Posted by
Eddie Siqueira
- Friday, April 4, 2014
So it ends. The four-part series I birthed strikes its final chord. And what a major chord it is: Kurt Cobain and his band, Nirvana. More often than not, Nirvana is associated with Kurt Cobain, and vice-versa. Don't forget that it was not a one man solo show, but primarily a trio featuring bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl (replacing first drummer Chad Channing), who we all know and love. Like most rock champions, all of the immediate attention was regurgitated onto the band's frontman. It's only natural that, as we near the anniversary of Cobain's passing and Nirvana's induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame on April 10th (which I plan to comment on as an epilogue to this mini-series), I give you my personal view of the whole ensemble.
It might be strange for younger people to relate to this band as just another band. The myth surrounding Nirvana and their lightning-fast career ascension makes them sound like the last coming of rock 'n' roll Jesus. Maybe it was just that; there hasn't been another larger-than-life martyr in rock history since. Bear with me as we journey past the events.
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| Early concert during the Bleach era |
Perhaps you would like to know more about the human, thus fragile aspect of Nirvana. Kurt's grandfather, Leland Cobain, would gladly share childhood pictures and some of Kurt's memorabilia with visitors passing by Aberdeen, Washington up until his death in May of 2013. Or maybe that's not your cup of tea, and you'd rather know about the Fender Jag-Stang guitar Kurt designed and played for just a few dates, and the rig he used in live shows. Whatever the case, the personal story of the band's voice is tightly woven with Nirvana's history of paucity turned to excess.
Glancing at their fetal years, Nirvana seemed like the most unremarkable garage band in the world until 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' hit the airwaves in late 1991. In 1987, two friends formed a band together in Aberdeen, WA out of their love for rock, punk, and other styles that countered the close-minded, redneck attitude of logger-country Northwest USA. There wasn't much going on in Aberdeen at that point however, so Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain (guitar, vocals) moved to Seattle where they met their first permanent drummer, Chad Channing, around 1988.
Nirvana were late bloomers in the Seattle scene. In fact, they were the little brothers of that soundscape and no one took them seriously. In an environment for the alienated, drop outs, and cynical scoffers, Nirvana were considered to be absolutely bland next to the bigger stars.
This can't be said for their music. With each composition, they matured significantly, as did the band's chemistry. Even though the trio's punk style was quite different from the other Seattle bands' gimmicks of 70's influenced sludge and aggression, they rehearsed with the same professional appeal. By the time they recorded their first album, Bleach, for a reported cost of $606.17 with producer Jack Endino merely hitting 'record,' their underground 'cred' had increased substantially. They toured in support of Bleach and gathered some good reviews, but were still a broke band from Seattle.
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| Nirvana's first solid lineup with drummer Chad Channing |
Along with all of this, Kurt was trapped in his world of soft-core depression and loneliness. His childhood had been very happy until his parents divorced when he was about seven; according to his own testimony, the world became a dark, gruesome place. As alienated as he was in his teen years until his death, there was a childlike attitude that would surface when he wasn't grasping onto his introversion, and he was actually quite polite and even friendly. Kurt Cobain, the aggressor, pissed off, kill-all-they-who-wronged-you? That remains unheard of. He seemed to be a frail pessimist who believed in the good fight, but didn't consider himself worthy enough to pull it off in any other way apart from being in the most kick-ass band he possibly could - and he did just that.
This came across clearly in interviews. Once the wave of fame hit Nirvana in the face, Kurt became one of the most awkward celebrities in history. This doesn't mean that he was a mumbling, shoe gazing, knee-clutching kid. In fact, some of the more in-depth, open-book phrases of those media years all came from Kurt, when he wasn't backed by the comical Krist and Dave, monkeying around and taking a piss out of their supposed fame. There was no rock cliché the critics could really grasp onto. They were feminist-friendly, easy going, and an antonym for spectacular, offstage. The only given was Kurt and drugs; that reality had already installed itself into the Seattle scene (among others) long ago, and was a dark truth of the times (if they have changed at all).
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| Breaking instruments was the crowning of a good show |
For a band, or any other entity to be great and make history, they have to be the first. The Beatles were great because they were "the first" of the supermassive pop rock phenomenon we take for granted nowadays. The world isn't in awe of lightning fast shredders of heavy metal, or any hard rock slinger out there: Jimi Hendrix was the first to make the guitar scream bloody-murder (although one can dispute Rory Gallagher was the greatest, but let's not digress). Firsts, in the context of a culture, set a standard for all to follow, that much is understood.
Nirvana were the first. The first band to break through the hymen of sincerity that was hidden deep, deep in the vulnerability of collective consciousness. The first band to accidentally carry a voice of truth - they wore no masks. Most people didn't get it - they either thought it was just cool music or that Kurt and the gang were geniuses. For those that got it, you remember the time when, perhaps for the first time in a long time, fight for survival wasn't the number one priority of a person's day. It was about what to do now that the world was becoming standardized in its primordial versions of globalization, cable TV, divorces, ever-complex and equal rights, the end of Apartheid, compact discs, personal computers, cellular phones, and even something called the World Wide Web on the horizon. A big part of Generation X was left adrift. Nirvana became a band because they had absolutely nothing in their lives worth being excited about in regards to the future.
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| Nothing said "grunge" like moshing on fans while playing guitar |
Around 1993, MTV was already a few years into its apogee. There was little distinction between it and top radio stations. Of course, back then, there was nothing but music on that channel. Some odd shows on Liquid Television made it alternative and teen-friendly, but the channel was essentially music videos, talk shows with artists, and news about music; Nirvana were plastered all over it, as they went on to larger media vehicles.
So, why were they so great and out-of-this-world? The answer is simpler than the thousands of pages of analysis one can find on Kurt Cobain: he gave us a very unique, instantly recognizable voice, with a full-on natural distortion rasp, and a vocal melodic style that, with all due respect, hadn't been heard since The Beatles. Why this blasphemy you ask? Think about it. The '91 album Nevemind, admitted by the band itself, was a collection os simple, heavy but pop-esque songs, almost "like children's songs," according to Krist Novoselic in the Classic Albums Series episode on that very album. It was a deliberate, artistic attempt to do the opposite of what was known to be great. Imagine someone making punk rock covers of nursery rhymes. That's one way to put it, however loose.
The whole thing spells genius from track 1 through 12. Unless you bought the tape, in which case it was orgasmic from side A to B. For the untrained ear, it's a great rocking album, maybe more so to those that hold some sentimental attachment to it. Professionally speaking, hats off to producer Butch Vig, who milked the full potential of those crazy-great punk songs Nirvana just so happened to be writing in 1990/1991. The album wouldn't have topped Billboard 200 if it weren't for his vision of the sound.
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| One of the most legendary performances ever on MTV |
An element that people tend to overlook as well was Kurt's approach. A song, to the average person, is music and lyrics. Not to Kurt. Lyrics were the last thing on his mind. His diction was awkward on certain points of his songs, and the meanings were, more often than not, jibber-jabber. Sometimes, the lyrics just sounded cool.
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Kurt among peers: Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and
Joe Perry (Aerosmith) |
He was honest about the messages in his songs, and how they were just nonsense at times. Some of them were deliberate and quite powerful. Polly, a song about a girl who was kidnapped, contains some of his most notorious and intentionally written lyrics. This balance of melodic punk, eerie folk ballads, and strange Generation X poetry was an entirely new equation for the monotone media to solve. Also, he was a self-proclaimed mediocre guitar player. Kurt stated that he didn't know the difference between a minor chord and a major chord (well, he might have been exaggerating), and openly spoke of his music illiteracy and claimed it was good for creativity.
Circumstances didn't really change when In Utero came out in 1993. This album is vicious, very raw, and considerably darker than Nevermind. The producer this time was Steve Albini, a notorious mainstream-recluse of the music world, albeit very respected. There is some controversy as to whether Albini was putting ideas into Kurt's head during the recording sessions, telling him Big Brother was watching, the media was out to get him, and that's when our hero's downward spiral began. Regardless, Kurt was deep into his relationship with Courtney Love at that time, and she had just given birth to the couple's daughter, Frances Bean. This period, on Kurt's own account, was a happy time for him. He was getting along fine with events and being mostly positive. Nirvana was piling up awards and critical praise as well as an ever growing number of fans, even though the band explicitly spoke out against a part of their fan-demographics; homophobes, jocks, and the likes were unwanted by the musicians in their shows, but this never became more than a complaint from the band. Everyone loved Nirvana.
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| The Cobains, at MTV VMA's 1993 |
Cobain's health, however, dwindled. His heroin use became more than just a rumor. In fact, allegations floated about that Courtney had also been using heroin during her pregnancy and the couple were alluded to as the new Sid and Nancy in a Vanity Fair article which sparked the couple's ire for kickstarting the baby-heroin rumor. At this time, Kurt's relationship with his band also began to sour, as he was more and more medicated, largely due to his stomach pains, which were excruciating. Any psychologist will tell you that stomach issues are related to nervousness and trouble with self-esteem. Kurt was a textbook case, and you don't have to roam very far into the "interwebs" to see proof of it in his interviews. He was a total dweeb, a nice guy, sincerity incarnate, completely unaware of the burdens of rock monarchy, as were Krist and Dave. Only Kurt was a frail butterfly, and the touring hurricane was taking its toll. Not only that, but the constant attention he was receiving made him tired of his own shit, as he did not consider himself a role model, or rockstar material.
Let's not hastily run into his martyr status; truth be told, every step of the way from the release of Nevermind into Kurt's final days, Nirvana said yes to the opportunities. Festival headlines, television appearances, interviews, music videos, record deals - it was all laid out with a "fog-of-war" in which they could barely see ahead, but faced everything head-on. It was a tremendous challenge. In the period since Nirvana first began touring in 1989, until the final stadium shows in 1994, they went from a broke-ass joke band to most important band on Earth. What could possibly have happened to Kurt other than his demise?
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| Nirvana's Live And Loud performance in Dec. 1993 |
Kurt was troubled by many things around him, mostly things that were unnecessarily aggressive, unjust, or vulgar. He was quite the gentleman, more so when one considered that he came from the rugged working class Americana culture. With all of his ghosts haunting him, he willingly raced into the arms of music, which threw him onto the clutches of fame. It was his last shot at some sort of happiness, and he took it as far as he could. There is only so much one can blame the press. Kurt wanted the wide world of rock's fame and fortune and a killer discography with his band's name on it; but he also wanted to be left alone. This caused him to go into a vicious cycle of self loathing and dark psychological fits; a hipster that was tired of himself for being too mainstream.
Something must be said for Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl at this point. Although 90% of the songs were written by Kurt Cobain, Krist and Dave were two killer musicians with their own (and other) instruments. Anyone in a band knows that the bass and drums go hand in hand to form a cohesive force. Kurt may have been the driving force, but if you replaced one of the two supports, the band wouldn't have been the musical delight it was. Maybe this is one of the more important sides of the band; Kurt was purely instinctive while the others were absolutely down to earth, keeping the music grounded.
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Dave was the more outgoing of the Nirvana trio
(as we can see from the fooling around) |
Their relationship was friendly and professional. They shared the same opinions, jokes, and political views (in fact, Krist Novoselic, who later became actively involved in politics stated that Nirvana was not as politically vocal as they would have liked to have been). Sometimes it seemed like the trio were brothers in arms, with absolutely nothing to fight against.
Despite their friendliness, this was not enough to keep Kurt from relapsing. His drug habit returned by early 1994, to the point where some friends and family staged an intervention to send him to rehab, which he agreed to, with a subliminal intention of rejecting it completely. In parallel, Cobain's wife, Courtney Love, was shipped off to another rehab facility, also in Los Angeles. Kurt bailed on the rehab clinic and was not officially seen again.
Kurt Cobain ceased to live on April 5th, 1994 according to the Seattle P.D.'s report. His body was found in the greenhouse of his Lake Washington Blvd. residence in Seattle on Friday, April 8th by an electrician who had work to do at the house. Shotgun on the body, severe head injury, drug "toys" scattered about, and a note, with a pen driven through it rested on a sill nearby.
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| Cobain's body being investigated |
As the official version goes, the scene where his body was found provided evidence of suicide. There was little to question, after all, he had battled depression, stomach pains, psychological burdens, and a family history where suicide did occur twice, at least. Oh, and the note, of course. It makes no sense, however, that the toxicology report showed that his blood contained three times the lethal dose of heroin. He would have been absolutely incapacitated, collapsed and passed out before eventually overdosing; picking up a gun and shooting oneself is, according to many sources, impossible in that state.
I don't pretend to know anything about heroin dosages or the complexities of shooting a gun (I'm more of a 'fist-on-face' guy), but according to Anthony Kiedis's autobiography Scar Tissue (2004), the Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman had a motorcycle accident and mangled his hand. In the hospital, he had to be shot with seven times the normal dose of morphine given to patients because of his excessive drug abuse for it to take any effect. So it might not be absolutely impossible for Kurt to have injected that much heroin and still taken the implied course of action; I think it should be put out there.
Still, the suicide thing doesn't make sense. Kurt had a daughter, a cool band (putting it mildly), genuine friends who cared for him, and was respected in the scene he sought approval from. There was a very strange near-death in Rome, Italy about a month before his death, where he overdosed on Rohypnol and was rushed to the hospital. Sources claim the doctors swore it was not a suicide attempt.
There is a dark rainbow of conspiracy theories claiming Kurt Cobain was killed by Courtney Love, who hired someone to do it. Although there is a series of bizarre incidents surrounding Cobain's death, it also makes no sense that Courtney killed him. Even though it was rumored that Kurt was going to divorce her, was that enough motive? Plenty of documentaries exist showcasing this theory, Kurt & Courtney (1998) probably being the most notorious one.
Or perhaps it was the music industry itself. Kurt was tired of the fame and wanted to become a recluse, possibly permanently, from the spotlight and record low-key albums or obscure songs. By killing him, the music industry created an icon they could sell to generations, maintaining the mystique and wonder of Nirvana's market value for decades to come.
It's all speculation and none of us will ever truly know the precise answer. None of the theories make sense except for, if we must choose one, the suicide thesis. The fans need to hope that someday, some truth will be revealed, and the world, in its turn, needs for the tragically romantic fin that turned Kurt Cobain into someone on par with Jim Morrison, John Lennon, and Jesus. It's a bittersweet tale of life itself, and very few people can deny that it's moving.
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| The Sid & Nancy of the '90s |
On April 10th, Courtney Love's pre-recorded reading of Kurt Cobain's suicide note was played back at the Seattle Center Flag Pavilion before a large crowd of fans and sympathizers. That was the closure, and there was one last public appearance from Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl (alongside live guitarist Pat Smear), who accepted Nirvana's MTV award for best alternative video of 1994. Dave went up to the mic, spoke solemnly and closed his brief speech with "Thanks for paying attention to our band." His tone was almost childlike and hurt as he forced the words. This was the end of Nirvana.
Well, at least the touring and recording artist, Nirvana, was over. The band had its catalogue increased with live releases, remasters and DVDs. Also, let's not deny the influence on artists that came later. Heavy guitar was much easier to put on the radio, and bands like Linkin Park, Nickelback, and Creed owed most of it to Nirvana and grunge.
What about the Foo Fighters? Dave Grohl became a fantastic frontman, charismatic to the last. He showed as much skill as a singer/guitarist as he did on the drums, which he still played on occasion with Queens Of The Stone Age and during many sessions with a wide variety of artists. A point of reference in the music world.
Krist Novoselic remained a bit more hidden, though not incognito. He had two bands, Sweet 75 and Eyes Adrift (the latter which is really cool, by the way), then went onto politics and is currently an elected State Committeeman in Washington. He still plays the bass when duty calls.
The legacy of Kurt Cobain lives on through Frances Bean Cobain, his daughter who also inherited some of her father's estate and controls Kurt's image rights. Frances's relationship with her mother Courtney Love is difficult, as the two have faced many challenges in the celebrity spotlight and gossip columns.
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| Like father, like daughter: Frances has taken an interest in art, above other things |
As far as I'm concerned, the music is what counts, and that belongs to the world, to everyone and anyone who so desires to crank up some food for the soul in the form of three chords and a visceral, melodic pop song. April 5th 2014 is almost here, twenty years after his death. I can only cynically smirk at the sudden attention and the newly released photos from the Seattle P.D., as I recall the day of April 5th 2004, when my rock band and I just rocked out some Nirvana tunes and saw a show of local bands covering Nirvana songs later in the week.
How do you guys feel about Nirvana? To me, it seemed like a pretty big band that had a lot going on at the time, but I only became a devotee after Kurt's passing when I heard Heart-Shaped Box for the first time. In fact, I was pissed off that MTV kept reporting on Kurt Cobain and Beavis and Butt-head took a while to start. After I bought In Utero, I was hooked. Did the band lose its appeal to younger generations? Does it fall into the classic rock gumbo, or is it eternally young and vicious punk? Comment as you are.
Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
Hey-o! If you're like me, you're probably excited for the Amazing Spider-Man 2 coming out next month, and not just because it'll have a first look at the Venom symbiote. (I would link you the proof, but Sony took the leak down soon after it was posted.) Also like me, the gamer portion of you guys and gals are also probably looking forward to the follow up of the previous film's tie-in video game.
Before today, Beenox has revealed Electro, Kraven the Hunter, and Wilson Fisk's (a.k.a. the Kingpin) involvement in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 video game. Now a new trailer has surfaced featuring a few new additions to the villains cast, including Harry Osborn/Green Goblin as he will be featured in the film, film game veteran Black Cat, and…Cletus Kasady?! As Carnage?!
Yep. As the trailer suggests, Venom's psychotic spawn will be making his film game-verse debut with this new installation, although with an obviously altered origin story tied into Oscorp experimentation. Additionally, Beenox has revealed that there will be 15 alternate costumes to collect in the game, each of which features its own unique stats and perks. Some of the costumes announced include Spider-Man Noir, Miles Morales' Ultimate Spider-Man, Superior Spider-Man, the "Ends of the Earth" Spider-Armor, Kaine's Scarlet Spider, Spider-Man 2099, and a few of Spidey's Identity Crisis suits.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 video game will be available for PC, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, and Playstation 4 on April 29, 2014. Shout out, Fanboys and Fangirls! Will you be picking this game up? Which villains are you looking forward to taking on? Comment below!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Thursday, April 3, 2014
Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Directed by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo and Joss Whedon. Written by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Ed Brubaker. Starring Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff), Robert Redford (Alexander Pierce), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Frank Grillo (Brock Rumlow), Emily VanCamp (Kate / Agent 13), Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter) and Toby Jones (Dr. Arnim Zola).
Following the events of not only Captain America: The First Avenger, but also the entirety of the Phase One series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this film sets the pace for the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron in more ways than one. S.H.I.E.L.D. is put under the microscope and in a time where everything is a different shade of gray, it takes a man out of time who bleeds nothing but red, white, and blue to set things straight.
I was personally eagerly anticipating this and expected it to be amazing. Thankfully, it did not disappoint.
It's time for another REVIEWPOINT as we break down the film's hits and misses.
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
As always, let's start with the bad news first.
THE MISSES
1. MUSIC
I'm pretty much grasping at straws to find anything to put in the Miss category. The music served its job well, but I can't remember any of it as standing out, so if I need to put anything down, that would be a slight misstep. Then again, I'll be listening to the soundtrack again in the future, and outside of the context of the film, I might have to even remove this Miss down the line.
2. NO CROSSBONES REFERENCE
Unless I didn't see it—and if that's the case, please let me know in the comments below—at no time in the film was Brumlow referred to as Crossbones, nor did he wear his trademark mask. That's a shame, but hey, nothing can be entirely perfect, right?
THE HITS
1. AMPED UP TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Nothing in this film felt as though it was a step back. Even the flashbacks themselves were all about pushing the story forward, rather than trying to relive some former glory. On top of it, everything stepped up. I actually think Captain America: The First Avenger was one of the weakest entries in these connected Marvel films due to a rushed pacing, lack of character development, and so on. This manages to not only accomplish those things that they failed at doing before, but surpass them and have enough of a self-awareness to up the ante and make things more grandiose for the second go-around. Why bring back the old uniform? Not just because the old suit was better than the one in Avengers, but because he didn't have his stealth suit anymore (awesome use of that costume, by the way) and because it served a functioning purpose to influence Bucky's memory banks. Speaking of references...
2. CHARACTERS, CAMEOS, AND NO MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
One of my biggest complaints in superhero films is when there are new characters created for the movie, but people from the comics could have filled that spot. This film acts as though it was written by true fans of the comics and throws that nonsense out the window. Any time they had a chance to toss in a reference, they did—but not at the expense of the film itself. There were absolutely no moments in this that felt as though they were there simply for fan service and got in the way.
Introducing Sam Wilson (aka The Falcon) as the new best friend of Steve Rogers is fully justified, considering their relationship in the comics. We needed another person to tag along and who in the climate of this film would be better than Natasha Romanoff, which means not only does the female audience have a legitimate badass representative that they can identify with, but it also ties into their relationship with the Avengers. Numerous mentions of Tony Stark also help this out, but it doesn't stop there with the connections to Iron Man and the surrounding characters from both these movies and from the source material.
You need a corrupt politician? Bring on Senator Stern from Iron Man who we were supposed to hate. If you're looking for a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that we wouldn't expect to be bad, but they are? Jasper Sitwell can fill that role. Want a Captain America villain to fight him at the beginning of the film? Batroc the Leaper! Sharon Carter would obviously be the person that Captain America is flirting with. Crossbones is the perfect choice for a strike force villain. My God, they even were able to get Dr. Arnim Zola's television head in this movie and make it work!!
3. STEPHEN STRANGE
This deserves its own section, just because of the magnitude of the quick reference. As much as I thought it was cool to see DC Pierson and Danny Pudi have cameos, the fleeting "blink and you miss it" cameo that resonated the most was definitely this shout out to Dr. Strange. With Sitwell mentioning that he was a threat for the future, every fan in the audience knew what was coming in Phase Three.
4. SERIOUS TONE
Too many superhero films think that they need to be pessimistic and—forgive me for continuing the overuse of this phrase—"dark and gritty" in order to not come off cheesy. Worse off, some of them think that this is all silly and they should go campy, which just backfires. This movie keeps a serious and realistic tone without abandoning the fun of the superhero genre.
The Falcon is a pretty ridiculous character in the comics, but they went the perfect route by having him be a soldier with access and training to a form of specialized paratrooper equipment. The comedy was not over the top like in Iron Man 3 or from what we are seeing so far with Guardians of the Galaxy, but rather just there to help ease the tension and keep the thrill ride from being all doom and gloom. Plus, the comedy was more witty and realistic than silly as well.
5. SMART STORYLINE
This could have very easily just been a movie about an assassination attempt on Nick Fury or Captain America fighting a whole bunch of bad guys simply because S.H.I.E.L.D. told him to. Instead, the plot stands on an interesting political question of whether or not you should sacrifice freedom in order for security. Steve Rogers has seen the worst war ever, and even he is able to resist the corruption and fall into the same mentality as the villains. From the very beginning of the movie, a storyline is introduced about not knowing who you can trust, and boy does that thread weave its way through this film in a great way that pays off in the end. Never sacrifice your ideals, no matter what you're facing.
6. FANTASTIC ACTION
Every action sequence in this film was awesome, whether it focused on Captain America himself or revolved around Nick Fury, Black Widow, Maria Hill, etc. Naturally, the highlight in my mind was watching Cap actually kick some serious ass like he should—and that, he did. The opening set piece with the boat was by far the coolest in showing that off and finally letting us see Captain America the way he is in other media. Gun fights, car chases, close-call knife fights, aerial battles, espionage....this movie has it all.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT?
100%, absolutely, no questions, yes, without a doubt, go watch this movie. This is either on par or better than Iron Man as the best in the franchise and you don't need to be familiar with the Winter Soldier character or storyline to eat it up, either.
If you want to check out some more comic book film Reviewpoint articles: Man of Steel | Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox | The Wolverine | Kick-Ass 2 | Thor: The Dark World | Justice League: War | RoboCop
What were your thoughts on the movie? What should the next Reviewpoint be?
LEAVE US A COMMENT BELOW!
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
In breaking news, Zack Snyder's Batman vs. Superman follow-up to last year's Man of Steel has scooped up not one, not two, but three new actors to join its ensemble!
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| "TELL ME WHERE THE CRAYONS ARRRRE!!!" |
When casting rumors were whipping about the Internet last year like a hurricane (Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Bryan Cranston, Joaquin Phoenix, Denzel Washington, etc.), nobody knew quite what to expect or believe. It's frustrating being a fan, having to hear a rumor one day only to have it quashed and replaced by another the next. Especially when you're a fan writing the news. So it gives me great pleasure to be able to dish out some casting news that I feel is a lot more reliable.
Fresh off the press, we've learned that Snyder has bagged the pretty young thing Tao Okamoto, aka Mariko from last year's The Wolverine. Yeah, that's one Marvel character in the bag, right?
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| "...did he just jump out with my lemonade?" |
We've also learned that Callan Mulvey has signed up. Mulvey, who will be recognizable to some through his role in 300: Rise of an Empire, also appears in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as Jack Rollins. Oh hey, there's another Marvel character in the bag. That's where the poaching stops, for now at least!
Last but not least is veteran actress Holly Hunter, whom I suspect may end up playing someone else's mum. I may be wrong, but my blasted intuition does like to run wild. At least this lady has some experience as an actual superhero, though. She voiced Elastigirl for The Incredibles. Can I get a LOL? No? That's okay, I suppose.
Fanboys Anonymous does not know yet who these new additions are contracted to play, but these really are some intriguing choices. Tao Okamoto is only known for The Wolverine so far and only has one other television credit under her belt. Callan Mulvey's history is mainly in television and only recently has he been getting bigger parts in film. Is this straight-out poaching a case of Warner Bros and DC playing the familiarity game in competition with their rival? I guess only time will tell.
Sound off, Fanboys! What do you make of Bats vs. Supes' new cast additions? Comments below and thanks for reading.
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
Now that AMC's The Walking Dead has reached the conclusion of its lengthy and dramatic fourth season, I'm guessing that the die-hard zombie fans are going to have to get their fill elsewhere. Many, like myself, are going to revisit the classics, and not just because there's a serious lack of ghoulish new DVD releases to get our teeth into.
Did anybody notice a familiar face in one of the latter episodes of The Walking Dead last month?
Yup, that's none other than Bub from George A. Romero's original zombie trilogy conclusion Day of the Dead. If you don't know that is, ask a bunch of your zombie fan friends to stand around you in a circle and then point at you and laugh.
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| Or maybe we'll just have Bub shoot you himself. |
The Walking Dead's very own zombie effects guru Greg Nicotero recently teased that the show would feature its biggest classic zombie tribute yet, and in episode 15, titled "Us," audiences spotted the unlikely Day of the Dead hero getting up to no good in the train tunnel Glenn and Tara were battling to get through. The first thing I said to myself was, "Wow, Bub, how did you get out of that abandoned missile silo and get all the way across Florida?" Then again, he's had 19 years to figure it out I guess.
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| Maybe then he's been Dancin' in the Dark! |
Nicotero, who got his big break working in special effects with the legendary "Wizard of Gore" Tom Savini on that 1985 cult classic and who also had a feature part as the ill-fated Private Johnson, couldn't get the original actor, Sherman Howard, to play the part, however. The part went to zombie regular James Barker. No bother to Howard, who is a literal rock after bringing Bub to life the first time around.
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| Sherman Howard, who originally played Bub. |
As a huge fan of the original trilogy, I was captivated by Day of the Dead not only because of Savini's advanced zombie effects and gore and its haunting atmosphere, but also because the protagonists' worst enemies are the people they count on the most to survive. Despite Romero having to make the movie on a tiny budget and therefore completely rethink his endgame, and despite the finished product being mauled by both critics and fans over the early years, Day of the Dead is now one of the greatest offerings in zombie movie history. So here's a tribute of my own to Bub and to the daddy of all things zombie related.
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| "Coochie Coo, Ima eat you!" |
Sound off, Fanboys! Who saw Bub, and who do you think they'll tribute next? Comments below and thanks for reading.
Posted by
Anonymous
- Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Readers, isn't it fitting that, a week after my Noah review, I picked this book up? It's strange the way it came together, really. I guess you really don't have any idea yet, but this book asserted the most odd interpretation of the few words allowed into the Bible that have to do with the odd Book of Enoch.
Interestingly enough, our main character and her daughter, who are mourning the loss of their husband and father, are what you would call "walkers." They have the uncanny ability to leave their bodies whenever they choose, projecting their "selves" into a spirit plain where they can see each other and average people who cannot see them. Talk about an advantage over others. Cora, the mom and main character, has not "walked" in a very long time because of something that occurred during her childhood, something that she is afraid could repeat itself. These evil and frightening memories are dominated by a massive man with silver hair, a killer.
I never would have put two and two together and arrived at the conclusion that the idea of the walkers was drawn from the few words spoken of Enoch in the Bible if not for the help of the author, or at least without reading much further into the book. For those of you who remember, "Enoch walked with The Lord all of his days and then was taken into heaven." This book really gives "walking" a definition and one that I found impressive.
As little Grace and Cora continue to blossom from their hard shells of mourning—or lack thereof in Cora's case—they begin to meet others like themselves, and eventually Cora is moved to walk again. After breaking her promise never to do so, will she meet with this evil man from her past? The odds say no, but Cora knows better. The man with the silver hair has been waiting.
At this point, the book really takes off into another realm where religion and urban fantasy mesh together in harmony and the "offspring" is one of the best ideas for an urban fantasy book I've read. Janet Allison Brown is a fine author. She has allowed her mind to fabricate an authentic new idea and has given it to her soul to pen. Read up, you won't regret it. Tell me what you think downstairs.
Posted by
Michelle Quillen
Pop quiz, hot shot. You have two weapons: a baton and a cell phone. Which do you use? Which…do you use?
In Watch Dogs, you won't have to choose. Ubisoft recently released a trailer for their highly anticipated game to show players just how they can hack their way through the Chicago's transit system, strangers' cell phones, and city computers to be the ultimate vigilante by accessing more than 30 traditional weapons and 65 different vehicles all at their mercy.
See the city through protagonist Aiden Pearce's eyes as he traverses the Windy City and literally beats his way through cyber wars, sidewalk scuffles, and shootouts when Watch Dogs is released this summer on May 27.
"Disrupt," the next-gen engine driving the Watch Dogs game, brags beautiful graphics and a bumping unique soundtrack to bring your capital voyeurism to the next level. Just check out the latest trailer below:
Various perks accommodate preordering this action-packed title based on the platform that you're lurking. Place your preemptive purchase with PlayStation and get four exclusive missions, 60 minutes more of gameplay, a white hat hacker outfit, and an additional battery pack that allows you to hack twice as hard. Preordering with GameStop will unlock exclusive investigative abilities on top of ultimate ATM bank account hacking abilities for mega cash monies. If you're an Amazonian, enjoy the exclusive perks of a black viceroys outfit and biometric AR. If you're a person of Walmart, your incentives include a cyberpunk gun and outfit.
Watch Dogs will be available the Tuesday after Memorial Day (May 27, my birthday!) for the PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC. The Wii U version's debut will be announced at a later date, but PS4 and PS3 purchases will include an in-game outfit and bonus missions.
Will you be pre-preordering a copy of this E3 award-winning title? Let us know why or why not in the comments below, and for more information on the game itself including more trailers, gameplay videos, and concept art, head over to the official Watch Dogs website here.
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
Late last week some of us were treated to a surprise new movie trailer. That trailer was for a sequel to one of the horror genre's most original and beloved franchises. But hey, why am I talking like nobody knows what that franchise is? It's written in the damn title!
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| BOOM!!! |
Phantasm: Ravager is the fifth movie in the franchise, which everybody thought ended late last century with Phantasm: Oblivion, despite the daddy of the series having pushed long and hard for the ending fans have been getting old waiting for. Well, Reggie, Mike, Jody, and the Tall Man are all back. Even the Lady in Lavender, who killed Tommy 35 years ago, is back for this one.
Original writer and director Don Coscarelli is passing on direction duties to director David Hartman this time (whose credits as a director and visual effects artist include Transformers Prime and John Dies At The End), in a move that has both excited and dismayed old-school horror fans. Divide and conquer is the first saying that comes to mind.
Hartman reportedly got the job of replacing Coscarelli greatly due to his work as a visual art designer on the Bruce Campbell horror-comedy Bubba Ho-tep. I have to say that his credits are actually pretty promising. He has a long and diverse history in film, television, and animation, which could actually be perfect for this. Being a fan of the franchise with such experience, Hartman is pretty much helping to end Phantasm the way both Coscarelli and the die-hard fans would see fit.
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| "Yeah, come on, Don! My 70's ice-cream vendor suit's gettin' a bit "ripe!" |
So what does Phantasm: Ravager have in store for us fans?
A recap on events since that fateful summer's night back in 1979: After discovering that their town was being terrorized by that other-worldly horror icon known only as the Tall Man, lonely kid Mikey, his older brother Jody, and their guitar-strumming ice-cream vendor friend Reggie thought they'd entombed the Tall Man. That came at the cost of Reggie's life, also at the hands of the Lady in Lavender!
Then we learned it was all just a dream! Jody had died in an alleged road accident and Reggie had become Mikey's legal guardian. Then, however, in one strange horror twist, it wasn't really a dream after all, and the Tall Man returned to claim Mikey. Evading him, the two survivors hit the road in search of him as he moved from town to town harvesting the locals to add to his army of minions. The results were often disappointing for the inept ghoul-fighting duo; they never got any answers or managed to keep this nightmare dead and buried for long before falling foul of the twisted hand of fate.
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| "Sure thing, officer, here's my license and registration!" |
Come the end of Phantasm III, Mikey learned that his deceased brother had been kept around by the Tall Man as one of his freakish and deadly flying orbs. He too was then abducted and mutilated, his own mind becoming encapsulated in one of those same orbs. Phantasm: Oblivion was about Reggie's desperate attempt to find the lost Mikey as he wandered the land for answers, traveling through time and different dimensions, then meeting the Tall Man in his original incarnation—as Civil-War era doctor and inventor Jebediah Morningside!
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| "Penny for your thoughts, young lad! Ehhh, actually I'll just take YOUR BRAIN!" |
Frustrating to many, Oblivion offered an ending and finally an explanation to the Tall Man's purpose for embalming the living and turning them into psychotic Jawa-type midgets. What world has he come from? What is his mission, his ultimate goal? What was his fixation with Mikey? We learned that he wasn't the typical pure evil to expect from such an iconic horror monster, at least not always, and that he expected Mikey to become his apprentice and eventually his replacement. But why choose somebody who so opposed him?
We never got our answers, dammit, and the closure we sought—seeing Mikey, Jody, and Reggie huddled around Jody's old Plymouth Hemi-Cuda during better days—never happened either!
Over the decades, Phantasm has been quite an influential horror series and has been unique in many ways. For one, Don Coscarelli is the only writer and director of classic horror to stay with his own franchise from beginning to end, aside from George Romero. Second, his is the only classic horror franchise to retain all of its original lead characters, with the exception of James LeGross filling A. Michael Baldwin's shoes for Phantasm II. Third, its soundtrack is one of the most original and iconic horror themes of all time.
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| ...of all time! |
You could look at it as the prototype to the Silent Hill franchise, also as the godfather of puzzling horror series such as SAW. At its '80s/'90s B-movie horror best, it was about Reggie, the double-double-barreled shotgun wielding ice-cream man, comically getting his arse kicked by zombies, midgets, and chainsaw-wielding henchmen while failing miserably at getting laid. Its first and fourth installment, however, proved that it could also be a very thoughtful and touching drama as well as a horror-comedy of sorts.
We're all hoping that Phantasm: Ravager gives fans the closure they seek, answering those long-festering questions and giving this great little cast the sendoff they so well deserve. This latest and most-likely final sequel looks like it's not just going to be a culmination of past events but also one that invites tons of carnage, bloody explosions, and comical dismemberments, just for old times' sake!
And NOW…
Sound off, Fanboys! In a time of classic horror remakes and movie franchises jumping to videogame format, what do you think of this band of rascals tooling up for one last ride? Bearing in mind that no two Phantasm movies were ever the same, are you looking forward to Ravager, and do you think that today's technology can do the old-school horror franchise justice? Comments below, please, and thank you for reading.
Nirvana were late bloomers in the Seattle scene. In fact, they were the little brothers of that soundscape and no one took them seriously. In an environment for the alienated, drop outs, and cynical scoffers, Nirvana were considered to be absolutely bland next to the bigger stars.
This can't be said for their music. With each composition, they matured significantly, as did the band's chemistry. Even though the trio's punk style was quite different from the other Seattle bands' gimmicks of 70's influenced sludge and aggression, they rehearsed with the same professional appeal. By the time they recorded their first album, Bleach, for a reported cost of $606.17 with producer Jack Endino merely hitting 'record,' their underground 'cred' had increased substantially. They toured in support of Bleach and gathered some good reviews, but were still a broke band from Seattle.
This came across clearly in interviews. Once the wave of fame hit Nirvana in the face, Kurt became one of the most awkward celebrities in history. This doesn't mean that he was a mumbling, shoe gazing, knee-clutching kid. In fact, some of the more in-depth, open-book phrases of those media years all came from Kurt, when he wasn't backed by the comical Krist and Dave, monkeying around and taking a piss out of their supposed fame. There was no rock cliché the critics could really grasp onto. They were feminist-friendly, easy going, and an antonym for spectacular, offstage. The only given was Kurt and drugs; that reality had already installed itself into the Seattle scene (among others) long ago, and was a dark truth of the times (if they have changed at all).
So, why were they so great and out-of-this-world? The answer is simpler than the thousands of pages of analysis one can find on Kurt Cobain: he gave us a very unique, instantly recognizable voice, with a full-on natural distortion rasp, and a vocal melodic style that, with all due respect, hadn't been heard since The Beatles. Why this blasphemy you ask? Think about it. The '91 album Nevemind, admitted by the band itself, was a collection os simple, heavy but pop-esque songs, almost "like children's songs," according to Krist Novoselic in the Classic Albums Series episode on that very album. It was a deliberate, artistic attempt to do the opposite of what was known to be great. Imagine someone making punk rock covers of nursery rhymes. That's one way to put it, however loose.
Kurt was troubled by many things around him, mostly things that were unnecessarily aggressive, unjust, or vulgar. He was quite the gentleman, more so when one considered that he came from the rugged working class Americana culture. With all of his ghosts haunting him, he willingly raced into the arms of music, which threw him onto the clutches of fame. It was his last shot at some sort of happiness, and he took it as far as he could. There is only so much one can blame the press. Kurt wanted the wide world of rock's fame and fortune and a killer discography with his band's name on it; but he also wanted to be left alone. This caused him to go into a vicious cycle of self loathing and dark psychological fits; a hipster that was tired of himself for being too mainstream.
Still, the suicide thing doesn't make sense. Kurt had a daughter, a cool band (putting it mildly), genuine friends who cared for him, and was respected in the scene he sought approval from. There was a very strange near-death in Rome, Italy about a month before his death, where he overdosed on Rohypnol and was rushed to the hospital. Sources claim the doctors swore it was not a suicide attempt.
