starring: Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella
directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sexual content.
Film Review: “Unknown”
Spinning Platters Interview: Gregg Araki on “Kaboom”
For most of the ’90s, the name “Gregg Araki” was synonymous with edgy underground movies about armageddon and alienation, with bursts of disturbing violence and, most importantly for those of us who were going through puberty at the time, lots of graphic pansexual coupling. Emerging from the New Queer Cinema scene with films like The Living End and Totally Fucked Up, Araki earned his place in the cult-movie pantheon with his sex-and-apocalypse masterworks The Doom Generation and Nowhere.
Then, after 1999’s comparatively tame romantic comedy Splendor, Araki stunned fans and critics alike with the devastating drama Mysterious Skin, which starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a revelatory, career-best performance as a furious hustler living in the aftermath of the molestation he suffered as a young boy. Araki followed this with a much lighter offering, the delightful Anna Faris stoner comedy Smiley Face.
But for those of us who’ve always had a soft (or hard) spot for his ’90s heyday, there’s good news: the old Araki is back in business with Kaboom, which out-sexes and over-apocalypses even his most delirious big-screen moments. Araki recently sat down with Spinning Platters to discuss creative freedom, talking to Republicans about gay sex, and the Doom Generation commentary track we’ve all been waiting for.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Gregg Araki on “Kaboom””
Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/17/11 – 2/23/11
Next week is Noise Pop! If you’re not excited about Noise Pop for some reason, get excited about it! Look left, right now, see the pretty advertisement for the festival, click on it, and buy some tickets to something. But if you’re some sort of meany who hates Noise Pop and everything they stand for, there’s still plenty of shows for the likes of you. We don’t support the skipping of Noise Pop, but we do appreciate the variety of shows available this coming week. You can dance, wear purple, or be a black emperor. It’s a doozy!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/17/11 — 2/23/11”
Spinning Platters Interview: Alex Pettyfer on “I Am Number Four”
Alex Pettyfer is looking at a flyer with his name and picture on it. “ALEX PETTYFER!” he bellows in a mock-announcer voice. “And also, BAY AREA NATIVE DIANNA AGRON!” he reads, referring to the Glee actress and Burlingame native, also his I Am Number Four costar and rumored girlfriend. The flyer is advertising a promotional appearance Pettyfer and Agron will be making at a store in San Bruno the next day. “This is very impressive,” he says. “Just… wow.”
Like the rest of America, the 20-year-old Pettyfer isn’t quite used to seeing himself in the spotlight yet. As of this moment, the British native is still able to walk the streets largely unrecognized. Other than roles in such little-seen films as Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker and the Emma Roberts vehicle Wild Child (and his work as a Burberry model), there’s really no reason you should know him. But that all changes this Friday, with the release of the massively promoted, Michael Bay-produced I Am Number Four.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Alex Pettyfer on “I Am Number Four””
Show Review: Meat Beat Manifesto with Not Breathing at The Mezzanine, 2/11/2011
Today’s electronic music scene seems to be filled with performers that emphasize minimalism to the point of frustration. These days, an electronic performance can consist of a single person with little more than a laptop, a mixer (maybe), and some sort of interface to allow quick manipulation of the instruments on the fly — despite the fact that said person could simply just hit “go” and then bob their head to their beat-laden wall of sound. Therefore, excitement comes in the form of performances involving tables worth of analog gear thrown pell-mell across a stage, with wild projections and snarling, harsh noises created from both. This was the case on Friday evening, when the Mezzanine welcomed Swindon’s electronic veterans Meat Beat Manifesto for a night of furious bass, hyperactive beats, and brilliantly-crafted visual effects.
Continue reading “Show Review: Meat Beat Manifesto with Not Breathing at The Mezzanine, 2/11/2011”
Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/10/11 – 2/16/11
What does the Bay Area concert scene have in store for Valentine’s Day weekend? Look after the jump to find out.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/10/11 — 2/16/11”
Show Review: Tony Lucca with Joey Ryan at Cafe Du Nord, 2/8/2011
Of all of the LA-based singer-songwriters I enjoy seeing live, Tony Lucca is perhaps my favorite. While his peers seem content to bask in the sun, studio, or local LA venues, Tony faithfully treks up to the Bay to play for his “neighbors” on a regular basis. Furthermore, his show is sure to be a crowd pleaser, as he’s literally got something for everyone. Face-melting vocals? Check. Sincere, relatable, clever lyrics? Check. Rockin’ guitar skills? Check. Wit and charm to spare? Check. Former-Mousketeer good looks? Check.
Wait. What? Yes, you read that right, so let’s get it out of the way now: as a teenager, Tony was part of the Disney Channel’s MMC cast, alongside the other smiling faces of Keri Russell, Ryan Gosling, and Justin Timberlake. As an adult, however, he’s been steadily working as a solo artist since 1997. Since 2006’s Canyon Songs, he has toured steadily, sharing the stage with other talents like Tyrone Wells, Keaton Simons, Curtis Peoples, and most recently, Matt Duke and Jay Nash (with whom he released the excellent TFDI EP).
Continue reading “Show Review: Tony Lucca with Joey Ryan at Cafe Du Nord, 2/8/2011”
Sketchfest Review: An Evening with Cloris Leachman at the Castro Theatre, 2/5/11
“80. Fuckin’ 80.”
These were the first words that the legendary Cloris Leachman, who will actually be turning 85 in two months, said into her microphone at Idol Worship: An Evening with Cloris Leachman on Saturday, the main attraction of the 10th annual SF Sketchfest’s closing night, co-presented with Midnight Mass and hosted by “the very, very nervous” Peaches Christ. And Peaches had every right to be nervous: Ms. Leachman was as delightfully batty and unpredictable as the audience could have dared to hope.
Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: An Evening with Cloris Leachman at the Castro Theatre, 2/5/11”
Sketchfest Review: True Stories 25th Anniversary w/David Byrne Q&A
The closing night of the 10th San Francisco Sketchfest kicked off with a screening of the David Byrne directed True Stories, now celebrating its 25th year of existence. Because the founders of Sketchfest met at a screening of the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, also at the Castro Theater in 1998, this event was special to the Sketchfest crew. Along for the ride was author Paul Myers, who took on the moderator duties, and the director himself. Much like the movie itself, the Q&A afterward was a minor failure, with interesting bits. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: True Stories 25th Anniversary w/David Byrne Q&A”
Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/3/11-2/9/11
You know what’s awesome about February? It’s one step closer to Noise Pop, Fauxchella, and SXSW. It may be a little slow, but there are plenty of reasons not to go to bed early this week.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/3/11-2/9/11”