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Avatar - out of this world

Written by Joe Viglione

Friday, 18 December 2009 09:29

The trailer for this film didn't excite - which is odd because those advance advertisements usually feature the best moments of the movie being promoted setting moviegoers up for a big letdown. It's the complete opposite here - Avatar lives up to its advance billing of being a spectacular motion picture in a way that the trailer couldn't possibly exhibit - meaning, word of mouth will sell this picture and the reported 100 million dollar marketing campaign is built to set that word of mouth in motion. And though Science Fiction still does not garner the respect Hollywood devotes to films like Titanic or The Godfather, Science Fiction is quite often big box office. The presence of Sigourney Weaver is akin to putting former crew members of Star Trek into Independence Day or Babylon5, Sci Fi fans love to "phone home" and like the familiar. Weaver's stints in the Alien franchise and the underrated Galaxy Quest put her talents on full display which is why it is so surprising to find her acting stiff and controlled at the beginning of this film. It opens like one of those 1950s horror flicks with a plot that needs to get up to speed but, thankfully, Cameron is smart enough to avoid "Roland Emmerich syndrome" where there is no plot, just onslaught and good ideas that tend to go sideways through the necessity of belief suspension. Cameron's story has some meat, though somewhat derivative, and when Joe Pantoliano tells Keanu Reeves "It means buckle your seatbelt, Dorothy. Cause Kansas is going bye-bye" in the first Matrix movie, it was that film's nod to The Wizard of Oz being the high mark, something to aspire to. Here the Oz reference pops up again with the line "You're not in Kansas anymore", and Sam Worthington, who was so much fun in Terminator: Salvation as Marcus Wright, gets to play a clueless Keanu Reeves type, wheelchair bound and ready to fit into The Matrix. The obvious references to humans leaving the "real world" to go into the Matrix is the metamorphosis at play here as Worthington, Sigourney and company get into their avatar ...in almost the same way that Reeves and Laurence Fishburne plug into the Matrix. The robot suits the army personnel get into reflect - almost exactly - the suits used in Matrix: Revolutions. Heck, why did they even bother building new ones when those originals could've effectively been recycled? Beyond taking as liberally from The Matrix as The Matrix did with every other movie - most especially the Terminator flicks (machines destroy humans for supremacy), is Cameron's luxury of being able to work with the George Lucas-founded Skywalker Sound as well as Industrial Light and Magic. So if Lou Reed's big hit, "Transformer" was, as critics said, Lou Reed playing David Bowie playing Lou Reed, then Avatar is truly Cameron playing Wachowski brothers playing James Cameron....with some George Lucas thrown in to boot. And did anyone notice that the film is opening on Steven Spielberg's 63rd birthday? E.T. doesn't phone home here...the earthlings fly to E.T...or more accurately, the earthlings ARE the extraterrestrial life. Even Uhura from Star Trek is put into the mix as Zoe Saldana's major role here combines new actors from the Terminator and Star Trek series into this new delight. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2000 film, The Sixth Day, featured clones swimming in similar water pods where the DNA and other essentials of human replication could all merge together, and that aspect from a "lost" Arnold movie is part of this mix, and one could go on and on with the borrowing...where the Matrix: Revolutions gave a nod to Galaxy Quest (Fishburne bursting out of Will Smith's wife's ship), here they just take one of the stars of Galaxy Quest, Signourney Weaver. Now on to the movie. It is exquisite. Cameron is a superb filmmaker who keeps his flaws to a minimum (unlike the aforementioned Roland Emmerich, see 2012 for the reasons why)...so when he indulges in holograms for the army's strategy sessions he improves upon what we saw glimpses of in Matrix: Revolutions, and adds more. The world of Pandora is absolutely wondrous, a land of Oz indeed, Alice in Wonderland, take your pick. Floating mountains is creative, as are the impressive Banshees. It isn't that these creatures are dissimilar to creatures from planet Earth, indeed, they are - if not mutations - distant cousins of dogs, reptiles and underwater life. Also improving on his work in The Abyss, Cameron takes the journey to the nth degree...the 3D was annoying when I first put the glasses on, when my eyes adjusted to the technology I didn't want the film to end. Cascading waterfalls, Harry Potter fly-through-the-air wizardry, vibrations from Lord of the Rings Stephen Lang is annoying as Colonel Miles Quaritch, a character actor from Law & Order episodes as well as a latter day TV version of The Fugitive, he may as well be Sam Elliot and William Hurt as Gen. 'Thunderbolt' Ross in their respective Hulk movies...or in Hurt's cameo in the first Iron Man. Because here they get in their Iron Man suits as well Just as "Avatar" was the working title of the 1997 James Bond flick, Tomorrow Never Dies, the flashes of inspiration and originality here are decorated with the familiar. Michelle Rodriguez who appeared in 2003's S.W.A.T. with Hollywood's earlier rendition of Sam Worthington, Colin Farrell, goes from playing Chris Sanchez from that film to Trudy Chacon here. Not a "name" cast, outside of Weaver, but one that has actors from "Lost" and "Law & Order", familiar faces getting their day in the sun. The thousands of names affiliated with this movie scroll a la Star Wars intro at the end, Leona Lewis doing a perfect Celine Dion imitation for the love theme to the flick, "I See You", and chances are the male audience that will be attracted to this movie will come back for more bringing their girlfriends...Cameron a master of getting repeated viewings out of his audience. Yes, he splashes ideas from King Kong throughout the journey, and it all works. Where you have to suspend belief for Roland Emmerich, Cameron makes his magical world very believable and, despite its hostility, a vacation spot that's worth the risk. Links Interesting thing about the Times review noting "Initial reaction to a conventional trailer was flat"...yeah, as revealed in my review above. What were they thinking? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/19/movies/19avatar.html http://www.cleveland.com/sun/intermission/index.ssf/2009/12/james_cameron_looks_good_with.html Interview with Zoe Saldana on her role as Uhura in Star Trek http://scifiwire.com/2009/05/star-treks-zoe-saldana-re.php http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i5b1f69da4015d79cb5fced851c896918 http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/12/17/box-office-preview-avatar/ http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/12/20/avatar-takes-73-million/ http://www.themoneytimes.com/featured/20091221/cameron-s-avatar-spell-binds-audience-id-1094746.html http://blog.beliefnet.com/onecity/2009/12/interdependence-and-avatar.html http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=avatar.htm How Much Did Avatar really cost? from Vanity Fair http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2009/12/how-much-did-avatar-really-cost.html Avatar Box Office Zooms http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30679&Itemid=70

Last Updated on Monday, 28 December 2009 06:25

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Mott The Hoople Live, October 2009

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 22 November 2009 16:48

Hammersmith Apollo 2009 http://www.hunter-mott.com/discography/hammersmith_apollo_2009.html Mott The Hoople Make Triumphant Comeback http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/mott-the-hoople-make-triumphant-copmeback/ Live At Fillmore West http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3xftxqtdld0e

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#3

OHNNY RIVERS at Lombardo's in Randolph, Massachusetts

Written by Joseph Tortelli

Saturday, 21 November 2009 17:58

JOHNNY RIVERS at Lombardo's in Randolph January 18, 2002 by Joseph Tortelli When Johnny Rivers sang the yearning folk song "500 Miles" in the midst of his performance at Lombardo's, the evening reached an emotional peak. Not only because he referenced the nation's recent tragedy in the introduction, but also because the bittersweet ballad is not part of his standard repertoire. Originally recorded for his 1965 album "Johnny Rivers Rocks The Folk," "500 Miles" delivered the kind of unexpected treat that his fans could cherish. After all, the singer-guitarist has loads of uptempo hit singles to pack into a two-hour show. Rivers opened the evening with a rearranged version of "Midnight Special," a mid-60s smash that doubled as the theme to the late-night concert television series starring howling disc jockey Wolfman Jack. Letting loose spirited guitar licks, Rivers unveiled the Willie Dixon voodoo ditty titled "Seventh Son," which finds the singer proclaiming his clairvoyant powers against a rocking musical background. Known as the king of the "a go-go" sound during the '60s, Rivers gained recognition for his chart-topping interpretation of Chuck Berry's "Memphis." No small feat in the summer of 1964 when Beatlemania and the British Invasion dominated pop music. He developed a unique style based on chunky rhythm guitar, memorable lead guitar riffs, and lots of hand-clapping behind his soulful/rockabilly voice. Rivers created exciting records then. With the support of an exceptional three-piece band, Rivers creates a less frantic, more mature excitement now. And no song better captures his sound than "Secret Agent Man," yet another TV theme song. In addition to the James Bondish "swinging on the Riviera" lyrics, "Secret Agent Man" uncoils Rivers' string-stretching guitar licks, which remain among the most memorable instrumental lines of the '60s. The slim, still-cool looking Rivers closed the set with "Secret Agent Man," a song tailored to rev up a crowd for an encore. As important as upbeat rock 'n' roll is to the Rivers style, it expresses only one part of his musical work. He introduced songwriter Jimmy Webb to a wider audience with his majestic production of "Summer Rain." In concert, the Hammond B-3 organ filled out the song's glorious sound. Rivers, himself, composed the Number One hit "Poor Side of Town," a bittersweet love ballad that has been covered by many other artists. On a Motown classic, Rivers coaxed the audience to sing the chorus to "Baby I Need Your Loving," exploiting one of the crowd-pleasing techniques he has mastered over a four decade journey inaugurated at the West Coast's Whiskey A Go-Go. But that was the '60s. This night he was playing at Lombardo's with a similar spark and professionalism. The 750-strong audience responded, listening raptly to the intimate "Tracks of My Tears," clapping to the rollicking "Rockin' Pneumonia & the Boogie Woogie Flu," and hitting the dance floor for the slinky "Barefootin'." For the encore, Rivers said "good night" with his moving arrangement of "Slow Dancin' (Swayin' to the Music)." The late '70s standard actually worked better in live performance, where Rivers crafted a dynamic arrangement. And Lombardo's floor overflowed with slow-dancing couples. Rivers stayed after the show to sign autographs for fans, who understood that his singing "500 Miles" had transformed an entertaining evening into a special event.

Last Updated on Sunday, 22 November 2009 18:16

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Fox Pass #4

Fox Pass...I Believed Moments

Written by Nancy

Monday, 02 November 2009 21:42

INTEMPOREL BY FOX PASS-TIMELESS IN ANY LANGUAGE by Nancy Neon INTEMPOREL, the second full length recording from Fox Pass is the sound of seasoned musicians who are at the top of their game. There is a strong sense of time being of the essence when it comes to matters of romance and creativity as well as spiritual matters. Songs run the gamut from the quintessential power pop of "Hurry Cherie" and "Front Page Girl" to deceptively primal rockers like "It's Rock" and "Amtrak". These lighter hearted songs are balanced by Jon Macey/Michael Roy epics like "Cool Dreamer", "Sacred Mountain Is Falling", and "A Long Goodbye". The first two possess a universality while the third song could not be more personal, exposing raw, naked emotion. On this song and the recording as a whole, Fox Pass takes a creative gamble that most artists would never risk. Pardon the mixed metaphor, but Fox Pass hasn't merely hit a homerun , creatively INTEMPOREL is their grand slam. Jon Macey took time to discuss his process of writing and recording with Nancy Neon and Gemmzine: Nancy Neon: What made you decide to bring back "Hurry Cherie"? Jon Macey: I always liked "Hurry Cherie". I wrote it at a point, as you know, when I was so enamored of finding that elusive power pop sound. Nancy: It comes off great live. It's a good CD opener. The sound of the drums is explosive. Macey: Mike and I sang all the two part harmonies live in the studio. It's not me singing, then him singing. It's the two of us singing together. It's the Lennon/McCartney thing. Sometimes we're on the same microphone. Nancy: You get a chemistry that way that you don't from overdubbing. When did you write "Fly Away(From Me)"? Macey: I started the song about 8 years ago. It was just an acoustic song. I never thought it would be a Fox Pass song. I brought it to Mike and we added a bridge and made it into a Macey/Roy song. It was originally much slower and very folky. It's probably my favorite song on the record. Nancy: It's so poetic, so poignant...what is the first line? Macey: (Laughs) Everyone is going to ask that, aren't they? "The fabric of existence opens for an instant." The second verse is the reality of the situation-how it happened and the fear that it would end i.e. "so afraid that you would fly away from me". And the last verse is a projection of the future-"If I should disappoint you/If I should encumber you." It describes what happens when a beautiful love is ending. Nancy: It's a very poetic way of describing unconditional love where you would rather walk out into the darkness alone than to have your loved one disappointed or encumbered. Macey: It goes back to the first verse where it's completely idealized love. I'm tremendously proud of those lyrics and that song. Nancy:This is quite a change of tone, but "Front Page Girl" is a Fox Pass classic. What made you decide to bring that one back? And when did you add the cool spy theme? Macey: I found "Front Page Girl" from middle period Fox Pass, but I didn't like the way we did it. In the middle of the that early version, the spy theme was there, but it wasn't as out front. That was us doing The Sidewinders meets the early Who.(Nancy Neon note: The Sidewinders are a legendary, early 70's Boston band featuring future stars Andy Paley and Billy Squier.) Nancy: "Front Page Girl" is a great addition because a lot of your songs are so serious. This is light hearted, giving us some much needed comedic relief. Macey: But I have to go back thirty years to find songs like that! Nancy:"Cool Dreamer" has come back again. What did you not do before that made you want to revisit it? Macey: That was a Macey's Parade song from 1993 which we recorded and never put it out. It's the only song on this album that is co-written by Tom Hostage. ACTUALITY IN PROCESS , my first solo album is not produced as well as I wish it was. It was my first attempt at engineering and producing a record on my own. Obviously I've gotten much better at it. "Cool Dreamer" has become a popular live song for Fox Pass. I think the version on ACTUALITY is good, but it's very different. Nancy:"She Dreams Of Me" is a new song for me. Macey: Mike originally came up with that. As you probably noticed, no verse repeats itself. That was a stylistic experiment. That has a big Beatles influence. It has the acoustic guitars, but it rocks. Nancy: This CD is an embarrassment of riches. "The Spark" is another new one. Macey: The chorus is based on one of my oldest melodies. It has a message that a lot of my newer songs have about life and death. Nancy: The ephemeral quality of life, love, and inspiration. Macey: The idea that you'd better do it. And the idea that we are all part of one huge force. Nancy: Although some of the newer songs can be seen as romantic on a man/woman level, some of the newer songs have a feeling of universality. Macey: Over and over, we are talking about mystical forces. "Cool Dreamer" is clearly about that-a hymn to the great mind. Nancy:"It's Rock" and "Amtrak" have to be two of the best crowd pleasers live. Macey: "It's Rock" is an extremely sarcastic song. It's essentially live in the studio. We banged it out you can't make it too polished. Nancy: We're back to serious subject matter with "Hey Rainbow". I'm usually good at deciphering your songs, but I can't get a grip on this one intellectually. Macey: This song is about someone pretending to be okay, but they are falling into a deadly trap. I'm talking about heroin addiction. I say "hey rainbow" because the person is pretending to be happy. I'm being brutally sarcastic. Nancy: This is a bitter message to swallow, disguised in a deceptively sweet package. On to "Amtrak", I can especially relate to that line "Living in Boston/And loving New York." Macey: "Amtrak" was one of the first song that I wrote . It goes back to the beginning of Fox Pass. Nancy: "High On You" is immediately appealing, one of my very favorites. It's so sexy, but why do I get an endorphin rush from it? Macey:It's because it's the perfect release because of the dynamics from the verse to the chorus-the bass is pedaling on the E chord. It doesn't change chords like guitars do until the chorus. That builds a tension that is released in the chorus. Nancy:"Song 91"? Macey: It was written directly from Psalm 91 and I was not feeling too good at the time. It leads right into "Sacred Mountain Is Falling" which are the purported last words of Confucius. The bridge is right out of the writings of Buddah-"It's time to cross the river/And reach the other shore." I took the Bible, Buddah,and Confucius and rolled them all into one. Nancy:"Ticking Of The Clock" was on one of your BEDROOM TAPES(Note: This was Macey's wave to Dylan's BASEMENT TAPES.)... Macey: It was Mike's idea to bring it back. I employ the same lyrical technique here as in "Sacred Mountain". I say something, then contradict it. Nancy: "Younger Than We Knew"...you said this came from a conversation that Mike and you had about how your relative youth contributed to your inexperience about the music business compared to people like David Bryne, Ric O'Casek, Chris Stein, etc... Macey: These people were actually a bit older and knew their way around the music business much better than us. We took the song title and made it into a generational anthem about the 70's. Nancy: "We Will Be Free" started out as "I Will Be Free" ,describing your struggle with inner demons... Macey: "I Will Be Free" was much more brutal. We toned it down and it became a much better song. Nancy:"One More Song"-this is Michael asking his Muse for inspiration... Macey: It's a return to the Velvet Underground as far as the guitar sounds with all the echoing guitars and feedback. Nancy: The last song on INTEMPOREL is "A Long Goodbye". I have heard hundreds of your songs over the years and I've never heard you sounding so raw, exposed ,and vulnerable. It's frankly hard to listen to, particularly when you breakdown emotionally in the final verse. What does this verse mean-"The lure of youth/Teases and increases/The missile of truth/Is gonna blow me to pieces"? Macey: It's about the failure of a relationship. Nancy: So is the youthful quality of the woman which is the genesis of the relationship also its downfall? Macey: Yes, it's the seed of destruction. There's the idea that her innocence was going to make me happy or bring back my innocence and youth. It has the raw quality that you mention because this is the one and only time that I sang that vocal. And I never expect to sing it again! You can see Fox Pass perform for the prestigious, INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW at Church, 69 Kilmarnock St, in Boston on Friday, November 20. For more information, check http://foxpassmusic.com Editor's note: at 12:41 AM on 11/3/09 - as I was posting this piece - Chris Matthews on MSNBC said the words "I Believed moments"...the editor is writing a book about coincidences with the legendary Buzzy Linhart..."I Believed" was the title of the first Fox Pass 45.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 04 November 2009 06:44