Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
starring: Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Ari Graynor, Blythe Danner, Joel McHale, Chris Pratt, Martin Freeman, Zachary Quinto, Andy Samberg, Thomas Lennon, Ed Begley Jr., Anthony Mackie, Dave Annable
written by: Gabrielle Allan and Jennifer Crittenden
directed by: Mark Mylod
MPAA: Rated R for sexual content and language
Have you ever watched a cancer movie and thought, “You know what this needs? More dick jokes!” If so, 50/50 is the cancer movie for you. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Adam, who seems to have his life together: he works for a public radio station in Seattle, he has a devoted (if obnoxious) best friend, Kyle (Seth Rogen), and a beautiful girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard). But when Adam is suddenly diagnosed with cancer, his life begins to fall apart. His relationship with Rachael becomes increasingly strained, he is assigned a counselor named Katherine (Anna Kendrick) who is barely out of diapers, his overbearing mother (Anjelica Huston) won’t leave him alone, and Kyle keeps using Adam’s cancer to get himself laid. And if that sounds like too irreverent of a storyline for a film about cancer, then take it up with screenwriter Will Reiser. Because it’s inspired by his life.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Seth Rogen and Will Reiser on “50/50””
Summer festival season is over, but Fall music festival season is in full swing! Last weekend we had LovEvolution, and this weekend is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass…. And, since we are in the midst of a heatwave, fair citizens, it is time to embrace the nightlife, because this is a very, very busy week.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 9/29/11-10/05/11”
I have often said that electronic music concerts are the best example of an experience that can go one of two ways: either the dull setting of a single DJ with a mild array of lights and unreasonably loud walls of bass that do more to rattle your teeth than to provide enjoyable percussion, or a full-on experience — from either one man with a table covered in expensive gear, or an entire band centered around synths, drum machines, or other instruments of the digital age — with a dazzling visual accompaniment. It also helps, of course, if you have more to bring to the table than simple a throbbing house beat and a simple-yet-evolving methodology to your melody and rhythm; adding traditional or untraditional rock instruments, as well as an aesthetic that blends them with the sweeping pulses that make up the backbone of your sound, is a sure-fire way to something refreshing and undoubtedly successful. Such is the case with the Liverpool music collective known as Ladytron, who also up the scale every time they play by bringing an eclectic set of opening acts — guaranteeing an exciting show every time.
The Mill Valley Film Festival, one of the Bay Area’s most esteemed and prestigious film events, is returning for its 34th installment October 6-16. The MVFF has come to represent the first opportunity for Bay Area film buffs to check out festival favorites from the likes of Toronto, Venice, and Telluride before their theatrical releases, not to mention a chance to mingle with the talent; expected guests this year include Glenn Close, Martin Donovan, Luc Besson, Michelle Yeoh, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, and Ezra Miller. Last year’s festival featured the likes of 127 Hours, Blue Valentine, and eventual Best Picture winner The King’s Speech. Look after the jump for the top 12 films to check out this year.
Continue reading “The Spinning Platters Guide to the 34th Mill Valley Film Festival”
starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, Kerris Dorsey
written by: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin
directed by: Bennett Miller
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some strong language
There are few things more exciting than stumbling across a live show from an artist that you have never heard before. This Monday, at Knockout, SpinningPlatters is giving you that thrill. You and a guest can enjoy fine beverages at one of my outer mission bars, and enjoy the beautiful sounds of country singer Alana Amram & The Rough Gems. Check out he Van Dyke Parks assisted single Summer Winds right here, and to enter the contest, simply fill out this form!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 9/22/11-9/28/11”
Today, the very upsetting news was released that REM, after 31 years, has called it quits. This band was one of the most influential bands in the history of rock, and, in my humble opinion, ranking up there with The Beatles and Michael Jackson in terms of influence on society. Every blog on Earth is, of course, discussing this today. Everyone knows that their success opened the doors to the whole “alternative rock” movement, and their success, either directly or indirectly, made room for band such as Nirvana and The Flaming Lips on a major label roster, and their influence still remains today, with the fierce mainstream success of Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons. That’s not what this is about. This is about my own time spent with REM.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six: REM Songs That Helped Define Who I Am”
One of my favorite experiments is to go see a band that I know nothing about. Usually this tends to be a low key affair, in a small venue somewhere. It’s rare for a band to play a venue in the 3,000+ capacity range that I’ve managed to miss. Although it can easily be a gamble, the pay off can be great. On the warm Indian Summer night, I took the new band challenge.
It is frequently said that when you have a formula that works, it is safe to stick with it, but only to the point where you continue to be successful, and not past the point where you’ve entered a realm of dangerous repetition. In 2010 I stated that a popular trend was for a band to go on tour and, as their setlist, play one or more of their classic albums from start to finish. Some acts, such as the Melvins or A Perfect Circle, took up this concept and played multiple albums over multiple nights, and it was a true test of stamina for their fans to make it out for two or three nights in a row to see the entire collection of songs from their catalogue. However, when bassist Peter Hook and his band The Light returned to the Mezzanine in San Francisco to perform Joy Division’s posthumous classic Closer in its entirety, it was quite clear that a nearly-one-year-long wait was a brilliant decision, as it brought a new collection of energetic fans, an explosive performance from Hook and his band, and the reminder that the power and majesty of Joy Division’s music is still fiercely present over 30 years after the release of their final record.