Alt-UK

Music, Film, and Gaming

Rich

Dawn of the Dead Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars

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Dawn of the Dead is, without doubt, one of my very favourite horror films of all time, so when I discovered that there’s someone out there offering custom painted Dawn of the Dead Converse All Stars, this definitely made me very happy.

The seller of these customised Converse is based in the UK in Cambridge, and these incredibly awesome trainers are available at a price of £80 including postage and packing for those in the UK, or £90 including postage for those of you out there that live elsewhere. These trainers are made to order, so whatever size you happen to be, this seller will be able to make sure you get the right Converse All Stars for you.

The Dawn of the Dead poster is an absolutely iconic image for this incredible 1978 zombie horror film, and the fact you can now show your love for the film with these equally awesome Converse All Stars really is brilliant.

The Dawn of the Dead Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars can be ordered now from Etsy

The Uninvited Review

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I went into watching The Uninvited without any real pre-existing knowledge of what I was letting myself in for; the name of the film seemed familiar, beyond that though I couldn’t really recall much else about the film, and the only key detail I knew about the film was that it was a horror film. The film I’d say comes across as a mix of films like Ringu and The Grudge, combined with more contemporary films such as Paranormal Activity and Insidious. It’s actually a remake of the South Korean horror film A Tale of Two Sisters, and this would therefore explain the Asian horror vibe of the film that you get here.

One of the key things that struck me about The Uninvited is the performance of Elizabeth Banks; she’s really good as the creepy stepmother, and for me she provided the absolute stand out performance of the film. Unfortunately there was not really enough focus on her character for my liking, when she was called upon she was brilliant at all times however, and fulfilled her role perfectly in creating a sense of tension and suspense throughout the film. Elizabeth Banks was brilliant then, but beyond this I have very little that’s particularly positive to say about The Uninvited. This film is incredibly clichéd and unoriginal, everything that takes place in the film has all been done before, and it’s all been done a lot better in the past, too.

The Uninvited is one of those horror film’s that comes complete with a twist; you think you know where you are with the film, and then it goes and ‘shocks’ you by turning that around, only, you know, it doesn’t, because in horror film’s these days it’s actually probably more shocking when the film doesn’t have a terrible twist. I think the film was probably actually better before it provided its big twist, I certainly enjoyed it a little more up until that point anyway, then they went and hit me with it, and I felt even more disappointed in the film than I’d anticipated. I’m guessing the original film that The Uninvited is based on had this twist, and so it’s not really the fault of directorial duo Charles Guard and Thomas Guard that this element of the film is so completely awful, it did rather ruin any enjoyment that I’d taken from the script up until this point however, and left me more than a little disappointed in the direction that the film had taken.

Throughout the film there are some pretty great shots of the location, aesthetically the film is incredibly pleasing, in terms of actual content however the film fails to ever really deliver. There doesn’t seem to be a strong sense of storyline here, the film just seems to meander along, and every so often we’re thrown another ghost-child moment that we get all too often with these annoying Asian horror film remakes. Banks’ character is great at building tension when she’s around, all too often she’s not however, and the film fails to really grab you or have you particularly caring about the events that are taking place onscreen. There’s no great sense of structure here, and for that reason The Uninvited really seems to struggle.

The film managed to gross in excess of $41 million worldwide, and I really don’t know how it managed to do this. Sure, it has the star power of people like Elizabeth Banks, David Strathairn, and Emily Browning, it also happens to be a really bad film however, and surely word travels pretty fast in this day and age about just how truly awful a new film is?! Elizabeth Banks is really good in the film, she alone is not enough to save it however, and The Uninvited ultimately suffers from its disappointingly clichéd approach and failure to really provide any sort of a compelling viewing experience. I’ve seen worse, but The Uninvited really isn’t a horror film that works, and definitely isn’t a film that I’ll be watching again in the future.

Man Overboard – White Lies

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Man Overboard - Heart Attack Album Cover

For me, Man Overboard has long been a pop-punk band with a great amount of potential, but had up until now failed to really deliver at the highest level. They’ve always been a very listenable band, with ‘White Lies‘ they definitely seem to hint at a slightly higher quality with album number three however, and it sounds as though they’ll now be taking things to a whole new level, and probably a whole new greater audience too.

‘White Lies‘ is a very big sounding track, coming complete with a huge chorus and a great amount of fun about it. It’s not hugely different to what the band has come up with in the past, I just think that they’re doing it a little better now though; they’ve tightened up their sound, tightened up the production values, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if 2013 sees the band propelled to whole new heights. They’re a pop-punk band with a great amount of talent, and that really seems to be coming through with their music now. It really is difficult to listen to ‘White Lies‘ without having a huge smile on your face; it’s a fantastic summer anthem from Man Overboard, and even though the weather in the UK is pretty awful right now, ‘White Lies‘ has most definitely brought a little sunshine into my life just lately.

If you like a good uplifting pop-punk song then Man Overboard’s ‘White Lies‘ is most certainly a song that should go down well with you. Instrumentally the band is strong, vocally the sound certainly hits the spot, and the track also comes complete with lyrics that you’ll undoubtedly be singing along to in no time. I for one absolutely can’t wait to hear the band’s third studio album, ‘Heart Attack‘, and will most certainly be checking it out when it’s released at the end of May.

Rating
[Rating:4/5]

The Story So Far – What You Don’t See

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The Story So Far - What You Don't See

In 2011 The Story So Far burst onto the pop-punk scene with debut album ‘Under Soil and Dirt‘, 2 years later and the band is back again with album number two. Is ‘What You Don’t See‘ a sophomore slump though, or is it to be one of the comeback album’s of the year?

Parker Cannon’s passionate vocal approach was one of the things that impressed people so much about ‘Under Soil and Dirt‘, he had a huge amount of fire in his belly and with every vocal line he belted out you really felt he believed 100% in what he was singing about. With ‘What You Don’t See‘ the vocals are absolutely incredible again; Parker Cannon continues where he left off with album number one, and I really don’t have a bad thing to say whatsoever about his voice. Combine that with some very impressive musicianship and you have an incredibly solid studio album again here. The Story So Far is a band that definitely seems to have matured with studio album number two, and in my book this is definitely not a bad thing. The band’s first album was great and all, bit with ‘What You Don’t See‘ they just seem to really take things to a whole new level, building upon what they brought to the table last time and really refining their pop-punk sound whilst maturing as musicians at the same time.

The album’s opening track ‘Things I Can’t Change‘ eases you in pretty gently here; upon first listening to the album I was a bit worried with this opening that the album wouldn’t meet my admittedly high expectations after the standard that was set with ‘Under Soil and Dirt‘, the track has certainly grown on me with repeated listens however, and although it’s by no means one of the best tracks on the album, it’s still a pretty decent track from The Story So Far. As the swirling guitar riffs and powerful vocals hit you with track number two, ‘Stifled‘, you know that the band has begun to up its game, preparing you for a very impressive pack of pop-punk songs. As I said before, opening track ‘Things I Can’t Change‘ is a definite grower rather than an instant classic, and this is in fact something that’s true of the album as a whole. It takes a few listens to really ‘get’ the brilliance of this album, a pattern which has been true of some of my favourite pop-punk albums of all time. It’s a slow burner, but it’s well worth the breaking in period for the brilliance of the album that you come to know and love by the end of the experience.

It’s with third track ‘Small Talk‘ that the album really begins to explode, a track so beautifully catchy that it’ll no doubt have you hooked for a long time to come. ‘Small Talk‘ is an absolute belter of a pop-punk anthem; instrumentally hard hitting, lyrically brilliant, and, as ever, absolutely vocally outstanding. Right from the start of the track you know that this one is going to be something rather special, and it’s certainly not one to disappoint. The bass tone is absolutely phenomenal as always here, the song is incredibly well structured, and everything about the track just seems to really fit together absolutely perfectly.

‘Empty Space‘ is another absolutely pounder of a pop-punk track from this album, and in places it reminds me a little of ‘Deja Entendu‘ era Brand New, a comparison definitely to be proud of as that’s one of my very favourite albums. Again the track has absolutely superb structure, and it’s another track that I can definitely see myself coming back to a lot over the coming months and years. It’s hard hitting, catchy, and it’s just everything you could possibly want for in a pop-punk release; punchy, yet absolutely hits the spot with enough pop power about it to really get stuck in your head.

There’s not really a single bad track present on this album, there are of course some tracks that are better than others, the same as you’ll discover with any studio album, but not a single one of these 11 tracks is at all bad; they all have their merits, and all combine nicely to form the ‘What You Don’t See‘ studio album as a whole. ‘Framework‘ provides a powerfully uplifting and fitting sendoff for the album, and in listening to this album you really feel like you’ve experienced something truly special. The musicianship on display with this final track, and in fact throughout the entire album is absolutely sublime; the song’s are so well crafted that listening to this album is at all times an absolute pleasure. As I keep coming back to, Parker Cannon’s vocal tone is just something else on this record, he’s probably one of the finest vocalists in pop-punk right now, a true vocal star of the genre with a talent that young fans of the band can most definitely aspire to.

There are few pop-punk releases this year that will come with as much hype as The Story So Far’s ‘What You Don’t See‘, the young band certainly don’t crumble under the pressure of expectation here though, and do in fact seem to thrive under it as they come up with a second absolutely incredible studio release. If you were a fan of ‘Under Soil and Dirt‘ then I definitely recommend investing in ‘What You Don’t See‘ as the band once again have a huge amount to offer here, or if you’re a pop-punk fan and yet to really listen to The Story So Far then definitely take the time to do so now as you’re really missing out on something seriously special.

Rating
[Rating:4/5]

Fall Out Boy – The Phoenix Video

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Official video for the Fall Out Boy single ‘The Phoenix‘, taken from the band’s ‘Save Rock and Roll‘ studio album which is due for UK release on April 15th 2013.

Cockneys vs Zombies Review

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As a zombie loving film student living in East London, Cockneys vs Zombies is a film that really made me think ‘This is a film that I’d absolutely love to have been involved in’. It’s a low budget zombie horror film from London based filmmaker Matthias Hoene, and Hoene is clearly someone with a very good knowledge of horror and a keen eye for what works in the genre. With a large helping of humour, a number of absolutely beautiful shots, and an incredibly badass war veteran played by Alan Ford, Cockneys vs Zombies really does have a lot going for it, and it’s hard not to be impressed by this zombie flick set in the English capital.

Before watching the film I must say that I didn’t have particularly high expectations; I’ve watched a lot of low budget horror films in my time, many of which have failed to impress and long been forgotten. Cockneys vs Zombies perhaps had a harder job to do with me than most, it’s set in the area that I currently live after all, an area in which I’ve filmed a few short films myself and I therefore really didn’t want the film to let my current area down. With Cockneys vs Zombies, Matthias Hoene most certainly succeeded in making me feel proud to be a budding filmmaker in East London.

Michelle Ryan, formerly of Eastenders fame, is one of the film’s key stars here, I also spotted Gary Beadle making a brief cameo, and there are a few others involved in the film as well with Eastenders/East London connections. There are thankfully no Dick Van Dyke style cockney accents present here, the key cockney’s all seem to be pretty well cast and the film definitely delivers in this area. As I mentioned before, Alan Ford’s character is particularly brilliant in the film, and for me this was one of the most standout elements of Cockneys vs Zombies. With a low budget comedy horror film such as this, there is much emphasis on the quality of the script and the quality of the acting in order to make it work, and in my eyes Matthias Hoene has certainly succeeded here in making sure that all elements of the film are strong enough to make it work and make it work well.

Cockneys vs Zombies is a tasty little mashup of comedy horror and action film conventions, combining nicely to form a 90 minute feature film of fun that will no doubt please fans of British horror films. There’s enough here to keep you entertained for the film’s duration, and if you’re looking for a bit of light entertainment on an evening then you can definitely do a lot worse than sitting down with Cockneys vs Zombies. There’s enough gore here to please the pure horror fans, enough light-hearted humour to please the comedy fans, and a healthy helping of action thrown in there as well just for good measure.

Cockneys vs Zombies is a film that’s well worth a watch, and it’ll also be interesting to keep an eye out for director Matthias Hoene and screenwriter James Moran in the future to see what they come up with next. Moran appears to be involved in writing a new film for 2013, Silent Night of the Living Dead, so I’ll certainly be checking that one out and seeing what that film has to offer; if Cockneys vs Zombies is anything to go by then I should surely be in for another British horror treat!