Monthly Archives: March 2010

Twilight Zone – Rod Serling

Posted on by
Reply

There once was a man who completely brought intelligence with entertainment and had figured out a creative way to be able to express undiscussed and touchy issues without being censored. The sheer, unadulterated brilliance and magical writing ability of Rod Serling had broken down barriers through his presentation of “The Twilight zone”. The show delivered unique tales of endless versatility of premises and was the way for Rod Serling to be able to broadcast issues of racial prejudice, philosophical perspectives, and various bizarre predicaments dealing with nightmarish, comedic and sometimes romantic fantasies that was to be categorized as “Science fiction”.

Held a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from Antioch College in Ohio, Serling’s first writing job was in WLW radio as a staff writer. Inspired by television and radio playwright, Norman Corwin, Serling hones his writing skills and eventually found his home in CBS as WLW was one of its many franchises. 1951 breaks Serling’s television doors through numerous series including “Fireside theater”, “The Doctor” and “The Storm” to name a few. Finally tired of his original scripts from being butchered by the networks and sponsors, Serling achieved to have his own show in 1959 that would be one of the most legendary breakthrough to convey important social messages through fictional and scientifically inspired fantasy. Armed with writers that he absolutely admired namely Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson, the show successfully tackled issues of controversial categories in social perspectives like no other. Generating a loyal fan base, The Twilight Zone lasted Five seasons with 156 episodes (92 was written by Serling himself). 1964 was the final season of the show as Serling became wearied and just let the show get canceled.

Rod Serling paved the way for innovative stories with epic proportions that packs premises that was so ahead of its time and influenced more of the same category that it pioneered with such shows as “The outer limits”, “Star trek”, “The X files” and others. Serling pushed the envelope of story telling with quite a few lessons for the moral and a lot of thought provoking originality. One of my many favorite episodes was “Eye of the beholder”. The story of a woman that was allegedly repulsive and rejected by her society because of her appearance. She went to get a surgery to fix the problem, while no faces were revealed throughout the episode and the twist of the story’s climax revealed with the opposite of mundane and predictable expectancies. Rod Serling will always be an inspiration for me as far as creative writing is concerned and I am eternally grateful for all the tales that he told.

Review of TV Networks : Disney channel

Posted on by
Reply

There has never been a better time in history to be a child. The selection of children’s programs is more abundant than ever and caters to every child from the toddler to the tween. One channel in particular that continues to lead the pack in this department is the Disney Channel. Mickey has never looked so good. Who would have thought that the little mouse we all loved in our own childhood could be so au current? This channel should be a staple in every home in America, with or without children. While other child centered television programs cause many parents to cringe as the characters demonstrate violence towards each other or dabble in the inappropriate sexual references that we gratefully realize was just over our child’s head, the Disney Channel provides a welcome respite from our PG-13 cartoon world.

Appealing to the widest demographic is the offering of sophisticated children’s programs that doesn’t make kids feel like they are watching a “kid’s” show. The most notable program in this category is Hannah Montana, the everyday girl who leads a double life as a pop superstar. This perky little child star, offspring of none other than Billy Ray Cyrus of country music fame, keeps small children entertained with her catchy tunes and physical comedy. At the same time, Miley Cyrus, as Hannah Montana, satisfies her older pre-tween fans with story lines that are both relatable and (whew!) G-rated. Other lovable shows in this category include The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Cory in the House, and-the newest offering of the omnipotent MouseThe Wizards of Waverly Place.

In the Suite Life, twin tween boys Zack and Cody, living in a hotel where their mom is a lounge singer, get into mishaps and mayhem, a lifestyle most children covet, but their adventures are mostly harmless experimentations. For example, the time the boys decided to open a teen night club in the hotel, complete with theme nights and soda bar. Then there was the other time when the boys invited all the cool kids over to hang out with them at the hotel, only to be taken advantage of and get in trouble for all the damage caused by their guests. The story lines speak to kids’ imagination and issues that kids think about but without condoning or encouraging delinquent behavior. Adding to the appeal of the show are the just as entertaining costars, like the candy counter girl Maddy and the spoiled heiress London. The upshot is, the stories all conclude the same way, with a moral and a lesson. The boys never get away with any shenanigans, even when Zack lied to his parents about graduating, though he actually was being held back. Every story, much like the rest of the offerings on the Disney Channel, is punctuated with a strong message that encourages kids to take the high road and that lying/cheating/stealing does not pay.

Cory in the House follows Cory Baxter, who some remember as the character of Raven’s brother from That’s so Raven, as he leaves the San Francisco suburb with his dad to move to Washington, DC where his father has accepted a position as the White House chef. Though far reaching in its story line (how relatable is the life of a kid who lives in the White House?), Cory manages to appeal to kids with his business schemes, physical comedy and the comedic timing of a seasoned pro.

The newest addition to the Disney lineup is the charming Wizards of Waverly Place, the story of a family of wizards in training. The adorable up-and-comer Selena Gomez leads this cast as the middle child with two brothers, just learning to hone their magic skills as they navigate the trials of tribulations of adolescence. One notable must see episode finds Selena’s character using a time reversal spell in an attempt to help her older brother get his first kiss just right. The story lines appeal to tweens with “grown up” issues without being inappropriate or stepping over the line. In addition, younger kids will appreciate the magical mishaps as the kids get their magic wrong, like the time the animated figure from dad’s track trophy evades the family as he runs around the house taunting his pursuers. Again, mom and dad can rest easy; this is one prime time show you won’t have to screen.

As always, Disney would not be Disney without a generous selection of cartoons. No Saturday morning would be complete without Playhouse Disney, Disney Channel’s programming segment geared for the youngest fans out there. Disney has improved on the cartoons many adults remember from their youth. The animation is as close to 3D as you can get without the funky glasses. The colors and characters practically jump out of the screen. The characters we all know and love look better than ever, not showing any sign of their 75+ years. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy and even Pluto take us through a 30 minute adventure, where no task is too small and no adventure too big. The interactive format of the show engages the television audience into the program, challenging them without overwhelming them with simple riddles and fun puzzles. Parents will be pleased with the content, while kids will be thrilled with the fun.

With Disney Channel’s acumen in the promotion and marketing of children’s programs, it is no wonder that it has enjoyed such success. If you want to make your kids happy while keeping your finger on the pulse on the Gen Y-ers, look no further than Disney Channel. Who knows, maybe you’ll even watch when the kids are not around.

Music CD Album Review : In Motion, by Copeland

Posted on by
2

After demolishing the rock world with their 2003 debut Beneath Medicine Tree, Atlanta’s Copeland are back with their next for the Militia Group In Motion. After the mild ripple Beneath Medicine Tree initially caused, Copeland began to quickly expand their domain with an ungodly tour schedule and an impressive video for their single “Walking Downtown.” Now Copeland is as big as ever and often are used as a reference point for new bands starting out. Copeland is characterized by guitarist and lead singer Aaron Marsh’s breathy, melodic and soft glove vocals married with outstanding pop compositions. Such is the case that Copeland is often lumped into the emo’ genre, but they do none of the heart-on-sleeve-with-a-dagger- through-it nonsense. Yet, for In Motion, Copeland decided to mix things up and veer away from ballads and towards more rock numbers. While it is not an entire switch to suddenly a punk band or something, the difference between In Motion and Beneath Medicine Tree is rather stark on certain numbers. Accompanied by guitarist Bryan Laurenson, bassist James Likeness and drummer Jonathan Bucklew, Marsh headed into the studio with Ken Andrews to lay down ten new tracks that the band had been evolving over the past year or so. In Motion begins with heavy guitar distortion on “No One Really Wins,” which serves as the opening call to a more aggressive Copeland. After the mellower “Choose the One Who Loves You More,” comes the hot “Pin Your Wings” where Copeland lance the song with a memorable guitar riff and score major points for a superbly catchy chorus. “Sleep” is similar to previous material, with piano dominant, light instruments and Marsh’s vocals carrying the day. I was convinced for a while that there was something wrong with my player during “Kite,” but it is just an effect to make the song sound older; the song itself is average. “Don’t Slow Down” really only comes into its own on the chorus and then excels, while “Love Is a Fast Song” is skipable. Bringing back smart composition and utilizing what they are best at, “You Have My Attention” is a slow starter but helps punctuated itself by well-timed, distanced guitar riffs. The album closes on “You Love to Sing” and “Hold Nothing Back,” where the latter is a strong, acoustic driven ballad. What “Hold Nothing Back” also does is set up your move to checking out the other disc in the record featuring four acoustic live tracks recorded in December 2004. The four include “Don’t Slow Down” and “Pin Your Wings” off the record and “Coffee” and “Take Care.” While “Pin Your Wings” is inherently a good song, the acoustic version of “Don’t Slow Down” makes you appreciate it considerable more. What all four illustrate is that Copeland could simply take their acoustic act on the road be ravishingly successful. Look for Copeland to be expanding their empire during this summer.

Music CD Album Review : Permanent Vacation, by Aerosmith

Posted on by
Reply

In case you don’t know, Aerosmith are a heavy rock band from Boston, in the United States. Before I get to the review of this album, it’s worth giving a bit of context.

Aerosmith were one of the biggest bands on the planet during the 1970s but a growing substance dependence had started to blight their output (and live performances) by the late Seventies. Whereas early albums such as Toys in the attic’ (1975) and Rocks’ (1976) were hugely successful (and are regarded as amongst the best ever rock albums), their next four albums (though not bad) were not nearly as tight or vibrant.

By the mid Eighties, the band had started to straighten themselves out, after stints in rehab, and 1987 saw the release of an album that was to kick start a new era of success for the band. The album in question was called Permanent Vacation’.

Permanent Vacation is, I feel, a really joyous record. The title includes the word vacation and it sounds as if Aerosmith had packed away their troubles and were intent on having fun in the recording studio. It also has a very polished production, something that has come to epitomise all of their record releases from this point on. Bruce Fairbairn was responsible for production and Desmond Child and Jim Vallance were drafted in to co-write some of the songs. It also includes their interpretation of the Beatles song, I’m down’.

The tracks that people are most likely to be familiar with are Rag Doll, Dude (looks like a lady), Angel, and Permanent Vacation. Rag Doll is my personal favourite on the album and one of my favourite all-time Aerosmith songs. It’s a song to dance to or (if you’re not near a dance floor) to tap your feet and sing along to. The song itself is a about young lust, as the opening lyrics indicate. Rag doll, living in a movie / hot tramp, Daddy’s little cutie / So fine, they’ll never see ya / Leavin’ by the back door, man’.

Dude (Looks like a lady) is about a glam woman who turns out to be a man. It is meant to have been influenced by the fact that Motley Crue had a stint supporting Aerosmith and their lead singer said dude’ a lot and looked a bit like a woman!

Angel, then, is the big ballad on the album and is consummately smooth and a real tear-jerker. The chorus is You’re my angel, come and save me today’ which sums what it’s about very concisely. The lyrics in the verses are great, like this one:
Don’t know what I’m going to do / about this feeling inside / yes, it’s true / loneliness took me for a ride / without your love / I’m  nothing but a beggar / without your love, a dog without a bone’. You can imagine all those lighters being waved as this one’s sung!

Permanent Vacation is the next song after Angel and brings the pace back up splendidly and reintroduces a lighter feel. It’s a feel-good song and the same statement applies to this whole album.

I’ve focused on the four best known tracks from this album. However, there are some other hidden gems. Heart’s done time’ introduces the album with the sound of whale song. Hangman jury is great. Magic touch is fantastic as well. The one slight let down is that the album finishes with its two weakest tracks. The Beatles were a great band but I’m not sure that I’m down’ is one of their better tracks. And The movie’ is an instrumental, which isn’t really what Aerosmith are about for me, at least.

However, this is definitely one of Aerosmith’s greatest albums. It’s perhaps not quite as good as Rocks’ or Pump’ but any fan of guitar-based rock n’roll should have this album in their collection. I’m just so glad that they managed to garb this opportunity to get back into the limelight, as even in the 21st century, Aerosmith are one of the very best bands on the planet.

Track Listing:
1. Heart’s done time
2. Magic touch
3. Rag doll
4. Simoriah
5. Dude (looks like a lady)
6. St. John
7. Hangman Jury
8. Girl keeps coming apart
9. Angel
10. Permanent vacation
11. I’m down
12. The movie