list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Rocker on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/The_Rocker/331347/default.aspx Title: The Rocker
Year: 2008
Director: Peter Cattaneo
Plot: The Office star Rainn Wilson portrays a drummer who gets a second shot at fame after the band he recently quit suddenly shoots to the top of the charts in this Fox Atomic comedy co-starring Christina Applegate. Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) and Tom McNulty co-produce the feature penned by Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes, and directed by Peter Cattaneo (Opal Dream). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Number of Lists: 2
Number of blog posts: 3
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:45:55 GMTThe Rocker2008Peter Cattaneo<a href="http://www.spout.com/films/96389/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>The Office</a> star <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___300032/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rainn Wilson</a> portrays a drummer who gets a second shot at fame after the band he recently quit suddenly shoots to the top of the charts in this Fox Atomic comedy co-starring <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P_____2003/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christina Applegate</a>. <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___220182/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Shawn Levy</a> (<a href="http://www.spout.com/films/273148/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Night at the Museum</a>) and Tom McNulty co-produce the feature penned by Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes, and directed by <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___199380/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Peter Cattaneo</a> (<a href="http://www.spout.com/films/270014/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Opal Dream</a>). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide2313http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s331347.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Rocker/331347/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/joem18b/archive/2009/7/29/43316.aspx Post By: joem18b
Post To: joem18b Blog
Post Date: 7/29/2009 6:31:35 PM
Body: Watched some Sarah Connor Chronicles last night. A T1000 killer robot is crossing the street, just a couple of steps behind Sarah with killing on his cyborg mind, when Bang! a bus or truck crashes into him and carries him offscreen, putting him out of commission just long enough for Sarah to escape. The T1000 is presumably unable to keep track of traffic and chase Sarah at the same time, or perhaps in this instance it was programmed to decommission its urban pedestrian subroutines upon reaching kill-zone proximity to its prey.First time that I saw this particular accident/plot device/action sequence - smoosh-and-carry offscreen - as I recall - was in one of the Final Destination movies. Nice! I thought at the time. Something new. Also the second and third and fourth times that I saw this, in whatever the movies that used it, I continued to think, Nice! For example, I remember a romantic comedy in which the husband was a real jerk but crunch, he was removed expediously in the first reel by a taxi cab.So who dreamed up this little sequence - this deus ex machina via dumptruck? A tip of the hat to him or her, whomever, though when the T1000 got bonked last night, I noticed that as my How-is-Sarah-going-to-get-out-of-this-one? was answered, my reaction was no longer Nice! but Oh, ok, right, that one.Considering that Connor must escape impending death by machine multiple times per episode, it's no suprise that the writers use traffic as a tool in this way. Similarly, Sarah runs over her persuer at least once, driving a truck of her own.(Note to self: watch one of these smoosh sequences frame-by-frame.)A few points that may or may not be true: - The accident only occurs when/if required by the plot. Sort of like when necessary information appears on a TV screen in the movie, or issues from a car radio, just when the protagonist needs it. Smooshing has never happened just for fun. Yet.- The victim is carried off from left to right (in U.S. films), because the accident always happens in the lane closest to the camera. If the body goes from right to left, check to see whether everyone in the film appears to be left-handed.- When this accident happens to the hero, he or she is bounced up onto the hood, hits the windshield, and goes over the top of the car (it's never a bus) to land on the pavement behind, momentarily stunned. Didn't this happen in The Rocker, for example?- This sequence is just a variation based on the cartoon character who looks both ways, steps into the street, and is mowed down?- A study has been done. This action sequence was first used mostly at the end of the movie, but now is thrown in as soon as is needed, whenever- Because the universe is synchronous, the moment that I began typing this blog entry, an article appeared in Slate about getting hit by a bus, though interestingly, the article does not mention getting hit by a bus in the movies - only in literature.So anyway, is it time for new wrinkles? Or have the wrinkles already arrived and I've just missed them? Ways to move on:- Victim is in the center of an intersection and is carried off in two perpendicular directions (one-half each) by two trucks or buses.- Two victims, one bus? Simese twins, perhaps, or a couple?- Slo mo?- Put the scene in a western? Stage coach roars by? Amish couple on a flatbed wagon, hauling knurled flour back to the homestead to make pone, carry off pedestrian who squooging through the main-street mud?- Victim dances out of the way of the truck, gets carried off by cyclist in the bike lane, with some voiceover PSA dialog or angry cyclist blue language?
]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:31:35 GMTjoem18bjoem18b Blog7/29/2009 6:31:35 PMWatched some Sarah Connor Chronicles last night. A T1000 killer robot is crossing the street, just a couple of steps behind Sarah with killing on his cyborg mind, when Bang! a bus or truck crashes into him and carries him offscreen, putting him out of commission just long enough for Sarah to escape. The T1000 is presumably unable to keep track of traffic and chase Sarah at the same time, or perhaps in this instance it was programmed to decommission its urban pedestrian subroutines upon reaching kill-zone proximity to its prey.First time that I saw this particular accident/plot device/action sequence - smoosh-and-carry offscreen - as I recall - was in one of the Final Destination movies. Nice! I thought at the time. Something new. Also the second and third and fourth times that I saw this, in whatever the movies that used it, I continued to think, Nice! For example, I remember a romantic comedy in which the husband was a real jerk but crunch, he was removed expediously in the first reel by a taxi cab.So who dreamed up this little sequence - this deus ex machina via dumptruck? A tip of the hat to him or her, whomever, though when the T1000 got bonked last night, I noticed that as my How-is-Sarah-going-to-get-out-of-this-one? was answered, my reaction was no longer Nice! but Oh, ok, right, that one.Considering that Connor must escape impending death by machine multiple times per episode, it's no suprise that the writers use traffic as a tool in this way. Similarly, Sarah runs over her persuer at least once, driving a truck of her own.(Note to self: watch one of these smoosh sequences frame-by-frame.)A few points that may or may not be true: - The accident only occurs when/if required by the plot. Sort of like when necessary information appears on a TV screen in the movie, or issues from a car radio, just when the protagonist needs it. Smooshing has never happened just for fun. Yet.- The victim is carried off from left to right (in U.S. films), because the accident always happens in the lane closest to the camera. If the body goes from right to left, check to see whether everyone in the film appears to be left-handed.- When this accident happens to the hero, he or she is bounced up onto the hood, hits the windshield, and goes over the top of the car (it's never a bus) to land on the pavement behind, momentarily stunned. Didn't this happen in The Rocker, for example?- This sequence is just a variation based on the cartoon character who looks both ways, steps into the street, and is mowed down?- A study has been done. This action sequence was first used mostly at the end of the movie, but now is thrown in as soon as is needed, whenever- Because the universe is synchronous, the moment that I began typing this blog entry, an article appeared in Slate about getting hit by a bus, though interestingly, the article does not mention getting hit by a bus in the movies - only in literature.So anyway, is it time for new wrinkles? Or have the wrinkles already arrived and I've just missed them? Ways to move on:- Victim is in the center of an intersection and is carried off in two perpendicular directions (one-half each) by two trucks or buses.- Two victims, one bus? Simese twins, perhaps, or a couple?- Slo mo?- Put the scene in a western? Stage coach roars by? Amish couple on a flatbed wagon, hauling knurled flour back to the homestead to make pone, carry off pedestrian who squooging through the main-street mud?- Victim dances out of the way of the truck, gets carried off by cyclist in the bike lane, with some voiceover PSA dialog or angry cyclist blue language? http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/3_13_New_movies_Oscar_nominees_hit_DVD_plus_t/216/40910/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 3/9/2009 3:04:31 PM
Body: HITTING THEATERS 3/13 Disney's latest leading man: Dwayne Johnson in Race to Witch Mountain Race to Witch Mountain -- Watch trailer. This has Brendan Fraser's name written all over it, but it's starring Fraser's remake, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Of course, Brendan Fraser is a remake of Kurt Russell, and I bet that if the original Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) had starred a young, sexy hero (not the older Eddie Albert), it would've been Disney favorite Kurt Rusell (remember The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Strongest Man in the World?). PS - I'm mostly joking; I like Dwayne Johnson. Standing on the shoulders of Swedes: The Last House on the Left The Last House on the Left -- Watch trailer. Produced by Wes Craven, this is a remake of the Craven-directed The Last House on the Left (1972), which was kind of like Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs (1971), which is loosely based on a novel (The Siege of Trencher's Farm) but reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring (1959), which was inspired by the Swedish ballad "Torres dotter i Wange," which is purportedly based on true events... The Whitest Boys U'Know: Miss March Miss March -- Watch trailer. A young guy wakes from a 4-year coma to find that his high school sweetheart gave up waiting for him to become a pin-up for Playboy. Needless to say, the guy sets out for the Playboy mansion to reclaim his old girlfriend; also needless to say, he's joined by a sex-crazed friend. LIMITED RELEASE Dirty movie: Sunshine Cleaning Sunshine Cleaning -- Watch trailer. Amy Adams plays a short-on-cash mother who's determined to send her son to a quality private school. Adams reluctantly enlists the help of her sister (Emily Blunt) to start a cleaning service that specializes in crime scene clean-up and bio-hazard removal. Is it just me, or do you pick up on an indie cash-cow vibe? I mean, could it really only be a coincidence that it's called "Sunshine" Cleaning when it's being billed as the next movie from the producers of Little Miss "Sunshine"? But ultimately, any pandering to the audience may not matter if Sunshine Cleaning is actually good. And with actors like Blunt and Adams, Alan Arkin and Steve Zahn, I've got high hopes. They ain't heavy, they's my brothers: Brothers at War Brothers at War -- Watch trailer. Documentary filmmaker Jake Rademacher's two brothers are soldiers. Jake spent three and a half years on this film, staying with four army units over two trips to Iraq, exploring his brothers' service and motivation. This very personal film appears to reveal a lot that's universal, as Rademacher seeks to understand what the soldiers in Iraq continue to experience. Dennis Quaid takes the bait: The Horsemen The Horsemen -- Watch trailer. Dennis Quaid, widowed detective, finds chilling connections between himself and the victims of a serial killer who's obsessed with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. To me, this still sounds like Se7en, Part Two. I guess whether that's a good or bad thing depends on your point of view. ________________________________________ NEW TO DVD 3/10 -- Oscar films hit the shelves Oscar alumni 1. Milk -- Watch trailer. The one Best Picture nominee that probably could've taken the laurel leaves from Slumdog Millionaire. I haven't seen it yet--I was too busy watching The Wrestler three times. 2. Der Baader Meinhof Complex -- Watch trailer. This Oscar-nominated foreign film looks really good, even considering I don't know what's happening in that intense trailer! Check it out! 3. Happy-Go-Lucky -- Watch trailer. It's considered one of the biggest snubs of the Oscars that charming star Sally Hawkins wasn't nominated for Best Actress. 4. Rachel Getting Married -- Watch trailer. FilmCouch's Kevin Buist says Anne Hathaway is great in an otherwise grating, tiring, "annoying" movie about...you guessed it: family conflicts. Huh, I guess content equals form after all. Blockbusters (and wannabes) 5. Role Models -- Watch trailer. Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott are funny together, but the film coasts way too long during the scenes of LARPing (live action role playing). 6. Transporter 3 -- Watch trailer. I haven't seen any of these yet, would you guys recommend them? I do always like Jason Statham, even when he's in bad movies. 7. Max Payne -- Watch trailer. Mark Wahlberg. Video game movie. Much stylized violence. 8. Repo! The Genetic Opera -- Watch trailer. Interesting-sounding shocker set in a future where a mysterious epidemic of organ failures turns healthy organs into a precious commodity. When organ buyers fail to make good on their payment plans, their organs must be re-possessed... 9. Saw V and Saw Goreology: Movies 1 - 5 -- Watch trailer to Saw V. It's a Saw movie, you know the drill. Hey, was that a pun? Lil' nuggets 10. Let the Right One In -- Watch trailer. Best vampire movie ever? Looks like it to me. 11. Synechdoche, New York -- Watch trailer. The Charlie Kaufman-penned film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman. I've heard the film is intellectually demanding, but I've never felt like I've wasted my time watching something written by Kaufman. 12. Battle in Seattle -- Watch trailer. This feature recounts the events of the 1999 World Trade Organization and the ensuing riots. 13. Rocker -- Watch trailer. The Office's Rainn Wilson stars as a one-time promising rocker who now, 20 years later, gets a second chance. 14. Cadillac Records -- Watch trailer. The word: good actors, good music, so-so film.
]]>Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:04:31 GMTspoutComing Soon3/9/2009 3:04:31 PMHITTING THEATERS 3/13 Disney's latest leading man: Dwayne Johnson in Race to Witch Mountain Race to Witch Mountain -- Watch trailer. This has Brendan Fraser's name written all over it, but it's starring Fraser's remake, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Of course, Brendan Fraser is a remake of Kurt Russell, and I bet that if the original Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) had starred a young, sexy hero (not the older Eddie Albert), it would've been Disney favorite Kurt Rusell (remember The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Strongest Man in the World?). PS - I'm mostly joking; I like Dwayne Johnson. Standing on the shoulders of Swedes: The Last House on the Left The Last House on the Left -- Watch trailer. Produced by Wes Craven, this is a remake of the Craven-directed The Last House on the Left (1972), which was kind of like Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs (1971), which is loosely based on a novel (The Siege of Trencher's Farm) but reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring (1959), which was inspired by the Swedish ballad "Torres dotter i Wange," which is purportedly based on true events... The Whitest Boys U'Know: Miss March Miss March -- Watch trailer. A young guy wakes from a 4-year coma to find that his high school sweetheart gave up waiting for him to become a pin-up for Playboy. Needless to say, the guy sets out for the Playboy mansion to reclaim his old girlfriend; also needless to say, he's joined by a sex-crazed friend. LIMITED RELEASE Dirty movie: Sunshine Cleaning Sunshine Cleaning -- Watch trailer. Amy Adams plays a short-on-cash mother who's determined to send her son to a quality private school. Adams reluctantly enlists the help of her sister (Emily Blunt) to start a cleaning service that specializes in crime scene clean-up and bio-hazard removal. Is it just me, or do you pick up on an indie cash-cow vibe? I mean, could it really only be a coincidence that it's called "Sunshine" Cleaning when it's being billed as the next movie from the producers of Little Miss "Sunshine"? But ultimately, any pandering to the audience may not matter if Sunshine Cleaning is actually good. And with actors like Blunt and Adams, Alan Arkin and Steve Zahn, I've got high hopes. They ain't heavy, they's my brothers: Brothers at War Brothers at War -- Watch trailer. Documentary filmmaker Jake Rademacher's two brothers are soldiers. Jake spent three and a half years on this film, staying with four army units over two trips to Iraq, exploring his brothers' service and motivation. This very personal film appears to reveal a lot that's universal, as Rademacher seeks to understand what the soldiers in Iraq continue to experience. Dennis Quaid takes the bait: The Horsemen The Horsemen -- Watch trailer. Dennis Quaid, widowed detective, finds chilling connections between himself and the victims of a serial killer who's obsessed with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. To me, this still sounds like Se7en, Part Two. I guess whether that's a good or bad thing depends on your point of view. ________________________________________ NEW TO DVD 3/10 -- Oscar films hit the shelves Oscar alumni 1. Milk -- Watch trailer. The one Best Picture nominee that probably could've taken the laurel leaves from Slumdog Millionaire. I haven't seen it yet--I was too busy watching The Wrestler three times. 2. Der Baader Meinhof Complex -- Watch trailer. This Oscar-nominated foreign film looks really good, even considering I don't know what's happening in that intense trailer! Check it out! 3. Happy-Go-Lucky -- Watch trailer. It's considered one of the biggest snubs of the Oscars that charming star Sally Hawkins wasn't nominated for Best Actress. 4. Rachel Getting Married -- Watch trailer. FilmCouch's Kevin Buist says Anne Hathaway is great in an otherwise grating, tiring, "annoying" movie about...you guessed it: family conflicts. Huh, I guess content equals form after all. Blockbusters (and wannabes) 5. Role Models -- Watch trailer. Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott are funny together, but the film coasts way too long during the scenes of LARPing (live action role playing). 6. Transporter 3 -- Watch trailer. I haven't seen any of these yet, would you guys recommend them? I do always like Jason Statham, even when he's in bad movies. 7. Max Payne -- Watch trailer. Mark Wahlberg. Video game movie. Much stylized violence. 8. Repo! The Genetic Opera -- Watch trailer. Interesting-sounding shocker set in a future where a mysterious epidemic of organ failures turns healthy organs into a precious commodity. When organ buyers fail to make good on their payment plans, their organs must be re-possessed... 9. Saw V and Saw Goreology: Movies 1 - 5 -- Watch trailer to Saw V. It's a Saw movie, you know the drill. Hey, was that a pun? Lil' nuggets 10. Let the Right One In -- Watch trailer. Best vampire movie ever? Looks like it to me. 11. Synechdoche, New York -- Watch trailer. The Charlie Kaufman-penned film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman. I've heard the film is intellectually demanding, but I've never felt like I've wasted my time watching something written by Kaufman. 12. Battle in Seattle -- Watch trailer. This feature recounts the events of the 1999 World Trade Organization and the ensuing riots. 13. Rocker -- Watch trailer. The Office's Rainn Wilson stars as a one-time promising rocker who now, 20 years later, gets a second chance. 14. Cadillac Records -- Watch trailer. The word: good actors, good music, so-so film. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/21/34239.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/21/2008 4:01:18 PM
Body: This week, thanks to The Rocker, we can add another fictional band to the long list of music groups created solely for the movies. They’re called Vesuvius, and they’re an ‘80s hair band with a hit song titled “Promised Land.” As part of the film’s marketing, the track was offered as a free download for play on Rock Band (see the clip above). But if you ask me, the wrong tune was used in the promotion. Another song from the soundtrack, also credited to Vesuvius, is called “Pompeii Nights,” and it’s definitely the better of the two. I’m not surprised, though. While most people favor the songs of Spinal Tap, a once-fictional band that has become popular enough to evolve into a “semi-fictional” performing act, I’ve preferred such gems as “The Whites of Their Eyes” by PEZ® People, from The Big Picture. Also co-written by This is Spinal Tap’s Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, and sung by McKean, this song is apparently so underrated that I can’t even find an audio sample, let along a YouTube clip of the fake band’s music video, which was directed by fictional filmmaker Lydia Johnson (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Fortunately, for the benefit of this list, the rest of these under-appreciated tracks have a few fellow fans. “Howard the Duck” by Cherry Bomb, from Howard the Duck I’m still certain that I was this movie’s biggest fan. While growing up, I owned a VHS copy, the comic book adaptation and the novelization, and I still watched the edited version whenever it showed up on commercial television. Unfortunately, though, I never owned the soundtrack, which is, unsurprisingly, out of print (though available on eBay). It’s okay, because the catchy theme song has forever been lodged in my head. Performed diegetically by a fictional Runaways-inspired band, the Razzie-nominated “Howard the Duck” features vocals by actress Lea Thompson and funk legend George Clinton, plus Joe Walsh on guitar and Thomas Dolby, who co-wrote and produced all of Cherry Bomb’s songs, on synthesizer (off screen the song is credited to “Dolby Cube”). Cherry Bomb had four songs in the movie’s soundtrack, and some were definitely better than others. “Hunger City” is also kinda catchy, but that’s possibly only because it sounds reminiscent of Hall & Oats’ “Family Man.” Meanwhile, I absolutely love the slower “Don’t Turn Away,” which, unlike the title number, lacks Clinton’s vocals and Walsh’s guitar playing; yet it makes up for it with a little harmonica part performed by none other than Stevie Wonder. Perhaps its just my being a fan of ‘80s girl groups like The Go-Gos (check out Thompson doing a duet with Belinda Carlisle here) and The Bangles, but I could really have gone for a full album, and maybe a tour, a la Spinal Tap, from Cherry Bomb. “BBC” by Ming Tea, from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery As far as fictional ‘60s bands go, Ming Tea is by far my favorite over such groups as The Oneders, aka The Wonders (from That Thing You Do!) and The Rutles (from All You Need is Cash), the latter of which is only as good as the Beatles tunes they spoof. Of course, I do like to think only of this poppy number from the first film, as well as the “psychedelic scene breaks” from the first and second films and ignore the relatively ‘90s-sounding “Daddy Wasn’t There” from Austin Powers in Goldmember, which seems like a reject from one of Matthew Sweet’s later albums (Sweet is a member of and co-songwriter for the fictional Ming Tea). Again, part of my love for Ming Tea could be due to my love for The Bangles, whose Susanna Hoffs was a member of the fake group (she is also the wife of Jay Roach, who directed all three Austin Powers movies). Someday I’d like to see another Nuggets box set featuring only fictional garage rock bands like Ming Tea, The Archies, etc. “Riverbottom Nightmare Band” by The Riverbottom Nightmare Band (or simply The Nightmare), from Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas Speaking of The Archies, if a fictional rock band from a cartoon can have a hit song continually played on oldies radio, why can’t this fictional rock band from a Muppet TV special get the same treatment? Is it because the vocals are actually pretty terrible? Is it because they’re the villains of the story? Maybe The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar” was the #1 pop song of 1969, but this eponymous tune was written by Oscar-winner Paul Williams, who also gave us such memorable songs as “(Just an) Old Fashioned Love Song,” “The Rainbow Connection” and The Carpenters’ “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “We’ve Only Just Begun.” Plus, if it’s any consolation, RNB’s keyboardist, a bear named Chuck, could totally kick Archie’s ass. Also worthy of radio play, though it’s probably not quite as underrated: “Can You Picture That” by Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, from The Muppet Movie (and also co-written by Williams). “Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye” by The Juicy Fruits, from Phantom of the Paradise I’m not always a big fan of this doo-wop revival kind of glam rock, but I really like this track from Brian DePalma’s musical, favoring it over such “real” tunes as Gary Glitter’s cover of Dion’s “The Wanderer” and “made-up” songs as those in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Maybe it’s because this song is also penned by Paul Williams? Technically, because the movie bombed and is still hardly celebrated (at least compared to TRHPS), the whole soundtrack should be on this list. “Two-Way Romeo” by The Bang Bang, from Brothers of the Head I don’t think anyone else even saw this faux rock documentary (it’s not funny enough to be considered a mockumentary), let alone paid attention to its better-than-necessary soundtrack. Basically the song is by British pop-punk band Crackout (or members of the band, anyway), but it’s pretty authentic sounding for the film’s ‘70s setting. “Never Did No Wanderin’” by The Folksmen, from A Mighty Wind Part of my disappointment with this movie was that the songs are actually pretty good — and not necessarily funny. Silly, yes. Witty, yes. But not exactly over the top, laugh-out-loud funny, the way I prefer Christopher Guest movies to be. Yet I would actually go see The Folksmen before I would go see Spinal Tap, which features the same three actors (Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, who in fact opened for themselves by having The Folkmen and Spinal Tap tour together in 2001). If they didn’t perform their cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up,” though, I would be very dissatisfied. Much of the non-Folksmen songs on the soundtrack are actually pretty lame, including the Oscar-nominated “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow.” I believe that had it all been more upbeat, a la The Folksmen’s “Old Joe’s Place” (which, along with “Blood on the Coal,” was actually introduced on Saturday Night Live way back in 1984), “Corn Wine” and “Never Did No Wanderin’” it could have been as successful an album as the O Brother, Where Art Thou? CDs. “Sweat of My Balls” by CB4, from CB4 The more memorable song from this near-mockumentary might be “Straight Outta Locash,” yet like the songs by The Rutles, it’s too clear a redo of a preexisting song (N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton”). I guess I’m not that knowledgeable about rap music, but I had always thought “Sweat of My Balls” was actually original. Turns out, it’s actually a parody of Kool G. Rap’s “Talk Like Sex.” Well, since that song is also underrated (enough that I’d never heard of it), I stand by my inclusion of the less familiar-sounding CB4 track. “My Peanuts” by N.W.H., from Fear of a Black Hat I am at least aware that this song, which comes from a film similar to — though much less successful than — CB4, is a redo of Run-DMC’s “My Addidas.” But it’s so damn ridiculous that I wasn’t able to make the connection between the songs until many years after first seeing the movie. Just imagine how popular peanuts would be if the National Peanut Board used this rap in advertisements. “(Just Around the Corner to the) Light of Day” by The Barbusters, from Light of Day It’s not uncommon for a song written for a movie to become a real-world hit. And when it’s written by Bruce Springsteen, as this one was, you almost expect it to be a success. Yet despite the fact that both Springsteen and Joan Jett, who stars in the film as a member of the fictional Barbusters, have made the tune a staple of their respective live concert sets, it still doesn’t get the kind of general attention paid to, say, “On the Dark Side” from that other ‘80s bar band movie, Eddie and the Cruisers. Why isn’t this played heavily on classic rock radio? And by “this” I of course mean the version featuring Michael J. Fox and, yes, Michael McKean (man, he loves the fictional bands). “It Don’t Worry Me” by Albuquerque, from Nashville This is just a solo singer (played by Barbara Harris) rather than a whole group, but she’s still fictional and the song was still written for the film. And it’s sung during what may be the best film ending of all time (hence its appropriate position at the end of the list). Somehow Keith Carradine won an Oscar for writing the most boring tune in this Robert Altman classic (“I’m Easy”), while this song, also written by Carradine, is clearly more enjoyable. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:01:18 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/21/2008 4:01:18 PM This week, thanks to The Rocker, we can add another fictional band to the long list of music groups created solely for the movies. They’re called Vesuvius, and they’re an ‘80s hair band with a hit song titled “Promised Land.” As part of the film’s marketing, the track was offered as a free download for play on Rock Band (see the clip above). But if you ask me, the wrong tune was used in the promotion. Another song from the soundtrack, also credited to Vesuvius, is called “Pompeii Nights,” and it’s definitely the better of the two. I’m not surprised, though. While most people favor the songs of Spinal Tap, a once-fictional band that has become popular enough to evolve into a “semi-fictional” performing act, I’ve preferred such gems as “The Whites of Their Eyes” by PEZ® People, from The Big Picture. Also co-written by This is Spinal Tap’s Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, and sung by McKean, this song is apparently so underrated that I can’t even find an audio sample, let along a YouTube clip of the fake band’s music video, which was directed by fictional filmmaker Lydia Johnson (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Fortunately, for the benefit of this list, the rest of these under-appreciated tracks have a few fellow fans. “Howard the Duck” by Cherry Bomb, from Howard the Duck I’m still certain that I was this movie’s biggest fan. While growing up, I owned a VHS copy, the comic book adaptation and the novelization, and I still watched the edited version whenever it showed up on commercial television. Unfortunately, though, I never owned the soundtrack, which is, unsurprisingly, out of print (though available on eBay). It’s okay, because the catchy theme song has forever been lodged in my head. Performed diegetically by a fictional Runaways-inspired band, the Razzie-nominated “Howard the Duck” features vocals by actress Lea Thompson and funk legend George Clinton, plus Joe Walsh on guitar and Thomas Dolby, who co-wrote and produced all of Cherry Bomb’s songs, on synthesizer (off screen the song is credited to “Dolby Cube”). Cherry Bomb had four songs in the movie’s soundtrack, and some were definitely better than others. “Hunger City” is also kinda catchy, but that’s possibly only because it sounds reminiscent of Hall & Oats’ “Family Man.” Meanwhile, I absolutely love the slower “Don’t Turn Away,” which, unlike the title number, lacks Clinton’s vocals and Walsh’s guitar playing; yet it makes up for it with a little harmonica part performed by none other than Stevie Wonder. Perhaps its just my being a fan of ‘80s girl groups like The Go-Gos (check out Thompson doing a duet with Belinda Carlisle here) and The Bangles, but I could really have gone for a full album, and maybe a tour, a la Spinal Tap, from Cherry Bomb. “BBC” by Ming Tea, from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery As far as fictional ‘60s bands go, Ming Tea is by far my favorite over such groups as The Oneders, aka The Wonders (from That Thing You Do!) and The Rutles (from All You Need is Cash), the latter of which is only as good as the Beatles tunes they spoof. Of course, I do like to think only of this poppy number from the first film, as well as the “psychedelic scene breaks” from the first and second films and ignore the relatively ‘90s-sounding “Daddy Wasn’t There” from Austin Powers in Goldmember, which seems like a reject from one of Matthew Sweet’s later albums (Sweet is a member of and co-songwriter for the fictional Ming Tea). Again, part of my love for Ming Tea could be due to my love for The Bangles, whose Susanna Hoffs was a member of the fake group (she is also the wife of Jay Roach, who directed all three Austin Powers movies). Someday I’d like to see another Nuggets box set featuring only fictional garage rock bands like Ming Tea, The Archies, etc. “Riverbottom Nightmare Band” by The Riverbottom Nightmare Band (or simply The Nightmare), from Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas Speaking of The Archies, if a fictional rock band from a cartoon can have a hit song continually played on oldies radio, why can’t this fictional rock band from a Muppet TV special get the same treatment? Is it because the vocals are actually pretty terrible? Is it because they’re the villains of the story? Maybe The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar” was the #1 pop song of 1969, but this eponymous tune was written by Oscar-winner Paul Williams, who also gave us such memorable songs as “(Just an) Old Fashioned Love Song,” “The Rainbow Connection” and The Carpenters’ “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “We’ve Only Just Begun.” Plus, if it’s any consolation, RNB’s keyboardist, a bear named Chuck, could totally kick Archie’s ass. Also worthy of radio play, though it’s probably not quite as underrated: “Can You Picture That” by Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, from The Muppet Movie (and also co-written by Williams). “Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye” by The Juicy Fruits, from Phantom of the Paradise I’m not always a big fan of this doo-wop revival kind of glam rock, but I really like this track from Brian DePalma’s musical, favoring it over such “real” tunes as Gary Glitter’s cover of Dion’s “The Wanderer” and “made-up” songs as those in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Maybe it’s because this song is also penned by Paul Williams? Technically, because the movie bombed and is still hardly celebrated (at least compared to TRHPS), the whole soundtrack should be on this list. “Two-Way Romeo” by The Bang Bang, from Brothers of the Head I don’t think anyone else even saw this faux rock documentary (it’s not funny enough to be considered a mockumentary), let alone paid attention to its better-than-necessary soundtrack. Basically the song is by British pop-punk band Crackout (or members of the band, anyway), but it’s pretty authentic sounding for the film’s ‘70s setting. “Never Did No Wanderin’” by The Folksmen, from A Mighty Wind Part of my disappointment with this movie was that the songs are actually pretty good — and not necessarily funny. Silly, yes. Witty, yes. But not exactly over the top, laugh-out-loud funny, the way I prefer Christopher Guest movies to be. Yet I would actually go see The Folksmen before I would go see Spinal Tap, which features the same three actors (Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, who in fact opened for themselves by having The Folkmen and Spinal Tap tour together in 2001). If they didn’t perform their cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up,” though, I would be very dissatisfied. Much of the non-Folksmen songs on the soundtrack are actually pretty lame, including the Oscar-nominated “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow.” I believe that had it all been more upbeat, a la The Folksmen’s “Old Joe’s Place” (which, along with “Blood on the Coal,” was actually introduced on Saturday Night Live way back in 1984), “Corn Wine” and “Never Did No Wanderin’” it could have been as successful an album as the O Brother, Where Art Thou? CDs. “Sweat of My Balls” by CB4, from CB4 The more memorable song from this near-mockumentary might be “Straight Outta Locash,” yet like the songs by The Rutles, it’s too clear a redo of a preexisting song (N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton”). I guess I’m not that knowledgeable about rap music, but I had always thought “Sweat of My Balls” was actually original. Turns out, it’s actually a parody of Kool G. Rap’s “Talk Like Sex.” Well, since that song is also underrated (enough that I’d never heard of it), I stand by my inclusion of the less familiar-sounding CB4 track. “My Peanuts” by N.W.H., from Fear of a Black Hat I am at least aware that this song, which comes from a film similar to — though much less successful than — CB4, is a redo of Run-DMC’s “My Addidas.” But it’s so damn ridiculous that I wasn’t able to make the connection between the songs until many years after first seeing the movie. Just imagine how popular peanuts would be if the National Peanut Board used this rap in advertisements. “(Just Around the Corner to the) Light of Day” by The Barbusters, from Light of Day It’s not uncommon for a song written for a movie to become a real-world hit. And when it’s written by Bruce Springsteen, as this one was, you almost expect it to be a success. Yet despite the fact that both Springsteen and Joan Jett, who stars in the film as a member of the fictional Barbusters, have made the tune a staple of their respective live concert sets, it still doesn’t get the kind of general attention paid to, say, “On the Dark Side” from that other ‘80s bar band movie, Eddie and the Cruisers. Why isn’t this played heavily on classic rock radio? And by “this” I of course mean the version featuring Michael J. Fox and, yes, Michael McKean (man, he loves the fictional bands). “It Don’t Worry Me” by Albuquerque, from Nashville This is just a solo singer (played by Barbara Harris) rather than a whole group, but she’s still fictional and the song was still written for the film. And it’s sung during what may be the best film ending of all time (hence its appropriate position at the end of the list). Somehow Keith Carradine won an Oscar for writing the most boring tune in this Robert Altman classic (“I’m Easy”), while this song, also written by Carradine, is clearly more enjoyable. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/porcupine/archive/2008/8/7/33727.aspx Post By: porcupine
Post To: porcupine Blog
Post Date: 8/7/2008 11:13:36 PM
Body: Rainn Wilson is right for the part, and he doesn't do too bad, but the whole thing felt like something I'd seen before. The laughs are rather weak, and the plot feels tired.
]]>Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:13:36 GMTporcupineporcupine Blog8/7/2008 11:13:36 PMRainn Wilson is right for the part, and he doesn't do too bad, but the whole thing felt like something I'd seen before. The laughs are rather weak, and the plot feels tired. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fame/MemberTagFilms.aspxfame
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