Music Review: Taylor Swift: Speak Now

This is taylor Swifts third album released by Big Machine Records in 2010.  Taylor Swift writes all of her own music.  She has a skill for telling a story and a clear voice.  My favorite song in this album is "Mean."  She talks about someone who uses words to put others now, and all he is is mean.  "Why you gotta be so mean."  This album is 4x platinum, over four million copies sold.  It was number one on U.S. Billboard and country charts.  "Revenge" is for a song the girl that steals your boyfriend.  "I always get the last laugh."  "Haunted" also has a very nice tune.  This explores how you feel when you are left.  The titular song, "Speak Now" is very nice with a good story as she barges in to tell a boy he has picked the wrong bride.
This album is vintage Taylor Swift, and if you like her you will like this.  However it does not include her most popular songs.

Movie Review: ****The Giver

The Giver 2014

I found this movie very intriguing. It is based on the book by Lois Lowry.  I enjoyed it.  The premise is that a society has decided to do away with all war and pain and suffering.  They do this by controlling emotion, the weather, no music, everything.  They have even done away with color; everything is black and white.  They do this with daily injections of pills, and a memory inhibiting force field.  Everything is the same for everybody.  Those who are not the same, are released.  (This is a polite way of saying euthanized.)  When Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is chosen to be the Receiver, everything changes.  The Giver, (Jeff Bridges) is suppose to give him memories of everything from before, so they will be able to advice the counsel. 

However there is another plot going on, of which the Receiver slowly becomes aware.  That is the destruction of the current existence which does not allow joy for there is no pain, does not allow love, for there is no hate.  The Giver wants to bring back love.  To do this, someone must cross the force field where the memories are kept out. 

Glen Close plays the leader of the counsel.  She is very evil in her looks—so plane that she looks evil.  The Receiver is helped by his two childhood friends, Fiona (Odeya Rush) and Asher (Cameron Monaghan). Taylor Swift has a small roll as Rosemary, a prior Receiver who went bad.  Her "release'" is what has been gnawing at the Giver for some time.

This movie makes you think.  Here is Satan’s plan in all its glory.  No free agency, no choice, no love, no one lost.  Everyone knows there place.  Even to the point of “releasing” people without really knowing what you are doing.

Music Movie Review: ****Taylor Swift: Journey to Fearless

I guess you could call me a Taylor Swift fan.  I at least like her music for an old man.  This is a 2010 documentary film.  It shows Taylor Swift's rise in the music industry, the release of her first two albums, "Fearless" being the second, and the concert tour that resulted form that album.  It also includes video of most of the 13 songs from that album.

This is an interesting film, first because it shows you the determination of a girl to be a success in an industry which doesn't allow a lot of winners.  Swift was determined, but her dream was not accepted well at her school because she was different.  She and her family moved to Nashville to support her dream.  Swift wanted to record her own music, and was able to do that with Big Machine Records.  However her big break came with the release of "Fearless"  in 2008.  It includes the title song as well as "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me."
This movie goes into lots of detail about the concert which supported  the album.  This includes selection of the dancers, building of the set, rehearsals, p.r. and relations with fans.  Taylor Swift is very enthusiastic, and her enthusiasm is easily caught  by those around her.  We see her mother as well as her father.
An interesting part of the movie is Swift's song writing style.  She writes about her life experiences, a girl friend, freshman year of high school, boy relationships, bad and good (usually bad.)
I enjoyed this movie, but I like her music, at least the songs in this album.  I must admit, I have not followed her next two albums, but "Love Story" is as good as it gets.