Arts & Life – Angelica Wallingford

Life behind the screen(writer)

Longtime San Diego City College screenwriting professor Russell Redmond recalls his adventurous life in TV, cinema and education

In the quiet corner of the first floor of the L building, students stagger out into the unusually hot September sun on their last in-class session of Introduction to Screenwriting class. Left behind was a their teacher, longtime San Diego City College professor and screenwriter Russell Redmond.

“Russell is very patient, and you can gather the fact, especially when it comes to the attention given,” Erny Rivera, a student enrolled in Redmond’s online Introduction to Screenwriting class said. “Writing is still a delicate craft, to which Russell helps transform into an artform.”

Underneath Redmond’s casual demeanor lies a fun and energetic man with a passion for all things cinema and storytelling. Sitting behind a small desk in L-108 he began to recall his colorful journey to that lead to his love of film and teaching screenwriting at City; starting with his love of stories.

“I was always interested in storytelling,” Redmond said. “You know, you grow up watching TV as a little kid and you go ‘oh, that looks like fun’ and it seems exciting and so you proceed down that avenue thinking ‘maybe I’ll be interested in that’.”

He recalled going through high school and being in that phase all young men and women go through and figure out what they want to do with their future.

“…You have to decide (and say) ‘well, you know I think I really have a burning desire to get into film’ and of course everybody want to be not only an actor but a film director or someone else,” Redmond said. “I mean they want to do everything… and that was me.”

After graduating high school Redmond left Carlsbad and headed north to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). After he graduated in 1973, Redmond received an offer from his screenwriting teacher, so he packed up and headed to Europe where he wrote for the BBC show “The Old Man’s Blood.”

After his run writing for the show, he moved to the European film capital of Almeria to work on a screenplay about “The Little Prince” author Antoine de Saint-Exupery and work as an extra in Spanish Western films starring Jack Palance and others.

During his stay in Almeria he was approached by director Sergio Corbucci, best known for his Spaghetti Western films and being a protege of Sergio Leone, to star in a film called “The Three Man War.”

“… It’s was a modern World War II movie where there’s three characters: a German, an Italian an Englishman; and it’s set in the desert of Libya but of course we’ll shoot it here in Spain,” Redmond recalled. “There was an interesting plot about it but there was only three characters in it. One of them was going to be Peter O’Toole, the other was Anthony Quinn and the other third one was going to be me.”

Funding for the film eventually fell through, however, before Redmond learned of that he boarded a plane and headed home to the United States where he got an agent and wrote more screenplays. About a year after he returned to the U.S. he dropped out of the film scene and became an illustrator in San Diego and Los Angeles for 10 years.

In the ‘90s Redmond struck up a friendship with City College professor Hope Shaw, whom he and his wife had met while sailing through Mexico working on various projects. Shaw became a great friend and told Redmond that she wanted to retire and if he would be interested in taking on one of her screenwriting classes.

“I said ‘no way, me teach, you’re crazy’ I mean no way I was going to do that,” Redmond said. “I just thought that was the worst Idea and that woman could talk anyone into anything. She was good; and by God she talked me into it and I finally said ok, I’ll do this one class and I went in there and I realized that this isn’t so bad.”

When Shaw died Redmond was asked to teach both sections of the Introduction to Screenwriting class, where he enjoys talking about films with his students.

“You end up talking about stuff that you should be remembering all the time you know you go back to beginning screenwriting and you start talking to kids about characterizations and how you should structure your film and motivations…’” Redmond said. “…you’re really getting in there, in the nitty gritty of the ‘this doesn’t work and that doesn’t work’ so you’re thinking about film structure all the time.”

RTVF department chair Laura Castaneda has worked with Redmond since she started as a part-timer at City College in 2000.

“It’s such an incredible experience (working with him),” Castaneda said. “He’s such an interesting person with an interesting perspective on life.”

Currently, Redmond has a short film out called “El Camino,” based on a true story about an undocumented woman’s journey through rough terrain to get back to the U.S. after visiting her sick father in Mexico, which he released through his production company Work With Me Films and hopes to make a feature film out of it here in San Diego in the near future.

Originally published in City Times, January 2016.

No laughing matter

How a comic book cover pushed the limit and brought a much needed conversation of art to the forefront

Art is something that is subjective. Not everyone is going to like every piece of literature, music, etc., that is out there. Chances are, if you gave a million people the exact same book, it would be interpreted in a million different ways.

Art in whatever form is a beautiful thing. It can invoke emotions such as sadness, happiness and anger. Just because a few people aren’t a fan of someone’s artwork for whatever reason, that doesn’t mean the artist should take their work down or modify it and censor it in any way, shape or form.

On March 13, comic book artist Rafael Albuquequere tweeted out a link to a variant cover for “Batgirl” #41.

The artwork, inspired by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s 1988 iconic graphic novel “The Killing Joke,” shows the Joker’s left arm draped over Batgirl’s shoulder gun in hand while his right arm is pointing at a blood smeared smile painted on Batgirl’s frightened face.

The cover just wasn’t drawn up out of thin air. To really understand the cover, you have to understand the history from which the illustration stems from.

The cover pays homage to one of the most iconic “Batman” graphic novels. In a famous scene from “The Killing Joke,” the Joker terrorizes police commissioner James Gordon by going after his daughter, Barbara, AKA Batgirl. The Joker shows up to the Gordons’ door with his trademark smile and shoots Barbara almost immediately, knocks her father out, ties her up, strips her naked and snaps photos of her. To add insult to injury, the Joker plasters the photos in a sick and twisted tunnel of love ride all while Barbara’s father’s eyes are pried open, forcing him to look at his mutilated daughter.

While this particular scene is up for interpretation, most of the fan base agrees that it is not in the Joker’s character to go as far as raping her. However, there are some fans say otherwise.

Some fans took to their social media network of choice to give some feedback and criticize the cover calling it a “trigger warning.” One person commented that it was a “victim being terrorized by their attacker;” others said it was misogynistic and sexist. Other people such as social commentators and people who haven’t picked up a comic book probably in their life jumped on the bandwagon and called for the cover to be axed.

The whole point of the cover wasn’t to invoke this sense of sexual deviancy. The Joker is this menacing, dark, calculating and intelligent villain whose sole purpose is to a get a rise out of Batman and prove to him that they were both cut from the same dark and twisted cloth. The whole point of humiliating Barbara in the ’88 graphic novel the way that he did was to prove to everyone that all it takes is just one bad day to a common man go completely mad, just like he is. It wasn’t some sick rape fantasy that Joker wanted to broadcast to the world.

Barbara Gordon, on the other hand, became one of the most iconic heroines in comic book history — Oracle. Gordon leaves her Batgirl persona and no longer standing at Robin’s side as Batman’s shadow but becoming Batman’s equal, being his eyes and ears of Gotham City while out on missions. Gordon also becomes one of the founders and leaders of another iconic crime fighting team — the Birds of Prey. She could have been another comic book casualty that fades from existence, but she didn’t. She fought her demons and became an icon.

Writer @JennOfHardwire explains the situation perfectly in her article titled “Strength in Vulnerability: #Feminist Reply to @DCCOMICS Batigirl #41 Ignites #ChangeTheCover.”

“You also have to consider that this event in Barbara Gordon’s past helps to show how strong she is in later comics. She was able to move past this traumatic point in her life which reflects her strength of character,” she writes. “The argument that the cover is misogynistic and sexist because Barbara Gordon is being used as a tool robs her of the strong character development that stems from this traumatic event in her history.”

The fact is, just because a minority group of people felt uncomfortable about the cover doesn’t mean that the cover should have changed, variant or not. We live in a free country where we are allowed to express ourselves any way we see fit. Albuquerque was paying homage to one of the greatest graphics novels out there, and he and DC Comics got dragged through the mud because people wanted to read more into it than was actually there and, for the most part, made something out of nothing.

While this change-or-don’t-change-the-cover issue seems relatively small compared to most issues we have today, it does bring up a necessary conversation. Just because something makes some people uncomfortable doesn’t mean that something needs to cease to exist.

Originally published in City Times, April 2015.

Everybody plays: A look at video games’ most outspoken critic, why her arguments for change of gender tropes are misguided

To advocate for an issue that you’re passionate about is admirable, however, to demonize an entire group of people in the name of the issue your advocating for is completely and utterly wrong.

Take that mindset and apply it to one of the most controversial pop culture issues surrounding one of the most popular forms of entertainment and you’ll end up being knocked out so fast you swear you’re in “Street Fighter.”

The Gamergate controversy started in August 2014 when the scorned ex-boyfriend of indie game developer Zoe Quinn made a long blog post detailing their break up and accused her of a number of things including a relationship with Kotaku journalist Nathan Grayson.

Gamergate has sparked somewhat of an uproar in the gaming community and has made various figures such as Quinn and developer Brianna Wu bring up issues such as sexism, gamer identity and misogyny.

However, both Quinn and Wu have been relatively quiet compared to gaming’s most infamous outspoken critic – current gaming public enemy number one: Anita Sarkeesian.

Through her website and YouTube account Sarkeesian’s commentary on video games, called “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games” discusses famous gaming tropes such as the damsel in distress, the sexual object and the background character.

Sarkeesian’s bare bones argument about how there should be more women characters in video games – on top of the already long laundry list there are – is completely valid and is something that most, if not all, gamers are in completely favor of.

Where Sarkeesian’s argument falls flat is when she attacks and accuses gamers and developers of being sexist and misogynistic just for playing or developing a game that has even an ounce of sexualizing women or having violence against them.

“It gets worse and worse,” Sarkeesian said in an interview with ABC News. “It reinforces this idea that women are sexual objects… it reinforces the idea of women as… playthings for amusement.”

It almost goes without saying that Sarkessian’s strong comments, critiques and analysis against gaming has gotten her a lot of negative reactions and backlash. Sarkeesian, like everyone else in this world, has every right to voice her opinion, no matter how wrong or flawed her analysis about games and gamers might be.

However, gamers and developers also have the right to respond to her allegations of sexism and misogyny. The problem is that a very very small percent of gamers and “trolls” take things way too far, bombarding Sarkeesian, Quinn and Wu with a multitude of death and rape threats.

One of the most famous cases happened in October 2014 when Sarkeesian was to speak at the Utah State University. The university received terrorist threats from a person perpetuating a student. The letter-writer said they would commit “the deadliest school shooting in American history,” and cited the 1989 Montreal Massacre as inspiration.

That threat was just one of many threats that Sarkeesian and company get on an almost daily basis. Death and rape threats like these are proving her point that gamers are sexists and misogynists that only want gaming to be some sort of a “boys club,” which, on the grander scale of gaming is false.

If the small percentage of gamers and trolls really want to make a statement about Sarkeesian’s skewed critiques and analysis then they would stay silent.

Silence speaks volumes. If they would just keep their mouths shut and log off of whatever social media site they frequent then Sarkeesian and her war against tropes would just go away and fade out. However, that doesn’t mean that Sarkeesian can completely escape criticism.

For Sarkeesian to call an entire group of people, both male and female, sexist for killing random woman character A on the street in “Watch Dogs ”or for picking up a prostitute in an off-brand knock off of a Ferrari the “Grand Theft Auto” franchise is completely absurd.

Objectives such as these examples are almost always optional when playing a game. No one is going to hold a computer generated coded gun to your characters head and make them do any of those things. It’s all up to the player, which brings in a discussion of the person playing, not video games at large.

To accuse developers of being misogynists because they have sexy female fan service characters or the token female character is illogical. By that conclusion, that would mean that the developers of games such as the “Call of Duty” and “Wolfenstein” franchises are Nazi sympathizers for featuring Nazi figures in their games. It would mean that Juliet Starling of “Lollipop Chainsaw” would just be that sexy blonde all-American cheerleader sucking on lollipops and not the fierce chainsaw wielding, limb maiming, decapitating zombie slayer that she is in the game.

The fact is, none of these age-old video game tropes are going away anytime soon.

Mario is always going to save Princess Peach, there’s always going to be those random side characters with extraordinary “jiggle” physics that serve absolutely no purpose but to be looked at, killing random characters A and B is always going to an optional objective and the one of the most iconic and fierce video game characters – Samus – is always going to be female.

Originally published in City Times, March 2015.

Square Enix drops a game-changer with ‘Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix’

Oh, nostalgia. So long are the days where controllers had wires extending to the console and games weren’t running in high definition. Sometimes gamers yearn for a little nostalgia every now and then. “Kingdom Heart 2.5 HD Remix” is the perfect remedy for any gamer wanting that feeling without having to dust off the old Playstation 2 and all while taking advantage of the glorious HD consoles we have today.

Square Enix’s final mix of the fan favorite series is the perfect blend of the dark undertones of the “Final Fantasy” universe and the colorful world of Disney — all in pristine high definition with added cut scenes, redone musical scores and brand new boss fights that keep players on their toes.

“Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMix” is broken up into two games — “Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix” and “Birth by Sleep Final Mix” and exclusive high definition cut scenes from the Nintendo DS game “Kingdom Hearts Re:coded.” The final mix versions of both “Kingdom Hearts 2” and “Birth by Sleep” were never released outside of Japan — until now — and it was the best decision that game director Tetsuya Nomura and the folks at Square Enix ever made.

“Kingdom Hearts 2” has always been a really good roleplaying game (RPG) that has always stood the test of time. “Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix” doesn’t fall short to its predecessor and when played on HD consoles like the PS3 or PS4 enhances the experience.

Taking place one year of years after the events of the first “Kingdom Hearts” game, “Kingdom Hearts 2” sees main characters Sora, Donald and Goofy reunited after Sora awakens from basically a coma. This time around the trio are on a mission to find King Mickey and Sora’s best friend Riku, who, after the events of the first game, are both wandering in the Realm of Darkness.

The twists and turns start right as the player begins the game. Instead of playing as the fan favorite and main character Sora, the player starts out playing as a new character named Roxas. There’s more than meets the eye with Roxas, as everything and everyone is not what they seem. The connection between Roxas and Sora runs deeper than just being able to wield the keyblade, which makes playing through the introduction a very interesting — albeit long — experience.

Traveling from one Disney-themed world to another on Chip n’ Dale’s Gummi Ship, Sora and company reunite with characters such as Beast from “Beauty and the Beast” and a grown-up Simba from “The Lion King” from Disney and Leon and Yuffie from the “Final Fantasy” universe.

The mixture of characters may not look good on paper but the roles each one takes on in their respective worlds give Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy an advantage when fighting off enemies and leveling the characters up.

Fighting off enemies such as the Maleficent-controlled Heartless from the first “Kingdom Hearts” game and the newly introduced Nobodies is child’s play compared to the games main antagonists — the infamous Organization XIII. Made up of 13 incredibly powerful Nobodies, the organization members serve as the boss fights for the different worlds in the game.

During specific boss fights if the player’s health gets down to zero then the player has the chance to play as King Mickey and wield the Kingdom Key D, the keyblade of the Realm of Darkness. This moment is one of the few times that dying in a game can actually give you an advantage.

The reason why “Kingdom Hearts 2” is such a timeless play through is that there is a ton of replay ability opportunities including going and collecting items, leveling up to 99 and challenging optional bosses like the ever menacing sephiroth. The “Final Mix” takes that to the next level, especially with the newly added critical mode, which can test even the most veteran of players.

A really cool bonus for fans of the longtime series is two exclusive HD cut scenes from the highly anticipated “Kingdom Hearts 3,” rumored to be released next year.

With the count down to “Kingdom Hearts 3” already in full force, gamers can get both their nostalgic and “Kingdom Hearts” fix by turning on the Playstation and playing through “Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix.” After all, a little nostalgia every now and then never hurt anybody.

Originally published in City Times, December 2014.

Punk’s not dead, it just went pop

Pop punk is a genre that is guaranteed to ruffle some feathers. Some consider it a poser genre that gives “real” punk music a bad name and others see it as the essence and attitude of classic punk rock wrapped up in a nice radio-friendly package. Instead of fighting over it let’s just all sit back and enjoy the music. Here are some of my favorites:

1. New Found Glory – “Radiosurgery”

These guys are pop punk royalty; to have any pop punk playlist without them would be committing musical blasphemy. The challenge with this one was picking a song out of their massive library for this list. “Radiosurgery” is off of their latest album of the same name and has all the elements of an old school NFG song while also giving a nod to their hardcore roots. All in all, this is a near perfect pop punk song. “Radiosurgery” is going on two years old but the Orlando five-piece just released a new song and is planning on heading into the studio next year to record an album. In the mean time, you can check out all of their songs on iTunes.

2. Bayside –“Oliver’s Army”

Bayside is not really considered a pop punk band but its cover of Elvis Costello and the Attractions’ classic song is a perfect example of a pop punk cover done right. In fact, the band’s latest album, “Killing Time,” walks a fine line between both pop punk and the straight up aggressive alternative that it’s known for. Anthony Raneri’s killer vocals combined with the bands slightly up-tempo take on the song take this cover to the next level. In fact, the EP that this song is on is full of cover songs that Bayside has taken to the next level. You can get all of Bayside’s music on iTunes.

3. Knuckle Puck –“Stateside”

Pop punk bands seem to be popping up everywhere these days and most of them pretty much suck. Knuckle Puck, on the other hand, has proven to be one of the most talented bands of any genre that I’ve listened to in a while. “Stateside” is just one of the songs off of their stellar new EP “The Weight That You Buried.” The Chicago four-piece takes pop punk to the next level with their emotionally charged lyrics and aggressive in-your-face melodies. If you’re a fan of bands like The Story So Far then Knuckle Puck will have a place in your iTunes library. You can get all of their music on the band’s Bandcamp page: KnucklePuck.Bandcamp.com.

4. All Time Low –“Somewhere in Neverland”

All Time Low is one of the more popular and “mainstream” pop punk bands out today. Everyone listens to them, which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. “Somewhere in Neverland” is off of the band’s latest release “Don’t Panic” and addresses themes that everyone can relate to: growing up and taking responsibility; all while under the guise of a classic alt love song. Plus, the fact that the song refers to one of the most beloved Disney movies isn’t bad either. You can get this song, along with the entire album on iTunes.

5. Man Overboard –“Where I Left You”

This song is one of the more mellow tracks on this list but don’t let that make you think that Man Overboard is a laid-back sounding band. In fact, if I had to compare them to anything it would be a mixture of old school blink-182, circa the late 1990s/early 2000s and New Found Glory a la “Not Without a Fight.” “Where I Left You” is one of the best songs on the band’s latest album “Heart Attack.” The semi-heavy pop punk sound and really catchy lyrics make for enjoyable listening experience. You can get their music on iTunes and catch them out on tour, with a stop in San Diego on Nov. 15 at the House of Blues.

Originally published in City Times, October 2013.

The 1975’s debut album is what pop music should be

After 11 years and four EPs, The 1975 finally released their long awaited self-titled debut album and it was worth every second of the wait.

The 1975 have been gaining rapid momentum since the release of their first EP “Facedown” in August 2012. Three other EP releases quickly followed titled “Sex,” “Music for Cars” and “IV” respectively. The EPs, while amazing in their own right, provided somewhat of a warning for what their debut album would be like: loud, eclectic and unlike anything you’ve ever heard.

The music on the album is all over the place, jumping from atmospheric experimental tracks like “Talk!” to more straightforward pop tracks like “Girls.” This is all thanks to the bands self-identified “lack of identity.”

Lack of identity has often led to really bad albums but in this case however, it works beautifully. It’s obvious that the band has listened to a lot of music over their 11-years together and that they have learned from it.

Then there are songs like the mellow “Menswear” and the stripped down “Is There Somebody That Can Watch You” that serve as nice breaks from the in your face alt-pop music that permeates through the entire album.

Lyrically, the album could be the poster child for youthful angst. The band provides a witty and catchy commentary that deals with topics such as sex, drugs, love and experimentation. This album touches on so many levels of young adulthood that it could easily have been the soundtrack to your formative years.

The flaws in this album, while albeit minor, are still there. The only thing I didn’t really like was that in “Talk!” the guitar sounds looped and the bass almost gets completely drowned out by the drums during the verses.

All in all, The 1975 have proven that their debut album not only transcends genres but also proves to be that breath of fresh air that music today needs. These are the kind of songs that deserve to be played on the radio and obtain the number one spot on top of the charts.

Other artists should take note because this is what a pop album should be. It should pay homage to the genres that influenced the band but at the same time should stay true to their own style and identity, or lack thereof, in The 1975’s case.

Highlights include the re-recording of the song “Sex,” the two previous EP singles “Chocolate” and “This City,” the intricate and vocally hypnotizing “Robbers,” the experimental “Heart Out” and the two most straightforward pop songs “Settle Down” and “Girls.”

The 1975’s debut album is out now and available on iTunes.

Originally published in City Times, September 2013.

‘Great Gatsby’ soundtrack brings a modern twist to the 1920’s

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year then you should know about Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel “The Great Gatsby.” The film has been out in theaters for about two weeks and has been getting mixed reviews. The soundtrack, however? I guarantee it’s one of the best film soundtracks you will hear this year.

Development for “The Great Gatsby” had been going on for years. The idea of turning it into a Broadway play had even been tossed around, and in 2008 it was confirmed that Baz Luhrmann would be taking over as director. However, when it came to the soundtrack Luhrmann turned to his go-to composer Craig Armstrong and executive music supervisor Anton Monsted. Jay Z signed on as the co-executive producer and spent two years working with Luhrmann and his team to put out one of the best soundtracks that has been used in a Baz Luhrmann film.

The soundtrack as a whole is amazing. The producers managed to address the themes of decadence, love and excess that are in the story. Musically, the album is all over the place. It’s the music of the roaring 20’s with a modern twist. Elements of hip-hop, rock, electronic dance music; jazz and swing are blended together in a way that doesn’t make it sound cheesy or forced together.

One standout track on the album is “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey. Her vocals are haunting and emotional. The music has a somber sound to it that matches certain scenes in the film perfectly. Another thing that I liked about this song was that the instrumentation was simple and how the instruments were layered in the song. Overall, this song was a perfect fit for the film and one of the best songs on the soundtrack.

I’ll admit “Young and Beautiful” surprised me because I’m not a big Lana Del Rey fan. I thought that her last two releases were boring and frankly, her whole “daddy, hold me, pale, moonlight, Pepsi cola” thing didn’t really reel me in. However, if her next release is anything like “Young and Beautiful” then she will definitely have a place in my iTunes library.

Another standout track is “Over the Love” by Florence + the Machine. This song was written from the perspective of Daisy Buchanan, Jay Gatsby’s longtime crush. There are also mentions of certain things in the novel like the green light that appears on a dock outside of Daisy’s house and the yellow dress she wears. Musically, this song is a baroque pop ballad with hints of soul, which matches Florence Welch’s voice perfectly. The vocals on this song are powerful and emotional. The lyrics were beautifully written and really capture Daisy’s struggle between Gatsby and her husband, Tom. This song was a hit overall and one of the best songs on the soundtrack.

But of course, with the good always come the bad and this soundtrack only really had one thing that was wrong with it. That thing is the Andre 3000 and Beyoncé cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black.” This cover is just wrong on almost all levels. It is hands down the worst song on the album and the worst song that Beyoncé has ever been a part of.

“Back to Black” doesn’t need a down tempo EDM wobble, chopped and screwed beats, and weird vocal arrangements. I understand that they wanted this song to be emotional and reimagine it in a unique way but it just did not work in their favor. Instead, they turned one of Amy Winehouse’s best songs into a pile of emotionless EDM crap.

All the producers would have needed to do was slow down the tempo, slightly rearrange the music and let Beyoncé do her thing without Andre 3000. I can almost guarantee that if the producers did that they would have had one of the best songs on the soundtrack and not have the travesty that is on millions of iPods across the country.

All that being said, this was an excellent soundtrack. Baz Luhrmann has an awesome gift of picking out songs that perfectly fit his movies. Just like the songs from his “Romeo + Juliet” and “Moulin Rouge!” soundtracks, the songs on “The Great Gatsby” soundtrack perfectly enhances the story rather than take away from it. If you were to get any soundtrack from the summer movie season, then I highly recommend this one. You won’t be disappointed.

For even more tracks, check out the deluxe version of the soundtrack which includes an orchestral version of “Young and Beautiful,” a remix of “Over the Love” by SBTRKT and dialogue from the film; including one of Tobey Maguire reciting his lines over a brilliant instrumental.

“The Great Gatsby” is in theaters everywhere and the standard and deluxe versions of the soundtrack are available on iTunes.

Originally published in City Times, May 2013.

Justin Timberlake’s ’20/20 Experience’: Not worth the seven-year wait

After seven long years away from the music industry Justin Timberlake decided it was time to hang up his actors’ hat, slip on a tuxedo and get back in the studio with his longtime collaborators and some new ones, to give us his long awaited new album. Sounds like a recipe for an amazing album right? Well, think again.

In early 2013 Timberlake hinted at a comeback on his Twitter account by releasing a tweet that said “I think I’M READY,” along with a link to a YouTube video of him walking into a studio explaining why he hasn’t released anything in so long. In the video he said that he didn’t want to release anything that he doesn’t love. After months of recording, “The 20/20 Experience” was finally released on March 18. For his newest album, Timberlake took on the role of executive producer and head songwriter.

The main problem I have with the album is that some of the music tracks sounds like a complete rehash of Timbaland’s other work. At times it could feel like your listening to “FutureSex/LoveSounds” or “Shock Value II” rather then Timberlake’s newest release. On top of that, some of the songs, like “Spaceship Coupe,” easily sound like they could be a Robin Thicke song.

Then there are the lyrics. Timberlake is a pretty good songwriter that is responsible for some of the catchiest hooks in pop music. However, some of the lyrics are corny and border on literary porn. The most blatant use of these types of lyrics is the song “Strawberry Bubblegum,” which appears to be a metaphor of some kind for a woman’s vagina. In the song, Timberlake sings the lines “your mouth emotion gets me so high” and “we’re making love like professionals.” Wait a minute: professionals? What does that even mean? No passion with a contractual agreement? No one would want to be apart of that, no matter who was singing it.

Another thing that I didn’t initially like was that most of the songs are extended mixes that are seven to eight minutes long. The perfect example of this is the opening track “Pusher Love Girl.” That song could have ended at the 4-minute fifty-four second mark and be a really strong opener but then the song goes into this remix like breakdown. This however, is a very minor flaw that listeners will get use to after listening to the album a lot.

All those cons being said, this is actually a decent album. It’s not Timberlake’s best release, but it’s far from his worst. The one thing that I absolutely love about this album is that it’s not a straightforward pop album. As soon as I heard of his comeback I thought he was going for a pop sound, like many people did. I was wrong and this was one instance where I’m glad I was. There are influences from all across the musical spectrum. The mixture of old school ‘60s R&B;, ‘70s funk, neo-soul, hip-hop, jazz, pop and much more make this album worth listening to. The album stays away from any of the cliché dubstep bass lines and other EDM musical styles, which is a nice change up since that seems to be the norm for pop artists today. There are also a lot of artistic influences on the album as well, such as Prince, Quincy Jones, and Michael Jackson. The flow on this album is another thing that I liked. It makes going from one track to another almost seamless, even with the typical four-second gap time. His voice is also a major plus. Each song compliments his tenor voice almost perfectly, which makes for pretty sweet ear candy.

Highlights include the first single “Suit & Tie,” the high energy Timbaland produced “Tunnel Vision,” the raw soulful throwback “That Girl,” the Latin influenced track “Let the Groove In,” the minimalist track “Blue Ocean Floor,” and the sweet shout out to his wife “Mirrors.” The worst track on the album has to be “Don’t Hold the Wall.”

Even with its flaws “The 20/20 Experience” has a more mature and grown-up sound then Timberlake’s previous releases, manages to stay true to his artistic aesthetic and makes for an interesting listening experience that his longtime fans will love.

“The 20/20 Experience” is available in stores and on iTunes.

Originally published in City Times, April 2013.

The hits and misses of the fall TV line-up

By Angelica Wallingford and Paola Garcia

The weather is a little colder, leaves have started to change color and TV networks like The CW, ABC, FOX AND CBS have released an onslaught of new shows this fall. It’s likely only a couple from each channel will live to see the light of another season. Here’s a review of a few of fall’s most anticipated shows.

“Gotham”

Money, secrets, corruption and power; just another typical cliché crime drama right? In the case of Fox’s new show “Gotham” it couldn’t be more wrong.

“Gotham” starts off with the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Rookie Det. James Gordon and veteran Det. Harvey Bullock, played by Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue respectively, are assigned to the case. Gordon quickly realizes that all is not what it seems to be in Gotham City and unbeknownst to him the murder of the Wayne’s is the catalyst that throws Gotham into chaos.

A major highlight of the show is Robin Lord Taylor’s portrayal of Oswald Cobblepot better known as the Penguin. Taylor’s take on the iconic villain is refreshing and brilliantly played out in a way that makes the viewer feel sympathetic towards this small-time criminal who is working his way up Gotham’s underworld. McKenzie’s portrayal of an up-and-coming James Gordon is interesting to watch and is somewhat relatable. Gordon is just a guy trying to do his best in the situation he’s put in. There are also subtle hints skewed throughout the episodes at other popular characters that may or may not be appearing in future episodes.

For “Batman” fans the liberties that the show takes with the beloved characters may be an annoying turn-off from the series. However, for the casual fan or avid TV viewer, it’s an intriguing and thrilling crime drama guaranteed to keep the viewer on their toes.

“Red Band Society”

Everyone is thinking it, but they’re also saying it, “Red Band Society” is a little too similar to another FOX series: “Glee.” Although it draws from other works, namely “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Breakfast Club” and even the British version of “Skins,” the show adds its own twist of modernity with a heartwarming storyline executed by a group of ill teenage misfits.

In this show we meet Kara, a blonde cheerleader with a heart disease, Jordi and Leo who both suffer from Osteosarcoma, Dash, the rule-breaker who does not let cystic fibrosis slow him down and Emma, a 15-year-old with an eating disorder. They all inhabit the pediatric ward of Ocean Park Hospital. The introduction to this unique set up is left to the last member of this group, who we later find out is a character named Charlie, a kid who has been in a coma for months.

There’s no denying that there is a good plot in there, yet the fact that there’s no shortage of “inspiration” from other works it’s what leads to believe that this show could be good, but could it be good enough? While the pilot was charming, the show so far from being a hit.

“How to Get Away with Murder”

Producer Shonda Rhimes’ newest addition to ABC’s Thursday night line-up isn’t a winning case; it’s an obstruction of justice.

Viola Davis stars as Professor Annalise Keating, a criminal defense attorney and professor at a law school in Philadelphia. Keating is a no nonsense and ruthless lawyer with a “take no prisoners and win at all costs” attitude whether it be in the courtroom or the classroom. She selects five of her students who impress her the most to come work for her and her team. At certain times the show cuts to a forest where it’s discovered that Keating’s students have murdered someone and they argue on how or if they should dispose of the body.

The problem with the show is that the pacing is way too slow and most of the characters are just boring. The flow of the show is somewhat confusing as well. It shifts from what appears to be past and present at random times leaving the viewer to guess when certain events took place. The twists and turns are sometimes too frequent and it makes it feel as if the show is trying way too hard to be an edgy murder mystery.

“The Flash”

The newest adaptation of this superhero from the DC Comics family arrived on TV screens this fall and it’s clear from the start that Barry Allen is here to stay. “The Flash” is a spin-off from The CW’s current vigilante hit “Arrow.”

In the first episode we are introduced to Barry Allen, played by the naturally dorky Grant Gustin. As a child, Allen has the misfortune of seeing his mother mysteriously die and his father be erroneously convicted of this crime . Iris West, Allen’s love interest, is also his life long partner-in-crime since her father took Allen in when we was left an orphan all those years ago. Finally, on a night where everything seems to go wrong after an unexpected explosion at S.T.A.R. Labs , Allen gets struck by lightning. We are then left to explore Allen’s new powers with him before we see him fight this episode’s villain.

Throughout the pilot we see very strong, powerful and emotional performances but the best were delivered by John Wesley Shipp who plays Allen’s father and Jesse L. Martin who plays Det. Joe West.

“The Flash” reportedly debuted to 4.8 million viewers, scoring solid numbers for The CW, according to TVbyTheNumbers.com. Lighthearted, fun and genuine support for this hero make the show a definite early hit.

Originally published in City Times, October 2014.

‘Kawaii’ metal goes viral

When most people think of typical Japanese pop music they think of cute outfits and sugary sweet pop songs. At first glance, BABYMETAL fits that description perfectly. Then you put on their debut, self-titled album and boy, are you in for a surprise. The group’s sound is unlike anything you’ve ever heard, in the best possible way.

Not only has BABYMETAL been gaining worldwide recognition through their music videos on YouTube but they have even been featured on the Internet clip show “RightThis Minute” on CNN’s sister network HLN. They are also the youngest group to grace the stage at the world famous Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo.

BABYMETAL is made up of vocalists Su-metal, Moaetal, Yuimetal – real names Suzuka Nakamoto, Moa Kikuchi and Yui Mizuno respectively — and their supporting band Full Metal Band. The group started off a sub unit of the popular idol group Sakura Gakuin but quickly rose up as one of Japan’s best new artists.

The album is a mixture of varying genres including pop, rock, heavy metal, electronic dance music, industrial and symphonic death metal. On paper there is no way that these genres can work together and have it sound good. BABYMETAL mixes these genres to create a unique genre of their own, called “kawaii metal” or cute metal.

“Megitsune” (translation: female fox or vixen) is undoubtedly the best song on the album. It perfectly captures the aesthetic that is BABYMETAL, a killer mix of high-energy idol pop music and melodic power metal. Lyrically, it’s an analogy between the Japanese folklore that surround women in society today.

“The song relates women and foxes. People think that foxes deceive or disguise. People also think that women wear makeup to disguise themselves and people think ill of foxes as they disguise themselves,” said lead singer Su Metal in an interview on the Japanese TV show “Hot Wave.”

The vocals are another major focal point. It’s not everyday that you find a young vocalist like Su-metal with a strong vocal range. Her vocals combined with Moametal and Yuimetal’s idol vocal style and the growls and screams from the backing band make for an interesting listening experience.

The flow from track to track is seamless. Each song has its own unique sound, changing from genre to genre in an instant giving the listener a whole new experience with each passing song.

Highlights on the album include the cute hip-hop influenced “Ii ne!!,” the dark and heavy intro to the album “BABYMETAL DEATH,” the upbeat synth pop driven “Doki Doki Morning,” the high energy power pop influenced “Headbanger” and the melodic album closer “Ijime, Dame, Zettai.”

BABYMETAL’s self-titled debut is a testament of just how far you take music and experiment with it. Metal is versatile; it isn’t just brutal, hard in-your-face rhythms and melodic guitar riffs. It can be cute, fun and youthful too.

Originally published in City Times, March 2014.