04.24.07
Official Break
Hello all,
I’m going to be taking a brief hiatus (as you’ve probably already noticed). But I will be back in May, definitely in time to get some sweet summer music updates to you. Try not to cry.
04.13.07
Def Leppard Festival Dates Posted
| JULY 2007 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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WED | 11 | Walker, MN | Moondance Jam | festival show | TIX & INFO |
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SAT | 21 | Sarnia, ON | Sarnia Bayfest | festival show | TIX & INFO |
|
SUN | 22 | Farwell, MI | Mountain Rock Fest 2007 | festival show | TIX & INFO |
|
THU | 26 | Minot, ND | North Dakota State Fair | festival show | TIX & INFO |
|
SAT | 28 | Cheyenne, WY | Cheyenne Frontier Days | festival show | TIX & INFO |
Tah-dah! Five new festival dates in the glorious month of July 2007 have been posted for those of you who still listen to Def Leppard. Thanks to the reader who tipped me off on this one! The tour’s still in the early stages of planning, obviously. I’ll try to stay on top of any updates.
04.09.07
Thrice Aiming for September Release Date
I finally interviewed Dustin! Woo hoo!
Okay. Got that out of the way. But in our interview, Dustin mentioned a September release date for the new four-disc elements project Thrice is currently working on. I have absolutely no idea if he’s mentioned this in other interviews or not, but it’s news to me, so I present it to you. All I’ve gleaned from reading the blog is that they’re in the studio and that they’re wrapping things up…sort of. This is the first official word that I’ve heard of a speculative release date, so let’s call it news. Dustin also mentioned that the album will be released as a single unit, and they’re trying to keep prices down. I believe him. Vheissu is only 6 bucks on iTunes, I got The Artist in the Ambulance (my first Thrice record) for ten bucks brand new with the special packaging, and Dustin’s solo album was on sale at Best buy for 8 bucks (no more than 10 normally). Additionally, the guys will be donating a specified amount from each record sold to a nonprofit as they’ve done since Identity Crisis. I’ll type up a transcript of the chat ASAP (Brand New is tonight!)
Movie Review: Grindhouse
Grindhouse, the only horror double feature playing on the market right now, is quite a work of film. The entire thing’s dripping with sarcasm and hyperbole, and it looks like directors Robert Rodriguez and Q. Tarantino were just aiming for a good time. In fact, so is everybody. The 3+ hour run starts off with emulated old school previews ripped straight from the screens of early grindhouse films. The first preview is for a fake film titled “Machete”, which puts the best spin on the whole illegal immigration debacle yet – giving one of them a blade and turning him into a maniacal killer. The preview is an excellent way to start the movie – reminding the audience that what they’re about to watch is going to be over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek, and irreverent above all else. Grindhouse films were known for their sensationalism, for their shock value, and it’s fitting that not only does Rob Zombie (“shock rocker”) leave his directorial mark on the film (with another fake preview PLUS an authentic trailer for Zombie’s upcoming remake of the classic horror film Halloween) but both features star Rose McGowan, veteran of the Scream trilogy and ex-girlfriend to Marilyn Manson (“shock rocker” number two) who’s ALSO making HIS big screen debut with a forthcoming rendition of Alice in Wonderland. But I digress.
The first film is by Robert Rodriguez and is titled “Planet Terror”. The plot here is simple – your standard zombie attack fare, where the survivors are pitted against the living dead in a struggle to avoid part of them. The movie shines in its sick humor. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is over the top, and it’s delightful. Heads explode. Blood erupts. Protagonists die regularly. A fucking kid blasts himself in the head with a gun. Need I say more? I won’t go into too much detail explaining this film, but I will say that Evil Dead fans will be in heaven with this movie. The humor is right along the same lines.
More fake previews follow (including Zombie’s about werewolves with machine guns and bare-chested women fighting in the Nazi SS), then it’s onto Tarantino’s film. Now, I have to say that I’m not a Tarantino fan. Kill Bill wasn’t my sort of movie, Pulp Fiction bores the hell out of me, and Reservoir Dogs is similarly entertaining. After seeing “Deathproof”, though, I can safely say that this man knows exactly what he’s doing. Tarantino got the legendary Kurt Russell to star as Stuntman Mike, a creepy forty-something man who drives a souped up Charger, all black with a white skull and crossbones on the hood. Mike starts out innocently enough by picking up an intoxicated girl at a bar, then takes her on a hell of a ride in his stripped stuntcar. She dies. But that’s just the beginning! The real story starts when another group of young ladies, including an Aussie, decide to go check out a sweet Charger (not Mike’s) that the Aussie found in a news ad. Basically, I’ll end my review here and just say that the film evolves from an action/thriller into the ultimate girl power revenge flick. Two Chargers pitted against each other. It’s good shit.
Overall, the film was excellent. Lots of blood, language, breasts, booze, and fast cars. Grindhouse hits its mark. Between the two, I’d have to say Rodriguez’s was more enjoyable. If you want me to quantify that decision, you’re out of luck. But I highly recommend that you get out and check this movie out! Don’t even think about downloading it – it’s just not the same.
