Blu-Ray Review: Starry Eyes

By Less Lee Moore

So much of the success of Starry Eyes rests on lead actress Alex Essoe’s able shoulders. She beautifully embodies the role of Sarah, a budding actress who pines for the role that will catapult her into the pantheon of the Old School Hollywood ladies whose photos adorn her bedroom walls. Surrounded by struggling fellow thespians, one of whom (Erin) wants to cut her down at every opportunity, Alex’s insecurity and fragility is palpable and painful to witness. Forced to pay the bills working at a Hooters-type restaurant, she is thrilled when she gets an audition from the esteemed Astraeus Pictures.

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DVD Review: The Witch Who Came From The Sea

By Less Lee Moore

From the lurid Frank Frazetta-style cover art to its evocative title, The Witch Who Came From The Sea seems like it might be a female-fronted version of The Beastmaster. As intriguing as that possibility sounds, the film is something altogether different and much more profound. Directed by Matt Cimber (Butterfly, Hundra) in 1971, The Witch Who Came From The Sea wasn’t released until 1976, and even then, ran afoul of the MPAA for what they considered gratuitous violence, nudity, and rather dark subject matter.

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Concert Review: Zola Jesus At The Horseshoe Tavern

By Less Lee Moore

January 22, 2015
Toronto, ON

At a time when Internet hype threatens to smother any semblance of genuine talent, it’s difficult not to be cynical. Rest assured, however, that Zola Jesus deserves all the praise. Nika Roza Danilova is the real deal.

For those wondering if Danilova can replicate the powerful vibes of her latest album, TAIGA (review), in a live setting, the answer is yes. Her already-amazing voice is actually better in person than on record, which is kind of astonishing. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

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Best Of 2014: Less Lee Moore

Peaky Blinders

When there are horrible things happening in the world (and there always are), it might seem frivolous to discuss popular culture. But that’s what we do here at Popshifter, albeit with eyes, ears, and minds attuned to how that pop culture has a symbiotic relationship with those very horrible things. Rather that list all the ways in which those who create, consume, and critique pop culture contributed to that horribleness, I’d like to champion the aspects of pop culture that made my life worth living this year.

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Short Film Alert: Victor

By Less Lee Moore

Chad Thompson has recently created his first short film, Victor. Over a couple of days during the summer, he and his cast and crew shot the seven-minute film and Chad, who works with Cinema 4D and After Effects as an animator and motion designer, did all of the post-production over the next year. We talked to Chad about the ideas behind the film and what he hopes to create next.

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Podcast Alert: 20th Century Nostalgia

By Less Lee Moore

If you’re looking for a fun new music podcast, might I suggest this one? 20th Century Nostalgia! From their Mixcloud page:

It’s 2014 and music is dead. We long for the glory days of 1920s blues, 1930s country, 1940s bebop, ’50s rock and roll, ’60s girl groups, ’70s punk, ’80s new wave, ’90s alternative, and everything in between. We focus on music and pop culture from 1900 to 1999—no later! Join us as we complain about the decline of pop culture and obsess over musicians who died before we were born. We post, discuss, and podcast about anything and everything, as long as it’s good (or funny) and from the past.

Their newest podcast “We R Thankful 4 Prince” is now up, just in time for the holidays!

Important Update On Reverse, A Sci Fi Short Film That Needs Your Help

By Less Lee Moore

Last week, we told you about the Kickstarter campaign for an upcoming science fiction short called Reverse from Ryan Smith (writer/director of After) and Mike Vogel (Cloverfield, Bates Motel, Under The Dome).

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Music Review: TV Eyes, TV Eyes (Reissue)

By Less Lee Moore

Fans of Jellyfish and Redd Kross will already know about TV Eyes but what about the uninitiated? That’s who really needs to read this review.

The storied history and devoted fanbase of both groups would take at least two books to describe fully (someone get on that please, by the way), but you may be familiar with three names from those bands: Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.; Jason Falkner; and Brian Reitzell.

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Music Review: Wand, Ganglion Reef

By Less Lee Moore

Fans of psychedelic music are lucky to be alive during the glory days of its resurgence. There are a lot of great bands out there doing inventive things with psych rock and one of these is Wand, whose debut Ganglion Reef should make several Top Ten lists this year.

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TAD Film Fest Review: Refuge

By Less Lee Moore

If you’ve seen The Road or Season Four of The Walking Dead, you’ve seen more artfully realized versions of the film Refuge. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth.

Andrew Robertson’s film peeks into the lives of some of the survivors of a bacterial plague that has wiped out much of humanity. Unfortunately, we find this out in a post-credits montage that is reminiscent of 28 Days Later or The Bay but not as clever. In fact, we’ve all seen so many zombie/post-apocalypse movies at this point it would have been more compelling to just show that kind of footage without explaining what actually happened. It would have given the movie a much-needed bit of creepy mystery.

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