04/10/08
GLENNA BELL
GLENNA BELL/Road Less Traveled: Has anybody been recognized by the Texas legislature for their music since Gary P. Nunn? Bell now joins that august rank with her tunes. A real from the heart folk rocker, Bell may or may not reach the top of the charts with hit singles, but if we were still living in an album world, this would be one of the sets all the hip kids would be toting in their back packs. Coming at you with a real load of Texas in her soul, Bell delivers the kind of set that cold cocks you when you don’t expect it and just makes you want to turn everyone on to her. Killer stuff that you don’t have to be a tied in the wool folkie to love.
(www.glannabell.com)
HEAVY HITTER
SIRHAN SIRHAN/Blood: New punks want to bring back the old SoCal punk and do so with transplanted, Midwest energy that is almost scary. Using everything including the kitchen sink for effect, this is music for effect that’s meant to jolt somnambulant suburbs out of compliancy and their wake it’s youth and prepare them to ready for the kill. You bet it’s a non-stop sonic assault that Ritalin dulled synapses will love as they contemplate revenge on soccer moms that have locked their medicine cabinets.
17 (Anodyne)
DVD SUPPLEMENT
SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
WALK HARD-THE DEWEY COX STORY: In which we find reliable actor John Reilly eyeballing Will Farrell’s bank account and realizing that it’s time for a career change within the career. Following in the footsteps of Rob Schneider, Reilly hits high with low comedy making fun of late 20th century rock stars. With a bunch of SNL vets along for support, Reilly makes the move from musical comedies to comedies with music in fine style hitting the marks typical to this genre, ok box office but legs that will probably run forever on vid. Fun, joke a minute stuff in the Judd Apatow vein of contemporary comedy, this bizzaro world rock mockumentary is a must for those that find Chris Guest and his pals too literate.
PARAMOUNT
CLOVERFIELD: Well, ok, a horror movie for the clinically detached, pomo “Real World” generation in which Blair Witch meets up with Godzilla to destroy New York while a bunch of self involved mopes deal with it and their feelings. It doesn’t keep you on the edge of your seat but it’s strangely involving. The disc has loads of stuff that wasn’t in the theater and you can make your own popcorn event. Damn, if only Gamera would show up. He’d probably get pissed and stomp all over the protagonists.
WARNER HOME VIDEO
ONE MISSED CALL: In which we find college kids terrorized by the voice mail from hell. Not a call from mom, not a call from the evil step father, the call that plays what the end of their life is going to sound like!!!!!!! Can we find out who and where this is coming from? Will we all die by picking up the phone? Foo on voice mail!!! It might not be cinema for the ages but for kids that like to be scared on their own big screen TVs, this is a sure bet.
THE 11TH HOUR: Yeah, we know we’re supposed to care, but here’s Leo DiCaprio to lecture us for 92 minutes that we’re dopes for letting the end of the world slip through our fingers by not taking better care of the planet. You like documentaries that nicely hit you over the head with the fact that you aren’t doing your part to erase your carbon footprint and be greener, check it out. It does retail for $5 so you don’t have to spend heavily to hear what a creep you are.
Volume 31/Number 162
April 10, 2008
MIDWEST RECORD
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Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
©2008 Midwest Record