I never knew Neil from the Inbetweeners could play bass… but then I heard Feeds’ SleepyHead.

Feeds’ SleepyHead Reaction: Lets get down with the trumpets!

Just in time for summer, Feeds have released a tune that will be playing in my iTunes until England gets once again pleasured with heavy snow. The well written verses and harmonic backing vocals prove this to be a catchy pop-rock track. Lead singer Fraiser “feeds” his easy-listening vocals in between the soft guitar and piano that only works all too well together.

Feeds’ influences seem to come from all over the place: the song initially starts with a pop-catchiness feel to it, reminiscent of a Two Door Cinema Club track, however, a one minute breakdown is introduced, that (due to the amazing trumpeteering) I can only describe as a cross between Radiohead‘s progressive sound intertwined with The Special‘s ska tone.

The video is a must-see: Buy the song, but also watch the video on YouTube. Somehow, even though the video gets sped up and and slowed down, the band always play in time (this must be some voodoo trick photography shit going down here). Kudos also goes to Fraiser’s immense hair, and the bass player’s striking resemblence to Neil from the Inbetweeners (the other members of the band are obviously very talented also – that mini piano is sick).

If you enjoy SleepyHead, you can purchase their EP from here, or, if you’d rather see them perform live, they are about to embark on a UK tour:

Sat 5^th May City Hall, Hull w/ Little Switzerland (Supporting The Beautiful Couch).
Tue 8^th May Portland Arms, Cambridge w/Alpha Road and British IDM.
Wed 9^th May The Bull, Colchester w/ Newtons Apple.
Fri 11^th May The Good Ship, Kilburn w/ The Vanderbilts and The Rest Is Noise.

More details about Feeds’ can be found at their Facebook page.

Overall verdict: A summer tune that needs to be heard before you start enjoying the sunshine.

GREAT – (Generally had a Really Exciting Amazing Time)

I never thought I’d lose sleep because a film was that amazing… But then I saw Avengers Assemble.

Avengers Assemble Reaction: RAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

I wasn’t always a gigantic fan of Marvel (not that I realised), but when I saw Thor around a year ago, my life changed. I saw the first Iron Man when it first came out at the cinema, but I guess I didn’t fully appreciate how insane it was at the time. When I first heard about Marvel’s Avengers Assemble  I purchased all the films, Iron Man 1 and 2, Thor, Hulk and Captain America, they are all incredible, now Avengers Assemble is all of these super cool characters in one film fighting to save the world from Thor’s evil brother Loki, that in itself explains how epic this film really is, I was blown away.

The cast is frickin’ impressive as hell! Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man/Tony Stark Jr.) Chris Evans (Captain America/Steve Rogers), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk/Bruce Banner), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow/ Natasha Romanoff), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye/ Clint Barton), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Samuel Jackson (Nick Fury), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts) and a few other pretty big names Cobie Smulders, Paul Bettany and Clark Gregg. That is just insanely good, right?!

I was worried that, due to there being so many huge names it would seem swamped and certain characters might be left out, but hell no, director Joss Whedon pulled it off perfectly (you’d hope so with a staggering $220 million budget). The film jumps straight into action with Loki appearing through a ‘portal’ from another dimension and causing havoc instantly and brainwashing certain characters. So much action and insane scenes in this film I can’t talk about them all because I can’t give it justice, it is super, super badass and you all have to see it!

I was pleasantly surprised with Hulk, although it’s probably the worst of the leading up films,  but in this movie, Hulk is an absolute beast and is so frickin’ awesome! Thor is definitely my favourite character without question (I wish I was him), don’t get me wrong they’re all quality characters but you’ve gotta have your preferences. Johansson is proper kick-ass in this film (her arse, oh my!), I would never mess with her. Hawkeye (whose in about 30 seconds of Thor) comes to life here and he’s got some serious tekkers with a bow and arrow. Iron Man is just standard cool, just so cool, I wish I had that suit. Captain America is also quality just a total bossman.

Overall Verdict: Definitely the best film I’ve ever seen in the cinema and probably the gretest film I’ve ever seen, ever! The Marvel films are my favourite collection of films, considering all of them are in one gargantuan blockbuster is just a film and marvel fans dream come true! Despite the film being jam packed with action there are some pretty amusing scenes and that just makes the film that much better. Now, I better get down the gym to start work on my Avengers body, peace!

WOW – (Worthy Of a Wank)

I never thought Rihanna would be any good at action movies… but then I saw Battleship.

Battleship Reaction: Better than I expected!

Both guys saw Battleship last night, and both agreed it was awesome. Picture Transformers mixed with a bit of Independence Day, but on water. That’s Battleship.

The aliens are sick. From the advert they look like a rip off of Transformers, but you find out there are actual flesh-covered aliens inside those machines!! These pretty scary looking beasts are only made more scary by their slow, creeping pace at which they walk around (it’s hard to describe, they just walk slowly everywhere). Main star Taylor Kitsch does a good job of acting like an arse-hole before joining the Navy and, eventually, saving the world (sorry if I ruined it for you, but how else was it gonna end?).

Finally, the cinemas heard me, and some worthy talent in the female department arrives, coming from (not Rihanna, surprisingly, who sadly looks too rugged and tattoo-y for me to fancy, however, acting-wise: brilliant) a woman named Brooklyn Decker, some Sports Illustrated model who recently started acting. She has huge knockers. I can’t really remember much about her, aside from that.

See what I mean? I bet you’re not looking at her face either…

Overall Verdict: Great film, lives up to the same standard the first Transformers had, in fact slightly more scarier than that. Some scenes are obviously cheesy, but come on, this is an American action summer blockbuster, it’s gonna have some sort of patriotism in there somewhere. I will definitely be buying this on Blu-Ray when it gets released, I can’t wait to re-watch this in HD.

GOOD – (Generally On Occasion it’s Decent)

I never thought I’d see a man cut his own arm off… But then I saw 127 Hours.

127 Hours Reaction: Oooo that’s nasty!

When I first heard about 127 Hours I thought, how can they make an hour and a half long film about a bloke stuck in a canyon? Danny Boyle done it, and done it well. Mountain climbing enthusiast Aron Ralston (played by James Franco, Pineapple Express, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Spiderman I, II and III) takes off on his own, not telling anyone where he is going, to go mountain climbing and canyoneering in Utah. An extremely unfortunate circumstance takes place and Ralston ends up with a boulder falling and getting his arm stuck between the canyon wall and the large boulder. All alone, with no-one having the slightest clue where he is, with only a bottle of water and a few standard bits of climbing equipment, Ralston resorts to extremely desperate measures.

There are some insane scenes where Ralston meets two random girls, who are also exploring the canyons and mountains and he gives them a tour of the area. They climb through a exceptionally tight canyon and then Ralston lets go and falls through a gap into an awesome underground lake… it looks insane. Although, apparently this didn’t actually happen in real life, but the rest of the film is accurate enough to be a documentary.

After departing from the girls, the disaster happens. The majority of the film takes place with Ralston trapped in the canyon with him ‘tripping out’ with flash backs and hallucinations. I got slightly confused with some of the flash backs, whether they actually were memories or just his imagination (see it for yourself, hopefully you’ll understand what I mean). However, at the end it does say Ralston’s premonitions came true. The scene where he finally chops his arm off is mad, especially when you hear him break his arm before hand.

Overall Verdict: Surprisingly good, Franco is frickin’ awesome in this film, such a legend. You pretty much know what’s going to happen before you watch the film, because it is a true story but definitely worth a watch. Tricky to rate because although nothing much happens it does keep your attention 100% of the time. Therefore it’s got to be…

GOOD – (Generally On Occasion it’s Decent)

I never thought I’d be so disappointed by a Bruce Willis film… but then I saw The Cold Light of Day.

The Cold Light of Day Review: Why am I even watching this?

The trailer looked pretty good. It showed Bruce Willis and his son running away from bullets. Standard Willis film, right? Wrong. He gets shot and killied within the first 15 minutes. The rest of the film sees the dopey-eyed son (I can’t even remember his name in the film) running around dodging bullets and being a moron.

It’s the Bourne Trilogy gone wrong. Bad characters, bad acting, bad dialogue, bad everything. It was so bad that, to make up for the whole horrid experience, I immediately bought a ticket for the next screening of The Cabin in the Woods, and then saw that straight after (on a side note: it’s amazing. I’m not a fan of horrors, I’m a big pussy, but this one’s insane. The cleverest, most creative and unique film I’ve seen for a very long time. It’s up there with Chronicle and Drive in terms of movie-enjoyment. 9/10 easy. I’m going to see it again tomorrow, so I can revel in its magic once more).

Alien-supergirl Sigourney Weaver stars as the main bad boss (who coincidencely also stars as the main bad boss in The Cabin in the Woods – when my brother and I saw her appear for the second time that day, we thought “What The Fuck – Sigourney’s following us!”).

There are other baddies in the film, well, I say baddies, I can’t really tell if they are or not. If you don’t mind me spoiling the film, why don’t you help me here. SPOILER WARNING: Some guys take Willis and his son’s family hostage, and will kill the family if they don’t bring a briefcase that Willis stole back to them. But towards the end of the film, the bad people end up HELPING Willis’s son?? Willis son, why are you working with the people that have your family tied up in a warehouse somewhere?? Does this make them bad guys or not??

The film doesn’t make sense. At all. Willis son is a total idiot with a funny walk and even funnier run. He’s a laughable “hero”, and at many times I wanted him to get shot just so the film ended sooner. The only thing that helps the film run smoothly is supporting actress Verónica Echegui, an unknown Spanish beauty who looks like this:

“Oh, so there’s a good sex scene!”, you’re probably thinking, right? Wrong. She ends up being Willis son’s half-sister.

Overall verdict: This film is everything I didn’t want it to be. No sex, no decent action, no cool characters, nothing.

SHIT – (Seriously Horrible Insulting Trash)

Just see The Cabin in the Woods. I don’t know if I’ve said it enough in this review, but that film is badass.

I never thought I’d watch an extremely random film that made so much sense… But then I saw The Cabin in the Woods.

The Cabin in the Woods Reaction: WTF?!

Saw The Cabin in the Woods with the girlfriend the night it came out (Friday 13th, conveniently), and it is probably one  of the most random films I’ve ever seen, no joke. Some points we would both look at each other and say ‘WTF?!‘ But don’t get me wrong although it’s random it makes sense and is a truly awesome film. The cast includes such names as Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Richard Jenkins (Step Brothers, Hall Pass & The Rum Diary) and people such as Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz & Jesse Williams who have their first major role in this film.

The film is about five close friends going away to a cabin in the woods for the weekend, little do they they know it is no ordinary cabin and well you have to watch it for yourself because it is so frickin’ good!

Kranz’s character (Marty) is such a legend, proper stoner who is actually rather intelligent and very funny. As expected Hemsworth’s character (Curt) is a total bossman with his hot/slutty girlfriend Jules, who has an unfortunate exit from the film. The film is a thriller/horror which at the same time is pretty funny.

Overall Verdict: Brilliant film, easily one of my favourites this year. Don’t expect it to be predictable (especially the ending) I definitely recommend this film. Due to financial difficulty this film’s release has been postponed by over 2 years, thank god it was resolved and released. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give anything away, all I will say is it’s brutal.

WOW – (Worthy Of a Wank)

I never thought there could be so many swear words in one song… But then I heard Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay’s 212.

Reaction – Holy S**t, there’s a lot of profanities in this song…

Wow. I love this song. 212 is amazing. I can’t believe it’s only just had it’s UK release last week, this has been playing in the clubs since autumn last year. On the one hand it’s a rap record, there’s no actual chorus, just a few verses of mind-blowing cusses and and straight-to-the-point disses, with a sexual overtone. Stand out lyrics include:

“I’m a rude b***h, n***a, what are you made up of?”

“F**k him like ya do want to c*m”

“What you gon’ do what I appear?

W-when I premiere?

B***h, the end of your lives are near

This s**t been mine, mine”

“I’m a ruin you, c**t”

and the most infamous line, “I guess that c**t getting eaten”

On the other hand, it’s a great house track: Lazy Jay proves a sweet backing for Bank’s vocals, that, when combined, is an easy contender for club song of the year.

Throwing a spanner in the works in the bridge, Bank’s goes all Adele on us and produces a hell of singing voice!

Overall verdict: Don’t listen to the radio edit. It ruins it. I don’t care about swear words, they don’t offend me. What offends me is the chopping up of Banks’s vocals to make her sound like a fucking robot. Yes, I said fucking: even though I’ve starred out the other swear words? Why? Cos I’m mental. Almost as mental as 212.

GREAT – (Generally had a Really Exciting Amazing Time)

I never thought I’d actually really like a song at number 1… But then I heard Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe.

Call Me Baby Reaction: Good ol’ sing song.

Considering this weeks top 10 was exactly the same as last week except for the number 1 spot, which was a new entry from Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe I decided to just review this one song.

This song is pretty decent, I like the fact there is an actual band playing proper instruments (not just synths). It’s a pretty basic track, intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, middle8/interlude, chorus until finish. Vocals are catchy and upbeat (as well as the rest of the track) I could definitely imagine myself belting it out in the bath.

Despite not being a huge fan of synths (however they are growing on me!). The synth strings are potentially my favourite bit even though they are incredibly simple. This song reminds me of Fallin’ Apart by The All-American Rejects have a listen, you probably won’t agree but it’s also a good song so have a listen.

Overall Verdict: Decent song, certainly better than the majority of the top 10 especially that Sean Paul song that is still at number 2 (unbelievable!). As I’m in a good mood I’ll give a generous rating of…

GREAT – (Generally had a Really Exciting Amazing Time)

I never thought I’d be bored throughout a spy film… But then I saw Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy.

Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy Reaction: What the hell was that all about

It’s a spy film. A British one. Set in one of the best eras of our time with an insane cast, the best British actors of our time. Gary Oldman. Colin Firth. Benedict Cumberbatch. Tom Hardy. Stephen Graham. That girl who plays Perry from Kevin and Perry. How could this film go wrong? It tries too hard!

Yes, the film somehow secured these amazing actors. But it tries too hard using their talents. Every actor has a monologue, a hidden backstory and a flashback or two. I guess these are all necessary for the film to make sense, but the progression is so slow, I didn’t really care who the spy was at the end. Ok, that’s a lie, I did care, it was a nice twist ending to a clever story, but the screenwriter/director didn’t help the viewers with anything, it’s almost like you had to figure everything out for yourself.

Saying this, I did enjoy the film. It’s a new classic. Just, I’m going to have to re-watch it about 100 times until I fully understand it. I don’t understand all the rage over Oldman’s character though, he got a freaking Oscar nomination for this film?? I prefered Firth, or even Cumberbatch and Hardy.

Overall verdict: The phenomenal cast, score, acting and costumes make this film what it is. Sadly, the director has somehow made this almost unwatchable for anyone who tries to watch this film without previous knowledge of what’s actually going to happen in the film, if that makes sense. I tried really hard (I really did!) to understand this film properly, and there’s still so much I’m trying to get my head around. However, I will watch this again. Maybe that was the director’s idea? To make everyone who watches it have to go see it again? Who knows? Just next time, Mr Director, make your films a bit easier to understand.

POOR – (Primarily On Occasion it’s Rubbish)

I never thought Monkeys would take over the world… But then I saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Reaction: Go on Caesar my son!

 I know Rise of the Planet of the Apes isn’t exactly a brand new release, but it is definitely not an old release and I regret not seeing it sooner. Featuring Tom Felton (Malfoy from Harry Potter) and James Franco (Spider-man 1, 2 & 3 and 127 Hours) this film isn’t too bad in the cats department.

Testing a medical break-through for Alzheimer’s Disease and various other brain conditions on Apes, seems to have drastic consequences for the human race. The main Chimpanzee ‘Caesar’ is the offspring of a test Chimp killed by mistake. He is taken home and raised by Will Rodman (Franco) and becomes an extremely intelligent chimp. In an unfortunate circumstance where Caesar helps Will’s Dad (who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease)but goes a little too far, is taken from Will and placed in a special Ape precinct and it is there he organises the uprising.

Caesar is by the most insanely cool Chimp to ever walk the earth (too bad it isn’t a real Chimp). Whilst in captivity Caesar befriends an orangutan (which I have no idea of it’s name) from a circus and this orangutan is awesome. Some scenes are surprisingly emotional, which is all thanks to the great story and screen play. You will also find yourself seriously backing the Apes, even though they are taking over the world…

Overall Verdict: Amazing film, one of my favourites so far this year. A definite must see in my opinion, it is only a 12 rating so no excuse for anyone not to see it. Above all this film could potentially turn out to become a true story… I hope not!

GREAT – (Generally had a Really Exciting Amazing Time)