#legends of summer tour 2013

[jand87sportsgirlie]

Fun Times with JT

[ciametal]

Baby Metal History

BABY METAL awalnya merupakan grup vokal dan tari beraliran exprimental metal asal Jepang yang terbentuk pada tahun 2010 sebagai sub-unit dari grup idola SAKURA GAKUIN di Jepang.

Grup ini terdiri dari 3 gadis sekolah di antaranya

Suzuka Nakamoto (中元 すず香) atau yang lebih dikenal dengan sebutan SU-METAL di posisi Vocal & Dance, lahir di Hiroshima pada tanggal 20 Desember 1997.

Moa Kikuchi (菊地 最愛) atau yang lebih dikenal dengan sebutan MOAMETAL di posisi Scream & Dance, lahir di Kanagawa pada tanggal 20 Juni 1999.

Yui Mizuno (水野 由結) atau yang lebih dikenal dengan sebutan YUIMETAL di posisi Scream & Dance, lahir di Aichi pada tanggal 4 Juli 1999.

Album mereka berhasil menempati peringkat ke-4 di tangga lagu album mingguan Oricon, dengan total sejumlah 37.463 kopi terjual di Jepang di minggu pertama, peringkat ke-2 di tangga lagu album Billboard Japan dan peringkat ke-187 di Billboard 200 Amerika Serikat yang merupakan salah satu posisi tertinggi yang pernah dicapai oleh album Jepang di chart tersebut sampai saat ini.

2010 - 2012

Grup ini pertama kali dibentuk pada 2010 sebagai sub unit grup idol perempuan di jepang yang bernama Sakura Gakuin, yang bertujuan untuk mewujudkan sebuah gabungan idol dan musik metal. Bahkan saat grup Baby Metal terbentuk, ketiga anggota tersebut (Su, Moa & Yui) sebelumnya tidak ada yang tahu apa itu musik metal.

Baby Metal pertama kali tampil secara live pada 28 November 2010, di konser solo pertama Sakura Gakuin. Lagu pertama mereka adalah "Doki Doki Morning" yang sebenarnya diterbitkan pada April 2011 dalam album Sakura Gakuin 2010 Nendo : Message.

Pada bulan Juli 2011, Babymetal memulai debut mereka dengan lagu, "Ijime, Dame, Zettai" (" tidak ada lagi pelecehan"), yang dibawakan dalam konser Sakura Gakuin, tetapi lagu itu hanya dinyanyikan selama konser live pada waktu itu. Video musik pertama mereka adalah "Doki Doki Morning" yang diterbitkan oleh channel Toy`s Factory di Youtube pada 12 Oktober 2011. video officialnya bisa dilihat "DI SINI"

Pada bulan Oktober 2011, Baby Metal membuat sebuah video musik untuk lagunya dalam bentuk DVD single yang ditujukan untuk distribusi terbatas [penampilan live saja]. Setelah diunggah ke Youtube pada bulan yang sama, bertepatan pada akhir 2012 penonton video mencapai 1 juta views.

Single CD Babymetal yang pertama kali adalah hits kolaborasi dengan sebuah band bernama Akiba, yang berjudul "Babymetal × Kiba of Akiba". Diterbitkan dalam sebuah sublabel Toy`s Factory (Jūonbu Records).

Pada Maret 2012, lagu tersebut menduduki peringkat ketiga pada tangga lagu Oricon weekly indie chart dan nomor satu di Tower Records Shibuya weekly indie ranking.

Pada Juli 2012, Babymetal merilis sebuah lagu yang berjudul "Headbanger". Video musik untuk trek judul disutradarai oleh Hidenobu tanabe .

Pada Agustus 2012, Babymetal memulai debutnya di Japan's Summer Sonic Festival. Dengan usia rata - rata 12 tahun, band ini menjadi penampilan termuda yang pernah muncul disana.

2012 juga menandai tour Asia pertamanya ke luar Jepang untuk pertama kalinya di AFA 2012 Singapura.

2013 - 2015

Pada Januari 2013, band ini memulai debutnya pada label rekaman utamanya dengan "Ijime, Dame, Zettai" video officialnya bisa dilihat "DI SINI". Single ini terjual mencapai angka 19,000 kopi lagu dalam minggu pertamanya dan menduduki peringkat ke 6 di tangga lagu Oricon weekly indie chart.

Pada musim semi 2013, Nakamoto lulus dari pendidikan menengah atasnya dan kemudian harus "lulus" dari Sakura Gakuin (sebuah grup perempuan tingkat dasar dan menengah atas). Walaupun begitu, manajemen mereka memutuskan bahwa babymetal tidak akan bubar dan akan melanjutkan aktivitasnya sebagai sebuah band.

Grup ini merilis single lanjut mereka, "Megitsune" video officialnya bisa dilihat "DI SINI", pada 19 Juni, diikuti bulan November dengan perilisan video secara Live Live: Legend I, D, Z Apocalyps, yang mana menduduki tempat ke tujuh dalam the weekly Oricon Blu-ray Disc charts, dan tempat kedua di antara single Blu-ray lainnya.

Pada 10 dan 11 Agustus 2013, babymetal mengambil bagian lagi dalam Summer Sonic Festival, yang tampil di dua tempat yaitu Tokyo dan Osaka.

Kemudian, pada Oktober 2013, Babymetal juga menjadi penampilan termuda yang pernah muncul di heavy metal music festival Loud Park.

Pada Bulan November 2013, Babymetal merilis sebuah video promo untuk debut film Metallica di Jepang Through the Never. Dan mendekati akhir 2013 babymetal melakukan tour Asia lainnya di Indonesia pada AFAID 2013 dan kedua kalinya di Singapura setelah tour asia di luar negeri pertama mereka pada 2012.

Pada 26 Februari 2014, babymetal merilis album self-titled perdananya. album tersebut berisi 13 trek lagu dan juga tersedia dlam edisi terbatas termasuk DVD dengan Video musik dan penampilan live.

Album ini sangat diterima dengan sangat baik oleh kritikus musik dan publik, terjual sebesar 37,000 kopi di Jepang pada minggu pertamanya, menduduki peringkat 4 di tangga lagu Oricon dan Billboard Japan.

Album ini juga menduduki posisi terbaik di iTunes Metal charts di Jerman, Inggris, dan Amerika, dan mencapai urutan 187 pada US Billboard 200 chart pada 22 Maret; hanya sedikit artis Jepang yang pernah masuk di tangga lagu ini.

Album mereka juga berhasil masuk ke dalam Heatseekers chart di urutan ke 4. pada 1 dan 2 Maret 2014, band ini menampilakn 2 konser di Budokan. Dengan rata - rata usia 14 tahun. mereka menjadi penampilan termuda yang pernah melakukan konser disana. Dua konser tersebut dihadiri 20,000 orang.

Pada 3 April 2014, video reaksi Youtube dengan terkejut diunggah oleh Fine Brothers channeldi Youtube tentang video musik "Doki Doki Morning", "line!", and "Gimme Chocolate!!". Pada 30 April 2016, video reaksi Babymetal untuk reaksi mereka di rilis di Youtube.

Band Pendukung "Baby Metal" disaat Live performance didukung oleh sebuah grup pendukung bernama "Kami-Band" yang tampil dengan dandanan ala mayat, dengan formasi dua gitaris, satu bassis dan seorang drummer yang biasanya tampil dalam satu panggung selama acara.

Takayoshi Ohmura (C4) - gitar

Leda (Deluhi/Galneryus) - gitar

Mikio Fujioka - gitar

BOH (Binecks) - gitar bass

Hideki Aoyama (Ever+Last) - drum

Yuya Maeta (Blue Man Group) - drum

Itulah sekilas riwayat dari kemunculan anak2 cahaya dari jepang yang bernama "BABY METAL"

[eddystshirts]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Legends of the Summer Stadium Tour Tee Justin Jay-Z Black 2013 Small Unisex.

[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

Richard Sherman (1928-2024)

Richard Sherman (1928-2024)Best Sheet Music download from our Library.List of worksPlease, subscribe to our Library. Thank you!Disney legend Richard Sherman, songwriter of ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘It’s a Small World,’ dies at 95

Richard Sherman (1928-2024)

Richard Morton Sherman (June 12, 1928 – May 25, 2024) was an American songwriter who specialized in musical films with his brother Robert B. Sherman. According to the official Walt Disney Company website and independent fact-checkers, "The Sherman Brothers were responsible for more motion picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history."

Some of the Sherman Brothers' best known songs were incorporated into live action and animation musical films including Mary Poppins, The Happiest Millionaire, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Snoopy Come Home, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Slipper and the Rose, and Charlotte's Web. Their most well known work is "It's a Small World (After All)", written for the theme park attraction of the same name. According to Time, it may be the most publicly performed song in history. List of works Major film scores The Parent Trap (1961) Big Red (1962) In Search of the Castaways (1962) Summer Magic (1963) The Sword in the Stone (1963) Mary Poppins (1964) Follow Me, Boys! (1966) The Happiest Millionaire (1967) The Jungle Book (1967) The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) The Aristocats (1970) Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) Snoopy, Come Home (1972) Charlotte's Web (1973) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1974) The Slipper and the Rose (1976) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) The Magic of Lassie (1978) Magic Journeys (1982) Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (1983) Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1992) Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving (1999) The Tigger Movie (2000) Iron Man 2 (2010) (Composed the song "Make Way For Tomorrow Today". Instrumental versions were later featured in Captain America: The First Avenger and Avengers: Endgame) The Jungle Book (2016) Christopher Robin (2018) Motion picture screenplays A Symposium on Popular Songs, 1962 Mary Poppins, 1964 (*treatment only), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1973 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1974 The Slipper and the Rose, 1976 The Magic of Lassie, 1978 Ferdinand the Bull, 1986 (*TV screenplay) Stage musicals Victory Canteen, 1971 (Ivar Theatre, L.A.) Over Here!, 1974 (Broadway, NY) Dawgs, 1983 (Variety Arts Center, L.A.) Busker Alley, 1995 (U.S. Tour) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2002 (London) Mary Poppins, 2004 (London) On the Record, 2004-5 (U.S. Tour) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2005 (Broadway, NY) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2005 (UK Tour) Busker Alley, 2006 (Broadway, NY - *one night only) Mary Poppins, 2006 (Broadway, NY) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2007 (Singapore) Mary Poppins, 2008 (UK Tour) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2008 (Second UK Tour) Mary Poppins, 2008 (Stockholm) Mary Poppins, 2009 (US Tour) Mary Poppins, 2009 (Copenhagen) Mary Poppins, 2009 (Shanghai) Mary Poppins, 2010 (Australia) Mary Poppins, 2009 (South Africa) Mary Poppins, 2009 (The Hague) Mary Poppins, 2009 (Helsinki) Mary Poppins, 2012 (Budapest) Summer Magic, 2012 (Morristown, Tennessee) The Jungle Book, 2013 (Chicago, Illinois) The Jungle Book, 2013 (Boston, Massachusetts) A Spoonful of Sherman, 2014 (London) Mary Poppins, 2015 (Vienna, Austria) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2015–16 (UK Tour) Mary Poppins, 2015–16 (UK Tour) A Spoonful of Sherman, 2017 (London) A Spoonful of Sherman, 2018 (UK/Ireland Tour) A Spoonful of Sherman, 2019 (San Jose, CA) A Spoonful of Sherman, 2019 (Singapore) Mary Poppins, 2019 (London) Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 2021 (UK Tour) Theme park songs There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow for Carousel of Progress The Best Time of Your Life for Carousel of Progress Miracles from Molecules for Adventure Thru Inner Space One Little Spark for Journey into Imagination Magic Journeys for Magic Journeys The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Pooh's Hunny Hunt it's a small world (after all) for the 1964 New York World's Fair attraction, Pepsi Presents WALT DISNEY'S "it's a small world" – a Salute to UNICEF and the World's Children, then adapted to each Disney Park installation of "It's a Small World" The Astuter Computer Revue for the 1982 premiere of the CommuniCore Exhibit at EPCOT. Magic Highways for Rocket Rods Making Memories for Magic Journeys The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room for Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room We Meet the World with Love and Meet the World for the same exhibit in Tokyo Disneyland Kiss Goodnight exit music from Disneyland Forever for Disneyland's 60th Anniversary Nighttime Fireworks Spectacular show, originally sung by Ashley Brown.

Disney legend Richard Sherman, songwriter of ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘It’s a Small World,’ dies at 95

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-izLHwieo4 Read the full article

[greensparty]

2023: The Year in Green's Party

This was a historic year for my blog as it turned 10! In Jan. 2013 I began this blog as a way to share my thoughts on pop culture and since then I've gotten to do things I never even imagined would be possible: interviewing filmmakers, actors, musicians, authors and more; reviewing movies, music, concerts, books, and theater; covering conventions and film festivals; and connecting with fans who also have their hands on the pulse of pop culture at the moment and it's history. This was hands down one of my best years yet! Here are just a few of the highlights:

the many faces of Green's Party

Retweets and social media: Tom Petty's website included a pull quote from my Nov. 2022 album review of Live at the Fillmore 1997 on their website page for the album; Ondi Timoner and her doc Last Flight Home shared my interview with her on Twitter; the Video Archives Podcast liked and shared my Best Podcasts of 2022 list on Twitter; Cadence13 and David Spade of the Fly on the Wall podcast liked my Best Podcasts of 2022 lists on Twitter; TV Guidance Counselor host Ken Reid liked and shared my Best Podcasts of 2022 list on Twitter; Completely Conspicuous host Jay Kumar liked my Best Podcasts of 2022 list on Twitter; U2 Daily Tour News shared my U2 movie review and album review on their daily newsletter and on Twitter; the Video Archives Podcast liked and retweeted my Quentin Tarantino birthday post; Andy Summers shared my concert review on his social media; the Chasing Chasing Amy team shared my movie review on Twitter; X (the band) shared my concert review on their Facebook; the There Was No Alternative team shared my interview with author Jeff Gomez on their Facebook; and Tremolo Productions liked and retweeted my Congrats to them on 20 Feet From Stardom being added to the National Film Registry on Twitter.

Exene Cervenka and I backstage at the X concert

Interviews: I got to interview a number of entertainers I find fascinating including director Ondi Timoner, musician Glen Matlock, Exene Cervenka of X, author Michael Azerrad, author Jeff Gomez, and Pete Stahl of Scream!

me hanging with Indiana Jones

Movie Reviews: I got to review loads of movies including One Fine Morning, Marlowe, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, my annual guide to the Oscar Nominated Short Films, Scream VI, Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman, Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues, Spinning Gold, Air, Little Richard: I Am Everything, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Master Gardener, Lynch/Oz, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The YouTube Effect, Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning: Part One, Oppenheimer, Chasing Chasing Amy, Stop Making Sense re-release, Flora and Son, The Holdovers, The Stones and Brian Jones, Silent Night, The Sacrifice Game, and Godard Cinema!

Album Reviews: I got to review tons of albums including Shonen Knife's Our Best Place, Inhaler's Cuts & Bruises, Philip Selway's Strange Dance and Live at Evolution Studios, U2's Songs of Surrender, Mudhoney's Plastic Eternity, The Kinks' The Journey - Part 1 and The Journey - Part 2, Wilco's Crosseyed Strangers: An Alternate Take on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Cousin, Iggy and the Stooges' Raw Power RSD Essential release, The Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet RSD edition and Hackney Diamonds, Galen & Paul's Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day?, Hollywood Vampires' Live in Rio, Tommy Stinson's Cowboys in the Campfire's Wronger, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds' Council Skies, Alice Cooper's Killer and School's Out Deluxe Editions and Road, Extreme's Six, the Asteroid City soundtrack, Deaf Charlie's Catastrophic Metamorphic, Wham!'s The Singles: Echoes from the Edge of Heaven, Brian May and Friends' Star Fleet Sessions, Neil Young's Chrome Dreams, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros' Live at Acton Town Hall, London, Aerosmith's Greatest Hits, Speedy Ortiz's Rabbit Rabbit and Major Arcana (10th Anniversary Edition), Courtney Barnett's End of the Day (Music from Anonymous Club), Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense Expanded Edition Remaster, Huey Lewis and the News's Sports 40th Anniversary Edition, Will Butler + Sister Squares' Will Butler + Sister Squares, The Replacements' Tim (Let It Bleed) Edition, The Breeders Last Splash 30th Anniversary Original Analog Edition, Ringo Starr's Rewind Forward, Haim's Days are Gone 10th anniversary edition, Chris Shiflett's Lost at Sea, Duff McKagan's Lighthouse, Prince and the New Power Generation's Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe Edition, Snail Mail's Valentine (Demos), Jimi Hendrix Experience's Hollywood Bowl: August 18, 1967, Scream's DC Special, The Beatles' 1962-1966 and 1967-1970, Pearl Jam's Vs. 30th anniversary edition, and The Black Crowes' The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion Box Set.

TV Reviews: This year I branched out and got to review some TV shows including Lucky Hank, John Carpenter's Suburban Screams, Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too?, and John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial.

my friend Ron and I at Boston Calling in May

Concert Reviews: I wrote about my day at the 2023 Boston Calling festival and I also got to cover concerts from Andy Summers, X, Sting, The Breeders, and Scream. I also started a new feature called Concert Pics, where I share pics from concerts I attended but didn't review.

Blu-ray Reviews: I got to review some blu-rays including Project: Alf, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, and We Are Not Alone.

Book Reviews: I got to review and cover some books including Stewart Copeland's The Police Diaries, Michael Azerrad's The Amplified Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, and Jeff Gomez' There Was No Alternative.

my friend Jenn and I at Jagged Little Pill

Theater Reviews: I got to review Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill when it played in Boston!

Comedy Reviews: I got to cover The State reunion show in Boston!

me at the Boston Underground Film Festival in March 2023

me with Mr. Sam J. Jones at 2023 MusicCon Collectibles Extravaganza

Film Festivals, Conventions and Events: In February I got to cover Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year presentation to Bob Odenkirk and Woman of the Year to Jennifer Coolidge; the 2023 Northeast Comic Con Spring Edition; the 2023 Boston Underground Film Festival (my first time covering them since 2019); the 2023 Salem Horror Fest; the 2023 Independent Film Festival Boston; the 2023 MusicCon Collectibles Extravaganza; I got to cover the Stop Making Sense reunion Q&A simulcast from TIFF, IFFBoston's 2023 Fall Focus mini-fest, and the 2023 Northeast Comic Con Fall Edition.

Me seeing Stop Making Sense on the big screen!

Stray Observations:

I got to cover Hollywood Vampires collectively and individually: In June I got to review Hollywood Vampires' album Live in Rio and I got to see them live in July, I also saw Joe Perry solo in April and I got to review Aerosmith's Greatest Hits in August, and I got to review Alice Cooper's Deluxe Editions of Killer and School's Out in June and his newest album Road in August.

It was a sad year for Gen X: in May MTV News announced they were ceasing operations; and there was also the passing of Andy Rourke of The Smiths, Sinead O'Connor, and Paul Reubens, all staples of the 80s and 90s :(

The Police never ended: It's as if I got to see a Police reunion this year because I got to cover guitarist Andy Summers' concert in July, singer / bassist Sting's concert in September, and while I didn't see drummer Stewart Copeland live, I did get to cover his book The Police Diaries in October!

Tough year for physical media fans like me between Netflix ending it's DVD by mail service and Best Buy announcing they're going to stop selling DVDs. Time to go to my local library more often for DVDs and blu-rays!

...And the Biggest Postings and News of the Year on Green's Party:

1/2/23: This blog turned 10! It feels like I'm just getting started in some ways!

1/20/23: A very rare clip of The Eric and Mike Show, the cable access TV show I co-hosted and co-produced as a teen, surfaced online.

Jan. - Mar. 2023: I rolled out my Best of 2022 lists in time for awards season!

3/15/23: I had my 3000th post on this blog!

4/18/23: After Netflix announced they would be discontinuing their DVD by mail service, I wrote my remembrance of Netflix DVD.

6/26/23: I shared my thoughts on the Best of 2023 so far.

9/14/23: I got to cover the re-release of Stop Making Sense, the re-release of Talking Heads' soundtrack album, and the simulcast of the Talking Heads' reunion Q&A at TIFF with Spike Lee.

10/28/23: I posted about Dave Grohl's history of SNL appearances. 34 notes.

10/30/23: I got to cover The Holdovers screening with an intro and Q&A from director Alexander Payne.

11/25/23: I wrote about the passing of Marty Krofft. 16 notes.

11/29/23: In memory of George Harrison's passing on that day in history, I posted his music video for "Any Road". 10 notes.

11/30/23: I wrote about the passing of Shane McGowan. 192 notes, making it my biggest post of the year!

11/30/23: I was quoted in a Boston.com article about the best holiday music!

Nov - Dec. 2023: I got to do an album review of Scream's DC Special, interview singer Pete Stahl and cover their concert, a rare hat trick for me!

12/27/23: I wrote about the passing of Tom Smothers. 11 notes.

Thank you for attending Green's Party in 2023! Now onto more pop culture thoughts in 2024....

[chrisryanspeaks]

Polo & Pan Release New ‘Carrossel Do Tempo EP’

Today, revered “French Touch” duo Polo & Pan deliver their new Carrossel Do Tempo EP, a project containing four tracks that see them opening up their style to musical inspirations from around the world. The release is out now via Ekleroshock/Hamburger/Virgin Music. Check Out “Carrossel Do Tempo” below: A brief itinerary: The regal trumpets of the titular track “Carrossel Do Tempo” flaunt in like opening credits introducing the silky, inviting narrations of enigmatic Brazilian vocalist Abrão. “Chamallow” turns the lens around for an introspective but joyful French pop treatise on love and family. Next, “Charanga” soundtracks a night spent bopping through a nocturnal jungle rave in South America with a posse of sprites, all glowing with mischief and mystery. The EP closes with “Nagori,” a breezy, toe-tapping pop charmer that evokes languid poolside hangouts as the late summer sun sets below the horizon. The title references the Japanese word for a particular transient melancholy felt for a moment that’s nearly passed, a feeling that washes over you as the record ends. Carrossel Do Tempo was written and recorded around the world, with a growing cast of collaborators and heightened production value. As is the case for many iconoclasts, It may have taken some time for the world-at-large to catch Polo & Pan’s creative drift, but now we are all very much along for the voyage. Throughout the EP, Polo & Pan skillfully blend diverse cultural references and gather amazing collaborators together. The arrangements and the strings have been directed by the LA-based Italian composer Daniele Luppi (Danger Mouse, John Legend, Gnarls Barkley, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and offer an atmosphere reminding us of the greatest of classic Hollywood movie soundtracks. Described as “funky but suave, uniquely fun, and evok a fantasy of European nightlife” by the New Yorker and a “dually breezy and psychedelic strain of French Touch” by Billboard, the duo have performed at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and more with previous albums certified Gold in France & abroad with over 3M monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Beginning with 2013’s prescient and infectious Rivolta EP, Polo & Pan spent the better part of that decade meticulously crafting their sound at a perfectionist’s pace, each release further building their musical world and reputation. Already a tastemaker’s favorite, it was the 2017 debut album Caravelle that announced Polo & Pan to the world in grand style. The duo has become synonymous with sun-kissed whimsy and fetching grooves. 2021’s Cyclorama saw Polo & Pan fully realized: hedonism matured, sounds fine-tuned, and scope broadened. While Polo & Pan’s music has become essential for any rooftop or beachside party, no matter your latitude, it’s Polo & Pan’s live show that takes them to the next level. Linen suits, frisky theatrics, swaying palm trees, sirens with golden voices, and a liberal helping of pan flute: The Polo & Pan live performance brings their music to life with a sparkling vibrancy. It’s a sight to behold. One look around the dancefloor — whether it’s sold-out US tours or major festival performances — and you’ll see smiles, pretenses dropped, and earnest joy on the faces around you. That, more than their cultured heritage, global appeal, or history of underground hits, might be Polo & Pan’s most remarkable quality. Following a string of remixes and collaborations earlier this year, Carrossel Do Tempo arrives following of limited run of US performances at California festivals Same Same But Different in Lake Perris and Portola Festival in San Francisco this Fall. Read the full article

[audiofuzz]

Polo & Pan Release New ‘Carrossel Do Tempo EP’

Today, revered “French Touch” duo Polo & Pan deliver their new Carrossel Do Tempo EP, a project containing four tracks that see them opening up their style to musical inspirations from around the world. The release is out now via Ekleroshock/Hamburger/Virgin Music. Check Out “Carrossel Do Tempo” below: A brief itinerary: The regal trumpets of the titular track “Carrossel Do Tempo” flaunt in like opening credits introducing the silky, inviting narrations of enigmatic Brazilian vocalist Abrão. “Chamallow” turns the lens around for an introspective but joyful French pop treatise on love and family. Next, “Charanga” soundtracks a night spent bopping through a nocturnal jungle rave in South America with a posse of sprites, all glowing with mischief and mystery. The EP closes with “Nagori,” a breezy, toe-tapping pop charmer that evokes languid poolside hangouts as the late summer sun sets below the horizon. The title references the Japanese word for a particular transient melancholy felt for a moment that’s nearly passed, a feeling that washes over you as the record ends. Carrossel Do Tempo was written and recorded around the world, with a growing cast of collaborators and heightened production value. As is the case for many iconoclasts, It may have taken some time for the world-at-large to catch Polo & Pan’s creative drift, but now we are all very much along for the voyage. Throughout the EP, Polo & Pan skillfully blend diverse cultural references and gather amazing collaborators together. The arrangements and the strings have been directed by the LA-based Italian composer Daniele Luppi (Danger Mouse, John Legend, Gnarls Barkley, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and offer an atmosphere reminding us of the greatest of classic Hollywood movie soundtracks. Described as “funky but suave, uniquely fun, and evok a fantasy of European nightlife” by the New Yorker and a “dually breezy and psychedelic strain of French Touch” by Billboard, the duo have performed at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and more with previous albums certified Gold in France & abroad with over 3M monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Beginning with 2013’s prescient and infectious Rivolta EP, Polo & Pan spent the better part of that decade meticulously crafting their sound at a perfectionist’s pace, each release further building their musical world and reputation. Already a tastemaker’s favorite, it was the 2017 debut album Caravelle that announced Polo & Pan to the world in grand style. The duo has become synonymous with sun-kissed whimsy and fetching grooves. 2021’s Cyclorama saw Polo & Pan fully realized: hedonism matured, sounds fine-tuned, and scope broadened. While Polo & Pan’s music has become essential for any rooftop or beachside party, no matter your latitude, it’s Polo & Pan’s live show that takes them to the next level. Linen suits, frisky theatrics, swaying palm trees, sirens with golden voices, and a liberal helping of pan flute: The Polo & Pan live performance brings their music to life with a sparkling vibrancy. It’s a sight to behold. One look around the dancefloor — whether it’s sold-out US tours or major festival performances — and you’ll see smiles, pretenses dropped, and earnest joy on the faces around you. That, more than their cultured heritage, global appeal, or history of underground hits, might be Polo & Pan’s most remarkable quality. Following a string of remixes and collaborations earlier this year, Carrossel Do Tempo arrives following of limited run of US performances at California festivals Same Same But Different in Lake Perris and Portola Festival in San Francisco this Fall. Read the full article

[noellie-writes217]

i was never a 1d fan, my older sister was and that's how she got into 5sos. Then she fell out of the 1d and 5sos fandoms in 2015 when she converted to mormonism and went on a year and a half mission in tonga. and she agrees that 5sos is better than 1d now that she's older and she's now gotten into their new music too. I always thought that their music always hit so much deeper compared to 1d and the chemistry was so much more natural than 1d. People who really believe thad 1d is superior and/or 5 sos are a boy band need to look at 5sos as they really are: legitimately fucking talented and passionate about their band enough to try new things like solo albums, producing, and actually putting emotion and vulnerability into their music— which is something i never believed 1d did. to me, 1d will never ever be able to be put on the same level as 5 seconds of summer because 5sos truly managed on their own to put themselves out there, experience pain, talk about mental health, advocate for those who struggle, work to constantly improve, put so much symbolism into their music videos like they did with no shame, lie to me, teeth, and so on. They have worked so hard to evolve and grow as people and in their music, they have collaborated with songwriting legends like ryan tedder, jon bellion, julia michaels, charlie puth, etc., and they boost other bands (actually out of the goodness of their hearts) like in their segment aussie to aussie over a radio show. 5sos and 1d may have toured together in 2013, but let's be real, they are not on the same level and they never have been, and never will be a boy band.

I am here once again to rage. Get 5sos away from your they're breaking up list. For people that keep saying 5sos is irrelevant, they sure like to bring them up all the time. It's like some people can't stand the fact the 5sos is a band because they want to. Superbloom and wfttwtaf proved that they could go solo if they wanted to. But the key point here is that they don't want to. Michael is a whole producer now if he wanted to do a career switch. 5sos is not a boyband formed in a tv show as way to bait teenage girls into spending their money. It's an unfair comparisons to compare them with 1D or any other boyband from the same category, because they are a band that was formed naturally. That makes a difference. Also the 5sos is only where they are because of 1D take is just wrong. They may not have gotten as big as they did as fast as they did, but they were writing their own music and doing their stuff before Louis and the tweet. Also stop acting like Louis tweeted about them over the kindness of his heart, 1D got 50% of what the boys made when they were still on that contract, from music and merch, it was an investment. This is legit just annoying. I get it, your band broke up, that doesn't mean every band in the world has to do it too. Bands go through cycles and that's healthy. Something that's definitely not healthy is the way they can't breathe in different rooms without everyone screaming break up. Chill out. Go touch some grass.

[justintimbersource]

Credit: Shanya Smith

[a-silent-symphony]

NIGHTWISH Singer FLOOR JANSEN Signs Solo Deal With ADA

ADA, the division of Warner Music Group dedicated to independent label and artist distribution, has announced the signing of Dutch powerhouse singer Floor Jansen.

Jansen is best known as the frontwoman in the multi-million selling and internationally successful symphonic metal band NIGHTWISH. As part of the band, Jansen has landed two number one albums in Finland, and Top Five albums in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Born in the Netherlands, Jansen joined her first band, one of the world's first symphonic metal bands, AFTER FOREVER, when she was only 16 years old. The group went on to release five albums from 2000 to 2007, before they broke up in 2009.

Jansen's next band, REVAMP, released two albums in 2010 and 2013, before she joined NIGHTWISH as a full-time member. NIGHTWISH's first album with Jansen as the lead singer was 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", which landed in Top 10s around the world. This was followed by 2020's "Human. :II: Nature." , which was also an international success.

Jansen has toured extensively with the band and appeared on three of NIGHTWISH's live albums "Showtime, Storytime", "Vehicle Of Spirit" and "Decades: Live In Buenos Aires".

In 2019, Jansen participated in the popular Dutch TV show "Beste Zangers" where she scored a big hit with "Phantom Of The Opera" together with Henk Poort. She was recognized with a Dutch Popprijs award — a prestigious accolade for artists that has made important contributions to Dutch music. In the same year, her first solo tour sold out in less than 24 hours.

Jansen said: "I'm delighted to partner with ADA as I move into this exciting phase of my career and start my journey as a solo artist. ADA is the perfect partner to help me reach as many people around the world as possible, while staying true to my indie roots."

Sander Stijnen, head of A&R and ADA Benelux, added: "Floor has one of the most iconic voices and is a true legend in the music industry. I'm so happy we can work on her solo material, which has seen her grow and develop as an artist and songwriter. I think people are going to be blown away with the direction she's taken with her new music."

Jansen will release her debut solo single, "Fire", under ADA on March 25.

Less than two months ago, the 41-year-old Dutch-born singer, who made her live debut with NIGHTWISH nearly a decade ago, stated about the musical direction of "Fire": "It's a pop song, so it's not metal, it's not rock, but it's definitely me." Jansen went on to explain that the track will not necessarily be representative of all the new solo music she has been working on in recent months. "I guess it's more of a mash-up [of styles] actually," she said, referring to her upcoming collection of solo material, "though it's not so extreme as in genres, like all of a sudden it becomes… Here's a metal song and here's a rock song and this is more poppy… I mean, pop music — the word of it — [it's short for] popular music, and it kind of describes a lot, and within that it falls. I can only say that it's not metal and it's not rock, but it will have its influences and it will have a part of the sound. It can't even be so that the first song is how everything else will sound like because, yeah, if you know NIGHTWISH and also for us, it's always so hard to pick just one song that's gonna be like the kick-off of an album but it can never really represent everything. And I guess it's the same for this first song that comes on the 25th of March."

Last summer, Floor said during an appearance on the "Breaking Absolutes With Peter Orullian" podcast that she had been working on a solo album since shortly before the beginning of the pandemic. "And it really kickstarted my own creativity that I haven't really been able to use over the years," she said. "It's nice that it gets out. And I would like to do more of that and actually finish that album and make those steps and find a way to combine a solo career with NIGHTWISH and my life at home, which I even more value after spending so much time here in this green heaven [in Sweden] where I live."

Jansen discussed the prospect of making a solo album during a 2020 interview with Metal Hammer magazine. At the time, she said: "After 20 years of rock and metal, I think I would like to do something else. I don't mean stop with NIGHTWISH, but something alongside it.

"I was recently involved in a TV show in my home country in the Netherlands [reality TV show 'Beste Zangers', which translates to 'Best Singers']. That really inspired me to start writing, and the stuff that has come out is very calm.

"I would love to make an album where less actually is more. Something different — not because I'm bored, but because if you are already in one of the biggest bands in your own genre, and you have someone like Tuomas Holopainen as a songwriter, I don't really see that I'd be adding anything by making another metal album myself."

Earlier in 2020, Jansen spoke about a possible musical direction for her solo album during an Instagram Live chat. She said: "I cannot imagine it would be rock or metal — just because rock now I've done, and metal I've done a lot. And I'm already in one of the best bands, I think, that are out there, in my opinion, to my taste. Plus, if you're in a band with a songwriter such as Tuomas Holopainen, it's a little bit hard to come up with something — anything — better, I would say, and I only say that out of love and respect for him. Plus, after 20 years of metal, wouldn't it be lovely to do something completely different for me? That's how I feel."

Jansen performed live with NIGHTWISH for the first time on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon. Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013.

This year will see Jansen become the Dutch ambassador for Record Store Day on April 23, as well as participate in Germany's "Sing Meinen Song".

[jand87sportsgirlie]

This is my favorite concert

[eddystshirts]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Legends of the Summer Stadium Tour Tee Justin Jay-Z Black 2013 Small.

[doomedandstoned]

Iron Man Cement 30-Year Career with Monumental Double Album (+ new song!)

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

Review by Billy Goate

This is more than an album. It is more, even, than a portrait of quintessential New England doom metal. It is a testament to the enduring power of music and friendship to bring a collective dream to life and to sustain it to the bitter end.

The new double album 'Hail To The Riff' (2021) showcases 14 anthems by Maryland doom legends IRON MAN. With the exception of one previously unreleased studio song, the bulk of the material was performed live at Castle of Doom Festival in Pagazzano, Italy on Saturday, July 5th, 2014. It was the band's one and only trip to Italy, now being released for the first time (appropriately enough) by Italian label Argonauta Records.

Many of you know the Iron Man story. Founded back in '88 as a Black Sabbath cover band, the guys gradually started playing their own compositions and were ecstatic by the positive reception the original material received. Iron Man released their first album in '93 and over the course of many decades, went on to tour the world with the likes of Cathedral and Pentagram, composing many a doom standard along the way ("Hail To The Haze" will forever be my fav).

"In the beginning, Iron Man had two jobs," guitarist Al Morris told Doomed & Stoned some years back. "First, we were a Sabbath tribute. We were able to headline shows and get people talking about the band. Second, we were writing original music for a demo to shop. Everything went as planned! By May of 1992, we got signed to Hellhound Records in Germany. That kind of history, coupled with the internet, gave us worldwide exposure. The fans did not let us get frustrated! We are totally motivated by our fans. We have them in mind at all times." (Read the classic Doomed & Stoned interview with Iron Man.)

It should surprise no one that Hail To The Riff   is dedicated straight up to Alfred Morris III, who sadly died in 2018. As he was the longest-standing member of Iron Man and its most consistent face, it made sense when the group disbanded after the passing of its founding member.

"The Type of person my father was," Al's daughter reflects, "he never expected anything huge. He just enjoyed doing what he loved. Music was in his blood; part of his DNA and he wasn’t complete without it...As long as I can remember, Iron Man was a large part of my dad’s life, and mine. My first rock show? My dad’s band. The first live show I ever saw was Iron Man. Watching my dad perform, I saw him transform. He had this amazing stage presence. An effortless grace when he played guitar that was mesmerizing. Even though I had seen him play a thousand times, I was always impressed!"

I spoke with Screaming Mad Dee Calhoun in 2018, near the 30th anniversary of Iron man and just a few months following Al's death. "Just on a personal note, I don't think anything I'm doing now," Dee reflected, in reference to his burgeoning solo career, "would have been possible without being a part of Al and Iron Man. Al was very supportive of my efforts outside of Iron Man, be it music or writing or what not. I can never thank him enough for just tapping me on the shoulder and saying, 'Hey I want you to join my band?'" Dee continued, "No one I ever knew who knew Al ever had a bad word to say about him. He was just one of those guys who was a positive influence on people. Once he touched a project, it was better than before he touched it. We certainly miss him.

As a follow-up I asked hnw people could get better acquainted with Al's contribution and really hear his spirit. Dee replied, "Just start with Black Night and work forward. He would want to be remembered by his music. Just sit back and enjoy what he had to bring to the world." That album's title track is no. 13 on the playlist below us, and Al shines just as bright on it here as he did on their cardinal opus. What band could hope for a better life than Iron Man had, with their unlikely success leading them to record five LPs and three EPs, crossing some of the world's greatest record labels?

Hail To The Riff   begins with a cheering throng and the grungy downtuned riffing of Al Morris, to be joined in short order by Louis Strachan on bass and Jason "Mot" Waldmann on drums. At last, Screaming Mad Dee belts out hellfire and brimstone in his scratchy quasi-operatic style (who, it must said, has one of the most intimidating voices in all of metal). "Make some goddamn noise!" The crowd eats it up, of course.

At this point, I'd advise you to make any room corrections you need to, as live recordings tend to be a unique beast all their own. They always sound a little "thin" and "boxy" to me. I found simply turning the volume up a few notches more than for casual listening brought this live recording alive for me. I did not, however, tempt fate by listening with earphones (I'm already dealing with enough tinnitus from my many years of filming live shows).

"The time is here to strike fear. We are Iron Man, bringing you 25 years of Maryland doom!" That really fires up the festival for what would become the band's third and final live albums. If this had been your first time hearing Iron Man, you would encounter a group in top form with accessible songs like "Run From The Light" that capture so powerfully the spirit of metal, itself a kind of freak born of the age of electricity.

Since I don't have perfect pitch, I would be hard pressed to determine just where Al's axe is tuned for this set. Judging from tracks like "The Worst and Longest Day'' and "South of the Earth," let's just say it's low enough to confuse the guitar sometimes for the bass (and when you listen a second time, the bass is often hitting a similar if not lower range). Remind me to ask the guys next time I get a chance and I'll add a note to this article with their answer. I'll be there were a lot of fans that day who were really feeling that Iron Man vibe on a raw, gut level as the sound reverberated through from their internal organs, ultimately grabbing hold of their spine with a mighty grip of doom, and shaking their bones like a rattle.

I've always said the acid test of any band is their ability to pull their songs off convincingly in a live setting. So many things can go wrong, but the way a band bounces through the hurdles of that 30-60 minute set tells you everything. You know right away whether you're dealing with confident musicians who believe it to the core, or wannabes who are fronting a hype machine. To hear Dee make "South of the Earth" work without the cool vocal layering from the recording and still give you chills says everything you need to know about the integrity of Iron Man as a band.

Time for the bottom line. Hail To The Riff   is nothing less than a celebration of metal-making, friendship, and the mysterious power of the riff to compel us -- no matter who we are, what language we speak, or what our differences may be -- to assemble together as a sweaty mass under a hot Italian sun in the middle of summer and revel in the pure love of heavy music. If you close your eyes, you can almost picture yourself there.

Of course, the real treat for Iron Man acolytes is going to be the solemn 14th and final track, "Black Morning." The band recorded it in late-September of 2013, just days before South of the Earth saw its release on Rise Above Records (later on Metal Blade Records, too). Hearing the words and the instruments meet in such perfect execution and conviction brought a single thought to my mind: "These guys really get doom." Long live the ferocity and might of Iron Man!

The album is officially out this Friday on digital outlets, with a special gold vinyl 2XLP available via Argonauta Records. Right now, Doomed & Stoned is letting you revel in it all! So sit back, turn those speakers up, and...

...give ear.

Iron Man - Hail The Riff

Tracklist

The Fury

Run From the Light

The Worst and Longest Day

Ruler of Ruin

South of the Earth

Grown

As the Gods Have Spoken

Hail to the Haze

Sodden With Sin

A Whore in Confession

On the Mountain

Fallen Angel

Black Night

Black Morning

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[harrisonlakeview]

Harrison Lake View Resort CBD Submission

Harrison Lake View Resort is a vacation destination like no other. Located next to gorgeous Harrison Lake, the resort gives visitors luxurious comforts for a competitive price. Every suite boasts amazing views of the area, from the quaint and cozy town to the panoramic vistas of British Columbia’s very own natural landscape. Built in 2013, just in time for the Summer, this resort was designed with innovation and mindfulness in mind. Not flashy, nor a cookie-cutter hotel, it’s truly a one of a kind experience every time you stay. The central location also offers vacationers plenty of activity options in scenic Harrison Hot Springs.

About The Resort

This resort features 20 fully-renovated apartments in five styles to fit everyone’s needs. Every suite features stainless steel appliances, pebble fireplaces, high-quality hardwood floors, large windows, and spa-like bathrooms. Visitors can also take advantage of complimentary Wi-Fi and cable with pay-per-view.

The cozy and modern two-bedroom Grand suite features 1 King and 2 Queen sized beds and can accommodate 4 to 6 adults. Each Grand suite offers an ensuite and family bathroom, working area, and a balcony where visitors can enjoy fantastic views of the coastal mountains. Kick back and relax with two LED TVs located in the living area and Master Bedroom. 

The two-bedroom Lake View suite features all the amenities of a Grand suite with one spectacular difference: a breathtaking view of Harrison Lake itself! For larger groups, the resort offers a three-bedroom Grand suite that can accommodate up to 8 adults. It also features all the comforts and luxuries of the two-bedroom Grand suite. For an even more private, intimate stay, consider the three-bedroom Penthouse suites. Perfect for families or groups that desire extra living space, both the Penthouse and Lake View Penthouse apartments give visitors the chance to settle in while taking in views of the mountains or lake respectively. Choose from a convenient ground floor suite or the charming loft Penthouse.

Harrison Lake View Resort is conveniently close to all of the attractions that make this area a special retreat. Fans of swimming and watersports will enjoy the closeness of the beach less than 200 metres away. The resort is also close to popular hiking trails, fishing hotspots such as Fraser River, and winter sports destinations like Hemlock Valley. Get a dose of culture at Harrison’s own Festival of Arts during Summer, or stop by for the Agricultural Fair in Fall. Take in some of Canada’s best wildlife viewing tours or get a unique dose of fun and legend with the Sasquatch Country Adventures group. Of course, you can enjoy the town’s many shopping boutiques, coffee shops, and restaurants all year long!

Location You can find Harrison Lake View Resort at 298 Lillooet Avenue in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia. The resort is located between Cedar Avenue and Lillooet Avenue at the southern tip of Harrison Lake. Visitors may use the convenient direction finder on the resort website, or contact via phone or email.

[grigori77]

Movies of 2020 - My Pre-Summer Favourites (Part 2)

The Top Ten:

10.  TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG – Justin Kurzel has been on my directors-to-watch list for a while now, each of his offerings impressing me more than the last (his home-grown Aussie debut, Snowtown, was a low key wallow in Outback nastiness, while his follow up, Macbeth, quickly became one of my favourite Shakespeare flicks, and I seem to be one of the frustrated few who actually genuinely loved his adaptation of Assassin’s Creed, considering it to be one the very best video game movies out there), and his latest is no exception – returning to his native Australia, he’s brought his trademark punky grit and fever-dream edginess to bear in his quest to bring his country’s most famous outlaw to the big screen in a biopic truly worthy of his name. Two actors bring infamous 19th Century bushranger Ned Kelly to life here, and they’re both exceptional – the earlier half of the film sees newcomer Orlando Schwerdt explode onto the screen as the child Ned, all righteous indignation and fiery stubbornness as he rails against the positions his family’s poverty continues to put him in, then George MacKay (Sunshine On Leith, Captain Fantastic) delivers the best performance of his career in the second half, a barely restrained beast as Ned grown, his mercurial turn bringing the man’s inherent unpredictability to the fore.  The Babadook’s Essie Davis, meanwhile, frequently steals the film from under both of them as Ellen, the fearsome matriarch of the Kelly clan, and Nicholas Hoult is similarly impressive as Constable Fitzpatrick, Ned’s slimily duplicitous friend/nemesis, while there are quality supporting turns from Charlie Hunnam and Russell Crowe as two of the most important men of Ned’s formative years.  In Kurzel’s hands, this account of Australia’s greatest true-life crime saga becomes one of the ultimate marmite movies – its glacial pace, grubby intensity and frequent brutality will turn some viewers off, but fans of more “alternative” cinema will find much to enjoy here.  There’s a blasted beauty to its imagery (this is BY FAR the bleakest the Outback’s ever looked on film), while the screenplay from relative unknown Shaun Grant (adapting Peter Carey’s bestselling novel) is STRONG, delivering rich character development and sublime dialogue, and Kurzel delivers some brilliantly offbeat and inventive action beats in the latter half that are well worth the wait.  Evocative, intense and undeniable, this has just the kind of irreverent punk aesthetic that I’m sure the real life Ned Kelly would have approved of …

9.  JUST MERCY – more true-life cinema, this time presenting an altogether classier account of two idealists’ struggle to overturn horrific racial injustices in Alabama. Writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12, The Glass Castle) brings heart, passion and honest nobility to the story of fresh-faced young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his personal crusade to free Walter “Johnny D” McMillan (Jamie Foxx), an African-American man wrongfully sentenced to death for the murder of a white woman.  His only ally is altruistic young paralegal Eva Ansley (Cretton’s regular screen muse Brie Larson), while the opposition arrayed against them is MAMMOTH – not only do they face the cruelly racist might of the Alabama legal system circa 1989, but a corrupt local police force determined to circumvent his efforts at every turn and a thoroughly disinterested prosecutor, Tommy Chapman (Rafe Spall), who’s far too concerned with his own personal political ambitions to be any help.  The cast are uniformly excellent, Jordan and Foxx particularly impressing with career best performances that sear themselves deep into the memory, while there’s a truly harrowing supporting turn from Rob Morgan as Johnny D’s fellow Death Row inmate Herbert, whose own execution date is fast approaching.  This is courtroom drama at its most gripping, Cretton keeping the inherent tension cranked up tight while tugging hard on our heartstrings for maximum effect, and the result is a timely, racially-charged throat-lumper of considerable power and emotional heft that guarantees there won’t be a single dry eye in the house by the time the credits roll.  Further proof, then, that Destin Daniel Cretton is one of those rare talents of his generation – next up is his tour of duty in the MCU with Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings, and if this seems like a strange leftfield turn given his previous track record, I nevertheless have the utmost confidence in him after seeing this …

8.  UNDERWATER – at first glance, this probably seems like a strange choice for the year’s current Top Ten – a much-maligned, commercially underperforming glorified B-movie creature-feature headlined by the former star of the Twilight franchise, there’s no way that could be any good, surely?  Well hold your horses, folks, because not only is this very much worth your time and a comprehensive suspension of your low expectations, but I can’t even consider this a guilty pleasure – as far as I’m concerned this is a GENUINELY GREAT FILM, without reservation.  The man behind the camera is William Eubank, a director whose career I’ve been following with great interest since his feature debut Love (a decidedly oddball but strangely beautiful little space movie) and its more high profile but still unapologetically INDIE follow-up The Signal, and this is the one where he finally delivers wholeheartedly on all that wonderful sci-fi potential.  The plot is deceptively simple – an industrial conglomerate has established an instillation drilling right down to the very bottom of the Marianas Trench, the deepest point in our Earth’s oceans, only for an unknown disaster to leave six survivors from the operation’s permanent crew stranded miles below the surface with very few escape options left – but Eubank and writers Brian Duffield (Jane Got a Gun, Insurgent) and Adam Cozad (The Legend of Tarzan) wring all the possible suspense and fraught, claustrophobic terror out of the premise to deliver a piano wire-tense horror thriller that grips from its sudden start to a wonderfully cathartic climax.  The small but potent cast are all on top form, Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick (Netflix’ Iron Fist) and John Gallagher Jr. (Hush, 10 Cloverfield Lane) particularly impressing, and even the decidedly hit-and-miss T.J. Miller delivers a surprisingly likeable turn here, but it’s that Twilight alumnus who REALLY sticks in your memory here – Kristen Stewart’s been doing a pretty good job lately distancing herself from the role that, unfortunately, both made her name and turned her into an object of (rather unfair) derision for many years, but in my opinion THIS is the performance that REALLY separates her from Bella effing-Swan.  Mechanical engineer Norah Price is tough, ingenious and fiercely determined, but with the right amount of vulnerability that we really root for her, and Stewart acts her little heart out in a turn sure to win over her strongest detractors. The creature effects are impressive too, the ultimate threat proving some of the nastiest, most repulsively icky creations I’ve seen committed to film, and the inspired design work and strong visual effects easily belie the film’s B-movie leanings.  Those made uneasy by deep, dark open water or tight, enclosed spaces should take heed that this can be a tough watch, but anyone who likes being scared should find plenty to enjoy here.  Altogether a MUCH better film than its mediocre Rotten Tomatoes rating makes it out to be …

7.  ONWARD – Disney and Pixar’s latest digitally animated family feature clearly has a love of tabletop fantasy roleplay games like Dungeons & Dragons, its quirky modern-day AU take populated by fantastical races and creatures seemingly tailor-made for the geek crowd … needless to say, me and many of my friends absolutely loved it. That doesn’t mean that the classic Disney ideals of love, family and believing in yourself have been sidelined in favour of fan-service – this is as heartfelt, affecting and tearful as their previous standouts, albeit with plenty of literal magic added to the metaphorical kind.  The central premise is a clever one – once upon a time, magic was commonplace, but over the years technology came along to make life easier, so that in the present day the various races (elves, centaurs, fauns, pixies, goblins and trolls among others) get along fine without it.  Then timid elf Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) receives a wizard’s staff for his sixteenth birthday, a bequeathed gift from his father, who died before he was born, with instructions for a spell that could bring him back to life for one whole day.  Encouraged by his brash, over-confident wannabe adventurer elder brother Barley (Chris Pratt), Ian tries it out, only for the spell to backfire, leaving them with the animated bottom half of their father and just 24 hours to find a means to restore the rest of him before time runs out.  Cue an “epic quest” … needless to say, this is another top-notch offering from the original masters of the craft, a fun, affecting and thoroughly infectious family-friendly romp with a winning sense of humour and inspired, flawless world-building.  Holland and Pratt are both fantastic, their odd-couple chemistry effortlessly driving the story through its ingenious paces, and the ensuing emotional fireworks are hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure, while there’s typically excellent support from Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine from Seinfeld) as Ian and Barley’s put-upon but supportive mum, Laurel, Octavia Spencer as once-mighty adventurer-turned-restaurateur “Corey” the Manticore and Mel Rodriguez (Getting On, The Last Man On Earth) as overbearing centaur cop (and Laurel’s new boyfriend) Colt Bronco.  The film marks the sophomore feature gig for Dan Scanlon, who debuted with 2013’s sequel Monsters University, and while that was enjoyable enough I ultimately found it non-essential – no such verdict can be levelled against THIS film, the writer-director delivering magnificently in all categories, while the animation team have outdone themselves in every scene, from the exquisite world-building and character/creature designs to some fantastic (and frequently delightfully bonkers) set-pieces, while there’s a veritable riot of brilliant RPG in-jokes to delight geekier viewers (gelatinous cube! XD).  Massive, unadulterated fun, frequently hilarious and absolutely BURSTING with Disney’s trademark heart, this is currently (and deservedly) my animated feature of the year.  It’s certainly gonna be a tough one to beat …

6.  THE GENTLEMEN – Guy Ritchie’s been having a rough time with his last few movies (The Man From UNCLE didn’t do too bad but it wasn’t exactly a hit and was largely overlooked or simply ignored critically, while intended franchise-starter King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was largely derided and suffered badly on release, dying a quick death financially – it’s a shame on both counts, because I really liked them), so it’s nice to see him having some proper success with his latest, even if he has basically reverted to type to do it.  Still, when his newest London gangster flick is THIS GOOD it seems churlish to quibble – this really is what he does best, bringing together a collection of colourful geezers and shaking up their status quo, then standing back and letting us enjoy the bloody, expletive-riddled results. This particularly motley crew is another winning selection, led by Matthew McConaughey as ruthlessly successful cannabis baron Mickey Pearson, who’s looking to retire from the game by selling off his massive and highly lucrative enterprise for a most tidy sum (some $400,000,000 to be precise) to up-and-coming fellow American ex-pat Matthew Berger (Succession’s Jeremy Strong, oozing sleazy charm), only for local Chinese triad Dry Eye (Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding, chewing the scenery with enthusiasm) to start throwing spanners into the works with the intention of nabbing the deal for himself for a significant discount.  Needless to say Mickey’s not about to let that happen … McConaughey is ON FIRE here, the best he’s been since Dallas Buyers Club in my opinion, clearly having great fun sinking his teeth into this rich character and Ritchie’s typically sparkling, razor-witted dialogue, and he’s ably supported by a uniformly excellent ensemble cast, particularly co-star Charlie Hunnam as Mickey’s ice-cold, steel-nerved right-hand-man Raymond Smith, Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery as his classy, strong-willed wife Rosalind, Colin Farrell as a wise-cracking, quietly exasperated MMA trainer and small-time hood simply known as the Coach (who gets many of the film’s best lines), and, most notably, Hugh Grant as the film’s nominal narrator, thoroughly morally bankrupt private investigator Fletcher, who consistently steals the film.  This is Guy Ritchie at his very best – a twisty rug-puller of a plot that constantly leaves you guessing, brilliantly observed and richly drawn characters you can’t help loving in spite of the fact there’s not a single hero among them, a deliciously unapologetic, politically incorrect sense of humour and a killer soundtrack.  It got the cinematic year off to a cracking start, and looks set to stay high in the running for the remainder – it’s EASILY Ritchie’s best film since Sherlock Holmes, and a strong call-back to the heady days of Snatch (STILL my favourite) and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.  Here’s hoping he’s on a roll again, eh?

5.  THE INVISIBLE MAN – looks like third time’s a charm for Leigh Whannell, writer-director of my current horror movie of the year – while he’s had immense success as a horror writer over the years (co-creator of both the Saw and Insidious franchises), as a director his first two features haven’t exactly set the world alight, with debut Insidious: Chapter III garnering similar takes to the rest of the series but ultimately turning out to be a bit of a damp squib quality-wise, while his second feature Upgrade was a stone-cold masterpiece that was (rightly) EXTREMELY well received critically, but ultimately snuck in under the radar and has remained a stubbornly hidden gem since.  No such problems with his third feature, though – his latest collaboration with producer Jason Blum and his insanely lucrative Blumhouse Pictures has proven a massive hit both financially AND with reviewers, and deservedly so.  Having given up on trying to create a shared cinematic universe inhabited by their classic monsters, Universal have resolved to concentrate on standalones to showcase their elite properties, and their first try is a rousing success, Whannell bringing HG Wells’ dark and devious human monster smack into the 21st Century as only he can.  The result is a surprisingly subtle piece of work, much more a lethally precise exercise in cinematic sleight of hand and extraordinary acting than flashy visual effects, very much adhering to the Blumhouse credo of maximum returns for minimum bucks as the story is stripped right back to its bare essentials and allowed to play out without any unnecessary weight.  The Handmaid’s Tale’s Elizabeth Moss once again confirms what a masterful actress she is as she brings all her performing weapons to bear in the role of Cecelia “Cee” Kass, the cloistered wife of affluent but monstrously abusive optics pioneer Aidan Griffin (Netflix’ The Haunting of Hill House’s Oliver Jackson-Cohen), who escapes his clutches in the furiously tense opening sequence and goes to ground with the help of her closest childhood friend, San Francisco cop James Lanier (Leverage’s Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (A Wrinkle in Time’s Storm Reid).  Two weeks later, Aidan commits suicide, leaving Cee with a fortune to start her life over (with the proviso that she’s never ruled mentally incompetent), but as she tries to find her way in the world again little things start going wrong for her, and she begins to question if there might be something insidious going on.  As her nerves start to unravel, she begins to suspect that Aidan is still alive, still very much in her life, fiendishly toying with her and her friends, but no-one can see him.  Whannell plays her paranoia up for all it’s worth, skilfully teasing out the scares so that, just like her friends, we begin to wonder if it might all in her head after all, before a spectacular mid-movie reveal throws the switch into high gear and the true threat becomes clear.  The lion’s share of the film’s immense success must of course go to Moss – her performance is BEYOND a revelation, a truly blistering career best turn that totally powers the whole enterprise, and it almost goes without saying that she’s the best thing in this.  Even so, she has sterling support from Hodge and Reid, as well as Love Child’s Harriet Dyer as Cee’s estranged big sister Emily and Wonderland’s Michael Dorman as Adrian’s slimy, spineless lawyer brother Tom, and, while he doesn’t have much actual (ahem) “screen time”, Jackson-Cohen delivers a fantastically icy, subtly malevolent turn which casts a large “shadow” over the film.  This is one of my very favourite Blumhouse films, a pitch-perfect psychological chiller that keeps the tension cranked up unbearably tight and never lets go, Whannell once again displaying uncanny skill with expert jump-scares, knuckle-whitening chills and a truly astounding standout set-piece that looks set to go down as one of the year’s top action sequences.  Undoubtedly the best version of Wells’ story to date, this goes a long way in repairing the damage of Universal’s abortive “Dark Universe” efforts, as well as showcasing a filmmaking master at the very height of his talents.

4.  EXTRACTION – the Coronavirus certainly has thrown a massive spanner in the works of this year’s cinematic calendar – the new A Quiet Place sequel should have been setting the big screen alight for almost two months now, while the latest (and most long-awaited) MCU movie, Black Widow, should have just opened to further record-breaking box office success, but instead the theatres are all closed and virtually all the big blockbusters have been pushed back or shelved indefinitely. Thank God, then, for the streaming services, particularly Hulu, Amazon and Netflix, the latter of which provided a perfect movie for us to see through the key transition from spring to the summer blockbuster season, an explosively flashy big budget action thriller ushered in by MCU alumni the Russo Brothers (who produced and co-wrote this adaptation of Ciudad, a graphic novel that Joe Russo co-created with Ande Parks and Fernando Leon Gonzalez) and barely able to contain the sheer star-power wattage of its lead, Thor himself.  Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a former Australian SAS operative who hires out his services to an extraction operation, under the command of mercenary Nik Khan (The Patience Stone’s Golshifteh Farahani), brought in to liberate Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal in his first major role), the pre-teen son of incarcerated Indian crime lord Ovi Sr. (Pankaj Tripathi), who has been abducted by Bangladeshi rival Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli).  The rescue itself goes perfectly, but when the time comes for the hand-off the team is double-crossed and Tyler is left stranded in the middle of Dhaka with no choice but to keep Ovi alive as every corrupt cop and street gang in the city closes in around them.  This is the feature debut of Sam Hargrave, the latest stuntman to try his hand at directing, so he certainly knows his way around an action sequence, and the result is a thoroughly breathless adrenaline rush of a film, bursting at the seams with spectacular fights, gun battles and car chases, dominated by a stunning sustained action sequence that plays out in one long shot, guaranteed to leave jaws lying on the floor.  Not that there should be any surprise – Hargrave cut his teeth as a stunt coordinator for the Russos on Captain America: Civil War and their Avengers films.  That said, he displays strong talent for the quieter disciplines of filmmaking too, delivering quality character development and drawing out consistently noteworthy performances from his cast.  Of course, Hemsworth can do the action stuff in his sleep, but there’s a lot more to Tyler than just his muscle, the MCU veteran investing him with real wounded vulnerability and a tragic fatalism which colours his every scene, while Jaiswal is exceptional throughout, showing plenty of promise for the future, and there’s strong support from Farahani and Painyuli, as well as Stranger Things’s David Harbour as world-weary retired merc Gaspard, and a particularly impressive, muscular turn from Randeep Hooda (Once Upon a Time in Mumbai) as Saju, a former Para and Ovi’s bodyguard, who’s determined to take possession of the boy himself, even if he has to go through Tyler to get him.  This is action cinema that really deserves to be seen on the big screen – I watched it twice in a week and would happily have paid for two trips to the cinema for it if I could have.  As we look down the barrel of a summer season largely devoid of big blockbuster fare, I can’t recommend this film enough.  Thank the gods for Netflix …

3.  PARASITE – I’ve been a fan of master Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho ever since I stumbled across his deeply weird but also thoroughly brilliant breakthrough feature The Host, and it’s a love that’s deepened since thanks to the truly magnificent sci-fi actioner Snowpiercer, so I was looking forward to his latest feature as much as any movie geek, but even I wasn’t prepared for just what a runaway juggernaut of a hit this one turned out to be, from the insane box office to all that award-season glory (especially that undeniable clean-sweep at the Oscars). I’ll just come out and say it, this film deserves it all.  It’s EASILY Bong’s best film to date (which is really saying something), a masterful social satire and jet black comedy that raises some genuinely intriguing questions before delivering some deeply troubling answers.  Straddling the ever-widening gulf between a disaffected idle rich upper class and impoverished, struggling lower class in modern-day Seoul, it tells the story of the Kim family – father Ki-taek (Bong’s veritable good luck charm Song Kang-ho), mother Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin), son Ki-woo (Train to Busan’s Choi Woo-shik) and daughter Ki-jung (The Silenced’s Park So-dam) – a poor family living in a run-down basement apartment who live hand-to-mouth in minimum wage jobs and can barely rub two cents together, until they’re presented with an intriguing opportunity.  Through happy chance, Ki-woon is hired as an English tutor for Park Da-hye (Jung Ji-so), the daughter of a wealthy family, which offers him the chance to recommend Ki-jung as an art tutor to the Parks’ troubled young son, Da-song (Jung Hyeon-jun).  Soon the rest of the Kims are getting in on the act, the young Kims contriving opportunities for their father to replace Mr Park’s chauffeur and their mother to oust the family’s long-serving housekeeper, Gook Moon-gwang (Lee Jung-eun), and before long their situation has improved dramatically.  But as they two families become more deeply entwined, cracks begin to show in their supposed blissful harmony as the natural prejudices of their respective classes start to take hold, and as events spiral out of control a terrible confrontation looms on the horizon.  This is social commentary at its most scathing, Bong drawing on personal experiences from his youth to inform the razor-sharp script (co-written by his production assistant Han Jin-won), while he weaves a palpable atmosphere of knife-edged tension throughout to add spice to the perfectly observed dark humour of the situation, all the while throwing intriguing twists and turns at us before suddenly dropping such a massive jaw-dropper of a gear-change that the film completely turns on its head, to stunning effect.  The cast are all thoroughly astounding, Song once again dominating the film with a turn which is at once sloppy and dishevelled but also poignant and heartfelt, while there are particularly noteworthy turns from Lee Sun-kyun as the Parks’ self-absorbed patriarch Dong-ik and Choi Yeo-jeong (The Concubine) as his flighty, easily-led wife Choi Yeon-gyo, as well as a fantastically weird appearance in the latter half from Park Myung-hoon.  This is heady stuff, dangerously seductive even as it becomes increasingly uncomfortable viewing, so that even as the screws tighten and everything goes to hell it’s simply impossible to look away.  Bong Joon-ho really has surpassed himself this time, delivering an existential mind-scrambler that lingers long after the credits have rolled and might even have you questioning your place in society once you’ve thought about it some. It deserves every single award and every ounce of praise it’s been lavished with so far, and looks set to go down as one of the true cinematic greats of this new decade.  Trust me, if this was a purely critical best-of list it’d be RIGHT AT THE TOP …

2.  1917 – it’s a rare thing for a film to leave me truly shell-shocked by its sheer awesomeness, for me to walk out of a cinema in a genuine daze, unable to talk or even really think about much of anything for a few hours because I’m simply marvelling at what I’ve just witnessed.  Needless to say, when I do find a film like that (Fight Club, Inception, Mad Max: Fury Road) it usually earns a place very close to my heart indeed.  The latest tour-de-force from Sam Mendes is one of those films – an epic World War I thriller that plays out ENTIRELY in one shot, which doesn’t simply feel like a glorified gimmick or stunt but instead is a genuine MASTERPIECE of a film, a mesmerising journey of emotion and imagination in a shockingly real environment that it’s impossible to tear your eyes away from.  Sure, Mendes has impressed us before – his first film, American Beauty, is a GREAT movie, one of the most impressive feature debuts of the 2000s, while Skyfall is, in my opinion, quite simply THE BEST BOND FILM EVER MADE – but this is in a whole other league.  It’s an astounding achievement, made all the more impressive when you realise that there’s very little trickery at play here, no clever digital magic (just some augmentation here and there), it’s all real locations and sets, filmed in long, elaborately choreographed takes blended together with clever edits to make it as seamless as possible – it’s not the first film to try to do this (remember Birdman? Bushwick?), but I’ve never seen it done better, or with greater skill. But it’s not just a clever cinematic exercise, there’s a genuine story here, told with guts and urgency, and populated by real flesh and blood characters – the heart of the film is George MacKay and Dean Chapman (probably best known as Tommen Baratheon in Game of Thrones) as Lance Corporals Will Schofield and Tom Blake, the two young tommies sent out across enemy territory on a desperate mission to stop a British regiment from rushing headlong into a German trap (Tom himself has a personal stake in this because his brother is an officer in the attack).  They’re a likeable pair, very human and relatable throughout, brave and true but never so overly heroic that they stretch credibility, so when tragedy strikes along the way it’s particularly devastating; both deliver exceptional performances that effortlessly carry us through the film, and they’re given sterling support from a selection of top-drawer British talent, from Sherlock stars Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch to Mark Strong and Colin Firth, each delivering magnificently in small but potent cameos.  That said, the cinematography and art department are the BIGGEST stars here, masterful veteran DoP Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption, Blade Runner 2049 and pretty much the Coen Brothers’ entire back catalogue among MANY others) making every frame sing with beauty, horror, tension or tragedy as the need arises, and the environments are SO REAL it feels less like production design than that someone simply sent the cast and crew back in time to film in the real Northern France circa 1917 – from a nightmarish trek across No Man’s Land to a desperate chase through a ruined French village lit only by dancing flare-light in the darkness before dawn, every scene is totally immersive and simply STUNNING.  I don’t think it’s possible for Mendes to make a film better than this, but I sure hope he gives it a go all the same.  Either way, this is the most incredible, exhausting, truly AWESOME experience I’ve had at the cinema this year (so far) – it’s a film that DESERVES to be seen on the big screen, and I feel truly sorry for those who missed the chance …

1.  BIRDS OF PREY & THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN – the only reason 1917 isn’t at number one right now is because Warner Bros.’ cinematic DC Extended Universe project FINALLY got round to bringing my favourite DC Comics title to the big screen.  It’s been the biggest pleasure of my cinematic year so far getting to see my top DC superheroines brought to life on the big screen, and it’s been done in high style, in my opinion THE BEST of the DCEU films to date (yup, I loved it EVEN MORE than Wonder Woman).  It was also great seeing Harley Quinn return after her show-stealing turn in David Ayer’s clunky but ultimately still hugely enjoyable Suicide Squad, better still that this time round they got her SPOT ON this time – this is the Harley I’ve always loved in the comics, unpredictable, irreverent and entirely without regard for what anyone else thinks of her, as well as one hell of a talented psychiatrist.  Margot Robbie once more excels in the role she was basically BORN to play, clearly relishing the chance to finally do Harley justice, and she’s a total riot from start to finish, infectiously lovable no matter what crazy, sometimes downright REPRIHENSIBLE antics she gets up to.  Needless to say she’s the nominal star here, her latest ill-advised adventure driving the story – finally done with the Joker and itching to make her emancipation official, Harley publicly announces their breakup by blowing up Ace Chemicals (their love spot, basically), inadvertently painting a target on her back in the process since she’s no longer under the supposed protection of Gotham’s feared Clown Prince of Crime – but that doesn’t mean she eclipses the other main players the movie’s REALLY supposed to be about. Each member of the Birds of Prey is beautifully written and brought to vivid, arse-kicking life by what has to be the year’s most exciting cast – Helena Bertinelli, aka the Huntress, is the perfect character for Mary Elizabeth Winstead to finally pay off on that action heroine potential she showed in Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, but this is a MUCH more enjoyable role outside of the fight choreography because while Helena may be a world-class dark avenger, socially she’s a total dork, which just makes her thoroughly adorable; Rosie Perez is similarly perfect casting as Renee Montoya, the uncompromising pint-sized Gotham PD detective who kicks against the corrupt system no matter what kind of trouble it gets her into, and just gets angrier all the time, paradoxically making us like her even more; and then there’s the film’s major controversy, at least as far as the fans are concerned, namely one Cassandra Cain.  Sure, this take is VERY different from the comics’ version (a nearly mute master assassin who went on to become the second woman to wear the mask of Batgirl before assuming her own crime-fighting  mantle as Black Bat and now Orphan), but personally I like to think this is simply Cass at THE VERY START of her origin story, leaving plenty of time for her to discovery her warrior origins when the DCEU gets around to introducing Lady Shiva (personally I want Michelle Yeoh to play her, but that’s just me) – anyways, here she’s a skilled child pickpocket whose latest theft inadvertently sets off the larger central plot, and newcomer Ella Jay Basco brings a fantastic pre-teen irreverence and spiky charm to the role, beautifully playing against Robbie’s mercurial energy.  My favourite here BY FAR, however, is Dinah Lance, aka the Black Canary (not only my favourite Bird of Prey but my very favourite DC superheroine PERIOD), the choice of up-and-comer Jurnee Smollet-Bell (Friday Night Lights, Underground) proving to be the film’s most truly inspired casting – a club singer with the metahuman ability to emit piercing supersonic screams, she’s also a truly ferocious martial artist (in the comics she’s one of the very best fighters IN THE WORLD), as well as a wonderfully pure soul you just can’t help loving, and it made me SO UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY that they got my Canary EXACTLY RIGHT.  Altogether they’re a fantastic bunch, basically my perfect superhero team, and the way they’re all brought together (along with Harley, of course) is beautifully thought out and perfectly executed … they’ve also got one hell of a threat to overcome, namely Gotham crime boss Roman Sionis, aka the Black Mask, one of the Joker’s chief rivals – Ewan McGregor brings his A-game in a frustratingly rare villainous turn (currently my number one bad guy for the movie year), a monstrously narcissistic, woman-hating control freak with a penchant for peeling off the faces of those who displease him, sharing some exquisitely creepy chemistry with Chris Messina (The Mindy Project) as Sionis’ nihilistic lieutenant Victor Zsasz. This is about as good as superhero cinema gets, a perfect example of the sheer brilliance you get when you switch up the formula to create something new, an ultra-violent, unapologetically R-rated middle finger to the classic tropes, a fantastic black comedy thrill ride that’s got to be the most full-on feminist blockbuster yet – it’s helmed by a woman (Dead Pigs director Cathy Yan), written by a woman (Bumblebee’s Christina Hodson), produced by more women and ABOUT a bunch of badass women magnificently triumphing over toxic masculinity in all its forms.  It’s also simply BRILLIANT – the cast are all clearly having a blast, the action sequences are first rate (the spectacular GCPD evidence room fight in which Harley gets to REALLY cut loose is the undisputable highlight), it has a gleefully anarchic sense of humour and is simply BURSTING with phenomenal homages, references and in-jokes for the fans (Bruce the hyena! Stuffed beaver! Roller derby!).  It’s also got a killer soundtrack, populated almost exclusively by numbers from female artists.  Altogether, then, this is the VERY BEST the DCEU has to offer to date (Wonder Woman 1984 has got a MAJOR job ahead of it beating this one), and my absolute FAVOURITE film of 2020 (so far).  Give it all the love you can, it sure as hell deserves it.

[thefakejeffreyazoff]

40 Under 40: Music's Young Power Players. 9.12.14

JEFFREY AZOFF, 28

Agent, Creative Artists Agency

Jeffrey Azoff grew up in a household where huge deals went down at the breakfast table -- his father is industry legend Irving Azoff -- but he stands on his own as a critical player on the team that put together Britney Spears’ Las Vegas residency (125,000 tickets sold since December 2013, per Azoff). Azoff has also developed Mac Miller and Icona Pop, and handled big-scale runs like the Eagles’ sold-out arena tour and Journey’s “pretty incredible” tear through the sheds this summer.

THE BAND THAT MADE ME WANT TO BE IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS: “Years of growing up on the road watching the Eagles left me no choice.”

IF I WEREN’T IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS I WOULD BE: “A virgin.”