The Jungle Book Teaser Trailer Review

The Jungle Book, yet another live-action telling of a classic story by Disney, and from the trailer, this appears to be a darker take on the story. While many of their latest retellings have been alright, The Jungle Book's cast is what makes me intrigued. Just look at cast listing: Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, and Christopher Walken! And Iron Man director, Jon Favreau, is behind the camera, so this is shaping up to have potential. My impressions from the trailer is that the voices for the animals seem a bit strange since Scarlett Johansson's voice sounds strangely disembodied as she narrates the trailer. It lacks the correct atmosphere and background sound to prevent it from sounding like she is speaking in a vacuum. Otherwise, the CGI looks surprisingly good for an early trailer. Much of the film's success likely hinges on the performance of child actor, Neel. Another possible issue is that Disney's recent trailers for these types of films give the false impression of a dark and serious take, while the final product is very much a family film.

Fascinately, another Jungle Book adaptation, Jungle Book: Origins, is set to release in 2017, and it is directed by Andy Serkis and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Christian Bale, and Cate Blanchett to name a few. So, which will be the better? We will have to find out! What do you think? Please comment below and let me know.

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Movie Music and More 27# : "Chocolat" (2000)

Here's Hamlette, back again to discuss more movie music with you.  I've only heard a few soundtracks by Rachel Portman, but I really like what I've heard.  The scores for both Chocolat (2000) and Emma (1996) make me happy and are great for listening to when I feel like listening to something sprightly, but with a pang of melancholy here and there.  Considering the movie's subject matter, I'm sure it's no surprise that I really like to listen to the Chocolat soundtrack while I bake. 

I'll start you off with a feel-good song, lots of energy and spring to it.  It really conveys the idea of vigorously setting to work, doesn't it?

Here's a completely different mood.  "Caravan" is soft and sensuous, a slow and beautiful simmer.  It was first performed by Duke Ellington in the 1930s, but here, the guitar track is laid down by none other than Johnny Depp, who co-stars in the film.

My favorite track on the whole soundtrack is "Minor Swing," another '30s jazz song which Johnny Depp also plays guitar on.  It's joyful and energetic and just plain fun -- it gets my toes tapping and my fingers snapping.

Thanks for listening!

Top 10 TV Comedies - Voted by You

Your votes for the Top 10 TV Comedies are in, and the results are very divisive. Only two shows received more than 2 votes, and the rest are tied with 2. Not surprisingly, critical and fan favorites Seinfeld and Arrested Development top the list with three votes apiece followed by a mix of modern and classic comedies all tied for third. A quick question to Arrested Development fans: does the show get any better? I am currently 7 episodes into the first season, and while it is good, it is not great, at least not yet. On that note, once I finish the series, I will get started on my Top 10 Comedies list.

1. Arrested Development
2. Seinfeld
3. Parks and Recreation
4. The Office
5. The Dick Van Dyke Show
6. The Andy Griffith Show
7. I Love Lucy
8. The Simpsons
9. Futurama
10. Pysch

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Latest Lindsey Stirling Epic Violin Music Videos

If you remember, on occasion, I like to highlight one of my favorite musicians, Lindsey Stirling, and her magnificent violin music! While I am personally a little disappointed that she has moved towards covers and collaborations with singers to add vocals to her music instead of her wonderful original pieces, she has, nevertheless, released several excellent music videos that you should check out. Let me know what you think of them, and I apologize for the lack of quality content by me (although a big shoutout to the guest author crew for picking up the slack in the last two weeks!). That is because of my constant arm issues, but I hope to get back to posting more of the usual content soon!

Roundtable Rival

Senbonzakura cover

We Are Giants ft Dia Frampton

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Marvel's Jessica Jones Teaser Trailer

Marvel's Jessica Jones, Netflix's follow-up to the wildly successful Daredevil series, now has a teaser. However, the teaser is more of a stylized sequence with an almost comic book like appearance. It shows a few of the character's more notable visual aspects, like "Alias: Private Investigation." While Daredevil is one of the best things to happen to comic book media since The Avengers, I wonder if Jessica Jones can capture a similar level of excellence with its Netflix series, which premieres on November 20. What do you think of the teaser? Also, do you plan to watch Jessica Jones? Please comment below and me know! 

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.