Category: Reviews

Hey, hey! A new Megadeth album is out! I’m sure my faithful readers know my love of Megadeth as the kings of heavy metal. I dig them more than Metallica, that’s a fer sure.

This is a follow-up to their The System Has Failed album which brought Megadeth back from the dead when there were fears that Dave Mustaine had put the beast to slumber due to him losing mobility in his arm. But he fought back and he is back with a vengeance with both his last album and this one.

I have listened to it a few times and I must say it may become one of my faves. As always, Megadeth have politicized lyrics and this album is no exception as we enter the atrocity of the current state of affairs. Their tunes Washington Is Next is reminiscent of Holy Wars (but not as good, of course!). They also re-record one of my favourite tunes – A Tout Le Monde featuring Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil on co-vocals. An excellent re-recording of the track although I prefer the solo from the original. It’s interesting to note that for the longest time everyone thought this was a song about suicide but it was really about a person facing their death – like an older person sitting there realizing that death is upon them. It’s an interesting note.

Overall, an excellent Megadeth album and I can see the new lineup in the band may become one of the better ones (alongside the classic lineup of Marty Friedman, Nick Menza and David Ellefson).

iplaying: She Likes The Weather – The Himalayans (She Likes The Weather)

I was introduced to Ted Leo and the Pharmacists by my co-worker Rob a few years ago with the Shake the Sheets album. It was a rocking album and I tend to listen to it while I’m out on a jog. Ever listen to the Strokes and it makes you feel like running? This is what this album makes you feel like. So when I heard there was a new album out from Ted Leo I scoured the entire city for it. Finally stumbling upon Music World in Orleans, I ended up with the copy with the limited edition EP along with it! Beauty!

It has some excellent tunes on it and I can see he is honing his songwriting ability. There are some good rocking tunes for the most part, and mixed up with a reggae tune and some sombre tunes makes for a decent album. I would have to say tht I enjoy Shake the Sheets better but if you are a fan of Ted Leo, I would recommend you pick up the album. I feel this will be my summer album as it has the feeling of hanging out on that porch with your friends on a sunny afternoon.

iplaying: Jaded – The Himalayans (She Likes The Weather)

Whew! I caught up on all my things I wanted to talk to you about so I could get to the real juicy review of Spider-Man 3 which I saw last night with Chris, Sara and Krista.

We headed to the SilverCity to capture the magic which is Spider-Man. I love Spider-Man. He’s my favourite of them all. Sure, X-Men are cool also. I enjoy the stories more in X-Men (well, maybe not lately…actually I haven’t read a new X-Men story since 10 years ago but I heard it’s going awful), but Spider-Man is a character that I can relate with. He’s goofy, but cool at the same time. Enough about the character.

We had the entire theater to ourselves which was nice. This was the first time I had seen a Spidey movie with friends as I had seen it alone the other 2 times. Some people find that strange, but I say you don’t really talk during a movie so if you want to go see a flick and no one feels like going with you, go on your own anyhow!

***spoiler warning*** I will not be revealing anything that hasn’t been in the movie trailers. I will be speaking about various characters and how I felt about them in the movie, but I won’t give away any plot points. If you feel that me talking about the characters and the general story are too much for you, then you should stop reading now. I would also disregard the comments section as you never know when someone may write in “I can’t believe Darth Vader is Luke’s father!!!”

The film picks up with Peter Parker still in college but at least in this time period, everyone loves the Spider-Man. New York City embraces this cool superhero and there is Spidey merchandise everywhere (much like around our own world!). He is still with Mary-Jane Watson and life looks pretty good.

The story revolves around three main villains – Harry “Green Goblin” Osbourne, The Sandman and everyone’s fave…Venom! When hearing about three main villains I was assuming that Harry would enter the film early on and then somehow leave the film early on to make way for the other two new villains. I was also worried about having three main villains. Seemed a little extreme for me. This reminds me the old Batman films which got out of hand with two villains fighting for screen time.

My fears were fully realized when the film is pulled in too many directions with trying to follow all three villains stories, as well as following the Peter Parker story. I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the Peter/Harry storyline and it had a twist that left me satisfied (although it may not be satisfying to many others). I am glad that they had an emphasis on Harry Osbourne as I had fears that with Sandman and Venom showing up, he would take the back burner.

However, that being said, this took away from Sandman and Venom. Venom could have his own entire film dedicated to him – as should be! He is an excellent villain. Plus, he’s a fan favourite and rightly so! So I was disappointed in his screen time in the film. They should have just focussed on Sandman and Harry this time around. Sandman fell into the same bad scenario where he only had a little background story and then was all action. I loved how Spider-Man 2 really looked at Otto Octavius’s soul and really got into what the character was about. Sandman…not so much. However, maybe there’s really nothing to go on with Sandman…I can’t remember reading too many stories with him in it 10 years ago.

The other critique of the film was the whole ‘Superman 3’ vibe that was given. You know the film where Superman has an evil twin…god, it was a horrible film. Well, Peter Parker gets a mean streak in him during the movie and styles his hair differently and acts like an ass to everyone. It was too cheesy. It really was. He wasn’t a dark, twisted Peter Parker…he was the macho, suave, jock-like Parker which is the opposite of what he is. At this point in the film, I analyzed Sam Raimi’s other trilogy – The Evil Dead Trilogy, and realized that Spider-Man 3 was his Army of Darkness as it was very high in the cheese factor. VERY HIGH. Maybe he can’t hold it back once he hits the third movie stride? Anyhow, I found it really took away from the film. I like the little points of humour in the first two films. The wink and the nod if you will. But Spidey 3 really goes overboard to the point where you really are groaning at the things that are happening to Peter Parker.

Action was pretty cool for the film although as Krista pointed out, it’s sometimes impossible to focus on as it moves way too fast on the big screen and all you see is a blur. I can only imagine what it’s like on the IMAX. Are films supposed to overwhelm you? I suppose so.

My favourite part was when Sandman first is created and he tries to walk. It was a beautiful moment in both special effects and emotion. Very cool scene.

Wanna talk about Venom? Hmm…what to say. Not enough screen time. Was it meant to be this way? Was this a teaser for a film in the future? I’m sure they will eventually bring him back along with his cohort in crime – Carnage. But where is the Venom we love in the comics where he wants to protect the innocents and only wants to kill Spidey? That would have been a great take on Venom. Also, no offence to Topher Grace but it was hard watching the kid from That 70s Show play the coolest villain ever. They should have used an unknown actor and I now know why George Lucas does so in his Star Wars films. His origin was well told though as it would have been hard for Peter Parker to end up on another planet during the Secret Wars (lik in the comics).

The future is interesting for Spider-Man. There is still the possibility of The Lizard appearing as every film has some cameos by Doctor Curt Connors. I personally would like to see Mysterio show up sometime soon and maybe the Vulture? The Vulture is an old man though and isn’t the best villain. Doctor Octopus is my favourite Spidey villain and that was covered well in Spider-Man 2.

Final Verdict: Very high on the cheese factor, plus being pulled in too many directions makes this installment of Spider-Man the least appealing of the three of them. It’s still a decent flick though…heck, it’s Spider-Man. You have to remember that he IS cheesy in the comics. But it was just a little too much.

On Tuesday, I surprised Vero with a night at the National Arts Center for a play called 7 Important Things. I really didn’t know much about it other than it had to do with rebellious/counterculture elements which intrigued me after reading The Rebel Sell. Sara and Chris went to see it and they had a 50/50 split on liking/not liking it.

After getting a bowl of chili at Tim Horton’s (warning: this may not be a good idea on a date), we got to the NAC and stood in line for awhile and then found out a seat in the Theatrical Studio.

At first I thought the stage was extremely minimalist. A chair here, a podium there. But my thoughts changed throughout the course of the play.

The play follows the character of George and his life in becoming a hippie, to the destruction of hippie living and more responsible living (aka working) and then the punk movement of the 80s and then now. It follows his path through life and how he feels that he is searching for happiness through these movements, but in the end, he isn’t really that happy at all with the way his life has been lived.

The play bounces from the past and present at many points and uses first and third person narratives frequently. There is also the breaking of the fourth wall when they speak with the audience at various points. I loved the use of music – contemporary music; as well as the use of different forms of media; the lighting, the projectors with images from their past. I loved how if an image was being projected, one person moved the projector while the other held up a giant white placard and followed the image. Very cool. The set became a multi-purpose set as different areas were lit differently and represented different periods in George’s life.

There were also discussions on marketing and counterculture and the art of rebeling agasint something. Nothing new to hear but it was interesting to see it on stage.

I have now started to realize what sort of theatre I enjoy. After being cultured for the past two years, I feel that the modern/contemporary plays really hit the spot in my heart. I love the use of music and various other technologies and not just people on a stage using their emotions. Extreme uses of music and lighthing are a personal favourite of mine which has transitioned nicely over to the theatrical rock concerts that I’ve seen: Nine Inch Nails, Tool, U2…I enjoy a good spectacle. Don’t get me wrong, I love the music, but the visual is an equally important piece.

I would recommend going to see this play. I think it’s here for the remainder of the week here in Ottawa.

Krista lent me The Rebel Sell which lays out a critique on mass consumerism and counterculture which occurs in our society today. I really enjoyed this book as it touched upon a lot of thoughts I’ve had on society but have never been able to articulate in such a coherent matter.

It took a look at how life has changed since the 60s and how progress has affected our lives. It also takes a look at how culture can’t be jammed as the culture becomes the counterculture. Let me explain if you don’t understand what I’m talking about.

Ever see those funny advertisements that mock an organization? Let’s take the Nike picture posted above which I found on Google. This is an example of culture jamming. Where someone mocks something about our culture and misrepresents the original image of the organization. So I’m assuming that they are either talking about how we are slaves to buying Nike shoes just because of the brand name, or maybe they are talking about sweat shops that are used to create the shoe. I’m really grasping at that one as I don’t really have any information leading to whether or not that’s true. Anyhow, this isn’t the point. I’m trying to show you what culture jamming is.

So if you think about the original culture jammers, we’re looking at the hippies. They were against the way the world was. They wished to rebel. They grew their hair long (gasp!) and listened to awesome music. Let’s fast forward to the punk movement – wild hair, piercings here and there, mish-mash of clothing. This was the way to counter the culture which was upon us.

Thing is, culture then catches onto this underground movement and commodifies it. Instead of buying safety pins from your local pharmacy store which has been done since they were created, you can now buy a box of ‘PUNK STYLE SAFETY PINS!!!” or something to that effect. The punk style can now be bought at your local Wal-Mart. The concept of counter-culture has been turned on its head and now the counter-culture movement has to move elsewhere.

This is what Kurt Cobain had a problem with (amongst other things). Here was the underground alternative movement. We were tired of the glam which was the 80s. We wished for a simpler time where we could just haul on a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt over a t-shirt and that’s that. No glam, no fuss. Grow our hair long and that’s that. But then out of nowhere – whammo! It became popular culture. What the heck? How did that happen? Somehow in the middle of this, he (unfortunately) became the figurehead of a movement. The alternative movement. It killed him. It tore him up inside. He didn’t want to be this person that people looked up to. He just wanted to make music and have fun. Look at the album In Utero. Let’s all be honest…is this not a cry against the masses who loved Nevermind? I digress…

So there you have it. There’s a lot more to this book than just the counterculture movement. They have some fascinating looks at consumerism. Let’s take the free-range chickens. They are more expensive to buy but you get the peace of mind knowing that they had vast fields to roam inside of instead of being kept in cages. It was interesting to point out that on a nice warm day they would rather stay in the shade in a corner of the barn anyhow. So, why do we pay more? For peace of mind? Come on. So they take a look at a lot of these examples and infuse the book with amusing anecdotes about child life and good thought-provoking theories. I think Uncle Gerry would enjoy this book (if you’re reading this entry right now, pick up this book!)

I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It definitely is a thinking book and not your average Star Wars novel. There were a few chapters where I had to really hunker down to get through, but for the most part, it was a fascinating look at how we live our lives today and how we feed the machine which is our society.

note: it’s actually pretty hard to find a full shot of the novel.

A few weeks ago I finished the second Stompin’ Tom autobiography entitled Stompin’ Tom and the Connors Tone.

It was a decent read…seemed longer than the first one. I enjoyed how it really got into the aspects of his tours and when he started to get famous. He seems to harp on his views of how the music industry in Canada is for the birds and is in need of serious revamp. I totally agree and I found his points interesting. I was speaking to Dad about this novel and he enjoyed the first one better as he didn’t really care much for the music industry talk; which takes up a LOT of the book. It seems like every second chapter he comes up with another way of stating his views on the music industry.

I found it interesting to hear that he left the music business altogether during the 80s because of his distaste with the industry. Imagine! Then his comeback tour in the 90s occurred and as far as I know he has been touring around now and then.

I can’t say that I know much of his music but I will pick up an album one of these days and if I ever have the chance to see him live, I will jump on it. I admire what he has done for Canada (heck, he even received the Order of Canada for his work!).

I enjoy his writing style and it feels like he is talking to you in conversation rather than stating facts about his life at a certain point in time. His novel inspired me to want to get out on the open road and just drive. I remember this occurred right before Easter and the Spring was in the air and I told Mike that we were heading home for the weekend because I just wanted to get on the road again. However, when the Blizzard of 2007 hit up North I thought that my open road would not be as exciting. So now I am anxious to head out on the open road again and perhaps travel around Canada a little more than I have done in the past. Usually it’s more of a ‘let’s just get home as fast as we can!!!’ trip.

Two thumbs up for the autobiography. If you’re interested in Stompin’ Tom, or Canadiana, pick it up today!

iplaying: The Lost Brigade – Ted Leo & The Pharmacists (Living With The Living)

Mike and I had high hopes for this flick, then we were let down by the reviews and got scared to watch it. Then the soundtrack came out and that was even worse. What were we to expect? After watching Beerfest, we figured it could do no wrong as we had some beer in us and were pumped to see Jack Black and Kyle Gass in action.

We were not disappointed. Overall, it was a decent flick. Was it the calibre of the HBO TV series? Meh. I thought the TV series was more funny. But the movie wasn’t that bad at all if you enjoy the Tenacious D storyline. The deleted scenes were hilarious. I wish all DVDs had a feature which would allow you to incorporate the deleted scenes into the movie – hence making a Director’s cut. I was thinking this while watching The Matrix Reloaded last night and hoping that the Enter The Matrix footage could be incorporated somehow. Sure, it may be choppy, but that’s to be expected.

ACTUALLY, now I remember that the DVD version of Ray did this! It was a magnificent move.

Back to Tenacious D, it had some good cameos and all around good rocking soundtrack which I appreciate more after watching the film.

Blockbuster is my friend, especially when I can find previously viewed films for cheap! I picked up Beerfest on Saturday which I figured would be a sure thing because:

A) It’s a movie by Broken Lizard.
B) It’s involves the USA vs. Germany in a beer drinking competition.

You can’t go wrong. I wasn’t disappointed. Mike, Trish and I had a barrel of laughs at this absurd film. I wish Philipp were there so he would be yelling at all the depictions of the German culture. Let’s just say that they MAY be inaccurate. The movie revolves around two guys bringing their grandfather’s ashes to Germany and discover that he was the offspring of some major German family who owns the biggest brewery in all the land. But he stole the secret recipe to the world’s best beer and fled to USA. They then discover that all countries are competing in Beerfest – an Olympian style match of beer drinking games and that USA is the only country banned from the games as…they suck at beer drinking. Ha ha! It was good times and the characters were hilarious and the story was great.

Highly recommended over a few beers.

Last night Krista and I watched Talladega Nights which was a barrel of laughs. This is part 2 of Will Ferrell’s (or Will Pharell for those of you in the know) ‘American Man’ trilogy which started with Anchorman and which will (perhaps) end with him being an astronaut – the American dream.

So Will Ferrell is Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR driver whose slogan is “If you ain’t first, you’re last!”. He is the king of the castle in the world of NASCAR until something happens and then he is afraid to drive again. So then the rest of the movie is based on his attempts to rise again to stardom.

Hilarious performances by Sasha Baren Cohen (of Borat fame) as Jean Girard – the Formula One racer coming over to claim Ricky Bobby’s title. I think Sascha Baren Cohen is the most hilarious comedian on Earth at the moment and everytime he spoke I just cracked up.

Hilarity ensues throughout the entire movie in the level of absurdness. If you enjoy any other Will Ferrell movies, you will (of course) love this one as it just pushes the limits. I am also looking forward to his new movie (out today?) entitled Blades of Glory where he is a figure skater alongside Napolean Dynamite. That’s a killer combo right there.

Two thumbs up for the film if you enjoy the absurd comedies that are all over the place now.

iplaying: Ishmael & Maggie – The Trews – Den of Thieves

Friday night brought Vero and I to two plays in which her friends were appearing in.

The first was at the University of Ottawa campus and was entitled L’affaire de la rue de Lourcine. I was delighted to see Martin and Mario stumble into the waiting area dressed up in vintage outfits while drinking a ‘supposed’ bottle of wine. I even had the honour of having Mario lean up against me in his drunken stupor.

The was a preamble to the actual play as the two men end up waking up inside the house after a night on the town and they can’t remember what actually happened that night. Hilarity to the nth degree ensues as it is discovered that someone was killed the night before and they are trying to piece together the events of the night before in a comical fashion.

I also like how I didn’t know Martin and Mario were actually in the play when they came in through the door drunk and I thought they were just goofing around. Vero had a good laugh at that as she knew it was part of the show.

This was probably the best play I have seen so far as it had me in stitches. They spoke in an over-the-top fashion and their mannerisms were very exaggerated. Much like how I sound when I speak French. 😉

Two thumbs up for this play. Special mention goes to Veronique (the other one) for her hard work on the play! It was fantastic!

We then headed over to the Bronson Center to catch another play where our good friend Chantelle (or is that Chantal) was appearing. I had not even known that she acted so was excited to see her.

This was my first time at the Bronson Center and I wondered what type of venue it would be considering I’ve heard a few bands had played there before. Turned out to be an auditorium style venue so I thought it would be strange to have bands play there. It’s like I was back in high school.

The play was called All That I Am and was a focus on five different women throughout the ages, with a focus on religious figures (such as the wife of Simon Peter, which Chantal played). Being that it was a religious sort of event, I am making the assumption that the audience was mainly from the church that the actresses were from. Let me also point out that the crowd under 65 were severely outnumbered by the old-timers.

Chantal came out and did a wonderful monologue and it was quite funny. Then it skipped over to the next woman who was performing her monologue (the play was entirely monologues) and it kind of dragged on and before you knew it, Palmer had decided to take a little nap.

When she left the stage I figured I would see what the next woman had to say but this was an even worse experience as she had no microphone so we could barely hear her. Instead of straining my ears the whole time I decided this would be an opportune time to catch a few more Zs. I don’t think Vero minded too much considering it wasn’t our friend’s part which I was napping through!

The last two women provided an entertaining monologue which kept my interest and then Chantal came back out to wrap things up. All in all, Chantal’s part was worth the admission, plus the final two ladies. What do I know though? Everyone seemed to enjoy the entire thing, so I am blaming it on my nap.

iplaying: Bleeding Words – Mobile (Tomorrow Starts Today)