Green's Party

Let's talk about the comic genius that is David Wain. I discovered him back when he was a part of The State, one of the greatest sketch comedy groups of all time IMHO. Their sketch show premiered on MTV in Dec. 1993. They formed at NYU a few years earlier and garnered enough of a following to get a show on MTV, who were getting into comedy shows in the early 90s (i.e. The Ben Stiller Show, The Jon Stewart Show, etc). I loved this show in high school and my friends and I quoted it frequently. Their humor was very similar to the style of comedy my friends and I were doing on my cable access TV show at the time. Their show lasted until July 1995 (I have the entire series on DVD). After a 1995 TV special on CBS, the group’s TV show was over. But in the years that followed they had various reunions: a comedy album, a book, and even some live reunion shows. I was lucky enough to see them in 2023 when they did a reunion show in Medford. What's cool is how each of them have popped up both individually and collectively in various movies and TV shows, i.e. Michael Showalter becoming a celebrated director with The Big Sick and The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Michael Patrick Jann who has directed several films and TV shows including Alma & The Wolf, and of course David Wain, who has directed a number of comedies including Wet Hot American Summer, The Ten, Role Models and Wanderlust. Now he's back with the recent festival hit Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, which is practically a State runion in and of itself! Wain co-wrote this with fellow Stater Ken Marino.

movie poster

Here is the logline: In the charming town of Willowbrook, Kansas, hairdresser Gail Daughtry (Zoey Deutch) is engaged to her devoted high school sweetheart, Tom (Michael Cassidy). Her life takes a turn when a trip to a book signing leads to Tom meeting – and sleeping – with his “celebrity pass.” Reeling from the betrayal, Gail impulsively joins her friend Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riles) on a trip to Los Angeles, where a psychic convinces Gail that the only way to save her marriage is to “even the scales” with her own celebrity pass: Jon Hamm. Thus begins an epic journey through Tinseltown as Gail and Otto join forces with a talent agency assistant, a paparazzo, and actor John Slattery, all in the search for Hamm. Along the way, they collide with celebrities and are hunted by a group of Italian assassins as they get ever closer to finding the elusive star.

The State with Wain second from right onstage on 10/21/2023 at Chevalier Theatre

When I say this is practically a State reunion, I mean it: you have director Wain, co-writers Wain and Marino, and the cast includes Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Kerri Kenney, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, and Marino. This alone is cause for celebration. But there's so many comedic set pieces that had me laughing hard. Similar to Role Models and Wanderlust, there can be some ridiculousness but also have a heart to it. There is clearly a lot of references to Wizard of Oz combined with the time-honored concept of a small-town girl who comes to Hollywood to make her dreams come true. This dream happens to be getting Jon Hamm to be her celebrity sex pass and Hamm (who was last year's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year) is game for such ridiculousness, but in a very LOL funny way. It's not just Hamm that in on the fun, there's loads of other celebrity cameos including Slattery (who I had the pleasure of working with on Ted 2), Weird Al Yankovic, Penn Jillette, and more! It's been a while since we had an original comedy (not a sequel or reboot) and that's why when we get a movie like this or last year's Splitsville, it seems so much more original than it might be at a different time. But it's all about the cast who are up for Wain's brand of silliness and especially Deutch, who after last year's Nouvelle Vague, is truly a leading lady superstar now! I just hope we don't have to wait too much longer for another semi-State reunion!

For info on GDATCSP

Bonnie Tyler "Holding Out for a Hero"

This week - lucky me! - I got to review two artists I've become quite a fan of in recent years:

Shonen Knife Let's Knife Re-Cut

It doesn't get much cooler than than Shonen Knife! Since forming in 1981, Osaka, Japan’s Shonen Knife have been tearing it up in their corner of the punk sandbox. A band that can draw equal comparisons to both The Ramones and the 1960s girl groups. What a testament it is that they’ve been doing their own thing for over four decades. Singer / guitarist Noako Yamano formed the band with her sister Atsuko (various instruments but currently bass) and their lineup has changed over the years, including Atsuko leaving for a short time, but the current lineup with drummer Risa Kawano has been the lineup since 2016. I’ve been lucky enough to cover the band’s activity for some time now: their 2016 concert the day after the U.S. presidential election, my 2017 interview with Noako Yamano, my review of their 2018 DVD Shonen Knife ALIVE in Osaka! (which the band actually retweeted on Twitter!), my review of the band’s 2019 album Sweet Candy Power and reviewing the band’s 2023 album Our Best Place. Last year I got cover their concert at Sonia in Cambridge too.

album cover

In 1992, Shonen Knife released their album Let's Knife, their first on a major label in the U.S. following Nirvana's appraisal of the band. The album was the band re-recording earlier songs they had done in Japan with English lyrics. The album has been long out of print, so the band has re-recorded it. Let's Knife Re-Cut drops this Fri. from Good Charamel Records. The biggest difference between this new one and the original is that drummer Risa Kawano, who joined the band in 2015, appears on this album and previous bassist Michie Nakatani, who left the group in 1999, is not. Guitarist / vocalist Noako Yamano re-creates her parts and Atsuka Yamano, who was the drummer at the time and is currently the bassist, does too. The thing that jumped out at me about this Re-Cut edition is that it is not as raw as the original, it just sounds way more polished. Maybe that's the technology of the now vs. 1992, but it felt glossy. The original was like an English-language greatest hits up to that point in their career. This one is like a special 2026 edition of that greatest hits. Bottom line: Even if this re-cut was somewhat unnecessary, the ladies of Shonen Knife are always worth checking out with their mix of pop and punk making them worthy of the nickname Osaka Ramones!

For info on Shonen Knife

3.5 out of 5 stars

Sad13 1331

Sadie Dupuis is the leader of one of my favorite bands to emerge out of Massachusetts in the 2010s, Speedy Ortiz. My #5 Best Concert of 2019 was Speedy Ortiz when they did an Indie617 show at McGann’s Pub. Such a great show and afterwards the band signed my vinyl copy of their album Twerp Verse. I have since picked up some of their earlier demos and EPs on bandcamp. I've also gotten to review some of their recent albums including 2023's Rabbit Rabbit and the 2021 anniversary edition of The Death of Speedy Ortiz & Cop Kicker…Forever and 2023's Major Arcana. Speedy Ortiz have also opened for several noteworthy acts including Foo Fighters at Fenway Park in 2018, Letters to Cleo at The Paradise in 2019, and the 2022 Nice, a Fest! Beyond Speedy, Sadie has collaborated with several musicians including Lizzo (yes Sadie and Lizzo worked on a song together pre-”Truth Hurts”) and released books of poetry. Somehow she also finds time for her solo work she has released under the name Sad13. Her second solo release Haunted Painting was released in 2020 amid the pandemic. It was so good I included it in my Best Albums of 2020 list and I named "Ghost (of a Good Time" my #1 Song of 2020. The newest release from Sad13 is a mixtape 1331 dropping this week.

album cover

The mixtape is thirteen songs that are all about one-to-two minutes each. The album as a whole has a run time of sixteen minutes. Dupuis is the sole musician in this side project. This is also the first project after a 2024 bike accident that required reconstructive surgery. After a few months she was able to play guitar again and began this project. You need to enter this album with the understanding that it is a mixtape and not a fully formed album. This doesn't come anywhere close to Haunted Painting, but looking at it as a musical experiment where a musician gives themselves a challenge to write a number of songs that are around one-minute each - it is a fascinating experiment. I'm looking forward to what Dupuis does next in Speedy Ortiz or solo, but this is a nice appetizer for what's to come.

For info on Sad13

Remembering Louise Lasser 1939-2026

Actress Louise Lasser has died at 87. I did not know her personally, but she was related to someone who was a good friend of my father. Thoughts go out to him and his family!

She was married to Woody Allen from 1966 to 1970. She appeared in a number of his films notably What's Up, Tiger Lily? (which she co-wrote), Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* But Were Afraid to Ask, and Stardust Memories. That's quite a run of LOL movies.

Allen and Hartman in Bananas

In the 90s onward, she appeared in more than a few films from 70s-influenced filmmakers including Happiness, Mystery Men, Requiem for a Dream, and Funny Pages. She was most notably the title character on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (syndicated 1976-1977). Other TV appearances include a controversial hosting of SNL in 1976, Taxi, Laverne and Shirley and more.

Happy Birthday Ringo Starr

On July 7, 1940, Richard Starkey was born in Liverpool, England. To the world he is know as Ringo Starr. He is forever known as ¼ of The Beatles!

In addition to my coverage of The Beatles, I’ve been fortunate enough to cover Sir Ringo over the years: In 2022, I was lucky enough to review his All Starr Band concert, which was my second time seeing him after I was lucky enough to see the group live on Starr’s birthday in July 2010, when Paul McCartney joined him for an encore on “Birthday”. I also got to review his 2019 album What’s My Name, his 2022 EP EP3, the 2023 EP Rewind Forward, 2024's Crooked Boy EP as well as the Sept. 2024 concert, which I was lucky enough to review. Earlier this year I got to review his album Long Long Road.

Here are some of the films from Black filmmakers with landmark anniversaries I am saluting this month:

July 2, 1971: Shaft opens

One of the breakout films of the blaxploitation genre was released in July 1971. Shaft was more than just a fun 70s action movie with a terrific score. It was the start of something new. Based on a book about a white private eye, Black filmmaker Gordon Parks adapted it to be a Black PI played by Richard Roundtree. Made on a budget of $500,000, it grossed $13 mil. at the box office. It is also one of the great movie soundtracks of all time! Isaac Hayes’ funky score truly made this movie. Who can forget the opening sequence of Shaft walking down the street to the “Theme from Shaft”. Whenever you see a list of the best music moments in a movie or the best soundtracks of all time, Shaft is always on the list. Hayes’ theme song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Whatever your take was on the Blaxploitation films of the 70s, actors like Richard Roundtree and Pam Grier have said that they felt the parts they were playing were more about empowerment and playing strong characters in control as opposed to exploitation. Today, the movie Shaft is preserved by the National Film Registry. There have been sequels, a TV series, a 2000 re-boot where Samuel L. Jackson played John Shaft’s nephew and a 2019 sequel. But the first movie stands as the best. Happy 55th Shaft!

July 12, 1991: Boyz N the Hood opens

Happy 4th and Happy 250 America! Since this is a pop culture blog, I thought I'd do my list of some of the best pop culture with America or USA in the title:

Top American Movies:

5. American Pie (1999)

This original teen comedy is still LOL funny!

4. American Fiction (2023)

Jeffrey Wright’s character balances family, career, relationships and his own place in America in one of the smartest comedies in recent memory!

3. American Psycho (2000)

The Kubrick-esque terrifying vision of 80s greed still holds up!

2. American Gangster (2007)

One of the great crime movies of the century!

1. American Beauty (1999)

I know this hasn't aged well due to the lead actor's personal life, but if you separate the artist from the artist's work,  I say it's still a great movie with something to say about characters who are searching for meaning, something that is not easy to do in cinema.

Top American Albums:

5. The Donnas American Teenage Rock 'n' Roll Machine (1998)

The teenage punk band really announced themselves with their 2nd album!

4. David Bowie Young Americans (1975)

How good was Bowie's 9th album? John Lennon did backing vocals on the cover of The Beatles' "Across the Universe"!

3. Blondie Autoamerican (1980)

Blondie was in rare form by 1980 and this has more than a few bangers!

2. Green Day American Idiot (2004)

Green Day's epic concept album about disillusioned youth in Bush-wacked America has (sadly) stood the test of time!

1. Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A.

Born in the USA is The Boss at the top of his game. This is easily his best album. Ever! Every single song is solid. 

Top American TV Shows:

5. anything on USA Network

Nothing more American than the USA Network!

4. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Syndicated 1983-1986)

This animated series was a spin-off of the toys and I was a big fan for a while there as a kid!

3. The Greatest American Hero (ABC 1981-1983)

This makes the list for the premise and the catchy theme song!

2. American Experience (PBS 1988-present)

Some killer documentaries about American history on this long-running doc series!

1. American Bandstand (ABC / syndication / USA Network 1952-2002)

One of the things that's cool about going to press screenings and doing movie review is that every so often I get to bring my son with me. Such is the case with Minions & Monsters that opened this week. Beginning with the Despicable Me series, the Minions became so popular they got their own prequels within the series. This is the seventh Despicable Me movie overall and the third Minion movie. My son got into this series and we've enjoyed seeing a few of them together in the movie theater. Overall, they are funny and cute, but the main draw is the voice actors like Steve Carrell as Gru, where the action is for the kids for the humor is for the grown-ups.

movie poster

Logline: Follows the Minions in 1920s Hollywood as they search for frightening creatures for their monster movie, partner with a green creature, and must save the planet after unleashing monsters.

one of the many cinematic movie references in Minions & Monsters

The main reason I enjoy watching the Despicable Me movies is that my son enjoys them and I have fun going to and watching movies with him, because his enthusiasm is contagious. Do I feel like I need to own it and watch it over and over? No. But there is a sense of fun when you're seeing it. So in terms of going into this Minion movie, expectations were low, like "it might be fun, but nothing special". However, as a film geek, I have to say I have nothing but love and respect for the fact that they made an animated children's movie with so many references to Old Hollywood and film history. There were some big laughs at the parodies of Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times and Citizen Kane. After the screening, I heard more than a few colleagues say how it was better and more accurate than the Old Hollywood dumpster fire Babylon (you can say that again!!!), which is ironic that this animated comedy felt more real than that live action movie. This might be the best Minion movie we've gotten yet based on the film history angle! FYI - my son said this is the second best Minion movie and that it was really funny!

For info on Minions & Monster

This month we raise a glass to celebrate two of James Cameron's greatest works:

July 3, 1991: Terminator 2 Judgment Day opens

James Cameron’s greatest film was released in July 1991. It wasn’t Titanic or Avatar. It was Terminator 2! Anyone who wants to argue about this has not seen Terminator 2 or doesn’t like action movies. Picking up years after 1984′s Terminator, the stakes were a lot higher. Linda Hamilton also went deeper and more ass-kicking as Sara Connor. The visual effects were groundbreaking for the time. The story was very cool and ahead of its time, pre-dating the dot-com / AI boom. This was the best Terminator movie ever and the best work Cameron’s ever done. Happy 35th T2!

July 18, 1986: Aliens opens

June 27, 2026 @ Mass MoCA (North Adams, MA)

In 2010, Wilco announced a music festival they'd be headlining and curating at the Mass MoCA museum in North Adams, MA. I always thought it was so cool that the indie rock darlings from Chicago, who could probably do a music fest anywhere in the world they wanted chose a museum in Western MA. Officially called the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, the museum opened in 1999 on a factory building and campus. I had visited there a few years ago. North Adams is just below Vermont and much of the area reminds me of VT. Through this website, I've had the honor of covering Wilco (Ode to Joy, Cruel Country, Cousin, as well as RSD releases like Cross Eyed Strangers) as well as a leader Jeff Tweedy (soundtrack to Showbiz Kids, Love is The King, and last year's Twilight Override) as well as Tweedy's Oct. 2025 Boston concert. Even though it is MA, it's still two-and-a-half hours from me, hence I haven't had a chance to attend in the past. This year I made it to the 2026 Solid Sound Festival!

me taking in some art at Mass MoCA

I didn't make it to the opening day of the fest on Fri, but it kicked off with artists like Gang of Four as well as Billy Bragg and Wilco performing the entire Mermaid Avenue album. Heard it was amazing!

Elizabeth Moen onstage

I arrived on Sat. afternoon, by which point the fest was in full swing. Attendees can go inside the museum (which is worth checking out) and they had multiple stages for music as well as comedy, food trucks, arts, and various vendors. On the Courtyard C stage, I caught the tail end of Elizabeth Moen, who did a solid cover of The Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait". Then on the big stage in Joe's Field, they had World Record Yo-Yo. All I could think of was the episode of The Simpsons with yo-yo acrobats and then Bart and his friends became obsessed with yo-yo's. But I digress! The on the Courtyard D stage, they had Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band, who were rocking to say the least!

The Breeders onstage

Next up was The Breeders, one of my all-time favorites. I was lucky enough to see them perform on a taping of Last Call with Carson Daly in Aug. 2002. Then I got to see them do a free concert at McCarren Pool in Brooklyn in July 2008 and it was awesome! In 2023, I got to see them at House of Blues in Boston for the 30th anniversary of The Last Splash. The band started out as a side-project of Kim Deal while she was in The Pixies and slowly equaled and at times exceeded them. They played some of Last Splash's hits, notably "Drivin' on 9", "Cannonball", "Divine Hammer", and "Saints", which is a perfect Summer song from start to finish and I loved hearing it at a Summer fest! They also fit in their cover of The Beatles' "Happiness is a Warm Gun" and some others too. The band is often affiliated with Boston because of The Pixies, but the Deal sisters hail from Dayton, OH and there was some shout-outs to their home state. But the most meaningful statement was from bassist Josephine Wiggs who said "there's not many festivals where you can both enjoy a rock show AND see some art" and she thanked Wilco. So true! This is not a festival for philistines. It was not just an audience that respects music and art, but an audience that was well-bahaved during the show. You could literally hear a pin drop from the audience during some songs!

Wilco onstage

Then it was the headliners Wilco. I saw them live in 2008 opening for Neil Young at Madison Square Garden and it was phenomenal. The current lineup of the band is the same lineup from that show: Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche, Mikael Jorgensen, Nels Cline, and Pat Sansone. The show started in a surprising way: Bob James came out and played his theme song to Taxi. Then the band came out and they are about as tight a musical unit as you can imagine! No wonder they are often called the greatest American live band of the now. There were loads of guests too including Elizabeth Moen, Natalie Merchant, Macie Stewart, Leroy Bach, and Sylvan Esso. They have such a wide discography that there were loads of ground to cover, including tons of songs off Sky Blue Sky. Selfishly I wanted more from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot than just "Jesus, Etc". But for me the highlight of the whole entire festival was the encore closer "Spiders (Kidsmoke)", the epic 10 min. track from A Ghost is Born. It took me back to listening to that album a lot in the Summer of 2004 and feeling that song build and build and then kick into high gear! I've had the pleasure of covering Wilco releases over the years and getting to see them live again was a thrill! I just hope I don't wait another eighteen years for their next show!

I had to head back on Sun. so I didn't get to catch any of the last day at the fest. But the day was jam-packed with Wilco side projects including Mikael Jorgensen’s duo Expandards, John Stirratt’s duo The Autumn Defense, and Nels Cline’s Consentrik Quartet. But the show closer was Jeff Tweedy and Friends.

local art vending machines

Bottom line: I had a blast and would highly recommend the next Solid Sound! As Josephine Wiggs said, there's not many fests where you can enjoy a rock show and some art at the same time!

the sea of fans at Solid Sound

"Y.M.C.A" scene in Wayne's World 2

Village People singer Victor Willis has died at 74 (read the obit from EW here). The NYC disco group had a few hits in the 70s, the biggest being "Y.M.C.A." Willis is the one who was a cop and naval officer. The group had their controversies, notably that the song was used frequently by Trump and that Willis and the group took part in some of his rallies and the 2025 inauguration. Whatever you think about the Orange Menace, we can all agree "Y.M.C.A." was a pop standard. It is worth noting that in 1981 they released the album Renaissance, which was more punk and new wave leaning than their disco sound. A music geek friend I worked with at Fuse was blown away by it and said to me "what's crazier that Village People did a punk album or that Kiss did a disco album?", the answer is both!

Can't believe it's already the halfway point of 2026 and Summer is in full swing. In addition to Independence Day (7/4), here is what's on my radar:

Movies:

Evil Dead Burn

The 6th Evil Dead film is produced by Sam Raimi. With the exception of the TV series Ash Vs. Evil Dead, I haven't really cared for any since Raimi's original trilogy, but this new one has my attention. Opens 7/10.

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

I am a huge fan of the 90s MTV sketch comedy show and group The State. I was lucky enough to see them do a reunion show in 2023. This new comedy movie is practically a State reunion with director David Wain, co-writer Ken Marino, and several other alum in the cast. I so can't wait! Opens 7/10 (review to come).

The Odyssey

A Christopher Nolan movie, filmed in IMAX, based on Homer's The Odyssey, starring half of Hollywood is a cinematic event that I've been waiting for all year! Opens 7/17.

The Dink

I know, I know - another tennis movie?! But what got my attention about this is director Josh Greenbaum, who has very quietly become one of the great comedy and pop culture documentary directors of the now. His 2017 doc Too Funny to Fail about The Dana Carvey Show was one of my favorite docs of the last decade. Premieres 7/24 on Apple TV.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

It's been five years since Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was one of the best live-action Spider-Man movies. Now Tom Holland returns in the title role. Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is stepping in for Jon Watts, who stepped away after the last one. Opening 7/31.

Music:

The Rolling Stones Foreign Tongues

The 25th studio album from The Rolling Stones is upon us! Their last album Hackney Diamonds was a serious comeback and I even named it my #1 Album of 2023. New one drops 7/10.

Jack White Frozen Charlotte

The 7th solo album from Jack White is cause for celebration. He's been making a name for himself in recent years with his social media (read his take-downs of the Orange Menace if you don't believe me) and his new one has expectations high!

Sad13 1331

Speedy Ortiz singer Sadie Dupuis has done some awesome solo music under the name Sad13, including her 2020 album Haunted Painting. New one drops 7/10 (review to come).

America 250:

Anyone who knows me or reads this site knows I am a big consumer of lists and maker of lists. After a year ends, I roll out my Best Of lists for that previous year. Something that's becoming more common among critics is to come out with “Best of the Year So Far” lists in June. I personally don’t make these…but if I was to, here’s some contenders (no order, just namechecks):

Movies:

Disclosure Day, The Invite, Send Help, The Sheep Detectives, and Toy Story 5

Worth noting: Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu looked and sounded fantastic in IMAX. Wouldn't call it one of the best of the year, but the experience of seeing it at Jordan's IMAX was spectacular

Documentaries:

Man on the Run, The Last Critic, Your Attention Please, One in a Million, and The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel

Albums:

Foo Fighters' Your Favorite Toy, Courtney Barnett's Creature of Habit, Snail Mail's Ricochet, The Claypool Lennon Delirium's The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy, and Ed O'Brien's Blue Morpho

Television:

I’ve been lucky enough to cover the Northeast Comic Con (read my coverage here) for a few years now. It's a fun cool convention for lovers of comics, pop culture, and collectibles. Not as big as the arena conventions where you can barely move, but plenty of fun celeb sightings, panels, cosplay and exhibitors! They also have plenty of parking, which other cons lack. Periodically the NECC puts on a smaller Collectibles Extravaganza, which is focused on exhibitors catering to collectors. This past weekend was the Summer edition of Collectibles Extravaganza at the Boxborough Regency (Boxborough, MA).

monster display at one of the exhibitor booths

The thing that’s fun about this kind of event is it’s still catering to pop culture obsessives and fan culture. I sold a few items and picked up some new ones. We arrived a little late in the day on Sunday and it's best to get there earlier in the convention before everyone is breaking down. But still had a blast!

Decades after getting into The Pixies with their album Surfer Rosa and then getting to see them reunited in 2004, I have gotten to cover the group here on this blog a number of times over the years. In addition to reviewing their 2016 album Head Carrier, 2019′s Beneath the Eyrie, 2022’s Doggerel, and 2024's The Night the Zombies Came, as well as getting to review their re-issue of 1988′s classic Come On Pilgrim… It'sSurfer Rosa and I got to do a concert review on my birthday in 2017! In May 2001, the group released Complete B-Sides: 1988-1997. The group broke up in 1993 and they eventually reunited in 2004. The compilation was made up of B-sides from their classic 4AD era. For the 40th anniversary of The Pixies this year and the 25th anniversary of that compilation, it is being reissued this week.

album cover

All of the tracks have been remastered from the original analogue tapes. I am a Pixies fan, so naturally I took to this compilation immediately. My all-time favorite Pixies compilation album is 1997's Death to The Pixies, which is now out of print. It combined the best selections from their original album releases from 1987-1991. This album grabs some solid tracks but the emphasis was more on their b-sides and rarities. This is worth checking out just for some of the select tracks like "In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)" from Eraserhead, "Wave of Mutilation (U.K. Surf)" from Pump Up the Volume, the cover of Neil Young's "I've Been Waiting for You" (later covered by David Bowie with Dave Grohl on guitar), and numerous others. Bottom line: Pixies are always worth checking out and this has some solid b-sides that are cool as a compilation if you have some and not others!

For info on Complete B-Sides: 1988-1997

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