Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

8/05/2012

aMotion Review

aMotion
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Following up just two weeks after A Perfect Circle's election day release, "eMOTIVe," another release, "aMOTION" comes our way. Basically what this set consists of is almost every scrap of extra APC material. The disc is nine tracks full of remixes, some old, some new. The DVD consists of all of the band's music videos up to now, some we've seen a million times, and others that either didn't air, or were never released. First off, the remix CD. Great choice, as A Perfect Circle seem to have some of the most tasteful remixes of any band out there. A great bulk of the songs were remixed by Danny Lohner and some have either appeared on various soundtracks or on import CD-singles. Probably one of the most note-worthy moments is the "Constantly Consuming" remix of "The Hollow," which isn't so much a remix, as it is a reinterpretation, as done by former bassist (who is still working with the band) Paz Lenchantin. That's right folks. She provides all of the music on this version and even sings it herself. The "Tilling My Own Grave" remix of "Weak & Powerless" is another great one. It definitely "rocks" up the original version (don't get me wrong, the original is untouchable) with some help by Lohner and born-again Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland (you may remember it from the "Underworld" soundtrack). The DVD portion is quite a treat as well. Not only are all the music videos here, but we get a live performance of "The Noose" (my favorite song from "Thirteenth Step") which is very entertaining (they need to put out a live DVD, hint hint), plus four different versions of the video "Blue," all fan-made. Both versions of "The Outsider" video are present, edited and unedited. Don't get too excited though, as the unedited cut doesn't feature nudity, just a long intro to the video -- although, everyone seems to hate the Bikini Bandits idea so much, so who cares, right? Well, they make another appearance in "Thinking Of You," so get used to it. "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums" is an all animated video that contains some very strong anti-Bush imagery, that I haven't seen (probably for many good reasons) aired anywhere. Maynard and Billy each have their own commentary for the videos. Maynard comments on all of them, and gets into the more intellectual side of the meaning of each song and video, while Billy gives us the more straight-forward story, and sadly, only appears on a handful of the videos. So overall, it's a great package. You have to really appreciate the band and what they do to appreciate this. To those who love to scream "Sell-out," I ask you this question: If they are selling out, why are you buying? Get over yourselves. They make incredible music, and at the end of the day, that's all that matters. And good for them for giving us so much material to tide us over until the next album, which will probably be a long time coming.

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6/28/2012

H.I.M.: Born Again Romantic Review

H.I.M.: Born Again Romantic
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Although this DVD is very good, it is the exact same one as Poison Arrow, just a different cover and title. If you don't have either, then I would recommend this.

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6/05/2012

Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music? (2006) Review

Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music (2006)
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Hey, I've been into Christian Rock for over 25 years. I bought my first Larry Norman album somewhere around 1978, and I saw bands like Sweet Comfort and DeGarmo & Key back when they'd just released their first LPs.
Here's my take on this documentary...
First, it's a "amateur professionial" production. It's an hour and a half of camcorder footage shot at a single Christian Rock festival (Cornerstone 2003?) edited into a "stream of thought" type experience with no narration, and "one mic interviews" where the subjects are answering questions, but you don't know the questions because the interviewer is off camera and doesn't have a microphone. Some call this "lean" or "edgy" but I call it cheap. However, good editing can really help and this footage, though seeming random and unfocused, is actually edited together rather well.
Second, it's not about Christian Rock in general, but about "indy" Christian Rock. If you're really into that scene, then you might just love this because there are a lot of interviews and concert footage. However, if you're not an "insider" already, there's isn't much context set for you, so you have to mentally put bits and pieces together as you watch.
Third, the people behind the documentary are apparently not Christians. At least one of the main creators, who narrated much of the commentary track, said she wasn't a Christian during the commentary. That actually made it more interesting to me because the creators really did attempt to remain objective and report what they saw. In fact, they actually seemed as if they were trying to understand the "indy" Christian rockers and their fan base without judging them. However, it was only possible to know that if you watch and listen to the commentary track, which I enjoyed much more than the documentary itself. A little context goes a long way.
Finally, I was going to give the documentary one star because they took Larry Norman's famous coined phrase "Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music" as the title, and they played the legendary song by the same title as the closing credits, and they showed footage of Larry Norman playing at the festival, but they didn't have any interview footage of Larry Norman! Thankfully they put the interview footage of Larry in the additional scenes section and they explained during the commentary track why they didn't put the Larry Norman interview footage in the main documentary.
So, if I had to watch this all over again I would first watch the commentary track, then the documentary itself, and then the special features. Then it makes sense.


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6/01/2012

Seven and a Match (2003) Review

Seven and a Match (2003)
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I loved this movie. A fully realized first feature from an uncommonly good first time director. Shot beautifully, this ensemble piece about a group of college friends who get together for what appears to be a reunion weekend shines with intricately drawn characters and benefits from great performances across the board, particularly Tina Holmes. Some great original songs also highlight this funny, smart and poignant film. Its a mystery why a movie this good didn't get a proper theatrical release.

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5/24/2012

Brandy - The Videos Review

Brandy - The Videos
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Brandy The Early Years... This Collection Is Very Good... Hope She Makes A New DVD With Her New Stuff...
1. Baby
2. Brokenhearted
3. I Wanna Be Down
4. Have You Ever?
5. Sittin' Up In My Room
6. Best Friend
7. The Boy Is Mine
8. Almost Doesn't Count
9. Top Of The World
10. I Wanna Be Down (Remix)
11. U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)
Audio: 5.1, A Discography. Total Running Time 53 Minutes...

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5/12/2012

Atlantis (1992) Review

Atlantis (1992)
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I saw this film in the theaters. I was a die-hard Besson fan from La Femme Nikita and The Big Blue -- two movies that got me into the film business. When I saw Atlantis in the theater I was one of five people in the audience. We were all awe-struck. Besson must've angered the head of the studio that released it because it vanished soon after. He had spent two years traveling the world (Besson's an avid diver and grew up in Greece where his parents were divers) and photographing the incredible images in this picture. I actually found a French VHS that i had for a while, then got a LaserDisc via Hong Kong, and people used to come to my house, watch it and beg me to tape it for them. Lucky divers around the world have a couple bootleg copies they were grateful to receive. So when my laserdisc player barfed, i could no longer watch it. So now its finally coming out on DVD. Well if you can't gather my opinion from what i've already written, not much more will help. If you're interested in the ocean -- or just want something to put on in the background to calm you down after a long day -- this is it. But watch Atlantis the first time very carefully. It's all about the last scene to find meaning in what Besson was getting at in this gorgeous visual underwater opera, and i think it's point is as poignant as the DVD's arrival is exciting.

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4/15/2012

Wee Sing Classic Songs for Kids (1996) Review

Wee Sing Classic Songs for Kids  (1996)
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This was our first video we played for our 1 year old. She's now almost 2 and still loves this happy, fast paced video. The songs are all easy to sing along to and dance to. There always seems to be something new to see. At 30 min. it's a perfect lenth to hold a little ones attention, and be introduced to all the fun wee sing characters.

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3/21/2012

50 Cent - The New Breed (2003) Review

50 Cent - The New Breed  (2003)
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As the first person reviewing this DVD that actually owns it, I can personally say that this is definitely worth the money by all means. Let me break down the contents of what is on it. The DVD contains:
THE DOCUMENTARY:
an 18-minute 50 Cent documentary
a jail interview with Tony Yayo from G-Unit
THE MUSIC VIDEOS:
2 music videos for the song "Heat"
Behind the Scenes for the "Wanksta" video
Behind the Scenes for the "In Da Club" video
the "Wanksta" video
the "In Da Club" video
THE DETROIT SHOW:
a 40-minute concert featuring 50 Cent and the rest of the Shady Records family
BONUS MATERIAL:
3 perfomance sessions from 50 Cent from America Online
a DVD trailer for the 8 Mile DVD
BONUS CD:
cd containing 3 new songs from 50 Cent and G-Unit
I know you are a 50 Cent fan and it is definitely worth the money so GO GET IT!!!

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3/02/2012

Instrument - Ten Years with the Band Fugazi (2001) Review

Instrument - Ten Years with the Band Fugazi (2001)
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Well, I know I've been curious. I've wanted to look behind the Fugazi curtain to hear and see what goes on when the band writes, tours and records. Fugazi's new Instrument video and soundtrack CD provide an all-access pass to the inner workings of one of today's premier bands.
I ordered both from Dischord and watched the video (a few times, I'm not ashamed to admit) before listening to the soundtrack CD, and I think that's the way to do it. The documentary, shot nonstop by Jem Cohen on tours, in the studio and at rehearsals, shows the members of Fugazi doing what they do best: making music and going to all of the places it takes them. There are several laugh out loud parts -- a well-meaning fan who incorrectly recalls Ian's days in Black Flag, while mispronouncing his name, Guy plotting the death of a Hollywood legend, Joe's futile attempt to tell everyone about his Iggy Pop dream, Brendan rigging a motel showerhead with Dial soap, a slick MuchMusic correspondent who enthusiastically mangles their lyrics...It's a feel-good flicka that leaves me wishing that Guy had a dance studio I could sign up for.
The Instrument soundtrack includes demos of songs that haven't evolved into regular album tracks and raw working 'drafts' of now-familiar songs, some of which are included in the documentary's music bed. A dream come true for any Fugazi fan.

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1/24/2012

Bad Boy Bubby (2005) Review

Bad Boy Bubby (2005)
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In the film Bad Boy Bubby, the title character is a thirty-five year old man child who has been locked inside a cramped, dingy room by his abusive mother for his entire life. When Bubby's Pop suddenly shows up after a thirty-five year absence, Bubby is flushed out of his home, and the only world he has ever known, by his Mom and Pop, and into the "real" world, where he experiences equal measures of human cruelty and human kindness.
The film is at times bleak, harrowing, funny, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful. All of the actors do a very fine job, but Nicholas Hope's performance as Bubby is absolutely stunning. There's a long tradition of actors delving into roles of this type, Sling Blade, Awakenings or Rain Man for example, and while Hope's performance isn't as widely regarded as the lead performances in these three films, it surely would be if the film Bad Boy Bubby had received a wider release - especially in the United States, where until now it has been practically nonexistent. Now however, thanks to Blue Underground and this great DVD release a much wider audience will hopefully be able to see this exceptional film for the first time.
Once again Blue Underground has done a really topnotch job. The film transfer looks great and there are two sound options: a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and a Dolby Surround 2.0. Of special note, the sound for the film was recorded using a binaural sound system that is meant to allow the viewer the experience of hearing everything the same way the main character would. The extras on the disc are a 24 minute interview with director Rolf de Heer, who describes the interesting binaural recording process and reveals a lot of fascinating insights and details, including the fact that over 30 different cinematographers were used to shoot the film. There is a second 15 minute interview with Nicholas Hope who discusses his career before, during, and after Bad Boy Bubby. The short film that led to Nicholas Hope being cast in the role of Bubby, titled Confessor Caressor, is also included. And finally, there is also a theatrical trailer for Bad Boy Bubby and a poster/stills gallery. In all a great disc befitting a remarkable film.

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Winner of Four Australian Academy Awards, Including Best Actor - Nicholas Hope, Best Director - Rolf De Heer, and Best Original Screenplay.L.A. Weekly called it "disturbing and compelling", and it was awarded The Grand Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Despite a limited release in America, it would shock and delight audiences to become one of the most daring and controversial cult films of the past decade. Nicholas Hope in what Variety hails as "an astonishing performance" - stars as Bubby, a demented man-child kept locked his entire life in a squalid apartment by his depraved mother. But when Bubby - who can only communicate by mimicking what others say and do - escapes into the outside, he soon discovers the wonders of sex, crime, rock & roll and pizza. Will this 'mad bastard' be destroyed by the realities of our cruel world, or does a higher calling ultimately await him in the most unlikely place of all?Extras: Christ Kid, You're A Weirdo - Interview with Director Rolf De Heer Being Bubby - Interview with Star Nicholas Hope Confessor Caressor - Short Film Starring Nicholas Hope (20 mins) Theatrical Trailer Poster & Still Gallery

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The Wiggles - Getting Strong (2007) Review

The Wiggles - Getting Strong (2007)
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I bought Getting Strong for my 2 year old son who is a huge Wiggles Fan. We have all of the DVDs that are out. I was afraid that Getting Strong was going to tank with him because this is the first DVD with Sam as the yellow Wiggle. To my surprise it is a big hit. Not only with my 2 year old but with my 4 year old. Finally a DVD that they both agree on.
Getting Strong is not like any other Wiggle DVD. Each Wiggle has an equal part in the singing and dancing. You actually hear Jeff sing!!!! It is colorful and has very catchy songs. This DVD also is very educational. The Wiggles teach colors, letters, shapes and letter sounds. The seem to have focused on education then song this go around. Not to say the songs are not cute as always.
For those who attended Wiggle World at Six Flags, these are the songs that were playing on all of the rides.
Very cute! Way to go!


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1/23/2012

Wise Blood (1979) Review

Wise Blood (1979)
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"WISE BLOOD" is an overlooked jewel.
Southern writer Flannery O'Connor's first novel, "Wise Blood," made it to the big screen in 1979. The John Huston directed, low budget feature was widely praised and then practically forgotten.
O'Connor was a devout Catholic. She was also battling lupus, the sometimes debilitating immune disorder. Both factors may have colored her novel. Huston was a devout atheist. His world view certainly nuanced the tone of the film.
The story concerns a somewhat troubled, perhaps damaged, youth, Hazel Motes (Brad Dourif). Just out of the army and son of a fire and brimstone Pentecostal preacher, Motes is determined to open the first Church Withouth Christ in Taulkinham, Tennessee.
A young Brad Dourif is brilliant as the driven, vexed, Motes. There's not a false note or a wasted frame. His is a journey of spiritual self-exploration, penance and perhaps redemption. O'Connor's curiosity about the southern brand of Pentecostal mind set is riveting on film. Motes is trying to shed the damage of his ferocious religious childhood, but cannot shed his spirituality. He finds he's a Christian in spite of himself.
Supporting actors Harry Dean Stanton, Amy Wright, Ned Beatty, William Hickey and Dan Shor are all spot on.
The frisson between director Huston's disdain for religion and O'Connor's devoutness is a perfect match. The screenplay by brothers Benedict and Michael Fitzgerald does not stray from the core events, tone and ideas of O'Connor's story.
The obviously lower budget production, shot mostly in Macon, Georgia of the late 1970s, does not really detract, even though the novel is set in a somewhat earlier period.
The use of older, rather decayed buildings and locations amidst a more modern setting give a kind of muddy, out-of-time, appeal. A nice visual metaphor to the theme of old fundamentalist religious views in conflict with a more progressive spirituality.
This is a unique film and story. Hard to categorize. For me, it's a darkly comic, decidedly gothic, tale of profound spirituality and humanism. When the shoot was over, Huston said, "I think I've been had."
Criterion's transfer, as usual, is clean and sharp. I thought the color was unusually true and subtle. And the period monaural track crisp and easy on the ear.
The extras are all watchable. The new interviews with Dourif and the writer-producer brothers Fitzgerald are entertaining and informative.
A huge bonus is the rare recording of Flannery O'Connor reading her famous and terrific short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is alone probably worth the price of the disc! This is the only known recording of the author reading one of her stories.
There's also a wonderful vintage 1982 "Creativity With Bill Moyers" with director Huston.

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1/04/2012

The Wiggles: Here Comes the Big Red Car (2006) Review

The Wiggles: Here Comes the Big Red Car (2006)
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Yes, this is for the most part a remake of the decade old Wiggles Dance Party. Some people will contend that this is a good thing because that video shows the children's group early on without the advantages of a big budget for fancy sets and costumes. However, that video has a few things going for it that this stale and plodding remake doesn't: Charm, Wit and Enthusiam. There's just no Wiggly magic in this DVD.
As with the last few Wiggles DVD releases (Cold Spagetti Western and Sailing Around The World) this project just feels slapped together to make a quick buck. A remake of old tunes where the aging Wiggles quickly sleepwalk and lipsynch through some of their older tunes in a halfhearted effort to milk a cashcow. Yes, now the Wiggles can drive down a crowded Austrailian freeway in their fancy Big Red Car golf cart on the back of a flatbed truck but how cool is that when nothing feels inspired about the effort? The extensive touring these guys have been doing around the world of the last few years have made then wealthy and may prohibit them from having the time of turning out a good collection of new tunes/a descent DVD as you can tell the kiddie fab four are overworked these days and just aren't enjoying the gig like they used too. It's the kids entertainment and parents wallet that suffers as a result.
Missed is the peppy interaction of the 4 wiggles with one another in their wiggly world, the campy wiggly settings are gone, the young kids who interacted and danced with the wiggles have been majorly scaled back, officer beeples is MIA, the waggettes and AWOL, and the overall charm the group used to be shrouded with is dissapating. Now we get the feeling that the wiggles are more interested in touring, putting in quick appearences in their features, and turning more of the entertainment duties to the bumbling raspy singing tone deaf Captian Feathersword.
Now My kids love the good Captain when he's a secondary player that compliments the Wiggles. They quickly lose interest when he's the spotlight character though. He gets boring fast when thrust into that role with his way too large, wooden and humorless crew. The dozen or so crew members try their best to but funny but only come off robotic, overly corny and irritating. All of their scenes are poorly written, seem forced, and majorly dumbed down to even pre-schoolers. When the Wiggles were at their best they didn't treat their young audience like they were stupid. If the creative force behind these DVD efforts wants to spin the Captain off into his own series then I wish they'd get along with it; My kids and I want to see the Wiggles featured when we buy a Wiggles DVD. A little Captain Feathersword is an enjoyable thing; when he carries the show it's con job and an annoyance. I'll skip over the whole sequence where the crew keeps saying that the new pointless admiral character "Really is a good bloke!" everytime we watch this DVD in the future (thankfully it won't be often).
The two all new songs are a mixed bag as well. I don't like the captian's raspy sandpaper voice and it's best used is small quanties when propped up by Dorothy's and Greg's beautiful singing. No such luck here... "I Want To Wear The Jacket" is as repetitive as it is abysmal. The remakes of his other classic Feathersword tunes aren't too bad but the dancing sequences are uninspired. The other only other new tune is also a Captian lead song called "Sorry Again". It's got a good morale message and is propped up by some good backup vocals.
Overall "Here Comes The Big Red Car" is another poor tossed together buffet of past Wiggly classics with a huge side helping of overcooked Captain Feathersword. I hope whoever is managing and directing the Wiggles careers gets their act together because they are ruining a once great property with their poor DVD efforts. Almost all of these songs have been done several times on DVD before and pulled off with more enthusiam, panache, and sincerity.



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12/08/2011

Joni Mitchell - Woman of Heart and Mind: A Life Story (2003) Review

Joni Mitchell - Woman of Heart and Mind: A Life Story (2003)
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This is a sensitive and beautifully made documentary that I recommend highly.
Joni is one of my favorite musicians. I have been listening to her on a regular basis for over 30 years. As a result, my expectations for this kind of film were high, and overall I was pleased with what I saw.
By far the most appealling part of this documentatary is the wonderful archival footage of a young Joni doing a number of her great early songs. This material simply shimmers with an almost other worldly glow. The retelling of the writing of her song Woodstock all but had me in tears, it was so moving and evocative.
The commentary by people who knew her well, such as David Crosby, Graham Nash, David Geffin, and others, is thoughtful and very enlightening. Recent footage from an interview with Joni herself is also very engaging.
Ultimately I would like to read a really long, really thorough biography that would explain all the complicated details that make up this extraordinary woman's life. There just wasn't enough room to dig into some of the most interesting transitions in her complicated life in this beautifully made, two hour long film. I still hunger for more information.
Joni is such an intelligent woman, and many of the decisions in her later life would make interesting material for a more in depth exploration. Her relationship to jazz, the development of breakthrough albums such as Hejira and Mingus, her personal thoughts on other musicians, etc. All of this would be interesting to read about in more depth.
But one needs to recoginize the limitations of the genre. You can only do so much in a documentary film. And certainly one understands why there was so much focus on her early career, given the almost transcendent power of the early archival footage. The early Joni was a being from another planet, or some parallel idealized universe, almost impossibly beautiful and talented. Given the nature of this early footage, it is easy to forget that she became more interesting as she grew older.
Overally, this is excellent work, a must see for any one who really loves Joni's work and wants to know more about her.
(If one gives every film that one really likes 5 stars, then how can you highlight those truly stellar films that all but change our lives. This is a great film, but I can only bring myself to give it 4 stars. It's very good, but it's not a Bergman or Fellini film.)

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DVD CHAPTERS Childhood/Beginnings All I Want * Urge for Going * Little Green * Both Sides Now Night in the City * I Had a KingGreenwich Village/Laurel Canyon (The 60's) Cactus * Circle Game * Chelsea Morning * Ladies of the Canyon Just Like Me * Positively 4th Street (Bob Dylan)First Record/Carnegie Hall/Woodstock Marcie * Conversation * Morning Morgantown * WoodstockRomance with Graham Nash/Creative Process My Old Man * The Agreement * California * Our House (Graham Nash) Get Together (Graham Nash)Blue/Retreat/Transformation Blue * A Case For You * For Free * River * For the Roses I'm a Radio * Raised on Robbery * Same SituationNew Musical Languages/Painting Amelia * Hejira * Coyote * Cotton Avenue * Chair in the Sky Dry Cleaner from Des Moines * Goodbye Pork Pie HatMarriage and Divorce/Social Commentary/Honors Wild Things Run Fast * Underneath the Streetlight * Come in From the Cold Dog Eat Dog * Sex Kills * Taming the TigerFull Circle Stay in Touch * Both Sides Now

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9/26/2011

The Buddy Holly Story (1978) Review

The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
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I'm a huge fan of Gary Busey, who may not be a "star" but is nevertheless a great actor. This is by far his best performance, & I feel he deserved the best actor oscar more than Jon Voight (who won for Coming Home). Few people know that Busey was a musician before he was an actor, so in this awesome musical biography of Buddy Holly we get to see just how talented he is. The film is mostly factual, although some screen characters are actually composites of two or more people. The energy in Busey's performance is what makes this a winner. Not only did he sing, he did it while being filmed live! That's what gives this such a realistic look to it & it's why this stands out among the other musical biographies as one of the best. There was also a lot of unscripted dialogue that makes this even more entertaining. The best thing about the dvd is the hilarious & very informative commentary from the director Steve Rash & Gary Busey, which is almost as good as the film itself! This is an excellent tribute to a lengendary rock & roll icon & it won an oscar for best score adaptation. Do yourself a favor, add this great film to your collection!

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BUDDY HOLLY STORY - DVD Movie

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9/19/2011

Stomp Out Loud (1997) Review

Stomp Out Loud (1997)
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What astounds me about these dance/percussion numbers is their intricacy, which must have required relentless rehearsing, and yet there is almost an improvisational, immediate quality about them; some of them are performed on a stage, some on location in New York City, and they seamlessly segue from one to another. I especially like the transition from the alley ball game into the kitchen with the marvelous cigar-chomping chef.
This innovative show was created in the early 90s in the U.K. by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas (who met in 1981 as members of a street band called "Pookiesnackenburger") and they share directorial credits for this HBO film; the show in its stage version has received numerous awards with its many productions around the globe.
Some of these performers have star quality, and it's a shame names are not put to the faces, but with so many different casts world-wide, even the ones in this film remain only as part of a list in alphabetical order. The cinematography is also excellent, by Christophe Lanzenberg.
One would think that a wordless show with only percussion for music would become monotonous, but it captures and holds our attention because of its imaginitive skill, its humor, and the talent and energy of its performers. Dance fans will love "Stomp Out Loud". Total running time is 50 minutes, and that includes a 5 minute sketch on the who, how, and where of the film.

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STOMP OUT LOUD - DVD Movie

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