#robert’s final days on Classic has begun

[bobbie-robron]

Funny how things turn out, eh?

We have officially start the final 19 episodes of Robert on Classic. Scott is not happy to see Cain working on a car and lets him go. Well, obviously, Cain doesn’t take it well and closes the hood on Scott’s hand injuring him. This ensures that Robert is gonna need the extra help (him) while Scott recuperates.

01-Sep-2005

[sbknews]

Norton Motorcycles commences delivery programme for the V4SV

Norton Motorcycles has today begun its delivery programme for the highly anticipated, re-engineered V4SV superbike. Ensuring uncompromising levels of quality, power and handling, the V4SV has been put through extensive engineering processes and a rigorous testing regime at the brand’s recently opened headquarters in Solihull. Production of the V4SV has been integrated into an increasingly packed order book which includes the new Commando 961 SP and CR, as well as Commando Classics for historic NMUL customers. The delivery programme marks an important milestone in the brand’s commitment to producing the highest quality, luxury motorcycles. Dr. Robert Hentschel, CEO of Norton Motorcycles, said: “We’ve commenced the delivery programme of both V4SV while also filling the order book for our new Commando variants, which will be available across a growing dealer partner network.” “This expansion plan is an exciting chapter in the Norton story, given it’s come in our 125th year I feel that Norton is in a fantastic position. It has taken a huge effort from the team at Norton to get here and I’m proud of the entire company. I’d also like to extend my thanks to the customers that have waited patiently for us to get to the stage that we’re at.” Uncompromising quality – about the re-engineered V4SV* Available in two colour options, Carbon and Manx Silver, the V4SV features carbon fibre body work, a TIG-welded aluminium tube frame handcrafted and polished to a mirror finish, and a Union Jack on the tail of the motorcycle. Each model is powered by Norton’s own liquid-cooled 1,200cc, 72-degree V4 engine, and optimised to produce 185bhp at 12,500rpm and 125Nm of torque at 9,000rpm. The superbike’s design includes an aerospace-grade aluminium chassis, a full quick shift and auto blipper system, adjustable front and rear suspension, Brembo disc brakes, a sophisticated lean-angle sensitive traction-control and three engine modes (wet, road and sport). Also fitted is a full-colour six-inch TFT display, which includes rear-view camera functionality and an under-seat carbon fibre 15-litre fuel. Prices for the V4SV start from £44,000. To find out more, go to: nortonmotorcycles.com/range/v4sv/ *The products presented are subject to regional applicability and the final specification can change.

About Norton Motorcycles Norton Motorcycles was founded in 1898 as a manufacturer of fittings and parts to the two-wheel trade. Norton Motorcycles went on to become one of the most iconic British motorcycle brands, manufacturing famous models such as the 650SS, Atlas, Commando, Dominator, Manx, Navigator and more – constantly innovating in motorcycle technology, with features advantageous for lightness and strength in motorcycle racing. Norton Motorcycles has an unrivalled history in motorsport and the brand name is synonymous with Isle of Man TT racing. In April 2020, Norton Motorcycles was acquired by TVS Motor Company, India’s third-largest motorcycle manufacturer. Under the leadership of TVS, Norton is based out of a new manufacturing facility in Solihull, West Midlands, building British motorcycles in England using traditional hand-crafted techniques with modern day machinery for consistently high quality. For more Norton Motorcycles check out our dedicated page Norton Motorcycles News or head to the official Norton Motorcycles website nortonmotorcycles.com/ Read the full article

[positivexcellence]

'Supernatural' stars reflect on CW's series finale and 15-year legacy: 'We gave it everything'

After 15 years of CW’s “Supernatural,” Jensen Ackles admits that he and co-star Jared Padalecki aren’t very good at taking compliments or credit for the horror show’s epic run.

On their final day in Vancouver last September filming the series finale (Thursday, 9 ET/PT), when director Robert Singer called it a wrap and everybody else had walked off the set, the actors did something new: They basked in the moment.

“It was like, ‘We did this.’ That was pretty cool,'" Ackles recalls. “I mean, obviously we know that we didn't do it by ourselves, but it was really the first time that he and I looked at each other and (realized) we should be proud of what we've built here. Because it Is something to be proud of.”

Adds Padalecki: “It wasn't like, ‘Hey, look how awesome we are.’ It was like, ‘Hey, man, remember when we cried and we bled and we broke bones – literally? Remember all the alarm clocks when the sun wasn’t up yet?’ However this turns out, however it's received, we gave it everything.”

The last episode of “Supernatural,” which follows a retrospective special (8 EST/PST), finishes the story of monster-hunting brothers Sam (Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Ackles), who began their long, winding, apocalypse-filled quest after tragedy and have since taken on every foe that heaven, hell and everywhere in between has thrown at them, usually set to a rock tune. (The final episode’s title, “Carry On,” is a riff on the 1970s Kansas hit “Carry On Wayward Son,” which became the show’s unofficial theme song.)

Even without Emmy Awards, "Supernatural" has become a classic show – finding new fans through Netflix binges and TNT reruns – and a survivor, a final holdover from WB (which folded in 2007) that's outlasted many, many shows that have come and gone since its Sept. 13, 2005, premiere. Only a few prime-time network dramas have lasted longer, including "Grey's Anatomy" (which premiered six months earlier), "Law & Order: SVU" (1999) and "NCIS" (2003).

"Not surprisingly, as a 15-year-old show, 'Supernatural' is in some ways a little bit of an artifact of a different age of television," says executive producer Andrew Dabb.

Last week’s penultimate episode wrapped up the larger “Supernatural” mythology of angels and demons, as Sam and Dean outwitted God, aka Chuck (Rob Benedict), and their ally Jack (Alexander Calvert), the son of Lucifer and the new bearer of God’s power, said goodbye to the brothers after the world was saved.

The finale, in contrast, tells “a very personal story” centered on the Winchesters and is “really devoted to the relationship and the journey these guys have traveled,” says Singer, an executive producer on the show since its inception.

Singer adds that they eliminated certain ideas early: No “enigmatic" final shot a la “The Sopranos,” for example, or nothing out of left field like the 1988 "St. Elsewhere" finale, when the audience found out a boy with autism had imagined the entire series, visualized in a snow globe.

“We wanted it to feel like the end of a very long novel," Singer says. "It's pretty bold what we did and quite moving.”

Padalecki, 38, finds it “really powerful. And if you're not already crying by the last five or 10 minutes, then you don't have a soul. You don't have a heart.”

The stars have begun to move on – Padalecki to CW’s coming “Walker, Texas Ranger” reboot, and Ackles to Amazon’s “The Boys” – yet they’ve also brought a large piece of “Supernatural” home: Each got a black 1967 Chevy Impala used in the series as Dean’s beloved car, “Baby.” Ackles, 42, figures it was the second episode of the series “when I was like, ‘I’m getting a car. This car is not going to sit in a Warner Bros. lockup and get forgotten about. This car is coming home with somebody who's going to take care of it.’"

Ackles says he was “floored” by the gift: “And it's cool, because now Jared and I can just drag-race around Austin.”

“If we get pulled over, it'd be like, ‘Don't worry. FBI Agent Robert Plant,’" Padalecki adds.

“We've got FBI badges in the glove box,” Ackles confirms.

Down the road, Ackles would like people to talk about “Supernatural” the way he does about 1980s favorites like “The Goonies” or “Flight of the Navigator.”

“You show somebody a show or a movie like that now with all of the CGI and they're like, ‘Wow, the effects on this suck.’ And for me, I'm like, ‘That was amazing!’ I'm anxious to meet those people in 20 years when they're like, ‘Man, that show was such an epic part of my childhood’ or ‘I grew up with you guys’ or ‘I can't wait to show my kids that show when they're of age.”’

Padalecki says it might sound strange, but “I hope it's not remembered. I hope ‘Supernatural’ is continuously experienced and enjoyed and appreciated by all ages, all demographics, and so I hope it remains present.”

[newmusickarl]

Album & EP Recommendations

If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey

Halsey’s evolution across her career has been quite something to witness. Having begun her career in pure pop territory, her artistry has developed over time with each new record seeing the American singer-songwriter up the ambition and scope of her music. Now with this her fourth album, Halsey has gone bigger than ever, teaming up with Nine Inch Nails members and Oscar-winning composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for her boldest work to date.

Produced entirely by Reznor and Ross, Halsey describes this new record as “a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth.” Naturally with any concept record there is going to be a cinematic feel, however Halsey has gone one step further and even delivered a full theatrical film to accompany the album, the trailer for which you can watch above. Although I am yet to see the film, there is no doubt that the musical portion is a mightily ambitious and accomplished project, with each song seamlessly segueing into the next despite the array of styles and genres across each track.

It may still be a pop record at the heart, but with the masterful touch of Reznor and Ross, Halsey also brings in some industrial rock elements, as well as a bit of pop punk in places too. However, it is not just sonically that Halsey pushes the boundaries but also thematically as well, using the album’s concept to press the issue of feminism and misogyny within the lyrics. Arguably what’s most striking about this record though is how tightly constructed everything is here – under the watchful eye of Reznor and Ross, the dramatic production is inch-perfect.

Most importantly, the songs here are just fantastic, from the religious imagery and glistening synths that lace the wonderful melody of Bells of Santa Fe, to the raw, grungy guitars of You asked for this. There’s also the atmospheric piano ballad 1121, where Halsey really flexes her impressive vocal cords. Pulsating, stylish electro-pop single I am not a woman, I’m a god is another standout. Once you have been amazed by all of this, the gentle plucking and raindrop like xylophone of stunning closer Ya’aburnee arrives to really blow things away.

In a year packed full of outstanding pop records, Halsey has delivered, for my money, one of the best of the lot. With Reznor and Ross holding the reigns, they help Halsey deliver on her epic vision with both style and control. It’s one thing to attempt a record like this, it’s another thing to pull it off as expertly and vibrantly as this – hats off for this one!

Listen here

Screen Violence by CHVRCHES

Also delivering their fourth album this week was Scottish synth-pop group CHVRCHES who, whilst predominantly maintaining their vintage sound, have lyrically pushed themselves into darker territory on this new record. Probably their finest work since their debut, frontwoman Lauren Mayberry takes no prisoners as she tackles sexism and misogyny, calling upon her own experiences within the industry to really illustrate the issues being put front and centre.  

This is highlighted best on electric single Good Girls, a track Mayberry wrote “after listening to some friends arguing about the present-day implications of loving certain problematic male artists – I was struck by the lengths that people would go to in order to excuse their heroes and how that was so juxtaposed to my own experiences in the world.”

Other highlights include He Said She Said, a glistening synth-driven pop banger that’s contrasted against razor-sharp lyrics with a defiant message at its core – catchy, but also powerful and thought-provoking. There’s also the superb collaboration with The Cure legend Robert Smith, How Not to Drown, which is a moody, atmospheric, and synth-soaked belter of a track. Although it is incredible right the way through, the real spine-tingling moment comes during the song’s outro thanks to the ghostly vocals of Smith being cast over some hauntingly melodic guitars. Outside of the singles, the rawness of heartbreaking closer Better If You Don’t leaves the biggest impression.

All in all, this album ranks amongst their best work and although it may not be quite as dramatic or impressionable as Halsey’s album, there’s still plenty to which you’ll want to digest and ultimately keep returning.

Listen here

How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? By Big Red Machine

The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon have certainly kept themselves busy over lockdown. It seems they weren’t satisfied with just taking Taylor Swift’s music to incredible new heights on 2020’s folklore and evermore, as they have now also released their second album under their Big Red Machine guise. The most noticeable thing about this second record is that the duo have extended their collaboration further this time around, bringing in renowned artists such as Ben Howard, Sharon Van Etten, Lisa Hannigan and Fleet Foxes, as well as two more collaborations with Miss Swift herself.

Given the talent involved, it is no surprise that this makes for a really special and stunning collection of songs. There’s wonderful electro-folk track Mimi, which sees singer-songwriter Ilsey Juber join Justin Vernon on lead vocal duties. Phoenix sees Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes and Anaïs Mitchell join in for a wonderful, horn-backed number. This track in fact isn’t the only time Anaïs Mitchell steals the show, as her beautiful, soothing vocal performances on opener Latter Days and closer New Auburn arguably provide the two best moments of the entire album.

The two tracks with Taylor Swift are also fantastic, with Renegade offering a sweet, pop cut that wouldn’t be out of place on either of Swift’s last two records. The better of the two though is Birch, a piano-driven, string-tinged ballad which sees Swift simply providing back-up vocals to Vernon’s haunting folky croons. It’s stunning and possibly my new favourite collaboration between the three artists.

Ultimately this is just a superb album, with Dessner and Vernon thriving alongside their chosen collaborators for a collection of songs that will frequently both move and astound you.

Listen here

Donda by Kanye West

Easily the most talked about album of the week, after several launch events and many, many delays, Kanye West finally released his long-awaited tenth studio album, Donda. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of excessive, bloated albums, so with Donda clocking in at almost 2 hours long it was always going to struggle to win me over.

As expected, this is another West project that struggles with inconsistency, with moments of brilliance balanced out with plenty of moments that ultimately underwhelm. Although it has more high points than Ye and the production is more polished than Jesus Is King, there is no track as good as Ghost Town and sonically I found it less inspired than Jesus Is King in many ways. I’m not sure just yet if this is indeed the worst West album, but it is certainly down there in the bottom half for me.

That said, there are still some great moments to be found here. Once you get passed the massively irritating Donda Chant opener (honestly, so painful!), the Jay-Z featuring Jail offers an anthemic rock-influenced gem to get the album started properly. From there The Weeknd featuring Hurricane, the Lauryn Hill sampling Believe What I Say, the heavenly melody of Kid Cudi feature Moon and the organ-backed closer No Child Left Behind provide some of the other highlights. However possibly the finest moment comes in the form of Jesus Lord, a 9-minute epic that sees West deliver some of his best bars in years, returning to the social-consciousness that made him a star in the first place.

If you are a fan of West’s recent gospel-influenced work, then this album will reward you for your patience if you stick with it. For me, although there are some moments I enjoyed, the length was just too much, with this album having the same inconsistency problem that The Life of Pablo had but without reaching the same heights as that album did when it was at its best. Disappointing, but still somewhat worthwhile.

Listen here

The Awesome Album by Mouse Rat

And finally on the albums front, if like me you are a big Parks & Recreation fan, you’ll be pleased to hear that Chris Pratt’s fictional band from the show, Mouse Rat, have finally released their debut album this week. Featuring classics such as 5,000 Candle In The Wind and The Pit, this one is a lot of fun for fans of the show.

Listen here

Tracks of the Week

Good Ones by Charli XCX

Coming off the back of the definitive lockdown album How I’m Feeling Now that earned her both a Mercury Prize nomination and a place in my Top 5 albums of 2020, Charli XCX has returned with a new synth-driven banger that packs in an insanely catchy hook and wonderful 80s vibes.

Listen here

Family Ties by Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar

Also making his return this week was King Kendrick who delivered a fantastic new collaboration with his cousin Baby Keem. Over a brilliant horn-driven beat, the two family members go toe-to-toe and bar-to-bar across this concise hip-hop banger.

Listen here

Alone by Rag N Bone Man & Nothing But Thieves

A remix of a track from Rory Graham’s latest album Life By Misadventure, this version sees Conor Mason of Nothing But Thieves join in on vocals, along with some triumphant rock production that replaces the stripped back nature of the album cut.

Listen here

Spirit Power & Soul by Johnny Marr

The brilliant first track from his forthcoming new EP, Spirit Power & Soul finds legendary guitarist Johnny Marr in fine form, sonically calling back to his days with Bernard Sumner in Electronic. Built on a masterful central riff, pulsating synths and a big anthemic chorus, it’s a belter!

Listen here

Nothing Else Matters by Chris Stapleton

And finally this week, we’ve had plenty of great, unique covers of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica already this year, with Miley Cyrus and Phoebe Bridgers already offering their own take on the classic song. However, I’ve always got time for another and this 8-minute epic from country singer Chris Stapleton is just as dazzling, thanks to some amazing bluesy guitars and his textured vocal performance.

Listen here

[365days365movies]

January 6, 2021: Last Action Hero (1993) (Part 1)

Let’s have some fun, shall we?

Comedy is my favorite genre, and I obviously also love action. So, when looking at the subgenres to cover this month, action-comedy most certainly was at the top of the list. But what exactly is action-comedy?

Exactly what it sounds like, funnily enough. Action-comedies rely on physical action sequences to further the plot, but also inject dialogue with humor and jokes throughout the script. Entertainment and amusement combined into one beautiful, succinct package. I’ll be judging the writing for these movies on how much they made me laugh while watching it. That said...

OK, so, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Last Action Hero. Schwarzenegger isn’t exactly the most emotionally expressive actor in the world, as you’ve probably noticed. And expressiveness is somewhat necessary to express humor. Look at Eddie Murphy up there, and see how expressive he is. Schwarzenegger...doesn’t have that. At all. But, this movie could still be funny! Shane Black wrote it, and he wrote one of my favorite guilty pleasure Halloween movies, The Monster Squad. So, I’m looking forward to this movie for that in and of itself. And with that...

 Recap

We start with a sick guitar lick on Christmas Day, as a group of cops close in on a criminal known as the Ripper holding children hostage at an elementary school. But then...Jack Slater (played, naturally, by Arnold Schwarzenegger) arrives. And yes, this is a parody character and scene, meant to lambast all of the stereotypical renegade cop tropes that I’ve literally never seen in a movie. Like, I guess Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop have it, but I think this character concept has been Flanderized into...well...Jack Slater.

Slater kicks a cop through a window with a Schwarzenegger-esque action line, and CRUSHES A RADIO LIKE A NAPKIN. I appreciate Schwarzenegger making fun of himself like this, and we’ve only just begun. Jack goes through banter with the Ripper (Tom Noonan), who...is unironically terrifying. Holy shit, that guy is creepy as fuck, and his stylized ax is intimidating as hell. And as he holds Slater’s son hostage out of revenge, the two face off with some cool action beats, and...

...Shit, I think I want to watch this movie. And I don’t mean Last Action Hero, I mean the in-universe movie that our actual main character, Danny Madigan (Austin O’Brien) is watching. Danny’s a big Jack Slater fan, and one of the only patrons of a movie theater owned by Nick (Robert Prosky). Nick, a kind old man, invites Danny to see the next Slater film before anybody else. And honestly, I get it. I’d watch this movie series unironically if it existed, real talk. Mostly because it seems fun.

Danny’s skipped school just to see this movie, and he walks into his English class, where the teacher shows Lawrence Olivier as Hamlet. Fun fact! The English teacher showing it is played by Joanne Plowright, Olivier’s real life wife! Very sweet! Anyway, Danny, bored by a goddamn classic movie, conjures a different movie in his head.

Fuck yes. I need this movie to exist. 

We learn from Danny’s mother (Mercedes Ruehl) that his father has recently died, and he spends far too much of his time watching movies at Nick’s theater. I look forward to this revelation never being explored. As he’s headed to the theater when he isn’t supposed to, he opens the door at the exact wrong time, and A ROBBER BREAKS INTO HIS PLACE, OH SHIT! Confronted with the type of real danger that he’d see in an action movie, and with no action hero to save him, the robber finds nothing of value and leaves the place. He gets rescued by the cops eventually, and they tell him to go home. But, no, he goes...to the movies.

Mom might have a point there, sport.

While he’s there, Nick brings him in, and begins to monologue to him about his past in the theater business. And that monologue introduces the MacGuffin of the film: the Golden Ticket, given to Nick by Houdini himself, and an alleged portal to another world.

So, is this gonna be more of a Pagemaster situation, or a The NeverEnding Story deal? The Golden Ticket is torn for admission, Danny sits down, and the movie-in-a-movie begins in earnest. In the film, Slater’s cousin Frank (Art Carney in his last film role) is being held hostage by the crime boss Vivaldi (Anthony Quinn), and his henchman...one of the most immediately visually interesting characters I’ve ever seen in a film...in a FILM.

Benedict (played by Charles Dance), is immediately a fascinating character, essentially a non-Marvel Bullseye, and a gunsman with flawless precision. And yeah...I dig it. Oh, how I dig it.

Jack Slater arrives in his snakeskin boots, and discovers Frank, who delivers a message in the cheesiest death sequence I’ve ever seen, followed by the cheesiest bomb compound I’ve ever seen, followed by a bigger explosion than anyone would’ve expected, FOLLOWED by...OK, look, the references to other action movies in this are already ridiculous and all over the place, and I refuse to spoil them all for those of you who’ve never seen this movie.

By the way, I gotta make a comment about Danny real quick. Watching this many action movies may have made him a little...detached...from reality. I say this because he expressed no shock or emotion during or after the robbery, then went immediately to the movie theater, and had no reaction whatsoever about the death of the two cops in the movie. Little budding sociopath, that Danny.

Although, that might change, now that the ticket’s getting all magic-y, and a stick of ACME dynamite (actually in the film, I swear) makes its way into the theater. It explodes, and Danny inexplicably (magically, even) finds himself in the movie. So, Pagemaster, then.

Danny’s complete lack of reaction and emotion in this situation confirms my theory on him being a liiiiiiiiiiittle detached from reality. But then...the most gloriously stupid thing I’ve seen this month happens.

Arnold proceeds to make a pun that is NOT “Nasty brainfreeze,” and I am disappointed forever. Who wrote this? Who wrote this?

We get a car chase fueled with jumps, gunfire, puns, a casual mention of premature ejaculation, and Coca Cola product placement, all accompanied by Danny finally showing a modicum of reaction to the fact that he is IN A FUCKING MOVIE. REACT MORE, DANNY. At his age, I would have soiled myself immediately. At MY age, I would soil myself if this happened to me! Anyway...

OK, I just have to say this now: this movie has some of the most insane shots and set-ups that I’ve ever seen, and by GOD, I am here for it. Like...Did you SEE the motorcycle dress girl panic while a man WAS ON FIRE IN THE BACKGROUND? Earlier, a car does an INSANE jump and crash and explodes in the BACKGROUND, and the movie just treats it like a pigeon flew on set! Nobody cares! THE SCENES IN THIS MOVIE MAKE INSANITY AN ART FORM.

Anyway...we get to the LAPD, and...HOLY SHIT. IS THAT…

Was that Sharon Stone as Catherine Trammel from Basic Instinct, and Robert Patrick as T1000 from Terminator 2? I...but...wait...if...how...I’m broken now. 404, blue screen, reboot, update needed, WHAT?!? I...just...SO many questions, and this movie better answer them.

We see some added insanity, including a man with a houndstooth suit which I DESPERATELY WANT but could not pull off. There’s literally a buddy cop generator, where we also see a rabbi cop, and an Amadeus reference is dropped as F. Murray goddamn Abraham (playing a cop named Practice) appears in this movie, and THEN...an animated cat cop sexually harasses a female cop. I am not joking.

Am...am I insane? Also, if I was in the theaters watching this movie-in-a-movie, I would be both angry and confused as to what in the FUCK was happening!!! WHY IS THERE AN ANIMATED CAT COP IN MY JACK SLATER MOVIE? WHO DIRECTED THIS BULLSHIT (in universe)?? Also that cat was recently suspended, and is also one of their best men.

And then, Danny uses his knowledge of the Jack Slater franchise to break down the barriers of repressed affection between the chief and Slater, and it’s briefly heartwarming for some reason. Anyway, they’re now suspicious of his knowledge of Slater’s life, and this leaves to the inevitable buddy cop pairing of Jack Slater and Danny Madigan. This art-deco something walks by…

...and I desperately need to know more about the art direction of this film. Because, wow, it is an absolute masterpiece of randomly exaggerated shit, damn.

To prove his point about being in a movie, Danny goes to a Blockbuster, which... man, does THAT bring me back! That’s right you young whippersnappers, I WAS THERE FOR BLOCKBUSTER IN THE ‘90s! We used to go to the store and look at the VHSs. I remember seeing The Lost World there, but my dad said I was too young for it. I was sad, but he got me some candy and a Really Wild Animals video, and we watched it that night after Carmen Sandiego. My God. It was paradise.

Anyway, Schwarzenegger doesn’t exist, and find out that Stallone has taken over his roles.

...I’d watch that. I’d watch the HELL out of that. Danny then uses some legitimately impressive math to dissect the “555” number thing in movies, as well as pointing out the lack of non-conventionally attractive women. Which, credit to you, kiddo, for addressing the overwrought emphasis on conventional attractiveness that permeated Hollywood at this time, and to this day. I mean, he’s not criticizing it, but he is pointing it out, and that’s better than nothing in the ‘90s.

Danny guides his way to Vivaldi’s house, where the butler is...Professor Toru Tanaki! He looks exactly like Odd Job from the James Bond series, but the actor is SubZero from The Running Man! You know, the hockey killer!

Anyway, after crack about Schwarzenegger’s “I’ll be back” line, a conversation with Benedict (who has a smiley face instead of a bullseye), and some terrible CGI dogs, Benedict becomes correctly convinced that something’s up with Danny. They arrive at his house, and his college-aged daughter Whitney (played by Bridgette Wilson, in her first film role in and out of the movie, in a neat little twist!) kisses Danny directly on the mouth, and I’m a liiiiiiittle uncomfortable with that. Anyway, we brush right past that, and realize that his son...died. Oh. Uh. Guess we didn’t see the end of that movie, huh? Yikes. Poor Jack.

Hey, Benedict and his gang arrive at Slater’s place! Fun! There’s a sort-of amusing play on “harming a hair on one’s head,” and the interrogation continues. Charles Dance is legitimately threatening as Benedict. And, while we’re at it, Bridgette Wilson has an entertaining action sequence all her own.

Anyway, Jack arrives, and makes a ridiculous jump off of the balcony to pursue Benedict. Benedict name drops getting a tank, which I’m assuming is named the Chekov (film trope reference there, have a good time). Danny realizes that he’s the comedy sidekick of the movie, and at this point, I need to mention something: in case you haven’t noticed, this film is delightfully meta. And I love that about it. 

But it’s also...cluttered. You’ll see what I mean in a little bit, but real talk, I didn’t realize that Benedict had stolen the ticket until Danny mentioned it, because I was apparently quite distracted. And this is an important plot point, as Benedict soon realizes the true power of the ticket, cleverly overlaid by the opening to the Twilight Zone, with Rod Serling mentioning traveling to another dimension. Also...his eye was a bomb. What. Anyway, that explosion results in Slater officially getting fired from the department, and the chief...

Um. Yeah, this movie is also kind of a cartoon, not including the cartoon cat. And you have no idea how much I’m omitting from this movie. The digitization of Humphrey Bogart, the fact that Slater can’t say “fuck” in a PG-13 movie, the surprising character realization that Slater’s ex-wife is actually remarried, the clearly dominatrix cop clad in leather, the fact that there’s a plan to detonate a nerve gas-infused bomb stuffed into a dead man nicknamed Leo the Fart at his own funeral, a digitization of Humphrey Bogart. Yeah, I said that last one twice, because the effect actually holds up really well, like, seriously.

OK, let’s take a break, yeah? Part 2 later today!

[slamsams-blog]

Thunderball - #24WeeksofBond

This week we are treated to the 1965 film “Thunderball” with Sean Connery.  This movie has always been one of my favorites, mostly because of all the beautiful under water scenes and action.  The final underwater battle for atomic bomb supremacy is one of my favorite, if not thee favorite, ending sequences of any Bond movie.  But on top of all the visual stimulation there is a well thought out plot perfectly executed by the direction of Terence Young.  The downside to this movie and the Bond series in the long run is the producer, Kevin McClory...we’ll get to him later.  

This would be Connery’s fourth outing and the last of his greats before he starts phoning it in.  There is just so much to love and enjoy with Thunderball starting with the pre-title sequence.  Thunderball opens up at a supposed funeral of a man who was working for Spectre and Bond appears to have his doubts.  He goes to follow the widow to her place only for Bond to squarely knock the crap out of her...revealing it to be the man who was supposedly dead.  This gave me a good chuckle, seeing Bond going to give his condolences to a grieving widow and then just punching her face.

If that wasn’t enough, he escapes by jet pack...JET PACK.  How very entertaining already, and the journey has only just begun...CUE TOM JONES, MF!  

Well, after a rather obnoxious performance by Tom Jones the film begins with Bond off getting rehab after his last mission. Little did Bond, or Blofeld know, that he was going to find himself on a another mission.  Bond smells something fishy is going on and starts doing some digging off the clock. The plan is to steal a couple atomic bombs and hold England for a 100 million pound ransom, threatening to destroy a city in England or the USA if they don’t cooperate.  Bond gets the files for the mission but sees photos of faces he saw while getting rehab including one of them who Bond found dead.  So Bond already has a lead in this time sensitive mission, so Bond is on his way.

By this time Blofeld and Spectre are not good friends of Bond.  He’s already ruined a few of their operations so it’s funny to me that Blofeld keeps coming up with these elaborate schemes instead of putting all his best men on a mission to just get rid of Bond.  Largo (Adolfo Celi) is the man heading the operation and quickly comes to realize that Bond is going to be a nasty thorn in his side.

While Thunderball has so much going for it in terms of story and action, the cast of characters are a bit sleepy.  Domino (Claudine Auger), whom I just learned had her voice dubbed over by a Voice Actor, pulls in a rather forgettable performance.  Largo has a cool look with jet white hair and an unexplained eye patch...but even that doesn’t really save him or make him that memorable.  No cool henchmen either, except for the crazy Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi) who likes to drive 110 miles an hour through narrow windy streets in the woods.  Those deer better watch it.

As Bond works to uncover the truth and put the puzzle pieces together we see him being followed by a mysterious man with sunglasses....he evetunally gets to Bonds hotel door...Bond opens the door AND.....(suspense) IT’S FELIX!  Ah they got us again!  Good ole Felix from the CIA is here to help with the mission, and to get Bond of out what ever type of Jam Bond has found himself in.

After an escape through a madri-gras parade, a run in with a couple sharks, and some hand grenades, Bond has finally, and quite literally, uncovered the answer to where the bombs are and can now pursue the nasty Largo to foil his plot.  This all leads up to a most wonderfully shot action sequence between the good guys and the bad guys under the sea.  Carrying harpoons and welding knives to cut the oxygen tube of your enemy as the key strategy to victory, we see an absolute war in the water.  We also see shots of all the beautiful sea creators who are like “WTF?”.  I just can’t imagine the skill it took to film the whole thing.  With the intense score backing it up, I’d be hard pressed to point you into the direction of a better fight scene in the Bond series.

This leads to the big fight between Bond and Largo on his runaway ship. The green screen work here is just laughable.  The boat, from the inside, appears to be going 1,032,231,318 miles an hour and somehow they are still able steer it away from the rocks that are 5 feet in front of them.  After the evil Largo has been killed by Domino, the final scene is Bond and Domino getting whisked away by a plane catching a string that is attached to Bond.  They make this look romantic, but in actuality, they get hauled away so fast that I would be crapping my pants.  It made me laugh anyways.

I do also wish we got one last reaction from Blofeld finding out his plans got spoiled once again.  This movie lacks a touch of closure at the end.  Largo dies and they get whisked away without seeing MI6 relived of the mission being a success or Blofeld pissed and angrily changing his cat’s litter box.

Thunderball, while plentiful of shortcomings, is stimulating to the senses and takes you on an epic journey - but this script would come back to haunt Eon Productions years later.  Kevin McClory had worked on multiple screen adaptions with Ian Flemming and got partial credit for this screenplay.  McClory had eventually been given the rights to the script and would go on later to make a Bond film of his own with the same script.  It was called “Never Say Never Again”.  12 years after Connery had said good bye to the role, would come back to play the part again...only as a grandpa.  

Never Say Never Again is an abomination and is not an official entrant into the series, so no, I will NOT be watching that garbage...if you want to on your own time, be my guest, but it’s just a bad movie.  McClory would go on to have multiple lawsuits against the Bond producers, even trying to remake the same movie again in the late 80′s and trying to recruit Brosnan for it.  But it fell through...thank the lord.

All that nonsense being said, I still love Thunderball, and is one of the highlights of the Connery series.  I hope you liked it too!  Let me know what you thought!

Reviews from Friends:

My Mom:

Boy Sean Connery was really in his glory days here wasn’t he? So young and handsome. You could always identify him in a crowd under helmets and googles by those puppy eyes. A couple things that were really funny was that silly jet pack at the start. With all our tech stuff now that scene was almost cartoony. The way his body didn’t move and the wind picked up not a whisp of hair or clothing. Then when we got a look at those nuclear bombs. They had the words printed on them. “Treat like Eggs”. Ha. It seems like it’s unique to Connery (from what I’ve seen so far) to punch a woman in the face (seemingly) or use her to shield a bullet. Don’t know if Bronson or Moore or Dalton would do that. It was a Tense under water battle but I loved the ending. It was just simple and fun. No need to string out a big explanation or closure.

Alexandra Hein-Roberts

I find Claudine Auger to be the most iconic Bond girl. She had something most didn’t.

Jake Benrud

So many things taken from this movie for Austin Powers... sharks or Ill tempered mutated sea bass? I enjoyed the movie, and laughed out loud when Sean Connery punched that woman in the face who was really a disguised man. I guess I wasn’t expecting that. Also, whoever SPECTRE employs as a plastic surgeon, I want their name. That was a perfect clone. The SPECTRE agent should have known better to try to extort more money from Largo. That’s never going to end well. The death of Bond’s assistant/field operative kept it a little bit more real. I thought the plot was decent, but I thought the underwater battle was really slow moving for my tastes especially in the beginning. Kind of a cool concept though. Bond was able to swim pretty well for getting shot in the leg. I liked that Domino got the kill in the end. Classic Bond. Great movie despite the sometimes unbelievable parts!

24 Weeks of Bond will return next Monday with - 

A View To A Kill 

[thedeadgameblog]

(via Guest Author: Susanne Leist ~ Why am I an author? (and news of a new release!))

Guest Author: Susanne Leist ~ Why am I an author? (and news of a new release!)

Posted on

July 31, 2020

by

Sue Vincent

Why am I an author?

The answer lies with my brother, Neil Leist.

Neil was a person who lit up a room when he entered. He was 6 feet 2 inches, but it wasn’t his height that drew peoples’ eyes. It was his dynamic personality. Those grey eyes mirrored his brilliant intellect and capacity for greatness. Neil took care of my blind mother until I was old enough to help. He helped raise me when my father wasn’t home but working interminable days and nights driving a taxi.

Flourishing in the business world, Neil traded on the Commodity Exchange until he earned enough money to own a majority stake in a Fortune 500 company. He became the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of American Bakeries. Neil took me along on his ride to stardom as I worked for him on the Commodities Exchange and in his offices on Madison Avenue, New York. I majored in Finance at New York University, preparing to join him. For the first time, life was good.

In the middle of the night, a phone call turned my world dark. Dark as the one in which my mother lived. My brother had been in a car accident in the Hamptons. His red Porsche had hydroplaned on the wet roads. Neil was a skilled driver with quick reflexes; he drove the car off the highway and onto the grass. Luck wasn’t with him that night. The Porsche crashed beneath a truck parked in its path. His brain injury left him in a coma, and he died two years later.

I continued my education and received an M.B.A. in Finance, but high finance lost its appeal. I worked at various investment companies, but I didn’t want to trade or analyze stocks and commodities. My brother and my parents had passed. My daughters were beginning their own lives. Without a focus in my life, I began to write. As an avid reader, I had many stories racing through my mind.

In my first book, The Dead Game, I combine mystery and paranormal. Two guests disappear from a party at a deserted house, leaving the others to fend for their lives from wild animals and traps. Since I end the book with a cliffhanger, I had to write the second book in the series, Prey for The Dead. The residents of the coastal town of Oasis in northern Florida face vampires and hybrids once again. This time, the action takes them to Disney World, where vampires hide at an exclusive club. Yes, I based my story on an actual club at Disney created by Walt Disney. Next week, I will release the third book in the series, The Dead At Heart. Is the series finished? I don’t know yet. I now live my life as a big question mark: no periods or final thoughts, only possibilities.

My life has taken unexpected twists and turns. Memories of my brother follow me across every speed bump. I don’t have him any longer, but I have Neil stored in a special place in my heart. He’s given me the strength and the drive to pursue my dreams. After what he’s accomplished in his brief life, I yearn to create a fraction of the positive memories he’s left for me and those whose lives he has touched.

About the Author

I have always loved to read. Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean, Robert Ludlum, and many other authors filled my young imagination with intrigue and mystery. When I wasn’t reading late into the night, the TV shows–Murder She Wrote and Columbo–entertained me with tales of murder and suspense.

Over the years, my taste in TV expanded to include such shows as Supernatural and The Originals. I searched for paranormal, murder mysteries but found few at the library or bookstore. So, I wrote, bringing fantasy and the surreal to the classic murder mystery with dead bodies, suspects, and clues. It offers vampires, vampire derivatives, and a touch of romance to spice the motley mix.

Find and Follow Susanne

Website   Blog    Amazon Author page   Goodreads    Twitter    Facebook

Books by Susanne Leist

THE DEAD GAME

Linda Bennett moves from New York to Florida to live a quieter life. Life is peaceful until the dead body washes up onshore. Linda learns that dead bodies and disappearing tourists are typical for the coastal town.

Linda and her friends receive an invitation to a party at End House, a deserted house overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The group arrives, but no one is there to greet them. The house has a sinister life of its own where horror follows their every step. Traps, illusions, and revolving rooms add to their growing fear. Wild animals escape their cages in the basement, a bloody skeleton sleeps in an upstairs’ bedroom, and body parts fall from the chimney into the living room’s fireplace. The young residents flee for their lives.

They embark on a difficult journey, not knowing whom to trust, to uncover the one controlling the evil game. Who are The Dead? Are they humans or vampires? Will Linda lose her heart to Todd, who knows more than he admits? Will her best friend, Shana, fall in love with Sheriff Sam? The Dead Game has begun.

Purchase links: Amazon   Nook   Rakuten

PREY FOR THE DEAD

Linda Bennett’s dreams of happiness have always eluded her. Five years ago, she moved to Florida from New York to escape heartache. The Dead, an evil group of vampires, had ruined any hope of peace for her and her friends. Surrounded by vampires and human vampires, Linda finds solace in her bookstore, learning to live among vamps and hybrids. Then one morning, Oasis goes dark, and an explosion rocks her shop and any future dreams for a happy ending.

Linda and her friends race to where lightning converges on a sinkhole in an isolated spot behind the town. As vampires and hybrids try to save the vampire hunter and vamp trapped beneath Oasis, a witch’s spell throws the residents back in time.

When evidence emerges of The Dead’s return to Oasis, Linda and her best friend, Shana, join vamps and hybrids on their search for The Dead. At an exclusive club in Disney World, they pose as the trophy wives of the hybrids, Todd and Sheriff Sam. Death and mayhem follow their every step. A romp through the tunnels beneath Oasis leads to a showdown in the swamps of Florida.

Can Oasis survive the battle between good and evil? Will Linda find her happy ending?

Purchase links:  Amazon    Nook

[sophygurl]

Adam/Gray parallels

One of the (many) things that I love about The Raven Cycle is how rich it is in character parallels. I have ideas going for parallels between Gansey and just about everyone; Blue with Maura, Calla, Ronan, Adam, and Gwen; Adam with Ronan and Persephone; Ronan with Kavinsky, Calla, Gray, and his father and brothers, Gray and Greenmantle, and more.

But I’m gonna start with Adam and Gray. Partially because it intrigues me the most, and partially because I did tell @sparkly-things I’d do a Gray-focused post months ago. (Also more Fox Way/Maura stuff. I swear I have so many things to say about this damned series I will never run out)

Okay, so Adam and Gray have a lot in common both on some obvious surfacey levels, but also some more hidden in-depth ones.

We can start with the big obvious one. They both come from dysfunctional families in which violence was inflicted on them regularly. 

With Adam, his father fills the classic abusive parent role. Adam has memories going back to early childhood of his father saying vile things about him when he didn’t even know he was listening, but Robert also regularly yelled at and beat Adam. Adam was made to feel worthless, always on edge for what the next excuse his dad might have to be angry with him about, and generally terrified of what might happen to him next.

With Gray, however, it’s his brother. And the abuse is less typical in his case, both because it comes from a sibling and because of the nature of it. His brother was a violent sociopath (I’m making the distinction here because not all sociopath’s are violent). Gray’s brother not only physically abused him, but tortured him and ensnared in games of torture of others. This left Gray feeling worthless, powerless, and always on edge waiting for the next horror. 

Both Adam and Gray experienced physical abuse and terror from a family member, but in addition to that - they also experienced familial neglect. Adam’s mother not only doesn’t intervene in his abuse, but encourages Adam to go along with it, accept culpability for it, and cover it up. We don’t know much about Gray’s family, but his parents either never saw what his brother was doing, which suggests a level of neglect, or they saw it but refrained from intervening or stopping the behavior. 

So both Adam and Gray grew up not only being terrorized both physically and emotionally from a family member, but ignored and allowed to continue to feel unsafe from at least one other family member. Neither of them had a family member to intervene, to comfort them, to tell them this wasn’t okay or normal.

In some ways, we can see Gray as a possible outcome for Adam if Adam hadn’t found Gansey and Ronan and the women of Fox Way when he did. And, in fact, we can see how both Adam and Gray are healed by interactions with these people. 

One thing both Adam and Gray have in common is their longing for a life other than the one they’re currently living. 

Adam is always dreaming of becoming his own man. The way Adam envisions this is by working hard, earning a good education, and eventually becoming rich enough to be able to leave his family and home behind. He doesn’t think in terms of love or friendship or family - it’s all about earning what he can on his own so that he can have the things that he sees other people having. He sees the Aglionby boys and thinks about how he can get the lives that they have. 

Gray, on the other hand, had at one point in time pursued an academic interest that he was passionate about, but felt forced to leave behind. He can’t even recall exactly how he became a hit man, but when he wants to feel better, he takes out the syllabus’s that have his published works on them - reminding himself of a better life.

Gray also becomes attached to Henrietta and to Fox Way very quickly. He begins to imagine a life there, one where it’s safe for him to be with Maura and be close to Blue and live in this small magical town. 

It takes Adam a little longer to feel attachment to this home because of it’s association with his parents. But eventually, due to his friends, and to Cabsewater’s influence, he starts to imagine a life for himself, too. And it’s no longer a life of being by himself surrounded by things he can now financially afford. It becomes about him and Ronan and Opal and the Barns and living in community with those he loves. 

So both men have a journey of understanding that it’s okay to want something for themselves, that they are capable of love and of being loved, and that happiness is actually achievable for them. Both of them begin by feeling solitary and alone, but both find love and community in the end. 

Both Adam and Gray also have to overcome quite a lot, psychologically, owing to their abusive families. Both men dissociate, for example. Gray talks about having gray days where he loses time and literally just gray’s out - not being awake or asleep. Adam uses Cabeswater as a way of dealing with his dissociativeness, allowing the forest to take some of his pain away, and learning how to have enough focus to come back again on his own. 

Both men have trust issues, understandably. Early on, we see how Adam is paranoid about other people knowing about their quest and taking it from them. Gray leaves his entire identity behind in order to escape from his brother. Both of them channel that paranoia into sharpness. They’re both very intuitive about other people’s motives and emotions, they’re both observant of their surroundings to the point of hypervigilance, they’re both insightful and clever in their thinking and capable of coming up with painstakingly thought out plans to achieve their goals - using all that they know about the world and the people they need to manipulate to make those plans perfect. 

But more than all of that, underneath all of the thinking and planning and careful observation - both men are inherently kind. Everyone copes and heals differently, but for both Adam and Gray, coming out of what they did made them able to sense other’s pain and gave them a desire to do something about that pain, when able.

I’m thinking of the way Gray drapes his coat over Blue when they’re sitting out on the patio missing Maura together. I’m thinking of the way Adam gives Opal his watch when he senses her fear about being left at Cabeswater. They both have a willingness to help others, and beyond even that, to sacrifice of themselves for others.

Despite Adam’s need for control over his own destiny, he sacrifices the use of his hands and his eyes to Cabeswater. Adam is someone who knows how much this will cost him, and he does it anyway. More than that, he learns how best to communicate with the forest and is willing to do what’s necessary to live up to that sacrifice. 

“When it came down to it, Adam had been making sacrifices for a very long time, and he knew what the hardest one was.”

So too, does Gray give up what he most wants for himself - a small quiet life with Maura - when he realizes that to keep Henrietta and everyone who lives there safe, he has to become the new head of the supernatural artifact business there. 

“He wanted to stay so badly, in this place where he had begun to put violence down. In this place where he’d learned how to feel again. In this place that he loved.”

Gray goes from being closed off to opening himself up to realizing he needs to make a sacrifice for what he loves. Adam makes his sacrifice earlier on, and it’s partially the consequences of that sacrifice that allow him to open himself up and to feel love. In this respect their journey’s don’t so much parallel one another. But in another way, they do again.

Gray has to leave behind the life he was starting to get attached to in Henrietta with Maura. But he wants to come back to it. He asks Maura “will I come back?” He doesn’t receive an answer, but the fact that he wants to, is open to, and is not closing back down entirely is an answer in itself. Gray sacrifices the life he wants, but not permanently. Gray is no longer giving himself up as someone else’s weapon. He’s making decisions for himself in the name of helping to make the world a little better.

Similarly, Adam is finally off to college, on his way to making the life for himself that he always dreamed of. To do this, he has to leave the Barns, has to leave Ronan behind. But he makes it clear - he’s coming back. 

So both Adam and Gray are learning that things don’t have to be such extremes, doors don’t have to close forever. They can leave, attend to other business, and come back ... come home.  

Another interesting parallel in the narrative between the two characters is in their tarot readings.

Adam draws the Two of Swords and Maura interprets it for him. It’s about a hard choice he has to make, about his ambition, about someone wanting him to make a choice that compromises his principals. She guesses his father, Persephone says she thinks it’s a brother. (We know he is torn between his father and Gansey, who is like a brother to him)

When he asks what choice to make, Maura further tells him there is no one right choice, just one he can live with, and that it might be a third option he hasn’t thought of yet. She tells him he’s an analytical thinker, that he’s learned to ignore his emotions, but that this isn’t a time for that. 

Later, when he’s forced to make a decision about where to live after the arrest of his father, when he’s trying to decide how and if to go against Gansey’s wishes regarding Cabeswater, he asks Blue for more advice concerning this reading. Her advice? “Keep being brave.”

Later than that, under Persephone’s guidance, he draws the Magician card for himself. 

Compare to Gray’s reading. He first picks up the Ten of Swords. Maura tells him that this is the end of the cycle, so good news for the Ten of Swords - this is the absolute worst it will get. He and Maura banter about him being the man with the swords in his back and her being one of the swords. 

Then, after playing the game with Maura, Calla, and Persephone for awhile, Persephone calls out for the King of Swords and predicts exactly where it will be in the deck. She says this is Gray’s card. The King of Swords is described as “master of his own emotions, master of his own intellect, master of reason.”

When asked, Maura explains that the card is powerful - strong, but impartial and cold. The King of Swords is good at making decisions based on facts and not emotions. Then both she and Calla admit that, when interpreting the card for Gray, they are picking up a sense of violence. This is when he admits he’s a hit man. 

Later, when he’s seeking guidance from Maura, he guesses this is his Ten of Swords moment. She advises him “You’re going to have to be brave.” He says “I’m always brave.” She replies “Braver than that.”

Later than that, he realizes that he wasn’t at the end of his cycle yet then - it was still getting worse for him. He remembers Maura telling him to be “braver than that”.

Okay, where am I going with all of this? 

First, both of them are given cards from the Swords suite (is it suites in tarot? whatever). Both are told by Maura that they are used to making decisions based on intellect instead of emotion, and that they’re going to have to change that when the going gets rough. Both are given a different card from Persephone (Adam chooses the Magician card on his own, but under her guidance - whereas P. gives Gray the King card). Both are given further instructions from a Sargent (Blue in Adam’s case, Maura in Gray’s) about bravery. Both characters are thinking of one situation, when the guidance is really about another (or about both). 

So we have Adam, the Magician, given the Two of Swords to help him understand that he needs to consult his emotions when making the difficult decision to 1) leave his parent’s home but also not run straight to Gansey’s and 2) make the pact with Cabeswater. 

And we have Gray, the King of Swords, given the Ten of Swords to help him understand that he needs to consult his emotions when making the difficult decision to 1) defy Greenmantle and 2) confront his brother head-on. (Interestingly, when he makes his sacrifice in the end, he thinks of it as becoming a king - just as when Adam makes his sacrifice to Cabeswater it’s about him becoming a magician)

Very similar journeys, these two. 

[bobbie-robron]

And why would I mess with her? I felt sorry for her. It was Sarah’s checkup and I am her uncle. I’m bound to feel responsible, aren’t I?

Debbie shows up at the garage looking for Cain who is out on a job. Since Debbie needs to take Sarah to the baby clinic, Robert offers to get her there which Cain later questions why. Well, it was a favor to him, of course (if only he knew the real reason).

02-Sep-2005

[punk-chicken-radio]

Favorite Album Friday

Good morning chickens,

Today we bring some more of your hosts favorite albums. We range five decades in our selections today. We hope you enjoy.

Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 5 August 1966, it was the Beatles' final recording project before their retirement as live performers and marked the group's most overt use of studio technology up to that time, building on the advances of their late 1965 release Rubber Soul. The album's diverse sounds include tape loops and backwards recordings on the psychedelic "Tomorrow Never Knows", a classical string octet on "Eleanor Rigby", and Indian-music backing on "Love You To". The album was reduced to eleven songs by Capitol Records in North America, where three of its tracks instead appeared on the June 1966 release Yesterday and Today. Recalling the release in his book Revolution in the Head, Ian MacDonald writes that, with Revolver, the Beatles "had initiated a second pop revolution – one which while galvanising their existing rivals and inspiring many new ones, left all of them far behind". In a February 1967 review, Hit Parader declared: "Revolver represents the pinnacle of pop music. No group has been as consistently creative as the Beatles, though the [Lovin'] Spoonful and Beach Boys are coming closer all the time ... Rather than analyze the music we just suggest that you listen to Revolver three or four times a day and marvel ..." Later that year, in Esquire, Robert Christgau called the album "twice as good and four times as startling as Rubber Soul, with sound effects, Oriental drones, jazz bands, transcendentalist lyrics, all kinds of rhythmic and harmonic surprises, and a filter that made John Lennon sound like God singing through a foghorn".

Setting Sons is a 1979 album by British band The Jam, their fourth since their debut in 1977. It reached No. 4 in the UK Albums Chart, continuing the commercial (and critical) favour that had begun with their previous album All Mod Cons. The sole single from Setting Sons, "The Eton Rifles", became the group's first top 10 UK hit, peaking at No. 3.  The album remains one of The Jam's most critically favoured works, alongside All Mod Cons and Sound Affects. The only song particularly singled out for negative criticism is the cover of "Heat Wave", which clearly owes more to The Who's arrangement than the original. As AllMusic put it, "Setting Sons often reaches brilliance and stands among The Jam's best albums, but the inclusion of a number of throwaways and knockoffs (especially the out-of-place cover of "Heat Wave" which closes the album) mars an otherwise perfect album." Nonetheless, AllMusic gave the album the full five stars. It was ranked at number four among the top "Albums of the Year" for 1979 by NME, with "The Eton Rifles" and "Strange Town" ranked at numbers one and five among the year's top tracks.

Four on the Floor is the second and final full-length album by Juliette and the Licks. The follow-up to You're Speaking My Language, this album was released on October 2, 2006, in the UK, and later re-released with a bonus DVD featuring documentaries, live performances and music videos. It was released on July 24, 2007, in the US with two bonus tracks. The first single, "Hot Kiss", was released on September 25, 2006, and the second single "Sticky Honey" was released in 2007. A remix of "Inside the Cage" can be heard in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV on the Radio Broker station. Before this album began production, both Jason Morris (drummer) and Paul Ill (bass guitarist) left the band for more 'studio-based' work. Jason Womack recorded bass guitar and Dave Grohl recorded the drums. The new live drummer for the supporting tour was Ed Davis. It was awarded a silver certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 30,000 copies throughout Europe. ~ Wikipedia

Here There and Everywhere, We’re Thick as Thieves, with Sticky Honey kisses,

Love Axiomatic, the Punk Mummy and the Old Smelly

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

[nicolemagolan]

Books I Read In June 2019

This month was nearly entirely dominated by science-fiction, but Nicholas Eames’ high fantasy novel prevented that. I have no regrets! Not a wholly satisfactory reading month, as these books ranged from excellent to underwhelming. Read on to find out which was which!

Sand by Hugh Howey

3.5/5 stars

“And so it went, sand piling up to the heavens and homes sinking toward hell.”

Sand is a sci-fi story in the same vein as Howey's previous Wool series, set in a scary dystopian future. This one, however, despite being exceptionally well-written, falls short of greatness.

The plot doesn't ever seem to go anywhere -- nowhere interesting anyway. There is a lackluster feeling to the world-building, and a lack of threat because of this. In this world, the characters live in a desert, and make their living by diving through sand as if it's water to collect treasures buried under the dunes. An interesting concept, but the society around it was not explained much, and I am left unsure of how their society actually functions.

The characters were great though. The focus was on a family of 4 siblings, and I loved seeing their dynamics and how they played off each other. There was a lot a nuance to the characters and their relationships.

Hugh Howey is an excellent writer. There were so many beautifully crafted sentences and paragraphs, and riveting action scenes. The dive scenes were horrifying and enthralling. I was constantly in awe of how good Howey's writing style is. Despite the lack of world building, Sand developed a gritty atmosphere that I enjoyed. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work, but I hope they're more balanced.

I was under the impression that Sand tied into Wool in some way, but I couldn't find a connection. It's possible that the buried cities are the Silo's, but it wasn't used for any effect. Could have been any old city, and it wouldn't make a difference. I was disappointed at the false advertising.All in all, I would recommend the Wool trilogy over this. But, if you read and enjoyed that this might just fill the void.

The Walking Dead, Issue #192: Aftermath by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard (Cover Art), Dave Stewart (Cover Art), Stefano Gaudiano (Artist), Cliff Rathburn (Artist)

5/5 stars

I can't believe they actually did the thing. This issue is brilliant. I don't have anything else I could possibly say.

Star Wars Battlefront II: Inferno Squad by Christie Golden

4/5 stars

“It’s all for the glory of the Empire, honey, and don’t you forget it.”

Another win for the new Star Wars canon! Inferno Squad is a gripping tale of undercover imperial agents going undercover in the Rebellion to find out where or who is leaking top secret information. It's somewhat lacking in true white-knuckle action, but it makes up for that with well-developed and distinct characters. Iden Versio, the lead character, at first seems like the typical Empire-loving, cold, and one-dimensional trooper that we're familiar with in Star Wars canon. But as the story unfolds, her character builds into a complex, intriguing, and empathetic -- and yet still rather cold -- lead. 

I was worried this would be a typical, cheesy story of an imperial agent suddenly realising the error of their ways and joining the rebels...but that wasn't the case. Nor was it completely a one-note "the Empire is always right" perspective; there was enough nuance to keep it compelling. 

As for the other characters, they were all fine, and developed individuality. But I didn't feel there were any other standouts. 

There were a few cringey moments within the writing style -- MULTIPLE instances of "they let out a breath they didn't know they were holding"...Can we let this overused line die, PLEASE. And descriptions were a bit lackluster. But for a Star Wars novel, I would say it was actually pretty decent.

I highly recommend this to Star Wars fans!

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames 

4/5 stars

“As individuals they were each of them fallible, discordant as notes without harmony. But as a band they were something more, something perfect in its own intangible way.”

Kings of the Wyld is an epic romp through a world both colourful and gritty. It has incredibly balanced flavours of Rock & Roll and hard-hitting fantasy. Plus, it's hilarious. And heartfelt. And totally badass.

Okay, Kings of the Wyld is a little vulgar for my tastes. The language and gore doesn't pull punches, and the depiction of female characters is sometimes over-sexualised. Not always though, thankfully, and it's usually for some purpose. 

The world-building is wack. The fantasy setting feels like it's being pieced together with bright lego bricks as you read, but sometimes instead of sticking together lego, you're just getting pelted with mud. Information about the world is dropped in dialogue and metaphor as if you already have any clue what they're talking about. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's overwhelming. The informal and funny style of writing gives it a cartoony feel (and I don't mean that in a negative way), and it feels very original while still reshaping classic tropes and paying homage to the greats.

But the characters. The characters. The story follows this group of old warriors, getting their mercenary band back together long after their glory days are over. They've settled down and had families, become fat and drunk, gone a bit mad. And when one of their daughters is in mortal danger, they reunite to take on the impossible quest to save her. 

The lead character is Clay Cooper: the sweetest, most wholesome murderer you'll ever meet. Easy to root for, plenty of compelling back-story to dig into, and snarky comments galore.

My second favourite is the wizard Moog. He is a total weirdo and he knows it. I love how ridiculous and passionate he is.

There's Mattrick, who's become a sad, fat King with a terrible marriage and kids that aren't his. But he's still a menace with his knives.

Gabriel is the leader of the group, and the one who is trying to find his daughter. He was one of the less-developed characters, but it worked because he was wholly focused on his daughter. His love for her was nice.

Lastly there's Ganelon, the terrifying warrior with no emotions. Except there are emotions! The scenes showing his vulnerability are fantastic, but where he truly shines is the battlefield.

The comradeship of the band is so natural and entertaining. Their relationships felt fully developed and like they had real history. They are so easy to root for!

The plot does plod a bit, with a bunch of mini-quests along the way that begin to drag towards the end. I think one or two of the little adventures could have been cut-down for the sake of building towards the epic final battle and touching conclusion.

I'll definitely be looking out for more from this author. And if you want a fantasy novel that's a little something different, definitely give this a go!

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne

2/5 stars

Brightly Burning is a retelling of the classic Jane Eyre, but set in space! Wooooo! I don't know why I thought I would like this. It does exactly what it says on the tin. It has the plot, characters, and atmosphere of Jane Eyre. But when a character looks out a window...it's space. Maybe if I was a huge fan of the original story, I would be able to appreciate this re-imagining of it. But I don't think Brightly Burning did anything exceptionally interesting with the premise. The language is full of modern colloquialisms that are weirdly balanced with the futuristic world building. It often feels cheesy or just plain silly to me, but this is much lighter sci-fi than I anticipated. I'm kinda dumb though, because of course it's a fluffy/angsty/tropey romance and not a compelling, twisty, or fresh sci-fi take on the classic story. It serves its purpose and it does so with moderate success. me @ me, closing this book:

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

3/5 stars

Sleeping Giants is..........good? I guess? It's a kinda entertaining sci-fi tale told through interviews, self-recorded journals and other audio files. It follows a cast of mostly-military characters as they discover and search for the scattered remains of some strange and potentially alien technology. This premise could really be taken in any direction...unfortunately the compelling concept is bogged down by a dumb LOVE TRIANGLE. Whyyyyy. Minor spoiler territory here, but it becomes clear early on that the alien tech is essentially a mech-style robot thingy. I am wondering how anime it's gonna get, when one of the characters is like 'gee, this sure is something out of Star Wars huh.' GIRL WHAT. No. It really isn't. Anywayyy I love the title, and the cover, and the characters are well-developed. Nothing of real interest happens within the story to be honest, and the ending is kinda lame. I'm not interested in the sequels but I appreciated my time with the audiobook -- it has a full and talented cast.

My reading hopes for next month are high as Semester 1 is over and my holiday has begun! I have big reading plans, folks. Big plans. Like, 5,000 page plans. :) 

Have you read any of these books? Let me know what you thought of them!

[huntermjames-blog]

The Fear Never Ends: Football Season has not Yet Begun

I start this attempt at Gonzo journalism shitting my brains out spun out from too much flower and chain-smoking juul pods. This happens to be my normal routine anyhow but I've been in exteme edge these past few days. Robert Mueller testified before Congress two days ago (7/24/19 of this despicable year of our Lord). What he said was nothing that has not been discolsed in his report on the interference of Russian propagandists and hackers, in the US election. Trump admitted he took help from those fascist bastards during his campaign and nothing is done. Mueller outlines time and time again how Trump has interfered with the investigation and yet nothing is done. Not even a word one way or another as to his opinion if whether or not there was obstruction of Justice. My mind is wired and these drugs are not helping as intended. Best to take more and wash them down with plenty of gin. But not now. Now I write and shit. Tomorrow I am going to the Monmouth County Racetrack under the guise of spending time with family I avoid every chance I can get. My main purpose however is somewhat more sinister, I wanted to go out and find the epicenter of the evil that still supports our modern day Nixon. The far right middle America that can not see behind the flags and MAGA banners that flatfoot traitors continue to sell out our country each and everyday for pennies on the dollar. I want to study these people. Observe there habits. Perhaps come to some sort of understanding as to how they could even doublethink there own hypocrisy. Hohoho tomorrow I will be a stranger in a strange land, but today I am hitting the books. Hunter S Thompson is my last remaining stronghold of the American dream. Someone who clearly saw what it was, and how it was slipping away at every grasp. But football season has not yet begun to start and while HST cannot continue to give us hope in the face of fear and loathing, I can try my part. So here I go, finishing up my shit. About to smoke my brains out even further so they come back into place. Maybe then I will be in better standing to analyze the futility of my mission, and what perils to my own sanity lie ahead.

I paruse my record selection. The Lemon Twigs or The Nude Party? Classic rock is making a revival in today's indie scene, taking huge chunks of inspiration from the Beatles, The Doors, The Zombies. Hell Bob Dylan's grandson is making fairly passable folk today following in some huge Troubadour footsteps. And besides him singer-songwriters such as Courtney Barnett and Father John Misty are continuing his tradition as well. Making elegant songs about the hopelessness of it all, and all the while making it easy enough for the Everyman to understand. I however am not, my mind continues to jitter and I apologize for the surely dozens of off beat tangents I am likely to go on. My purpose for bringing up classic rock is a pit in my stomach. Everything is a circle, and at first I misunderstood the relevance of this at first. Everything from the music, to film, to fashion, and undoubtedly politics is tinted with the dead memory of the late 60's early 70's. I embraced this at first because as a man out of time I have come more in tune with the absurdity of the juxtaposition. However I am beginning to realize that this isn't simply a rehashing, set by whatever computer controls the simulation we inhabit, these fuckers want round 2. They fought against social justice, and workers rights for far too long in an unwinnable battle. But now they've figured out the answer, identity politics and political subversion, or as historians will one day call it, propaganda. We approach this race with extreme caution. We have one evil force that must be stopped however possible, but our choices to unseat him don't look too appetizing. Joe, the symbol of democratic ineptitude. Warren and Bernie, neo socialists who oppose our second amendment right to a frightening point. Because if we don't have guns what happens when trump takes his third term??? Or his fourth??? No that fools done have the sight to comprehend the tyrany in front of them. Booker or Beto might be an acceptable candidate, progressive enough, in enough American companies pockets, continue the status quo of incompetence without doing any irreparable damage... Shit. Are these our best choices, how did we get here? How did I get here? Have I always been in this absurd shit show or have I died in some car accident while driving on acid, and this is my final dmt trip with my beyond twisted mind trying to make sense of what could've been. Maybe I'm Dead already and I'm living in continues mediocrity, and pain. Each is just as likely as it is not. But how does that help me? I'm here and I can't change that fact, I guess I'll try to do my part despite the entirely possible futility. Like Sisyphus, but with a sense of self awareness.. What still needs to be done is fight these feelings, detatch completely and absorve myself in what I can see, hear and feel even if it is Evil itself.I digress. I'm currently looking up stats for tomorrow's race, my chance to bet big and achieve the American Dream. I like a horse named noonsight, the jockie is doing extremely well for himself too. Maybe I can make some money, betting on the American dream. Hoping a combination of scrappiness and skill under the right circumstances can propell an underdog into victory. And for a dress bucks I can ride coattails. I can't wait.

#gonzo #huntersthompson #trump #horceracing #pigfucking

[hereticaloracles]

Asteroid Files: Ariadne

Helios on Ariadne– Failure- Its a dirty word in our society. We are told to desire first place, and anything else is losing. Yet failure, loss and settling make us who we are- In tragedy we are revealed, not in success. This asteroid heroine knows that feeling well, and she has a lot to teach us….

The Astronomy– 43 Ariadne is a fairly large and bright main-belt asteroid. It is the second-largest member of the Flora asteroid family. It was discovered on April 15, 1857, and named after the ancient Greek heroine Ariadne (HEROINE, PEOPLE. Do you know how rare it is to have actual ancient Greek Heroines?) Ariadne is very elongate (almost twice as long as its smallest dimension) and probably bi-lobed or at least very angular. It is a retrograde rotator, although its pole points almost parallel to the ecliptic towards ecliptic coordinates (β, λ) = (-15°, 253°) with a 10° uncertainty. This gives an axial tilt of about 105°. Ariadne has an orbital period of 1195 days, or 3.27 years.

The Myth– Ariadne in Greek mythology was the daughter of Minos (the King of Crete and a son of Zeus) and Pasiphaë (Minos’ queen and a daughter of Helios [*coughs awkwardly*]) She is mostly associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of the Minotaur and Theseus. Her father put her in charge of the labyrinth where sacrifices were made as part of reparations (either to Poseidon or to Athena, depending on the version of the myth); later, she helped Theseus overcome the Minotaur and save the potential sacrificial victims. In other stories, she became the bride of the god Dionysus, with the question of her being mortal or a goddess varying in those accounts.

According to an Athenian version of the legend, Minos attacked Athens after his son was killed there. The Athenians asked for terms and were required to sacrifice seven young men and seven maidens to the Minotaur every seven or nine years. One year, the sacrificial party included Theseus, the son of King Aegeus, who volunteered to come and kill the Minotaur. Ariadne fell in love at first sight and helped him by giving him a sword and a ball of thread so that he could find his way out of the Minotaur’s labyrinth.

She eloped with Theseus after he achieved his goal, but according to Homer “he had no joy of her, for ere that, Artemis slew her in seagirt Dia because of the witness of Dionysus”. Homer does not expand on the nature of Dionysus’s accusation, but the Oxford Classical Dictionary speculates that she was already married to Dionysus when she ran away with Theseus.

In Hesiod and most other accounts, Theseus abandoned Ariadne sleeping on Naxos, and Dionysus rediscovered and wedded her. In a few versions of the myth, Dionysus appeared to Theseus as they sailed away from Crete, saying that he had chosen Ariadne as his wife and demanding that Theseus leave her on Naxos for him; this has the effect of absolving the Athenian culture-hero of desertion. The vase-painters of Athens often showed Athena leading Theseus from the sleeping Ariadne to his ship. With Dionysus, she was the mother of Oenopion, the personification of wine, Staphylus (related to grapes), Thoas, Peparethus, Phanus, Eurymedon, Enyeus, Ceramus, Maron, Euanthes, Latramys and Tauropolis. Her wedding diadem was set in the heavens as the constellation Corona Borealis.

Ariadne remained faithful to Dionysus but was later killed by Perseus at Argos. In other myths she hanged herself from a tree, like Erigone and the hanging Artemis, a Mesopotamian theme. Some scholars have posited, due to her thread-spinning and winding associations, that she was a weaving goddess, like Arachne, supporting this theory with the mytheme of the Hanged Nymph. Dionysus descended into Hades and brought her and his mother Semele back. They then joined the gods in Olympus.

Karl Kerenyi and Robert Graves theorize that Ariadne (whose name they derive from Άδνον, a Cretan-Greek form for arihagne, “utterly pure”) was a Great Goddess of Crete, “the first divine personage of Greek mythology to be immediately recognized in Crete”, once archaeology had begun. Kerenyi observes that her name is merely an epithet and claims that she was originally the “Mistress of the Labyrinth”, both a winding dance-ground and in the Greek view a prison with the dreaded Minotaur at its centre. An ancient cult of Aphrodite-Ariadne was observed at Amathus, Cyprus. According to the myth that was current at Amathus, the second most important Cypriote cult centre of Aphrodite, Theseus’s ship was swept off course and the pregnant and suffering Ariadne put ashore in the storm. Theseus, attempting to secure the ship, was inadvertently swept out to sea, thus being absolved of abandonment. The Cypriote women cared for Ariadne, who died in childbirth and was memorialized in a shrine. Theseus, overcome with grief upon his return, left money for sacrifices to Ariadne and ordered two cult images, one of silver and one of bronze, set up. At the observation in her honor on the second day of the month Gorpiaeus, one of the young men lay on the ground vicariously experiencing the throes of labour. The sacred grove in which the shrine was located was called the grove of Aphrodite Ariadne. The primitive aspect of the cult at Amathus in this account would appear to be much older than the Athenian-sanctioned shrine of Aphrodite, who has assumed Ariadne (hagne, “sacred”) as an epithet at Amathus. Why She Matters– Okay so I really, really like Ariadne. She’s always been a badass to me. She’s smart, she’s tough, and she’s brave AF, but acts out of love to do the right thing; She’s basically Hermoine Granger, the capable character who the brave boy heroes would be utterly lost without- She’s great. Unfortunately, no matter how you unpack her, her story never ends happily. Whether its abandoned by Theseus or gutted by Perseus or trapped in her family’s machinations, Ariadne seems doomed no matter what (which is the final test of whether she truly is a hero or not- no greek hero ever has a happy ending until they die). So what the hell does she mean astrologically?

Well, one theme that really sticks out is a lesson its taking me a long time to learn, and for this we turn to the only Virgo I respect, the Queen herself:

This seems to be what Ariadne is trying to tell us. You can want something with all your heart, you can give it your all and give your absolute best… and it still doesn’t happen; Sometimes things just fail. Now, given her connection to Aphrodite, this rings especially true for relationships. Its impossible to ignore how much Ariadne was mistreated by the men in her life: First her father who made her take care of the Minotaur and the dank labyrinth, then Theseus who is just a colossal dick, and Perseus who is a douche. Dionysus is good, but he can’t completely protect her in the end, but he makes up for it by ensuring her final happy ending (and for his mother, who definitely deserved better than she got!) but man did she have it rough. I don’t want to lump her in with Dejanira for the abuse asteroids but man, its hard to not draw the comparison. She definitely rings true for the themes of settling, “second place” and consolation prize, with others not being able to see the worth you have to offer (or in some cases, you can’t see it!). Truly she is a complex asteroid with a lot to say!

To find out where she shows up in your chart, go to astro.com, put in your birth details and in the extended options, at the top of the next page, there will be a menu of additional objects. To the right of that is a blank space where you can enter the number 43, for Ariadne. Once you have it entered, generate the chart! Where does Ariadne affect your life? Let us know in the comments below!

Asteroid Files: Ariadne was originally published on Heretical Oracles

[daggerzine]

Celebrity Mix Tape Party featuring Robert Vickers! (compiled by Matthew Kenneth).

Power Pop has always been the genre that might have been king. All the elements present in the commercially successful pop music of the ‘60s through early ‘70’s we heard on the radio can be found in Power Pop and yet the mass music consuming public, in their wisdom,  moved on and songs that would have been radio hits were been relegated to cult favourites in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. This playlist  takes a look at the genre investigating some of its origins and best proponents while straying into crossover genres like Punk Pop and Indie Pop from the same period. It moves on into more mainstream alternative rock from the later ‘80s and into the ‘90s but always with a nod to the roots of pop/rock. All with a bit of an Australian tilt for my benefit I assume.  I know some of these bands very well but one of the delights of these genres is that because of their low profile there’s always a new band to discover and delight.

It gets off the ground with a band from Australia that I was, in an early version, actually a member of, The Riptides. With roots in punk Tomorrow’s Tears is probably their most Power Pop single and it is concentrated burst of energy and melody that never loses its spark. The list then delves into a bit of Garage Rock with the grungy Scientists, also from Australia, and the mighty Fleshtones from New York. The Fleshtones were the first band I ever saw set up with the drummer in front (not that I’ve seen many).

In between some rather more standard New Wave of the time, The Gooch Palms, Translator  and Justin Trouble we find The Shoes, one of the greats of late ‘70s Power Pop. They were kind of band that could have been a success ten years earlier but flew well under the radar in their own time. It should be said though that despite their near perfect albums they did always seem to lack the one song that might have given them a wider audience. The elusive hit single or at least something sounded like one. In an earlier era perhaps they could have covered a great song by a contemporary artist that didn’t have a major label behind them but that wasn’t the fashion at the time; you had to write your own songs even if they weren’t quite good enough. This track, “Too Late” was as close as they got.

Also tossed in here is another Australian band, The Saints. These guys were from my neighborhood and seeing them become internationally recognized inspired me to join a band. They don’t really fit into this playlist exactly but if you have to get them in, this is the song. It was released just after the band split into two factions and I, like a lot of hardcore fans chose guitarist Ed Kuepper’s side. Here you have singer Chris Bailey who kept the name prove he could write a great ‘60s pop song and put it over as well as anyone.

We move on now to some classic British indie rock, The Jasmine Minks and Felt. Felt in particular were superb; intelligent lyrics with interesting Post Punk arrangements. They are one of my favourites of the period. With that we also have from Scotland, The Close Lobsters who were more Indie Pop with Power Pop elements. This is paired some interesting Power Pop from the US, The Paley Brothers, a fascinating duo who were influenced by East Coast Girl Groups, Phi Spector etc. in a way similar to the New York Dolls but with commercially acceptable image and production. Andy Paley ultimately found his greatest success producing  and co-writing (Brian Wilson’s comeback album) .Also the US Secret Service an obscure early band of a Power Pop/Indie legend, Mitch Easter who later played with Chris Stamey (more of him later) in the Sneakers then led the band Let’s Active. Like Andy Paley he too found greater success producing, in his case the early REM albums.

Then we have The Boys who are from the related Punk Pop genre that emerged a little after Power Pop and may be said to have ended up the more commercial genre given the success of bands like Green Day. Generation X were probably the best example but The Boys had a couple of strong singles early on, the 45s of which I remember fondly even if they don’t sound quite as good listening now.

Following up on that is one of the greats of Power Pop, The Records who’s single, “Starry Eyes” is perhaps the greatest example of the genre ever. This isn’t it but still a good song and the light melodic production is still a joy. No discussion of Power Pop is complete with a mention of The Records and it’s a high point of this playlist. Then we have another interloper, Be Bop Deluxe a Prog Rock group from English midlands in the mid ‘70s whose glammy singles toyed with the charts and always threatened to compete with Roxy Music but couldn’t quite rise to the occasion. An underrated band, certainly by me and I think a victim of the rise of Punk in the late ‘70s. Pairing them with Sniff 'n’ The Tears, a slightly later also glammy, progy UK band makes sense. Inferior to Be-Bop Deluxe but more pop and a better commercial fit for the New Wave that was then dominant in independent music at that time.

Now here is a legitimate challenger to “Starry Eyes” as Power Pop’s flag bearer. Bram Tchaikovsky’s bass driven “Girl of My Dreams” is another of those songs that should have been a mammoth hit if all the rules of popular music had remained in place. Bram Tchaikovsky came out of UK Pub Rockers The Motors but with more of a New Wave sound. It’s a juicy slice of classic pop that deserved to be better known.

The Sunnyboys, an Australian Pop Rock band who were another one that always promised more than they delivered in songwriting is next up. A great live band that thrived in the countries’ beer barn live circuit of the time they were never able to come up with the hit that you felt was their destiny the way another ‘60s based pop band, The Smithereens did in the US. A couple of newer Australian indie rock bands who have been said to owe a little to my old band, The Go-Betweens now make an appearance. One of them, RVG provide the thing most lacking in this playlist, a different  voice but also some excellent lyrics making them one of the most interesting new discoveries of this list for me. The other, Rolling Blackout Coastal Fever have already had some deserved success in the US. I don’t hear the GBs connection quite as strong in them but they are a fine rock band with the songwriting skill and musicality required for a long career producing quality albums.

We then have a couple of American artists in the mid-80s when indie was hitting its stride there. The Magnolias were from Minnesota where Twin/Tone Records had just begun to prove America could be about more than the coasts. It showed you didn’t have to leave your hometown to play and record music and the idea spread like wildfire. That helped create the network of venues across the country that made touring America finally possible for mid-sized bands from all over the world in the ‘90s. Chris Stamey, from another hotspot, North Carolina, was a real pioneer of quality songwriting, first with Mitch Easter in the aforementioned Sneakers and then with Peter Holsapple in the dBs. Oddly this track is an early (1978) single by the dBs that’s actually a cover of a Richard Lloyd of Television song that’s awfully close to Power Pop. Showing how little space there was between these genres at that time.

From there we move to the UK for four bands who well represent alternative pop music of the 90s in that country. First we have Primal Scream who used ‘60s pop arrangements to great effect to become perhaps the classic rock band of the era, at least in the UK. Then the hugely successful but short lived Stone Roses from Manchester. They were mostly too dancey for me but this track, “She Bangs the Drum” is one of the best pop singles ever. It proves if you have the melody you can get away with anything.  Also included is House of Love from the excellent Creation label who played intelligent psychedelic guitar rock. And finally we have someone I wasn’t familiar with, The Sun and the Moon who were formed out of a better known Manchester band The Chameleons. Well played and arranged post punk and another good discovery for myself.

We end with the Australian band The Church. They made beautiful albums by taking the melodic pop heard on ‘70s radio and combining it with more thoughtful lyrics creating an indie rock template that remains popular. They are a fitting end to this little journey through time and the musical museum.

https://www.mixcloud.com/matthewkenneth9/robert-vickers-mix-2/?fbclid=IwAR33Vyq9VmSZq6ef5i6l52B6fW1Ej54RsbO6FzOhwIL3zFiTIyYuLmPBwdo

[aion-rsa]

Tenet: Robert Pattinson’s Neil Timeline Explained

https://ift.tt/3tjao7T

This feature contains Tenet spoilers.

I think this is the end of a beautiful friendship. Those are the (near) final words of the ever wry Neil in Tenet. Riffing on the last line of dialogue from another Warner Bros. film, Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca, it’s a wink and a nudge from Christopher Nolan toward classic Hollywood cinema. But it’s also an admission by the Robert Pattinson character that he is at least vaguely aware that he’s headed toward his death, and though he is about to die, his relationship with the Protagonist (John David Washington) has only just begun.

On first viewing it’s a bit of a bewildering revelation. In fact, many watched the whole film without realizing the Robert Pattinson character had already died onscreen before he saved the Protagonist and Ives (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), plus the Algorithm, from certain death in the bowels of subterranean Siberia. And, speaking candidly, even I was initially a little bit foggy on whether Neil really died, as well as when exactly he first met Our Man Protag in the future-past.

But with the movie gaining renewed interest on HBO Max, now seems like an excellent time to revisit Nolan’s most trenchant timeline to date, and just where the man who calls himself Neil falls in it.

When We First Meet Neil

Technically, the first time Neil appears onscreen is during the movie’s opening moments at the opera house in Ukraine. Neil is the fella who fires an inverted bullet into his gun, killing the corrupt cop (or mercenary) who is working for Sator.

Like everything with the opening sequence, it’s a tad confusing since all characters—cops, undercover CIA agents, and undercover gangsters/military personnel participating in what is secretly a “vanishing” hit—dress the same way. That includes Neil. But after viewing the movie all the way around, we can recognize Neil is the Protagonist’s savior because the mysterious not-a-cop who shoots the evil not-a-cop with a reverse bullet is wearing a backpack with a red string tag.

At the end of the movie, we see Neil walk off with that same backpack and tag (more on that later). So Neil knew to be at the Kiev opera house on this day to save the Protagonist, likely because the Protagonist told him about the event sometime in the future and/or past.

Indeed, when the Protagonist first properly meets Neil in Mumbai, and finally gets a look at Pattinson’s gorgeous mug, Neil has actually been friends with our main character for years. As he later explains to the Protagonist on an empty Siberian landscape, “You have a future in the past, years ago for me, years from now for you.” Which explains his already cheeky sense of familiarity with the Protagonist on their first linear meeting, with Neil knowing that his buddy never drinks on the job and only orders Diet Coke.

At the end of the film, Pattinson paraphrases Claude Rains’ famous line of dialogue to Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, but the duo’s instant camaraderie in India here reminds me of other “buddies at war” movies from yesteryear, including The Man Who Would Be King (1975), which starred Sean Connery and Michael Caine on misadventures in India. Considering the setting and Caine’s presence in this film—as well as the overt James Bond influences on Tenet —it’s hard to imagine this is coincidental for Nolan.

In any event, Neil completes the circle by helping recruit the man who really recruited him into the Tenet organization. For much of the rest of the film, he’s patiently letting the Protagonist know how this all works and helping with the mission at hand. That includes leaning into his British foppishness by posing as a rich man wanting to use a freeport tax haven he’s actually about to rob, and it includes stopping the Protagonist from killing his future self in a fistfight.

It really isn’t until the end of the movie Neil begins going his own way again through both directions in time.

When We Last See Neil(s)

During the end of the movie, Neil and the Protagonist are on different sides of a temporal pincer movement in Siberia. This assault on the site where Sator (Kenneth Branagh) first began amassing his fortune also not-so-coincidentally is occurring on the exact same day as the opera siege in Kiev. This is by design, because when Katharine (Elizabeth Debicki) thinks about the time her vile husband was last happy, it was on their trip to Vietnam. However, he vanished one evening during that trip because he had business in Kiev, where his men were retrieving another piece of the Algorithm (which we explain here).

It’s actually Neil who puts together that Sator left his yacht 10 days ago on the 14th because of the siege. At the time, the Protagonist shoots a suspicious look and asks, “How do you know about that?” (Psst, because he was there too, dummy.)

So along with a fella named Ives, the leader of the paramilitary side of the Tenet operation, Our Man Protag and Neil participate in the siege to retrieve the Algorithm on Sator’s perfect day, which is thereby also the day he’ll assemble all the pieces in Russia. The Protagonist is part of the Red Team, who will be performing the operation through the normal direction of time while Neil is part of the Blue Team, which observed the operation from afar and then were inverted, traveling backward in time, knowing what they need to do to be victorious.

And if that is a little hard to grasp, we see Neil effectively perform a temporal pincer movement within the operation’s larger temporal pincer movement to clarify how this all works. During the siege of Sator’s hometown, Neil is the cheeky Blue Team member in a gas mask who helps fire a rocket launcher, clearing a path for the Protagonist and Ives to enter the closed city’s tunnels. He then sees Sator’s right-hand goon lower himself from a helicopter and go into the tunnels from a different entry point. In the film, we see this from Neil’s perspective. Since Neil’s entropy has been reversed, he is traveling through time in reverse, however everything with normal entropy will appear reversed to him, including the thug’s arrival by chopper.

Neil then abandons the rest of the Blue Team to run off, as we later learn, to reverse his entropy again and provide a helping hand to Our Man Protag and Ives from the explosion that is to come. With that said, we get the classic Nolan misdirection in this moment since we also see Neil running with his gasmask back on toward the tunnel in which Goon #1 entered.

That is because at this moment there are three Neils on the battlefield. There is the one who is going to reverse his entropy to save the Protagonist and Ives; there is the one who, with normal entropy, is driving a truck to save Ives and the Protagonist; and then there’s the one who’s already done that, and reversed his entropy again and who is now going to open the door that will be blocking Ives and the Protagonist’s way. Since he already knows they saved the world, he knows exactly what he needs to do.

“I’m the only one who can get that door open in time, right Ives?” Neil asks at the linear end of the movie. “I don’t know a locksmith as good as you,” Ives cracks back. Boom. It’s a temporal pincer movement within a larger temporal pincer movement. And since this is happening concurrently with the opera house siege in Kiev that means there are technically FOUR Neils chewing bubble gum and kicking ass. (Does your head hurt, yet?)

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Movies

Tenet Ending Explained

By Chris Farnell

Movies

Tenet’s ‘Inversion’ Logic Explained

By Chris Farnell

When we see the climax of the film play out in the missile silos below, we are watching the events from the Protagonist’s point-of-view, which means time is flowing in the natural direction. It’s why when he gets there, a masked Blue Team member with a backpack attached to a red string and tag is already dead on the other side of the locked door. That is Neil’s corpse, which means, speaking strictly from a linear perspective, this is the last time we see Neil in Tenet: a martyr who’s taken a bullet for his buddy the Protag.

However, since the dead Neil had his entropy reversed yet again, he dies while moving in reverse. It’s why we see him rise up and take a bullet for Neil while opening the door to the missile silo, allowing the Protagonist and Ives to get in there and claim the Algorithm. But in reverse, it looks like Neil has risen from the dead to open the door for our living heroes—a ghost from the future.

The Protagonist puts this altogether at the linear end of the film when he, Ives, and Neil are discussing what to do with the pieces of the Algorithm. Neil rather knowingly gives his share of the Algorithm to the Protagonist before announcing he’s going to go back into the past for another pass with reversed entropy.

“It’s me in there, again,” Neil says, “weaving another past in the fabric of this mission.” It’s unclear whether he knows he’s about to die, but by spotting Neil’s backpack, the Protagonist realizes in this moment it’s his newfound friend who died down there in the tunnels and also saved his life in Kiev. He asks Neil if they can try to do things differently—implying to Neil that he’s about to die. But like a good Tenet man, Neil refuses to tempt fate by trying to change it.

“What’s happened’s happened,” Neil says, “which is an expression of faith in the mechanics of the world. It’s not an excuse to do nothing.” He sadly adds, “Now let me go.”

Before he dies though, Neil offers one last head-spinning nugget: “This whole operation is a temporal pincer movement.” The Protagonist’s operation to be exact. Which means, technically, Neil is performing a temporal pincer movement within a temporal pincer movement, within an even larger years-long temporal pincer movement. Great Scott!

When the Protagonist Recruits Neil

Before his death, Neil also confirms that the Protagonist recruited him years ago in his past, and years from now in the Protagonist’s future. “We get up to some stuff,” Neil smiles. “You’re going to love it.”

However, what is intentionally fuzzy is exactly when the Protagonist recruits Neil. The conventional wisdom is that sometime in the distant future an older Protagonist creates the Tenet organization—which is stated elsewhere in the movie—and then recruits a young Neil (if that’s really his name) into the group. This seems entirely plausible and makes a certain amount of sense.

With that said, it’s worth keeping in mind that time travel is basically possible in this film only through the process of traveling for the same amount of time into the past as one does going into the future. Which means if you need to travel years into the past, you must spend years with your entropy reversed going backward.

While it’s possible Neil did this, Robert Pattinson is a relatively young man at the age of 34 (33 when Tenet was filmed). So the idea that he spent years, or maybe a decade, traveling backward seems a bit hard to swallow. But… what if the Protagonist’s future is in the past? It’s implied that Ives and the Protagonist could use inversion to hide their pieces of Algorithm further in the past, just as a future scientist did when she put those pieces in late-20th century nuclear programs.

It’s worth entertaining at least the idea that the Protagonist begins the Tenet program directly after the events of the film and then travels further back to hide his Algorithm. He could’ve recruited Neil years ago in both the character and our world’s literal past. It would make recruitment easier, as he’s already completed one half of the Pincer movement. The “halfway” point, as Neil calls it. But this interpretation is up to each viewer.

About That ‘Neil is Max’ Fan Theory

On the subject of viewer interpretations though, there is one doozy of a fan theory out there: Neil is Max, Kat and Sator’s much talked about, if little seen, son.

I am not entirely sure what this is based on other than folks liking to imagine there is a hidden mind-bending twist out there that only they can deduce. But what is the logic behind this? Kat has a posh English accent and Neil as a posh English accent, ergo they must be related? For some American viewers, I guess that’s enough. Although it sure gives an added satisfaction to the scene when the Protagonist saves Kat at the end of the movie by receiving her text message in the future that she’s being spied on and then traveling into the past to save her.

However, I’m going to call shenanigans on this theory based on Neil’s simple disinterest in Kat and quick acceptance that she’s an asset who’s become collateral damage when Sator shoots her with a reverse bullet earlier in the movie. When one of the Tenet organization’s men says she’s going to die, Neil even smirks, “Standard operating procedure,” lightly mocking the Protagonist’s CIA tactics.

Granted, if he’s Max he knows this isn’t how his mother dies and could therefore take comfort in the idea the Protagonist will eventually figure out how to save her. Maybe. But while Neil’s a cool customer, I don’t think even he could be so cool with his mother bleeding out before his eyes. So this theory doesn’t really hold water with me.Still, it’s kind of fun to think that if Max is Neil then there was a brief moment where FIVE Neils walked this Earth at the same time.

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