froggy-19 Reviews

High Tech Soul: The Creation of Techno Music (2006 Video)

Well done for a small time production

[8/10 · 11 February 2007]

Well done documentary that told the story of Detroit techno concisely and in a manner that kept the interest of the viewer. Mr. Bredow does a fine job putting the story together in the words of techno's historic figures themselves. The lack of narration adds authenticity to the story.

While short at 64 minutes, I felt it was the perfect length for the subject matter. I don't feel anything was left out nor was anything extraneous left in.

Well worth a watch (if you can find it) if you're at all interested in music history, especially that of electronic/techno. Also interesting as a cultural examination of the city of Detroit.

Friday After Next (2002)

It was good, but it wasn't Friday

[5/10 · 20 November 2002]

I had the opportunity to sneak this film at the CWRU Film Society this evening. I admit I wasn't expecting much. Friday was a great film. Fun, laid back and a good trip. Next Friday was, well, OK, but it wasn't great. Friday After Next was maybe a little lower on the scale.

This suburban white boy is a huge fan of Cube, so I had fun just the same. Things just seemed... I don't know... disconnected. Granted the first two films didn't have a strong plot, but this one was a little thinner. The situations were funny, but they weren't as funny often times as I thought they could be.

In short, I'm glad I saw it and yucked it up. I certainly needed the laughs, but there could have been more of them and not so spaced apart. Finally, I thought the opening sequence was cute, but perhaps too cute, and it certainly seemed to drag on just a little too much.

Enjoy it, it's worth the money, but maybe at the cheapie show, which is where I fear it will be in a few weeks...

K-PAX (2001)

Fantastic

[10/10 · 24 October 2001]

A surprisingly refreshing and uplifting film. K-Pax is, without a doubt, one of my favorite films this year. I had the privelage of seeing it as a sneak preview here at CWRU.

I am writing this now in a state of utter contentment and happiness. This is one film that will help restore my faith in mainstream American cinema. The plot felt somewhat familiar, but still intrigued me, the characters were interesting and the performances fantastic (in fact, Spacey deserves at least an Oscar nod for this performance). What really blew me away, though, was the cinematography. The camera seemed to play with the light in the most interesting and thought provoking ways. The film and the theme helped to showcase this fact wonderfully. I don't think I'll really ever look at a prism the same way.

Visually interesting, emotionally moving and heart-warming, this is a film worth seeing in the theaters.