, and the night Brad and Janet arrive he is unveiling his latest creation to the Transylvanian "Unconventional Conventionists". So what the story is really about is the two nice wholesome kids, Brad and Janet, being dragged into this insane world. Throw in a love affair, a murder and a wedding and it covers all the bases.

          So a plot that on the surface seems simple becomes great by the execution, because the film is quite short it never feels like the scenes drag, and the plot is not so complex that it seems rushed. The pacing of the film always seems spot on. Although there are some scenes that seem random they always have an impact on the story, the characters or their motivation. For example, the scene with Eddie coming out of the deep freeze does seem random but it is this that pushes Columbia away from Frank. Even the professor they are going to visit becomes relevant when he arrives at the castle looking for Eddie. Even the most random scenes in the film mesh into the story line.

          The characters in the film are one of the main reasons the film is so memorable. They are all vivid and unique, drawing on the conventions of horror film traditions, the helpless heroine, the mad scientist and the hunchbacked butler all make an appearance. It's also to do with the way the characters are played, all the actors seem to be having massive amounts of fun making the film and this shows. The acting, especially Tim Curry, is over the top to the extreme but it works so well. Everything about the film is over the top. I always find a film is only as likeable as the characters, so for this reason alone it’s an amazing film. The way the characters play off against each other also works well. With the extremes of Frank-N-Furter and Janet, who faints at the Time Warp, and how these characters change through the course of the film. None of the characters seem obsolete or replaceable, the film wouldn't work if any of these characters were missing or replaced.

          No one can talk about The Rocky Horror Picture Show without mentioning the sound track. There is only one song that doesn't seem to fit, Sword of Damocles, which is sung by Rocky Horror when he first emerges. This is the only song that seems out of place and doesn't fit with the character that is singing it. Okay the Time Warp is random but it still works in the context of the characters that are singing it, and it seems more like how they would phrase things, plus it is a good introduction to the mood of the film and the situation Brad and Janet have found themselves in. It's not that it is a bad song in itself it just doesn't seem to fit. As for the best songs in the film it's a tough call between Science Fiction Double Feature and the floor show. Science Fiction Double Feature is the opening song of the film and it really sets up what is the inspiration for the film, listing charters such a Michael Rene and Faye Ray and King Kong. The floor show is one of the most famous scenes in the film but the reason the music is so good, especially Rose Tint My World, is it really captures the characters and how the events of the film have changed them.

         

          So that's why the film is so popular everything comes together to create something amazing, unique, quirky and edgy. I think it deserves its cult status. And is it worth the hype? If you don't know already I recommend watching it just to find out.

Pandora gives us a slice of music.

Hi there, Pandora here. When I was deciding what to write about this time, I decided I didn't want to rant about stuff I hate all the time. So that got me to thinking, why not share the reasons why I really like something instead. So here you go; plus it means I am much less angry because I get to do stuff I enjoy rather than moan about stuff I hate.

This month there has been an album I have not been able to stop listening to - Ten Years Gone: the Best of Everclear 1994 - 2004. When I was first played Everclear I found them hard to get into as a band, mainly because I was introduced to them as a Grunge band. On the surface they do have the makings of one, with catchy hooks and heavy guitar lines; but for me there was a certain rawness missing from their sound. There are exceptions to this, most notably Fire Maple Song. Lyrically a lot of their songs are from the Grunge end of the music spectrum, giving songs a heartfelt and open quality. Also, the song styles vary so much that I found it hard to know how to take the band. For example tracks like Wonderful, a retrospective look at the feelings of a boy as his parents were splitting up; and Father Of Mine, about the singer's father leaving, are placed between songs like Volvo Driving Soccer Mom and AM Radio.

One of the main reasons this album has been stealing my mind so much is a lot to do with the fact there are so many different sounds and 'feels' to the songs on the album. There is something to match your mood no matter what it might be, and there is never too much of one thing. For example, for all the tracks about loss and separation, there are also songs about love and hope. This is one time I am glad to admit I was wrong. What I originally saw as an inconsistency in style I now see as a kind of honesty. Although the singer has obviously been through bad times, he clearly appreciates the good things that happen. This means that listening to them isn't all doom and gloom but isn't all lightness and frivolity. Saying that, some of the more upbeat songs on this album have very deep lyrics, which is another reason I really started liking the band. In an era when a lot of bands with the same kind of sound were singing about sex and fart jokes, Everclear had real substance to their material.

There are 2 cover tracks on this album, and I have to say that they were brave choices. By the law of covers because I like the originals I shouldn't like the covers, but because the band makes them their own it works. The slower version of 'Boys Are Back In Town' works surprisingly well. I really like the Thin Lizzy original, but both tempo's work equally well. The cover of Van Morrison's 'Brown Eyed Girl' has the addition of 2 extra lines at the start makes it sound more unique and is a very clever idea. It becomes a self aware cover version, as the singer is sining along to the radio.

Everclear is a great band, although it did take a while for them to grow on me. I totally recommend checking them out. My personal favourite tracks, and ones I really recommend, are 'Fire Maple Song', 'Summerland' and 'Local God'.

Welcome, Pandora!

          This is Pandora. A short intro may be in order: I am a gamer geek who also happens to be a girl - we exist, honest! I play RPGs, table top games and console games and I take all of them very seriously. By seriously I mean I have a large collection of XBox games, I have characters for several RPGs and I have a fair few Warhammer and Warhammer 40K armies and a Warmachine army. Which is the point of the first piece that I am doing. I would like to point out that I know this isn't the case all of the time, with all people - this is based on some of my experiences and some experiences I know other girls have had.

          First of all, back off into the mists of time, when I was still in college, my group of friends would often go to the local LAN arena to play. Normally this would mean a first person shooter, mainly Call of Duty, Day of Defeat, Battlefield Vietnam or Halo; and although I am not usually a PC gamer - preferring consoles for the lack of having to upgrade once a week to be able to run new releases. I became very good at them - note the DM and 4G can back this up, and I'm not just bragging. For example, holding off in a 2 vs. 1 scenario on Battlefield Vietnam for an hour and a half, and the other team having to napalm me out in the end. Now most of the people I played with did take me seriously, but I did get the occasional comment of "You're good … for a girl." This is the most rage inducing statement that anyone could make to me. I don't see why that should affect my ability to play computer games.

          Ah, I hear you say that was then and this is now. Well this also goes into the game retail industry, and is still ongoing to this day. For example, imagine the total annoyance of this scenario: you are out shopping and find something you want to buy, but whilst you are trying to pay for said item the person serving is talking past you to the person you are with. This has happened to me on more than one occasion buying games, but only ever when the person I am shopping with is a guy. This has even happened when the person I am with has explained the game is for me and I am the one who is going to play it, but they still talked past me to them. This kind of leads me onto another point: this has only happened when I am buying FPS or combat/fighting games. Where as if I am buying an RPG or especially a JRPG I have never had that happen. Is there some sort of unwritten law that its fine for girls to be into some game types and not others? If so, why? I am good at FPS games, and beat 'em up games, though I still can't beat Auros at Soul Calibur - as well as RPGs. This happened recently enough for the game I was buying to be Red Dead Redemption.

          I have to say I have been lucky with pen and paper RPGing, the group I play with, when I get chance, are totally cool with the idea that I am perfectly capable of playing, coming up with plans and kicking ass in most RPG scenarios. Table top war gaming, however, is a different matter. For example I have been told that for Warhammer and 40K that I have "typical girl armies." Again, another rage inducing statement. My armies are chosen because I like the models, background fluff and abilities of said army. For example, the first army I collected was the Sisters of Battle; not because it was a "girl's army" but because I like the idea of battle nuns. I liked the models and thought I could build and play well with them. My choice was that simple. It would be the same incentive guys use to buy their armies; Space Marines, for example, is a typical "guy army."

          So there is my rant, I have tried not to get too wound up. I am sure there are a few girls out there who have similar, or worse experiences, and there are lots of people who take girl gamers seriously. It just seems the industry at large doesn't - games aimed at a female audience is a totally separate rant that I won't start now.