Weekend In Pop

So, at last, the Weekend In Pop returns. I know you've all been anxiously waiting for it.
There were really no new movies I wanted to see in theatres, but I did catch up on a John Hughes oldie at home: "Pretty in Pink" with Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, Andrew McArthy, James Spader playing a great high school preppie jerk, and Harry Dean Stanton as Molly's out of work, but well-meaning Dad. And was that Andrew Dice Clay as a bouncer?? Wow. Great cast and sweet story (but weird opening song). I'd never seen the movie before, and was quite impressed. Teen angst at its finest.
On television, "Monk" had a nice surprise for me. They shot scenes at the hotel I visited in L.A. back in June, the Hyatt Regency Plaza. It was kind of weird to see from that perspective. A good episode.
Also watched "Eureka," "Defying Gravity," and "Mad Men," which had two or three "cringe" moments. Especially when that slimy Pete Campbell and his wife were dancing at Roger's party. Pete kept looking up at his boss like some sort of trained animal begging for approval. Pathetic. Don't get me wrong, it was a fine performance totally in keeping with the character. Another great scene--things got ice cold when Roger's new wife, Jane (a former secretary), bumped into Joan at the office. Yikes. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out this week on AMC.
Last, but certainly not least, I picked up an old "Calvin and Hobbes" collection and reread some of my favorite comics. Those are awesome! There's a new documentary about Calvin's now retired creator, Bill Watterson. You can check out a preview and find more information by clicking here.
Looking forward to seeing Mike Judge's new movie "Extract" this weekend!

Escaping Together

This isn't your father's country music. I was lucky enough to attend the Keith Urban & Sugarland "Escape Together World Tour" Saturday night at the Sommet Center in Nashville. The house was packed and the stage was set for a rockin' night in the Music City. Sugarland opened the concert with their voice-powered song "Love." Jennifer Nettles' has one of the most recognizable voices in country music today. The expectations are always high when a popular band or group (especially country) plays in a Nashville venue. Keith and Sugarland had played in Knoxville the night before, so I expected to see some fatigue in their show...guess not! It had been 5 years since Jennifer and Kristian last played in Nashville. They recently added Brandon Bush, who played keyboard in the band Train. Sugarland isn't an opening act band. Normally, bands are jumping for the chance to open up for them, so I didn't view their set as an opening act and trust me, it wasn't. They exceeded my expectations. Their set included R.E.M's "Nightswimming" and Michael Jackson's "Rock With Me." Jennifer can sing anything she wants, and it was nice to see them implement different genres into their performance. They even covered "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves as their final encore. There's no doubt that the highlight of their show was "Stay." Using only one spotlight and an acoustic guitar, Jennifer's words brought the house down. There's just something special about turning the lights and the techno down for a few mintues and letting your voice and lyrics do the talking. Sugarland wrapped with a standing ovation by the crowd and the stage was set for Keith Urban.

Some people only think that Keith Urban is just a sidekick to Nicole Kidman who happens to have a few country songs...if they only knew! KEITH CAN PLAY. From the opening guitar riffs in "Hit The Ground Runnin'" to the sweet touch of "Tonight I Wanna Cry," Keith can do it all with a guitar. I've always heard that he can play, but have never seen it in person until now. Realize, this is coming from someone who sees Keith Richards and Joe Walsh as my "Guitar Heroes." Keith used at least 10 different guitars and played the "hello" out of all of them. There's plenty of ways to judge a concert. Crowd reaction and interaction is another key factor for me. During the middle of one of his hits, he ventures through the crowd to the back of the arena on a small box stage. There he finishes his song and plays a couple more from the "Stage B." The audience erupts as he opens "Making Memories Of Us" on the box stage with just one spotlight and an acoustic guitar. There's not many people that can bring 20 thousand on their feet by just using an acoustic guitar and vocals. "Only You Can Love Me This Way" wraps up the acoustic set on the box stage and he cranks up a faster tune and heads back to the main stage. From the moment he came down to the box stage the concert changed. The audience was already electric, but that volume and tone jumped 3 decibels after fans saw that Keith is all about fan interaction. One of the most impressive songs of the night was "You Look Good In My Shirt." The song itself is one of my Urban favorites, but the performance raised the song to a new level. Not only were the guitar riffs great, but Keith went back into the stands to "wail away." I was impressed the most at how Keith used the adrenaline of the audience to help power this tune. Plus, how many artists can actually stand on a seat in the stands (with thousands of screaming fans around you) and jam like it was your first time playing that song? Encores are a big part of concerts these days, and Keith nailed it. "Tonight I Wanna Cry" was the sweet opening that every artist needs for an encore. He ended the night with "Better Life" and confetti flew from the rafters.

After the confetti settled and the crowd scattered, I knew that this wasn't just any other concert. I wanted to make sure that I took some time to let things settle in before I gave my review....and my opinion is still as strong as ever! I've seen The Rolling Stones play Soldier Field in Chicago, The Eagles rock the streets of Memphis, and Dave Matthews Band pour out its heart at Vanderbilt University...Keith Urban and Sugarland are now on that list! I've seen tons of concerts...okay I'll admit I'm a concert junkie...and this one is up there near the top. From crowd interaction to song selection, you couldn't ask for a better show. These artists poured their heart out and left it all on the stage. They realize that times are tough, and made sure that they gave everyone an "escape" for a night. I'm not writing this to campaign for country music...there's plenty of people who are disgusted with it...I'm just saying that maybe you should give it a chance? This isn't your father's country music. These songs aren't about losing your dog, or your girl, or getting drunk...these songs are about living life. I can live my life a little bit easier now, thanks to one great "escape."

Check Out "Sweet Thing" from the concert below....Thanks YouTube....

A Little Horror

In honor of Rob Zombie's "Halloween II" coming out tomorrow, I thought I would recommend a few horror flicks that might get you into the "suspense" mood.

Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" is an American classic. Everyone has heard the "slasher" theme at some point in their life. Norman Bates is one of the most intriguing characters in movie history.

John Carpenter's "Halloween" is one of the best horror films ever made. You always hear that music makes a movie -- this film proves that fact is ever so true.

"Halloween II" is one of the better horror sequels. The film takes place right after the original as we follow certain characters to a certain hospital.

Wes Craven's "Scream" is my favorite horror/thriller movie of the late 90's. The opening sequence is one of the best in the horror/thriller genre.

These are just a few of the horror favorites that are out there on DVD. If you have plans to see Rob Zombie's film or if you just need a weekend "jump" these films are great popcorn material.

"Shutter" To Think It

Word spread on Friday that Paramount Pictures has pushed back "Shutter Island" until February 2010. The movie was scheduled for a release this Fall. I was sad to hear that Paramount was moving the next project by one of my favorite directors,Martin Scorsese. "Shutter" features an all-star cast including Leonardo Dicaprio, Kim Williams, and Mark Ruffalo. Many critics and fans were looking forward to seeing this film and have already projected it would make a splash during awards season. Paramount says they don't have enough money to market the movie at this time....WHAT!!?? The company has enough to market "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," but not enough to market a movie featuring Leo and Scorsese? Movies move from Fall to Winter to die (in award season terms..that is). The only movie recently that moved back to February and did great in awards was "The Silence Of The Lambs." As a fan of Leo, Scorsese, great movies, and Paramount, I hope that the film still reaches its full potential next year...only time will tell. In the mean time, we can always go back and watch "Shine A Light" and "The Departed" by Martin Scorsese until "Shutter Island" comes out.

Happy "Avatar Day"

Moviegoers, Fans, and Critics alike will gather at dozens of theatres across the country tonight. Scenes from James Cameron's "Avatar" will be screened for a select number of people. "Avatar Day" started on Monday when tickets for the screening went up (for free) over the web. Fox's server crashed thanks to the number of people licking their chops at the chance to see "the future of film." With a budget more than $240 million, "Avatar" is the most expensive movie ever made...every single shot in the film is in Digital IMAX 3-D. The film has been an idea of Cameron for years...he's even been tweaking this film for 4! The movie takes us to an alien planet in the future, with all kinds of alien races, weapons, and a few U.S. Marines thrown into the mix. Give props to Fox and Cameron for keeping this project hidden deep within their archives. The teaser trailer was released all over the internet yesterday. Today could mark a new beginning for films...could we see more movies screened in advance on a national scale? Only time (and critics) will tell if the screening process was worth the hype. I'm attending the screening tonight in Nashville. I have not seen the teaser yet...I wanted to wait and see a glimpse into this world in IMAX. For a full recap of the footage, be sure to tune in to next week's podcast!

Who Says "You Can't Always Get What You Want?"

The Rolling Stones are all about welcoming the 21st century with open arms. Today the Stones are releasing their entire 2009 Remasters Collection digitally. Which means that you can now go to iTunes or wherever you get your music and get the remastered version of "Gimme Shelter" and all the other Stones' favorites. Earlier this year, the band released the "hard copies" of 13 albums. For a full list of albums click here . Blending evolving media with one of the greatest bands of all time is proof that..."if you try sometimes, you get what you need!"

Happy Birthday, Hitch!

Okay, one more post before I hit the sack.
Last Thursday would have been Alfred Hitchcock's 110th birthday. What a masterful filmmaker, and surely one of the all time greats, no question about it.
My Mom never liked "horror" movies, but for her, Hitchcock was different--his thrillers could scare you, but also be very entertaining.
My favorite Hitchcock film would have to be "North By Northwest." Just look at that cast, the story, the score.. It's got everything--even Mount Rushmore!
But honestly, I love them all. He was truly a gifted artist, and I'm just glad we have his films with us today.
For a more comprehensive look at his work and life, check out this post.