Sunday, April 15, 2007

She is out of the Woods


Is very difficult when an artist that is been related to a band or multiple bands can come out of the light and become a single artist with new breed and a style totally different from the past. Lucky for us Tracy Thorn did it, well know for two great things, she is the voice of Massive Attack in the album "Protection" a masterpiece which combine a great ensemble of singers such as Tricky and Nicolette. Tracy have two tracks in this album, the name of the album itself and "Better things", the other band related to this amazing woman with such a particular voice is "Everything but the Girl" well know by great disco or dance songs, like "Wrong", "The Future of the Future , "Temperamental", "Five Fathoms" and the hit "Like the Dessert Miss the Rain".

With the album "Out the Woods" Tracy Thorn do her best to separate herself of all those sounds from the past an create something that make her different from this bands, not because she thinks that is time to not be the voice of Massive Attack or EVBG is more create a unique sound. "It's all true" the first single of the album we found a wonderful performer with electronic sounds that can be 80's style with some brazilian touch. "Get Around to it" reminds me a little bit to EVBG but not too much, why she use certain percussion more cheerful. Her lyrics are more in deep, more personal, "Grand Canyon" which is one of my favorites is very dance song with experimental sequences... definitely i love it. The romantic and melancholic song which start the album "Here It Comes Again" she prove that Tracy Thorn is way beyond the past or roots, she can separate herself from there and stand on a stage and perform with style and strength.

A truly recommended album

Wednesday, April 11, 2007


In the recent years, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino are focusing on this type of plots that to me are not original as it is.
Im kind against several people, specially friends that they love this bloody carnage or situations like been in cafeterias talking about matters like, Madonna's songs or impressive vintage vehicles. So when i saw the long!!! double feature "Grindhouse" my intention was to be entertain, not bored, anyone can have their own opinion about it, but to me this movies wasn't what i was expecting to see.
Two years ago Rodriguez did Sin City, that really impressed me not only for the concept, also direction, performance and techniques develop. In Tarantino's case was Kill Bill, both movies a real piece of work, with a strong performance of Uma Thurman, of course those films still have similarities here. Honest i found more entertaining the trailers of the fake movies, "Machete" and "Werewolf Women of the SS" even the horror film "Don't" was hilarious.
Let me start with the movie "Planet Terror", is about this scientific experiment of that take place in a sinister town where everyone becomes monster inmidiatly , something that is nothing new to a film done in the late 60' also b movie. This story was funny, that's it, in some moments, specially situations with actors like Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn Marley Shelton and his son scaping from the hospital and her broken hand, that was gross and the missing leg/wooden leg of Rose McGowan.
But at the end, well wasn't the end because several people though that the movies was ending and they left the theater without knowing that the Tarantino movie and some of the trailers hasn't even started yet. Thats the point when i realize that i was in a theater for 3 hours. Death Proof has one of Quentin signatures bring situations that you are asking why or what for? i was asking myself about Kurt Russell and his motivation of his actions and to me i never get it. May be i was so focusing on all this gorgeous woman's, Sidney Tamiia Poitier, Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Vanessa Ferlito to name a few that i loose the real feeling of the story, JA! But the case of Death Proff is i was bored in some point because Im was looking for to be more in deep of the story and is just insinuations of action scenes and smart filming, honest i didn't like it.

But i know that Tarantino's fan will love, sorry im not one of those, i love some his films, but this one, reminds me to "From Dusk Till Down" with no George Clooney and Salma Hayek.

Sunday, April 8, 2007


I must say that i was waiting to see a movie that impress, is hard to explain that when you work in this industry see a film that keeps you on the edge is pretty rare. Life of Others the german film that win the academy award as a foreign film this year is a good example of smart filmaking, Ok Im saying that the film is good, but i have some comments, i will tell you later.

The story takes you in the divided two Germanys and how all the espionage techniques was taking place to find revolutionary movements against them, an amazing actor Ulrich Mühe play the part of one the tops men behind extreme surveillance of everyone who plans or has different ideas against the regime, his face is so impressive and his performance during the movie really hits you, he perform some kind of mutation during the course of the story, which tells about the case of a famous playwritter Gerorg Dreyman performed by another amazing actor Sebastian Koch and how the regime was looking to incriminate him of antagonize against the goberment, using all type of surveillance in other to get what they looking for, the whole change of events makes you think that the direction of the film is opposite of what you expecting, but i must say in other to not ruin everyone else plot, that has good twist and turns. Im just going to talk about what i felt rather than just give specific details of the story. When you see Ulrich reacting in a different way, im only getting the idea of when you are trying to find the truth in someone else lies, you can become a bigger liar. A person who was trained to push your limits using every resource and decode everything that sees in you in order to get the real truth can become vulnerable, in fact is a more weak person, lonely, sinful, an empty human being, can a person that forced is more powerful than the person who choose to force you? may be, Life of others is a film of choices, is a story of people who decide to do something in other to get other things, sometimes doing sacrifices for freedom, better life or may be a not so better life... changes are good? or sometimes is good to keep the same routine?

I think that to me this films has two ends im not going to say how this end takes place, but when you think that's is over, is not, and is my critical comment, the story was longer i don't know why, it was necessary the rest of the story of was a reason to pick up some events that was consider important but no critical to the plot.

I recommend this film no matter my last comment, you have to judge that part.

Sounds of 300


I always been fascinated by the middle east music, sometimes you can find very unusual things that can brake the whole stereotype of how the public trends to represent that style. A good example of this is the singer Azam Ali. This Persian woman with 2 albums and a collaboration with "Vas" a multi award duo that Azam co-founded, is hitting the US market reaching different audiences. Her music is a mixture of sounds, of course the traditional strings and some percussion, adding groundbreaking process of the instruments, things that has to be hear in specific environments, i say this because when you put your headphones and play songs like Endless Reverie, Spring Arrives and In Other Worlds, you drown yourself into the world of Azam singing with so emotion, speaking to you, seducing you, the electronic sounds that surround her making string going backwards, or been stopped and going from left to right is a real trip.

Azam web site: http://www.azamalimusic.com

To be honest i feel incomplete when the c.d. ends, but there is more to hear. Tyler Bates composer of the soundtrack 300 and longtime friend of Azam hire her to become the powerful voice of this feature film, the score has incredible passages, to be quite honest sometime the score is more interesting than the story of this film, Azam bring to life some kind of subconciess to all the most obscure, dreamy and dramatic scenes, her voice take you to some particular places, is part of the movement of the shots and reaction of certain characters.

Both Cd's worth the try, Elysium for the Brave Azam her 2nd c.d. and 300 Original Score.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

" Rosa's Dream Sequence"


Rosa and Executioner is the latest film of Ivan Acosta, director of a great projects, such as "Amigos", "The Super" and documentaries like "Como se Forma una Rumba and "Candido Hands of Fire".

Rosa's film tell the story of a old jewish lady who lives in front of the UN building, in some point she is kidnapped buy this guy who plans this dangerous mission. Shot on location in NYC the editing is taking place right now and i have the amazing task to make this story happen, On the course of this blog i will keep you updated of what's going on with the film. At this point im in the middle of the movie and im doing really good making the rhythm and develop the character in the way that Ivan feel is right, with my help im putting the most interesting styles on screen, of course im getting inspired for all my favorite editors of all time to make a good job. I will do some kind of post-production diaries about what is going on.

My first note is called " Rosa's Dream Sequence"
Of course i can't say anything else about the plot right now, but the movie is very challenging because, everything happen in an apartment in NYC and that's great, keep the suspense, drama and the funny moments makes you a better editor, you don't have open spaces or action, only in rooms. I was editing last week a dream sequence that make me do a lot of research, i got inspired on Apocalypse Now, The Fifth Element, and Natural Born Killers, so my favorite editors where involved on this, the sound, the lighting and Gabriel's performance make it even more interesting, after a week working on that become a scene that i will never forget. Ivan reviewed and just make 3 changes, it means that the process is doing good we can have a actual cut in no time.

That's the report for today.

See ya!

She looks like Brazilian cutest, but sings like a goddess


Céu is a singer that when you see it on the cover of the cd you are in love inmidiately , so sexy and cutest brazilian, so i was trying to imagine how this girl sound like.

A 24 year old singer with a original name Maria do Céu Whitaker Poças,her career is going places, this album is a mix of jazzy songs, some very energetic rythms and purer brazilian music with taste for the experimental, using diferent layers in sounds. i was very impressed.

When i start listening, i get the picture of Lilian Vieira from Zuco 103, a soft brazilian voice, but this time CéU is a little bit diferent, why? she deliver different shapes for her music, having a DJ in the background using the sound of the water in the first track and doing scratch with that! , well, that's something!, that track is called
"Vinheta Qhebrante". The album under the same name was launched by the record label Six Degrees on April 3rd and goes from a very soft jazz, with trip hop that can be compared as a brazilian Tracy Torn, also have a Bob Marley's Cover "Concrete Jungle" which shows how Céu is capable to do, everything.
She mention in her space that one of her influence is Massive Attack and defently when you hear it you understand what is she talking about.

Lucky for us CéU will be playing on April 9 and 10 on Joe's Pub in NYC, so after that show i will give you a full review of her live performance.

Monday, April 2, 2007

Welcome...

I must say that this is kind of odd to me, but since Leila and Jose Luis give me this amazing suggestion im going to start giving thanks to them.

Well, a little bit about what im going to do here, is write about with i love and share with friends, clients, eveyone, is what i experience and what some people said is a econmical talent. "Word of Mouth". I will talk about movies, concerts, new music and things that i enjoy to do every single day. So after all this year of have it in my vault, this is it, everyone can read and get what they looking for...buy a good cd, see something good in theaters or my be rented and also check a cool concert or read what was good that you missed it.

So lets start shall we?