Until the Light Takes Us (2008)
The title for this film is a translation of Burzum’s fourth album. Do you not know who Burzum is? You may walk away from this movie — with no past knowledge of black metal — believing that sole member Varg “Count Grishnackh” Vikernes is a pretty intelligent, level-headed fellow. Then you remember, “Oh yes. He […]
Telstar: The Joe Meek Story (2008)
As with Clint Eastwood’s 2014 film adaptation of the 2005 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Jersey Boys chronicling the career of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, I equally anticipated this rock bio concerned with British record producer Joe Meek. Sadly, as with Jersey Boys, I was left empty. Granted, the production designs of both films […]
Saturday Night Special (1994)
Ah . . . the ’90s . . . the era of the cheesy erotic thrillers inspired by the likes of Lawrence Kasdan’s far superior Body Heat (1981). And for every Paul Verhoeven noir-giallo Basic Instinct (1992) blockbuster . . . there was the great Willem Dafoe struggling to salvage Madonna in Body of Evidence […]
Rock All Night (1957)
Based on a 25-minute television episode of The Jane Wyman Theatre from 1955 called “Little Guy” and part of a double bill with Drag Strip Girl, this is a Roger Corman attempt at capturing the feeling of rock and roll for the big screen. In that version, Dane Clark starred. It was one of the first […]
Bula Quo! (2013)
One’s enjoyment of this movie hinges on your knowledge of and enjoyment of the music of Britain’s Status Quo, along with your retroism for the Beatles’ movies A Hard Day’s Night or, more accurately, Help! — you know, the one where the band’s on the run (sorry) when Ringo becomes of the target of a […]
Daddy-O (1958)
Things were really swining in 1958, if Daddy-O has anything to say about things. And John Williams. Yes, the same man who scored Star Wars got his humble beginnings right here in a movie about street racing and singing under the assumed name Daddy-O. It starts Dick Contino, who at one time was known as the world’s greatest […]
Musical Mutiny (1970)
Barry Mahon is magic. And madness, too. After volunteering for the Canadian Royal Air Force before America entered World War II, then getting shot down, imprisoned and escaping Stalag Luft III before getting captured again, then being saved by Patton’s 3rd Army and then becoming Errol Flynn’s personal pilot and manager, Mahon’s life was already […]
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