Breaking Bad Review

Vince Gilligan, known for his work in supernatural series, The X Files and superhero movie, Hancock pitched his contemporary show, Breaking Bad to AMC back in 2008, exhibiting a mission statement, which amounted to a monumental spoiler: he would transform Mr Average Joe into Scarface.

Breaking Bad, starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul is a thrilling new TV show which tells the story of Walter White (Cranston), an underachieving (but menacingly clever) chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife Skyler (Anna Gunn) and his disabled teenage son Walter White Jr. (RJ Mitte) When Walter is diagnosed with stage three lung cancer and given a year or so to live, he decides to transform his life into the seedy world of drugs and crime, becoming a proficient cook of crystal meth along with his former student Jesse, (Aaron Paul) determined to build a small fortune and ensuring that his family are financially secure in the future.

Proving to be more then adequate in this new world as he begins manufacturing and selling some of the finest methamphetamine in the country aided by his expertise in science, Breaking Bad tracks the impacts of how a fatal diagnosis affects a regular hard working man and how far he will go to guarantee the safety of his beloved family. Commencing with chaotic improvisation, with Walt’s entry into the drug business seeing him and Jesse haplessly attempting to dissolve a corpse in a bathtub with acid that goes sensationally wrong, Breaking Bad, through a series of anarchic and turbulent circumstances sees Walt make incredibly difficult choices, evolving him with increasing arrogance and egotism and revolutionising him into a major player of the drug trade.  

Breaking Bad is an incredibly refreshing, original series and a great take on the “antihero” drama, brandishing a bad boy character in which we root for in spite of ourselves and daring its intended audience to understand and sympathise with a monster. It is a radical television show, in the style of The Sopranos and a must watch series with every explicitly addictive cliffhanger leaving viewers craving for more. Season by season, each new episode arrives laden with foreshadowing and with betrayal on the way: we know what has to happen, but not how it comes to be.

Where Breaking Bad comes into its own league however is the sheer brilliance of the acting with some incredible performances coming from Anna Gunn who plays Walt’s estranged wife and Aaron Paul as Jesse, the drop out student - turned junkie who becomes Walt’s trusted partner despite massive differences in personalities. However it is Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of Walt that simply steals the show. Once universally praised for his work in Malcolm in the middle, Cranston really blossoms with his rare gift of generating sympathy and manic – energy simultaneously, perfect for the role of Walter White. His idiosyncratic performance is truly a wonder to behold and completely deserves the Emmy award he won in 2010.    

With the last of its episodes scheduled for next summer, it has allocated Gilligan time to shape and perfect his ending allowing Breaking Bad to conclude at a rightful time, a commodity that so many multi season dramas don’t have, usually blemishing their effectiveness and success. Despite being only five seasons long, Breaking Bad has achieved everything it has set out to accomplish and will live long in the memories of fans and viewers alike with its ferocious intensity, realism and astounding acting. If you have not encountered this show yet and are a fan of nastily funny black comedy satires then this show is a must see. 

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises 2012

Seven years ago, British director Christopher Nolan brought to life one of the most adored comic book heroes in exhilarating fashion in “Batman Begins.” Reintroducing the legendary caped crusader on the big screen with gritty realism and ferocious attention to detail, Gotham’s Dark Knight was finally rewarded with a highly dignified movie, presenting a completely new style of superhero into an emphatically real – world crime epic. Three years later, Nolan returned in astonishing form to stun audiences again with “The Dark Knight,” expanding everything that was outstanding in its predecessor, resulting in Oscar success and firmly establishing these two superhero movies as possibly the finest comic book adaptations of all time.

In this third and final instalment of the Batman Trilogy, Nolan again gifts viewers one of the most enthralling and entertaining movie experiences of the year, but is this concluding motion picture as exceptional and pleasing as the first two? The answer is… almost, but despite the movie being bigger and far more ambitious than the first two, “The Dark Knight rises” lacks the exceptional storytelling and that initial spark that made “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” so compelling to view. However, “The Dark Knight Rises” is an extremely worthy inclusion of this exceptional movie trilogy and proudly defeats its superhero movie rivals of 2012; “The amazingly (average) Spiderman” and “The Avengers”      

Eight long years have elapsed since the Joker terrorised the streets of Gotham and the metropolis has been clear of any wrong doing with the Harvey Dent Act fully imposed on the criminal world. Bruce Wayne has long since hung up his cape after rescuing his beloved city from the grip of the Joker, but has lost his will to have a life after the death of both his love, Rachel Dawes and his heroic alter ego Batman after taking full responsibility for the death of Harvey Dent. But beneath the streets a fire is rising, stimulated by fanatical warlord Bane (Tom Hardy) and his army of relentless thugs who plan to burn Gotham city to the ground. This gas masked revolutionary, with a build similar to an ox, spurs Bruce back into action, returning to save his city once again from the clutches of evil. Along with Selina Kyle, (Anne Hathaway) a cat burglar who infiltrates Wayne Manor, stealing a necklace belonging to his late mother and with a parallel taste for mischief, Bruce soon realises that his mission to restore order (again) to Gotham is going to be painstakingly difficult.    

Bruce attempts to don the cape and fight justice, but his time away from crime fighting has softened, both his body and spirit and his match up with Bane down in the sewers of Gotham leads to an unpleasant and abrupt end. With villains at every turn and his city under siege Bruce Wayne must rediscover the strength and spirit within that transformed him into Batman in the first place and rise again to become the masked hero, admired by the people. With an army of criminals and mercenaries released on the streets by Bane, Bruce will also need the help from Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) Lucious Fox, (Morgan Freeman) rookie cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon – Levitt) and the unscrupulous Selina Kylie to force victory. 

Christopher Nolan has crafted the most visually sophisticated Batman movie of them all and from a directorial standpoint; “The Dark Knight Rises” is a stunning achievement, considering the immense weight of expectation surrounding this second sequel. Nolan shoots this entire feature with a minimum of fuss and artifice and the perfect amount of computer graphics, producing a crisp and perfect blend of action and emotional drama. With an appetite of exploring different themes and styles in each chapter of this trilogy; with fear and doubt distinguished in “Batman Begins,” chaos and morality in “The Dark Knight,” Nolan again diversifies and mixes frailty and pain in “The Dark Knight Rises,” with most of the film’s emotional impact (and there is a great deal of it) resting on Bruce Wayne. 

At the heart of the film’s success is the sheer brilliance of the acting and how these conflicting emotional themes are delivered on screen, with Christian Bale once again on incredible form. The emotional depth to his character is unimaginable but Bale carries this hardship with minimal effort. His internal suffering, multiple traumas, his physical pain, anger and determination are at times awe inspiring to behold. A crucial scene early on in the film with Alfred (Michael Caine), where Bale’s facial expressions and eyes provoke thousands of conflicting emotions had so much outpouring of passion and grief; it would leave Bane in tears!  Anne Hathaway offers possibly the biggest surprise performance however, fully inhabiting the character of Selina Kyle (better known, but never referred to as “Catwomen”) with a mix of sharp wit, impressive physicality and sultry allure, she steals virtually every scene she appears in.  

Tom Hardy’s performance as Bane is also another quality addition to “The Dark Knight Rises,” with his hulking and impressively intimidating physique bringing a noteworthy villain to the batman franchise. Some people will compare and ask whether Bane is as good a villain as the Joker, but this is a false, unfair and pointless comparison. Both are completely different villains in two different movies. Yes, Heath Ledger’s performance in “The Dark Knight” was mind blowing and fully deserved the Oscar award, however Tom Hardy’s fearsome and daunting performance at times begs the question, will Batman actually win this time? 

However the film is not without its flaws, preventing it from equalling or triumphing its predecessors. The story telling in “The Dark Knight Rises” is adequate, but not exceptional with Miranda Tate, John Blake and Peter Folly’s characters all introduced but not entirely explored properly or expanded. Their parts in the film at times feel like cogs in a wheel and that they are not so much part of the story itself, but just agents enabling the story to flow forward. Add to that a running time of 164 minutes with some scenes slightly forgettable, particularly in the first section where the film feels a little bloated and curiously hard to get moving causes a somewhat slow start. However the final hour of the compelling, hectic and explosive action, not to mention the staggering twist fully makes up for it.  

That said, “The Dark Knight Rises” is a fascinating final climax to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and fully impresses with its intensity, ambition and spectacle. With half the motion picture shot on 70mm cameras with the multi – storey dimensions of an IMAX cinema in mind, “The Dark Knight Rises” isn’t just visually impressive, its visually impressive on a colossal scale and really is a dream to watch.  A prohibited storyline brings the film down a notch but overall the exquisite acting, meritorious visuals and effects and glorious style concludes the movie trilogy in impressive fashion. Maybe it’s not the Batman film we needed, but most defiantly the Batman film we deserved. 

Magnificent Bell steals the show as England win opening One Day International.

England overpowered the West Indies in the first One Day International of the summer as Ian Bell, opening the batting in place of the retired Kevin Pietersen, smashed a superb century at the Rose Bowl, Hampshire. Bell, recalled to the side and recovering from a chin wound suffered earlier in the nets, smashed 12 fours and a six in an imperious 126 as England crushed the tourists by 172 runs in a rain affected match. His century, along with useful contributions from Jonathon Trott and Craig Kieswetter helped England to a commanding 288 – 6 off their 50 overs, proving too much for the West Indies, as they were bowled out for just 172.  The only resistance offered came from Dwayne Smith, who blazed a quick fire 56 at the top of the order before a flurry of wickets ended any hope of a West Indies victory.

The day commenced with the West Indies winning the toss and electing to field with conditions slightly favouring the bowlers with overcast conditions surrounding the ever-impressive Rose Bowl stadium. Early swing accounted for captain Alastair Cook as he nicked behind off the bowling of Ravi Rampul from the third ball of the day for a duck. Despite the early loss, Bell led from the front along with Jonathon Trott as the pair put together a crucial hundred partnership. A watchful start early on from the two Warwickshire batsmen, transformed into a calculated assault on paceman Andre Russell, with Bell smashing a length delivery back over the bowlers head for six before dispatching three more boundaries in the same over. With impeccable shot selection, timing and risk free batting, the two batsmen brought up England’s hundred before Trott edged an attempted cut to Denesh Ramdin off the spin bowling of Sunil Narine for 42.

Ravi Bopara departed in similar fashion for just eight off the bowling of Marlon Samuels and after a breezy 21, Eoin Morgan played onto his stumps off the same bowler. Despite a flurry of wickets, Bell continued ostentatiously on reaching his half-century off just 43 balls before progressing his strokeplay with more inventive shots, off the bowling of Darren Sammy especially. Along with Kieswetter, Bell dispatched the West Indies bowling attack all over the ground and brought up just his second one day hundred in the 33^rd over of the innings. It was an emotional moment for the 30-year-old batsmen, answering the critic’s, whom had earlier questioned his position in the team. As Bell motored on into the 120’s, Robin Smith’s record England one-day score of 167 looked under threat, but Dwayne Bravo’s canny bowling brought the end to an excellent innings with a slow full toss that was top edged to Ramdin.  With Bell back in the hutch, England’s target of 300 looked a distance away, but a superb cameo innings from Kieswetter (38 not out) and useful contributions from Tim Bresnan (21) and Stuart Broad (22 not out) propelled England to a very competitive score. 

 

In reply, the tourists without the services of explosive opener Chris Gayle due to injury lost Lendl Simmons early, chopping onto his stumps off the bowling of James Anderson. However Smith looked in magnificent form, mixing sublime shot selection and raw power dispatching Steven Finn and Broad for huge sixes, as the West Indies raced to 86-1 off just 14 overs. Bresnan however removed the dangerous Smith for 56 with a sharp bouncer, which the batsman could only edge behind to the wicketkeeper. The Yorkshire all – rounder quickly struck again, pinning Ramdin LBW for 22 and from then on England dominated proceedings. Steven Finn, bowling with ferocious pace and bounce trapped Bravo LBW with a quick and straight delivery before Eoin Morgan produced a brilliant diving catch to remove Kieron Pollard off the bowling of Stuart Broad. After a brief rain delay, Duckworth - Lewis came into play, setting the tourists a revised target of 287 from 48 overs. However the target was never in sight for the West Indies as England picked up where they left off before the break as Samuels clipped Anderson to Graeme Swann for 30. Swann then removed skipper Darren Sammy for 11 with a ball that bounced brutally and catching the edge, ballooning an easy catch for Bopara. Bresnan dismissed Russell shortly after with a ball that again bounced sharply off the surface and Morgan making no mistake at Backward point. Rampaul was caught in the deep for just nine off the bowling of Swann before Bresnan finished the innings off with his fourth wicket dismissing Narine for a duck.     

 

The result leaves the tourists with some major issues, especially with injuries to Gayle and Darren Bravo, who was forced to bat lower down the order due to a groin injury. Both are doubtful for the second one-day international on Tuesday at The Oval. However the hosts will be extremely happy with their performance and will arrive in the capital brimming with confidence after such a convincing win. Ian Bell was named Man of the match for his tremendous innings.   

The Avengers 2012 - Film Review

“Superheroes in New York?” An elderly man sneers after experiencing the chaos that sees The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow conquering an alien invasion in the middle of Manhattan. The man is no ordinary extra providing a comedy element to the conclusion of the much anticipated film adaptation of The Avengers. No this cameo appearance features Stan Lee, the man behind the creation of those muscular dudes half a century ago in the pages of the legendary Marvel comics.

The Avengers, which opened in cinemas in the United Kingdom on the 26^th of April marks initially, the slam-bang convention of incredible superheroes that would send a comic con nerd into multiple orgasms and also sees the release of the summer’s biggest blockbuster. Ever since the introduction of Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man in 2008, it has wetted audiences’ appetites, building through post credit snippets of what will be the ultimate comic book film, and now it has finally arrived.

Featuring along with Iron Man is The Incredible Hulk, starring yet another actor, (Mark Ruffalo) Thor, the hammer happy Nordic God (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans). Adding to the superhero quartet are two prime Avengers, femme fatale Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and archery expert Clint Barton, (Jeremy Renner) who have both featured in Iron Man 2 and Thor respectively.       

With the ultimate super hero match up, directing duties was given to Joss Whedon, the man behind TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Dollhouse, plus the recent horror/comedy film The Cabin in the Woods and the Internet miniseries Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, a musical comedy.

Zak Penn’s initial script has been reworked for an impulsive, all – star party guarantying fast paced fun, mind blowing special effects and skilful production without really forcing anyone to truly think about it. In a nutshell, The Avengers is a pop – culture smash that shouldn’t be taken seriously. Created to keep audiences satisfied and engrossed, rather than aim for transcendence and Oscar success.    

The story (and yes there is one) is in essence a sequel to 2011’s Thor, where the film curtains with the blond muscleman’s evil adoptive brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) plunging into a wormhole, presumed dead. However the malicious Asgardian has gained possession of the Tesseract, an empyrean cube that holds the power of infinite replenishable energy, as well as a two – way door to the cosmos. Acknowledging the immediate danger and threat, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) mobilises the abstracted superheroes to combat Loki and his alien army.    

Director Joss Whedon has stated that what persuaded him to govern the film was the disparity of the various superheroes and their egos. “These people shouldn’t be in the same room, let alone on the same team and that is the definition of family.” This said, for an extensive time, The Avengers becomes a multi million pound version of a daytime television tabloid talk show, in the same league of Jerry Springer, as a dysfunctional family fighting between each other. With six superheroes battling each other for screen time, the combat is at times as energy consuming among them as it is between them and Loki. Individually they have authoritative personalities and four of them have starred in their own movies, so a decent amount of time spent in The Avengers involves the confrontation of their boastful egos. Acting styles are also brutally mashed up along with the ultimatums, with the method acting of Mark Ruffalo, who replaced Edward Norton as Bruce Banner intertwined with the arrogance and pompous of Robert Downey Jr, who provides most of the movie’s internal jokes. Add to that the grandiloquence of Chris Hemsworth against the naturalness of Chris Evans and you get an understanding of the vast differences between each character.  

With these distractions some what negotiated, the film explodes into its finest hour, a meteoric battle over the skyscrapers of downtown Manhattan where Loki’s cyborg army meets the supreme skilled Avengers. The $220 000, 000 budget, fully shows with some incredible action sequences, seeing dozens of superstructures collapsing into complete debris, vehicles exploding and giant Godzilla – like flying robotic lizards gliding around the New York skyline. The intense carnage results in the Avengers victorious (of course) and Loki pulverized to an inch of his life by the Incredible Hulk. The movie’s climactic conclusion sees the gleaming Deco spire of the Chrysler Building, just a block away, to conduct electricity back to the Tesseract, nearly costing the life of Iron Man, but world disaster is prevented.

 

The 145-minute running time flows smoothly and with such great entertainment on display throughout, the feature elapses pretty fast. The Avengers, overall is a pleasing superhero movie and a worthy inclusion of the marvel adaptations, which will generally appease fans throughout. Whedon does a fantastic job in giving all the stars their close-ups, on the way to restoring order to the universe, the Marvel universe that is. With unbelievable special effects, solid acting and intense character development, The Avengers is an absolute must for Marvel fans, as well as viewers with an appetite for carnage and mass scaled action. The film also brings to attention the best Bruce Banner/Hulk seen yet. His phenomenal intelligence is unparalleled with Tony Stark’s and his compassion for human lives is what drives the good-natured side of his character. Ruffalo’s unsteady and inconsistent personality matches the role to perfection and is one of the many highlights of the film.      

An Iron Man, Captain America and Thor sequel are in the pipeline for next year and the reunion of these super humans will eventually hit cinemas a little later with this new enterprise, just one lavish element of a monumental plan. Lacking the charm and exuberance of the original Iron Man, The Avengers still has stunning entertainment value that will no doubt see it become the most popular blockbuster of not just the summer, but also the year.    

Previewing Download Festival 2012

With just under six weeks to go before the tenth anniversary of the largest rock festival in the UK, hundreds of thousands of heavy metal fans will venture to Castle Donnington once again to experience possibly the greatest parade of rock and metal acts on the planet. 

This year promises to be the biggest line up yet, marking a special and significant anniversary for the Download Festival. In the early years Download promoted itself as having the absolute honour of staging its dedicated and highly impressive rock feasting at the location of the classic Monsters of Rock Festival. The famous venue where 15 legendary events took place between 1980 and 1996, showcasing vintage classic rock acts including AC/DC, Van Halen, Deep Purple and Blue Öyster Cult.  However after eight years of the three-day music based festival and a solitary year of the UK’s incarnation of Ozzfest in 2002, the music event will irrevocably see itself mature and become a legendary festival of its own accord.  

Initially viewing this years line up, its hard not to dispute that the organisers have worked overtime to produce a vibrant and vast mix of sublime rock and metal acts that will see Download evolve into a quintessential rock festival. A deserved reward after a decade of consistently brandishing the biggest bands in the world. Headliners including The Prodigy, American rock giants Metallica and most impressive of all, a reformed Black Sabbath, illustrate the immense effort by festival organiser Andy Copping and his team. All three will perform on the main stage dedicated to Jim Marshall, the founder of distinguished guitar amplifications, Marshall amps, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Add to that, Jack Black and Kyle Bass’s comedy band Tenacious D, heavy metal trio Machine Head, Trivium and Black Label Society, reunited grunge act Soundgarden, thrash rockers Anthrax and Scottish indie act, Biffy Clyro, and you get a clear indication of how big Download 2012 will be.

Some of the announced bands including Dubstep duo Chase and Status, gothic rock act Black Veil Brides and the non-original additions of regular performers, Lamb of God and Megadeath over fresh acts, have heralded criticisms from die hard fans. However the inclusion of Black Sabbath, arguably the band that established the genre of Heavy Metal will overcome these dispiriting attitudes and no doubt become the highlight of the weekend.  Almost every band on the line up owes an incredible debt to the musical influence of the Birmingham based rock quartet and while this festival is an annual celebration of hard rock and heavy metal, this year will be focused essentially on the events’ 10^th year anniversary and Black Sabbath’s illustrious legacy.   

With the cancellation of other mainstream festivals including Sonisphere and High Voltage due to economical issues and genuine bad luck, Download will be the last remaining rock festival of the summer. With such a respectable and appropriate line up on show and at a substantial moment in the festival’s history, it will no doubt indulge and delight fans as well as re-establish and captivate the Heavy Rock faith in the country.    

Pep Guardiola to end reign as Barcelona manager at the end of the season.

“The reason is simple: four years is enough,” a saddened Pep Guardiola announced as the news Barcelona fans were desperate not to hear was officially declared today. The Barcelona manager has decided against renewing his rolling one-year contract at the end of the season and instead stands down after four prosperous seasons with the Spanish giants.  

The 41 year old, who was appointed manager in 2008, has led the Catalan club to incredible success, including three La Liga titles and two Champions League final victories. In total the former Spanish international has won 13 trophies in his era in charge and his departure will leave a lasting legacy in the history of this famous football club.

With Barcelona set to miss out on La Liga to their fierce rivals Real Madrid and being knocked out of the Champions League in the semi final by Chelsea, Guardiola has accepted that this season has been a failure compared to the sensational achievements of past seasons. "I'm drained and I need to fill up. The demand has been very high and a manager must be strong," Guardiola stressed at a news conference, which was attended by many of his players today.

"At the beginning of December I announced to the chairman that I was seeing the end of my era at Barcelona," Guardiola continued. "Time has taken its toll. I rise each day and don't feel the same. I am going with the understanding that I have done my duty. You can only recover by resting and getting away from everything. It would have been a bad idea to continue. Perhaps it would not have gone wrong but I have the perception that it would. It is my time to go.”

“Now we are out of the two main competitions it is a good time to announce this. I did not want to continue with the confusion. I want to thank my players who are responsible for everything that has happened here. I don't want to manage at the moment."

After his emotional speech, he was greeted with a rapturous applause off the players, club representatives and the media, a show of gratitude for his outstanding managerial work. Current assistant Tito Vilanova will succeed Guardiola at the end of the season and it is understood the departing manager will take a year away from football, despite huge interest from the Premiership.

However Guardiola, who has enjoyed almost 30 years as a player, coach and manager at the club, will bring to a close his reign in the knowledge that he is the most successful manager in Barcelona history. Purely in terms of trophies, only Johan Cruyff’s dominant side in the early 1990s comes close, and yet similar to the influential Dutchman’s dream team, the Catalan’s fortunes was more than just about results. Guardiola, an integral component of Cruyff’s team as a player, probably unites the two most distinguished eras of the club’s history. Firstly as a visionary midfielder who centred Johan Cruyff’s side between 1990 and 1996, and then on to create a team as manager to rank as one of the most enchanting and captivating to have played the beautiful game.  

As manager, Guardiola has also overseen the astonishing rise of three-time world player of the player and possibly the greatest footballer to ever grace the game, Lionel Messi. Through obsessive and intense training, brutally practiced and perfected drills and diligent technical relationships, Messi has thrived to become Barcelona’s leading goal scorer of all time at just 24 years of age. Add to that scoring 60 goals in a single European season, the first player to do so since Gerard Muller and becoming the first player in Champions League history to score five goals in one match, Messi has become an absolute legend of the game at such a young age and wholeheartedly owes his astounding personal and professional career to the brilliant management skills of Guardiola.   

His unquestionable work ethic, tactical astuteness, belief in youth and phenomenal focus on possession and pass completion saw Barcelona out think, out pass and out play every team they came up against. Until Guardiola achieves accolades at other clubs, questions will be addressed whether he is a standalone genius or just a highly skilled manager that benefited from an excellent system. However no one will forget his remarkable efforts and achievements at the Spanish club, with his inspirational and groundbreaking team’s legacy that will be respected and treasured for generations.   

Mark Tremonti – All I Was. Album Preview

The architect of American rock bands, Alter Bridge and Creed and one of the greatest guitarists and musicians of his generation, Mark Tremonti has finally released three short clips of individual songs featuring on his up coming debut solo album, “All I Was.” The man behind some of metal’s greatest songs in the last decade decided against taking a break during his free time and instead record an album full of his own brand of musical influence and style. His project has attracted enormous interest as to how it will sound and after months of intense studio work, audiences now at last get a sneak preview of what some of the hard graft has engineered.     

With the help of guitarist/ bassist Eric Friedman and drummer Garret Whitlock, the three audio clips demonstrate distinctly the crushing guitar skills of this guitar god and his fantastic vocals. However equally sensational are the abilities of his band members and particularly Garret Whitlock who really shines with some incredibly efficacious and powerful drumming. 

1.You Waste Your Time

The first clip released and the longest, “You waste your time” begins with a distinguished metal guitar riff full of energetic and aggressive intent before progressing into a controlled and harmonious verse and leading into a captivating chorus. It is this particular clip that clearly emphasises that this is Mark Tremonti, not Creed or Alter Bridge, but the guitarist’s own brand of dynamic and enterprising rock, sounding completely different to anything he has created before. It is a fantastic introduction to what should be a ground breaking solo album.

2. So You’re Afraid

The second preview clip “So You’re Afraid”, demonstrates Mark Tremonti’s signature skill of creating a melodic and sweet sounding rhythm with his guitar and voice before in an instant cranking up the level to produce some incredible heavy metal riffs. “So You’re Afraid” also features the first guitar solo heard on the record from Tremonti, an epic, fast paced shredder of a solo complete with trademark insane tremolo picking and whammy effects. Unfortunately it is here where the clip fades out but Tremonti has accomplished what he set out to achieve, teasing fans and leaving them desperate for more.    

    

3. The Things I've seen

Sadly each clip gets shorter and the third and final clip, “The Things I’ve Seen” runs at just 54 seconds. However this preview clearly emphasises Tremonti’s outstanding vocals, something rarely witnessed on Creed and Alter Bridge records. It is the slowest of the songs previewed but is equally as intense in regards to the lyrics and vocals. It probably is my favourite of the three song previews as it exhibits Tremonti’s impressive singing abilities most efficaciously. We know Mark Tremonti the guitar player, however these three audio clips prove he is a mighty fine and accomplished singer aswell. 

  

After listening to the preview clips presented, it is safe to say that “All I was” will be a defining album for Mark Tremonti. It will firmly establish him in the history books of rock and roll as an incredible guitarist, lyricist and vocalist. The man consistently delivers 100% whether it is with Creed or with Alter Bridge and come July when his solo album is due for release, audiences will discover his incredible talent and ability as an individual recording artist too.  

The Hunger Games - Film Review

Viewing this film without any knowledge, expectation or interest of the previous books, written four years before the visual adaptations, The Hunger Games left me feeling relatively pleased and satisfied with my cinema experience.

Directed by Gary Ross and starring Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games is set in the apocalyptic ruins of what was once North America where the immoral and ruthless government “Capitol” controls twelve surrounding districts with intense force and brutality.     

Every year this twisted government force each of its districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games, a barbaric and merciless punishment for a past uprising and a continuous political intimidation tactic. The games are a nationally televised event where the “Tributes”, who have prepared for these games for most of their lives are launched into a bloody battle with one another until there is only one survivor remaining.

When Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) becomes the female candidate for District 12, after she bravely volunteers in place of her younger sister, Primrose (Willow Shields) she is transported to the distant “Capitol” to be gracefully primped, handsomely fed and showcased to the ruling government’s vast and colourful audience before being sent out into the battle arena. Here she encounters the totalitarian rule, social inequality and the sickening depths to which the media will plunge for the sake of engrossing the audience’s entertainment, forcing her to consistently resist the powers of the ruling authorisation. 

To survive the Hunger Games, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts, exceptional skills with the bow and arrow and the mentorship of inebriated former victor, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson). For the chance to return home to District 12 and to be reunited with her family and friends she must make unimaginable choices in the battle arena that heavily balance survival against humanity and life against love.  

The Hunger Games is a very solid and respectable film, that whilst is nowhere near perfect or original, still provides a very rewarding and satisfying movie experience. Gary Ross’s directing manages to establish individual character development abundantly aswell as keeping the plot firmly moving and remaining richly entertaining throughout. 

Jennifer Lawrence delivers a composed main role performance as Katniss Everdeen as well as promoting a refreshing and inspirational female lead. Katniss is a tough, complex and hot-blooded survivor who a lot of women will respect and identify with, exerting stereotypically female qualities including caring, compassion and sharing, displaying that they are anything but weaknesses. Her performance is met with an equally brilliant supporting cast including Elizabeth Banks as the elegant but politically misguided District 12 PR representative, Effie Trinket, the eccentric Woody Harrelson as Katniss’s permanently drunk mentor and rocker Lenny Kravitz as the flamboyant stylist, Cinna.       

 

The main story to an extent does divert into Sci-Fi territory, brandishing similar themes and traits to films including The Running Man, Battle Royale and Blade Runner. However what separates The Hunger Games to any of these previous titles is the presentation of this malicious and evil society from a teenager’s point of view and directed towards a teenage crowd, and with this age ranged audience, The Hunger Games will no doubt thrive upon and certainly impress.  

Ultimately, The Hunger Games is a decent and entertaining film with an intelligent blend of action, survival horror and sci-fi as well as exhibiting a welcome addition to the respected action heroines of film history. With a strong cast, great production and a well-developed story, presented in a compelling intensity, it admirably outwits the comparisons of the insipid Twilight Saga and Harry Potter films and delivers a noteworthy film of its own accord.         

My top ten favourite TV programs

This was extremely hard to conduct and looking back there were so many programs that could have been included but I have settled for these ten with a mix of comedy, action and drama programs.  

Supernatural

When WB network premiered this show back in 2005, critics and skeptics fully believed that this new series was nothing original or fresh and considered a rip off of shows such as The X Files and The Twilight Zone. Unfortunately for those doubters they were made to eat the dreaded humble pie as Supernatural has become one of the most popular and talked about TV programs in the last six years. To an extent some obvious comparisons between this and The X files are apparent. It stars an intrepid duo who travel across America encountering all kinds of paranormal phenomena and mythological creatures and of course its main theme is based on the super unknown. However Supernatural is in an entirely different league of its own with consistent excitement and suspense, great production values and a distinctive style, this is a dark and mysterious show that fully understands how to use the television medium. Now in its seventh season and still going strong, Supernatural is a well written and directed programme with an excellent soundtrack, unique story telling, and one of the most honest and poignant relationships between two brothers on a television series that I can remember. If you haven’t already experienced this fantastic series then you are seriously missing out on some fascinating TV viewing.      

Two and a half men

The Harper brothers Charlie and Alan are the exact opposites of each other. Alan is a compulsively neat and tight chiropractor and a control freak whilst Charlie, a freelance jingle composer who lives in a luxurious beach house, enjoys limitless sexual exploits with women, rarely gets up before noon and has no care in the world towards decency and moral standards. So when he `temporarily’ allows Alan and his son Jake to move in after Alan’s wife Judith kicks him out, their conflicting differences and lifestyles cause outrageous and highly amusing circumstances. Without doubt Two and a half men is the most entertaining, side splitting and eccentric comedy to have come from America since the eighties.  With a sharp, witty and ingenious script and brilliant casting and acting, Two and a half men has pushed the limits of the sitcom and has set the bar extremely high for other satire comedies to match. With Charlie Sheen’s character a spitting image of his real self and some superb acting from newcomer Angus T Jones as Jake, it is no surprise that this show has been met with great success and interest.

The Walking Dead

Rick Grimes is a former police officer who after being badly shot whilst on duty, wakes up from a coma in an empty and depleted hospital. After managing to free himself from the ward and out of the hospital, he soon finds himself immersed in a zombie apocalyptic nightmare where the last surviving humans are striving to stay alive. From the director of The Shawshank Redemption and based on the popular comic book series by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead is a truly fascinating series that will finally rejuvenate the horror genre on television. With a strong cast, haunting musical score, a unique synthesis of horror and drama and some of the most detailed make up and effects seen on a TV programme, it is no wonder why this show has been turning heads both sides of the Atlantic. With a third season in production, this series continues to go from strength to strength and is arguably the most convincing and frightful zombie based TV program and film ever produced.

      

The Pacific

From the creators of Band Of Brothers comes this intense and harrowing take on America’s conflict with Japan during the Second World War. Set over ten fantastic episodes, this mini series follows intertwined stories of three marines and their traumatic experiences of war across the Pacific region. With its previous series, Band Of Brothers fully showcasing the horror of war so vividly, many thought how the shows creators could top the graphic and ugly nature of war in their following sequel, The Pacific. However it improves on its European – theatre predecessor on every level and the reported $250 million pound budget evidently shows with enormous vistas of fighting ships, jarring explosions and spectacular fire fights. The Pacific also manages to viscerally conduct the agony of non-combat too including the deadly diseases and hostile weather. Viewing this incredible show will repay you with a brutal but also eloquent story that’s finally less about how solders fight and die but ultimately what happens to them when they fight and survive, returning home with tortured and battered souls.          

American Dad

Originally aired in 2005, American Dad focuses on the Smith family and extensively on Stan Smith, a CIA agent who is constantly on the alert for terrorist activity and will go to extreme lengths to protect his beloved America. Giving that it is penned from Seth MacFarlane, similarities between this and Family Guy will of course be scrutinised upon, however American Dad is very different to its sister show. Diverse and unique characters, no cutaway gags, and a more satirical aim at politics rather than pop culture references that are apparent in Family Guy. American Dad combines edgy humour and fantasy to poke fun at American society much better then Family Guy and delivers a far greater and prominently funnier animated comedy show.

Family Guy

What can be said about Family Guy that already hasn't been mentioned before? Ruthlessly crude, outrageous and offensive, originally taken off air for obnoxious material, yet against the odds it has become arguably the most popular animated comedy on the planet. Schemed up by Seth MacFarlane in the late 1990s, Family Guy set in Rhode Island, evolves around the Griffin Family. Peter Griffin, an overweight, idiotic father who will strive at all costs to do anything for his dysfunctional family, Louis Griffin, his wife who does her elegant best to establish stability in the home. Then there’s Meg Griffin, their 16 year old daughter who is socially awkward and often the butt of the family jokes, Chris Griffin, their 14 year old son who is mentally slow, Stewie Griffin, the super – intelligent, diabolically evil baby whose main focus in life is killing his mother Louis and rounding things off is Brian, the Martini sipping, dry witted and intelligent family dog who secretly loves Louis. Add a whole host of other equally bizarre neighbours, a unique brand of humour and 11 brilliant seasons of comedy genius that is extremely hard not to be laughed at.      

The Inbetweeners

Another quality British comedy which was aired on channel 4 between 2008 and 2010 and was a monumental success, following the exploits of four socially inadequate friends, whom growing from late teens to early adults, are on a quest for grown up traits including alcohol, popularity and of course, the female figure. It was dubbed the “British American Pie” and it is no wonder why as these four teenagers are incredibly preoccupied with self-image and getting laid. Three series were produced as well as a feature film set in Malia with each episode producing some unbelievably funny and memorable moments. A clever and witty script is met by some fantastic acting from the four male actors and rightly so, this comedy was highly praised by critics.   

Harpers Island

Set on a small and remote island off the coast of Seattle, Harpers Island is an elaborate horror series and high quality slasher flick with a first-rate cast, great script and 13 episodes crammed full of twists and subplots that will keep you hooked till the very end. Starring Elaine Cassidy, Christopher Gorham, Katie Cassidy and Jim Beaver, Harpers Island begins with a backdrop of its violent past, where once it was the scene of a gruesome series of murders. Seven years now have passed and past friends and families gather on the island for a wedding. However all is not what it seems as one by one they begin to die in mysterious and at times unpleasant ways. Fans of the classic murder mysteries will appreciate the subplots and adequate depth to the main characters aswell as those who simply enjoy a quality mix of action, horror and a grisly, blood soaked death scene.

Bo’ Selecta

Crude, vile, highly controversial and offensive, yet one of the funniest and original comedies Britain has produced for some time. Aired on Channel 4 between 2002 – 2004, Bo' Selecta starring Leigh Francis, involves celebrity stalker Avid Merrion (or Keith Lemon as he is know on ITV 2 these days) and his incredible spoof’s of celebrities including Michael Jackson, Craig David, Mel B and Gareth Gates. The comedy only got three series commissioned, however each series is fantastic and full of some of the most hilarious and inventive comedy sketches of recent times with its surreal and contentious humour which lampoons popular culture.    

Band of Brothers

Despite a somewhat slow and uneventful start, Band of Brothers (2001) became a huge success, fully depicting the extreme atrocities of World War 2. With Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg on board and a budget of over 100 million dollars, this mini series was always going to attract large audiences. However Band of Brother became more than just a money-making investment, it became one of the most highly acclaimed programmes to date. Following the story of the "E" Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division throughout the Second World War and their highly courageous missions including the liberation of Carentan, Band of Brothers mixes both incredible acting, supreme camera work and amasing special effects, delivering the full horror and nature of war to life. 

Looking ahead to the FA cup Semi final: Liverpool V Everton

Saturday 14^th April will be the day that will host the most important and season defining match of Liverpool’s 2011 – 2012 campaign. Forget the Carling Cup success against Cardiff or the constant fixtures in the Premiership where focus on winning each game to clinch a top four place is now far beyond reach. The semi final of Britain’s most elite cup competition against their Merseyside rivals Everton, is where Liverpool’s wayward season will be decided as either a success or a failure.       

Struggles in the Premier League with just 12 wins in 33 games and just five wins at home, racial scandals, backroom staff unrest, a serious loss of form in key players and just recently their director of football, Damien Comolli sacked, it has been a season to forget for the once most successful football club in England. However success in Saturdays cup tie against Everton would certainly silence the critics and at least add some respect to what has been one of the poorest campaigns in the clubs recent history.  

A win at Wembley would book Liverpool a place in the final in May, against either Tottenham or Chelsea but before any of that is decided, they have to overcome the side currently above them in the Premier League. It will be the 218^th time these two clubs have met and with Everton’s form being outstanding recently, becoming stronger and stronger since January and with bargain buy Nikica Jelavic in great form all season, it will be a huge challenge for Liverpool.  

Captain Steven Gerrard has talked up his teams chances, expressing that they are slight favourites and with already two wins over David Moyes’s team this season including a 3 – 0 thrashing at Anfield, knocking out Manchester United on their way to the Semi final and of course already successfully claiming one trophy this season, the Liverpool skipper has every right to be optimistic. However the form running into this clash between the two sides couldn’t be any more different. Six defeats in their last eight fixtures have seen Liverpool all but fail on their mission for a top four position. Everton though have won four of their last six games, including a 4- 0 thumping against Sunderland and have only been defeated four times in 2012.

Nevertheless the formbook is simply thrown out of the window when it comes to cup competitions, especially when it is a derby and a one off match. Both clubs resting key players during the week, two fresh and revitalised line-ups will take to the field and battle it out for a place in the FA cup final. The loss of Pepe Reina however is a huge blow for Liverpool. The Spanish keeper is one of the worlds best and his authoritative and strong presence in the penalty area will be sorely missed and will create an opportunity for Everton to take advantage of the inexperienced third choice goalkeeper, Brad Jones.

Despite the loss of their premier goalkeeper, Liverpool still have outstanding match winners in Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Craig Bellamy and have consistently performed well in the big games as well as beating Everton in the previous two meetings in the FA cup final at Wembley in the 1980s.

The odds are firmly even for Saturdays match with both teams equally confident of success. It will be such an intriguing game, not only because it is an FA cup semi – final but also because it has the capacity to save Liverpool’s rotten season and make Everton’s. On the biggest stage, in a packed Wembley Stadium, anything can happen and come the 14^th of April at 12.30pm, these two Merseyside clubs will compete for the final of this most historic cup competition.