Media files are so impersonal and boring

Yes, it’s been far too long between posts of my CDs and DVDs from my collection.  I assure you that I’m still buying media as much as ever.  Unfortunately, my time has been limited due to my podcast “Damn Good Movie Memories”.  If you enjoy this blog, you’ll likely enjoy the podcast, so check it out!

I plan on eventually picking up where I left off with this Tumblr, since this was the main inspiration for the podcast.  Speaking of which, one of my favorite albums was covered by the Rock & Metal Combat Podcast featuring yours truly!  We chat about Zakk Wylde’s 1994 album and band Pride & Glory.  You can check it out here.

I absolutely loved the first Jack Reacher movie which was based on the Lee Child novels and character.  Fans of the book series were a bit apprehensive that a much smaller actor (Tom Cruise) was going to play Reacher, as the character in the books is about 6 foot 4 and 250 pounds.  However, Cruise does a stellar job and for viewers that never read any of the books would likely never realize the potential issue.

For Never Go Back, the cast is completely new (with the exception of Cruise). As with most Reacher books, the characters often change from story-to-story. The quick plot involves Reacher trying to solve a mystery about why his Army Major friend (Cobie Smulders) is arrested for a charge she didn’t commit. 

As with the first film, the action and fight scenes are terrific.  I really didn’t understand the negative reviews from critics, as I definitely enjoyed Never Go Back just as much.  Maybe this is why I never read reviews?

Surprisingly, Armored Saint has only released one official live album, 1988’s Saints Will Conquer, which was basically an EP.  For Carpe Noctem, the album isn’t that much longer than Saints, but many newer songs are included and the sound of the band is stellar.  Long time fans will enjoy this release:

Track list: Win Hands Down, March of the Saint, Stricken by Fate, Last Train Home, Mess, Aftermath, Left Hook From Right Field, Reign of Fire

Heavy Fire is the third album for Black Star Riders, who are best known for being the post-Phil Lynott version of Thin Lizzy.  However, the band did a smart thing in not trying to record under the Thin Lizzy moniker and created a unique name.  That being said, the sound of the band definitely has Lizzy influences.

As with the first two BSR albums, the twin guitars and infectious melodies are a common theme, which is great!  I’ve only listened to the album a few times and it hasn’t grabbed me like the debut, but I can sense this is going to be a slow burner for me.

He Saw it Comin’ is the first album for Jack Russell’s version of Great White after he and the original band split around 2011.  So, while Russell is officially calling the band Jack Russell’s Great White, this is essentially a solo album for him.  However, to be fair, he did recruit ex-Great White bassist Tony Montana for the band.

Logistics aside, this a good classic rock album.  The only frustrating thing about He Saw it Comin’ is the same issue with Great White albums for the past 15 years.  The album never busts out and just rocks!  There are glimpses here and there, but for the most part the songs are mid-tempo.  It doesn’t make for a bad album, just frustrating.  I keep looking for something like Psycho City and it never seems to happen.

For one reason or another, I didn’t bother to see Suicide Squad in the theaters. (I’m becoming a hermit in my old age!)  I figured it would be perfectly fine to wait until it was available through video.  I had heard about the stellar performances from Jared Leto and Margot Robbie, so I was upbeat about the film.  However, other friends said it was a little haphazard and Leto was barely in the film.

Anyway, both of these sentiments are true.  Both Leto and Robbie are excellent as The Joker and Harley Quinn, along with Will Smith as Deadshot.  But, the criticism of a directionless film is valid.  With that being said, Suicide Squad is still very enjoyable for me and I’m sure I would enjoy a sequel.

I remember really enjoying Russkies as a kid since the main characters were roughly my age at the time.  I especially liked that Peter Billingsley (Ralphie!) was in the film, as A Christmas Story was one of my all-time favorite movies. Russkies also stars Whip Hubley (Top Gun) and Leaf Phoenix who would later change his name to…Joaquin Phoenix.

Russkies is your typical cold war 80s flick with the twist being it involves young teen kids.  The quick plot involves a Russian intelligence officer (Hubley) who is stranded on US soil after his warship is pummeled by a Florida storm.  Three military brat kids end up discovering Hubley and decide to interrogate him.  If you love 80s movies, but missed out on this one, it’s a fun blast to the past.

After the Slang album, Def Leppard tried to recapture the Hysteria-era sound that made them superstars.  The outcome was Euphoria and the band even had Mutt Lange co-write their lead single Promises.  

Euphoria is sort of a dark-horse album for Def Leppard.  Unless you’re a die-hard fan, you likely only know the Pyromania or Hysteria albums.  If you’re one of those fans, this might be a good album for you to check out.

The Rolling Stones album prior to A Bigger Bang, Bridges to Babylon, was a bit of a mixed bag.  It started off great, but really fell flat as a whole.  A Bigger Bang is a much more consistent album and very well could be the band’s last album of original material in their long and illustrious career.

I think the band learned their less with Bridges to Babylon and strayed away from trying to sound modern.  A Bigger Bang sounds like it could have come out in the 70s, which is a good thing!

Bridges to Babylon is an interesting album in the very large Rolling Stones catalog.  The album starts off great in my opinion, but then about half-way through the album it really dovetails.  At this point in The Rolling Stones career they had absolutely nothing to prove, but it felt like with this album they were jumping on a bit of a trend.  That trend being loops and weird electronica likely inspired by part-producer The Dust Brothers.  

Anyway, unless you’re a Stones completist (I am!) you can probably skip this one.

After the success of Our Man Flint, a sequel was quickly made.  In Like Flint keeps the same gags and action going, but this time Flint must take on a group of women who are plotting to rule the world

Unfortunately, In Like Flint didn’t have the same box office success as the prior film and subsequent sequels were cancelled.

Our Man Flint is a mid-60s spoof spy thriller starring James Coburn as the very James Bond-esque Derek Flint.  The studios at the time were trying to capitalize on the Bond-craze and Flint was the US version, essentially trying to out-Bond, Bond!  The Flint movies were a inspiration for Austin Powers almost 30 years later.

For Our Man Flint, Flint tries to stop a group of scientists trying causing extreme weather patterns over the world for their own gain.  Lee J. Cobb and Gila Golan also star.

As a kid my favorite Muppet film was The Great Muppet Caper.  However, after watching it again as an adult, I think I’m going to lean more towards the original Muppet Movie from 1979 as my favorite.  

I think I forgot how many musical numbers were mixed into the “caper” plot of the film.  This doesn’t ruin the film for me, but sometimes the music seemed forced instead of moving the story along.  In any case, the movie is still great fun and fans of the Muppets will enjoy.

No Deposit, No Return is a fun and campy live-action Disney movie from the 1970s.  There are plenty of well known classic stars like David Niven, Don Knotts, and Darren McGavin.  

The basic plot involves two bumbling safe crackers (McGavin and Knotts) who end up “kidnapping” two kids who are bored with their home life and their stuffy grandfather (Niven).  While this might sound like a seedy plot, it’s really harmless as you would imagine a Disney movie would be.

American Bombshell just recently came on my radar due to the fabulous sleazeroxx.com site.  Every year the site releases their top 10 albums of the year and No Regrets made the list.  I love the sleazy, catchy vibe of the band and fans of 80s hard rock should enjoy this release.

When Dokken reunited with the original lineup of Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson, and Mick Brown in the mid-90s, the sound of the band changed to a more alternative vibe, leaving behind their 80s glam roots.  This departure alienated long-time fans who longed for Dokken’s 80s heyday.  

Shadowlife isn’t a bad album on its own.  It’s just not a great Dokken album. Don’t get me wrong, I admire bands that try something new in their sound when it comes from an honest place.  However, when bands chance the trends of the time, it normally falls flat.  In this case, 90s grunge.  There are a few terrific moments on Shadowlife, but their return to glory would come with their next album Erase the Slate.