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Film Review “Mother’s Day”

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Julia Roberts
Directed By: Garry Marshall
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 118 minutes
Open Road Films

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 Stars

I typed out, “Are ensemble holiday-related movies doomed to be forever bad?” and realized that I answered my own question with the phrasing, ensemble holiday-related movies. Every time I watch them, I feel like I’m watching sitcom leftovers. So it only makes sense that Garry Marshall, who’s worked on dozens of sitcoms, would make “Mother’s Day”, a sappy, cornball movie. Of course this isn’t Marshall’s first rodeo, but I certainly hope it’s his last.

Like most of these movies, there are too many characters to go over, but they all have one thing in common, they’re dealing with some matriarchal problem. Sandy (Aniston) has to cope with her boys becoming attached to her ex-husband’s new squeeze. Jesse (Hudson) is dealing with avoiding telling her mom that she married an Indian man. Jesse’s sister, Gabi (Sarah Chalke) has the same problem, but instead it’s her inability to show off her life partner. The 81-year-old director surely must have thought a lesbian couple and a white woman marrying someone of a different race was groundbreaking material.

Then there’s Bradley (Jason Sudeikis), who’s dealing with the year anniversary of the loss of his wife. There’s also Kristin (Britt Robertson) who can’t handle that her boyfriend, and the father to her child, is proposing to her. Then Julia Roberts is kind of just floating around in the background as the “popular” HSN host. There are a lot more characters and a lot more actors looking for a paycheck that I’m sure I’m neglecting. Some of them connect and some of them don’t and live in their own personal bubble hell without having to bring anyone else into it.

The only thing this movie is missing is canned laughter or the gratuitous audience applause after someone stands up for themselves. The conflicts are forced, outdated, and their resolutions are equally as audacious to reality. I’ll go ahead and gloss over the fact that there’s obnoxious product placement. I mean, how many eight and 10-year-old siblings are going to get excited about going to IHOP? And don’t forget that any beverage must be drunk, has the label on the outside so that the camera can read it.

At times I did find it sentimental, oddly enough. Maybe it’s because I set my brain to cruise control or because there is a universal feeling that moms do go underappreciated. “Mother’s Day” does kind of touch on that, but it could be by accident. As for all you hard working moms in the world out there, you do deserve a movie that loves and supports you, but “Mother’s Day” is not that movie. Let’s spend Mother’s Day with our mom and stop attending these recycled holiday movies.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: day, film, mothers, review

Film Review “Green Room”

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots and Patrick Stewart
Directed By: Jeremy Saulnier
Rated: R
Running Time: 94 minutes
A24 Films

Our Score: 2 out of 5 Stars

You’d think killing neo-Nazis would be more fun, or at the very least, more savagely joyful and campy. “Green Room” has the extreme close-ups of graphic violence, like broken bones and lacerations, which we’re accustomed to. We also get to watch characters use multiple tools for stabbing and pit bulls chewing out people’s throats. Sure, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But some movies find that gruesome sweet spot and have a lot of fun with it. However, “Green Room” feels devoid of any purpose, in its excessive gore and in its story.

The Ain’t Rights, made up of Pat (Yelchin), Sam (Alia Shawkat), Reece (Joe Cole), and Tiger (Callum Turner), find themselves playing to a room full of tattooed freaks at a white supremacist club. They’re in the middle of nowhere Oregon, playing for some pissed off skinheads, after a series of poor gig scheduling events on their end. Their current predicament isn’t helped by the fact that their setlist starts with a cover of the Dead Kennedy’s song, “Nazi Punks Fuck Off”.

After miraculously escaping their set unharmed, they prepare to leave, but accidentally witness the post-fallout of a murder in their green room. Things deteriorate quickly for the punk quartet and the hate group organizers. Weapons are drawn, hostages are taken, and the neo-Nazi leader is called in to get everything squared away. It’s only after the leader, Darcy Banker (Stewart), arrives that the Ain’t Rights truly recognize the severity of their situation.

Despite Stewart’s performance as a cold and calculating killer, there’s not a lot of tension in this concert version of “Panic Room”. Which is really unfortunate since the band is in the vast and quiet wilderness, with sociopaths at every turn. The setting is there, but the mood is lacking. A lot of it has to do with the fact that the band isn’t necessarily the brightest or most likeable. The band siphons gas because they don’t make enough money and they’re unnecessarily bitter and violent towards people they just met.

Darcy maps out every intricate detail to the neo-Nazi’s clean-up plan, which is constantly evolving and shifting based on the reactions of the band barricaded in his bar. He’s the most interesting of the characters and the movie would have benefitted more following him around a little more. But instead we’re trapped in the green room, listening to poor attempts at exposition, humor, and back story to a handful of dopey characters.

“Green Room” viewers may benefit from beers, pals, and a twisted sense of humor, but that same trio of items may have helped when writing it. Director/Writer Jeremy Saulnier definitely displays his visual prowess and his ability to create ocular terror and Yelchin and gang yam it up and find plenty of scenery to chew up, but it’s simply not enough. Once we get our fill of Nazi symbolism, hidden drug rooms, and knives to the stomach and throat, the “Green Room” is forgettable.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, green, review, room

Live Review: Ace Frehley, F.M. Kirby Center, Wilkes Barre, PA

Ace Frehley, KillCode

Date: April 15, 2016
Venue: F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, Wilkes Barre, PA

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley made a stop at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes Barre, PA on April 15th, as part of a 12 show east-coast run promoting his latest album release titled “Origins Vol.1” The night was a series of ups and downs which at one point had the near capacity crowd on their feet cheering and the next moment had them scratching their heads while leaving the theater to a slow din of boo’s.

Being a huge fan of Ace I was certainly well aware of the fact that when it comes to the “Spaceman” you never know what you are going to get and, this night was certainly a testament to that. The show kicked off with the NYC based band KillCode whose modern rock tinged sound was met with a warm response from the Wilkes Barre. This could have been attributed to the fact that one of the bands guitarists was from the rural esque town or possibly that their performance was the most consistent of the night. Either way the band seemed well rehearsed and fit the opening slot well. After a brief set change and following the sounds of “Fractured Mirror” which played over the P.A. Ace and his band consisting of drummer Scot Coogan, guitarist Richie Scarlett and bassist Chris Wyse would take the stage. The group kicked off the set with one of Ace’s signature songs “Rip it Out” which gave way to several Kiss classics such as “Rocket Ride”, “Parasite” and “Love Gun”. It was at the start of “Parasite” that I began to notice that the night was in for an awkward turn. The songs tempo shifted back and forth as it seemed Ace and the rest of the band were clearly on separate pages. Thankfully after a bit of back and forth things leveled out and songs like Thin Lizzy’s “Emerald” and “Rock Soldiers” sounded great. Towards the end of the bands set Ace began to move less and less and at one point he was even sitting on one of his speaker cabinets. After a lackluster solo and his signature smoking guitar trick the band quickly ran through the Kiss/Ace staple “Cold Gin” before immediately leaving the stage. Previous shows on the tour featured a two song encore which the fans were anxiously waiting and cheering for. After several minutes the house lights came fully on and music began playing over the P.A signaling the show was over. As fans made their way out the doors loud boos and other un-pleasantries filled the air. With a set a set that ran just under 90 minutes there was certainly cause for such reactions.

Fast-forward about 12hrs. to when it was announced that immediately after the Wilkes Barre show Ace was rushed to a nearby hospital and treated for exhaustion and dehydration. (As a side note the last show of the tour scheduled for 4/16 was canceled) I understand people get tired and things happen but when you are at the level Ace is at and have been performing as long as he has shouldn’t steps be taken to prevent these types of avoidable occurrences? Especially on a tour consisting of only 12 dates! This however is the typical type of Ace behavior which partly makes him so entertaining yet which has also plagued his career since his early days in Kiss. Will it ever change? That’s very hard to say. What I can say is that on 4/15 Wilkes Barre was treated to classic Ace all the way.

Set List:

1.) Rip It Out
2.) Toys
3.) Rocket Ride
4.) Parasite
5.) Love Gun
6.) Snowblind
7.) Sister
8.) Emerald (Thin Lizzy Cover)
9.) Rock Soldiers
10.) Bass Solo/Strange Ways
11.) New York Groove
12.) 2 Young 2 Die
13.) Shock Me/Guitar Solo
14.) Cold Gin

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews, Music Tagged With: ace, barre, center, fm, frehley, kirby, ...

Film Review “Elvis & Nixon”

Starring: Michael Shannon, Kevin Spacey and Colin Hanks
Directed by: Liza Johnson
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 26 mins
Bleecker Street Films

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

December 21, 1970. As he goes over his schedule in the White House, President Richard Nixon (Spacey) is informed that he has a meeting with one Elvis Presley. He eyes his aide and calmly asks, “Who the f*** set this up?”

It’s the most requested photo from the National Archives. Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley shaking hands in the Oval Office. But what is the story behind the photo? The new film, “Elvis and Nixon,” may or not be the whole truth but it is an entertaining tale that sheds a light on the meeting between two of the most famous men of their time.

While watching television in his home one night, Elvis Presley (Shannon) is horrified by the various news stories he sees. Black Panthers. Drugs. Draft cards being burned. It’s more than the King can take and he hops a plane to L.A. to visit an old friend, Jerry Schilling (Alex Pettyfer). It’s while on the plane that Presley conceives a plan. He will go to Washington D.C. and ask the President to make him a “Federal-agent-at-large,” with the idea of using his fame to infiltrate the youth culture of the day. In 1970 Elvis was in the midst of a huge comeback started two years earlier. Still amazingly popular, Presley and Schilling run across a couple of Elvis impersonators in the airport, who mistake Presley as being one of them. They congratulate him for making an effort to look like the King, even though they tell him, “Elvis would never wear that,” which is pretty funny when you remember the outfits he used to wear. Jump suits and capes anyone?

The film moves quickly, buoyed by the performances of its stars. I’ve always enjoyed Michael Shannon as an actor, but this is really the first time he hasn’t been over-the-top crazy that I can remember. Wearing giant sideburns and gold-framed sunglasses, Shannon makes Elvis a vulnerable character who truly wants to do the right thing. A great mimic, Spacey is spot on as our 37th President, vulnerable to the country he feels doesn’t admire him as much as they do handsome people, like John Kennedy. Both men get down into their respective characters, giving the film a somewhat documentary feel, which gives the film an air of familiarity.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: elvis, film, nixon, review

Film Review “The Invitation”

Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard and Michiel Huisman
Directed By: Karyn Kusama
Rated: R
Running Time: 100 minutes
Drafthouse Films

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

How long are you willing to let little inconsistencies nag at you before you passive aggressively leave, or better yet, uncomfortably point them out in a room full of people? “The Invitation” doesn’t necessarily ask that question, but depending on how you’d react in that situation, it’s certainly something to ponder. “The Invitation” us a slow-burning thriller that picks at Will (Marshall-Green), causing him to question himself and everyone around him

Will, and his current squeeze, Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) are heading to his ex-wife’s house for a small get together. Will hasn’t seen Eden (Blanchard) in years. Their marriage ended after the accidental death of their son and her inability to cope with the tragic loss. Eden moved on and met David (Huisman), who helped her recover in a unique way. Not only will it be the first time Eden and Will have seen each other in two years, but the first time many of their friends will have seen both of them in the same room.

It’s a relatable circumstance, attempting to reconcile or keep up appearances with a former flame because of mutual friends. But Will starts noticing that the smallest things are amiss. For instance, a bottle of pills in a medicine cabinet, a door that shouldn’t be locked, and a dinner party guest that never arrived. Every time Will, and the audience, is about to burst at the seams, the tension is ratcheted down and the minor irregular is laughed off. The movie does this several times, cranking up Will’s erratic behavior. But is it erratic or justified?

Fans of the horror movie genre might be able to pick up on what’s going on, but not without a lot of fight and sway by “The Invitation”. There’s credence to Will’s paranoia, but credence to everyone seeing Will’s outbursts as irrational inklings. Will could easily be suffering from buried emotions, linked to the death of his son. Or maybe Will’s suspicions are correct and something far more nefarious is afoot. As long as you’re willing to invite “The Invitation” to the inside of your head, you’re going to have an uncomforting blast.

“The Invitation” instinctively knows when to knock us off balance just when we think we’ve got it all figured out. A lot of that can be credited to the director, whose previous theatrical contributions don’t really hint towards the creepy unsettling nature of every shot. Even the actors here put full faith behind their characters, the motivations of their characters, as well as the story. Everyone is on the same page, even when the audience is still trying to piece it all together.

It’s difficult to discuss a movie like this because so much of its tension and story requires you knowing nearly nothing at all. “The Invitation” relies so much on the fear of the unknown, even if you think you know what’s happening. Obviously the disturbing nature of what’s going on won’t happen until the very end, but “The Invitation” is so chillingly effective, you’ll want the end to come as quickly as possible.

Comic Book Review Writing Tips and Tricks

Comic books are becoming more and more popular nowadays. Several decades ago, a comic book was treated like meaningless trash whereas it contained pictures and short portions of text about superheroes, ghosts, common people, etc. The majority of comics were produced for children. Apparently, the choice of comic books is enormous. One can find books about scouts, animals, Vikings, schoolchildren, supernatural creatures and others. Without doubt, the most famous and successful comics are about superheroes and their adventures. Modern comic books are no longer treated carelessly. They belong to the specific combination of art and literature. They possess a specific name – graphic novels. The most prominent producers of graphic novels employ the best artists and scriptwriters who make their comics captive, absorbing, curious and uncommon. Every comic book contains its offbeat plot and characters. Most often, graphic novels are periodical. There are specific main characters who experience various adventures in every new edition. As might be expected, young people are interested in comic books and they make them a part of their life.

Whenever you want to review a graphic novel for high school, college or blog, you should get to know how to do it beneficially. Firstly, you should prepare for this process practically. Read several different comic books in order to catch their structure, motives, plot, strong and weak sides. You should understand the nature of a graphic novel. Secondly, you should read your specific comic book planned for analysis. It is important to read other editions of this chosen series of graphic novels in order to learn about its characters, the core motives, ideas and peculiarities. Needless to say but many situations and motives repeat in every edition. It is vital to notice them and mention them in your comic book review. In brief, you ought to study the entire world of DC comics if you review a specific graphic novel about Batman, Superman or Flash. It is impossible to grab the main idea of these books if you do not know about the foundational connections between its characters.

You cannot prepare a worthy and imposing graphic novel review if you do not write about the author and illustrator of the specific comic book. If you review a comic book about Iron Man, Spider-Man or the X-Men, you will definitely need to mention Stan Lee, the creator of the majority of Marvel Comics superheroes. Say a few words about his achievements, career and impact on the development of the specific series of graphic novels. Illustrators are extremely important for this industry. No one will buy a comic book if there are no fascinating, magnificent and authentic images in it. Very often, people purchase these books in order to possess it like an album. They treat it as a form of art. Thus, you cannot omit an illustrator in your review. He makes the indigenous ‘appearance’ of a comic book. Above all things, you should mention the title of the chosen edition, its date of publication, format and ISBN number. This basic information will help one find the required edition in the Internet or library.

Now you ought to analyze the plot of the selected graphic novel. It is smart to divide the plot into two levels. The first level denotes the main characters and events of the story. Of course, you must not reveal the most newsworthy details and the ending of the story. The second level refers to the problems and major ideas hidden in the comic book. For instance, when you write about Superman, you can write how he protects the world and how he would influence our life if he lived in the real world.

The quality of writing and artwork are two paramount elements of your review. You should analyze the conflict of the specific novel and evaluate its resolution. You should say whether the author has managed to make a gripping and affecting plot or not. Is the plot unpredictable? What can you say about its crucial moments? Then, you need to pay attention to the illustrations that can be found in the comic book. Say about the artistic style. Illustrators apply cartoon-like, manga and realistic styles. They definitely influence the general perception of a book. What are the dominant colors of your particular graphic novel? Do you like it?

Bear in mind that your review is subjective. You cannot impose your point of view on other readers and fans whereas they like these comic books regardless of how you criticize them. Therefore, prepare to receive negative feedback and comments of your readers if you place your graphic novel review on your blog.

If you need professional book review assistance from academic experts, you should visit this paper writing service – SmartWritingService.com.

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Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: book, comic, review, tips, tricks, writing, ...

Film Review “Criminal”

Starring: Kevin Costner, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot
Directed By: Ariel Vromen
Rated: R
Running Time: 113 minutes
Summit Entertainment

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to groundbreaking scientific advancements, you want the sharpest minds on the case experimenting on the most eligible people. So when doctors plan on transferring the memories from the mind of a dead CIA operative, so that they can acquire highly classified information, they would obviously want the most qualified of human test subjects. In “Criminal”, the best they can do is an murderous inmate.

Jericho (Costner) lacks empathy, has never experienced any human emotion outside of hate and revenge and has killed numerous, if not dozens, of people. His sociopathic tendencies, as he puts it, are because he was thrown from a moving car by his father as a child. The doctors say it disabled the frontal lobe of his brain and doctors say that makes him the “perfect” candidate to accept the memories of undercover agent, Bill (Reynolds). If you’re willing to ignore the irrational set-up, then you might like “Criminal”.

But “Criminal” takes itself too seriously to be enjoyably farcical and its characters are too inherently silly to be earnest. “Criminal” falls flat half the time, but it manages to find a couple of entertaining nuggets when Jericho combines his angry drunken fighting technique with the precise killing method of Bill’s CIA training. It’s rarely there, but Costner in various scenes highlights the carefree nature of a petty thief and the calculating nature of a trained killing machine.

There are actually quite a few other actors that Costner gets to play with, including Bill’s wife played by Gal Gadot, a short tempered higher-up played by Gary Oldman, and a doctor that performs the memory transfer, played by Tommy Lee Jones. All the characters are interesting, but none of them really add much depth to the story or to Jericho. Costner is entertaining enough without us being distracted by the surrounding star power. On the surface it may seem like a waste of talent, but it’s more the case of a movie with unnecessary add-ons.

As the movie goes on, we learn that the CIA wants to find out the location of a master hacker, known as the Dutchman. The government wants to keep the Dutchman out of the hands of the Russians and a rogue anarchist who wants to hit the reset button on society. The plot is vague with details, but gets the point across visually without drowning the audience in tedious exposition, which I’m thankful for. Because of that, the nearly two hour runtime goes unnoticed.

Jericho is the focal point of the movie and “Criminal” attempts to make him sympathetic by showing how he adapts to emotions like love, affection, and genuine human concern for the first time in his life. On paper, he’s a despicable human who still kills people and is obsessed with his own wants and needs, but Costner adds some level of believability to the rehabilitation credence. But that might be because the American public commonly knows him as an Iowa farmer that plays baseball with ghosts.

“Criminal” could have been really fun if it avoided the pitfalls of humanizing its main character. Costner is a decent enough anti-hero without the sappy injunction of his wife. In a different universe, “Criminal” is a good movie. It’s a sci-fi movie instead though. Kevin Costner remains foul-mouthed, learning to show some compassion, but still remaining crass and blood hungry. In this world though, he’s a predictable character stuck in a generic action movie.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: criminal, film, review

Film Review “The Jungle Book”

Starring: Neel Sethi
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hr 45 mins
Walt Disney Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Here are some facts about the 1967 animated film “The Jungle Book:” It was one of the last films to be personally supervised by Walt Disney; Disney was so unhappy with the musical score that he had it re-written – only keeping the song “The Bare Necessities” at the urging of others – the song would go on to be nominated for an Oscar. Now comes a live-action version of the Kipling story, one that is not necessarily meant for its intended audience.

The story begins with young Mowgli (Sethi) running through the jungle with his adopted wolf brothers. Try as he might, he is not able to win the race, much to the chagrin of his “father,” who is trying to raise him like one of the pack. Trouble begins when the Tiger named Shere Khan (voiced by the amazing Idris Elba) shows up hoping to make a snack of the young boy. However, he is deflected by others, causing him to become angry. Knowing the little guy isn’t safe, the panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) decides that Mowgli must leave the jungle and return to man. However Shere Khan has other plans.

Told through the amazing use of computer generation, “The Jungle Book” is very faithful to the animated film that precedes it. Young Mr. Sethi is the only human being in the cast (and on film), with the rest being brought to life through the magic of special effects. And brought to life they are. From the mean and angry tiger to the funny and understanding bear, the characters leap off the screen. Which may present a problem to younger viewers, many who may be horrified at the image of Shere Khan murdering Mowgli’s wolf “father.” And if that doesn’t terrify you, there is a great wildebeest stampede that will surely get their attention.

An attempt is made to tone down the darkness by keeping two of the songs made popular in the 1967 animated feature. However, both Bill Murray voicing “The Bare Necessities” and Christopher Walken performing “I Wanna Be Like You” seem like they belong in a film less intense. You’ve been warned!

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: book, film, jungle, review

Film Review “Born to Be Blue”

Starring: Ethan Hawke and Carmen Ejogo
Directed by: Robert Budreau
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 37 mins
IFC Films

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

OK music fans, here’s a name for you: Chet Baker. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? No?
Too bad. How about Miles Davis or Dizzy Gillespie? Oh, those guys you know. Would you be surprised if I told you that Chet Baker was, for a short time in the 1950’s, their musical equal? Sadly, it was the demon called Heroin that took away both his talent and his fame.

We first meet Baker (a well-cast Ethan Hawke) sprawled out on the floor of an Italian prison cell. While ruminating on his life we travel back to the mid 1950’s and the iconic jazz club known as Birdland. There we get a taste of Baker’s talent. Shot in black and white and full of billowy smoke, the scene sets the stage for what might have been. A decade later, his career floundering, he takes a job playing himself in a feature film. However, a beating by muggers leaves him minus his front teeth. And for a horn player, no teeth means no music. Reduced to pumping gas, Baker finds himself on the verge of redemption. If only he can keep the demon away.

A bio-pic that flits around, “Born to Be Blue” takes its name from one of Baker’s best known songs. Though other characters are featured, the film mostly concentrates on Baker and his girlfriend, Elaine (Ejogo), who we originally meet when she is cast as Baker’s ex-wife in the ill-fated movie. We learn that the creator of West Coast Swing had a hard time handling his father, also a musician. Referred to as the “James Dean of Jazz,” he is a junkie that hates needles. “Hello Fear, Hello Death, F*** You,” is his mantra as a friend sticks the needle in his arm. One of the first recovering drug addicts to be prescribed methadone, Baker takes his life one day at a time.

There are two stars in this film. The first is Hawke, who finds a way to make an unsympathetic character sympathetic. Extra points for doing his own vocal work. Second is the music. The soundtrack is full of some of the best jazz standards of the time, each one telling a story that accompanies the one on-screen. With Don Cheadle’s upcoming Miles Davis film on the horizon, it looks like jazz is making a comeback. Give it, and the film, a chance.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: blue, born, film, review

Book Review: NOFX: “The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories”

NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories”
Author: NOFX w/ Jeff Alulis
Publisher: Da Capo
Paperback: 368 pages

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

NOFX has been called one of the worlds most influential and controversial punk bands, but its full story has never truly been told until now. The band has sold over 8 million records, toured six continents and founded one of the most successful indie labels in the world. Together with writer/filmmaker Jeff Alulis “NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories” takes a look back on more than three decades of completely inexplicable success told directly from those who lived it providing a close-up look at the punk-rock music genre and the punk-rock life.

Growing up as a skateboarding, punk rock music fan of late the late eighties and nineties I was extremely anxious to get a hold of this book. Written much like Motley Crue’s famous/infamous tell all “The Dirt” “NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories” is a similar tale of debauchery minus the excess and stereotypical “Rock n Roll” life. Instead you get an in-depth look at the seedier underbelly of rock n’ roll bastard step son know as Punk Rock. Over the course of the books 368 pages band members from past and present tell their tales of trial and tribulations while wading through a cesspool of filth consisting of drugs, murder, suicide and the occasional S&M occurrence. After reading some of these stories it’s a complete miracle that the band is around to tell these let alone have enough memory to recount the tales so vividly and in such detail. Bassist “Fat Mike” Burkett, Guitarist Erik Melvin, Drummer Erik “Smelly” Sandin and Guitarist Aaron “El Hefe” Abeyta along with a list of other notables keep your attention page after page making this book damn near impossible to put down. Spread out amongst the tales of punk rock madness are tons of rare photos and show fliers from all stages of the bands career which only seem to add to the books over all appeal.

“NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories” is definitely not for the faint of heart. The book and its writers pull no punches as they are both candid and real as they can be in this mesmerizing tale of the true punk rock life. Even if you have never heard of the band NOFX or its members do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this book!

Also be sure to check out our exclusive interview with Fat Mike in the interview portion of the site.

Film Review “Demolition”

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts and Chris Cooper
Directed By: Jean-Marc Vallee
Rated: R
Running Time: 100 mins
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Falling in love with a Jake Gyllenhaal character is proving to be deadly. Last year his wife in Southpaw died, then there’s the ill-fated passenger aboard a train in Source Code and now we have Demolition. Gyllenhaal plays Davis,
whose main squeeze, Julia (Heather Lind), dies right off the bat in Demolition. A fatal car crash takes her young life, sparing Davis. The incident is a blur, which is a testament to how Davis has lived his life up until this point.

There’s a very telling scene at the hospital immediately after the accident, as Davis is awoken from a nap by Julia’s father, Phil (Cooper). Phil’s eyes are bloodshot from crying while Davis’ eyes simply have the remnants of sleep in them. If anything, Phil is more distraught over losing out on a pocket change from the hospital vending machine. But oddly enough he finds comfort when he begins to pen handwritten letters to the vending machine company that cheated him out of some much needed candy.

His letters detail his adult life descent into apathy towards everything and everyone around him. He casually details his decomposition of his most simplistic of human emotions. Meanwhile, in robotic fashion, Davis watches and skirts around other people mourning the death of Julia. Verbally, he says the right things, but physically, his reactions are lethargic to the whole grieving process. The numbness he feels is the lack of love he had for his wife. He can’t even remember why he even married her in the first place.

Demolition casually, and sometimes very abruptly, takes some very surreal turns to show Davis’ unraveling. The death of his wife turns out to be a rebirth of sorts. Davis reflects on everything he’s done and soon his natural curiosity for life takes over. He socializes with people he would have normally disregarded and dismantles things around him, wondering how they work or simply, what’s on the inside of them.

At times Demolition plays like a fever dream, matching its heavy material with a heavy rock drumming on the soundtrack. The overpowering and sorrowful guitar soundtrack and music video-like sequences are cliché at times. Much like taking replacing a lightbulb with a sledgehammer, Demolition can be a little bit too blunt with its overall meaning about deconstructing life and rebuilding it. But it never takes away from its tragic message about how sometimes our lives are stuck on auto-pilot.

Every performance is spot on, especially Gyllenhaal who is still in a never ending quest for an Oscar, or at the very least, another nomination. Naomi Watts in turn provides a subtle innocence to an emotionally battled mom, Karen, struggling with her feelings over Davis. It’s odd that their sweet, yet non-physical, relationship stems from exchanging messages over a broken hospital vending machine, but their acting and their on-screen magic makes it believable. Judah Lewis plays Karen’s adolescent son, who ends up propelling Gyllenhaal’s character forward while providing his own character study on Chris, a boy struggling to come to terms with who he is.

Demolition is poignant, yet emotionally rejuvenating. It’s a visually entertaining story, with an at-times confusing narrative. It may take a couple of viewings to fully comprehend it’s multi-level message about society, the people in it, and the tendencies that those people have to become emotionally distant from everything. Nearly everyone in Demolition go through some complex changes, especially Davis, and it’s interesting to watch that growth, whether the changes be big or small.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: demolition, film, review

CD Review: 3 Doors Down “Us And The Night”

“Us And The Night”

3 Doors Down
Republic
Producer: Matt Wallace
Tracks: 11

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Grammy Award-nominated 3 Doors Down is back with a brand new album titled “Us And The Night”. The album which is being released via Republic Records is the first album to feature new material from the chart topping Mississippi natives in five years. Produced by Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, O.A.R.) the album features 11 tracks chocked full of the groups signature rock

With five years between the bands last album “Time of My Life” and “Us And The Night” is was certainly more than anxious to see where the band would take things with their most recent release. The 11 tracks which make up the groups sixth studio album all have potential to be hits as the album is spilling over with pop like hooks which are set nicely against a rock and roll background making for a great listening experience. From the driving bass lines of “In The Dark” to the chugging solo infused “Believe It” the band does a good job revisiting their hard rock roots while expanding on their musicality with tracks like the expansive “Inside of Me” which blends piano and acoustic filled verses with huge crescendoing choruses while the track “Pieces of Me” is on the other side of the spectrum featuring a scaled back arrangement that despite less instrumentation is an equally powerful performance.

Time away certainly did not hurt 3 Doors Down as their latest offering has everything fans have come to expect from the band who brought us hits like “Kryptonite” and “Here Without You” and maybe a little more. “Us And The Night” is packed with an even blend of pop appeal and edginess which harkens back to the band’s debut release. Though there are a few slower moments on the records I could have done without with as I much more prefer the harder side of this band however the album mixes things up nicely and is an enjoyable listen.

Track Listing:

1.) The Broken
2.) In The Dark
3.) Still Alive
4.) Believe It
5.) Living In Your Hell
6.) Inside of Me
7.) I Don’t Wanna Know
8.) Pieces of Me
9.) Love Is a Lie
10.) Us And The Night
11.) Fell From the Moon

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Filed Under: CD Reviews, Music Tagged With: 3, cd, doors, night, review

CD Review: Zakk Wylde “Book of Shadows II”

“Book of Shadows II”

Zakk Wylde
eOne Music
Tracks: 14

Our Score: 4 out 5 stars

Black Label Society front man Zakk Wylde is back with the second installment of his acoustic fueled fret board wizardry “Book of Shadows II”. Stripped down and incredibly raw the new album not only picks up where the previous 1996 album “Book of Shadows” left off but the former Ozzy Osbourne axe man shows immense growth as an artist while forging new ground with his signature blend of doom crew infused melodic shred.

Don’t let the fact that “Book of Shadows II” showcases the softer side of the berserker as each of the 14 tracks that make up this release are signature Zakk Wylde through and through. Yes missing are the signature laser like pinch harmonics and the thunderous dirge Wylde is most closely associated with however, what the album lacks in ferocity it makes up for it by creating its own unique power through impressive vocal and instrumental performances. Tracks like “Tears In December” and “Darkest Hour” strike deep as they overflow with emotion while tracks like “Lost Prayer” and ”Sleeping Dogs” feature upbeat rythms and bluesy instrumentation giving the album a solid balance.

For long time fans of Zakk dating back to the old “Pride and Glory” days this is a no brainer to pick up as it will be right at home with Wylde’s subsequent releases. For newer fans it’s just as equally worth checking out but be sure to also check out Zakk’s electric work before hand as it will only make you appreciate the range and musicianship found on “Book of Shadows II” that much more.

Track Listing:
1.) Autumn Changes
2.) Tears of December
3.) Lay Me Down
4.) Lost Prayer
5.) Darkest Hour
6.) The Levee
7.) Eyes of Burden
8.) Forgotten Memory
9.) Yesterday’s Tears
10.) Harbors of Pity
11.) Sorrowed Regrets
12.) Useless Apologies
13.) Sleeping Dogs
14.) The King

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Filed Under: CD Reviews, Music Tagged With: book, cd, ii, review, shadows, wylde, ...

Film Review “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2”

Starring: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett and Michael Constantine
Directed by: Kirk Jones
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hr 34 mins
Universal

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

In 2002, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” came out of nowhere to become one of the most successful, and beloved, romantic comedies of this young century. The film told the story of Toula Portokalos (Vardalos) and her search for love. The film ended with her marrying the very handsome Ian (Corbett) and living happily ever after in the house next door to her parents. 14 years later she’s still there.

If I had to sum up this film in one word it would be “familiar.” With most of the same cast doing a lot of the same things, the film depends a lot on the fact that you have seen the original. If not you won’t understand family patriarch Gus’ penchant for using Windex for everything, or why the hilarious Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula is the film’s comedic highlight. The story, in a nutshell: Toula and Ian have a teenage daughter. Her name is Paris (Elena Kampouris) and like other kids her age she’s looking for someone to go to prom with. School is hard because Ian is the principal. Toula continues to help out at the family restaurant, run by her parents. While Gus appears to be in charge, it is his wife, Maria (Lainie Kazan) that runs things. Proud of his Greek heritage, Gus is convinced that he is a direct descendent of Alexander the Great. In researching his family tree he finds his wedding certificate and notices that the priest that performed the service didn’t sign it. Does this mean he and Maria are not married? I sense a wedding in their future. Perhaps a big, fat Greek one.

If the film has anything going for it it’s the cast. As I said, many of the cast are from the first film and your familiarity with them is a plus. As a big fan of both Lainie Kazan and Michael Constantine, I enjoyed most of the film. As a couple they are perfectly matched, and even when they are fighting it’s easy to see the love. And the film is filled with everything Greek. From John Stamos, who is wasted in a cameo as the local weatherman married to Rita Wilson (who in real life is a full seven-years older than Stamos). The film also features a nice montage with the Billy Idol song “White Wedding” blasting out on a Greek bouzouki! Opa!

Tag: review

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