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Lala Pipo DVD Review

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Written by Tetsuya Nakashima (Kamikaze Girls, Memories of Matsuko), Lala Pipo is the directorial debut from Masayuki Miyano, based on a collection of short stories by Okuda Hideo. Six characters are focused on here with their stories all interwoven, all in some way related to the sex industry.

Hiroshi is the first character focused on here; an overweight writer that very much enjoys masturbation. Hiroshi has conversations with his penis (played by a green puppet) and sometimes listens through the ceiling to the couple upstairs having sex. Hiroshi’s character is quite an interesting one, with Hiroshi the film is merely warming up though and we soon move on to the next character, Tomoko. Tomoko is a shop assistant before she’s introduced to the sex industry by Kenji (another character focused on in the film), and her life is then changed forever as she slowly finds herself becoming more and more heavily involved within the industry. Tomoko is arguably the best character that the film has to offer, and Yuri Nakamura’s performance as Tomoko and Hiroki Narimiya’s as Kenji really do stand out from the pack here. Yoshie, Koichi, and Sayuri are the other three people focused on within the film; Yoshie has her moments, Koichi has a rather bland sexual superhero storyline, and Sayuri creates amateur porn videos to fund her way through life as she looks to embark on a career as an anime voiceover artist.

The film begins brilliantly and offers so much in its opening, after a bright start the quality level seems to drop a little here however and some of the transitions between storylines feel slightly awkward. Some of these six characters storylines just seem to work better than others, and although there are a few amusing moments here, Lala Pipo is certainly not consistently enjoyable from start to finish. First time director Masayuki Miyano is obviously enthusiastic about his work and this is something that comes through here, with so many storylines going on it’s hard not to have your favourites however, and when a particularly strong part of the film comes to an end and a less interesting character is introduced this is always a little disappointing.

The quality of acting here is at all times excellent, particularly from Yuri Nakamura and Hiroki Narimiya as previously outlined; despite some great performances and some very funny moments though, Lala Pipo is not a great film from start to finish, and there is definitely room for improvement here. Some of the characters could have done with a little extra work to bring them out and grab you a little more, Tomoko I personally found to be brilliant though, and although not necessarily a particularly likeable character, Kenji was another that I really did enjoy watching on screen, probably in large part down to the supreme acting talent of Hiroki Narimiya.

Having read some extremely positive things about Okuda Hideo’s book of short stories I now feel inclined to give his work a read to see how the book and the film compare, something tells me though that Lala Pipo doesn’t translate anywhere near as well on film as it does in the written word.

DVD Extras:

Extras include a making of featurette ‘Loveable People of Lala Pipo’, interviews with the cast and crew on the subject ‘What is Sex?’, and a trailer for the film as well as 16 others in the Third Window Films collection. The interviews bring up some pretty interesting (and in some places amusing) answers, the half hour long making of feature is quite enjoyable to watch, and taking a look at the trailers you may just spot another film from Third Window that captures your interest. All in all there’s a pretty solid selection of extras here, and this rounds things off nicely, providing you with a little more to keep you occupied once you’ve finished watching the film itself.

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Southern Softies DVD Review

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With its BBFC rating of U, Graham Fellows’ Southern Softies provides strong evidence that you don’t have to be crude to make people laugh. Following on from his 2006 mockumentary It’s Nice Up North, Graham Fellows once again sets to work as his comic creation John Shuttleworth as he looks into the idea that southern people are soft. In order to test out the theory that the further south you go the softer people become, John Shutteleworth heads off to the most southerly point of the British Isles; the Channel Islands.

So does John Shuttleworth discover that southern people are soft? Not exactly, that’s not really the point though, Southern Softies is simply a comic journey through the Channel Islands taken by John Shuttleworth (Graham Fellows) as he meets up with various people for interview, catches flights from one Channel Island to another, and ultimately runs out of film on a boat journey attempting to find a Barclays bank (but failing as all he manages to find is the Barclay brothers’ castle on the island of Brecqhou).

John’s agent Ken Worthington is quick to abandon John as he goes off in hope of finding single women, and for much of the film we therefore not only follow John Shuttleworth as he seeks to answer the question as to whether or not southern people are soft, but also John’s quest to find Ken. Every so often we’re shown footage that Ken has taken on his own journey around the Channel Islands, and this contrasts well with John’s own footage from around the Islands.

Graham Fellows’ John Shuttleworth character provides a lot of laughs throughout Southern Softies, and this is most definitely a mockumentary that provides for a very satisfying viewing experience. Whether John’s interviewing people, performing his music, or travelling from place to place; always Southern Softies delivers in the comedy department, and a lot of fun is crammed into the film’s 78 minute run time.

DVD extras include a trailer for the film, videos of John Shuttleworth’s music, and a number of deleted scenes. The deleted scenes are definitely worth watching as they include a few amusing moments not captured in the film, and if you’re up for a bit more of John’s music then the songs should also please.

All in all, Southern Softies is a film that really is worth investing in, and if you’d like to support this fine northern comic then Southern Softies will be available to purchase on DVD from March 1st 2010.

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Lostprophets – The Betrayed

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After a wait of three and a half years, Lostprophets is back and has released its fourth studio album ‘The Betrayed’. After the release of ‘Liberation Transmission’ in 2006 the band set to work on its fourth studio album in early 2007 with the hope of releasing a new album later that year, recording in LA didn’t quite go to plan however, and with the band unhappy with the material that had been produced, all was scrapped and it was time to start again. Heading back to Wales the band was able to get to work with a fresh head, with bassist Stuart Richardson at the recording desk to take care of the production and mixing duties with the help of Justin Hopfer. ‘The Betrayed’ is the album that Lostprophets has ultimately put together, with the band taken a heavier approach than with previous album ‘Liberation Transmission’.

‘The Betrayed’ kicks into action with ‘If It Wasn’t for Hate, We’d Be Dead by Now’, providing a quality start to the album as the powerful drumming hits you straight away followed by a brilliant dirty guitar sound. Straight away the album grabs you, with the band providing a supremely satisfying opener for the record. Flowing into ‘Dstryr/Dstryr’ the band continues to impress, and after this we’re treated to singles ‘It’s Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here’ and ‘Where We Belong’. ‘The Betrayed’ quickly establishes itself as a fantastic return from the band, and throughout the entirety of the album the drumming of Ilan Rubin really does impress. Sadly Ilan Rubin has moved on to join Nine Inch Nails since this album was recorded, he definitely makes a massive impression on this album though, with his incredible drumming technique always coming across to perfection throughout the album.

Aside from the questionable use of the “lalala” in ‘Streets of Nowhere’ there’s little not to like about ‘The Betrayed’, and put down on record here are eleven largely impressive rock tracks. With catchy choruses aplenty, great rock guitars, and powerful drumming throughout, ‘The Betrayed’ has everything you could possibly want from the Lostprophets, and is an album that should impress the vast majority of the bands fans. It’s not quite perfect, tracks such as ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Felon’, ‘A Better Nothing’, and ‘It’s Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here’ are sure to have you singing along though, and closing track ‘The Light That Shines Twice as Bright’ is an excellent one to finish with as the band winds things down with one of the album’s highlights.

If Lostprophets’ ‘Start Something’ sits proudly in your collection then ‘The Betrayed’ is most definitely an album that you should be investing in. There’s a lot of absolutely fantastic material here, and Lostprophets has once again pulled it out of the bag with a good solid album. Ian Watkins’ vocals are as impressive here as ever, instrumentally the music always has much to offer, and it just feels as though the band has put a lot of care into putting this album together. ‘The Betrayed’ may not have the rawness of debut album ‘Thefakesoundofprogress’, and was most definitely recorded on a bigger budget; a lot has changed since the release of the band’s debut in 2001 though, and the fact that the band had the luxury of being able to scrap its first draft and start afresh just shows how much this band has moved on since the early days. Much may have changed, Lostprophets still remains a band very capable of recording impressive rock music though, and ‘The Betrayed’ is an album that you should certainly seek to listen to.

Label: Visible Noise
Release Date: January 18th 2010

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You Me At Six to Play Free Acoustic Show and Meet Fans at HMV Oxford Street

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You Me At Six is to play a free acoustic show at HMV Oxford Street on Monday 8th February, and you’ll be able to catch the band from 5pm. The show is being played in celebration of the release of the band’s second studio album ‘Hold Me Down’, and after the show the band will be sticking around to meet the fans and sign posters and albums.

A big turnout is expected for this acoustic show and as such it’s going to be wristbanded, with 350 wristbands available on a first come first served basis. If you’re hoping to attend then it’s therefore advised that you get there early (wristbands will be available from 9am on the day).

Two New Posters for John Stalberg's High School

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John Stalberg’s stoner flick High School is due for release some time in 2010, and two new posters have now been released for the film.

For fans of films such as Clerks, Pineapple Express, and Harold and Kumar, High School is another film that should appeal, and appears as though it’s going to be a very funny comedy.

The following are the two new High School posters to have been released (click on the thumbnails below in order to see the posters in their full glory):

BRIT Awards 2010 Competition: 3 BRITs CDs Up for Grabs

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The BRIT Awards with MasterCard 2010 show is to be aired on February 16th 2010, and in celebration of this Rhino Records is to release a 3CD album compilation on February 8th.

Not only does this compilation include 40 of the year’s biggest hits on the first two CDs, but as the BRITs hit 30 this year, a third disc of 20 tracks is also included featuring some of the best BRIT award nominees/winners of the last 30 years.

With the BRIT Awards fast approaching we are offering three lucky winners the chance to win a copy of the BRIT Awards 2010 Compilation album.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer the following BRITs related question.

Which Welsh recording artist walked away with three awards at the 2009 BRIT Awards?

A. Duffy
B. Tom Jones
C. Bonnie Tyler

*COMPETITION NOW CLOSED*

    The following is a full tracklisting for the BRIT Awards 2010 compilation album:

    CD 1

    1. Lady GaGa ft Colby O’Donis Just Dance
    2. Cheryl Cole Fight For This Love
    3. Robbie Williams Bodies
    4. Lily Allen The Fear
    5. Michael Buble Haven’t Met You Yet
    6. James Morrison ft Nelly Furtado Broken Strings
    7. Paolo Nutini Candy
    8. Katherine Jenkins Bring Me To Life
    9. Daniel Merriweather Red
    10. Jason Mraz I’m Yours
    11. Noisettes Don’t Upset The Rhythm (Go Baby Go)
    12. Ellie Goulding Under The Sheets
    13. MIKA We Are Golden
    14. P!nk Please Don’t Leave
    15. Taylor Swift Love Story
    16. Whitney Houston Million Dollar Bill(Frankie Knuckles Radio Mix)
    17. Alesha Dixon Breathe Slow
    18. Kelly Clarkson My Life Would Suck Without You
    19. Shakira She Wolf
    20. Pixie Lott Mama Do (uh oh, uh oh)

    CD 2

    1. JLS Beat Again
    2. Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling
    3. Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden Bonkers
    4. N-Dubz Strong Again
    5. Tinchy Stryder ft. N-Dubz Number 1
    6. Calvin Harris I’m Not Alone
    7. David Guetta Ft AKon- – Sexy Chick
    8. Chipmunk Oopsy Daisy
    9. La Roux In For The Kill
    10. Little Boots Remedy
    11. The Prodigy Omen
    12. Jason Derulo Whatcha Say
    13. Iyaz Replay
    14. Florence & The Machine Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
    15. Ladyhawke Paris is Burning
    16. Biffy Clyro The Captain
    17. Friendly Fires Jump In The Pool
    18. Seasick Steve Never Go West
    19. Kasabian Fire
    20. U2 Magnificent

    CD 3

    1. Queen & 5ive We Will Rock You (Live BRIT Awards 2000)
    2. Seal & Adamski Killer (Live BRIT Awards 1991)
    3. Bee Gees Medley Live BRIT Awards 1997)
    4. Take That Patience
    5. Duffy Warwick Avenue
    6. Amy Winehouse Rehab
    7. Girls Aloud The Promise
    8. Spice Girls Wannabe
    9. Paul McCartney Live & Let Die
    10. Simply Red Holding Back The Years
    11. Bros I Owe You Nothing
    12. Kaiser Chiefs Ruby
    13. Oasis Don’t Look Back In Anger
    14. Coldplay Clocks
    15. The Cure Never Enough
    16. The Killers When You Were Young
    17. The Darkness I Believe In A Thing Called Love
    18. Prince Purple Rain
    19. Keane Somewhere Only We Know
    20. U2 Beautiful Day

    Kamikaze Girls Review

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    Although visually beautiful, Tetsuya Nakashima’s Kamikaze Girls often feels like a bit of an empty shell. The cinematography is stunning and there’s no doubt that the film is absolutely incredible to look at, aside from this though there is little that really makes the film special.

    Momoko (Kyoko Fukada) is an incredibly isolated seventeen year old that is very much her own woman; she has no friends to speak of and tends to make little effort to get on with others. Momoko is incredibly interested in fashion and likes to purchase her clothes from her favourite boutique, Baby, The Stars Shine Bright. Momoko’s father used to have his own market stall where he sold fake Versace, although her father has now moved on from that business venture however a lot of his old stock still remains in the house, and when Momoko is one day in need of money to buy some new clothes she decides to place an advert on the internet. It’s not long before someone responds to the advert and is after a fake Versace jacket, and as she lives just down the road she decides to come and pay Momoko a visit. Ichiko (Anna Tsuchiya) is the person that responds to the advert, a girl the same age as Momoko but with very different interests; Ichiko is a keen biker, despite their differences though it’s not long before Momoko and Ichiko begin to forge a very strong friendship.

    As the film develops a deeper bond grows between Momoko and Ichiko, and the once isolated Momoko learns the value of friendship as she comes to care very much about Ichiko. The film looks into the friendship that these two teenagers form, focusing on their stories as they both look to follow their dreams.

    The opening scene of Kamikaze Girls sets up the finale for the film, and we then follow Momoko and Ichiko’s friendship as we work our way back to the end. It leaves us wondering what we’re leading up to, but as it turns out the journey is ultimately more interesting than the destination. There’s no incredible plot line, and the ending isn’t really worth of such focus as it’s given in being used in the opening sequence of the film; what the film has to offer visually is what’s most striking about Kamikaze Girls, the plot meanwhile is always secondary to this.

    Kyoko Fukada and Anna Tsuchiya both play their parts well, it’s the visual gloss that’s key here though, and the fact that both of these actresses play their parts so well just serves to make the viewing experience more pleasant. Realism isn’t a key concentration for Tetsuya Nakashima here, he has chosen his cast well though and the cinematography at all times ensures for an absolute display of visual beauty.

    If you watch films hoping for a well written script and top quality plot line then Kamikaze Girls may leave you feeling a little disappointed, if what you’re craving is a high gloss display of stunning visuals though then Kamikaze Girls can definitely deliver. Funny in places and with an incredibly high quality cast, Kamikaze Girls is a film that is certainly worth watching once, whether or not you’ll want to see the film more than that though is uncertain. Kamikaze Girls is far from being a bad film, it’s just far from being an exceptional film also.

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    Fun Lovin’ Criminals Announces New Album and UK Tour for 2010

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    Having not released a new album since ‘Livin in the City’ in 2005, American group Fun Lovin’ Criminals is coming back with a bang in 2010 with the release of new studio album ‘Classic Fantastic’. Fun Lovin’ Criminals is once again ready to get the party started, and in a thirteen track album the band has collaborated with both Roots Manuva and English comedian/actor Paul Kaye also.

    ‘Classic Fantastic’ is all set to be released on March 1st, and on March 6th the band will be hitting the road and performing at nine venues throughout the country.

    The following are the UK tour dates that Fun Lovin’ Criminals will play throughout March:

    Sat 6th March – Manchester – O2 Academy
    Sun 7th March – Leeds – O2 Academy
    Mon 8th March – Glasgow – O2 ABC
    Tue 9th March – Newcastle – O2 Academy
    Thu 11th March – Bristol – O2 Academy
    Fri 12th March – Oxford – O2 Academy
    Sun 14th March – Leamington – Assembly
    Mon 15th March – Nottingham – Rock City
    Tues 16th March – London – Koko