Green's Party

This week I got to review a documentary and a narrative film:

Supergirl

Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Superman, is such a unique character in the DC Universe. Not a direct sibling but close enough to have the same superpowers and warrant her own comic books. In 1984, only a year after Superman III, they released the first Supergirl movie with Helen Slater in the title role. I saw it in the movie theater as I grew up a big fan of Superman. That first movie was, well.... okay I guess. It had its moments but didn’t set the world on fire the way they had hoped with Richard Donner’s first Superman. Then she made an appearance in 2023’s The Flash. The character was brought into last year’s Superman with Milly Alcock playing her. Now Alcock is taking the lead in Supergirl, opening this week.

movie poster

Logline: When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice. Director Craig Gillespie (who has directed some good and bad movies, but the best being I, Tonya) enters the DC Universe with Superman director James Gunn producing.

my friend Mike and I at the advance screening

There's a lot of things about this movie that are derivative of other movies. Plot-wise it reminded me a lot of an interplanet True Grit. The villains and action are reminiscent of Mad Max and Guardians of the Galaxy. What impressed me a ton about last year's Superman is that they completely skipped the origin story and dropped the character into the modern day. In terms of a stand alone movie for Supergirl, who previously showed up as a young party girl with super powers, this movie tries to have it both ways: it is dropping Supergirl into an action-packed story, but it's also featuring flashbacks of her backstory. And yes, Superman (David Corenswet) makes a cameo or two checking in on her. Alcock does her best to make this character more than just a cliche. Much of the characters reminded me a ton of Mad Max villains and Jason Mamoa's character Lobo was borrowing more from shock rocker King Diamond. Overall the action is what more or less saves this movie. Bottom line: It is good, but not great. Having said that I feel like this is the Supergirl movie they need to get out of the way so that the next one (or one after) will be the really great Supergirl movie we haven't gotten yet.

For info on Supergirl

3 out of 5 stars

Peter Asher: Everywhere Man

By now there is actually a subgenre within the music documentary genre, which is the rock and roll zelig who has had something to do with loads of popular musicians over history and even if you didn't know them you know the works they had to do with. Such is the case with the recent festival hit Peter Asher: Everywhere Man, which has recently been released theatrically. I wasn't too familiar with him other than his being a part of Peter and Gordon and his affiliation with The Beatles. Asher's sister actress Jane dated Sir Paul McCartney from 1963 to 1968 and Asher's Brit pop duo Peter and Gordon did some Lennon-McCartney compositions, he became an A&R rep for The Beatles' Apple Records label, he ran the gallery that Yoko Ono had and exhibit at where John Lennon met her for the first time, and he later became a very notable music producer. This doc includes a stage show, where Asher is literally telling his own story.

movie poster

Directed by Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine, who previously directed Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song (read my review here), this goes deep into the subject of Peter Asher. He is onstage telling his own story with pics, anecdotes and laughs, seen reuniting with old friends and collaborators, and being interviewed himself. Interviewees include Steve Martin, Eric Idle, Patty Boyd, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and numerous others. During a montage of Peter and Gordon in the early 60s of various TV appearances, there's a quick clip of Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg (who I interviewed for my documentary Life on the V: The Story of V66) introducing them too.

Bottom line: as a Beatle fanatic, I ate up portions of this doc and it was kind of cool to see how he intersected with so many aspects of pop culture. It was a little longer than it needed to be and it definitely bordered on hagiography. But it was cool to learn about this rock and roll zelig!

For info on Peter Asher: Everywhere Man

The Beatles "All You Need Is Love"

Blood, Sweat and Tears "Lisa, Listen to Me"

Music festival season is in full swing, but one in particular is on my radar: Wilco's Solid Sound Festival happening this weekend from Fri. June 26 to Sun. June 28 at Mass MoCA in North Adams, MA. I love that Wilco are from Chicago and they take over Western Mass. for a few days each year!

2026 poster

For music it is a showcase for Wilco, who are playing their own set and also performing the Mermaid Avenue album with Billy Bragg. In addition to Wilco collective, there is also Wilco solo and side projects including Jeff Tweedy and Friends (who I saw last Fall), Mikael Jorgensen's duo Expandards, John Stirratt's duo The Autumn Defense, and Nels Cline's Consentrik Quartet. Also playing this year are one of my all-time faves The Breeders (who I last saw in 2023), post-punk legends Gang of Four (who now feature Gail Greenwood of Belly and L7), Sharp Pins (who recently opened for Snail Mail), and Hannah Cohen

There are loads of activities, food and drink vendors, comedians including Jordan Klepper, DJ sets from members of Yo La Tengo, and plenty to do at the Mass MoCA museum space itself.

I'm looking forward to covering this year's fest!

This has been quite a month for landmark pop culture anniversaries including alt-rock albums, Richard Donner movies, and Steven Spielberg. Here are some of the other anniversaries to celebrate this month:

June 11, 1986: Ferris Bueller's Day Off opens

One of the all-time greatest teen / high school movies ever made was released in June 1986. John Hughes made so many great movies about teens in the 1980s (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, the list goes on and on), but this was his Sgt. Pepper. Ferris, as played by Matthew Broderick, was such a great character. An all-around teen who got along with everyone and was smart enough to out-fox his parents and teachers. On paper, the character could have been a self-entitled punk who deserved to get caught. But as played by Broderick with equal parts cool and charm, you wanted to see him get away with it. The idea of this guy playing hooky with his best friend and girlfriend, taking a day off from high school and just letting loose and enjoying the city of Chicago for a day, is something a lot of people fantasize about doing on a daily basis regardless of age, school, job or geographic region. I saw this in the theater when I was 10 and it stayed with me all through my teen years. I never faked being sicked, but I always wanted to. When it came to VHS, my sister and I watched it hundreds of times. To this day, I can recite the majority of dialogue. It is a perfect movie from start to finish! There’s been talk over the years about a sequel in which Ferris takes a day off from college or from his job, but it kinda wouldn’t be the same as the idea of being a high school student taking the day off. Although I got to say, if Ferris was that tech-savvy in 1986, imagine what he could do today!

In 2025, I spoke with co-star Alan Ruck at the Northeast Comic Con. I asked him about internet theories that the entire movie exists in Cameron’s mind and that Ferris is what Cameron wishes he could be (a Fight Club theory). He said “Whoever came up with that, if it was for a college paper, I hope they got an A in that class! It’s very clever and a fun way to think about the movie!” Happy 40 FBDO!

June 11, 1991: Slave to the Grind released

In June 1991, Skid Row's second album was released. They made a splash with their 1988 debut. I was really into them by the time of their sophomore release. This album is easily their magnum opus! I picked up the CD the week it was released because I had just gotten my first CD player and listened to it quite frequently over the next year. The band was in the zeitgeist as they were opening for Guns N' Roses, appearing on MTV, on the cover of Rolling Stone, guests on SNL and this album debuting at #1. One of the best metal albums of the early 90s! Happy 35th STTG!

June 14, 1951: Ace in the Hole opens

In June 1951, one of Billy Wilder's finest works was released. His satirical drama took aim at the press way before such questions were fashionable. Kirk Douglas's newsman covers the story of a man trapped in a cave, but tries to elongate the trapping in order to create a media frenzy to boost his career. What Network had to say about television, this had to say about print news. I have the Criterion edition in my collection. Happy 75th AITH!

June 17, 1971: The Anderson Tapes opens

In June 1971, one of Sidney Lumet's most underrated crime films was released. When he did crime movies, he was on fire, i.e. Dog Day Afternoon and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. But in 1971, he did this crime movie with Sean Connery in the lead. It also predated The Conversation as one of the earliest movies about surveillance. I picked this up on DVD a few years ago and it still holds up! Happy 55th TAT!

June 20, 1966: Blonde on Blonde released

In June 1966, Bob Dylan's 7th album was released. I am by no means a Dylanologist, but this is definitely up there with his best albums and the best albums of all time (just look for it on any list). The previous album Highway 61 Revisited might be slightly better, but this one is Dylan swinging for the fences! Happy 60th BOB!

June 21, 1966: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opens

In June 1966, theater director Mike Nichols made his film debut with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which was an adaptation of a 1962 play. It is an out-and-out incredible chess game mind-trip between a dysfunctional husband and wife, played by real life couple Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. In the mid 90s, in an acting class I took in college, our final exam for the class was to perform a scene from this play. My acting partner and I rehearsed and studied the film and did a multi-page scene (I played George, he played Nick). We blew the class away! This film is also noteworthy for being the debut of Nichols (it was a year before he did The Graduate). Happy 60th Virginia Woolf!

June 30, 1971: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory opens

Remembering Clive Davis 1932-2026

Legendary music executive Clive Davis has died at 94.

He was responsible for signing and/or discovering countless artists including Janis Joplin, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, and Aerosmith, whose song "No Surprize" made reference to him with the lyric:

And then old Clive Davis said I'm surely gonna make us a star I'm gonna make you a star Just the way you are

Davis with The Boss in 2017

Within pop culture, he appeared in tons of books, was interviewed for tons of documentaries and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Stanley Tucci played him in the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody (one of the highlights of that film IMHO).

In my film Musician For Hire, the record executive played by Phil Vos is named Clive Thompson as an homage to Clive Davis!

We're almost finished! I did so much in under 48 hours on my recent trip to Cleveland, OH that I’m still writing about it! In Part 1 I visited the Superman monuments. In Part 2 I visited the House from A Christmas Story. In Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 and Part 8 I visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. Here’s my continuation of my visit to the Rock Hall!

On the 4th floor, they had an exhibit about Pink Floyd's The Wall including replica's the stage set.

the front of The Wall and the back (that's me in the corner)

Then it was onto loads of music artifacts, including Eddie Van Halen's famous guitars and amps:

and Kurt Cobain's guitar and his broken guitar and the power drill he used to repair it:

On the 6th floor, they had a new exhibit about Paul McCartney and Wings, coinciding with the excellent new documentary Man on the Run about Sir Paul's post-Beatles years in Wings. They had loads of original lyrics, instruments, clothing and more on display. I loved it!

Sir Paul's exhibit

Afterward I hit the gift shop, which had tons to choose from. I picked up a signed copy of former Wings drummer Denny Seiwell's book The Best and Worst of Times.

Happy Father's Day

Remembering James Burrows 1940-2026

Director James Burrows has died at 85. It is hard to imagine the history of television as we know it without shows he directed episodes for: Phyllis, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, Rhoda, Taxi, Cheers (which he co-created), The Tortellis, Dear John, Frasier, Friends, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Caroline in the City, Will & Grace, The Big Bang Theory, and 2 Broke Girls just to name a few. It needs to be said that directors in television don't get the same recognition as film directors as TV shows are driven by the creator, hence they usually have guest directors each week. But Burrows had his hand on the pulse of what worked and didn't work for comedic timing. Just look at that resume!?! This is why he directed so many episodes of each show he did.

Burrows on right directing Sam and Diane on Cheers

Growing up in the Boston area, Cheers was always a big deal for me growing up. One could argue it was because I was in the Boston area they made references to on the show that took place there, but it was always consistently good in the ratings and was very funny! The idea of a neighborhood bar where everyone knows your name is something we all wanted and in a way Burrows made us feel like we were hanging out there most episodes.

Sixpence None the Richer "There She Goes"

I'm not done with this yet: I did so much in under 48 hours on my recent trip to Cleveland, OH that I’m still writing about it! In Part 1 I visited the Superman monuments. In Part 2 I visited the House from A Christmas Story. In Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 and Part 7 I visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. Here’s my continuation of my visit to the Rock Hall!

movie poster

One of the highlights of my trip to the Rock Hall was the immersive film The Power of Rock directed by one of my heroes Jonathan Demme. In JD's work, his love of music is in his every frame, so it made perfect sense that he would direct this. JD was given access to all of the Rock Hall Induction Ceremonies and he put together a 15 minute film of some of the highlights. The film premiered at the Rock Hall in 2017 shortly after he passed away. You enter an auditorium and with music performance clip, the choreographed lights sync with the music and multiple screens play different shots of the performers. I have to admit I got choked up during a few. When I was working on my Jonathan Demme movie collection, I hunted for this film, but there is a reason you'll never see this movie online as it is more of a theatrical experience than something on a small screen.

dedication in the auditorium

me with the JD dedication

Worth noting is that JD emphasized various musicians that he had worked with including Talking Heads, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Chrissie Hynde to name a few.

This is quite a month for Steven Spielberg fans with the release of his awesome new one Disclosure Day! Looking back at the landmark anniversaries of his films released this month in history, I'm celebrating one of my all time faves he directed and one he produced as has his fingerprints all over it:

June 10, 2011: Super 8 opens

In June 2011, J.J. Abrams nostalgic monster movie was released. No one ever talks about this movie and I can’t understand why. It’s one of Abrams’ best films. Set in 1979, a group of suburban teens make a movie on super 8 and capture a train derailing…and more. I saw this in the movie theater opening weekend and loved the nostalgic feel of the movie. Not only was it about kids in the 70s trying to make a film on super 8, but it felt like a throwback to the early films of producer Steven Spielberg. I named it my #27 Movie of the 2010s. Happy 15 Super 8!

June 12, 1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark opens

In June 1981, the very first Indiana Jones movie was released. It marked the first collaboration between the cinematic icons director Steven Spielberg, producer/creator George Lucas, and star Harrison Ford. What I wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall as these three were on set making this epic action adventure. When I was 5 years old, this was released in theaters and being the Star Wars fan I was, I wanted to see this. But I got kinda scared in the first few minutes, so my Mom took me to Superman II in the next cinema over instead. Years later, after I saw Temple of Doom, I re-watched this and loved it. In English class in Junior High we did a whole dissection of the story and characters of Raiders and I had an even deeper appreciation for it. This is such a tight story and it has so many amazing set pieces.

me and Karen Allen in 2017

When I interviewed co-star Karen Allen in 2017 she said “I’m aware that people still love the movie, and that it is still passed down from father-to-son and mother-to-daughter, etc. I know its a film that has this wonderful legacy. Do I spend a lot of time thinking about that in my life? No, I don’t. I appreciate it. When I meet people who love the film it’s a lovely connection for me to make with the world because Marion Ravenwood is a character I loved playing and it’s a character people really enjoyed. But when I just live my normal day-to-day life, I can’t say any film I’ve ever done is a part of my day-to-day life. I live in a small town part time, and New York City part time. And in NYC, they might say “Yo, I liked your film!” and that’s about as excited as they get. And where I live in the small town, I’ve lived there for years, so I’m just the person people see every day at the post office or wherever.“

Here is my combined remembrance of two entertainers we lost:

Remembering Daveigh Chase 1990-2026

Actress Daveigh Chase has died at 35. She was the voice of Lilo in the Lilo and Stich movies and TV shows in the 00s. She played Samantha Darko, the younger sister of Donnie, in the excellent Donnie Darko. She reprised that role in the straight-to-DVD sequel S. Darko (never saw it). She also had a breakout role in The Ring. I loved the first 10 minutes of that and then it kind of lost me, but her scenes were haunting and she even won an MTV Movie Award for it.

Chase and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Donnie Darko

One of her best roles was as Rhonda Volmer, the wife of Harry Dean Stanton's character Roman Grant on Big Love (HBO 2006-2011) . Talk about running with a role!

The link above is the obit from

Remembering Walter Parazaider 1945-2026

Musician Walter Parazaider has died at 81. He played saxophone, flute, clarinet and backing vocals in Chicago. He was a founding member with the group in 1967 all the way until he left the band in 2018 due to health issues. The band gets a bad wrap, but for their first decade, they were very much a rock band with a strong brass / woodwind section that set them apart from most 70s rock. Just listen to their cover of Spencer Davis Group's "I'm a Man" or better yet watch their 1979 appearance on SNL. In the late 70s they became more known for sappy love songs which turned off some fans. After hearing some of their songs on Top 40 radio and seeing music videos on MTV and V66 as a kid, I picked up their 1984 album Chicago 17 cause I liked "Along Comes a Woman", "Stay the Night", and "Hard Habit to Break". Even after singer Peter Cetera left in 1985, the band still had some hits. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

Parazaider with Chicago in the early days

Parazaider had more than a few pop culture moments, including he and Chicago as themselves in the LOL 2013 Clear History.

Know Your Rights! with Saul Goodman

Remembering Anne Schedeen 1949-2026

Sad news to learn about! Actress Anne Schedeen has died at 77. She played Kate Tanner, the mother on one of my all-time favorite TV shows Alf (NBC 1986-1990). After the passing of Michu Meszaros in 2016, Max Wright in 2019, Benji Gregory in 2024 and now Schedeen, it is sad to know that so cast members didn't live to see the 40th anniversary of the show later this year :(

Schedeen and Alf

Kate was always the voice of reason on the series and managed to put Alf in his place on more than one occasion. But she also had some great comic timing too. From what I understand the series was technically challenging and some of the cast were unhappy, but Schedeen always seemed to be having a good time in the show itself. She was nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for her performance too!

The Tanner Family with Alf and Schedeen on right

After becoming a fan of Alf, I would notice some of her earlier work in reruns of Three's Company (she appeared in five episodes between 1978 and 1982) and an episode of Cheers from 1984. She scaled back her acting after Alf, although she did appear in Phil Joanou's Heaven's Prisoners.

Schedeen in 2019 with an Alf doll

I followed her on social media, where she had quite a bit to say about her hatred of Trump. It was always cool to hear her opinions. She even became friends with former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese, who paid tribute to her on his social media.

I’ve always considered guitarist Mike Campbell to be a secret weapon! In Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Petty was the singer and leader, but Campbell had so many memorable guitar solos. Campbell even played on Petty’s solo albums too. After Petty’s death in 2017, Campbell has been keeping busy. In addition to joining Fleetwood Mac in 2018, he revived his own band The Dirty Knobs, who now go by Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs. I got to review their 2020 debut Wreckless Abandon. and 2024's Vagabonds, Virgins and Misfits. Campbell actually formed the band while he was in The Heartbreakers but never recorded with them until that debut. Separate from Dirty Knobs, I was also lucky enough to get the 2022 live release Live at the Fillmore 1997 from the Heartbreakers and my album review was actually quoted on The Heartbreakers website for the album! But I digress. This week sees the release of the band's fourth album Mission of Mercy from Soundly Music/Thirty Tigers.

album cover

The current lineup features Campbell on guitar and vocals as well as guitarist / keyboardist Chris Holt, bassist Lance Morrison, and drummer / former Heartbreaker Steve Ferrone. There are guest appearances on this album from Kate Pierson of The B-52's and Morgane Stapleton. The blues-based rock sound they have cemented is still very much there, but it feels like it's more of the same. Not bad by any means (Campbell on an average album is better than most on a really good album), but it just feels like we've been there, done that. It'd be cool if we heard some epic bangers from the band and instead they are good, but for the guy who was an integral part of albums like Full Moon Fever, Into the Great Wide Open, and Wildflowers, you kinda of hope for more. But it certainly is cool to hear Campbell and Ferrone together again.

For info on Mission of Mercy