Todd A. Britt let us know that he was about to purchase tickets to see the Patron Saints of Mutantville Rock, Rush in their sole Carolina’s tour date, many of the MVP Players were on board the caravan instantly. The tickets we NOT cheap but anyone who’s seen a Rush show knows that it’s so much more than just a concert. Indeed, it’s a multi-media experience.
Todd, Geo the Lincolnator and I were in our seats 45 minutes prior to the showtime and the excitement slowly built to a fever pitch by the time the lights went down. The show was kicked off by part of a short film called, “RASH” which re-caste the trio as caricatures of themselves in a doughnut shop, whining about the young polka band playing in the corner. The concept of a time machine a comically obsess Alex Lifeson carries around is introduced and we’re are treated to a hilarious montage feature Rush as babies to chimps to boys to men.
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The band steps on stage during the final frames of the intro film. What is quit possibly the most technical band performance this writer has ever seen ensues. Twenty years have passed since I last saw these “long awaited friends.” Technically speaking, they have only gotten to be better players over that period. I felt that this time, far more than the last show I caught, they really cut lose and showed the technical prowess that made them famous.
When we got to the obligatory 20 minute Pert drum solo, I was once again amazed that on human being with only 2 hands and 2 feet could produce so many complex sounds. The famous drum kit rotates about half way through and suddenly the drums are keying synth loops and Neil becomes a one man jazz band. It was truly, truly a site to behold. He’s quit possibly the greatest drummer who has ever lived. Simply amazing to behold.
The MVP Players left with their minds blown and their love for music just a little closer to the heart.
In preparation for this article this reviewer has read half a dozen other reviews by people who supposedly are “Expert” critics. I have found them all at a polar opposite positions to my own. One such reviewer wrote “Just a dull mix of leather-clad girls shooting a group of generic enemies”. Wow. I have no idea what film she watched because there was nothing dull about Sucker Punch. That came from a female so I guess it’s a bit more understandable, but it comes off as really catty to me. Clearly, Sucker Punch is the male version of female empowerment. Still any true fan of action on the screen CGI or otherwise has to appreciate the look and pacing of this film.
The story slips seamlessly between reality, melodrama and fantasy and works on all 3 levels.While watching humanoids in NYC give Grace Randolph their thoughts on the new Zack Snyder film “Sucker Punch” via Indymogul.com, I realized that there are certain catch words that anyone can say to make themselves seem more intelligent when creatively bitching about a film. One of these is “story”. Fans love to bitch about story even if they have no idea what a great one really looks like. Honestly, I think the multi-tiered story confused people. So, in their minds it can’t be that the film’s true depth of “story” slipped by them. It must be that the films story was poor to begin with. While I’m not proposing the story was truly great, it’s far from awful and it is original.
Sucker Punch tells us the story of ‘Baby Doll’, a young girl who, after the death of her mother has been framed for the murder of her younger sister and sent to a mental institution by her abusive stepfather.
While she’s there, she hides away in an alternative reality and teams up with a group of other girls at the institute to help her escape. They must, along with a mysterious stranger, fight through fantasy worlds to get the five items they will need to be free.
Upon our first jaunt in the fantasy world we’re given the characters true dramatic arc which will play out for the rest of the picture. “Your journey will set you free.” Baby Doll is imprisoned, both in reality and in her mind. Her dramatic need is too become free. It won’t be easy and will require great sacrifice. The so called, action set pieces we are treated to throughout the rest of the film are a metaphor for this and do they ever look great.
Mech Warriors, Steampunk Nazi Zombies, WW2 Style Air Battles, Dragons, Hi tech futuristic robot battle sequences and more. I ask you, what’s not to love? See this film in theaters. IT IS EPIC! At the end of the day, it all comes down to “Did the film entertain me?” Personally, speaking, yes. This film was very, very entertaining. Check it out
That time is upon us once again, oh true believers. Where it once took decades before the master of modern horror would release another film in his epic zombie series, now over the course of the past five years – George A. Romero has released three new dead films and counting! This weekend, George A. Romero’s latest zombie opus Survival of the Dead opens on VOD, Amazon, X-Box Live and in a limited theatrical run. The Mutantville Players were fortunate enough to catch an early showing of Survival of the Dead during an advance screening premiere at the historic Carolina Theatre in Durham, NC back on April 2nd, 2010. MVP was pleasantly surprised by Romero’s latest zombie yarn as it was a light-hearted departure from the nihilistic overtones of the previous entries in the “Dead” series. Fans expecting another dark and depressing bloodbath will most likely leave the theater disappointed – but fans of enjoyable zombie romps such as Shaun of the Dead, Dead Alive, and Return of the Living Dead should enjoy Romero’s latest zombie pic.
Check out the official trailer on Youtube:
Here’s a nice little sneak peek behind the scenes of the making of George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead. As an interesting side note – MVP was able to view this early footage way back in February of 2009 when George Romero hosted the American Zombie Film Festival here in North Carolina.
Hop on over to Break.com and listen as the master George A. Romero discusses his ideas for his latest effort Survival of the Dead. Romero discusses what has been called his neo-western approach taken in his most recent zombie film.
In case you don’t like George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead, that is fine – we all have different tastes – but if you say some kind of nonsense like Romero needs to stop making zombie films – then you need to stop critiquing movies and in the words of the immortal Captain Rhodes – you should CHOKE ON ‘EM! CHOKE ON ‘EM!!! Haters will hate.
Keep on making zombie films, George. We’ll keep watching!
It’s after 1am on a Wednesday night. 8am meeting thirty minutes away tomorrow morning. But….It’s worth it. I just returned from seeing/listening to the Alice Cooper & Rob Zombie show in Charlotte. It was great!
The wait is over! Alice Cooper & Rob Zombie will share the stage for a very limited time! Get tickets and more info at www.alicecooper.com and www.robzombie.com
The night started off with Alice Cooper. I’ve always seen his performances on TV and on film but never live…so once I was invited, I wanted to see his stage show. It was cool. Lots of theatrics, which were cool. Everything sounded good as well. There is still a lot of the tour and you can find more about it on Alice Cooper’s page. TOUR DATES!
For more info – www.eagle-rock.com Alice Cooper’s live shows are legendary for their sense of rock theatre and sheer visual spectacle. This latest addition to our range of titles from the renowned Montreux Festival catches Alice Cooper at his very be…
Next on the bill…Rob Zombie! Wow. He had a huge screen behind the drums and then 3 screens behind him on stage and 2 in front. He had cool film, footage, and effects going the entire show. They had some cool footage. For you horror fans, they had some “Night of the Living Dead” there was some Japanese Anime, some campy old school looking stuff, some gogo dancers, etc… It was a great show. As a guitarist, I was impressed by John 5. I’ve watched a lot of videos with him on YouTube and knew he was great at chicken pickin’ and loves Telecasters.
Thought I’d put a little Rob Zombie on here…but decided to go more old school Zombie!
Iron Man 2 opened nation wide this past weekend. Early box office estimates have the latest Marvel superhero opus raking in over one-hundred and thirty million for it’s opening weekend. MVP’s own premiere Mutantville Player, Streebo was granted access to an early screening last week. Check out the video below to see what he thought of the latest effort from Robert Downey jr. and Jon Favreau. Remember to keep checking Mutantville.com for your latest in genre reviews and news.
Streebo made the trip out for the midnight opening of the remake of Wes Craven’s classic slasher film A Nightmare On Elm Street. Watch the video to hear his thoughts on the story, the kill scenes and Jackie Earle Haley’s performance as Freddy Krueger. For more up to the minute reviews of modern horror – keep checking Mutantville.com!
MVP was on hand this past Saturday night as the Halloween tribute film “Judith” premiered in Chapel Hill. “Judith” was written by Kenny Caperton – owner of the Myers House NC – and directed by Josh Hasty – director of “A Mannequin in Static”. “Judith” expands the story of Judith Myers and her influence on her serial killer to be brother – Michael.
Read the official synopsis from the Myers House NC website:
“TRICK-OR-TREAT! It’s Halloween day in the quiet rural community of Haddonfield, Illinois. Judith Myers and her best friend D’arcy Mims are planning a Halloween night campout at The Myers House with their friends. Judith is trying to forget the growing tensions in her family and wants to immerse herself in a carefree celebration, but her reclusive brother’s presence casts an ominous shadow over their cheerful preparations.
This short film breaths life into an often overlooked character from John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN – Judith Myers may have only had a short appearance in the classic film, but she nevertheless played a crucial role in the forming of the Michael Myers story. Director Josh Hasty (A Mannequin in Static) and writer Kenny Caperton (the creator of The Myers House NC) join forces to reinvent a classic character in an original new story.“
DD
