Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Thus begins my daunting task of compressing the highlights of 35 hours worth of music, comedy, and food into a mere three posts. It’s not easy, as this was definitely one of my favorite Outside Lands experiences ever, with the most even distribution of wonderful things to do that I’ve ever enjoyed from this shindig. Here’s how it all started:
Into the Storm is one of those movies in which you can easily tell how most of, if not all, the budget was spent. The tornado sequences look great. There’s a lot of debris flying around, making a mess. I’m sure that if I were to compare the destructive tornadoes in 1996’s Twister to those in Into the Storm, the latter would make the former look silly and cartoonish. But taken in its entirety, Into the Storm makes Twister look like a masterpiece (my apologies to those who were of this opinion of Twister already). Into the Storm, aside from a few intense in-the-thick-of-it moments, completely misses the mark. A weak story, awkward acting, and makeshift dialogue derail Into the Storm, and even the tornadoes are welcome interruptions from the sloppy storyline, rather than harbingers of impending doom.
Pay close attention to the title. The word is ‘calvary’, not ‘cavalry’. If you go into watching Calvary expecting to see a charging army on horseback, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Calvary, titled after the name of the hill outside Jerusalem where Christ was crucified and also a term used to describe great suffering, is a very dark yet beautiful and at times humorously allegorical tale. The film is also a pointed study on the rocky relationship between Ireland and the Catholic church. It’s a very tightly bound film without much fluff — with no air to breathe, Calvary can sometimes come across as contrived or forced. This winds up benefitting the film, since moments of contrivance are superseded by how these moments challenge our morality and judgmental nature. Calvary expects us to listen closely to what the characters have to say, but also to open ourselves up to heavy discussions on the nature of sin, faith, life and death. It’s a tall order, indeed, but one that the film handles intelligently.
The Guardians of the Galaxy, the superhero team, was an odd choice for a Marvel movie. They’re not famous, which should make them a hard sell to the mainstream audiences that these movies are expected to attract. It could have gone really wrong, but because they’re oddballs operating out in space where they can’t interact with our earthbound heroes, the movie Guardians of the Galaxy is a delightful throwback romp. Continue reading “Film Review: Guardians of the Galaxy”
Director Tate Taylor, who most recently brought Kathryn Stockett’s best selling novel The Help to the big screen, tries his hand at true life material in Get on Up, a biopic of the Godfather of Soul himself, the legendary James Brown. The results are mixed; tonally, the picture is a bit uneven, but some fine performances elevate the proceedings, and the soundtrack alone is almost worth the price of admission. Continue reading “Film Review: Get on Up”
Some people enjoy movies because they provide an escape from the hardships of real life. To them, the more out-of-this-world, the better. Other people enjoy realistic movies the most – the movies that capture the intricacies of real human behavior, real emotions, and stories grounded in reality. Happy Christmas will definitely please the latter group of movie watchers, but has a rather good shot at pleasing the former group, too. Director Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies) is a rising talent getting known for his acute handling of complex onscreen relationships. Happy Christmas is Swanberg’s most mature film to date, capturing a segment in the life of a few in a way that doesn’t rely on overly dramatic instances to drive the plot. In doing so, the film is actually a pleasant invitation into another family’s life, one in which the characters ring true.
Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro
As it has every summer for the past 6 years, the Rockstar Energy Drink MAYHEM Festival rocked Shoreline Amphitheater on July 6, 2014.
While it was nearly impossible to photograph all 18 bands that performed on 4 stages, and due to not yet being able to be in two places at one time, I missed King 810, Texas Hippie Coalition, Miss May I, Veil of Maya, and all of the bands on the Victory Records stage (Wretched, Islander, Erimha; Emmure started the tour on the next show).
Below are photo galleries from Avenged Sevenfold, KoRn, Asking Alexandria, Trivium, Cannibal Corpse, Body Count w/Ice-T, Suicide Silence, Mushroomhead, Darkest Hour, and Upon a Burning Body.
Continue reading “Photo Gallery: Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival — July 6, 2014”
This is the week leading up to Outside Lands. Which means, of course, that you should be training. Listening to music at loud volumes, walking 7 miles a day, subsisting on beer and trail mix, etc. Of course you should go see a band a day until it’s time to spend three days in a park with, well, BANDS! So go see a few: Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 7/31/14-8/6/14”
Jenny Lewis is back! And, she’s brought herself with her. The Voyager is Lewis’ first solo record in six years, and appropriately named due to the long journey the new collection of songs took to find themselves together on a record. Since Rilo Kiley officially split in 2011, Lewis involved her talented musicianship in a few endeavors, meanwhile she dealt with a long bout with insomnia and the death of her father. The Voyager is a pronouncement of her strength and resilience. The record enshrouds brutal honesty and confessions within a blanket of summer pop jangles and melodious hooks.
Who here wants to see the “real” story of Hercules?! Anyone?…Anyone? Bueller? Just as I expected, this was not something that needed to be told, and it’s even the second revisionist tale of Hercules to be released this year (The Legend of Hercules — 3% on Rotten Tomatoes). This one stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and is directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X:Men: The Last Stand). What this means is that you can expect 120 minutes of passable escapism, primarily due to Ratner’s involvement rather than The Rock’s presence. The widely disliked Ratner is known for his surface-level entertainment films, Red Dragon the only possible exception, and his newest film is no different. Hercules is stripped of mythology and magic, leaving us with a predictable and bland sword and sandals mini-epic.
