Film Review: “Priscilla”

Coppola operates with tender precision in Priscilla

When considering last year’s Baz Luhrmann film Elvis (if you will humor me for a moment), it’s a challenge to identify a more tonal antithesis than Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. Where Elvis is noisy and energetic, Priscilla is quiet and mellow. Where Elvis is over-the-top and wide-reaching, Priscilla is narrow and understated. They are two vastly different films focused on two vastly different characters. Priscilla, though, is the better film. The comparisons are inevitable, despite their distinct objectives. Priscilla represents a delicate portrayal of Priscilla Presley’s experience with Elvis, from meetup to breakup, almost exclusively from her point of view. Continue reading “Film Review: “Priscilla””

Show Review: Cavalera Conspiracy w/Exhumed, Incite, Thrown Into Exile, and SANGRE at The Wiltern, 10/18/2023

Cavalera: The REAL Sepultura

Show Review and Los Angeles Photos by: Oliver Brink
San Francisco Photos by: Alan Ralph @AlanHasPicks

This one was a bit special for me. Sepultura is a band that I fell deeply in love with in high school, and their music and the continued projects of Max Cavalera have been with me constantly as I navigate my way through life. I always find moments where I just need a song like “Refuse/Resist” or “Troops of Doom” to help me get through a moment of angry energy. So, of course, I had to jump at a chance to see Max and Iggor Cavalera, finally, and when that opportunity arrived, I jumped right the hell on it, even if it meant going to one of my least favorite venues to photograph. More on that later; bands first!

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Film Review: “Five Nights at Freddy’s”

Grin and Fazbear it: Frightfully fun feature fares fine

Abby (Piper Rubio) gazes upon some potential new friends at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. 

If you’re looking to take the family out for a Halloween movie this week, you could do worse than Five Nights at Freddy’s. It’s rated PG-13, which already makes it more kid- friendly than most R-rated Halloween fare. The rating no doubt was purposeful, so as to allow legions of young fans access: the film is based on a hugely popular video game of the same name. I’ve never played the game, so I may not be the film’s target audience, but as a lightweight horror movie, it’s amusing enough for a mixed audience of game fans, non-fans, kids and adults. The scares are mostly fun, the gore level is mostly low, and the plot is mostly silly.

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Show Review: BabyKlok Tour at The Youtube Theater, 10/12/23

“DEATH! DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!”

Sometimes, I get really tired of writing. It’s probably why these articles end up being late every damn time. Trying to think of good opening lines or hooks to pull you, the reader, in when I’m fairly confident you’re probably just here for the photos because how could you possibly relate to my subjective experience of these bands or live music in general? Yet, here I am, all self-deprecation aside, about to rattle on about why you should have been at one of the BabyKlok Tour shows regardless of which of these two juggernauts in their own rights is your favorite. Let’s get on with it, shall we?

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Film Review: “The Persian Version”

The Persian Version brims with undeniable filmmaker and character charisma

Culture clashes often make for compelling cinema, usually dramatic, routinely funny, and occasionally timely. And when a single character can inhibit both sides of the culture clash, the results can have more resonant meaning. The Persian Version, an indie dramedy from writer/director Maryam Keshavarz, contains such a character — representing a timely and bold exploration of the Iranian-American experience. It’s commendable that The Persian Version doesn’t feel like a studio comedy. It’s full of stylistic flare, unlikely story threads, and vibrant music, embracing the creative freedom that pulsates at the heart of its central characters.

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Show Review: The Breeders with Belly at The Warfield, 10/23/23

On October 24th, 1993, my uncle brought me out to see my favorite band, Belly, as an early birthday present at The Warfield. I was *just* about to turn 13, and it was tradition for us to be taken to our first concert by our uncle. (My sister, a few years earlier, was treated with REM on the legendary Green tour. We are all pretty nerdy kids.) That was literally 30 years ago. Since then, I’ve probably gone to 100s of shows at The Warfield (especially since I worked there for a spell), and live music has essentially been a cornerstone of my life ever since. However, I wasn’t expecting to return to the place where it all started, WITH the band it started with, in time for that anniversary. On top of that, they would be supporting The Breeders! The Last Splash is a record that I know by heart, and although I never got to see them in their original go around, that record was one of my initial “Buy 5 for the price of 1” BMG record club picks! (The rest? Pork Soda by Primus, Human Wheels by John Mellencamp, Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix, and Ramonesmania.)  Continue reading “Show Review: The Breeders with Belly at The Warfield, 10/23/23”

Film Review: “Beyond Utopia”

Beyond Utopia is documentary filmmaking at its most thrilling and courageous, an essential viewing

Many of the best documentaries are ones that reach behind the scenes, peering into forbidden corners of society, and often the very existence of their footage pose risks to the filmmakers and their subjects. These influential films beg the question, how did they capture that?! It must have been extremely dangerous! The unfortunate reality is that the subject matters that require the most extreme precautions are also the ones that are most in need of public exposure. This is the case for Beyond Utopia, a new documentary that shows the real trials and tribulations of fleeing North Korea in unprecedented footage.

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Film Review: “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Best reasons to see Scorsese’s new picture? De Niro, DiCaprio, and Gladstone

Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) shares a moment with his wife Mollie (Lily Gladstone).

Much has been made of the length of director Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which clocks in at three hours and 26 minutes. But give the guy some credit: his previous film, 2019’s much lauded The Irishman, ran three hours and 29 minutes. So he’s heard you, and has let you out of your seat a full three minutes earlier this time. What a guy! But seriously–while a few scenes do feel like they could be trimmed, others you’ll wish you could dwell in longer. For the most part, then, the run time becomes a non-issue. The story is so well told that you’ll remain fully engaged throughout the majority of this sobering but absorbing picture.

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Single of the Week: “DANCER” by IDLES

Somehow, in the many years I’ve been doing this column, we haven’t awarded IDLES with the Single Of The Week prize. THAT CHANGES THIS WEEK! Amazingly, the politically charged UK punk band gives us a song that’s just plain fun? I genuinely appreciate music and dancing, and it’s warm and fuzzy and fills me with great joy. 

“DANCER” is the first single off IDLES’ upcoming full-length record, TANGK, coming to you on February 16th. Preorders and such can be found here. 

Show Review: Maneskin at Oakland Arena, 10/13/2023

Ever since the first time I heard Måneskin’s “I Wanna Be Your Slave” (and their excellent cover of The Four Seasons’ “Beggin’”), I was hooked. There’s something about the sounds of Damiano David’s voice that just captivates me, and the entire band just has a tight, catchy, fantastic sound that I can’t seem to get enough of. I didn’t get to catch them when they played the Masonic last November, so believe me when I say that I was not going to miss the Italian band’s first US arena tour. The Rush! World Tour came to Oakland Arena this past weekend (on Friday the 13th, no less), and I couldn’t have been more excited to hear them live. Continue reading “Show Review: Maneskin at Oakland Arena, 10/13/2023”