April Reviews with
Coach Burkett
Review: Whiplash
Category: Movies
Rated: R
Notes: Won 3 Oscars out of 5 nominations
Eminem once said that “music is reflection of self…we just explain it, and then we get our checks in the mail” (Sing for the Moment). Music is one of the driving forces in all of our lives, whether it inspires us to overcome the immovable obstacles we face every day, or whether it is a picture-perfect reflection of our current mood, music allows people to release their inner emotions onto a canvas for the entire world to see. Music, however, is much more to some people. For some people, music is a complete way of life. These people spend every waking moment of their day contemplating chord progressions, finding a way to “count” even the simplest of sounds, and most of these musicians have found a way to make a living off of their musical talent. Thus, is the premise of the movie Whiplash. Whiplash stars Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now, Divergent, Project X) as talented studio drummer Andrew Neiman, who is a first-year jazz student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York. The conductor for the studio band is the volatile Terence Fletcher, played by J.K. Simmons (Spiderman, Juno, Oz, True Grit). Fletcher is abusive toward his students, mocking and insulting them; when the band rehearses the piece “Whiplash” and Andrew struggles to keep his tempo, Fletcher hurls a chair at him, slaps him, and otherwise humiliates him in front of the class. Fletcher believes that by pushing his students beyond what is expected of them, they can achieve greatness in the process. Andrew becomes so dedicated to his craft as a drummer that he pours sweat, tears, and (so much) blood onto his drum set to become the greatest drummer that ever lived. He alienates himself from his family, from his girlfriend, and especially all of his fellow classmates as well, too. As a fan of jazz music, Miles Teller, and J.K. Simmons, the movie was one of the best I have seen all year and I loved every second of it. It doesn’t surprise me at all that the film won three (3) Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor for J.K. Simmon’s portrayal of Terence Fletcher. Even for people who are not acquainted with jazz/classical music, I think nearly everyone will enjoy this film, strictly based off the fact of how intense the action scenes are. At various moments throughout the film, I could feel myself tightening the grip on my chair and clenching my teeth out of nervous anxiety. The film is a 106 minute thrill ride of exuberant excitement until the final 10 minutes of the movie; at this time, the voltage is sent to a new extreme, and personally, I think it may be one of the most electrifying endings to a movie that I have ever seen. Go immediately to a Redbox, rent Whiplash immediately, then sit back and enjoy the fireworks. -AB
Rating: Four ½ (**** ½) out of Five (*****) Stars
If you enjoy Whiplash, check out these other Drama-filled films:
· Birdman
· Boyhood
· August Rush
· Gone Girl
· Foxcatcher
· Nightcrawler
· American Sniper
March Reviews with Coach Burkett
Music: Drake’s “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late”
Release Date: February 13th, 2015
Genre: Hip hop
I remember the first time I heard Drake in the summer of 2009. The “So Far Gone” mixtape had just been released, the song “Best I Ever Had” was becoming an international phenomenon, and Drake himself had yet to release a single major studio album. At this time, Drake was nationally recognized for his ambiguous ability to be able to mix both smooth rap flow verses with an excellent singing voice, making him the perfect fit for any hook when collaborating with other rappers. This ability to blend hip hop and R&B simultaneously made Drake a mogul in the underground hip hop world, notably being able to release internet mixtapes without the help of a major studio. “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late” is the fourth “studio” album from hip-hop icon Drake. While recognized as a “studio” album by both Young Money and OVO Sound, Drake himself considers the album to be a mixtape as opposed to a major EP release, and the effects of which are resounding throughout. When listening to the album for the first time, I thought to myself, “Wow, he’s going off,” thinking the album as a whole was reminiscent of one of Drake’s earlier mixtapes, “Thank Me Later”. Many of his verses remind me of some of his earlier works, especially the song appropriately titled “Energy”, which includes an upbeat hook and several great verses, much like “Started From the Bottom” from the “Nothing Was the Same” album (2013). I also love the fact that Drake does not show any fear in calling out his peers, including a reference to fellow rapper and Young Money labelmate Tyga, and Tyga’s relationship with Kylie Jenner in the song “6PM in New York” by saying “You need to start acting your age, and not your girl’s age…” In my opinion, Drake has made a steady climb toward the top of hip hop royalty, weaving together the integral pieces of a career to become one of the greatest MC’s of all time. An album like “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late” is yet another crowning achievement for the talented Toronto-native rapper, and for the first time in his career, Drake does not sound like he wants to be remembered as one of the greats…this time, he just is. 4**** out of 5***** Stars -AB
Choice Tracks from “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late”:
Review: Whiplash
Category: Movies
Rated: R
Notes: Won 3 Oscars out of 5 nominations
Eminem once said that “music is reflection of self…we just explain it, and then we get our checks in the mail” (Sing for the Moment). Music is one of the driving forces in all of our lives, whether it inspires us to overcome the immovable obstacles we face every day, or whether it is a picture-perfect reflection of our current mood, music allows people to release their inner emotions onto a canvas for the entire world to see. Music, however, is much more to some people. For some people, music is a complete way of life. These people spend every waking moment of their day contemplating chord progressions, finding a way to “count” even the simplest of sounds, and most of these musicians have found a way to make a living off of their musical talent. Thus, is the premise of the movie Whiplash. Whiplash stars Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now, Divergent, Project X) as talented studio drummer Andrew Neiman, who is a first-year jazz student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York. The conductor for the studio band is the volatile Terence Fletcher, played by J.K. Simmons (Spiderman, Juno, Oz, True Grit). Fletcher is abusive toward his students, mocking and insulting them; when the band rehearses the piece “Whiplash” and Andrew struggles to keep his tempo, Fletcher hurls a chair at him, slaps him, and otherwise humiliates him in front of the class. Fletcher believes that by pushing his students beyond what is expected of them, they can achieve greatness in the process. Andrew becomes so dedicated to his craft as a drummer that he pours sweat, tears, and (so much) blood onto his drum set to become the greatest drummer that ever lived. He alienates himself from his family, from his girlfriend, and especially all of his fellow classmates as well, too. As a fan of jazz music, Miles Teller, and J.K. Simmons, the movie was one of the best I have seen all year and I loved every second of it. It doesn’t surprise me at all that the film won three (3) Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor for J.K. Simmon’s portrayal of Terence Fletcher. Even for people who are not acquainted with jazz/classical music, I think nearly everyone will enjoy this film, strictly based off the fact of how intense the action scenes are. At various moments throughout the film, I could feel myself tightening the grip on my chair and clenching my teeth out of nervous anxiety. The film is a 106 minute thrill ride of exuberant excitement until the final 10 minutes of the movie; at this time, the voltage is sent to a new extreme, and personally, I think it may be one of the most electrifying endings to a movie that I have ever seen. Go immediately to a Redbox, rent Whiplash immediately, then sit back and enjoy the fireworks. -AB
Rating: Four ½ (**** ½) out of Five (*****) Stars
If you enjoy Whiplash, check out these other Drama-filled films:
· Birdman
· Boyhood
· August Rush
· Gone Girl
· Foxcatcher
· Nightcrawler
· American Sniper
March Reviews with Coach Burkett
Music: Drake’s “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late”
Release Date: February 13th, 2015
Genre: Hip hop
I remember the first time I heard Drake in the summer of 2009. The “So Far Gone” mixtape had just been released, the song “Best I Ever Had” was becoming an international phenomenon, and Drake himself had yet to release a single major studio album. At this time, Drake was nationally recognized for his ambiguous ability to be able to mix both smooth rap flow verses with an excellent singing voice, making him the perfect fit for any hook when collaborating with other rappers. This ability to blend hip hop and R&B simultaneously made Drake a mogul in the underground hip hop world, notably being able to release internet mixtapes without the help of a major studio. “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late” is the fourth “studio” album from hip-hop icon Drake. While recognized as a “studio” album by both Young Money and OVO Sound, Drake himself considers the album to be a mixtape as opposed to a major EP release, and the effects of which are resounding throughout. When listening to the album for the first time, I thought to myself, “Wow, he’s going off,” thinking the album as a whole was reminiscent of one of Drake’s earlier mixtapes, “Thank Me Later”. Many of his verses remind me of some of his earlier works, especially the song appropriately titled “Energy”, which includes an upbeat hook and several great verses, much like “Started From the Bottom” from the “Nothing Was the Same” album (2013). I also love the fact that Drake does not show any fear in calling out his peers, including a reference to fellow rapper and Young Money labelmate Tyga, and Tyga’s relationship with Kylie Jenner in the song “6PM in New York” by saying “You need to start acting your age, and not your girl’s age…” In my opinion, Drake has made a steady climb toward the top of hip hop royalty, weaving together the integral pieces of a career to become one of the greatest MC’s of all time. An album like “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late” is yet another crowning achievement for the talented Toronto-native rapper, and for the first time in his career, Drake does not sound like he wants to be remembered as one of the greats…this time, he just is. 4**** out of 5***** Stars -AB
Choice Tracks from “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late”:
- “Energy”
- “Know Yourself”
- “Jungle”
- “6PM in New York”
- “All of the Lights Remix” feat. Lil Wayne, Big Sean, and Drake
- “Uptown” feat. Lil Wayne, Drake, and Bun B
- “Practice” by Drake
- “Still Fly Freestyle” by Drake
March Reviews with Coach Burkett
Review: House of Cards
Category: Television
Channel: Netflix
Political conspiracy theories are some of the most fascinating concepts in our culture. Did Lee Harvey Oswald really murder John F. Kennedy? What are the United States’ motives when dealing strictly with foreign policy of other countries? Where does the money for political campaigns really come from? Was Area 51 really just a military training mission gone wrong, or did an alien spacecraft actually crash land in Nevada that night? Welcome to the world of House of Cards. This Netflix original series features a behind-the-scenes look at Whip Leader Francis Underwood, portrayed by Oscar-Winning actor, Kevin Spacey. The show is a remarkable journey to the world of excess, exile, backstabbing, and even murder that may or may not be associated with American politics. Kevin Spacey does an outstanding job portraying Underwood as a manipulative, ruthless, cunning, and overly ambitious US House of Representative who has his eyes on the White House, cleverly making move after move to catapult him to the Presidency. Francis is supported by his partner-in-crime and wife Claire Underwood, played by the beautiful Robin Wright. Claire Underwood is almost as devious as her husband, but is one of the most extraordinarily beautiful women in all of Washington D.C. Using her scheming brain and sterling good looks, Claire is the perfect axis needed to aid Francis in his aspiring goals for world and universal dominance. The show was created by director David Fincher, known for such award-winning films as (Se7en, Fight Club, The Social Network, Gone Girl, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). If you are looking for that next great show to become obsessed with on Netflix, give House of Cards a try…you will be absolutely addicted after the first episode. -AB
Rating: Four ½ (**** ½) out of Five (*****) Stars
If you enjoy House of Cards, try these other thriller-based television series:
- Game of Thrones
- True Blood
- Breaking Bad
- True Detective
- Dexter
- Homeland
- Orange is the New Black
- Fargo
- The Walking Dead
- Vikings