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The Omega · Volume 22, Issue 5
Arts & Entertainment
Film review: Feel the Wind
October concert previews
Kamloops Film Society collaborates with the Consulate General of Japan and The Japan Foundation for a free series Brendan Kergin
Ω Arts & Entertainment Editor In the movie world, sports films often hold a special place for fans, taking the side of the underdogs and raising them to great heights. Feel the Wind, a Japanese production based on the book of the same name, starts at that bottom rung and takes the audience right along to the top. The story follows a ragtag band of students at Kansei University as they work towards their goal of competing in a nationally televised marathon relay. The race is the Hakone Ekiden and takes place just after the new year with 19 schools and one collected team competing for glory in front of their country. The Kansei team doesn’t start out as a team. They’re housemates first, 10 young men sharing cheap rent near school. Leader Haiji Kiyose collects them with the hopes of building a team for the Hakone Ekiden but doesn’t tell the group of his intentions until he’s recruited the final housemate and former high school track star, Kakeru Kurahara. Together the group works through individual issues, against rivals and to overcome the past. Of the 10 members, everyone has something to overcome in some way and this is the strength of using the marathon relay. Unlike other team sports, it’s an in-
dividual battle, but at the same time each teammate is working for the greater good. This solo battle/group responsibility creates an interesting balance for the plot to revolve around. The directing is solid, though there may be too many shots of people running. Some of the voice-overs can be confusing but the technique does allow for character expansion, so the issue breaks even. The acting is Japanese-esque, with a few moments overwrought, edging on cheesy. The good natured-ness of those scenes and the overall earnestness of the characters allows some give in that department. For films of the genre, the plot can be predictable, but it doesn’t make the film less enjoyable. The will-they won’t-they of the final competition does build up proper tension, especially since the race takes up the final act. It is a two-day race though. Plots aside from the central struggles take a back seat and can feel stapled on, with a romance that is never really explored and a coach with a history. These are likely due to the plot being taken from a book and making allusions to areas more fully formed on the page. The film was shown Thursday night as part of the Kamloops Film Society’s series of films in collaboration with the Consulate General of Japan and The Japan Foundation as part of a double feature on Sept. 27.
Secret Broadcast – Oct. 3 Heroes Pub, doors @ 7:30 p.m., $5 cover. Friendly Calgarian guitar-led indie-rockers will make a trip across the Rockies to play some crashing drums and bouncy guitars. They’re aiming for a double set. The show is the first of Heroes’s planned Live Music Wednesdays. Wide Mouth Mason – Oct. 16 The Dirty Jersey, doors at 8 p.m., $25 Long-time white-boy bluesmen Wide Mouth Mason will be taking another pass over the Thompson Rivers, playing songs spanning from a 17-year career. They played an enthusiastic set in Kamloops last year and there’s no reason to believe they’ve changed.
—IMAGE COURTESY SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
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Album review: Deadmau5’s Album Title Goes Here Matthew Pflugfelder Ω Contributor
Deadmau5’s new album ref lects a major change in electronic dance music. Fans were left in the dark with new release Album Title Goes Here. For starters, the album was leaked on the Internet before its official release date (Sept. 25), which significantly impacted the anticipation of the new album. Sonically, most songs seeme to lack the climactic buildups and goosebump-inducing melodies he’s known for. Songs like “Fn Pig” have the listener waiting for minutes, which seem like hours, for some kind action. This leaves listeners wanting to change the song rather than wait for the money-shot. Album Title Goes Here is a more experimental approach to electronic dance music as it is nothing like previous work from deadmau5. Joel Zimmerman, better known as deadmau5, expressed his genuine hatred in Rolling Stone for the mainstream turn in which electronic dance music was headed. The genre has become a multimillion dollar industry with the hit single “Levels” by Avicii being played in every clothing store, bar and club around the world.
Electronic dance music was once the true definition of “underground.” The late-1980s gave rise to a trend known as acid house, which was performed illegally in abandoned, governmentowned warehouses with 808 systems and Roland synthesizers. Now electronic dance music has become a mainstream genre with the likes of Madonna hopping on the bandwagon. Album Title Goes Here ref lects Zimmerman’s frustration towards this recent direction within the electronic dance music scene. He has even taken his misgivings to Twitter, telling Madonna off for her recent album MDNA, as it seems to make a stark reference to the drug MDMA. He has also begun collaborating with artists outside of electronic dance music including Imogen Heap, Cypress Hill and the Foo Fighters. Zimmerman is also one of the first electronic dance music artists to cover a Radiohead song. Despite all of the controversy, it’s quite clear that deadmau5 is not a fan of the mainstream, even though a lot of his tracks have appeared on top-40 charts. Although he’s a blatant hipster, the end result of his previous work has been mainstream success. There’s no label for Zimmerman, which may work to his benefit or be the beginning of his demise.
Matt Mays – Oct. 22 (with Gloryhound and The Meds) The Blue Grotto, doors at 8 p.m., $20 advance sale. Juno-nominee and fan of the jean jacket, Matt Mays will bring an eclectic mix of rock. He’s toured with Blue Rodeo, been featured on fellow denim-devotee Sam Robert’s songs and featured rapper Buck 65 on his own work. A shaggy-haired Mays is touring to support his new album Coyote. Revolvr – Oct. 25 (with The Hunter and dj virtue) Cactus Jacks, doors at 9 p.m., $7 advance. Rising electronica DJ and social-media sound-effect sampler, Revolvr, will drop some bass on CJs. A fast-paced style has had Revolvr catch the ear of superstar Tiesto and is leading to his fast rise over the past year. For fans of electronic dance music this could be a chance to see a star on the rise (remember when Skrillex played here?).
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