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RE: VIEWS (LOOK)

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22 December 2023

THESE ARE WEB-EXCLUSIVE REVIEWS. BUT YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO ORDER PRINT ISSUE #6, WHICH CONTAINS A TON OF OTHER REVIEWS, AND MORE!




Here\'s what we\'re reading, watching, loving, and hating. Click on the title to buy it on Amazon. Then buy some beer and invite us over to watch it.

 

911: IN PLANE SITE (Power Hour Productions)

 

I\'m gonna get a lot of shit for this, but there is no way in hell a 757 passenger jet flew into the Pentagon on September 11th. And if you can say otherwise after watching 911: In Plane Site, you\'re either as blind as the three mice, or you voted for Bush (which is essentially the same thing). Some will label this as conspiracy theory rhetoric, but it\'s smart, put together well, and investigated thoroughly. And if it doesn\'t make you question the way you view the events of 9/11, you\'re probably one of the led.

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Wayne Chinsang

 

A NIGHT OF FEROCIOUS JOY (Music Video Distributors)

 

Three years ago, our poor excuse for a president launched his bullshit war on terror. And despite what Fox News will tell you, a lot of people weren’t too happy about it. Even here in America. A bunch of them gathered together to make a musical act of defiance against our idiot emperor’s careless, irresponsible behavior, and the result was Artspeaks! Not In Our Name. Now, three years after the fact, it’s on DVD for all to see. Performances and interview segments from some of the most outspoken creative individuals in music (Saul Williams, Ozomatli, The Coup, Blackalicious, and more) highlight the documentary, and a nice panel discussion sits among the handful of extra features it possesses.

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Vinnie Baggadonuts

 

BAKI THE GRAPPLER (FUNimation)

 

I\'ve never seen this anime before, but I really enjoyed what I saw on this first volume of the series. The story is about a 13-year-old fighter named Baki, and the opening scene starts out with him taking on an army of a hundred street thugs. You see why I\'m hooked. The fight scenes are elaborate enough to really hold my interest, and the story is very well rounded. Baki is a very dynamic character that changes and grows with every challenge he faces. I can’t wait for the next volume.

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Das Bork

 

CHARLES R. CROSS - ROOM FULL OF MIRRORS (Hyperion Books)

 

I\'m not going to lie and say I was able to read this whole book, because I didn\'t. However, I will say this: what I was able to read before deadline was damn good. I\'m a big Jimi Hendrix fan, and Room Full Of Mirrors is a dream come true for people like me. Penned by Kurt Cobain biographer Charles R. Cross, this 350-page epic talks about everything, from Jimi\'s great accomplishments in the music world, to the terrible lows that filled his drug-addicted personal life. But what stands out in the book are the little things that are mentioned that I never knew about him, like the first time he dropped acid while listening to Bob Dylan\'s Blonde On Blonde. It\'s those little anecdotes that make this book extra special.

 

THE GRADE: A

- Wayne Chinsang

\"Jimi



 


 

Yes, I’m 24 years old and I like Dragon Ball Z. I’m not sure why. I think I really just enjoy the huge storylines. I’m sure any fan would be excited to see these uncut versions of the cartoon, which include things like added battle damage, more blood, and even Gohan taking a leak every chance he gets. I especially liked the interviews with the voice actors of Goku and Vegeta. Vegeta is really the reason I watch the show. He’s 100% badass. So, if you\'re a fan, check these DVDs out!

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Das Bork

 

FELIPE SMITH - MBQ (Tokyo Pop)

 

There’s a reason I don’t regularly read comic books: they aren’t regularly worthwhile. But Felipe Smith’s 200+ page debut, MBQ, got my undivided attention. Based on the real-life ridiculousness he and his friends experienced in the years leading up to this book, Smith takes you through a handful of daily grinds. The characters come across as individuals with unique voices and personalities, the story bounces from comedy to tragedy and back again with the greatest of ease, and Smith’s illustrative style turns common, everyday scenes into slightly fantastic scenes to get lost in.

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Vinnie Baggadonuts

 

INKED (A&E)

 

A&E\'s newest reality-based series, INKED, is more documentary-style than its melodramatic, reality TV, trash counterparts, and follows the life and times of the Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company-- the first-ever tattoo parlor located in a Las Vegas casino (the legendary Palms Casino Resort). You see the expected business and personal drama, as well as meet the customers, hear what they’re getting tattooed, and watch the actual artists do some amazing ink work. If you missed the back-to-back premiere (the potential end of the business, and a light-hearted intro to the shop’s apprentice), do your best to check local listings and catch the rest of the season. I’m going to have to find a friend with cable.

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Vinnie Baggadonuts

 


 

Holy Moses! I got some John Wayne movies to review... and I enjoyed them. This is really going to mess with my street cred. Island In The Sky is a no frills, meat-and-potatoes sort of movie about a group of pilots who make a crash landing and have to survive several days in the brutal cold. The collector’s edition DVD has a handful of special features and a short film on the making of the movie. The High And The Mighty is a two-disc set with all kinds of goodies on the second DVD. The movie showcases The Duke at his finest, though with significantly less screen time than your typical main character. The story follows the lives of passengers on a troubled flight from Hawaii to California-- including its pilots, played by John Wayne and Robert Stack. (I quickly figured out that Airplane! drew quite a bit of inspiration from The High And The Mighty. Who knew?) This story has a little more depth than Island In The Sky, but both have equal heart. I’d recommend either if you’re in the mood for movies the way they used to be.

 

THE GRADE: A (for both)

 

- Fphatty Lamar

 

LOUISIANA HAYRIDE (Kultur International Films)

 

Forget the Grand Ole Opry! Long live Louisiana Hayride! For those of you not in the know, Louisiana Hayride was a radio show that, during its heyday, gave upcoming country talent a chance at music career stardom. (You may have heard of some of them: Hank Williams, Elvis, George Jones, and Johnny Cash, to name a few.) This documentary showcases the rise of the success of both the show and its talent, and continues through the history of the show until its inevitable demise. The transfer and production is dated, but still clean. And while I\'m not big on the narrator-- Hank Williams, Jr.-- the tales he tells are worth the price.

 

THE GRADE: B+

 

- Wayne Chinsang

\"Hank



 


 

Oh my goodness! I\'ve never seen anything like this. This romantic anime is so cute it will make you vomit. If your little sister gets a hold of it, you\'re dead. Anime collectors who have everything, or freaks that collect anything with a piano on it (including socks, toothbrushes, dirty napkins, etc.) may like it, too. Miu is a musical piano prodigy. She\'s extremely devoted, until she gets distracted by a boy. Her lack of passion frustrates her extremely moody piano teacher, who I think wants her. Yuck! When Miu\'s best friend gets preoccupied by a boy herself, Miu turns back to her secret love: the piano.

 

THE GRADE: B

 

- Hellkat

 

PSYCHO.MOTO ZINE (Antagonist Press)

 

Issue No. Sweet 16 of NYC’s Antagonist Movement’s literary appendage pairs words with images from Antagonist family members, and it runs a pretty wide gamut of styles and formats. There’s a ton of autobiographical fiction, the occasional comic, and random things like a horoscope and bar etiquette tips (my personal favorite). My only constructive criticism is that some of the writing seems a bit long-winded, but that’s more a reflection upon the submitter, and not The Antagonists themselves.

 

THE GRADE: B

 

- Vinnie Baggadonuts

 


 

Shingu is totally absurd Japanese teen action drama. Even though it\'s supposedly the year 2070, it looks like present day Japan (making it even weirder). In these episodes, there are more alien invasions and dramatic combat. The main character, Hajime, is a normal teen that lacks any skills to defend himself against extraterrestrials, and feels powerless watching his friends endanger themselves, using bizarre techniques such as astral deviation, to defend Earth. By the show\'s end, he discovers his importance in the mission. Overall, I liked this disc. It\'s visually appealing, and the storyline is interesting... though completely wacko.

 

THE GRADE: B

 

- Hellkat

 


 

I\'ve never seen Spiral before, and was instantly sucked into this puzzling anime. The storyline follows Ayumu Narumi as he tries to discover the mystery behind his brother\'s disappearance, the disappearance\'s connection with The Blade Children, and the murder accusations placed against him. I thought the edgy drawing complimented the story nicely, as did the creative use of depth of field and camera angles. Overall, I was engaged and enjoyed the mystery. But I still have no idea who or what The Blade Children are.

 

THE GRADE: A-

 

- Hellkat

 


 

It’s only appropriate that the first-ever unedited DVD collection of Major League Baseball games would be the post-season action of a team that ended an 86-year championship dry spell. Translation: A&E is putting out a 12-DVD box set following the Boston Red Sox through their victorious playoff run. It’s nearly 40 hours of game-on action, as well as celebrity interviews, post-game celebrating, narration, and more.

 

THE GRADE: B (for \"baseball\")

 

- Vinnie Baggaredsox

 

THE COSBY SHOW: SEASON 1 (UrbanWorks Entertainment)

 

Who doesn\'t like The Cosby Show? You don\'t? Well, poop on you! The episodes may seem a little dated, but that\'s inevitable for a collected TV show. But the material is good, strong comedy that\'s accessible to everyone. The four-disc set\'s special feature is The Cosby Show: A Look Back. It\'s a doozie of a retrospective that includes bloopers, deleted scenes, audition footage, and much more. Get it.

 

THE GRADE: A+

 

- Fphatty Lamar

 


 

Tylor is insanely goofy anime! I found myself laughing at the most ridiculous things. For instance, these twin girls were asking this handsome terrorist to kill them just because he was handsome! Insane! You just have to see it to know what I mean. Tylor is a bum who, by sheer dumb luck, manages to become a captain of an army battleship. And with even more dumb luck, he destroys the enemy ships. I think this is the best comical anime I’ve ever come across.

 

THE GRADE: B+

 

- Das Bork

 

TRINIE DALTON - DEAR NEW GIRL OR WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS (McSweeney\'s Books)

 

I have an affinity for art books with a concept, and this book has one of the most clever (and bizarre) concepts I\'ve come across. Trinie Dalton is a substitute teacher in Los Angeles, and part of her job is to discipline evil note-passing students. But rather than throw away the letters she would confiscate, Trinie kept them. After three years she had amassed hundreds of notes, and came up with the idea of having 24 artists illustrate them in one collected book. The result is beautiful. The book features a wide range of art, from pen and ink masterpieces scribbled on notebook paper, to three-dimensional, computer generated hoochie mamas. And if you\'re not totally in love with the mystery man known as \"Mario\" by the end of the book, there\'s seriously something wrong with you. Also keep an eye out for \"Ham Is Gay\". Yes... \"Ham\".

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Wayne Chinsang

 

WHY ELVIS? (Kultur International Films)

 

An in-depth look at the icon that Elvis became, Why Elvis? concentrates less on the man and more on the people who idolize the man. Sometimes funny, other times scary, the documentary features interviews with people who knew Elvis personally, as well as people that could only wish for those bragging rights. The film is dated in that it was obviously filmed well over a decade ago, but the transfer is clean and crisp. And if quality content and clean production doesn\'t have you sold, maybe the interview with Mojo Nixon will.

 

THE GRADE: A-

 

- Wayne Chinsang

\"Elvis



 

JOHN ALBERT - WRECKING CREW (Scribner Books)

 

Imagine if Kerouac and his Beat brethren played baseball instead of chasing Zen, or nothingness, or whatever the hell it was they were chasing. They’d probably play for the Griffith Park Pirates, and ol’ Jack probably would have written this book. Wrecking Crew follows author John Albert and his recovering/relapsing drug addict misfit friends as they start a park league team to help keep their personal demons at bay. It’s a highly entertaining true story with more comedy, tragedy, and perplexity than any biographical work you’ll read this year. And it will actually make you love baseball.

 

THE GRADE: A+

 

- Vinnie Baggadonuts

artid
3219
byline
Compiled by the staff of TLC
byline2
Above image by <A HREF='http://www.ellagraph.com' target='_blank'><u><b>Kathrine Berger</b></u></A>
Old Image
7_12_look_header.jpg
issue
vol 7 - issue 12 (aug 2005)
section
entertainmental
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