Music
Four Quick Movie Reviews
Metal Lords and Kimi
- 2025
Sold Out
Sold Out What does the wife think of her husband John’s music, his art, his passion – “It’s fine. – but it’s time he grows up.” Not the correct answer, wifey! The other central character in Sold Out, a music-based drama, is Kat, an independent music scout. Kat just got her band a record contract,…
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM If you are unaware of the playwright August Wilson’s work, and you click on Netflix’s drama Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom thinking you will learn about Ma Rainy and hear a bunch of Blues’ music, you will probably be unsatisfied. You will hear some music and learn a little about Ma Rainy…
The Prom
THE PROM Lighten up, people. 2020 is almost over. Vaccine is shipping worldwide, and a new non-divisive, non-narcissistic Administration will soon run the USA. The Prom, a glitzy, bright musical comedy on Netflix, is what is needed right now. A movie about taking a stand (even if not for the right reason) and making things…
Stop Making Sense
STOP MAKING SENSE I’m not a concert movie fan, nor a big fan of the Talking Heads, but worldwide pandemics and a lot of free time make you do things you might not normally do, which can be good for you. Stop Making Sense may sum up April 2020, but it’s also the name of…
- 1984
- Documentary, Music
Danny Collins
DANNY COLLINS Danny Collins is a very melodramatic comedy/drama, with some excellent acting. That’s what you must prepare yourself for if you watch Danny Collins. Do you like the movie Life Itself, or the TV show This Is Us, both overly dramatic and exaggerated views of life? If you can stomach these shows, you will…
Blinded by the Light
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT I always enjoy a movie when the spoken words, or in this case, sung words, are occasionally written on the screen. I believe it is called supertitles. Flashing the words on the screen allows the viewer to read the dialogue and better appreciate the imagery, meaning, or feeling. At the same…
Yesterday
YESTERDAY Yesterday begins as the lights go out throughout the world. When the lights come on virtually everyone on earth forgets the Beatles. Everyone except the lead in this romantic musical comedy. A world without the Beatles (and a few other things) would be an interesting movie. How is the world different, what type of…
Rocketman
ROCKETMAN Rocketman is an excellent biopic of Elton John’s life during the 1970’s & 80’s – not a linear story – instead, it is a musical. This musical shows the most significant events in Elton’s life during that time – not just what happened – but how he felt and how he survived those crazy…
Cold War
COLD WAR Cold War’s beginning sets an interesting premise for this black & white Polish art-house drama set in the political upheaval period after WWII (1949 to 1964). The interesting part has Wiktor Warski (Tomas Kot), Irena Bielecka (Agata Kulesza), and the Manager Lech Kaczmarek (Borys Szyc) traveling through Poland. Traveling to find young adults…
Hearts Beat Loud
HEARTS BEAT LOUD Hearts Beat Loud is a wonderful, heartwarming movie that quickly soared to the top of my favorite heartwarming Indie movie list. Frank – good name – (Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreations, The Little Hours) and his daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons, Transparent, Dope), during the last summer before Sam leaves home to attend…
A Star is Born
A STAR IS BORN The fourth remake of A Star is Born starts out with a bang. The introduction of Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) at one of his live concerts, shot with handheld cameras, is excellent. The photo below is during the filming at a concert in England. Bradley Cooper plays the guitar during the…
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH You need to view Hedwig and the Angry Inch with and open mind. View this movie when you want to get your transgender punk rock self on. If you accept it – it is a good movie. This 2001 American musical film with a little comedy and a lot of…
Sing Street
SING STREET Sing Street is a well done Irish movie set in Dublin in the 1980’s. This film is part drama, part musical, but mostly a good movie. Poor troubled family takes the middle kid Connor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) out of private school and sends him to a free school run by bully Jesuit Brothers and…
SITR & La La Land
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (& LA LA LAND) Saw La La Land the day before Debbie Reynolds died, so the comparison to Singin’ in the Rain seemed appropriate. Singin’ in the Rain was Debbie Reynolds’ first leading role. Had to rewatch Singin’ in the Rain, since the last time I saw it was in…