The Story is loosely based on historical acts, albeit its very liberal in its interpretation, mainly due to the fact that a lot of research and figuring out had to be done because the time period this was set in was 600 years ago in Feudal Japan. Certain records are lost, so many things are taken with creative liberty, whilst still being mixed in with true history. That however made this a good film. It clearly has its own style and its unique way of expressing itself and the music, which is a key component of the film and perfectly demonstrated this unique mixture.

The film follows a man who is blinded as a child and becomes a biwa player, a biwa is the high-pitched Japanese stringed instrument, not dissimilar to a guitar or Lute. He then joins a group, or troupe of Biwa priests. The blind man starts performing with this man he found on the street, who was born deformed. He wears a mask in order to keep up with the show of societal order and to not scare others. It is also part of the show’s act. This performer and dancer is the titular character Inu Oh.

They go tell stories about their lives as Biwa priests. They do it with a lot of, for lack of a better word, pizzaz. One of the main issues that arises, is that the new Shogun that takes over, wants control over what the perform, this becomes a key component in the latter half of the movie.

When they are performing, the biwa is not the only instrument that they use in the film. They wanted to take a lot of creative liberties to show the awe and the spectacle of the performances as it relates to us in the modern day. During the time this was set in, Inu Oh was known as one of Japan’s greatest performers, so in order to explore those ideas, each performance had a large light show sprinkled with some electric guitar. The fusion of these genres makes the movie that much more powerful and the soundtrack amazing. Overall, each of the acts are a great Japanese rock performance.

For example, in one of their 1st acts Inu Oh does a lot of crazy contortions with his body and because the two main characters have been so intrinsically linked to spirits in their past, you see many light spirits floating around during all of these performances.

As a consequence, much of the movie is based on Japanese folklore and that makes it very interesting because you have these spiritual demons mixed in with this rock grandiosity. It makes everything interesting because it’s done in the basis of a historical format but then bends everything into a surreal perspective

Much of the film had dynamic camera shots that really kept the eye moving and there was never a dull moment. This allowed the pace to be maintained and kept the audience entertained

It was truly one of the more creative and interesting films at the film fest. Since it’s also animated there’s way more that you can do with dynamic scenes Overall, the director, Masaaki Yuasa’s decisions, paid off because it made for an amazing film. Stay tuned for an upcoming interview from our very own Production Director, Megan Atwell, with the director of the film!

The post SCAD Film Fest: Inu Oh Shines Through With A Rock Opera Spectacle appeared first on SCAD Radio.

I went to the SCAD Savannah’s film fest for “The Daughter” a short film followed by the showing of “Crows are White” the two together were magnificent and I think that putting these films together wasn’t a pure accident. I want to give this warning that I watched these films and I’m going to talk about what happens in them. If you wanted to watch these films do that before! 

Let’s hop right in with the short film “The Daughter” which is a film with some phenomenal acting in it we will start with “the daughter” Ira Dubey she has fantastic chemistry with her father in the film Naseeruddin Shah who uses poetry in the pair’s conquest to search for a doctor with the needs of Ira’s character. It has a melancholy feeling right from the start of the sixteen-minute film. When we meet Chitrangada Satarupa’s character, she is Ira’s sister in the film and a doctor in a town with a curfew. Her sister’s downing attitude which to us is somewhat confusing, Ira’s character leaves with the bracelets her sister gives her, she’s heading down the road with Naseeruddin’s character and he begins to recite poetry throughout the whole movie which gives it a very nice flow. 

She has a very emotional scene behind the wheel and tells her father that she cannot do it. When she brings the man back to her sister’s hospital after giving him her mother’s bracelets it’s clear he has the chemicals to euthanize a man. Her father did not travel with her telling poetry, he was in the hospital. The doctor Ira’s character brings in begins the euthanization and Ira’s character holds her father’s hands for the last time. 

I thought that was a fantastic way to use her time and seal everything up in a tiny little bow. How could I forget the music in this film it has its very own orchestra with gives it a certain avant-garde feeling, with the use of poetry and classical music on the backdrop of a restrictive area with a woman coming to terms with saying goodbye for the last time to her dying father. 

Now on to the film “Crows are White” a Documentary film, I believe that this film should be on everyone’s must-watch list, prior to this film I hadn’t seen or even frankly heard of Ahsen Nadeem or his work but now I’m going to have to do a deep dive into his filmography. 

If you don’t love documentaries this is a great introduction, it’s set up almost like “Documentary Now!” He still tackles very serious subjects, Parents’ Approval even later in life is the whole story’s focal point. This film is supposed to be about the monastery he travels to Kyoto, Japan. He wants to follow this one monk who he thinks will shed some light on the emotional turmoil he feels toward his own religion/ his parents. 

When he arrives, he finds out the monk has taken a vow of silence and the only coverage he can get on him is on his marathon walk where if he has to stop for any reason, he has to commit suicide. If he passes the seven-year-long journey, he will become a living buddha. Once he is kicked out, he then meets Ryushin, he does the calligraphy for the monastery which is not that important, and he knows and he talks to Nadeem about how he is very depressed and hates his job but, he must take over the family temple or his family’s legacy will end with him. We see Ryushin the calligrapher, get drunk, eat meat, and even listen to death metal, citing that slipknot is his favorite, making the scenes even funnier with the very quiet monk jamming along to screamo driving down the roads of Japan. Then the film starts to take a very inwards perspective on the director when he gets married in a semi-traditional Muslim wedding, He realizes that he values what his parents think. He lets the project go and just lets himself go as well, this creates a lot of friction in his relationship with his wife dawn.

When the interview starts with the monk he has been waiting five years to have. When he does the living god begins to answer and within one sentence, he receives a phone call and the interview ends. He makes the executive decision to go to Ireland and introduce his parents to his wife. The final scene depicts dawn outside of their Airbnb or wherever they are staying in Ireland, pacing and entering the home repeatedly. Then Nadeem and his Parents turn the corner with flowers.

 I have nothing but praise. This was a fantastic film and if you have the chance to watch it you should take the offer up. The imagery has a certain home-esqe feel, and I don’t live in Kyoto unless you count Phoebe Bridgers. All jokes aside this movie on any level will find something inside you and stir. it. up. To make you feel emotions you have suppressed or even conquered will make you feel happy to know that other people go through this and that you are not alone. 

The post SCAD Film Fest: Crows are White and The Daughter Take Us on A Spiritual Journey appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Elsie Fisher, an actual eighth grader at the time, is a spectacular lead. In the opening scene we see a young girl awkwardly film a video for YouTube, exactly as you would expect from the average eighth grader. As highlighted by subtle details like vocal fillers and nervous habits, her role feels too real to watch sometimes. The ensemble cast supports Fisher beautifully– with performances from Josh Hamilton as her aloof, but lovable father and Olivia Robinson as a down-to-earth high school mentor. From scenes where Kayla yells at her dad for “looking weird” at her, to a conversation with her friend about Rick and Morty over McNuggets, Burnham’s writing places you perfectly in Kayla’s shoes as one of the most accurate portrayals of a time usually forgotten.

Despite the film’s ability to immerse you in the modern middle school experience, it has one aspect that seems to fall short: the soundtrack. Most of the film is supported by aggressive and abrasive synth music. The film’s score is done by Anna Meredith, a Scottish experimental composer, and her music seems better suited to an indie video game rather than a feature film. Her track “Nautilus” is one of the few tracks that stand out. The undulating synth suggests that of a heartbeat quickly climbing as Kayla braces herself to face her peers in a tense scene. The others, such as “Stay Calm” and “High School”, just feel distracting, and they have more of a resemblance to royalty free music than we’d like to admit. The music actively takes away from the immersive experience that the film tries so hard to create, which is a real shame–in portions where there is no score, the audience is much more enveloped in the middle school drama unfolding before them.

That being said, the sound design overall is fantastic. The scenes involving Kayla’s crush, Aiden, are extremely well done. His introduction features a sample of “Future Club” by Perturbator. This dramatic catwalk-esque theme follows him for various scenes throughout. Although cliché, it does a good job of reassuring the viewer that Aiden is in fact, all that to the protagonist. Another strength is in the use of silence. A prime example of this is in the infamous pool scene. Here Kayla is dropped into the worst thing imaginable for a tweenager–scattered throughout a backyard pool party are the prettiest and most popular kids in middle school. This brings all of Kayla’s insecurities to the forefront; she’s uncomfortable with not only her social standing, but also her body, and both of these are displayed out in the open. As she opens the door, the dramatic music cuts out as she surveys the scene. This hammers in the point that she feels like an absolute fish out of water. Silence is also used effectively in the scene directly following Kayla’s ride home from the mall with her new high school friends. The protagonist has an early taste of what is all too common for teenage girls–after an older boy tries to get Kayla to fool around, she storms into her room. As the door slams, the movie is silent as viewers let out a groan.

The day to day scenes in the school exhibit bubblegum popping, pencil chewing, and brace bands snapping. Real life isn’t supported by a soundtrack, so does Eighth Grade need to be?

The post Eighth Grade Soars, But Soundtrack Falters appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Fittingly, Williams starts us off with “The Adventures of Han”, a jaunty piece that fits Han and is slightly reminiscent of the iconic “Raiders March”. Since Han didn’t really have a set theme before it makes sense Williams gives him one here. From here on out, it’s all Powell. “Meet Han” introduces us to Powell’s tone and it’s great. A drum undercurrent powers the piece, something that’ll happen more than once. I have no idea where this could be in the movie.

“Corellia Chase” gives Powell a chance to show off his action chops while incorporating Williams’ theme. The quick brass and whipping strings are on point. “Spaceport” morphs to a quieter piece with strings front and center while still retaining action vibes. “Flying with Chewie” continues the action from earlier until it quiets down to bring a sweeping, How to Train Your Dragon-esque melody along. If you haven’t guessed, this is probably where Han and Chewie fly together unless Powell likes to play jokes with his titles.

“Train Heist” (likely found during the train sequence from the trailer) gives us a moment to relax before throwing us into the heist with great Williams-style action. Here we get the first mention of an old motif, I believe it’s from A New Hope. “Marauders Arrive” contains the first appearance of an almost African-sounding choir mixed with another splendid blend of Williams and Powell’s styles.

I do want to take a moment and mention this style blend. If you’re familiar with the other Star Wars scores, it’s apparent that parts of the score sound like Williams and parts are Powell. Not only does it work well but also the styles don’t clash. It never feels like the music is two separate styles, fighting each other for dominance. Instead Powell makes them work together by adding the right amounts of each in the pieces.

“Chicken in the Pot” continues in the tradition of “Yub Nub” and “Jedi Rocks”, among others, of having a vocal piece in an alien language. This features an electronic beat with just enough strings to ground it into the score. I bet this takes place at a cantina, perhaps where Han meets Lando. “Is This Seat Taken?” continues a more playful tone; it sounds similar to a piece you might hear in a Persian market.

“L3 and Millennium Falcon” goes back to a quieter tone before introducing us to the Falcon. I know this because of the sudden swell and a second Williams motif lifted from A New Hope. The choir returns before it ends on a harsh note. “Lando’s Closet” keeps the strings front and center. It’s among the prettiest tracks in the score. “Mine Mission” brings action with a marching beat, Han theme playing throughout.

“Break Out” contains brass so fast and intricate you’d be forgiven if you thought Williams wrote it. It’s also one of the longer tracks at over six minutes and contains another New Hope motif. Softer music returns in “The Good Guy” before the last third throws more action and choir our way. “Reminiscence Therapy” is almost guaranteed to make every Star Wars fan smile.

“Into the Maw” keeps the action and motifs rolling. By now, I guess by now the movie would be going into or at it’s last third. “Savareen Stand-Off” introduces a darker tone and a brief choir line that harkens back to the Emperor’s theme from Return of the Jedi. That tone mostly continues in “Good Thing You Were Listening”.

We get a last burst of action in “Testing Allegiance”, probably the last action scene in the movie. It contains the most modern sound in the score so far, which is a slight letdown. Happily, it’s not there for long and the remaining track ignores it. Piano makes a brief appearance and if I’m not mistaken, it might be the first time piano’s been used in the franchise. “Dice and Roll” starts with an odd use of drums but it isn’t there for long as traditional music closes it all out.

I went in knowing that no matter what John Powell wrote it wouldn’t sound exactly like John Williams. So much for thinking that. Powell did a monumental job. He got the chance to show his ability and delivered. Its action-filled, fun, and most importantly (aside from a few moments) sounds like Star Wars. Regardless of your thoughts on the movie, check this out!

FINAL RATING: 4.7/5

The post Solo: A Star Wars Story appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Much of the brilliance lies within the background. Black people running around in a frenzy are easy to spot behind the dancers, but there are even tinier details to miss. A video that demands to be rewatched and dissected, keen-eyed viewers will pick up on obscure bible references and Jim Crow caricatures poses, just to name a few. Even SZA makes a brief cameo towards the end, making a good case that she’ll be featured on his upcoming fourth album.

The simplicity of having Gambino and his dancers prance around in the foreground plays into a variety of interpretations. In a country that eats up black culture, the dancers could represent how oblivious some Americans are when it comes to realizing the turmoil minorities find themselves in, as opposed to the glitz and glamour on the TV screen. It could also be a jab at recent criticism towards black celebrities for getting “too political”: the crew is so concentrated on dancing, they don’t even acknowledge all the chaos happening around them. That’s the beauty of “This Is America”, at its core a deeply layered gem that only gets better and better the more times it is seen. So much so, it’s popularity on trending pages is outdone by breakdowns of the actual video.

If there’s any downside, it won’t be the same to listen to just the audio for this track. Part of me hopes it’s left off his next LP to ensure this song stays synonymous with the already iconic video, but hype for a Childish Gambino album is now at an all-time high thanks to this juggernaut lead single. Top-tier in its relevance and genius in its execution, the visuals conjured up by Glover and his Atlanta director Hiro Murai have cemented the legacy of “This Is America” as one of the greatest music videos of all time.

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“Say It With Music” is the story of Simone, a waitress who uses music to make her stressful restaurant job manageable. Along the way, she finds a connection with another waiter, Nathan, who also shares her passion of music. The story is inspired by Irving Berlin’s “Say It With Music”.

With virtual reality, the musical is able to be experienced in full 360 degree view. This allows for more than one story line to be developed at a time to view.

More than 17 programs of study were involved in the making of the movie, including film and television, animation, costume design, dramatic writing, production design, visual effects, themed entertainment design and motion media design.

The use of virtual reality was a middle ground of film and theatre, both on the screen and in reality. To make it work, the right kind of storyline had to be used. The technology team built their own camera rig so to be able to capture very angle of the shots.

“Say It With Music” was filmed in Savannah, taken in one shot at the SCAD restaurant, The Gryphon. The cast and crew involved more than 100 people.

Extensive postproduction was needed to make all the camera shots match up and create a perfect 360 degree image.

To find out more about “Say It With Music” and the whole process that created a virtual reality movie, head over to www.scad.edu/say-it-with-music.

The post SCAD “Say It With Music”, First VR Musical appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Audience members were captivated by the star-studded cast and the beautiful scenery that presented themselves in the trailer before the box office even had time to put a price on the tickets. All of these things were great, but the true star of the movie was when the soundtrack dropped on February 9th.

The soundtrack was curated by Kendrick Lamar with the help of others also signed to Top Dawg Entertainment. The soundtrack features other stars such as The Weeknd, SZA, Travis Scott, and Zacari.

Like any fan of the M.A.D.D City artist would say: “You know it’s lit when Kendrick producing the soundtrack!”

Although I love the Compton Prince himself, he’s not the only musician whose songs have us excited for the film. Recording-duo Run The Jewels’ song “Legend Has It” is basically BP‘s theme song. It can be heard throughout its trailer. The song is most recognizable from the famous line at the end of the trailer, “step into the spotlight”. The song has a great tempo, awesome beat, and one of the hottest rapping styles of the Run The Jewels duo, Killer Mike and EI-P, that’ll leave you speechless.

The video for “Legend Has It” plays with the theme of being guilty before proven innocent. If that doesn’t give you a feel on how awesome the song is I don’t know what will.

The post ‘Legend Has It’ Dominates Black Panther Soundtrack appeared first on SCAD Radio.

When a group of strangers witness a car wreck, they learn from the dying man of a treasure buried under a “W.”  The next three hours follows the ensemble racing each other to reach the money first.  So, here’s a map to help you follow the many storylines of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.

“Smiler” Grogan (Jimmy Durante)

It all begins with Smiler, a thief who crashes his car at the beginning of the movie.  As he lies on the rocks, surrounded by the strangers who witnessed his wreck, he tells them of $350,000 buried beneath a “W” in Santa Rosita Park.  Unknown to the witnesses, he’s wanted for a tuna factor robbery, and had been tailed by the police for years.

The Highlight

He literally kicks a bucket when he dies.

Captain T.G. Culpeper (Spencer Tracy)

At the end of his career, he’s leading the search for Smiler Grogan.  While trying to keep tabs on the witnesses as they lead him to the buried treasure, he struggles with keeping the peace between his angry wife and daughter.

The Highlight

With an exasperated and exhausted look, he holds two phones up to each other.  One line is his angry wife, the other is his crying daughter.

J. Russell Finch (Milton Berle), Emmeline Marcus-Finch (Dorothy Provine), and Ms. Marcus (Ethel Merman)

As great as Milton Berle is as the timid, “bad driver,” Russell, Ethel Merman steals every scene as his loud-mouthed mother-in-law, Ms. Marcus.  She can be summed up in a single Buddy Hackett line as Benjy, “May you just DROP DEAD!” Ms. Marcus is obnoxious, loud, forceful, and cutting. They hitch a ride with Lt. Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne (Terry-Thomas) who’s studying desert fauna, and together, the four make up what is possibly the funniest pairing of the movie.

When Ms. Marcus and Emmeline leave the men to go off on their own, they enlist the help of Emmeline’s brother and Ms. Marcus’ son, the mama’s boy, speedo-sporting, Sylvester (Dick Shawn).

The Highlights

Sylvester, speeding down a hill, his car soaring, wiping away tears and crying, “I’m coming Mama!”

Russell and Lt. Col. Hawthorne’s fist fight.  It’s not often that you see two people who have never been in a fight before fight each other.  Here’s a sneak peek: Milton Berle accidentally kicks a rock instead of kicking Terry-Thomas.

Melville Crump (Sid Caesar) and Monica Crump (Edie Adams)

On their second honeymoon, dentist Melville Crump and Monica Crump are the couple you would hate to meet on a cruise.  Flaunting his dentist credentials, Melville Crump is always trying to be in charge. Whether it’s creating a convoluted system of splitting the money between the witnesses, or trying to break out of a basement, Melville Crump is never the hero he wants to be.  At least he has a doting wife. I guess.

The Highlight

After paying a man to fly them to Santa Rosita in a rickety plane, Melville Crump nearly destroys the plane mid-flight while trying to kill a bug.  It starts out funny, but when his feet fall through the floor, it’s hilarious.

Dingy (Mickey Rooney) and Benjy (Buddy Hackett)

A pairing for the ages, the two friends were on a trip to Vegas when they got side tracked.  Their downfall? They decide to fly to Santa Rosita in a drunk millionaire’s plane. When they accidentally knock out the millionaire, it’s their job to keep the plane in flight.  Both Rooney and Hackett are comedy geniuses as they try to land the plane for what feels like—and probably is—the majority movie.

The Highlight

Air Traffic Control struggling to explain how to land the plane.  With the mic cable wrapped around him, the controller falls out of the tower, dangling by the cord, still trying to direct Dingy and Benjy to the runway.

Lennie Pike (Jonathon Winters)

The only witness working alone, he was driving a moving truck when the race began.  With the greatest character arc of the movie, we watch him transform from a reserved driver looking for some cash into a raving lunatic.  His first mistake was asking for the help of Otto Meyer (Phil Silvers), who abandoned Lennie after he was told of the treasure. His second mistake was confronting Otto Meyer at the gas station.

The Highlight

What started as an attempt to beat up Otto Meyer, quickly turns into a maniacal tirade as Lennie Pike destroys an entire gas station while trying to catch up to the two geeky attendants.  It’s entirely unmotivated with no context. It makes no sense. But oh God, it’s side-splitting funny. Just watch it, because you will never see a man lose it as badly as Lennie Pike.

It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is a classic because it’s still, after all these years, it’s still a riot.  The cameos might not hold the same thrill as they once did, but that doesn’t matter. (Although, The Three Stooges cameo still gets me.)  It’s a farce, a comedic look at greed. Everyone’s insane, and everyone wants the money, but most importantly, there’s a little bit of all of us in the characters.  It gives us a chance to laugh out ourselves, which is a good thing.

The post A Map Map Map Map to “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World” appeared first on SCAD Radio.

There is nothing quite like live theatre. The energy. The constant give and take between the audience and the performers. Sitting in a theatre with hundreds of other people, all revved up to watch magic happen on stage is a unique experience. But when a show is taken, filmed, and put in theatres, a lot of that is lost. You do not get filled with the same tension and wonder that you do when you see a play or musical live. That was an issue with bringing Newsies to theatres. There was a loss of energy exchange between the actors and audience because they were not all in a room together. The performance seemed less charged because of the involvement of a screen.

When the movie first started, it was jarring. There is a difference between acting for the theatre and acting for the screen.  In this instance, the audience was seeing theatre acting on the screen. Everything was big: the movements, the expressions, the inflections of voice. Sitting in the audience, I was thinking, “Okay, I can see it. No need to be that big about it.” And that is just the unfortunate occurrence of filming people acting on the stage. But after a little while, the jarring quality of it lessened and the audience was able to accept it as it was and watch without feeling overwhelmed.

Probably my biggest issue with taking the theatre and putting it on screen is that what you are seeing is decided for you. In the theatre you can see the entire stage for the entirety of the show and so you get to pick what you focus on. But, on screen, the camera would focus on certain characters or certain dance moves and you would miss what was happening around them. That was probably where some of the energy was lost. Some of these moments, though, were intensified by being brought into a more intimate light. For instance, the scene where Davey is trying to get Jack to return to the strike, or when Jack was finally winning against Pulitzer. The audience could feel more involved in these moments because the close-ups on the characters allowed for emotion to be seen easily.

But, with the good, there is the bad. Stage fighting does not translate to the screen and personally caused me to be taken out of the moment. During the strike, a fight breaks out between The World employees and police versus the Newsies. There were a lot of fight choreography happening and on the stage, but on the screen, it is easy to tell that the punches are not actually landing.

Despite being on the stage for as many years at it has been, the dancing still holds up. Its intoxicating, high-energy movement was amped up even more for this special production of the show.

The vocal performances were flawless. They were not live but recorded in a studio and then synced to the video. Because of this, I did notice a few syncing problems but overall, it was done very, very well. The singing is incredible and songs like “Seize the Day” and “The World Will Know” makes it hard for the audience not to want to join in the Newsies fight. That aspect of the show is not lost in its change from stage to screen.

Despite the negatives mentioned, there is no way to prevent that from happening when you take a high-energy musical and film it for the screen. Nothing at all was wrong with the performances or the quality. It was all in the overall experience. At the end of the day, the audience in the movie theater was able to see a Broadway musical for $20. That is about a fifth of the price of theatre tickets (for a decent seat) and to many people, much more affordable. I would urge anyone to go see this limited time filmed version of Newsies because the show is wonderful. It is a family. I would say you should go see any sort of event like this, because even if you are missing the live theatre experience, the spectacle is still spectacular.

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