DVD Player Portables

One of the most widely publicized family activities over this past Thanksgiving holiday was seeing Jason Segel’s “The Muppets”. The musical and comedic film was a comeback for Jim Henson’s original characters, which were first introduced in 1954. The latest movie featured familiar Muppets in a modern setting trying to save the Muppet Theatre from demolition. Numerous celebrities were featured in this journey to reconnect the Muppet squad.

“The Muppets” (2011) was cute, energetic, and colorful, but overly cheesy at moments- particularly during Amy Adam’s emotional musical numbers. Other scenes were meanwhile perfectly executed in comparison, leaving regret for lack of consistency in natural-seeming quality. The feel-good musical production opens with the upbeat, “Life’s a Happy Song”, a catchy show tune placed in what’s clearly a Hollywood set neighborhood. Kermit the Frog later sings “Pictures in My Head”, a sweet and reflective piece. The 80′s dance-party inspiring “We Built This City” by Starship is also played during a prominent scene. Old characters are brought back to life throughout the film with accurate representation and are collectively celebrated as a beloved group. Moreover, the Muppets characters seem to transition well from their 1990′s backdrops to present-day Hollywood scenes.

The film concludes with a remake of the popular “Mah na mah na” song. Despite apparent fame, I had not remembered the song as well as “Rainbow Connection”, “The Muppet Show Theme”, or even the Muppet version of “She Drives Me Crazy” by the Fine Young Cannibals. Nevertheless, this song full of nonsense words immediately got stuck in my head.

In researching this piece, I was frustrated to find more results about its scandalous origins than its music composition techniques. Piero Umillani wrote “Mah Nà Mah Nà” for the 1968 Italian pseudo-documentary and “soft-core pornography”, Sweden: Heaven and Hell (Svezia, Inferno E Paradiso). The original song is reported to be performed by four session musicians from a band called Marc 4 and a solo singer. However, it sounds like the piece uses some forms of early synthesizers. Further research indicates that one member of a current Marc 4 group plays electric keyboards with different sound settings. At time 1:16 of the full song, there is an instrumental solo that sounds like early computer music. Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I48IXSbHsy8

The original piece received some recognition on the billboards, but was also recreated numerous times in future years. The 1973 rendition by Hot Butter, for example, used the Moog synthesizer! Observation of how analogue synthesizers were involved in the evolution of a mainstream “phenomahna” allows me to better appreciate the material covered in my current “Technosonics” class at the University of Virginia. “Mah na mah na” gained national attention in America when it was adopted by the Muppets in the late 1950′s and early 1960′s. The song was performed by a male Muppet named “Mahna Mahna” (Jim Henson himself) and two pink, female creates called “The Snouths”. As years went by, contrary to what one may expect, the song adaptations seemed to include less technological performance and more jazz influence.

The 2011 movie version of the song utilizes more orchestral instruments to create a musical production feel. The base beat definitely sounds like natural percussion, but the melodic parts may be created by either a.) xylophones, kazoos, and/or trumpets or b.) some form of synthesized sound. There also seems to be hints of computerized sound effects that correspond well with the playfulness and clumsiness the Muppets characters.

The song creates a fitting curtain call for the film by switching through Muppets and featured celebrities for the “mah na mah na” chant. Viewers forgive the repetition as they engage in a guessing game of what celebrity will show up next. The greatest error produced by this collage format, however, is that many of the celebrities do not chant on beat, disrupting the flow of the tune. Nevertheless, they maintain entertaining qualities. It unfortunately appears that the on-sale movie soundtrack only includes a version of the song with Mahna Mahna and The Two Snowths, and not one with celebrity guests. Successful marketing strategy for The Muppets movie includes an interactive website where viewers can record themselves saying “mah na mah na”, and their clips are incorporated into a never-ending video and song. Overall, I have been excited to match overlooked music history with a current, spirited song movement. The film has some recognizable production flaws, but the soundtrack on its own induces mass sing-alongs.

Over their long careers, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks have been in a number of high quality movies. While DiCaprio hasn’t won too many significant awards, he has won a Golden Globe and Hanks has won a couple of Oscars in his career for Best Actor. For whatever reason, Hanks has seen a noticeable dip in the movies he’s been appearing in over the past several years, while DiCaprio has continued to receive good roles in popular and well received films. With that being said, “Catch Me If You Can” is a film that features both Hanks and DiCaprio at the top of their games and shows why these two are viewed as more than credible actors.

“Catch Me If You Can” is a film based on the life of Frank Abignale Jr. (DiCaprio) in the 1960′s. Frank is a teenager who runs away from home after not being able to choose which parent he was going to live with as they planned their divorce. He spends the years after that on the move around the world. Using some of the techniques that he learned from his father Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken), he travels around conning people out of millions as he writes fraudulent checks and pretends to have various professions in order to make his money. During this time, he poses as an airline pilot, a doctor, a lawyer, and even a high school student. As he becomes more and more successful, his antics eventually catch the eye of the FBI. Led by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), the FBI goes on a long and eventful quest to find this intelligent master of disguise.

This is a movie that heavily relies on its clever and intelligent story. It doesn’t hurt to have someone like Steven Spielberg behind the camera handling the duties of director. The film is well crafted, stylish, and fast paced. It feels as if there are very little plot holes or issues that can get in the way of this smooth and well constructed film based on actual events.

Tom Hanks fits the character that he portrays and shows his ability to adjust as an actor in this film. He seemed to be perfect for the part in terms of the look and attitude that he is able to project onto the screen. I also have to take note of DiCaprio’s acting job which also sees him in a very comfortable role that seemed to be suited for his abilities.

The character that we see DiCaprio play is a kid. While we see the adventurous lifestyle, the women, and the cat and mouse chase between Abignale and the FBI, we also get to see the constant dreams of an idealistic kid as we witness the interactions between him and his father throughout a good portion of the film. Abignale is simply a youngster who is constantly trying to please his father no matter what. He also dreams of his family being back together again one day, but doesn’t completely know what’s going on in the lives of his parents or the trouble that he’s gotten himself into with law enforcement.

“Catch Me If You Can” is a light and fun film that is part drama and part comedy. It shows the life of a young man who’s best asset was being able to live a lie which allowed him to get away with a lot of things for about five years. In both reality and in the film, Frank Jr. seemed to be pretty smart. This movie shows you that and some as we are introduced to several different people and the many adventures that he had during his run on the opposite side of the law. “Catch Me If You Can” deserves to be included along with the other high quality films that DiCaprio and Hanks (and Spielberg) have been involved in. If you haven’t seen it, you should. This is something that anyone of just about any age can watch and find entertaining.

Score: 8/10

Rating: PG-13

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Tom Hanks
Christopher Walken
Amy Adams
Martin Sheen
Nathalie Baye

Film Length: 141 minutes

Release Date: December 25, 2002

Distributor: Dreamworks

More car owners are now looking to install high performing car stereos with a whole host of functions and features. Today, innovations in technology have resulted in some pretty cool car stereos. There are many different types of car stereos on the market offering a variety of features and functions, however there are a few that stand out from all of the others. Below is a list of the top 3 best car stereos:

Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT: The latest Pioneer car stereos have a variety of features such as: iPod interface, Bluetooth, voice command, GPS navigation systems, DVD, WMA, and much more. The Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT is one of the best stereos as it contains a powerful feature set that includes: multimedia and DVD playback, Bluetooth hands-free calling, and GPS navigation. As well, there are a number of other features that makes it so popular such as: voice control of most major functions, MSN Direct upgradeable, and auto importing of contacts.

Sony Xplod DSX-S300BTX: Sony has created a niche market for its high performance care stereos with powerful sound. The Sony Xplod DSX-S300BTX has capabilities for adding Satellite radio and HD. As well, it supports most digital music interfaces including the iPod. It is very easy to use and features of the Sony Xplod DSX-S300BTX include a rear USB input, front aux input, and three preamp outputs. The interface and menu structure makes it easy to find songs. The Sony Xplod CDX-GT920U supports the most commonly used formats.

Alpine iDA-X305: With Alpine, you have the ability to scrub through large libraries in seconds due to its two-way encoder control scheme and QuickSearch function. The average power output remains at 18 watts per channel. The Alpine iDA-X305 has one of the easiest-to-use interfaces for digital media browsing. It also has iPhone support and the X305 will charge your iPhone while you listen. As well, it also has Alpine’s collection of add-on modules. The X305 is compatible with Alpine’s TUA-HD550 HD Radio tuner with iTunes tagging functionality. If you need more control, you can add the IMPRINT audio processor to custom tune the audio to your particular vehicle.

Although the above list have a strong presence in the market with the manufacturers of these stereos having a reputation for delivering the highest quality stereos and other electronic products, there are a number of other brand name manufacturers that make top of the line products such as JBL, Kenwood, Infinity, Blaupunkt, Alpine, Focal and Diamond Audio. Today there are innovative car stereo solutions for the most discriminating car owners.

Chris writes articles on various topics including cheap car insurance.

The 1992 science fiction horror film Alien 3 is distributed by 20th Century Fox. Its stars include Sigourney Weaver as Lt. Ellen Ripley, Charles S. Dutton as Dillon, Charles Dance as Clemens, Brian Glover as Superintendent Andrews, and Ralph Brown as Aaron. The producers are Gordon Carroll (Red Heat), David Giler (AVP: Alien vs. Predator), Walter Hill (AVP: Alien vs. Predator Requiem), Ezra Swerdlow (The Good Son), and Sigourney Weaver (Alien: Resurrection). The director is David Fincher (Se7en).

The film’s storyline picks up not long after the events of Aliens. Due to a fire aboard the starship Sulaco, Ripley and her companions are put into an escape pod and ejected from the ship while still in hypersleep. The pod crash lands on a remote prison planet known as Fiorina “Fury” 161 where the entire population is male. The lone survivor of the crash is Ripley. She quickly befriends the chief medical officer Clemens and he shows her what’s left of the escape pod. The lieutenant spots a burn mark on one of the cryotubes and demands that the doctor show her the bodies. After examining Newt’s corpse, she asks the medical officer to perform an autopsy. He reluctantly performs the autopsy and reveals nothing out of the ordinary. After Superintendent Andrews catches them doing this unauthorized action, Ripley tells him that the bodies must be cremated. During the cremation ceremony, the prison dog Spike begins to give birth to another alien, oblivious to everyone else. It is later revealed that the prison has no weapons with which to fight the newborn alien. All the men and Ripley are now trapped on the planet with no way to defend themselves. In addition to all that, Ripley is beginning to show signs that she may herself be pregnant with an alien.

This entry into the Alien franchise is somewhat different from its predecessors. To begin with, we learn that a facehugger, the spider-like being that impregnates its host with the alien embryo, does not have to have a human victim in order to do it. The alien that the characters fight in this film was, in fact, born from a dog. As a result, it moves and acts somewhat differently than any of the previous ones Ripley has encountered. When an alien is born, it inherits many of the traits of its host which, up until now, have all been human.

Another difference is the amount of gore shown on-screen. In the previous two films, there had been relatively little gore visible. In this entry, the deaths are much more graphic. In Alien 3, there is a somewhat gruesome autopsy where we can hear the cutting tool tearing the skin and flesh off the bones. Next, we see a man sliced to bits after catching sight of the alien and also see his body parts all over that area. A man getting his head literally ripped off his body leaves a lot of blood and stunned viewers. Finally, we are treated to a man getting his brain eaten right out of the top of his head. It is pretty safe to say that if you are not a fan of gore, then you shouldn’t see this movie.

Throughout the late seventies and eighties, feminists hailed Ripley as one of the first female heroes in a successful film franchise. In this film, she actually shaves her head and, thus, looks more masculine than she had previously. Ripley has to because of a lice problem that Clemens had warned her about. But the script writers may have put this in to make the lieutenant seem tougher and more intimidating to viewers, which was the initial impression I had.

To wrap, Alien 3 is, in my personal opinion, more of a gorey horror film than a classic science fiction flick. But if you are a die-hard fan of the Alien franchise, then this entry you may enjoy!

Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.

Different people have different ideas of what they want in their car stereo systems. Some people want to pimp up their cars with the best sounds around. Others are simply happy hearing the music that they like playing on the radio. Getting one then is a matter of addressing your needs. There are a lot of options available anyway so it should be easy getting your hands on a car sound system that is perfect for you.

Some terms defined

When you’re out scouting for your car stereo, it won’t be unusual to come across certain terms associated with sound systems. If this is your first time exploring them, then having common terms defined will certainly come in handy. Some of the terms you may encounter include:

Stock unit – the actual car audio system originally installed in your car as specified by the manufacturer. Different stock units have different stock components although generically a radio, CD player, and MP3 player should be in place in today’s most common stock units.
Head unit – the head unit is the primary control panel of an audio system. It is commonly installed in the middle of the dash panel in modern stereo models today but older vehicles had the head unit located externally underneath or on top of a dash panel. Different head units have different components installed within them but the most typical ones are a radio receiver/tuner along with a small amplifier. Other components that can possibly be used include a CD/DVD player, a portable hard disk drive, and USB flash memory.
Subwoofers – subwoofers are a kind of loudspeaker that is specifically catered towards reproducing low frequencies. While highly functional, a lot of the aftermarket models available also focus on aesthetics to add appeal to a car. Typically, subwoofers are available in sizes between 8 inches to 15 inches in diameter. More specialized subwoofers are available in bigger sizes up to 32 inches across.
Capacitors – capacitors in car stereo systems are used by amplifiers as an energy source to be tapped into on demand. Available in different sizes, capacitors are mainly intended though to cover temporarily short bursts of electrical demand that may have exceeded what a car may be electrically capable of generally.

Buying online

There is a tremendous amount of different car stereo systems on sale online. With different sound systems available from different sources, it’s fairly impossible not to find what you’re looking for. Do shop around though first so you get a good idea of what sort of options are available to you. Aside from simply enjoying the best kind of quality, you also stand to enjoy savings by shopping around.

The best place to shop around for car stereo systems is online. You can learn about their different qualities and see price comparisons at http://carsteriosystems.co.uk/

Are you looking to do something new with your car? Perhaps you just want to revamp your boring old sound system. If you are doing anything to the audio system of your car then you will want to get sexy car speakers. Now you may be wondering why you should do this and whether it will be within your price range. It is good to know about these things before you commit to anything.

What makes you want to get sexy car speakers?

The first question you may be asking is why you would want to have sexy car speakers. There are a lot of reasons why you would want them from looking to impress your friends to wanting to simply pimp your ride. Of course even if you simply do this to impress other people you will want to get speakers that you like and that you think are sexy.

What is it that makes car audio speakers sexy?

The first thing you need to look at is what makes car audio speakers sexy. Many people think that this is all down to personal preference. For one person sexy speakers could be the ones with the best sound. For another it could be what the speakers look like. Other people will connect sexy speakers to the price. It is really up to you but you may want to find something that has a little bit of everything.

What are some of the sexiest car speakers?

If you decide to buy sexy car speakers you will find that there are a lot of different types on the market. So which are the best? There are a few types that most people believe are the better sexy speakers. Some of these will include RD, Rainbow, Hertz and Focal. All of these speakers offer different aspects that are thought to be sexy. Most people believe that these speakers offer the best sound while still having aesthetic appeal.

How to make sexy Sony speakers affordable

The major problem that you may now be wondering about is how to make these speakers affordable to you. This is particularly important for speakers that have appeal because of the price. The best thing for you to do will be to browse. Do not buy from the first store you see selling the Sony speakers you want. Look at auto parts stores and at online stores. There are many stores online that offer specials on these speakers. You can also often get other car accessories along with the speakers when buying online.

Sexy car speakers are looked at by a lot of different people. You may want to invest in them in order to impress someone or to just add a little something to your car. However, a problem that many people have is the price of these speakers. There are many ways that these items can be affordable to you. The easiest way is to browse different stores before you buy.

This article was submitted by Simona Rusnakova, SEO consultant of 3R, on behalf of EasyBuyCarParts.ie who sell Car Speakers and other car accessories online in Ireland – wind deflectors, car mats, seat covers.

It’s not “Shrek”. That’s a good thing.

The original “Shrek” was an original crowd pleaser, but it was based on a gimmick; one that had worn out its welcome by its first sequel. What saved that film, and arguably the same for its subsequent sequels, was the character of Puss N’ Boots, voiced with charm by Antonio Banderas. In fact, Puss was the only entertaining element in the (hopefully) final film “Shrek Ever After”. The character has been spun off into his own eponymous film (directed by Chris Miller and produced by Guillermo Del Toro [who also voices a couple of characters], among others, and acting as a prequel of sorts to Puss’ involvement in the “Shrek” series) and it wisely eschews all references to the franchise that spawned it while at the same time paying subtle homage to other films.

From the film’s onset, the movie sets out to remind you that Antonio Banderas starred in two “Zorro” films. From the opening Spanish guitar strumming reminiscent of James Horner’s composition in those films, to Bandera’s opening, smoldering line delivery, and the sword slashed “P”, the film hammers in that point almost as if to give an air of authenticity to the following proceedings, working as both parody and validation; not that such is needed. The Puss character was the much needed shot in the arm the “Shrek” series needed. “Shrek” was built upon pop culture references, seemingly bludgeoning the audience with them. Here, all types of references are presented subtly, so they enhance the story as opposed to having a story inserted between them (aside from the obvious “Zorro” references, Ricardo Montalban, the “Vazquez Rocks/Kirk Rocks”, the stylings of Sergio Leon, and Batman, and an in-joke to a previous Puss situation, among others).

But there is a story here. Puss (Antonio Banderas) is an outlaw seeking to clear his name for a crime he did not commit and is in search of the magic beans from the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk in order to find redemption. He must enter into an uneasy partnership with the brother that betrayed him, Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and sneak thief extraordinaire, a real “Catwoman” Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek, who re-teams with Banderas for the fifth time on film) to steal the beans from Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sadaris) to steal the goose that lays the golden eggs. The animation is top notch and the characterizations are more fluid here than ever, which is to be expected given the advances in Dreamworks’ animation department since the first Shrek film (however, the film suffered slightly from the presentation of the trailer for the forthcoming “The Adventures of Tintin” from Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, wherein the animation in that trailer showed how close computer CGI is advancing to actually be life-like). The most visually disturbing character is Dumpty himself. A giant egg with a big face, the milky fluidity of the character seemed like an albino, smoothed out Jabba the Hut, only creepier; a feeling enhanced by Galifianakis’ line delivery.

But however good the animation is, a film is made or broken by its main character, and rare is the instance when a second banana character (in animation or live action) transitions to the lead. With his Alejandro Murrieta/De La Vega delivery, Banderas’ Puss owns this film. Hayek provides G rated, Selina Kyle tension to her role as Kitty, being seductively feisty and provides a worthy counterpoint to the ginger cat in the hat. Thorton and Sardis’ characters, while visually menacing, are rather amusing in their delivery.

The story is lightweight in tone and presentation, as it should be. It is a story for children but by the same token is engaging and entertaining enough for adults as well. It does not present as much tongue in cheek, self-aware laughs as the first “Shrek” did, but by the same token it is enjoyable enough that it really isn’t an issue. The film is as entertaining as watching a cat chasing a laser pointer in futility. Puss wears his boots well.

Paul Anthony Llossas is a writer who hosts “American Culture Critic”, his blog about cultural trends with a focus on popular culture. He is a summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappan graduate. Follow his blog at http://americanculturecritic.com/

Although he appeared in various types of movies, Vincent Price is probably remembered the most for the numerous horror films that he was featured in. He had a recognizable and distinguished voice to go along with his interesting appearance that seemed to be made for these roles. A lot of the characters that he played were usually able to show off these calling cards and House on Haunted Hill is no different.

In House on Haunted Hill, Frederick Loren is a millionaire playboy who decides to have a party for his fourth wife Anabelle (Carol Ohmart). He invites 5 complete strangers to the party in a house that has seen several murders and is supposedly haunted. Loren offers to pay the party goers $10,000 a piece if they spend the whole night at the house. In order to make sure they stay true to their words, the house is completely locked down at midnight with no way of leaving until the caretakers return in the morning. With all of the mysterious happenings and the violent history of the house, the guest might be left wondering if they will make out alive.

This movie is presented to the audience with a slow pace and with it originally being in black and white, it has the cryptic vibe and appearance that should be expected. Some of the effects weren’t exactly what anyone would call great. Being a movie from the 1950′s, it’s obvious to see that they didn’t have the technology or special effects to do the things that they are able to do now. With that being said, they used what they had available to them. It looked cheesy in a few instances, but it just adds to the charm that flows throughout the film.

The characters are the most important aspect of the House on Haunted Hill. The personalities that they display helps illustrate the film’s personality that the director wants to project and the smart and engaging dialog they’re involved in also does its job of establishing relationships and bringing out a few laughs. One of the more important actors in the film is Carolyn Craig. They intelligently used her character as a primary source of the fear and angst that we receive from the film. Her character is the most fragile and plays off of the some of the other actors and their more calm and/or suspicious approaches to the situation. All of that combines to produce much of the energy and personality in this movie.

Score: 4/5

Rating: No Rating

Director: William Castle

Cast:
Vincent Price
Carolyn Craig
Elisha Cook
Carol Ohmart
Alan Marshal
Julie Mitchum

Film Length: 75 minutes

Release Date: February 17, 1959

Distributor: Allied Artists

If you drive a large vehicle or your car has a small rear window then you might find it difficult to see everything behind you when you are reversing or parking. This can be a real hassle as you might damage your vehicle by bumping into something or another car while trying to get into a tight parking space. However by using a reversing camera you will be able to see everything to the rear of your car which will make parking much easier and safer.

The system uses a camera mounted on the rear of the vehicle to relay the image to a screen that is mounted inside. This provides a clear and practical solution as it shows potential dangers and obstructions that are not visible when using the rear view mirrors, and it also makes judging the distance of objects easier.

There are many types of cameras available and they can be installed in the bodywork of the car, or attached to the bumper for example to provide a clear view of the rear of the vehicle. The camera is connected to a screen inside the car where the image is displayed. The screens are usually small LCD screens that can easily be attached to the dashboard of your vehicle by using a bracket or mount and they can even be connected to the gearbox to automatically switch on when you choose the reverse gear. There are also screens available that are incorporated into the rear view mirror which makes them easy to view. You can also choose a wireless camera which makes installation even easier as you won’t have to connect it to the screen inside with a cable. Some of the cameras also feature a night vision or light function which makes parking at night in the dark much easier.

There are many advantages to having a backup camera system installed. Firstly they are a great choice for safety, you will be able to see if there is anyone behind you before reversing, like kids or animals playing in the drive for example, it’s difficult to see small objects like kids bicycles with only the rear view mirrors but with a camera installed you will be able to see everyone and everything which will really help to avoid accidents. Another great thing is that you will be able to avoid damage to your car while parking, it’s easy to scrape the paintwork or dent the bodywork and this can be costly when it comes to repair bills or an insurance claim if you accidentally hit another car.

A reversing camera is a great accessory for your car, it will make parking easier and safer and help you to avoid accidents.

Looking to find the best deal on reversing camera, then visit our site to find the best advice on backup cameras for you.

The 2011 Chicago International Film Festival was a great success. It gathered together dozens of the top film producers in the world and hundreds of avid film goers. Two films that were presented at this year’s festival were “Holidays by the Sea” and “Chico & Rita.” These films got mixed reviews, especially from me.

Holidays by the Sea

The first film that I saw was “Holidays by the Sea.” This was a french genre film that tried to mimic the creative film stylings of Jacques Tati. What this means is that the filmmakers attempted to add elements of physical comedy and French innuendos throughout the film for comic effect. Unfortunately, they fell a little short of Tati’s high standards.

Overall the film was okay. It had a number of enjoyable parts and a good collection of highs and lows. The problem that I had with this film, however, was that it was too disconnected to be a good film. There was limited dialogue, storyline holes and a general lack of cohesiveness to the plot and character interactions. I think that it would have been a better film had the filmmaker focused more on telling the story and lesson the comic elements which turned out to be more of a distraction than an element of entertainment.

Chico & Rita

Another film that I watched was “Chico & Rita.” Obviously this was not a French film nor a derivative of the film stylings of Tati. What it did offer was a retro animated feature that utilized music and the visual arts to tell a story of love, betrayal, infidelity and heartache.

The story was based in 1948 Cuba. The main characters were lovers, both musicians and both passionate about life and their arts. Things got complicated as the story progressed and issues of love and infidelity were explored.

What I liked about this film was that it was visually interesting and musically stunning. I loved the musical arrangements which really enhanced the enjoyment of this film. I also liked the retro look of the animation used to tell this story. It offered an authenticity that I believe would have been lost in a CGI production.

What I didn’t like about this film was that it relied too heavily on the animation and the music. The characters were not able to convey the story on their own. This film would have been better had the filmmakers spent a little more time developing the storyline.