\”Radio\” Is One of the Most Under-Rated and Under-Appreciated Films in Movie History
By: Ed Bagley
Radio - 4 Stars (Excellent)
“Radio”the true story of high school football coach Harold Jones and a mentally-challenged young man named James Robert “Radio” Kennedymight well be one of the most under-rated and under-appreciated movies in film history.
James Kennedy was nicknamed “Radio” by the townspeople of Anderson, South Carolina because he was always listening to discarded radios. As a youth he would push or ride a grocery cart down the street, talking to no one. It was 1976 and Radio did not attend school because he was mentally challenged, and an easy target for kids more fortunate.
After some football players on coach Harold Jones’ T. L. Hanna High School team harass, intimidate and scare the living daylights out of Radio (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.), Jones befriends and protects Radio by slowly winning his trust and inviting him to the team’s football practices.
Coach Jones (played magnificently by veteran actor Ed Harris) eventually has Radio helping out as a “coach” and sitting on the bench during the games. When Radio’s new-found acceptance leads to his self-image and self-confidence rising, his enthusiasm creates a distraction for the team at a critical moment, and some boosters (like the father of a star player) want Radio gone.
Fortunately for Radio, his unpretentious love and loyalty to the coach and players resonates, and Radio is allowed to remain part of both the team and the school. At this point in time, Radio is attending school, not as a student, but as a positive influence on the students and a welcome school-helper.
All of this is reminiscent of the biblical admonition “if you hear His voice today, harden not your heart.” Radio is about love, acceptance, approval, understanding, compassion, kindness, loyalty and finding peace in our time.
Radio the movie was inspired by Gary Smith’s 1996 article titled “Someone to Lean On” that first appeared in Sports Illustrated magazine. The film benefits greatly from the script by Mike Rich and direction by Mike Tollin, also one of the producers with Herb Gains and Brian O’keefe. Radio managed to generate $52+ million at the box office, but received mixed positive and negative reviews by the critics (of which I am one).
Radio was a terrific movie with a genuine message of value. Radio gets a positive answer to my most searching question as a movie reviewer: Am I a better person for having seen this film? You better believe it.
I am incensed that Radio was absolutely snubbed at major awards time. It is not like Ed Harris is a nobody. Before Radio was made, Ed Harris had been nominated for 3 Oscars as Best Supporting Actor (”The Hours”, “The Truman Show” and “Apollo”) and been nominated for Best Actor in “Pollock”. Add to those honors 4 nominations by the Golden Globes and a Best Actor Golden Globe for The Truman Show.
Cuba Gooding Jr. had won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor in “Jerry Maguire” (remember his famous line “Show me the money”), and was nominated for a Golden Globe for the same award.
The really good news about Radio is that Radio is still helping coach the Hanna High School team and bringing his presence to the school. He remains a story that continues to grow and radiate with positive vibes.
Let’s say you’re a budding music star. Maybe you play the piano. Like most citizens of the world, you probably use the internet. Sure, it’s fantastic for checking e-mails, wasting your time with various video sites, and downloading anything that’s out there.
But what about using the internet in a more specific way? Doctors stay in touch with colleagues. Researchers barely step into libraries anymore. Scientists harness the power of cloud computing. So why should you, talented musician that you are, not get access to the same quality stuff that the rest of them can?
The Rough State of Piano Music
Because sheet music is a small market, and only relevant to a minority of people, its representation online has lagged significantly behind.
It’s out of date. Just as we’re downloading music to our iPods, why should piano transcriptions be so far behind? Shouldn’t there at least be a good voice online for digital sheet music we can trust?
Talk About Arbitrary Standards…
If you thought music copyrighting was arcane, you should see some of the pages pushing sheet music.
Some ask you to have a 100% working printer, because you will only have one tiny moment to print your music after buying. If something messes up, you’re out of luck.
Other sites pushing classical music have crazily inconsistent standards when it comes to their files. Sometimes you’ll receive a PDF, other times a set of GIFs that don’t print well, and sometimes you’ll be left with a proprietary DRM that’s of no use to anyone.
Sites With Forums are The Way to Go
The only reliable way to guarantee the digital sheet music you’re ponying up for is proper is with the reviews of other musicians. If other players are using the company’s files, and insisting they are OK, you can spend with confidence.
One of the most trustworthy sheet music vendors, http://www.PianoStreet.com, has also created a huge set of message boards around its music. In reality, the site was born out of an earlier forum, called http://www.pianoforum.net, so the sale of digital piano music was something that they got into normally, instead of a money-making venture from the beginning.
Audio Samples Are Crucial, Too
What good is piano transcriptions if you can’t hear what they should sound like? Sure, your piano teacher may have the chops to play it for you, but if you’re teaching yourself, you’ll need to seek out a true recording to hear how it should sound.
A real digital sheet music company should have extensive mp3 samples of everything they sell, adding loads of value to the sheet music itself. Companies like http://www.PianoStreet.com have loads of their most typical easy/intermediate transcriptions online as mp3s, the same ones that any new pianist is happy to learn.
Subscription Models are The Future
While content producers are resistant, many have come to the realization that the way of the future lies in subscription models, where you will pay a flat rate and get everything you want.
Portals like http://www.PianoStreet.com have taken on this for their business approach, handing out monthly memberships that permit musicians unlimited access to high-quality sheet music.
The People Doing it Right
And so it isn’t just a mess online. A tiny but influential group of sites, led by http://www.PianoStreet.com’s examples, are modifying the way sheet music is being sold online. Don’t worry about the rest and patronize the best!
There are a many of drum instructors out there, make sure that you are hiring a qualified teacher. To be able to get a high quality drum instructor, read these helpful tips.
In order to discover out if your drum teacher is a master, a personal consultation would be best. You can ask for credentials and diplomas to check off his or her certification. An ideal drum teacher would be one who has a diploma in Music Education with a stress on Percussions and with ABRSM certifications.
But it is still good to be cynical. Registered or not, these are only titles, but talent in teaching matters so make sure you find a teacher who is experienced in instructing a certain pupil
Playing and teaching are two very different things. There some who are expert in playing but cannot deliver the proper techniques to his student. There must be a balance. Very good at teaching and in playing drums.
Drum teacher does not only focus on one musical style but can instruct a multitude of other music trends such as jazz, funk, reggae, odd time (unusual time signatures), Latin, fusion, marching and others.
Also teaches basic to complex beats until a student would learn how to compose his own. Other musical instruments like cymbals should be taught, understanding of time signatures, proper coordination, wrist movement, thumb and finger grips and pedal work.
Some drum teachers like to name drop, such as knowing the drummer of a well-known band. This may be true as drum teachers can tour with bands; it will still be good to find out as much as you can about him. Some would only waste your time and money, and would only mold you in improper way which may affect your future as a drummer.
There are many anime films and shows that are popular. The title of THE BEST ANIME is variable depending on the person. Each person who enjoys anime has a series or film that they think of as greater than the rest.
What makes an anime great? There are many factors. The greatest anime have intense storylines, gorgeous artistry, involving charaactures, and music that takes you deeper into the world.
Many people observe anime for the plotline. Aficionados of a manga will stay with an anime because they are involved in the plotlines from the manga. Animations that can hold good plotlines without a manga are always considered top of the line.
Anime that is animated or drawn awesomely will always capture an audience. Anime movies tend to have better animation and art than a recurring program. This is because films tend to have larger wallets and more time for artists to spend. Anime movies like Spirited Away, Princess Monoke, and My Neighbor Totoro are thought of some of the greatest anime out there due to the precision of art and animation in them.
Anime is also about the personas. People love the characters in them and will cosplay their most liked. Some fans will also be attached to certain couples in an anime series. A popular anime couple is Serena/Darien from Sailor Moon.
Many fans will also enjoy the unique music from their favorite anime. The music from the movies and programs help to nudge the plotline forward and make you empathize more for the characters. From idealized slow jpop jams to tougher, quicker jrock songs, the tunes are just as vital as all else in the animation.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a poignant interweaving story about love, adversity and affliction. The story, based on F. Scott Fitzgeralds delightful tale, centers around an early 20th century man who is inexplicably born as a feeble, stout man in his 80s and ages backwards.
Its good luck for Benjamin that he is found by Queenie, played by Tarajii Henson, at her boarding home’s doorstep. Naturally he is thought to have insurmountable birth defects, so he is abandoned there when he is born. Queenie is in charge of the senior home, and Benjamin’s issues and different color from her own don’t slow her down from adopting him. The fact that she will never have her own children must surely have weighed on this decision. Benjamin is living as an old man with the other old people at the home. The day he he happens to meet Little Daisy is the beginning of a long,complicated love story. Daisy is played later all grown up by Cate Blanchett.
Directed by David Fincher, who successfully directed Pitt in Seven and Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button superbly unravels the difficulty in sustaining love against incongruent biological circumstance.With stunning cinematography and outstanding aging visual effects and makeup, the film is visually by far one of the most accomplished technical masterpieces of the year. Eric Roth, writer of both Forrest Gump and Munich, is effective in writing a screenplay that cleverly juxtaposes 20th Century flashbacks with 21st Century events. The talent in this film is undeniable and has garnered well deserved Oscar nominations in Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress and Directing categories.
Movie lovers are going to go nuts for the two disc special edition of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button that has been released.The Criterion Collection is the best at DVD distribution without a doubt. For classic and contemporary films such as this one, between the packaging, extras and DVD quality, you won’t find better.
Although the double DVD is incredibly packed with goodies, you can also get a single disc packaged with some nice features of its own. There is always the hi definition option in crystal clear Blu-Ray. This movie is so collectible that it doesn’t matter what format you get it in, just get it!
Ukulele Lessons In Singapore  What It Consists Of
By: Audrey Tan
Ukulele lessons in Singapore are very convenient and well priced. Learning how to play the ukulele is very easy. In fact, it is considered as one of the easiest instrument to play in the world. Some ukulele lessons in Singapore employ the method of learning to play the ukulele one bit at a time. It is because they believe in the idea that you will learn best by this kind of method. When you learn one ukulele lesson in Singapore, practice it some more and you move on to the next ukulele lesson in Singapore when youre comfortable with the skill you have gained. Listed below are what comprises the ukulele lessons in Singapore.
Learning the anatomy of ukulele.
- As a learner, it is required to know each part of the ukulele by heart. This can help as you progresses in learning how to play the ukulele.
Tuning the ukulele.
- A ukulele needs to be tuned from time to time. This is because of several influences affecting the instruments sound quality. Strumming the ukulele forcefully, changes in humidity and temperature, or even by just not using it in a while, affects the grip of its strings which result to a changed in sound quality. Different methods of tuning the ukulele are included in ukulele lessons, which also differ according to the class of ukulele to be tuned.
Learning to Read the ukulele chord diagrams.
- Learning how to read the ukulele chord diagram is not as hard as it may seem. Since a ukulele has only four strings, it follows that playing and reading the chord diagram is that simple. The diagram describes the fingers of the left hand as 1 for the index finger, 2 for the middle, 3 for the ring, and 4 for the pinky. Also the legend shows that o are those strings that should be strummed, and x are those that shouldnt be strummed. This can be best shown and discussed in ukulele lessons in Singapore, and can be understood easily.
Proper Finger Positioning
- Learning the different finger positions in ukulele determines what note will be produced. This is probably the hardest lesson in learning how to play the ukulele, yet learning it is quite simple. Four strings compose the ukulele, which also determines the number of fingers involved in playing the ukulele. Also applying pressures on each finger has effects on the quality of sound produced. It is more desirable to press on the strings with finger tips rather with the finger pads (the part where fingerprints exist). All of these should be discussed accordingly in attending ukulele lessons in Singapore.
Strumming and Rhythm
- Playing the ukulele needs to concentrate on rhythm and melody. Proper ways of upstroking and downstroking a ukulele is discussed here. One can play well the ukulele if proper rhythm is done. The good thing about ukulele is the fact that you only have to concentrate on two basic strokes which is either up or down.
Ukulele Nomenclature & Assorted Lingo
- This ukulele lesson in Singapore discusses the objectives of becoming a cool ukulele player and also other related discussions.
Mastering the ukulele is easy with Ukulele Lessons In Singapore. Find out more at http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/ukulele-lessons-singapore.html
