Tag: Music

Looking into Danny Collins Tangled Music Career, A Movie Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Danny_Collins_Official_Poster

Danny Collins is one of those films that looks at how tough life is for some musicians who are groomed by commercial success and who seek to escape from its trappings. Before they got their big break, some might have had an idea in what direction they wanted to go with for expressing themselves, but when they broke into the industry, the producers see something else. Just like Begin Again, just what some musicians can become, namely in what Dave Kohl (Gretta’s musician boyfriend) became, may well be their own beasts of burden.

Dan Fogelman (Cars, Tangled) wrote a very thoughtful screenplay that certainly explores the difficulties in starting anew. Danny Collins (nicely played by Al Pacino) finally receives a letter from John Lennon decades later as a gift by his long-time manager Frank, (excellently played by Christopher Plummer), and if he read it sooner than later, maybe his career would have gone to different places. He is a commercial success, but was that what he really wanted?

Continue reading “Looking into Danny Collins Tangled Music Career, A Movie Review”

How to Buy Noise Cancelling Headphones for the Budget Conscious

Ed

Finding a good set of noise cancelling headphones can be tough. Quite often, you do get what you pay for and I’ve gone though a lot of these over the past 15 years. I found that I’m always upgrading every two or three years. I tried plenty, ranging from ear buds, in-the-ear, over the ear and the like. That list includes Princess Leia style mufflers! But to find that what’s suitable is never ever perfect. There’s even days I feel like a Cyberman because of what I put over my head.

To nail that right pair of speakers to strap on to the sides of my ears or anyone else’s really depends on the shape of each individual’s ears and in how that person perceives sound more so than the latest fashion trends. Yes, I admit it, I still love my TRON inspired KOSS Porta-Pro. The foam needs replacing but for the rest, it has yet to die on me even though my much beloved V-Moda for my iPod Mini (still the best engineered sounding player in my opinion) from 2004 have long since disappeared.

Continue reading “How to Buy Noise Cancelling Headphones for the Budget Conscious”

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Gamdias Powers Forth with PC Products

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Gamdias-logo1Gamdias is moreorless a new player in the North American third-party PC accessories scene. The Taiwanese company was founded in 2012, where its products (designer mice, mouse pads and keyboards) were first made available to Asia before branching out to a world-wide market. Had their products been made available for use in a wider spectrum, like for artists (with their mats) and Xbox/ Playstation compatibility (with their headsets), then this company might get a following.

For example, game enthusiasts may well enjoy using this company’s products while playing games like God of War or Halo. With this company’s product line taking their name from the gods of this Mediterranean culture, there’s no denying that there is a coolness factor for fans of classic mythology to take note of.

Continue reading “Gamdias Powers Forth with PC Products”

[VFF’15] Exploring China’s Super Boy Contest with I Am Here, A Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

eb9723a544566387390b9fb2bcd58df1

4:00pm Feb 7
6:00pm Feb 15
The Vic Theatre

Super Boy or Happy Boy (快乐男声) is China’s answer to North American competition television shows like American Idol or Survivor. The cultural impact is huge because the program creates legions of fans pining for their favourite teenaged heart-throb to win, and the marketing potential is high — the winner gets a recording contract, has to tour and generate revenue for the Hunan Satellite Television Network, the broadcaster of this program.

Continue reading “[VFF’15] Exploring China’s Super Boy Contest with I Am Here, A Review”

[VFF’15] A Music Otaku’s Guide to Tennis Pro’s Big In Japan! Review & Interview

bij_POSTER9:45pm Feb 6
2:00pm Feb 8
Odeon Theatre

Little known Seattle-based rock band Tennis Pro is having problems with notoriety and in what they realize is that they are not getting the attention that they deserve. When Alex Vincent (AKA Alex Shumway) of Green River fame takes notice and offers them the chance to pursue recognition in the land of the rising sun, perhaps their fame will truly be “Big in Japan.”

This rockumentary blends actual concert moments with a fictionalized narrative to tell the story of what guitarist David Drewery, drummer Sean Lowery and bassist Philip Pearson faced while in this country. From total culture shock in not quite realizing where they are to figuring out how to survive on a budget, the humour just happens naturally.

Continue reading “[VFF’15] A Music Otaku’s Guide to Tennis Pro’s Big In Japan! Review & Interview”

One Tech Geek’s Dream for Christmas Day

edphoto

If there’s another nerdy wish list for Santa to look at, I can only hope that maybe one item from this list will be under my tree.

In this case, maybe a few items will finally get a proper release date because they are still stuck in their development cycle. Just maybe, one day, I will find a TARDIS waiting for me to take me on a whirlwind trip around the world. Who doesn’t want to time travel just to witness how the Egyptian pyramids were truly built? And besides, with the first item on my list, I can take home some souvenirs!

Continue reading “One Tech Geek’s Dream for Christmas Day”