rock movies

How on Earth Did This Movie Slip by Us?

Nov 202009

Hey, Townspeople!

Last night the G-friend and I curled up on the sofa to watch a movie and wolf down some primo home-cooked chow. She was in the mood for something highbrow, but I was curious about a flick I’d had in the “not sure about this movie” drawer for a couple of weeks. Because she’s such a sweetheart, she let me watch my movie of choice, even though it gave off the distinct limburger pong of idiocy. The movie in question? Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

Like the rest of you (I assume), when the trailers for this faux rock biopic came out, I assumed the worst: a couple of decent gags sandwiched between really stupid Legend of Ricky Bobby-caliber scripting. Boy, was I wrong!

Walk Hard ain’t no Citizen Kane, and it would probably fail the Dr. John Elbow Patch Sniff Test — but it’s not a stupid movie at all. The gags (and there are lots of good ones) are scripted and delivered well, the faux rock is actually good, period-correct, and frequently belly-laugh funny, and it’s clever, pretty much from one end to the other. Even the ass/tits/underpants/drugs/poop jokes are funny.

Plus, the writers clearly know their rock, and know just the right way to skewer it. (Wait’ll you see Dewey Cox go through his Dylan and Crazy Brian Wilson periods.)

In short, Townspeople, I strongly recommend this film…for real. It’s a hoot, and I bet it would even tickle the unusually sensitive rock funnybones we seem to have ’round these parts.

Glad to be of service,
HVB

Friday, October 23: The Secret Cinema Presents Let It Be

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Oct 222009

A friend who really needs to enter the Halls of Rock more than any other friend I know, Jay Schwartz, is screening The Beatles’ lost feature Let It Be, as part of his Secret Cinema series at Moore College of Art & Design (20th & Race Sts, Philadelphia) this Friday, October 23. Showtime is 8:00 pm; admission is $7. I was planning on being there, but now I’ve got to make a whirlwind work trip across the country instead. If you’ve never seen this film on a big screen, I highly recommend it. If you’ve seen it long ago and live in the Philadelphia area, I still recommend being there. I’d love to read some discussion over it when I get back on Sunday.

If you do go, please do me one favor: Continue reading »

Kind of a Drag: Charlie Watts Drags The Stones’ Rock ‘n Roll Circus into the Crapper

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Aug 072009

Some of you may recall my work in exposing the so-called Charlie Watts hoax. Considering that the beats on Stones records have long been among my favorite beats of all time, I’ve always been disappointed whenever I hear the Stones play these same songs live. It’s easy to point the finger at Mick Jagger for his shucking and jiving, which probably takes away from his already-limited ability to deliver the songs in his highly effective, super-cool, studio “head” voice, but I think Watts is the real culprit in the Stones rarely sounding – to me – like the supposed great live band that their vast team of publicists has spent 35 years promoting. The tempos are usually too slow, even by the standards of the original studio recordings. This breaks one of rock’s most important unwritten rules of live performance, that is, that tempos should be sped up by at least 20%. Watts rarely throws in the trademark fills that “he” has crafted on the studio recordings. For a band whose best work on record is driven by the drummer’s efficient beats (regardless of who the actual drummer might be), live Watts has to work his ass off to sound like your kid brother sitting in with your band on drums for a song or two before your real drummer shows up for rehearsal.
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Last Man Standing: Movies With Titles Referencing Rock Album or Song Titles/Musicians While Not Really Having Anything to Do With the Point of Reference

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jul 022009

An example of what I’m talking about is Pretty in Pink. Although the movie uses a new version of the Psychedelic Furs song, the movie’s not really based on the song, is it? I think it was just a coincidence that a hip, new song was sitting there that could tie into the marketing of Molly Ringwald while the movie was in production.

On the other hand, Alice’s Restaurant is an adaptation of the song, so that one wouldn’t count. Same goes for movies “adapted from” entire albums, like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or Tommy.

Got me?

Finally, movies with titles that were picked up for use in rock songs after the release of the movie, such as Thunder Road, are not elligible. The possibly coincidental or at least not essential rock reference of the movie title must follow the release of the song. I hope that’s clear enough to get us going on this difficult task. Don’t worry, I think I’m holding the answer that will make me Last Man Standing!

Good Movies and TV Shows That Need to Have Their Cheesy, Outdated Soundtracks Digitally Replaced

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jun 152009

In our recent Friday Flashback thread Townsman Mockcarr expressed amazement at the artistic success of Arthur in spite of its Christopher Cross soundtrack and the presence of Liza Minelli. I know EXACTLY what he’s talking about, and just last night, while watching an episode of the ’80s sitcom Family Ties I was reminded of this soundtrack-related subject. Arthur tops the list of good movies from the ’80s that need to have their soundtracks digitally replaced with music that’s not as jarring, don’t you think? What other quality movies and tv shows from the ’80s and other periods need to have their cheesy, outdated soundtrack music replaced?

Rock Town Hall Set Design: Interview With Rock Star in Hotel Suite

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jun 152009

The People have (not) spoken!

We’ve all read interviews with rock stars conducted in their hotel room suites. Let’s play Set Designer for the next Hollywood semi-autobiographical film on a fictional rock star. What’s the room going to look like? The lighting? The array of items on a nearby coffee table? The rock star’s wardrobe? Hangers-on? The all-important spread? Make it cool, you know?

Tommy (the Movie): a) Good, b) Good-Bad, c) Bad, d) All of the Above?

Posted by Mr. Moderator

May 152009

UPDATED: FOLLOW COMMENTS FOR CAST OF ROAD HOUSE TRADE CHALLENGE!

Last night, following a very long day of business and pleasure, I got home around 10:15 pm, checked e-mails, confirmed the losing score of the Phillies’ game had not been overturned, and then flipped channels for a spell until I could barely keep awake. Then, just as I was about to call it a day, I saw that Ken Russell‘s Tommy was about to come on! This is one of those train-wreck movies I can’t help but watch whenever it comes on. I was both fascinated and repelled by it when I saw it in the theaters as a kid, and my reactions to the movie have not changed since then on repeated small-screen viewing. I knew from the start that I would pay for staying up an additional hour today—my brain was already starting to throb from overuse—but I rationalized that it had been some time since I saw the opening scenes, with the boy actor as Tommy. Beside, I told myself, it would be good for Rock Town Hall.

I ended up watching through the scenes with the boy and the first, highly influential scene with Roger Daltrey as the deaf, dumb, and blind adults Tommy being taken by his mom, Ann-Margret, to the Marilyn Monroe-worshipping church led by Blooz Minister Eric Clapton. I consider this film highly inspirational on a personal level because Daltrey exemplified what would become one of my most cherished bits of comedy at home: my love for and impersonation of actors acting blind in movies. No offense to our blind Townspeople checking in, but Hollywood really gave you the shaft when it came to a lousy repertoire of approaches to acting blind.
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