We Who Stayed Behind (2008)

“I do not wanna grow up to become gray and then disappear.”

The world, as we know it, is changing. Buried in problems, worried that tomorrow may turn out worse than today, adults warn children and each other that the world is “an evil and horrible place” . One day, the hopelessness and despair overwhelms them. The blood of the adults turns from red to gray and then they leave – just disappear and no one knows where they go. The children are the last survivors – with dreams and hopes of the future – but left on their own, will they manage to fend for themselves? What if the hopelessness gets to them – that fear of the future that has poisoned the lives of their parents and other friends…

Continue

The Silence (1998)

Throughout the years, I have reviewed Coming-of-Age movies from across the globe. Yet, Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s film The Silence is the first Iranian film I’ve seen. Interestingly enough, the censors banned the film in its own country. Since I lack knowledge of the social and political environment in Iran, I won’t be discussing the ban and the reasons for it but will let you know that the movie is perfectly suitable for audiences of all ages and even recommendable to anyone who favors art house cinema and innovative storytelling.

Continue

The Willies (1991)

Some movies from the 90’s are worth watching again …and again. The children’s horror film The Willies, directed by Brian Peck, is not one of them.

In this film, three kids try to scare each other by sharing horror stories while camping out in the family’s backyard. The stories are awfully clichéd – monster living at the school bathroom, an old man getting scared to death during a ride at a Haunted Castle at the fair…etc. So I found it quite challenging to get through the whole hour and a half of cheesy acting, amateur cinematography and pretend scares.

The film is clearly aimed at young audiences, but anyone over six is likely to be really bored half-way through it. Some of the movie’s actors have grown up to be much better professionals later in their careers – like Sean Astin, who delivered an excellent performance in the films of the The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. In addition, I was rather surprised to find his name in the cast of an acclaimed 1985 Coming-of-Age movie The Goonies (he played Mikey). Then, remembering that Steven Spielberg wrote the story of The Goonies, it all made sense.

A clichéd, flat story has the full potential to ruin the experience of any film, and that is exactly what happened in The Willies. When you see this film (if you are really willing to waste the 92 minutes to do that), you will feel just as one feels when buying a ticket for a country fair haunted house – taking a ride in it – getting out and thinking ” That’s all there is? What a money waster! I should have gone on the ferris wheel instead!”

The Willies (1991) Official Trailer

Casper Feddema on The Mystery Artist Show

Sixteen-year-old Casper Feddema from the Netherlands is well on his way to becoming an international singing sensation. Starting with appearances on local talent shows – and sharing covers of singers such as Adele, Bryan Adams, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Jason Derulo, and Michael Jackson on his YouTube channel – he was spotted by the European producer Big Dawg while competing on the Netherlands’s National TV Show Popstars. His talent has won him thousands of fans from every continent and he has recently been signed by a UK management company. On 1-April-2012, TheSkyKid.com radio aired an exclusive interview with Casper – conducted by Jeffrey, host of the Mystery Artist Show.

Continue

Brothers3 on The Mystery Artist Show

One of the good things I like about doing an interview for the show is being able to meet young artists from around the world. The first artist I had ever met from Australia was Matt Larsen and he was also the very first artist with whom I had ever done an interview.

The most recent artist I have met from Australia is actually a group of brothers that make up the group Brothers3. What inspired me most to contact them about doing an interview was the fact that every song they sing they write themselves and, in doing so, have won numerous awards over the last three years. So now here is the interview that I was lucky enough to be able to have with the boys: Shardyn (16), Tayzin (15) and Makirum (14).

Continue

The Man in the Red Suit (2011)

A few months ago – some of our readers suggested we nominate Kevin Callies’s short film The Man in the Red Suit for the Fourth Annual Coming-of-Age Movie Awards. When the movie won the awards in the Best Short Film category, we contacted Mr. Callies with a request for an exclusive interview for the readers of TheSkyKid.com and we are very happy to report that he consented to spend some time with us.

The action in The Man in the Red Suit takes place the night before Christmas when David (Elijah Nelson ), a young boy who has been waiting for Santa Claus all year, wakes up during the night to find him (the man in the red suit) putting presents under the Christmas tree. The close up of David’s face when he first sets his eyes on the man in their living room is one of the most delightful scenes in the film. His uninhibited expressive face lighted by joy and happiness touches the hearts of the viewers in a unique way. It’s as if his emotion is contagious – making each and every one of us remember the magical days of our childhood.

Continue

Introducing Tae Brooks

I’m not sure what it is about Tae Brooks I like so much. Is it the natural exuberance beaming out at me in his videos? The clear bright voice which even sounds great a capella – like in his cover of Soldier by Gavin de Graw? Or is it the unpretentious teen-swag style that loves to have fun singing? Maybe it’s all these plus a fine professional precision in a flexible voice able to sing both suave and soft as well as Hip Hop teeny crush tunes.

Taelyn Bryce Brooks, who is 14 until October, came from Cincinnati to LA with his family to get closer to the entertainment scene. His mom and brother shoot very pro-looking videos of him and their home studio creates a superb sound. His brother produces, edits and also plays guitar for some songs. Which leads me to another thing I like: the family concept behind the music!

Continue

Jake & Jasper: A Ferret Tale (2011)

“Sometimes all you need is a little friendship.”

I found out about the short film Jake & Jasper: A Ferret Tale about a year ago, thanks to a Twitter message which led me to a creative fundraising clip posted on YouTube. In the months that followed, I witnessed how the idea of a film focusing on the friendship of a young boy and a ferret got many supporters as the word about it spread across the social networks. Today, I am happy to review it for the readers of theskykid.com.

Jake (Connor Stanhope) is a young boy who is struggling to come to terms with the passing of his mother. Overwhelmed with grief, he withdraws from his friends at school. He has lost a pillar of his life. He’s confused and suffers from sudden mood swings ranging from depression at home to aggressiveness at school where he is weary about showing his sadness openly. He feels misunderstood by his father, whose own grief incapacitates his abilities to emotionally support his son. Jake’s older sister gives him a pet ferret named Jasper, hoping that Jake will find in Jasper a friend who will help him move past the harsh time of his young life.

The story felt familiar – a lonely boy and his special animal friend (made me recall similar themes from Coming-of-Age masterpieces such as Lassie, Flipper and Shilo). Yet the fact the boy’s pet was a ferret instead of the commonly portrayed larger animals in the movies such dogs, cats, horses or dolphins – did make a difference. Small animals like ferrets convey a sense of harmlessness, helplessness and innocence and these characteristics spill onto the protagonist by association. The playfulness of Jasper, and the affection he displayed towards his new friend, contributed greatly towards the cuteness factor of the movie. That being said, the familiarity of the theme made the story story utterly predicable. And if it were not for the excellent performance of the young Connor Stanhope in the lead role, the beautiful cinematography and soundtrack, I would have been disappointed.

Some would argue that the short format does not allow for a challenging and innovative story plot. And while the movie succeeded in getting me to sympathize with Jake and his struggle, I believe that an element of surprise could have greatly benefited the story.

The death of a loved one is a commonly addressed theme in films belonging to the Coming-of-Age genre. Jake & Jasper: A Ferret Tale offers one solution to the issue of children dealing with grief – the friendship of an animal. The simple story and the family friendly nature of the film guarantee that this movie will appeal to people of different age groups. Young audiences will be drawn by the cheeky playfulness of the ferret, while older viewers are likely to be taken in by the emotional portrayal of grief and convalescence.

Jake & Jasper: A Ferret Tale Trailer

httpv://youtu.be/ECS91vMr89g

I would like to express my gratitude to the film’s director, Alison Parker, for providing a review copy for the readers of TheSkyKid.com.

You can find more about the film by visiting its Official Web-Site.

Project X – The Musical

An Interview With Eric Gelb

One of the principal missions of TheSkyKid.com is to support young talent in music and the performing arts. That is why we were excited when thirteen-year old Eric Gelb contacted us. Eric, as it turns out, wrote, co-directs and stars in Project X – a Musical — a production focusing on the Coming-of-Age experiences of four teens on their voyage to adulthood. He started working with his best friend and Norup International School classmate Ryan Hurley on the full-length script of the musical in 2010.

The protagonists of the story have just entered Middle School and are struggling to fit in with their peers while trying to stay true to oneself. The issues tackled in the musical include peer pressure, popularity, friendship and making decisions. Those are just few of the numerous challenges children face during the Middle School years, a time of life when most of us learn a lot about ourselves – who we really are.

In Project X – the Musical, the story of teenagers is told by teenagers. The show is currently touring the Detroit area. We caught up with Eric for an exclusive interview for the readers of the SkyKid.com.

Eric Gelb (1st from right) and cast members of Project X – The Musical

Continue

Cyber Bullying

The Internet has created a lot of possibilities for young singers and musicians to showcase their talents and interact with their fans. Unfortunately, the coin has two sides – as the relative anonymity online is abused by individuals with criminal intentions. Cyber Bullying is defined as the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. This type of bullying is not any less dangerous to people than its offline counterpart. The worst form of such offences involves children being victimized.

Recently, one of the young singers featured on TheSkyKid.com was exposed to the dark side of the Internet. Someone put a lot of effort into impersonating him by setting up a website, Twitter account, Facebook account …etc. On that fake website, the criminal (because this constitutes a crime alongside identity theft and aggravated harassment) published information that constituted a Defamatory Libel (deliberate publication of defamatory lies, which the publisher knows to be false). The information was made to sound as if it was coming from the singer himself. This person went even further by inventing false “personal confessions” targeted to hurt the reputation and well-being of that singer.

Continue

Introducing Jack Cassidy

When you hear the name ‘Cassidy’ spoken in the same sentence with the word ‘music,’ some older readers of theskykid.com might be tempted to think of 70s teen sensation David Cassidy, or his heartthrob brother Shaun Cassidy. They were popular singers in their day, made more so, especially with teen girls, thanks to TV — David’s The Partridge Family and Shaun’s role in the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. Even older readers, on the other hand, might see the name Jack Cassidy and think of the late Jack Cassidy, father of the above-named sensations, and an actor who died many years ago in a house fire.

Well, Minnesota’s Jack Cassidy is none of the above. He’s a much younger performer with a full life of music ahead of him. Even at just 13-years-old, Jack is well-known in gospel circles in his home state. Although he is an emerging recording artist, he is also currently a soloist at his local church. He has sung songs such as The More I Seek You, Be Still My Soul, and America the Beautiful for large crowds and on video.

Jack started singing at the age of three and has taken part in concerts with The Cassidy Brothers, four actual brothers from Jack’s family who are recording artists and popular performers. Later, he won major roles in a number of school productions including Scrooge. In recent years, he won an award after performing in his home state, and also sung with Mary Beth Carlson in December of 2011. Jack’s fame is growing, thanks to the power of Facebook and other internet tools. Listener reviews indicate that he sings with meaning and obvious feeling.

This young talent was influenced by singers such as Michael Buble and Stevie Wonder. He also enjoys listening to music by The Beatles and The Cassidy Brothers. His own grandfather, named Jim Cassidy, was another influence. But his most important inspiration is Jesus, Jack says, and it is Him the young man most often sings about. Young Jack sings because he knows his voice and his message make people feel good. Others describe his voice as smooth and soothing, and the teenager knows he has a gift. You can hear him singing on his uncles’ debut album Sweet Spirit.

These days, establishing a fan base on YouTube is as important as convincing a recording studio that you have what it takes to sell records. As seen in the case of Justin Bieber, even very young individuals playing music and working hard can become successful before they even turn 20, if they have something special to offer. With his talent and drive, Jack Cassidy could very well become one of these success stories.

Introducing Frank Dixon

Singing Sensation Frank Dixon

Continues To Win Awards

Thirteen-year-old Frank Dixon is a fast-rising singing star from Australia, who is known for the original music and lyrics of songs he performs himself. He has already won numerous awards and added another the first weekend in March 2012. At the Youth Singer-Songwriters Competition at the Sydney Road Festival held in Brunswick, Melbourne, on March 4, Dixon won first place.

The young singer and his original music have been available for viewing on YouTube for more than two years. It was this exposure on YouTube which brought him to the attention of a management company in Los Angeles. The blonde-headed, blue-eyed Dixon commutes between Australia and LA. In California, he is recording his own music and working with Grammy Award winning producers. Back in Australia, Dixon is continuing to study at the David Jaanz School of Singing and to receive vocal coaching twice a week from David Jaanz, considered the top in his field in Australia.

Frank Dixon’s first video clip for his original song Moving On

httpv://youtu.be/Tw-9bHgmebY

Dixon’s songs have been compared to those of Elton John and Billy Joel. His writing style is said to echo their work from the mid-1970s. Another aspect of Dixon’s songwriting is that he writes to touch the heart of his audience.

Dixon as a Singer, Actor

By the time Dixon was 11-years-old, he had released his second single on YouTube and was performing regularly in and around Melbourne and Brisbane. Ever busy, this young man was touring with the Young Voices of Melbourne, and performing with the choir in the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Also by that age, Dixon was doing back-up vocals for the group Miami Horror – Imagination.

He is the youngest singer to have ever performed at the prestigious Bennetts Lane, a well-known and popular jazz venue. There, he performed his original song I Told You So in a show called An Evening of Original Artists. He was named the winner of the 2010 Dream Inc. singer/songwriter prize. Part of the prize was a development deal that brought him into the sphere of professional musical producers.

Frank Dixon performing at the prestigious Bennetts Lane

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0qiwK6sNcE

While Dixon’s career as a musician appears to be soaring, his acting has not been neglected. The young singer/songwriter/actor/model was selected to play the role of The Boy in the Melbourne season of Waiting for Godot. The cast was led by the incomparable actor Sir Ian McKellen. Dixon also won a role in the Wizard of Oz and has acted in seven films. The largest and best known of these being An Illness at the House. In addition, Dixon has been employed on Channel 7’s Sunday Night program.

Among his works are Lost In This World, from 2012; City of Flashing Lights, called a masterpiece by one reviewer; Nothing Left; and Jigsaw, along with numerous others. At the tender age of 11, following the Queensland Flood, Dixon wrote Heartache in the Water as a tribute to victims of the disaster.

We encourage you to follow Frank on Twitter and Facebook and YouTube .

Don`t hesitate to spread the word about the talented young singer by sharing this article with your friends.

TheSkyKid.com

TheSKyKid.com

“Sometimes all you need is a little friendship.”

Singing Sensation Frank Dixon

Continues To Win Awards

Dixon as a Singer, Actor