Friday, March 31, 2017

GOOD News Month Starts a Day Early


New Music and more New Music on the final day of March 2017. Calvin Harris has done it again with a new song featuring an unlikely trio of guests, Young Thug, Pharrell Williams and Ariana Grande.

But on the other side of town Kendrick Lamar has released his second new song this month and warn that Friday April 7, we may see a brand new album from the talent artist.

Kendrick Lamar is an artist, a word smith and an extremely talented individual, I have been following him for a while and following on from his biggest hit King Kunta, it's great having new music from Kendrick Lamar and it gets Good News Month starting a little earlier than expected.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

April is Good News Month


April has a Good Friday in it, but why can't April be all good? All good in News that is. Not Fake News, good news!

Tune in all April as I will endeavour to bring you as much good news as humanly possible this April, along with the usual shit, movie reviews, what I think about Wentworth Season 5 (I think that will actually be good news in itself) and random bits and bobs.

Yes there are a lot of cunty media types these days who write vile opinion pieces and editorials that would be better served as shit paper than something in the newspaper, so let's impress the good.

Good News Month - All April 2017 - Right Here!

But it's nearly April so let the good news start here - RIGHT NOW

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

So has Splendour In The Grass Lineup Leaked?


What is an announcement in 2017 anyway? Fake News, fake tour posters and maybe the poster featured HERE is a fake but if like me you studied the Fuji Rock Festival line up, there are a few acts here who will also be gracing a festival stage in Japan around the same time as Splendour 2017.

With Live Nation now owning Splendour it allows the company to be paying the big bucks for some serious headliners. And you don't get much more serious than LCD Soundsystem, The xx, Gorillaz, Lorde and Haim.

I for one will not be attending but I love a good sideshow in the Aussie winter months.

With Gorillaz and LCD Soundsystem apparently exclusive and if you care Animal Collective are apparently exclusive too.

The "line up" poster in question also features a number of "hot" local acts who have recent releases which are begging to be performed live on a festival stage, like:

Ali Barter (Flashing off the Record's feature album this week!)
Allday
Miami Horror (well not an album but an EP on the way)
Amy Shark (well not an album but an EP on the way)
King Gizzard & the Lizzard Wizzard (actually apparently they have like 17 albums coming out this year)
Bliss N Eso

Not only this but Triple J and industry favourites Tash Sultana, Vera Blue, Stormzy, The Smith Street Band, and Alex Lahey join this apparent bill.

If it's true it's a pretty good return to form for Splendour and hopefully we can bring on the sideshows.

Not to mention if this is the state of play in music 2017 is pretty exciting and on Flashing off the Record I have an exciting announcement re: GOOD music coming this week.

Monday, March 27, 2017

Silver Screen in 2017 {Power Rangers}


I was never big on Power Rangers at the time of their mass popularity but I was willing to give this live action film a go, so here we go GO GO POWER RANGERS!



So of course there are sequels in the works and the young cast do well with the material they are given to work with. Elizabeth Banks is unrecognisable as the villain Rita Repulsa and of course the cutest Power Ranger is the Black one AKA the Asian one Ludi Lin.

There is a lesbian Power Ranger and an autistic Power Ranger making this the first blockbuster film to feature a lesbian & autistic superhero.

The plot is pretty thin but the action at times is a lot of fun and really isn't the point of these movies to take us away from our every day lives? In a modern world of fake news and even more fake people in the public eye these movies give us two hours to forget the shit. And I applaud this distraction.

Power Rangers is not going to win any awards nor will it most likely be the best action/super hero film of 2017 but you know it was fun, I give it a pass mark and a wee bit extra for it's inclusiveness of 2.75 Stars.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Shots Fired - Event Drama Series.


The new marketing spin for a drama series is EVENT DRAMA SERIES or TV DRAMA EVENT. It ain't an event it's usually a series of events like 10 episodes or more (or less in the case of Feud), but in Shots Fired case it's a ten episode wonder which has just launched on FOX in the USA.

No points for guessing the story around the title but yes shots are fired and they are fired from a black cop in the direction of an unarmed white man. Sound familiar USA?

Helen Hunt and Stephen Moyer make their returns to TV and Stephan James and Tristan Wilds are worth watching this show for alone.

Honestly another cop drama and adding race relations to it is not a fresh idea but the spin of a black cop shooting a white dude is a semi new spin.

The investigation is set up in the pilot and I expect the remaining nine episodes to have many twists and turns. I enjoyed the pilot and with almost 5 million live viewers in the USA it's done a lot better than a lot of other FOX titles this 2016-2017 season.

Shots Fired is shaping up to be like American Crime holding a mirror up to contemporary America and unfortunately it's not being made great again. Instead it's bleak and far from the Hollywood, New York and Miami images a lot outside the USA view as some kind of paradise. Paradise it is not, broken and divided it is.

I am looking forward to seeing how this plays out, Shots Fired is a mostly intelligent drama. In a world of amateur hour reality shows we should reward creatives willing to take a go on real stories, real issues.

Friday, March 24, 2017

The Flash & Supergirl get MUSICAL


After an all to wrong musical episode of Agent Carter, another comic book series has gone there, The Flash with a little help from former Glee star who has transformed into Supergirl!

The cast from Supergirl really is a little musical and with a guest appearance from fellow Glee star Darren Criss. Melissa Benoist AKA Supergirl played Marley in Glee in Seasons 4 & 5 and has also done a few musicals live on stage in her time.

Jeremy Jordan (also from Supergirl) was in the less than successful series Smash and multiple leading roles on Broadway so he can sing!

So the pairing of Barry Allen and Supergirl for another crossover was an interesting installment of the two shows. The Flash is easily one of The CW's most successful shows right now, the musical episode DUET scored 2.71 million live viewers and with numbers like that with 7 day viewing numbers it's likely the episode will reach 5 million viewers, plus all the torrent and international viewers.

The episode has also seen an EP released bringing The CW more income from the series.

Currently in the Australian iTunes store the track "Runnin' Home to You" by Barry Allen AKA Grant Gustin is sitting @ #51.



Grant Gustin had a small role in Glee and also was cast in West Side Story on Broadway. Who knew superheroes could crossover to the music scene.

Both shows have been renewed on The CW as has fellow crossover shows The Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Silver Screen in 2017 {Life}


Apparently their is a new Aliens film on the way but in the meantime it's up to LIFE to give us our fix of sci-fi horror.

A tense and crazy thrill ride of a sci-fi thriller, Life is exceptional with a great cast and claustrophobic setting if ever I have seen one.



Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds lead this terrific tense film.

Staying under the two mark and mostly set in space on an international space station the crew find "something" or "Calvin" (not Harris) from Mars.

The movie builds slowly but reaches a point where the tension consistently builds and builds!

It's a fun thrill ride which takes the viewer along with them, through the terror that unfolds on the space station circling Earth, is there something else out there? If so, what? It's X-Files type shit all over again!

I liked this film a lot, it's fun, it's well paced and Jake Gyllenhaal can really just do no wrong. The film opens today and it's one for the list ahead of all the shitty April/Easter School Holidays films. Smurfs anyone? Fuck No is my direct answer.

Life, it's great and the film is not too bad either, 4 space bound Stars.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Star finishes with MULTIPLE bangs and this weeks Feature Record REMIXED


What a long BLOG post title, what a fraud!

This week saw mid season show STAR finish with a big finale and the exciting prospect of Season 2 whenever that will air. Fox in the USA has long brought the viewer music dramas which not only bring us original and cover song performance but a look into the world of diversity.

Star brought us many different nationalities together for common goals and also diversity and acceptance to the front with a trans African American character Cotton front and centre with touching and real story-lines. Like Laverne Cox in Orange is the New Black this is real progress.

Orange is the New Black being on Netflix is often a lot more gritty being exempt about worrying about ratings and what may or may not offend a live audience but Star has done well.

Women's rights and the disgusting violence against women was also covered by the lead character Star and her vile footballer boyfriend.

The series leaves us with multiple questions and plot lines unanswered, I for one can not wait for Season 2. This show like Glee & Empire ahead of it Star has shown diversity and add in stories straight from the real (or sometimes FAKE) news makes for great drama television.

Star was not a huge ratings hit like Empire but if you like music, drama and a well writtern show, Star is for y'all.

Onto other matters I had no room for this on my other BLOG but Khalid's outstanding album has been my feature all week and here is a remix which landed on St Patricks day and my cousin's 31st BDAY.


Related Star Audio/Visual:



Saturday, March 18, 2017

Silver Screen in 2017 {Kong: Skull Island}


I have to be honest and up front, for a short period I worked on a major musical based on Kong himself and prior to this was a huge Kong Planet of the Apes fan so this review may sound biased, but it's not.

With that out of the way, onto Kong: Skull Island.



With War for the Planet of the Apes due out in July, it's a big year for monkeys/apes/animals on the big screen.

The all star cast (along with Kong) makes this an epic action/war film out now.

I was so upset I missed it in it's first week but was lucky enough to catch it Friday night. Ok so Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston were on paper strange choices but Samuel L Jackson was a must for this film.

John Goodman making a real second impact was great in this film, much like when he was on the hit show Damages with Glenn Close and the divine Rose Byrne.

Jing Tian was the most oddly cast, she said all of 11 words and was a very random inclusion, however she is stunning so fair play. And she was also killer in The Great Wall which I equally liked.

Corey Hawkins also starred and is unrecognizable from his recent lead TV role in 24: Legacy. He is smoking HOT!

So the action is HUGE, the cast is amazing and honestly I am not sad that this might be a lead in film for several more monster films like maybe Kong Vs Godzilla say?

This is a fun and exciting journey out to the cinema and to a secret land which may or not exist, great escapism, pure cinema blockbuster fun at it's best, I'm going and living large on this one 4 Stars.

Friday, March 17, 2017

The Catch Season 2.


Shonda's latest series starring Peter Krause who was famously Nate Fisher on one of the first Golden Years of TV series Six Feet Under.

The Catch returns after a semi interesting cliffhanger. The main thing I was excited about was the handsome Jay Hayden returning to my TV set. The handsome young gentleman in a series where people get their kit of commonly unfortunately is never seen in anything less than a button up shirt.

Wah!



Wardrobe can we hurry and get Jay Hayden in a singlet top or better yet no singlet!

The Catch is super light hearted and very easy to watch, but sometimes the show needs a little bit more going on than constant costume changes and a very PC or PG sex scene.

We will see how episode two goes but this is nowhere near as intriguing as How to Get Away with Murder but I'll stick around for hunky Jay Hayden.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

American Crime Season 3.


American Crime on TV looks like Trump's broken America, yes season 3 examines the various forms of poverty currently in the USA where a nation is being sold it is going to be Great Again. Will it though?

The cast again includes Felicity Huffman and a few others from the past two seasons. Series three however feels darker, and with only eight episodes this is compelling viewing.

The down and out USA is freighting and you already know the future is not bright for these characters we have just been introduced to.



Not to be confused with Ryan Murphy's American Crime Story this is going to get dark this year and it's very timely release shows an America that a lot of Americas would not be comfortable watching. I expect the show to receive many more awards and award nominations.

I throughly enjoyed episode one and I look forward to episode two.

Monday, March 13, 2017

The Americans Season 5.


Renewed already for a sixth and final series The Americans returns to TV screens NOW. The first episode debuted at just under one million viewers but critical acclaim.

Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys return for another outing as two of the most amazing KGB agents of all time.

Season Five sees another 13 episodes coming your way and with the spy drama keeping deeper and deeper.

The season is set to run until May 30, 2017 and here is a wee sample of what is in store for y'all.



After the US election and Russian hacks The Americans is never more real and relevant.

The Americans is a show well deserving of it's title added to the Golden Age in TV. If you have a chance or room on your TV dance card give this show a go.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Silver Screen in 2017 {Jasper Jones}


This movie is simply outstanding, after two sell out seasons at Belvoir Street and a popular book, Jasper Jones comes alive on the big screen.



After the outstanding LION it looks like 2017 is looking up for Australian cinema. Rachel Perkins has done a solid job directing this terrific Australian film. After the excellence of Bran Nu Dae this is as far from musical as you can get.

A strong cast lead by Australian legends like Toni Collette and Hugo Weaving with TV and Belvoir regular Dan Wyllie and Matthew Sable along for the ride. Young up starts Levi Miller and Jasper Jones himself Aaron L. Miller do outstanding jobs too as the younger leads.

The movie covers race (both aboriginal and Vietnamese during the Vietnam war), family violence, divorce, coming of age and love all under two hours. Great editing by someones standards as usually a drama like this bangs on for hours.

I enjoy every minute of Jasper Jones and I am happy to say 2017 is looking grand for Australian cinema. I never usually talk or promote another film in a film reviews post but the exciting trailer for Dance Academy aired during this film and boy does it look good.


I never watched the entire series but I have seen bits n pieces and think even I will be a fan by the end of the movie.

Back to Jasper Jones, it's a solid effort and a 4 Star film, it's currently $10 at Event Cinemas per ticket if your a Cinebuzz member.

Friday, March 10, 2017

Feud | Season 1 (Bette and Joan)


Oh dear Ryan Murphy is back and he delivers FX/Fox their next drama in the form of Feud. Like Scream Queens it is camp and aimed straight at the gays.

After seeing this up in many train stations across Sydney I was intrigued and launched myself into Feud. Another anthology series by Murphy and like American Horror Story and American Crime Story a new story/characters will be featured in each season.

The show has already been given a second series set to focus on Charles and Diana and will receive an additional two episodes equally a season of ten episodes.

Bette & Joan like The Blacklist Redemption will only be a limited eight episode run and hopefully Murphy will be focused enough to deliver a solid series.

FX is currently on a high with breakout hits like Atlanta and Murphy's other critical and award winning hit American Crime Story. American Horror Story continues to excite it's loyal fans and Legion the latest comic book series despite not rating well has been well received by critics.

Whether or not Feud will be Murphy's next stellar hit time will tell, but it is great seeing Lange and Sarandon on the screen together, not to mention the fabulous Catherine Zeta-Jones.

So far I have to say Feud is an interesting new tale and I series I will definitely see until the end credits of episode eight.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Rain, Rain, Rain and MORE Rain


Yes it's almost been two straight weeks of rain (on and off) here in Sydney and I have to say I am well over it. But on the other hand I am enjoying not feeling guilty about catching up and being almost up to date with all my shows.

Like hell WENTWORTH returns next month (early April to be exact), FUED has started it's eight episode first season run and THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF SYDNEY is delicious camp fun.

Foxtel real does have a good run of drama on at present.

On the other hand Netflix are about to upload another Marvel hit series IRON FIST and SENSE8 returns early May. THE GET DOWN will air it's second half of the first season early next month and HOUSE OF CARDS returns late May.

It's all good with scripted dramas and apparently the USA will spit out over 500 scripted series in 2017.

When will the rain in Sydney cease? Who fucking knows but at least there is some entertainment on the old idiot box.

I'll hopefully have another film review for y'all later this weekend.

Monday, March 6, 2017

Silver Screen in 2017 {Logan}


So you thought Deadpool was violent and the new norm for superhero "adult" films. Well Logan, the final Wolverine and maybe X-Men film is here. It's violent, it's extremely hardcore and there is amongst the violence some awesome action.



I'm not sure I believe this will be the last X-Men movie I see in my lifetime as this is already a critical and box office smash. Opening weekend and it's already the talk of the movie town. King Kong, or Skull Island has a massive task ahead of itself this weekend and opening weekend.

Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart both look like this should be their last superhero outing and frankly after years of Wolverine on the big screen I am just about done with this character.

So is Logan worth all the hype? Yes and No, and NO don't take your kids to this film, when I say it's violent I mean it is seriously graphic, heads flying off, Logan's claws killing anything in there sights and Laura/X-23 is extremely angry for a young lady.

Look it's tense, it's extreme, it's a serious look at people heading into America from the south and then looking to flee to safety in Canada. Sound familiar? Sound current?

It's also LOOOONNNNNNGGGG, in parts it seems to be going forever and ever and some plot points are examined for way too long, we get it, Logan is angry, X-23 is angry, it's an angry time and place in 2029.

But in all honesty this is a millions times better than the last and less than thrilling X-Men outing.

Logan is going to do HUGE business NO MATTER what critics, bloggers, reviewers say.

4 Stars for Jackman's final take on Wolverine.

Saturday, March 4, 2017

The Blacklist: Redemption


Spin offs sometimes work and crossover TV is the new black but does The Blacklist: Redemption have what it takes to get a second season? At this stage the short and easy answer is NO. But politically NBC may roll over as The Blacklist is easily one of their biggest and most successful series at present.

Like FOX did with Star and gave it the benefit of doubt and a second series I feel NBC will do the same here. Star is outstanding and diverse but it is not the ratings killer that Empire was but with the same creator it's political to keep Lee Daniels on side no doubt. Like Ryan Murphy at FOX/FX it's no wonder Scream Queens got a second season (maybe even a third) when his other projects like American Crime Story and American Horror Story and ratings and critical hits.

Famke Janssen has starred in some of my favourite shows over the years, Nip/Tuck and How to Get Away with Murder plus a string of films but her character Scottie is no Red and that is what the show lacks. Ryan Eggold is handsome enough as Tom Keen (also Scottie's son, but she doesn't really know that fact yet) and after his is he a good guy, is he a bad guy routine on The Blacklist it's nice to see him breakthrough and be able to expand himself further in this short eight episode mid season filler.

With The Blacklist on break until this little show wraps up it's going to be interesting to see with DVR viewings if this show will rise up above 10 million viewers per episode again. The show has currently been sold to Netflix for apparently two million per episode!

Let's see where this spin off will take us, it's a short eight episode run and with two episodes airing already we are 25% through the series already.

Look our for reviews on FUED (Ryan Murphy's next series) and AMERICAN CRIME, the third in the series and again a nice short eight episode run.

Friday, March 3, 2017

Silver Screen in 2017 {Rings}


Did we need another American Rings film? Well maybe not and this was only scary in the last 30 minutes but it took me back to a younger me and for that I am not going to shit on this film too much.



Rings is the 2017 reboot after The Ring Two back in 2005. So around 12 years later is a video tape (and for younger readers that is the technology before AVI files and Blu Rays + DVD's) still scary?

Not really is a very short answer. This film was super dull in the start and with no Naomi Watts or Simon Baker there is no star power in this film.

That said there is a gap in the horror market lately with loads of serious as fuck dramas about and a dull as fuck movie about Hollywood with a shit tonne of singing.

So what do I rate Rings? Well it's hard not to pass it as it was a bit of fun and when the mystery comes full circle it's kind of ok. It's been panned critically and I haven't seen a super low Rotten Tomatoes score like this in a while, so I'm going to be nice and pass it @ 2.5 Stars.

Let's hope there is something a little more scary on the way to the cinema in 2017.

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Silver Screen in 2017 {The Great Wall}


So this could have been a great BIG pile of shit and well it was and it wasn't. I haven't liked Matt Damon in a while but he was bearable in this role, surrounded by some terrific Chinese stars in The Great Wall.



Look when you it all comes down to it this is an action film with a stunning setting of The Great Wall and really it's in the action sequences this film comes alive.

When the action is absent from the screen it sort of lacks something, well almost everything as the dialogue is fairly piss weak.

Zhang Hanyu is the hottest gentleman in the film and get this he is 52!

Look this will not be everyone's cup of tea and frankly without some impressive dragon/beast slaying scenes I would have left disappointed but overall it looks a million bucks (in parts and actually the budget was 150 million dollars) and really it's an action film so what do you expect?

3 Stars.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Silver Screen in 2017 {Manchester by Sea}


The outstanding run of movies continues (back home at least, not that there was anything wrong with Guardians and the Batman Lego film I took in whilst in Thailand) with Manchester by Sea.



Casey Affleck is striking in a weird way, he is one of those rugged guys who looks good but could be scary within the same five minute period.

He plays a deeply damaged guy who lives a very dull life, well that is the first part of the film, then it takes off, the film is deep and like Jackie deals with varying different stages of grief.

Jackie did this extremely well with Natalie Portman a divine leading lady and Casey Affleck (winner of Best actor) is equally as good as this damaged lead.

I won't give too much away except Michelle Williams should probably not be in this poster due to her small role in the film. Particularly in the current time line and not the foul mouthed flashbacks.

Yes there are flashbacks galore and the current time line is like a jigsaw puzzle the viewer puts together to work out why Casey is why he is.

I enjoyed this outstanding drama a lot, it made me thought, it touched me and it was an honest look into the way men deal with grief and shit going down. Talking and expressing emotions is sometimes not looked kindly upon from society. Whereas I love a good cry in a movie, to a Sia song, whenever, wherever as Shakira once sang.

And that is the point of this film, men dealing with death and family issues.

Young Lucas Hedges is also terrific as Casey's nephew.

Manchester by Sea is an outstanding drama and one well worth investing in, 4.5 Stars.