#Matthew Weaver

[thebandcampdiaries]

Matthew Weaver presents: “A mountain parable.”

Matthew Weaver released a composition titled “"A Mountain Parable"

This is a truly dynamic and lush track, which showcases Matthew’s versatility and broad creative range. This composition features piano and guzheng, a Chinese instrument.

With such a direct blend of classical music, folk, and other styles, Matthew achieved a very interesting and one-of-a-kind fusion of cultures and sounds, which really sets the bar higher in terms of bringing more depth to the composition.

For those who might not be familiar with it, the guzheng is a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. It has a long and exciting history, which spans over 2,500 years. This composition stays true to the heritage of this beautiful and timeless instrument, and at the same time, it also brings in something new, combining timeless sounds with a more contemporary approach. In addition to that, this track is also very personal to the artist, as it deeply relates to his vision as a music creator. The song’s genesis dates back to the roots of the artist's journey.

About ten years ago, Matthew attended a life-changing seminar on writing music led by his mentor. The latter asked the class, “Why do you write music?” The answers echoing in the room varied, ranging from students willing to express themselves to people trying to build a career. However, the mentor’s perspective was on a different level. He reminded Matthew and everyone in the class that artists have a much deeper impulse, stating that “We write music because, if we do not, a part of us will die.”

This is a very deep take on making music. It reminds us that true artistic pursuit is something more than just creating a product or trying to achieve a goal. It is part of who we are. It is something that will give us a sense of fulfillment and higher purpose. It is a compulsion that should not be ignored, and thankfully, Matthew is definitely voicing his soul with this composition. In doing so, he was also able to create something that universally relatable to the audience.

At first, Matthew did not immediately grasp the significance of such a vision, but it continued to become clearer overtime. Many artists might agree with the fact that during difficult periods, being creative can feel like an uphill battle, yet pressing forward is essential. Retreating means losing a part of oneself.

Matthew wrote “A Mountain Parable” because he needed to capture the struggle and the vital need for actually making music. The song is indeed a perfect depiction of the vital need for creative expression. Matthew’s journey toward creating this work was arguably driven by an internal compulsion, a sense that the story had to be told not just for the audience but for his own fulfillment and understanding. The parable symbolizes more than just a narrative. The concept of the mountain could be seen as the embodiment of struggles and challenges through life: those steep peaks we all need to climb, especially artists and people who seek to take their creative endeavors to a whole new level. Musically, the song is incredibly rich and diverse, despite the minimalistic nature of the arrangement. The instruments interact beautifully, complementing each other in expected ways. The guzheng has a brighter, more prominent attack, allowing the notes to resonate very clearly. This makes the phrases and melodies executed on the instrument incredibly poignant and powerful. On the other end, the piano is performed in such a way that it emphasizes the instrument’s softer tonal qualities and vision overall. The two sounds have somewhat opposite qualities and textures, but this is exactly the reason why they fit together so well. The synergy between the black strings and the softly stroked keys makes for a mesmerizing, otherworldly ambiance that brings Matthew’s composition to life in a very characterful way. The artist managed to retain a very understated writing style with this song. The rather minimalistic melodic approach actually enhances the natural qualities of the instruments, thus making the song all the more emotional. The guzheng’s plucked strings produce a delicate, ethereal sound, which soars on top of the cinematic sounds created by the piano and the harmonic complexity it brings to this song. Together, these instruments create a unique blend of textures and tonal colors, harmonizing the elegance and subtlety of the guzheng with the richness and versatility of the piano chords.

In addition to such a poignant and relatable concept, the track is well-written and musically well-executed, making for a well-rounded listening experience. Matthew managed to combine artistic integrity and philosophical concepts with high-level musicianship, crafting something quite deep and awe-inspiring.

Find out more about Matthew Weaver and do not miss out on “A Mountain Parable,” which is now available on the web.

[tygerland]

Aliens 1986

[cinemagal]

Trivia for Aliens (1986) dir. James Cameron

[brokehorrorfan]

Celebrate 40 years of Ghostbusters with Fright-Rags' collection: five shirts designed by Kyle Crawford and Justin Osbourn ($33), a set of three 32-ounce cups designed by Matthew Skiff ($19.84), and a set of five buttons ($7).

[sunshineandlyrics]

🦁👑 The Lion King

[cvasquez]

That's how it needs to be for next year. LOL! Source: Beth McConnell https://www.facebook.com/groups/594532837265674/permalink/7336678716384352/

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Spirit Weaver

"Let my hope be your shield."

Artist: Matthew D. Wilson TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

[darkenergyslivers]

Listen/purchase: pHetisH by fairyflesh

[edwinspaynes]

I really hope Matthew's love story in the bindup looks a lot like Pierre by Ryn Weaver tbh. It would be such a cute direction for a romantic adventurer to take. He could meet someone at the beginning (the 'you' in the song) and then just travel and correspond with her as friends, all while having a string of lovers that he's constantly wishing were her...

[sunflower-on-a-hill]

100 posts!

Well, I've been a fangirl since 2017, so it's only fair

[agentnico]

Hello Tomorrow! - Season 1 (2023) Review

Feels like a missed opportunity that this show didn’t once make use of the hit pop song Reach (For the Stars) by staple band S Club 7. Yes, this show is set in a retro 60s, but S Club 7 is fitting for any era of time!!

Plot: In a retro-futuristic world, charismatic salesman Jack Billings leads a team of fellow sales associates determined to revitalize their customers' lives by hawking timeshares on the moon.

Recently I have been trying to validate my Apple TV+ subscription, as in the current day and age where there are a gazillion various streaming services, one has to question which ones are worth the monthly buck. In regards to Apple TV+, the main reason I had the subscription in the first place was due to getting the first year for free with my purchase of the iPhone 11 back in 2020, however that one free year has long gone, and the only main reason having it now is seeing a moustachioed Jason Sudeikis inspire and charm us all in the amazing Ted Lasso series. Speaking of which, my fiancée has just bought me a Ted Lasso Build-a-Bear and I am sorry but I must state that this thing is cute as fudge! It has no right to be this adorable! My sweet Teddy Lasso! Anyway, aside from that, Apple TV+... What is it good for? That’s what I’m discovering, hence why I recently watched the Shrinking show and the Tetris movie. All enjoyable in their own right and feel free to browse my reviews on those earlier on this blog. Yep, that was some shameless self-marketing, and I could not care less. As for my next Apple venture, I have just finished watching Hello Tomorrow!, the season finale of which has just aired, and naturally here I am, your humble servant, talking about my thoughts on the project at hand.

Hello Tomorrow! brings us a retro futuristic world of the 1960s that has been upgraded with very helpful robots that for once aren’t trying to take over the world like in the recent Atomic Heart video game, but instead are only in the background, and more so this is a show about hope and opportunity and dreams. Or at least the single idea of this, as what we have is actually a bunch of con-artists trying to sell to a bunch of gullible simpletons the dream of living in a luxury residence on the moon. Not that I personally see anything appealing about living on the moon, as the grey desert landscape seem to be pretty dull of a locale to look at when walking out of your bedroom onto the balcony, yet these folks seem intent on wanting to go there. Each to their own I guess. Then again this does seem like yet another interpretation on the fabled American Dream - the idea all poor and desperate do their best to strive to, but in turn never reach. In a nutshell we have ourselves a sci-fi critique of capitalism wrapped in a tailored 60s suit. Does it work? Not always. At 10 episodes long, the show does fall into a sense of repetition where we discover early on that the entire idea of living on the moon is all a con, so the show then lingers with the whole ‘will they/won’t they get caught’ case, but without much resolution until the final episode that does offer a multitude of cliff-hangers, evidently in hope of another season renewal. However judging at how Hello Tomorrow! isn’t present on Apple TV+’s Top 10 charts I’m sensing said renewal is very questionable.

The cast are all superb and what make the show so watchable. Billy Crudup’s Jack is simply dripping with pools of charisma and charm as the main salesman and the brains behind the operation. With his wide smile and dapper suits, Crudup is totally believable as a businessman who would totally get folks to belief in this unbelievable dream. Yet his colourful sales team is worth a mention too. Haneefah Wood is immensely likeable as the straight headed righthand woman Shirley, and one that would fit right at home in the offices of Glengarry Glen Ross, where Alec Baldwin would proclaim proudly those famous sales words: “always be closing!”. Dewshane Williams is the ambitious Herb, who is so idiotic and under his wife’s leash that he may secretly just be a genius. And Hank Azaria rounds up the sales team with his usual offbeat persona. Then there’s Nicholas Podany as Jack’s long lost son who gets corrupted by Jack’s sleazy teachings, and their estranged father-son relationship being at the heart of this show. Jacki Weaver pops up in a couple of episodes too as Jack’s wisecracking mother, and Weaver is always a weirdly energetic presence.

Look, Hello Tomorrow! doesn’t break any new ground. Its yet another show about con-men conning innocent gullible people, only in this case the retro setting adds more flair and style to the proceedings. The entire show honestly rides on Billy Crudup’s charismatic lead performance. He’s a sleazebag from beginning to end, yet he manages to convincingly be devilishly likeable and sympathetic, so much so that he manages to get himself lost in his own lie of this ridiculous dream. His Cheshire cat-like grin brings out the ‘character you love to hate’ type, yet one you’re happy to go on this journey with. Jack is a liar and a cheat, but he’s also a dreamer. And in a show that’s all about reaching for the stars, that’s all too relatable.

Overall score: 6/10

[thecraggus]

Aliens (1986) Review

James Cameron proves that bigger is better as he delivers the mother of all sequels with 1986's Aliens #Review

[therealmrpositive]

Hello Tomorrow! (2023)

In today's review, I find the monetary value in the dreams that take us beyond the stars. As I attempt a #positive review of the 2023 T.V. comedy drama, Hello Tomorrow! #BillyCrudup #HankAzaria #HaneefahWood #AlisonPill #NicholasPodany #DewshaneWilliams

The future was supposed to be magnificent, at least according to T.V., hopping on a hover car to take a trip to any planet, while robot butlers do all the busy work. A nice dream, or so it would remain to be. We might end up on the moon yet (well, not us… maybe our great-grandchildren). In 2023, a streaming series showcases the complications of life on the road, by promising us the stars, in…

[brokehorrorfan]

Matthew Therrien has launched a series of Final Girls portraits with Halloween’s Laurie Strode, Alien’s Ellen Ripley, Friday the 13th Part 2's Ginny Field, A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Nancy Thompson, and Scream’s Sidney Prescott.

5x7 giclee prints on watercolor paper, limited to 50 each, cost $25, while open edition 8x10 giclee prints on heavy stock are $20. Therrien plans to release five new portraits in the series each month.

[moorheadthanyoucanhandle]

WHILE STREAMERS WATCHED THEIR FLICKS BY NIGHT...

Merry Christmas Eve Eve everybody! The Phoenix Film Critics Society...

...of which Your Humble Narrator is proud to be a founding member, recently announced our 2022 Award winners. As always, some of the winners--like Best Actor--reflect my voting, others don't, but there are a lot of movies worth seeing on the list.

A few other odds and ends...

Cash on Demand--Last week I was shown this 1961 gem I had never caught up with, a no-kidding Christmas movie from Hammer Films! It's available on DVD; I highly recommend. Peter Cushing plays a joyless bank manager, cold and critical toward his employees, who gets his Christmas Eve ruined when a suave bounder (Andre Morell) tells him that his cohorts are holding Cushing's wife and son hostage while he plunders the vault at the provincial branch. Cushing, unsurprisingly, is great--despicable at first, gradually shading into sympathy as his desperation rises--and Morell is sensational, in maybe the best role he ever had, as the sinister yet curiously charismatic thief.

Richard Vernon nicely leads the small ensemble that plays the branch employees. It's a gripping, imaginative caper, though of course it's just one more variation on the Scrooge story, with the robber serving as a felonious Ghost of Christmas Present.

Something From Tiffany's--Two guys, played by Ray Nicholson (Jack's kid) and Kendrick Sampson, buy jewelry at the title shop as Christmas presents for their respective lady friends (Zoey Deutsch and Shay Mitchell). One's a pair of earrings; the other's an engagement ring. A mishap mixes up the gift bags, and wackiness ensues. I was recently pointed toward this romcom, streaming on Prime. It's very undemanding, but it's inventive, Zoey Deutsch makes a sweet heroine and her costars, including the great Rose Abdoo as the Tiffany's clerk, are pleasant company. And it seems like it's a cut above most of the Hallmark Christmas movies.

American Murderer--A stalwart FBI man played by Ryan Phillippe searches for fugitive Jason David Brown, who was on the Ten Most Wanted List at the same time as Osama bin Laden and Whitey Bulger for killing an armored car guard here in Phoenix in November of 2004. As Phillippe talks to Brown's family and acquaintances we get his story in flashback (it's often different from what they're telling the agent). I'm late to the party on this true-crime drama released earlier this year, written and directed by Matthew Gentile and available on various streaming platforms. Don't let the poster fool you into dismissing this as a routine action flick; it's an absorbing feature debut for Gentile, a tense, believable piece of work, full of disturbing scenes that feel like something you'd witness as a passerby. Soap actor Tom Pelphrey plays Brown as a tightly-wound obsequious hustler, sort of a coked-up Eddie Haskell. Though he worms his way into the house and bed of his single-mom neighbor (Idina Menzel) and plays video games with her son, and though he can still get over on his own siblings, his Mom (Jacki Weaver) has long since recognized him for the callous creep he is. But even he isn't prepared for the psychic weight of murder, and Gentile gets across this internal horror impressively. It's worth checking out, maybe after Christmas.