Katy Perry - Birthday (Lyric Video)

Katy Perry's latest lyric video outing is likely to induce a serious sugar rush, and if you were to consume that many cakes, probably death (only kidding...sort of). There's some pretty elaborate cake designs featuring in this video, so if you've got about 3 and a half minutes to spare it's probably worth a look, just for the cakes alone. But anyway, this isn't a cake decorating video (or is it?!), it's Perry's latest lyric video for her upcoming single 'Birthday'. Now, I can't be the only one to be disappointed that Perry didn't choose a track like 'Legendary Lovers' or 'Choose Your Battles' because those tracks were (in my opinion) much stronger singles than Birthday, but each to their own. 

I wonder whether or not this will pay off for Perry, but it's likely she wanted a different vibe following on from the release of 'Dark Horse', and 'Birthday' whilst not necessarily a favourite, is perfectly fine on its own and is uplifting enough to put you in a good mood. How long you stay in that good mood is entirely dependent upon how long the song takes to get grating. After all, there are only so many times you can hear the word 'Birthday' before you are sadly reminded it's not actually your birthday, or maybe it is - in which case, Happy Birthday. Perry's Birthday (which is essentially a metaphor for sex - sorry kiddies) is the fourth single from her fourth studio album, Prism, and is set for radio release on the 21st April (in the US). 

Game of Thrones - Season 4 Première 'Two Swords' [Review]

Game of Thrones is back for its fourth season, and it’s questionable as to whether any of us have truly recovered from the events of The Red Wedding. Nevertheless, the epic fantasy television series based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin returns to our screens, and offers up Two Swords as its opening episode. The episode, written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, sees the return of beloved characters who are now trying to re-focus after the events of the last season.

Bringing it home for the girls in the episode is Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), and Daenerys (Dany for short) Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), the former who is more bold and slightly demented than ever as she seeks vengeance for the deaths of various family members. Along for the ride is The Hound (Rory McCane) who seems to double up as a babysitter/companion/frenemy for Arya in the episode. Also battling it out for the throne is Dany, who marches her army towards Meereen, the last of three slave cities. Dany and Arya have grown stronger and become more forceful over the last season, and this is clearly present in the Season 4 opener, as the two powerful ladies seek to avenge injustice; Arya for her family and Dany, not only for her own family, but also for the slaves of Meereen.

Meanwhile in King’s Landing, Tywin Lannister, (Charles Dance) is melting down swords, and Jaime is back, albeit minus a hand. The two incestuous twins – Jaime and Cersei – reunite, but given all that has happened over the last seasons, it seems that their relationship will never be what it was (which is perhaps a good thing). On the other side of the family, the loveable and witty imp tries to comfort Sansa but she refuses to eat and even Shae can’t help. You can’t exactly blame her.

Concurrently, in the North, we see that Jon Snow is awake after his attack; whilst Ygritte is left to sharpen her arrows after having let him go (with 3 arrows in him). New to the episode is a group of cannibal thenns, lead by Styr, and Prince Oberyn, who seeks to avenge his sister’s death at the hands of the Lannisters.

The episode is a firm addition for a Game of Thrones première, and it was entertaining to see how various characters reacted to what happened, given that in the last season it was difficult to fully understand how any of them felt; and this opener gave more clarity and resolution to the situation, in that respect. Game of Thrones has amassed a large following since its début in 2011 and you need only to watch a few episodes to understand why; it builds its foundations on the popular book series, and has everything – the characters you love, the characters you hate, the characters you want to get together and the characters you want to suffer (in the best possible way).It has nobility, adventure, deception, power; showcasing struggle in so many different lights, due to the excellent performances from its ensemble cast.

Whatever your take on the series, it is clear that Season 4 will be unlike any other season and with the next episode entitled The Lion and The Rose, it’s curious to see what turn the series will take, considering its flair for the dramatic (that is, of course, unless you've already read the books!). 

You can check out this review online via Concrete, at the link below: http://www.concrete-online.co.uk/game-thrones-season-four-premiere-review/

Foxes - Holding Onto Heaven

Foxes singer (Louisa Rose Allen) has recently released the music video (watch below) for her 3rd single 'Holding Onto Heaven' which is taken from her début album Glorious (set for release on May 12th). The video sees Foxes partake in a party with two sides to it; in one she is happy and care-free and in the other (which is presumably reality) she is sombre and sits idly by herself. The track starts off rather melancholy, with a distinct difference between the two 'versions' of the music video that the singer presents on screen. This type of split-personality is presented on screen in a rather unique way, with one side being the right-side up and the other being upside down, which is rather suitable given the tone of the video. 

Overall, it's a soulful pop song, with a rather sombre sound, especially towards the beginning of the track, but this gives it an edge, and benefits the overall sound of the track. The addition of the music box in the video makes it seem slightly eerie and sets the underlying mood of the video and track. 

The Big Bang Theory - Season 7, Episode 19 'The Indecision Amalgamation' [Review]

The Big Bang Theory is back after a short break, and it would seem to be all about Sheldon, who – surprise, surprise – is incapable of making decisions. In this episode, Sheldon and Amy debate over whether to purchase a XBOX one or a PS4, Penny is in a state of inner turmoil about whether to accept a role in a sequel to a terrible ape movie, Bernadette does something silly and Raj has two dates. No, the last one is real, promise.

Sheldon is back on top form in the episode and the writers have included a number of classic one-liners for the character, revolving around the great XBOX one vs. PS4 debate. The writing for Sheldon is always snappy and Jim Parsons does a great job performing and emulating the complex and often tedious (but loveable) quirks that make the character stand out. Ever since the introduction of quick-witted Neuroscientist Amy Farrah-Fowler, the show has been injected with a burst of new energy, and finally Sheldon has someone who can match him in some respects. This episode was no exception, as Amy feigns excitement and interested in Sheldon’s inability to make a decision between the two gaming systems, which results in a fair amount of hilarity. Mayim Bialik is in her element with this role, and it shows. 

If you would like to read the rest of this review, including segments on Wil Wheaton (who was in the week's episode) and more on Penny's terrible acting roles, then you can read it on I'm With Geek, available at the link below! 

http://www.imwithgeek.com/3/post/2014/04/the-big-bang-theory-the-indecision-amalgamation-spoilers.html

Frozen (2013) Review

                                                 'You can't marry a man you just met'

From the wintry mountain tops of Arandelle comes box-office smash; Frozen. The cogs at the Disney Corporation have been turning and have churned out this icy adventure, which is almost self-mocking of its entire foundation of films. For you see, this particular adventure focuses around two sisters and their relationship, instead of the usual prince and princess shtick (although, there is some romance chucked in for good measure).

The frosty film focuses around Anna and Elsa, voiced by Kristen Bell and musical legend, Idina Menzel, respectively. Elsa possesses magical ice and snow powers, which at first delights herself and her younger sister, Anna, but soon become a danger. Over the years Elsa’s powers grow stronger and she accidently strikes her sister with ice, causing the family to seek help from rock people (trolls) that live nearby. They fix Anna and tell Elsa that she should learn to control her powers, so the family decide to shut her away and try to control her, instead of helping her embrace her abilities. After the unfortunate demise of her parents (shocking for a Disney film, I know) she locks herself away in her room and has the gates to Arandelle closed. Anna meanwhile, is incredibly bored and spends her hours passing by time doing idle activities, waiting for her sister to come out and play. Eventually, a coronation for the upcoming Queen (Elsa) puts things into a downward spin as Elsa’s powers and revealed and she flees to a mountain, where Anna must team up with Kristoff, (Jonathan Groff) a mountain man, Olaf, (Josh Gad) a snowman and Kristoff’s reindeer. Also involved in the film is Hans, (Santino Fontana) a Prince from the Southern Isles who seeks Anna’s hand in marriage.

Having written this review retrospectively, the film has currently grossed over $1 billion and received Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, for ‘Let it Go’, which is sung by Idina Menzel. It’s not hard to see why. Frozen is built upon the foundation that sometimes, sisterly (and sibling) love can be more powerful than any fleeting romance, and Elsa and Anna are two characters whose love can thaw anyone’s frozen heart. The film is unique in the stance that it takes on animated musical feature films; in such that it doesn’t follow a particular pattern and is actually rather mocking to the stereotypical Disney Format of boy meets girl, girl and boy fall in love and marry. This gives the film an icy edge over its counterparts, and presents itself a well-rounded addition to the Disney family.

The songs are catchy and the script well-written, with lots of snappy one-liners and clever quips from some characters. Menzel’s ‘Let it Go’, which was written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez and composed by Christophe Beck, is a signature song that has already sky-rocketed itself to fame and into the hearts of many audiences. The track is sassy and strong, while Menzel’s vocals are undeniably striking and give the song its power. The way it is played out on screen is visually breath-taking, as Menzel’s character Elsa creates herself an ice palace to rival the Queen of Narnia herself. Frozen is a true musical, and with beautiful duets from Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, it’s hard not to find a place in your heart for this touching tale. With a screenplay by Jennifer Lee and written collectively by Lee, Chris Buck and Shane Morris, the film makes sure it has a place in the current cultural climate; with Disney re-affirming that it can still spin out the classics.

Overall, it’s wonderful to see an animated film with such strong, individual characters that really imprint their mark on this snow-covered landscape, as well as visuals that astound in the way that computer animation should do. The power-house performances from the cast and especially Menzel and Bell, elevate the film to new sweeping heights, above other popular animated films, like Despicable Me 2. Frozen is a visual reminder that blood can be thicker than water, and that sometimes the most meaningful relationships we have are with our siblings. Empowering and beautifully envisioned and executed, Frozen secures its place amongst the greats of 2013, and of the history of animated features, which is no easy feat.

4.5 stars