Great Bowie Song...Average Movie..."Golden Years"

Golden Years (2016) C

Not Rated

Starring Bernard Hill, Virginia McKenna, Simon Callow, Phil Davis, Alun Armstrong, Una Stubbs,

Directed by John Miller

The Story:

Arthur and Martha Goode (Hill & McKenna) are retired and living a modest life when their pensions are wiped away during the financial crisis. Faced with no money and Martha's medical care, the duo decide that life is too short at their age to take this kind of nonsense sitting down, so they begin robbing banks to get their money back. As their notoriety grows, so too their gang, but drawing ever closer are the footsteps of the law who would really like to stop the robberies if that's okay.

Interesting concept that fails in execution.

At just a shade over 90 minutes, the pacing of the film made it feel oh so much longer. I thought I watched a 2 - 2 1/2 hour movie when this was over.

Amusing at times, but not filmed as a comedy, and neither is it serious enough to be taken as a drama, it simply exists.

A showcase for Britain's aging actors, and that's fine, but this is no Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, but absolutely nothing to rush out and need to see.

Which is a shame, as the heart was in the right place, it just didn't come out great in the finished product.

Final Grade: C

An Overnight Sensation, 10 Years In The Making! "We Are Twisted F***ing Sister!"

We Are Twisted F***ing Sister (2014)

Not Rated

Starring Twisted Sister (Jay Jay French, Dee Snider, A.J. Pero, Eddie Ojeda, Mark Mendoza)

Written and Directed by Andrew Horn

The Story:

Twisted Sister started out as a bar band in New York. A glam rock band influenced by David Bowie but with a much harder edge, the band's cult following in New York in the early 70s began to really take shape when they added frontman Dee Snider on vocals. He insisted on wearing the clothes and makeup that Twisted Sister is known for, and eventually all of the members joined in. They quickly became the most famous band in the tri-state area, selling out venues that artists without record deals shouldn't even play in, let alone sell out. This is the story of how success turned to failure and more failure and even more failure as they kept reaching for the brass ring and kept getting knocked down in the process.

It's fascinating. It's heartwarming.

It's awesome.

Andrew Horn used crowdfunding and the participation of Twisted Sister to make this amazing documentary.

If you're like me, you know and remember Twisted Sister for their 2 singles in the mid 80s that catapulted them to stardom. Well, aside a brief mention at the end of the movie, that period isn't even mentioned.

If you were in New York or Europe from the mid 70's through 1982, then you might have already known all about this group, and how the world seemingly conspired against them to keep them from realizing mainstream success.

That's what this film is about.

Each member of the band is interviewed separately and that allows for some great insight from each on what they thought of their life in the band and the long road to fame.

Fans are also interviewed because without the fans, it's likely that Twisted Sister never does become famous.

Also interviewed are the managers and executives that tried to get their careers off the ground, to varying degrees of success.

It's such an amusing comeuppance to the record company executive that refused to sign the band, and their success was a giant F. U. right back at the suits who attempted to keep them down.

Those that believed were vindicated, and all the while, Twisted Sister just kept moving forward.

Rock on.

The documentary is streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

You don't have to be a fan of metal or even the band to enjoy this one. If you do, your enjoyment will be increased.

It's the heart of the story that carries this one above and beyond the ordinary.

Final Grade: A-

This Is What It Sounds Like When We All Cry... R.I.P. Prince 1958-2016

 

 

What the $%&@* ?!?!

I would say that was probably the collective reaction to most of America and most of the music-loving world yesterday when we found out that Prince Rogers Nelson passed away.

Prince.

Surely it had to be a mistake, another internet hoax that people would debunk shortly.

I was driving home yesterday and was halfway through a Prince song, it ended, and then another Prince song started.

I looked at my radio and thought, maybe this station is doing rock block Thursday?

Then the song ended and the announcer repeated that the breaking news from 45 minutes earlier, Prince had passed away.

WTF!!!???

Well, one doesn't just spontaneously burst into tears while driving, but I was crying hard on the inside.

Trying to wrap my head around the fact that one of the greatest musical artists of all time, and most importantly for me, one of the pillars of my 80s musical childhood was gone.

Takes the wind right out of your sails.

I now have 2 musical regrets in my life:

I had concert tickets to see David Bowie back in 1989/1990. We ended up not going because Tacoma was a long way from Scio and college and life... so we didn't go see him.

About 5 years ago, Prince was coming to North Charleston, and I got tickets! But with little Ari on the way, momma didn't want to risk damaging little ones ears by attending the concert, and I really didn't want to go without her.  In hindsight, I wish I had taken one of my daughters and gone, because I know the concert would have been amazing. But we didn't go.

You always think, well, I'll get to their concert the next time they come around.

Sadly, eventually they stop coming around.

So if you ever get the chance to see your favorites, do it. Don't have any musical regrets in life!

Thankfully, I have the music. I can pull up life footage on YouTube or watch his amazing SuperBowl halftime show again.

Sure, it's not the same, but at least it's something.

The man was a creative force of genius and the world is a better place for having him in it, and we are now worse off for him no longer being here.

But oh, the music he did leave for us.

Pick the best Prince song.

It's nearly impossible.

Sure you can try and pick a favorite, but then you go, oh but there's this one, and there's that one...

He was incredible.

Take the Purple Rain Soundtrack out of the equation, and he still had a mountain of memorable hits.

Heck, I never even saw the movie until it was celebrating it's 20th, or 25th Anniversary. I had the soundtrack, I never even bothered with the film!

And yes, the film was as energetic and full of life as the star of the movie.

Prince created a mountain of music.

Then he became "The Artist Formerly Known As..."

Then he finally reconciled with the studio and reclaimed his name and was set to release new material.

My hope, that while his long fight with his record label may have slowed the output of released material, I have a feeling that Prince has a back catalog that could be released posthumously.

In addition to all of the music he gave us personally, we also have some Prince hits out there that he wrote but didn't perform.

Everyone remembers Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O'Conner.

But there was Stand Back by Stevie Nicks;  I Feel For You by Chaka Khan; Sugar Walls by Sheena Easton; and Manic Monday by the Bangles, among others.

Like I said, he's one of the pillars that gave us great 80s music, and his legacy will never be forgotten.

As for that best Prince song?

I really love Raspberry Beret.

But man, Kiss sure is great and lots of fun.

The awesome duet U Got The Look with Sheena Easton.

Then there's the hauntingly sorrowful guitar on Purple Rain that chokes you up.

And who can forget the ultimate party anthem, 1999?

So many great songs.

Thankfully I'm not behind the wheel of a car right now, so I guess it's okay to finally cry.

Thanks for a lifetime of musical memories, Prince.

Legend Doesn't Begin To Describe Him... R.I.P. David Bowie 1947-2016

Well, I can imagine that it's safe to say that if you're a fan of pop/rock music, you've woken up and are reacting to the gut-punch of losing David Bowie with shock, anger, sadness, and the whole range of emotions.

Musical legends don't come along every day, and I would say that Bowie's career rivals him to be in the same ballpark as The Beatles and Stones when discussing his career and influence.

Not bad for a guy who had to change his name from Davy Jones so as to not be confused with the lead singer of The Monkees!

My first memory of the music of David Bowie was an appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1979 where he performed "Boys Keep Swinging" with a puppet body.

It creeped me out! I just re-watched the video, and it's still a little bizarre, and the child inside of me trembled just a little bit.

:)

Fast forward to the 80s, and I finally moved the dial on my FM radio to Top 40 music.

Needless to say, when asked for the best decade of music, I am a firm believer in the 80s.

And that's where I met David Bowie again for the first time.

"Let's Dance"

"China Girl"

"Modern Love"

Those 3 songs alone are a great testament to the man's musical legacy, and it would be joined on the radio for me with a past classic "Under Pressure" with Queen.

Needless to say, I was a fan.

As time moved forward, so did Bowie, continually releasing new music and changing his style. Bowie continued releasing music into the next millennium, including the release of his latest album which came out just days before he passed away. All recorded while he battled cancer.
I actually went backward and learned most of Bowie's hits because my wife was a big fan and she introduced me to much of his back catalog.  That knowledge served me well because after joining the military, at my first duty section we played classic rock while rigging parachutes all day. Guess who was a staple with his 70s hits?  Yep, David Bowie.

Amusingly, many of my favorite 80s bands were influenced by the very same David Bowie who was releasing music right alongside them.

For that, and for all of his music, I will forever be grateful.