Cover Me Monday: Iron Man
The Cardigans‘ cover of Black Sabbath‘s “Iron Man” is another example of what I truly love about cover songs…when the artist doing the covering transforms the song to the point that it is not even recognizable or has been changed around to fit an entirely different musical genre. In the case of this version of “Iron Man” The Cardigans do their very best Portishead impression to make the dark rock anthem something a bit less heavy and foreboding but still cool. The Cardigans – Iron Man Continue reading Cover Me Monday: Iron Man
Bad Movies That Rock: Tuff Turf
Devil Horns Rating:
What’s It About?
A troubled teen moves across country from the suburbs of Connecticut to the mean streets of some unnamed slum in Los Angeles Valley. Immediately upon his arrival he draws the ire of the local gang leader and develops an attraction with the gang leaders girlfriend that leads to a series of run-ins with the gang and a final battle that only one will walk away from.
Good, Bad & Ugly Review: Chronicle
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 85% (Critics) / 86% (Audience)
Directed By: Josh Trank
Written By: Max Landis and Josh Trank
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly and Alex Russell
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Synopsis: Three high school students make an incredible discovery that gives them all telekinetic abilities. Their powers bring them closer together in the beginning but before long one of the friends gives in to his darker impulses and events careen out of control.
Trailer of The Day: God Bless America
Loveless, jobless, possibly terminally ill, Frank has had enough of the downward spiral of America. With nothing left to lose, Frank takes his gun and offs the stupidest, cruelest, and most repellent members of society. He finds an unusual accomplice: 16-year-old Roxy, who shares his sense of rage and disenfranchisement. – IMDB
Shuffling On My iPod: Die Antwoord
Die Antwoord is a South African hip-hop trio (there is a DJ to go along with the photogenic twosome in the picture) with a pretty singular style and sound about them. “I Fink U Freeky” is their newest song and it has grown on me like a malicious tumor. The video for the song also may be the greatest thing to ever appear on YouTube this side of the Spirit of Truth. Die Antwoord – I Fink U Freeky Continue reading Shuffling On My iPod: Die Antwoord
Spartacus: Vengeance Episode 1 Review
Synopsis: The third season of the STARZ network’s sword and sandals series about gladiator slaves rebelling against their Roman masters. This season sees a recasting of the main character and a move away from gladiator training to a full on slave rebellion.
My Take: The first thought I had upon seeing Liam McIntyre (stepping into the late Andy Whitfield’s shoes as the titular character) was that he looked kinda tall. That notion was born out upon seeing his first encounter with Manu Bennett’s Crixus where McIntyre seemed to be half a head taller than him. One of the things that always stood out about Andy Whitfield in this role was that he was almost always guaranteed to be smaller than all the other gladiators he was in scenes with (except for Crixus) and when he would eventually triumph over them it made the feat that much more impressive.
The Wayback Machine: No One Gets the Prize
I love R&B music. I was raised in a household where it was played all the time and the music of the 70s and 80s really holds a special place in my heart. As I have grown older I find myself looking back to those times and noticing that some truly great music was released back then that came and went with very little fanfare and even less recognition. To that end I have decided to share some of the R&B music that I think deserves to be heard and appreciated.
Sherman, set the Wayback Machine to 1979!
Continue reading “The Wayback Machine: No One Gets the Prize”
Good, Bad & Ugly Review: The Artist
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 97% (Critics) / 92% (Audience)
Directed By: Michel Hazanavicius
Written By: Michel Hazanavicius
Starring: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo and John Goodman
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Synopsis: With the arrival of talking pictures the career of a silent movie star begins to fade into oblivion while the object of his affection sees her own star rise just as fast.
Good, Bad & Ugly Review: My Soul To Take
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 9% (Critics) / 28% (Audience)
Directed By: Wes Craven
Written By: Wes Craven
Starring: Max Thieriot, John Magaro and Denzel Whitaker
Studio: Universal Pictures
Synopsis: A serial killer returns 16 years later to the town where he met his demise intent on killing the seven teenagers who were all born on the day of his death.
Happy Birthday Carol Channing!
Carol Channing was born on this day in 1921. While most of the whippersnappers in this generation will either not know who the hell Carol Channing is or think she is just a character from an episode of Family Guy (Up yours, young people!), in actuality Carol is a veteran of stage and screen with multiple Tony Awards and even an Oscar nomination. Of course my love of Ms Channing comes from her iconic appearance as the White Queen in the 1985 Alice in Wonderland TV movie.
Good, Bad & Ugly Review: Straw Dogs
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 42% (Critics) / 35% (Audience)
Directed By: Rod Lurie
Written By: Rod Lurie
Starring: James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgård, James Woods
Studio: Sony Pictures/Screen Gems
Synopsis: A Los Angeles screenwriter David and his actress wife Amy relocate to her family home in a small town in the deep South after her father’s death. Before long old conflicts and relationships begin to boil leading to an explosive confrontation that the transplanted couple may not survive.
Cover Me Monday: A Sunday Kind Of Love
While most people associate the dearly departed songstress Etta James with her signature tune “At Last”, I have always been partial to her cover of this Louis Prima number that was first popularized in the 1940s by Fran Warren. “A Sunday Kind of Love” has been recorded by a laundry list of great performers from Ella Fitzgerald to Reba McEntire but to me it belongs to Etta James. A Sunday Kind Of Love Continue reading Cover Me Monday: A Sunday Kind Of Love
Crustula 