To encourage a bit more variety in my blogging posts and to help distance this site from the one of old, I’m installing this monthly post where I summarize the previous month’s activity in a wraparound that will hopefully give people the chance to go back and find stuff they might have missed, as well as … Continue reading Month in Review: November ’17
#musicianship
Sing Street
Release: Friday, April 15, 2016 (limited) [Netflix] Written by: John Carney Directed by: John Carney John Carney returns to the emerald-green shores of his native Ireland for his latest quasi-musical/romantic comedy Sing Street, his third such feature after 2007's Once and 2014's Begin Again. Though it possesses many of the traits that made his higher-profile, New York-set dramedy an … Continue reading Sing Street
Dream Theater’s The Astonishing — Live
On Wednesday, October 19, 2016 the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark hosted Dream Theater for 'An Evening With' as the progressive-metal giants played in its entirety their brand new album, the sprawling odyssey that is The Astonishing -- an epic tale of betrayal, loss, hope and redemption set in a dystopian future circa 2285 in an … Continue reading Dream Theater’s The Astonishing — Live
Janis: Little Girl Blue
Release: Friday, November 27, 2015 (limited) [Netflix] Written by: Amy J. Berg Directed by: Amy J. Berg Janis: Little Girl Blue isn't the whole puzzle but it offers up a lot of significant pieces in its exploration of the life of iconic blues rocker Janis Joplin. The account offers a celebration of a life cut tragically short, … Continue reading Janis: Little Girl Blue
Deathgasm
Release: Friday, October 2, 2015 (limited) [Netflix] Written by: Jason Lei Howden Directed by: Jason Lei Howden Visual effects artist Jason Lei Howden's blood-splattered horror-comedy debut may operate within some fairly limited confines but budgetary constraints seemingly have no effect on the creativity of his project and its metal-as-f**k attitude. So you come to expect a few things with a title like … Continue reading Deathgasm
On Dream Theater and the upcoming concept album
It's no secret that yours truly is a diehard Dream Theater fan. (I suppose it's somewhat of a secret seeing as I've only mentioned the New York-based band once on this site in the last four years.) I have attended three concerts -- one in Atlanta in 2005, one in Cleveland, OH in 2007 and one in … Continue reading On Dream Theater and the upcoming concept album
Straight Outta Compton
Release: Friday, August 14, 2015 [Theater] Written by: Jonathan Herman; Andrea Berloff Directed by: F. Gary Gray F. Gary Gray's first directorial outing in six years debuted last weekend to the most successful opening for a musical biopic in cinematic history. Ignoring the 20 years that have elapsed since the tragic passing of N.W.A founder Eazy-E the occasion might … Continue reading Straight Outta Compton
Love & Mercy
Release: Friday, June 5, 2015 (limited) [Theater] Written by: Oren Moverman; Michael Alan Lerner Directed by: Bill Pohlad Capturing the life of one of rock'n roll's most luminous figures in The Beach Boys' very own Brian Wilson poses obvious challenges. Painting broad strokes risks missing all those curious little imperfections, while delving into a day-in-the-life could yield a movie so … Continue reading Love & Mercy
Frank
Release: Friday, September 5, 2014 (limited) [Netflix] Written by: Jon Ronson; Peter Straughan Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson Any film that strives to turn Domhnall Gleeson into a thoroughly unlikable character is one I'm uncomfortable watching. Frank is just such a film. Focusing on an aspiring musician who stumbles upon an eccentric pop band with an unpronounceable name (they call themselves … Continue reading Frank
Whiplash
Release: Friday, October 10, 2014 (limited) [Theater] Written by: Damien Chazelle Directed by: Damien Chazelle I know that Terence Fletcher wouldn't give a rat's you-know-what about any kind of critique of his performance or his teaching methods. So we'll keep this between us, okay? I don't want a chair thrown at me, thank you very much. In this surprisingly … Continue reading Whiplash
