Epinions Recent Reviews for ryan_shepard

Along Came A Prequel

Wed, 3 Oct 2001 09:45:25 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - Remember "Kiss the Girls" with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd? Great movie, I thought. I hadn't read a lot of the books in the Alex Cross series, but my interest was piqued when I heard "Along Came A Spider" was being released as a movie.

...

The View-Doo You Might Do So Well

Tue, 2 Oct 2001 14:50:11 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - It was much earlier this year that I decided to take the plunge and build my own computer system for home. I figured this would be a cost-effective way of handling things, versus buying a complete system from a vendor.

After a lot of research...

A Short Quick Read Out of Hell

Tue, 26 Jun 2001 10:27:55 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - I'd seen Marilyn Manson's book when it first came out, and I was intrigued by it. For so long, people associated MM with Satanism, sex, hard rock, and the "warping of children's minds" without actually stopping to read many of the interviews he'd done...

Who's lost? Everything's obvious!

Tue, 12 Jun 2001 11:59:10 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - One wonders when they write an Epinion for a movie just how much information they should disclose. You obviously don't want to give up all the details and ruin it for someone.

But have you seen "Rosemary's Baby"? Good movie, right? How...

Angels at various angles.

Sat, 26 May 2001 19:27:02 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - Admittedly, I waited until "Charlie's Angels" was out for rental before watching it. I didn't consider it to be the sort of thing to go spend $7 on for admission; not that I consider that a lot, but I just like to have some power behind my entertainment...

Stick Figures and the History of Hip-Hop.

Mon, 21 May 2001 12:11:40 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - Way back in the day, De La Soul released themselves an album called "3 Ft. High and Rising", which spurned the single "Me Myself & I". Here you had an off-beat hip-hop track that stunned many people, and included the brief lines:

...

The Church of the Holy Doughnut.

Mon, 26 Mar 2001 17:47:13 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - It was early 1999, I believe, when I first ventured into New York City on my way to Baltimore, Maryland. I had a layover at the train station, and while there, I came across my first Krispy Kreme doughnut. One singular glazed ring, the icon of Krispy...

Well-done, but not "well done".

Sun, 4 Feb 2001 22:04:45 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - My fiance Nicole and I, looking for someplace to get a steak, decided on the Roadhouse Grill. We'd been hearing about this place via radio ads, and figured we'd give it a try.

Before I go any further, if you're wondering why I didn't list...

One of the best presents I've received.

Wed, 31 Jan 2001 13:12:17 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - The company I work for decided to treat us all to Canon PowerShot S10's for Christmas in 2000 - luckily, I was told in advance to return the Kodak DC240 my fiance had bought me so I could have this one instead.

At first, I was a little...

Well, no one said Kubrick was easy to understand.

Sun, 7 Jan 2001 23:59:13 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - I'd seen many of Kubrick's films: "The Shining", "A Clockwork Orange", "Eyes Wide Shut". However, one I hadn't really seen (save for a couple of clips, maybe) was "2001: A Space Odyssey". On a recent Sunday...

A mission to get the wasted time back.

Mon, 18 Dec 2000 15:35:04 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - I'd seen the ads for "Mission to Mars" when it came out in the theatres, yet I never bothered to actually go see it. Nothing was eye-catching enough to make me run out and go see it.

So as I'm perusing the local video store's racks,...

...take a trip around the world without leaving your chair..

Fri, 20 Oct 2000 14:51:19 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - A while back, I'd heard about Bran Van 3000, and never really bothered to check them out. I'd been going to Canada a fair deal to visit, and had seen the giant posters in the record stores for "Glee", their first release, and ignored it. A...

Thus proving that there is success after Failure...

Fri, 21 Jul 2000 17:10:55 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - A few years back, there once was a tight, incredible band called Failure. Failure was slept on by the masses, released three albums, and called it quits.

If Failure was known for anything, it was for their unique, guitar-laden sound and the...

Half-Baked is full-on humor.

Wed, 19 Jul 2000 17:46:30 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - You don't have to be a pothead to enjoy this movie, nor do you have to "smoke a fat one" beforehand. I've enjoyed the movie multiple ways; it's always good.

Before you dismiss this as a waste of your time and/or money, keep in...

Ninety minutes from New York to Paris...

Wed, 19 Jul 2000 17:21:54 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - I always liked Steely Dan primarily for the vocals of Donald Fagen. I also liked the band for their lyrics - I thought they were well written and rather descriptive of situation and emotion.

So it would stand to reason that I would enjoy...

An investment for all situations.

Thu, 13 Jul 2000 10:18:14 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - What do I mean? I mean you've got a 2-cd set here by Kruder & Dorfmeister that is a collection of their remixes, suitable for just about any situation. I mean you ought to be going and purchasing this when you get the chance. One might not...

A two-cd set that could be made into a single disc.

Tue, 11 Jul 2000 12:00:31 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - My first encounter with Jeep Beat Collective was on one of the "Return of the DJ" releases; I had heard the track "The Bomb Drops" and thought it to be quite the jam. It was based on that song (and the recommendation of a friend)...

Jazzy instrumental layouts + turntable technique = sweet.

Mon, 10 Jul 2000 15:51:22 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - "A twist of the knob ... always adjust the sound perfectly to your ears..."

And with this, "DJ Logic Presents Project Logic" kicks into a sweet 17-track release. You may have heard of DJ Logic before; previously,...

Watch out for the Shaolin Wonder-Palm!

Mon, 10 Jul 2000 10:15:04 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - You'll notice, if you see my list of reviews, that I already critiqued "Iron Monkey", a film from many years previous that was HORRIBLE. In fact, it is to this date the only item I have on my "Hate It" list. It's downright...

File Under "5 Turntable Madness"

Thu, 6 Jul 2000 17:47:40 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - The second release from the "Live at the Future Primitive Soundsession" catalog, this one showcases two more talented dj's, Z-Trip and Radar from the Bombshelter DJ's collective.

Intro'ed by DJ Z-Trip, the 22-track mix starts off...

Collaborating live on 5 turntables...

Fri, 30 Jun 2000 17:27:24 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - Recorded live on May 25th, 1997, this is the first album of what is now (at this writing) a three-release set of turntable wizardry.

The artists:

Cut Chemist is a member of the Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, and is both a DJ...

Twenty-three tracks of diverse sickness.

Mon, 26 Jun 2000 17:51:54 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - DJ Eddie Def hails from the Bay Area and was originally a member of the Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters. I personally think this is an amazing disc, and I've convinced a couple of folks to pick this up, all who have hailed him as an amazing DJ.

...

Pre-"Endtroducing..."; the tracks go off in THIS direction.

Mon, 26 Jun 2000 17:05:02 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - I've already reviewed DJ Shadow's "Endtroducing...", in which I stated that it was very much like a soundtrack for a movie, when there was no movie. That was a seamless, beautiful release that made for an overall great listening experience...

The dissection of the cd. Want a new slant on this?

Fri, 23 Jun 2000 13:28:38 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - Straight up, I'm tired of going through Epinions, reading reviews of Eminem's latest release, "The Marshall Mathers LP", to see one of three general comments:

"He's homophobic/sexist/violent/woman-hating and he should be...

Some are better than others.

Thu, 22 Jun 2000 10:48:17 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author ryan_shepard - I'm not a health nut. I'm not big on exercising in general. I'm active, but not like the folks in Gatorade commercials, running like mad everywhere because they lead an "active lifestyle" or whatever one calls it nowadays.

However,...