Spinning Platters – Page 3 – Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds

LA ONDA FESTIVAL IN NAPA IS LOOKING MIGHTY LOVELY!

Back in 1998, I was waiting for my girlfriend in front of The Warfield. This was pre-cellphone. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs were playing. The band finished their set, and THEN she showed. Very apologetic. I forgave her, and security let me buy a shirt. Sadly, it’s taken them 28 YEARS TO COME BACK TO THE BAY AREA!!!! They are the only playing three US shows (LA, San Diego, Napa), so it’s time for me to FINALLY head up to check out La Onda Festival, May 30th – 31st.

Who else is playing? Well, the kings of Rock en Español, Mana. Reggaeton master J Balvin, the funk metal band that is WAY better than RHCP: Molotov, the politically potent Ozomatli, the great Kinky, and a WHOLE LOT MORE. Tickets are on sale Friday, 2/13 at noon PST.

Single of the Week: “BLEACH” by Ecca Vandal

Yup. This is Ecca Vandal’s second single of the week appearance in less than a year. AND STILL NO ALBUM NEWS!??!?! AND STILL NO BAY AREA DATE?!?!?!?!?! “BLEACH” is a little less metal yet, somehow a lot heavier and harder. Ecca Vandal is the reigning queen of industrial music, keeping it chaotic, dark, and weird. And that lofi, pre-rock piano breakdown at the 2:30 mark before it turns into a rap song? CHILLS!

You can access “BLEACH” via all the usual places. NOW MAKE HER FINISH THAT RECORD SO SHE CAN COME TO OAKLAND! WE WILL MOSH FOR HER!!!

Film Review: “Dracula”

A style-over-substance vampiric jaunt through the ages

Dracula (Caleb Landry Jones) strolls through revelers in ‘Dracula.’

From Tod Browning to Francis Ford Coppola, Werner Herzog and Robert Eggers to Mel Brooks, and many in between, filmmakers love to put their stamp on Bram Stoker’s Dracula and/or its German offspring, Nosferatu. It seems that just about every year the Dracula story gets reimagined. Step up to the plate, writer/director Luc Besson (Léon, The Fifth Element, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets). Besson imprints the traditional Dracula story with his trademark strangeness, choosing to emphasize both humor and gothic romanticism while filling the frame with strong production design. Though this new Dracula is far from dull, and even features a few standout performances, the film’s erratic style and tonality keep the final product from reaching the emotional and cinematic heights of its most memorable predecessors. Continue reading “Film Review: “Dracula””

Film Review: “The Moment”

A heavy psychological drama disguised as fast-paced comedy

Charli XCX and Celeste (Hailey Gates) making their way to rehearsals.

It’s hard to take in a movie like The Moment without knowing the context surrounding it. It’s a faux-documentary about Charli XCX’s first-ever arena tour, which followed the surprise success of her 8th record, brat. Prior to brat, Charli’s only top 10 hits in the US came very early in her career, and she did not receive top billing, despite being the primary writer on both “I Love It” and “Fancy.” In the 10+ years since these massive songs hit the mainstream, Charli has largely remained in a “cult icon” status, producing underground club bangers that united LGBT club kids and indie rock hipsters, but she never really reached the massive stature she seemed primed for. She *thought* she had it figured out with 2022’s Crash. But even her attempt to construct a perfect pop record fell short of the goal, and brat was the response to that–a messy, noisy, emotionally complex affair that was expected to bomb. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Moment””

Film Review: “Whistle”

A bloody but iterative teen slasher

Chrys (Dafne Keen) blows the creepy whistle because why not, in ‘Whistle.’

Whistle, the newest horror film from director Corin Hardy (The Nun) and distributed by IFC and Shudder, is a smartly crafted exercise in mindless iteration. Like an eager groupie of the Final Destination franchise, Whistle riffs, steals, and honors the re-energized ‘90s franchise (Final Destination: Bloodlines was a surprise hit in 2025) to entertaining but ultimately forgettable ends. Whistle’s campy teenage horror proves the elasticity of the subgenre, even as the illogical script and unbalanced acting places a chokehold on the film’s effectiveness. Continue reading “Film Review: “Whistle””

Film Review: “Send Help”

Outwit, outplay, outlast: McAdams finds the fun in ultimate work revenge picture

Arrogant boss Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) and his employee Linda (Rachel McAdams) are the only survivors of a plane crash.

Before seeing Send Help, I had read some early buzz calling the film a cross between Castaway and Misery. After seeing it, however, I would posit that it’s actually more like Triangle of Sadness meets Office Space. Regardless of any cinematic comparisons, one thing is for certain: despite its inevitable descent into campy ridiculousness, Send Help provides some decent January escapism.

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SF Sketchfest Review: Wife Material with Sydney Kane at Eclectic Box, 1/25/26

Photos by Gabrielle f. Korein

Eclectic Box SF is the kind of small Mission venue where nothing is hidden, and everything lands a little harder, making it an ideal setting for Wife Material. The show arrived wrapped in an I Love Lucy-adjacent aesthetic, all bubblegum pink and tongue-in-cheek humor, but quickly revealed something far more anxious and intimate underneath. Kane entered in full Britney pink, with a headset mic, sorority curls pulled into a half-wedding updo, and towering six-inch square platform heels, immediately establishing both control and exposure. From the start, she blurred the line between performer and audience, pulling a small cluster of front-row participants into a scripted interaction that cracked the fourth wall and set the tone for the vulnerability to come. Behind her sat two nonchalant, middle-aged indie rock types on drums and keys, steady and almost indifferent, which only heightened the emotional contrast onstage.
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Film Review: “Shelter”

Another winter, another Statham action film

Michael Mason (Jason Statham) and Jesse (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) on the dance floor in ‘Shelter.’

Over the last few years, Jason Statham has become the patron saint of early-year action escapism: The Beekeeper (January 2024), The Working Man (March 2025), and now Shelter (January 2026). The Beekeeper 2 is also reportedly set for a January 2027 release. There’s just something about Statham’s no-nonsense handling of baddies within simple (yet silly) plots that seems to resonate with audiences as a way to kick-off a new year. Shelter is better than it needed to be, but worse than it could’ve been. Exciting but iterative, yet elevated by the strength of Ric Roman Waugh’s direction and Statham’s charisma, Shelter provides just enough emotion and action to withstand its shortcomings. Continue reading “Film Review: “Shelter””

SF Sketchfest Review: Smoke Show with Sweetin at BATS Improv Theater, 1/24/26

Photo by Tommy Lau

Dave Coulier is forever marked as the guy who enjoyed his time in the theater a little too much. Lori Loughlin is permanently associated with the worst college admissions scandal of all time. Candace Cameron is an outspoken Trump supporter. John Stamos has never heard Papa Roach. Being a Full House alumnus is a hard job.

But you know who has stayed under the radar as the coolest from the show? Jodie Fucking Sweetin. We interviewed her a few years ago, and it was really fun. In the last decade, she’s managed to endear herself to the LA stand-up and improv scene and done something that few people have succeeded at- she’s progressed from child stardom to a truly respected and admired artist. It takes a lot to get me out to a 10:30 PM show. But, yeah. I need to see Sweetin do her thing.

Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Smoke Show with Sweetin at BATS Improv Theater, 1/24/26”