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9 1/2 Weeks (1986)
9 1/2 Weeks (1986)
1986 | Drama, Romance
Wild, magnetic, and hot as hell - nobody does these like Lyne, man. One of the things I love most about this is that it's one of the sacred few of these that don't demonize kink *nor* make it a symptom of some trauma/mental illness; this is simply two consenting adults participating in a kinky relationship. They were getting this shit right in 1986, people - there's no excuse to keep messing it up 35 years later. Of course Rourke and Basinger have smoldering chemistry here too, their performances are so daring for the time and hold up airtight even today. Asks the devastating question of whether it's worse when passion is lost altogether, or when it becomes too consuming for one's reasonable expectations to handle? Also features a montage of the two leads fucking on a rainy alley staircase to loud 1980s synth music after beating up a random group of thugs - so you really get the best of both worlds. The last 20/25 minutes is the best work of Lyne's entire career. 80s MTV version of 𝘍𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘺 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘺 (still not quite as good as 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺, though).
  
For the Sake of Vicious (2020)
For the Sake of Vicious (2020)
2020 | Action, Horror, Mystery
5
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
For the Sake of Vicious is simply a film of two halves. The first half is a vague kind of plot set up that manages to be so very boring, and the second half is all out hyper-violence with any semblance of a story flushed down the toilet. It kind of works.
The first half suffers from dialogue that's weirdly low down in the sound mix, and a lot of over-acting. Especially from the main dude. He pulls a wide-eyed, gormless, crazy-guy face for the entire runtime, and it becomes tiresome withing the first 5 minutes. It's spends a bit too much time setting up some character development that frankly doesn't matter too much.
The second half is pretty ridiculous. The violence on display is suitably nasty, and there's some impressive practical effects work to go with it. The carnage is well choreograped, and is set to a thumping synth score that quite honestly, does most of the heavy lifting for the finished result.

It's a decent enough watch if you're looking for something swift and gory, but otherwise forgettable.
  
Wishful Thinking by Augustine
Wishful Thinking by Augustine
2019
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Augustine is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Sweden. Not too long ago, he released a lovely debut EP, entitled, “Wishful Thinking”, which reveals his deepest fears.

“The first song I released as an artist that changed so much about my life. It’s a memory of the contrasts in a relationship, thinking that it’s a bit scary if the current moment is the highlight of your life. You are high on life but so afraid to lose the feeling that you somehow lose yourself instead.” – Augustine

‘Luzon’ is Augustine’s debut single. Shortly after its release, it skyrocketed to #1 on Hype Machine.

The likable tune contains a lighthearted storyline, beautiful falsetto vocals, and cinematic instrumentation flavored with an alternative-pop aroma.

Augustine – “Viola”

“I was a little angry with the world when I wrote ‘Viola’. Much of that anger was due to feelings of anxiety, guilt, and other boring things. The line ‘I’ll be your biggest disappointment if you sum up the years of adolescence’ is really about being scared of not being enough.” – Augustine

‘Viola’ contains a relatable narrative, likable vocals, and warm instrumentation pulsating with mellotron tones and distinctive drums.

Augustine – “Wishful Thinking”

“I’m weak for synth-pop songs that are so big that you just lose yourself in them. So I wanted to try one myself. ‘Wishful Thinking’ is a twisted love story about looking back at something with both regret and lack. But mostly with a fear of forgetting how a certain person is, looks and sounds.” – Augustine

The title track “Wishful Thinking” tells a twisted love story about looking back at something with both regret and lack. But mostly with a fear of forgetting how a certain person is, looks and sounds.

This reminiscence is juxtaposed with exhilarating energy which builds throughout the song, emulating a windows-down late night drive and overwhelming liberation.

‘Wishful Thinking’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and enjoyable instrumentation which takes listeners on a bombastic synth-pop thrill ride.

The likable tune reveals Augustine’s penchant for massive synth-based productions like Lana Del Rey‘s “Summertime Sadness” and Future Islands’ “Seasons”.

Augustine – “A Scent of Lily”

“This was initially an attempt to write a pop song, with inspiration from the chorus of Ariana Grande’s ‘Into You’. ‘Lily’ eventually became much more alternative. It’s about powerlessness in a relationship, when you buy into everything about the other person, to the point that you stop thinking your own sensible thoughts.” – Augustine

‘A Scent of Lily’ is another critically acclaimed tune which made Augustine one of 2019’s most talked about new artists.

Like “Luzon”, it peaked at #1 on Hype Machine. Also, it placed Augustine in a conversational comparison with iconic voices like Bon Iver, Mark Foster, James Blake, and Ezra Koenig.

‘A Scent of Lily’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with electro-pop and modern dance elements.

Augustine – “Slacks”

“The most personal song of the EP. It’s about how a lovely relationship didn’t last because of the distance. We moved to different cities, and I became so self-absorbed. I started suffering from agoraphobia that made it hard for me to even go outside. A little crazy in hindsight.” – Augustine

‘Slacks’ possesses a bittersweet storyline, heartfelt vocals, and stripped instrumentation perfumed with a nostalgic scent.

Get acquainted with Augustine’s “Wishful Thinking” EP by streaming it via Spotify.

“Hearing the EP from a distance, it became clear that this music grew out many years of me being afraid of being a disappointment to others. All the lyrics were inspired by being afraid of people, the world and leaving things behind.” – Augustine

All five songs featured on “Wishful Thinking” are collaborations between Augustine and producers Rassmus Björnson and Agrin Rahmani (LÉON, Skott).

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/augustine-wishful-thinking/
  
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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) created a post

Apr 8, 2020  
Mini review time for VFW on 4K.

VFW feels like the most 80s film I've seen since the 80s. It doesn't rely on nostalgia or 'remember this' moments its just a genuinely very well made movie thats clearly been made by people with a lot of passion and love for films of the past. Its so well done infact that you could actually mistake it for a forgotten film from a past era or decade. Caked in grain its undeniably sleazy, brutal, disturbing and shocking with such a great sense of constant dread. All characters are awesome too as is the hauntingly hypnotic and pulsating synth soundtrack which a company's the great dialog so well that most scenes just leak a cool atmospheric warmth. stephen lang is a stand out here calm, collected and as badass as ever. Very much like Green Room meets Near Dark this is defo one to check out for sure. If you hate grain on your 4K transfers you may want to stay clear but it undoubtedly adds extra character to the movie and makes the colours pop which is surprising for a disc with no HDR. Only available on import but not very expensive I'd say this is most definitely a buy.
     
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Gruff Rhys recommended Get Up With It by Miles Davis in Music (curated)

 
Get Up With It by Miles Davis
Get Up With It by Miles Davis
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"When I was making this list, I kept questioning why I was choosing individual records. There are [other] records that influenced me as a kid but in this moment, when asked for this specific list, I was on tour and we were driving around America in a van, just the four of us in the band, the core of the Babelsberg record, the three musicians: Steve Black, Osian Gwynedd and Kliph Scurlock. Kliph has got a real high-resolution digital file player so he made a playlist that lasted a month. There were certain records we returned to as a group that chimed with us during these particular moments and one of them was this record. I like that Davis has dismissed the trumpet and taken up a synth instead - it's a good example of how to grow old radically rather than mellow out and it informed our tour so, if in doubt, we'd refer to this record live. It makes an interesting case for what works on a high-resolution file or what needs high-resolution [to sound as it should]. I might recommend this record now but if someone listens to it on Spotify, half of the quality of the performance might be shut out due to the frequencies [lost in encoding]."

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Architecture & Morality by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Architecture & Morality by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
1981 | Pop
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Similar time to The Human League obviously - it's just another synth-pop classic. It's when O.M.D. still had a much more experimental edge and yet similarly to the League, they had some stonking tunes, the two 'Joan Of Arc' ones, and 'Souvenir's on that as well, which I absolutely adore. I remember I bought the single of 'Souvenir' and probably the single record that I have played most in my life. I just kept it on repeat on our old record player in the house. That would have been in Enniskillen Woolworth's, probably along with Roland Rat or something - everybody buys shit records at the time as well and accidentally buys good ones when you're that young. I hold all of the above in mind when writing music and yet you're also trying to expunge them from your mind as well! It's a very complicated process - you can't help being the sum of your parts and you can't help little bits of the things you love coming out. If a certain chord does a certain thing in one of those songs that makes you kind of tingle, then you're looking for the tingle, but you're not looking to do it with the same chord, if you know what I mean! So you might use the same kind of mechanics but not the same notes."

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In Search of Darkness (2019)
In Search of Darkness (2019)
2019 | Documentary, Horror
In short, In Search of Darkness is a must watch for any horror fan.

It's 4+ hour runtime is a gushing love letter to 80s horror, covering the decade year by year, with interviews from an impressive cast of genre icons - John Carpenter, Larry Cohen, Joe Dante, Barbara Crampton, Doug Bradley, Tom Atkins, Lori Cardille, Nick Castle, Jeffrey Combs, Kane Hodder, Tom Holland, Heather Langenkamp, Don Mancini, Cassandra Peterson, Caroline Williams, Brian Yuzner, and many more!

The documentary doesn't break any new ground, truth be told, but it's hard to not to appreciate all of these films being covered in one place. The sheer amount of titles discussed is pretty vast.
It's put together nicely as well. Old grainy film trailers tend to set the tone of each entry, but all of the footage shown is crystal clear and HD. The graphics are eye catching, with classic one sheets on display throughout, and it's all set too a great synth soundtrack courtesy of Weary Pines.

Really worth checking out - I split my viewing over a few nights and was honestly gutted when I had none left to watch. Director David A. Weiner did a great job with this documentary, and has a second one coming next year entitled In Search of Tomorrow, focusing on the Sci-Fi films of the 80s, and I can't wait to see it!
  
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) Aug 12, 2020

One of the best, ifn't the greatest horror doctumentaries of all time.

Letters from the Earth is an alternative outfit. Not too long ago, they released a music video for their “Frank Ghilardi Sends Off a Long-Tenured Employee” single.

“‘Frank Ghilardi Sends Off a Long-Tenured Employee’ illuminates the life of a typical employee. Also, it examines the true value of work in the west. The song’s surrealist music video finds a somber employee attending her own absurd retirement party. Where, Foster, portraying the titular Frank Ghilardi, presents his melancholic address.” – Letters from the Earth

‘Frank Ghilardi Sends Off a Long-Tenured Employee’ tells an interesting tale in the form of a farewell speech. Also, the speech is delivered from a fictional company head to an unnamed subordinate.

The likable tune contains a relatable storyline and ear-welcoming vocals. Also, it possesses charming instrumentation which was produced and mixed by Ben Hirschfield (Against Me!, The Story So Far, and Elder Brother).

“It’s okay to cry. You’ve made it alive through forty years here at Ghilardi. Don’t be afraid of your life turning gray. There’ll be no more files to be sorted. No people to wave you on at the gate. No phone calls to take, no lunches to make, no more coming home to dinners alone.” – lyrics

Letters from the Earth consists of Matt Foster (vocals, guitar), Ben Hirschfield (guitar, keys, synth), Cameron MacBain (drums), and Morgan Foster (bass).

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/letters-from-the-earth-frank-ghilardi/
  
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JT (287 KP) rated Summer of 84 (2018) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
Summer of 84 (2018)
Summer of 84 (2018)
2018 | Horror
The arrival of Stranger Things has given those old enough to remember the 80s a real sense of nostalgia; a retro throwback to a time when life was relatively uncomplicated. The film cobbles together another bunch of archetypal misfits who are convinced their sleepy suburb harbours a terrifying secret – that the kind hearted cop living next door is in fact a sadistic serial killer.

Davey (Graham Verchere) is bored and in need of something to spice up his univentful summer. When he starts to suspect that Wayne Mackey (Rich Sommer) is a serial killer, he enlists the help of his friends to piece together the evidence.

It’s not long before the group think that Davey is paranoid and start to cut him off, leaving Davey’s hot neighbour, whom he has a desperate teenage crush on, as the only person who might just believe him. Summer of 84 was always going to come up short to its Stranger Things cousin, but I really enjoyed it, the synth retro soundtrack coupled with a satisfying ending made it a great watch.

It makes no excuses for being thoroughly unoriginal but instead has fun, never taking itself too seriously. Each of the boys has a reason to be outside playing amatuer detective rather than in the confines of their unhappy homes. The final epilogue will leave an unhinged sense of fear in us all and it’s an ending which doesn’t follow the normal rules.
  
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James Dean Bradfield recommended Doppler by R. Seiliog in Music (curated)

 
Doppler by R. Seiliog
Doppler by R. Seiliog
2013 | Alternative, Psychedelic, Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"It really gave me inspiration when we were finishing Futurology - this was flying around in Cardiff before its release. Because there was quite a big Krautrock influence on 'Futurology' itself, it was just nice to be reminded of how other people were still ingesting those influences and making use of them. I'm not very good at researching people on the internet so I never know the background to many people's stories really, but this album Doppler is seamlessly out of the box. Just a great record. You hear it and you think, "This guy, one day, is gonna win an Oscar for best soundtrack or he's going to launch the best inspired pop synth duo of all time." There's just something there; there's a song called 'Dollygluten' and another song called 'Neigwl Vacuums' and another song called '23.4'. Just all classics. I love it when there's a sense of mystery about a record. I don't know what his MO is, I don't really know what the songs are about, there's no narrative from the vocal, but he's one of those people who's just popped out fully formed and said, "Hey, look what I'm doing!" I don't really know what he looks like - I don't know how to switch the computer on. But it's just one of those records that I absolutely love. And there's something endless about that Krautrock catalogue that allows people to reinvent the near future, which is great, I think."

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