So, I put my ipod on shuffle and here’s what I got:
“Johnny Thunder”- The Kinks
“Subway Train”- The New York Dolls
“The Politics of Starving”- Against Me!
“Goodbye You Lizard Scum”- Bill Hicks
“I Fought the Law”- The Clash
“Truth or Dare”- The King Khan & BBQ Show
“Soul Love”- David Bowie
“Rock For Light” Bad Barins
“God Dammned”- Girls
“Hey You”- Pink Floyd
I recommend other KLYAMERS to do the same just for fun, don’t lie!
I love this and the original- my favorite tunes from one of my favorite groups; both versions were fantastic live.
Full Title: Detroit Rock City
Director: Adam Rifkin
Year: 1999
Comments: This is straight up fun, fun, fun film about the nightmare of losing your KISS tickets the day of the concert and winding up in every possible adventure to make it to the show and see the HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD!!! Sure, this is over the top, absurd, and lacks many aspects of what typically makes a film decent, but this is just a wacky, fun filled flick to be taken lightly. I will say, I never lose my interest the entire movie; I can’t wait to see what obstacle will arise next in the boys’ journey to seeing KISS.
Grade: N/A, this is just a cool, popcorn movie, so I really don’t think slapping a grade on it is useful. It’s KLYAM Recommended that’s all you need to know.
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Full Title: High Fidelity
Director: Stephen Frears
Year: 2000
Comments: Our second film regarding life and music, High Fidelity, however is more substance than style and eshews basic Hollywood cliches, creating a masterful love story in the process. HF is quite humorous and should be appreciated by (OBSESSIVE) music fans, such as myself, often hitting too close to home haha. In my opinion, John Cusack’s greatest performance. The acting is great, the script is well-written, and the story nicely unfolds without the aforementioned, cliched Hollywood ending. If you’re a fan of good love stories and pop music, give this some eyetime.
Grade: A
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Full Title: The Doors
Director: Oliver Stone
Year: 1991
Comments: For Doors fans, you should know up front this is a rather loose interpretation of their history, a “vision” of what actually happened, if you will. But, you probably will dig the plethora of excellent Doors music, the astonishingly scary depiction of Mr. Mojo Risin from Val Kilmer, and lastly the visual look of the film, which is simply stunning. For accuracy, look elsewhere. For a sad, but genuinely entertaining and thoughtful look at the decadence and tragedy of the Rockstar lifestyle, The Doors is your movie. Without a doubt one of Stone’s essentials.
Grade: A/A-
Full Title: Rear Window
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Year: 1954
Comments This is arguably the greatest offering from the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Hitch’s 1954 classic more than holds up and is perhaps just as suspenseful now as fifty-six years ago. Briefly, the plot concerns the dull day to day life of Jeff (James Stewart) a wheel chair bound photographer as he has nothing left to do but satisfy his carnal base needs through spying (via binoculars) on his neighbours. As the movie progresses, we sympathize with Jeff because we have, ourselves, become voyeurs just like him as the film is through his point of view. The suspense kicks in further when Jeff stumbles upon a murder from one of his neighbours. The rest of the film is Jeff trying to convince everyone else that a murder took place and the killer should be brought to justice. Only Hitchcock can take this story and make it as thrilling as it is. Fuck Disturbia (2006)! In other words, if you haven’t already, watch this film, it’s amazing; not as good as Psycho (1960), but what is?
>Grade: A
“Making Marijuana against the law is like saying God made a mistake.”
Jan and Dean- Dead Man’s Curve (1964)
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Shangri-Las- Leader of the Pack (1964)
Both were released in 1964, both captured two distinct and highly influential pop styles of the era (Surf Pop and Girl Group ballads, respectively) and both masterfully represent the teen tragedy concept of early Rock and Roll; with someone dying in a road accident in each song. In fact, both are set up the same, musically and as a story. So, which one do you think is better?
I personally dig “Dead Man’s Curve” more, but both are classics. Check em out.
Band: Cum Stain
Release: 6/2010
Label: Burger Records
1. “Bachelor’s Life” – A+
2. “Broke My Dick” – A
3. “No Hearts/Big Mean Maniac” – A-
4. “Just A Kid” – A+
5. “Vicdumb” – A-
6. “Slip It Off Slip It In” – A-
7. “Smoker” – B+
8. “I Want It Now” – A
9. SuckHer4U” – A
10. “Jack Shack” – A
11. “Cum Stain” – A+
Comments: Just when I thought I heard the ‘last of the libertines’ so to speak, I hear this. Cum Stain. Whether the composers of Cum Stain realized it or not, they boldly described bachelor life from start to finish. Literally. When push comes to shove, the narrator is just another “cum stain on your rug.” This man is a heavy drinker, a heavy smoker, and a passionate lover. Except, he doesn’t actually love you or want to. Well, he wants to, but he figures that’s just a waste of time. He just wants to do it and get it over with. On “Bachelor’s Life” we learn a little bit about the dude. Every hour he “masturbates” and “just sits around and watch cartoons.” On a more positive note, he stocks whiskey and rum. “Broke My Dick” is pretty self-explanatory, but the narrator offers an alternative like none other: “slap you in the face while it’s limp.” Might as well do something, right? In a proto-hardcore punk, let me tell you what’s up kind of way, the narrator reiterates on “No Hearts/Big Mean Maniac” that he has no heart and that he is a maniac. The guy is straight nuts. Fuck, he even invented his own fetish: throwing manure in the faces of grade school children. So, just a quick recap. The dude is in his 20s, but he’s purely “just a kid.” He exemplifies that word, but puts an added spin on in it. I’m not really sure what he’s going for on “Vicdumb.” It seems like he is necessarily stating the obvious. Anything anyone does to you makes you a mere vicdumb. Perhaps the “dumb” instead of “tum” allows him to get away with whatever he wants. You’re the dumb-ass, not me for screwing you and then leaving. Vicdumb. “Slip It Off/Slip It In” is probably the maniac’s fantasies after a long day at the beach. Oh yeah, and everything you learned about smoking is all a bunch of shit. Smoking is for winners and the more the better. Another thing: impulse control? This guy has none and doesn’t care. If you can’t give him what he wants (as he says on the apropos “I Want It Now”), then he’ll go find it. Peace! It seems as if maybe there was a possibility for a relationship at one time (“SuckHer4U”), but he just couldn’t commit to anything more than casual. “Jack Shack” tells of a ride down to a “Gentleman’s Spa” where no (sleazy truck driver) knows your name. I must say, this is one of the best stories I’ve ever heard. The lyrics aren’t genius or intricate in any regard, but the narrative comes across very clearly. The music is incredibly lo-fi garage pop (similar to Nobunny circa Love Visions). It makes you think, too. Is this your average single guy with a job or an unemployed psychopath who has never had any women in his life?
Grade: A- (93)
Full Title: Thank You For Smoking
Director: Jason Reitman
Year: 2005
Comments: This is a great piece of satire from Reitman and crew that neither endorses nor condemns Tobacco, but rather pokes fun at all the propaganda and hullabaloo that surrounds the topic. I really appreaciate this story for not selling its audience short and instead showing anti-tobacco politicians as villians (within this context) for basically exploiting the issue of smoking to enhance their own political careers. And by that same token, the character of Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is one of my favorites in all of cinema, as he is a great, three dimensional figure with both negative and redeeming qualities. Overall, a very funny and sharp look at an ongoing debate in America.
Grade: A
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Full Title: Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
Director: Tim Burton
Year: 1985
Comments: Write a mini movie review of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. (In a classic Pee Wee Herman voice) MAYBE I WILL! Perhaps one of the zaniest and definitely funniest kids movies I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. Burton’s knack for odd, but enticing imagery is perfectly mixed with Paul Reuben’s eccentric performance as the bizarre man-child, Pee Wee, dedicated to only one thing in life: retrieving his beloved bike. And yes, Large Marge scared the shit outta me too as a child!
Grade: A
Full Title: American Psycho
Director: Mary Harron
Year: 2000
Comments: Shocking. Depraved. Gruesome. Sickening. Those are some adjectives you could use to describe this film. Or…. you could say….Hilarious. Comical. Witty. AP works on various levels and without a doubt is a film that sticks with you for its over the top, slam to your sensory approach. It’s twisted, gory, and for some downright offensive (as with Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, which it is based on). But, that’s the point. This is a story about high class, Wall Street scumfucks and in particular one snobbish, narcissistic man that is so devoid of human emotion he must lash out against society in the form of mass murder. AP takes that story and slices and dices it with black humor, radio friendly pop songs, and exaggerated performances- almost to the point of questioning the seriousness of what you are viewing. This is the kind of movie some folks hate for having an ambiguous message/purpose, but that’s precisely what I adore about it. Well, I’d love to stay and finish this review, but I have to return some video tapes.
Grade: A
Full Title: Machete
Directors: Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez
Year: 2010
Comments: When I grow up, I want to be MACHETE! (pronounced muh shet tay not muh shetty). As a big fan of the fake Machete trailer in Grindhouse (2007) as well as director Robert Rodriguez’s work in general, this film was near the top of my list of highly anticipated, Must Sees of Twenty-Ten, and fortunately my expectations were satisfied. The plot involves a badass Mexican named Machete (Danny Trejo), who is instructed to off a racist, anti-immigration propaganda spewing Senator (Robert De Niro) for $150,000. Machete, an illegal immigrant himself, needs the money and accepts. As he is about to fire, he is shot at and he soon realizes the whole assassination was a set up to boost sympathy votes for the Senator and his anti-immigration policies. Now, Machete is on the run and the target of everyone from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents (Jessica Alba) to covert businessmen (Jeff Fahey). Machete also features Steven Seagal (he actually does a decent job!) as an evil druglord/nemesis of Machete, Michelle Rodriguez (looking fabulous as usual) as Shé, the leader of an underground network to support illegal immigrants, Cheech Marin as a renegade reverend/brother of Machete, and Lindsey Lohan also makes a few appearances, some without her clothes! Which, brings me to my next point, Machete is filled to the brim with buckets of blood- decapitations, intestines ripped out and used as ropes, you know all that good old family fun. Plus plenty of nudity, sex and other lurid imagery. This Mexploitation flick delivers a dish best served cold; in other words it’s a straight up gruesome, guy-action movie of that wonderfully, black/absurdist humor tinged Rodriguez/Tarantino, trashy, Grindhouse revival variety. Pheww that was a mouthful… Machete never fails to excite and entertain its audience because like most Rodriguez flicks it contains over the top, stylized violence mixed with a solid story, memorable characters, and witty, distinctive dialogue, separating it from your run of the mill action pieces of shit. On a final note, I dig the germane content of the film- illegal immigration, in light of the recent Arizona fiasco, though I don’t think this is a movie with a deep political message haha. In any case, I hope to see a Machete II in the future!
Grade: B+/A-
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 