Veritons Song Contest was an online contest which took place between 2012 and 2017. A large number of countries around the world were represented in this contest and an incredible diversity in music was shown. You can still check the songs that took part in the 103 editions by accessing the Database.
Made by M. Night Shyamalan, Signs is a movie that is definitely worth a watch. This movie came out when Shyamalan was still a good director and his name was one that provoked excitement. After previous work on Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan creates with Signs an unforgettable atmosphere. The movie is dark, creepy and it makes everyone watching it feel uneasy. This is the kind of film that doesnt' let you go to sleep after you watch it, having a very eerie tone all throughout. The performances are great, with Mel Gibson in the leading role, something that at the time, was guaranteed to turn out great. The plot seems simple enough: we discover alongside a father and his family the source of bizarre shapes that appeared overnight in their corn field. But it is an M. Night Shyamalan movie, and one thing he is known for is his preference for twist endings. The cinematography is great, and we can see right from the first shot of this film how well-crafted it is. In the end, Signs is maybe the last great Shyamalan movie and the proof that he once made good films. It has depth, well-written characters and a good story.
2. Dope (2015) - Drama/Comedy, Crime
Dope is a film that came out of nowhere. Like, literally. It was really good, and it instantly became one of my favourites of this year. Malcolm, played by Shameik Moore (right), is the main protagonist of the movie and he, alongside his friends, is a geek. They are seniors in a highschool in Inglewood, California, which is a city not that much known for his benevolent citizens, as it is for its dangerousness. Often compared to Compton and being known as one of the areas you should avoid when going to LA, Inglewood doesn't look like the place to live in for our group of friends, who like 90's rap music and dress like they are on MTV Raps. And by the way, the performances in this movie are really good. Shameik Moore looks like a guy that we are going to hear a lot more about in these next few years. He has a lot of talent, and Dope is a great movie, that will surprise you. Having to cope with the dealers, the gangs and the bullies (which often are the same persons), Malcolm is put in a delicate situation when a package that is not his finds his way into his bookbag. Dope is one of the gems that graced Sundance festival with its' presence this year. Well-written and well-directed, with great performances and a great mix of comedy and drama, Dope is a film that you might want to check out.
The Way Way Back is the definition of an amazing indie movie. It's a coming-of-age story, that shows the story of Duncan, a 14-year old, that has to spend his summer along with his mother, her new boyfriend and his daughter. I could go into more details, but this is really a movie that should be watched and enjoyed without knowing anything about it, because it will come as an amazing surprise. The performances are absolutely great, starting with Sam Rockwell, who is amazing in everything he does. I honestly do not know how he isn't an A-list actor, because he steals every scene he's in, he has so much range. Steve Carell is the dad in this movie, and he plays a total asshole, doing it great. This is the role that showed Carell can play drama. The movie is also incredibly funny, especially Sam Rockwell's character. I laughed much more at this than any comedy that came out last year, tbf. It is honestly so amazing to discover a movie that you never heard about, and to see how truly great it is. Especially in this day and age, when smaller films are usually not recognized for what they are, and how good they can be.
4. Dog Soldiers (2002) - Action, Horror
I got something for everyone over here. xD Dog Soldiers has slowly turned into a cult movie for the horror genre. The British movie is definitely true to the story of werewolves, showing a very gory and brutal picture of a training exercise gone wrong in the Scotland wilderness. The movie does have some jumpscares, but none of them are laughable, like so many in today's horror movies. The costumes are amazing, and we don't see any of that CGI-bullshit, that makes monster movies today look like animations. It has a decent story and it ultimately does what a horror is supposed to do, which is make you freak the fuck out.
LL
Andrew
