ReadJunk.com

Record Label: Bridge Nine Records
Genre: Hardcore Punk
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com:

As often as I seem to mention that I don’t really like hardcore, I need to make it clear that I don’t hate it. I don’t even expect every band to be original or revolutionary, but at the same time, I’m a sucker for some semblance of melody and structure. Connecticut’s Ambitions seem to fit well as a hardcore punk band that really don’t bother me at all. They have the melody down, screaming vocals are used in the right context, not just for the sake of yelling, but for the strength and energy of the song. The band is tight, and the songs are decently constructed. This is no brilliant opus, but I bet any fan of Rise Against, Face to Face, or any of the punky melodic hardcore bands around these days, will really enjoy these guys. I don’t see any reason why not.

RATING & SUMMARY:

Bottom Line: Solid hardcore punk by a tight, and appropriately heavy band. Worth a listen.
Notable Tracks: The Illusion, Calamity, Postscript
Overall Rating:

Duck Duck Goose “Noise, Noise, and More Noise”

Album Reviews

Record Label: Roam The River Records
Genre: Hardcore
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com:

It’s a shame that this band’s name doesn’t fit their sound. The name, with its fond memories of Kindergarten, is wasted on a generic, and rather unimpressive hardcore/thrash band. Same old screaming, breakdowns, crunchy guitars and heavy drums. The only bright spot is at the end of the fourth track when some semblance of a melody appears with a gentle acoustic guitar. But then by the next track it’s back to the same old.

RATING & SUMMARY:

Bottom Line: Crap, crap, and more crap.
Notable Tracks:
Overall Rating:

Hot Toddies “Smell The Mitten”

Album Reviews

Record Label: Asian Man Records
Genre: Doo Wop/Pop
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com:

I’m pretty sure The Hot Toddies are the cutest band I’ve ever heard. Their first full-length, the deliciously titled Smell the Mitten is full of clever, fun, and catchy 60s doo-wop, surf, and twee pop that is pretty hard to resist. They have the right harmonies, the surf rock guitars, and the attitude to fit their retro music.

I’m sure as a group of four young ladies playing 50s and 60s music, the Hot Toddies may come off as a novelty group to some, but this album is proof that there’s something far more potent here. Even if the musicianship is often limited, the fun and clever lyrics, mixed with the pitch-perfect melodies more than makes up for anything that might suggest that the group is banking on the success of the Pipettes. And I’m pretty sure ‘Anais Nin vs. The Pirates of Santa Cruz’ is the greatest song name ever.

One of the highlight songs is a hilariously relevant song called ‘HTML’ which talks about online stalkers while not sounding at all tacky. Other tracks, like ‘The Surf Song’ get the tone and sound of the early 60s down perfectly and yearn for a simpler time in pop music. I dare anyone to not smile by the end of this album.

I think the only thing the group might benefit from is a more interesting production on a follow-up record. The sound is completely retro, but I almost think that it would be even better with some heavy reverb and mono production, just like it used to be. I sincerely hope to hear more from the Hot Toddies, the perfect antidote to all the shitty emo that I always seem to be subjected to as a reviewer. Seriously, emo bands, just get over yourselves and start a doo wop band.

RATING & SUMMARY:

Bottom Line: Amazingly cuddly retro 50s pop for a music fan with a soul.
Notable Tracks: The Surf Song, Seattle, HTML, Wet Dream, Anais Nin vs. The Pirates of Santa Cruz
Overall Rating:

What About Brian? – The Complete Series

DVD Reviews

Starring: Barry Watson, Sarah Lancaster, Matthew Davis, Rosanna Arquette, Rick Gomez, Amanda Detmer
Written By: Dana Stevens
Directed By:
Studio: Buena Vista Television
Buy on Amazon.com: link

Words cannot describe how awful a show this is. I remember when it first premiered, and I tried watching a couple of minutes of it. Back then, I didn’t have cable, so we used bunny ears and the reception was fuzzy. It was hard to see or hear what was going on. I sincerely wish that’s how it was on the DVD as well, because at least I wouldn’t have to see this dreck.

The basic premise is that the oldest brother from 7th Heaven can’t seem to settle down with a girl, while all of his friends are in couples, although because it’s TV land, none of them are as happy as they seem. And as predictable as an episode of King of Queens, Brian is in love with his best friend’s fiancee. Does it make for riveting television? Not even slightly. There is an utter lack of pathos and humour that makes it so that most of the characters are more or less repulsive to the viewer, and not in a humorous way like on Arrested Development. They want you to care about Brian, when in truth, I’m pretty sure the reason he hasn’t settled down is because he’s such a douche.

My favourite of the B-story lines, especially in the first season was the bored housewife who wants to have an open marriage. It was probably the only moment in watching the first few episodes of the show (I couldn’t go any further) that I actually showed emotion, nearly spilling my drink from her utterly terrible delivery to her husband.

It’s pretty impressive that a show like this lasted 24 episodes, when other, far superior shows don’t even get a chance to breathe. I understand that the typical American show displays rich, beautiful Californians and their trivial lives, but honestly, there are several hours of soaps on every afternoon. Couldn’t they spare this airtime for shows with value? Oh wait, I almost forgot that I’m talking about American television networks here.

So the bottom line…. What About Brian?
What about the time I lost watching this turd nugget?
What about the innocent trees that died actually scripting this one?
What about the hotter sister from 7th Heaven? Oh wait, she’s actually famous.
What about the fact that I can’t even sell this on eBay because nobody will want it?
Curse you, Barry Watson, curse you.

Features:
Exclusive unaired episode
Calling All Friends: The Story of What About Brian
What About 3: The Season that Never Was
Episode Commentary From Creator Dana Stevens

Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1

Video:
Widescreen 1.78:1

Subtitles:
Spanish
French

RATING & SUMMARY:

Favorites:
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1024 minutes
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating:

A Quick Solution for TV Networks During The Writers Strike: Go Canadian!

Articles

As of today, the Writers Guild of America is on strike, and fans of television are starting to worry. Within weeks, some of the major American television networks will not have too many episodes of popular shows left. Fortunately, way up in the Great White North, there are literally tens of shows just aching for American airtime. Are they good? Not even slightly. But it’s still better than America’s Next Top Milf. Here’s a quick primer on Canadian television shows ready to be imported to actually be seen by more than 300 people.

All Aboot My Moose (60 minutes)

Genre: Family Drama
Synopsis: A lonely 11-year-old boy’s life is turned around when he finds an ailing moose near his Northern Ontario home. He brings it home and nurses it back to health. Much to the chagrin of his quirky family, he insists on keeping it. The show revolves around raising a moose, while dealing with growing up in the Canadian wilderness.

Two For Laughing (30 minutes)

Genre: Sitcom
Synopsis: Hockey has never been funnier. In Two For Laughing, brothers Corey and Hart play on their local hockey team, who have lost every game for the last four years. As they struggle with teamwork, working at the local arena, and trying to pick up girls in the sub-zero weather, this is one of the few Canadian sitcoms ever to cause hypothermia in the live audience.

The Lodge (30 minutes)

Genre: Mockumentary
Synopsis: In a blatant ripoff of The Office, this show follows the workers at a ski lodge in a fake documentary style, looking at the mundane lives of the employees, and the situational humour surrounding them. If the pace of things in NBC’s version is too fast, you’ll love the dreary mundane Canuck adaptation.

The Jason Priestley Show (90 minutes)

Genre: Reality/Infomercial
Synopsis: In what critics once called “interesting, if you have nothing else to do,” this show blends all the best thing about reality television with an out-of-work former 90210 actor forced to take a job at a beer bottling plant. Left with pretty much nothing after the 1990s, former teen star Jason Priestley goes to work at the Molson Canadian plant. Heavily sponsored by the beer company, the show both hocks beer and lets you feel better about yourself knowing that no matter what, Priestley’s life sucks more than yours.

M.O.U.N.T.I.E.S. (30 minutes)

Genre: Childrens’ Cartoon
Synopsis: Standing for Mounted Ontario Undercover Nitroforce Techno-Cops In Environmentally-conscious Stetsons, this popular kids show is both ecologically friendly, and absolutely nonsensical. Super-Mounties from the future come to the present day to defeat evil polluting corporations from countries like East Korea and Lyzgenristan. The episodes portraying the United American States of South Canada as the villains will not be offered to American networks because of certain sensitive subject matters.

Mounties (60 minutes)

Genre: Reality
Synopsis: Just like COPS in the U.S., Mounties follows several of the RCMP as they track down criminals who loiter, utter rude phrases about social health care, or pollute beaver dams. They ride officially sanctioned horses, snowmobiles, or go by snowshoe, as long as justice is properly served.

Le roi des beignets (The King of Donuts) (30 minutes)

Genre: Sitcom (but in French, so even less funny)
Synopsis: Quebec’s most famous television show is also a moderate hit in English Canada, but mostly when it’s on mute. It looks at the daily life of a rural proprietor of a Tim Hortons shoppe, which is the country’s most popular coffee and donut chain. Luc Dmarquette is the self-proclaimed king of donuts, a man who will stop at nothing to make a sale. His trademark phrase “comment faites vous aimez votre cafe, bitch?” (how do you like your coffee, bitch?), has become the biggest saying in French Canada, and has spawned a whole line of t-shirts.

Corner Gas (30 minutes)

Genre: Comedy
Synopsis: Following the exciting lives of a gas attendant and his friends in the middle of rural Saskatchewan. And there’s really not much else that can be said about it.

Kids of Kids in the Hall (60 minutes)

Genre: Sketch show
Synopsis: With an utter lack of genuine homegrown talent, the national comedy channel looked to one of Canada’s most famous exports, the Kids in the Hall, and recruited their offspring to star in this show. Most are either too young to adequately read their lines, or too untalented to actually be funny, but classic Kids in the Hall footage is randomly spliced in, and audiences are fully satisfied.

Don’t Worry, It’s Covered (60 minutes)

Genre: Medical drama
Synopsis: New doctors are assigned to the emergency ward of a Montreal hospital, and deal with the ins and outs of practicing medicine in a country where everyone is entitled to health services. Most of the show’s tension comes from the nursing staff who only speaks French, creating huge rifts with the English-speaking doctors.

Rush Hour (60 minutes)

Genre: Talk show
Synopsis: Canada’s favourite prog-rock trio Rush host Canada’s most popular talk show, Rush Hour, in which the band talk to a variety of guests, give elaborate prizes (mostly made of maple syrup), and do special charity work all over the country. They have been likened to the gawkier version of Oprah or Dr. Phil, with far less background in broadcasting.

And so, America television-watching public, you need not worry if this strike goes on for a while. Because Canadian television will save the day….or fill dead air time.

Hurt “Vol. II”

Album Reviews

Record Label: Capitol Records
Genre: Rock
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com: link

I bet Hurt think they’re the shit. They sound pretty much exactly the same as every heavy radio rock band, except that every other song, they include some acoustic guitar, violin, or something totally crazy. I mean, nobody’s ever used anything but electric guitars, bass, and drums in a rock band. Piano? They’re using piano? Holy shit, we should give them Grammy. And maybe an Oscar for the singer’s raspy voice. But not the prestigous Oscar. The angry one that lives in a trash can. And I guess it is really cool to not write catchy or decent songs, but to just figure that if you go from loud to quiet and back it’s unique. Oh, how I hate you Hurt, with your terribly obvious name, and your utter pretense. Please just stop. Hurt? Go to the fucking hospital. At least I won’t have to hear it.

RATING & SUMMARY:

Bottom Line: Bad hard rock. With even worse instrumentation.
Notable Tracks:
Overall Rating:

Phone Trio “Brickwall”

Album Reviews

Record Label: Enemy #1 Records
Genre: Pop Punk
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com:

Bands like Phone Trio make me wonder why I ever stopped listening to punk music. I mean, there are many reasons I did, and a lot of it had to do with emo taking over the world. But this Brazilian group plays super-catchy pop punk with great melodic hooks, perfectly fitting vocals, and a very simple, straightforward production. With six songs in under 20 minutes, it’s a fantastic introduction to a band that reminds me of all the best Fat Wreck bands I listened to ten years ago.

What made me love this disc right away was how poppy and catchy it was. In fact, it’s so unpunky in its delivery that I would say it’s more punk rock than every hair-dyed attendee of an AFI or My Chemical Romance concert. Sometimes punk music can be catchy and fun, and Phone Trio are a perfect example of a band that does it well.

RATING & SUMMARY:

Bottom Line: Amazingly catchy and enjoyable pop punk from Brazil.
Notable Tracks: Loves Me So Loves Me Not, Crystal Clear
Overall Rating:

Partly Cloudy “Arm Your Weapons EP”

Album Reviews

Record Label: S/R
Genre: Pop Punk
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com:

Partly Cloudy straddle the fine line between pop punk and radio rock on their EP Arm Your Weapons. Listening to their hooks, there’s no doubt that they’re decent songwriters, but my problem with them is that I’m not too sure what type of band they really want to be. On a couple of the tracks, they reminded me of prime No Use For A Name, or a slowed down Millencolin. On other tracks, they were more akin to poppy Green Day or just about every rock band with distorted guitars. And then, halfway through the fourth track, they go a bit screamo, which sort of ruins everything, because they seemed to do pretty well without resorting to any schlocky emo conventions. And here, I was hoping for a return to simple 90s pop punk. Perhaps if Partly Cloudy figure out what type of band they want to be, they might be worth a real listen.

RATING & SUMMARY:

Bottom Line: Decent songwriting, but right now a band who don’t know who they are sonically.
Notable Tracks: Helpless, To The Gods
Overall Rating:

How I Met Your Mother: Season Two

DVD Reviews

Starring: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris
Written By: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas
Directed By:
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Television
Buy on Amazon.com: link

It’s really interesting to see how a show can grow from a first season to a second. How I Met Your Mother, probably the only laugh-track sitcom worth watching these days, grew astronomically as it progressed from infancy to this twenty-two episode sophomore season. As I wrote last year about the first season (click http://www.readjunk.com/dvdreviews/how-i-met-your-mother-season-one here), moments of brilliants were overcrowded with utter predictability and Friends-like romantic resolutions.

Fortunately, in season two, HIMYM sheds some of its formulaic tendencies and really comes into its own. Part of the success is that the viewer is hopefully already familiar with the characters. As much as I had issues with the first season, I fell in love with most of the characters, yet somehow was constantly irked by Ted. In the second season, Ted finally gets together with Robin, and Relationship Ted is far less annoying than Lovelorn Single Ted. This allows for the plotlines to come more naturally; with 4/5 of the cast in on-screen relationships, there is more focus on couplehood, with only scene-stealer Barney acting as the hero for singledom. In fact, through watching the season, I noticed a distinct similarity to popular UK comedy Coupling, with Barney as a surrogate for that show’s character Jeff. However, unlike the sleazy and desperate Jeff, Barney seems to revel in his short conquests and prophetic romantic advice.

The second season, with its comfortable characters, begins to take some risks with storytelling, but more than anything, it’s just plain better written. There are two distinct episodes that I nearly pissed myself laughing at; the first, Slap Bet, involves the gang debating whether or not Robin acted in porn when she was in Canada, and ending in her revelation that she was a teen pop star in the nation (her song, Let’s Go To The Mall, involves hockey hair, Brian Mulroney, glittery jean jackets, and the Nintendo robot…classic). My other favourite, Stuff, involves the group going to see Lily in a truly awful play. When Barney refuses to be nice and tells her that it sucks, Lily asserts that she would compliment anything he did because she is his friend. Barney then puts on his own play (aptly titled Suck It Lily), which involves the repetition of Lily’s least favourite word, a recorder opus, a watergun shot into the audience (at Lily), and a musical detour with a robot. Its sheer oddness and perfect delivery make it one of my season highlights.

Those that might have been wary of the very odd-titled and generic-looking network sitcom should be aware that this is a show with top-notch writers that try to be conscious of conventions, yet know their own limits. What wins me over, and I’m sure is the same for most other fans, is the pitch-perfect cast, who play their roles with enough heart to keep people watching. Here’s hoping we get a couple more good seasons before its reign as the last great laugh-track sitcom ends and all we have left is *shudder* According to Jim.

Features:
Six audio commentaries with cast members, writers and producers
How We Make Your Mother Featurette
Additional Scenes
Gag Reel
Hey Beautiful Music Video (theme song)
Robin Sparkles Music Video

Audio:
Dolby

Video:
Widescreen 1.78:1

Subtitles:
English, French, Spanish

RATING & SUMMARY:

Favorites: Ted Mosby Architect, Slap Bet, Single Stamina, Stuff, Swarley, Showdown
Rating: PG
Running Time: 0 minutes
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating:

What Dead Rock Stars Might Have Sounded Like in the 1980s

Articles

Some of rock n’ roll’s most legendary musicians were those who died young; they lived, they loved, they left a legacy only heightened by death. But perhaps we remember them because they never had to face the 1980s, and there were no comebacks to speak of, no big hair, and no cheesy synths. But let’s imagine what might have been if fate hadn’t doomed these stars.

Buddy Holly
d. 1959

Perhaps one of rock’s first tragic deaths, Holly might have been one of the best pop songwriters to perform his own music until his untimely death in a plane crash. In my opinion, had he lived a longer life, he might have proven to be one of the generation’s foremost songwriters. Had he not died, he might have traded licks with Dylan and inspired a whole generation of nerds to pick up the guitar and rock out.

But in the 80s…

Holly, after struggling through some subpar albums in the late 1970s, and unwilling to accept disco or even the burgeoning hard rock, puts together a comeback album of sorts in 1984, with help from a legion of rock and roll legends as well as admirers. Ritchie Valens (who never died in that plane crash) duets on one latin-flavoured track that finds Holly’s electric guitar accompanied by an electronic drum beat and Valens soulful croon. Meanwhile, Elvis Costello, who the media is certain is Holly’s son, produces. Despite cries that Holly is selling out, the over-50 singer hits triple platinum, winning over critics by proving that he hasn’t lost his talent, and finds a new audience in a young generation; two years later a greatest hits collection spanning four decades once again becomes a best seller. And in 1988, The Buddy Holly Story stars Tom Cruise.

Otis Redding
d. 1967

Redding’s songwriting craft and performances were only beginning to cross over into mainstream pop music, after popular performances at Monterey and across the world began to ignite under predominantly white audiences, years after paying dues in smaller venues. A victim of a tragic plane crash, one can only assume he would have been deeply involved in much of the same politicization in the late 60s and into the 70s. His popularity would remain strong through the 70s with a set of funky disco pop singles…

But in the 80s…

Redding’s popularity does not begin to wane until the early 1980s. In fact, only when Marvin Gaye gets shot by his father does Redding’s status as soul music’s number one star begin to subside. Insanely jealous of the attention of his career-long rival, Redding plots a fake kidnapping in hopes of stealing the media attention once again back to him. However, this misfires as investigative journalists learn of his plan, and his popularity sinks worse than ever. After battling alcoholism and a drop from his label as a result of the fallout, he puts out two awful albums in the 1980s with poorly produced attempts at rap music with topics ranging from his still alive sexual prowess to his dislike of Reagan. However, the most jarring track is Redding’s war of words against his constant competitor Gaye, whose career becomes far more legendary; the track Starvin’ for Marvin’ is dismissed as bad taste for its jabs at Gaye’s widow and father. Not long after, he retires from music altogether.

Janis Joplin
d. 1970

Joplin was fortunate to live in an age where image was not what defined a musician. Unlike the music-video savvy 1980s, the 1960s allowed uniqueness and talent to come to the forefront. While some critics have debated the level of actual talent of Joplin, few contest that her voice was one of the most interesting and mesmerizing to come from the era. Had she not overdosed, she would have forayed further into the blues, and while never finding commercial fame in the 1970s, she would have developed a rabid cult following, having toured with the Grateful Dead on several occasions. Towards the end of the 70s, still touring over 200 days per year, she would put out an album heavily influenced by punk music, namely Patti Smith. This record would inspire a new legion of fans who likened her to be the queen of west coast punk rock.

But In The 80s…

Fresh from her success with a louder, brasher music, in 1983 Joplin would once again look to reinvent herself. This time looking to artists like Blondie and Pat Benatar, Joplin prepares an arena ready rock record, complete with a leadoff radio single and music video. However, for a generation who judged almost completely on looks, the already 40 Joplin would look haggard and unkempt, an immediate turnoff for the MTV generation. Even an opening slot on Joan Jett’s tour would not garner new fans. Her rock album is a commercial failure, and with her voice beginning to weaken, Joplin ponders whether or not to quit the music business. However, prompted by Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, Joplin decides to self-produce and independently release an album that she herself performs, accompanied only by guitar and her own voice, the album is likened to a female version of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, and is a critical and commercial hit. Joplin once again begins trekking across the world on what she calls a comeback tour, this time without a band. Her tenacity and persistence directly inspires the riot grrrl movement of the 1990s.

Jim Morrison
d. 1971

The Doors’ frontman was considered by many to be a poet, but much of the high regard for him was posthumous, as during his life he was seen mostly as a tortured rock star. Had he not overdosed, the Doors would have continued into declining popularity through to the mid-1970s, when, fed up with Morrison’s drug addiction and instability, he would be booted from the band. The rest of them would continue to play casinos for 30 more years with a rotating array of singers. Morrison, meanwhile would put out a long-awaited solo album in 1977. However, with most of hippies having gotten real jobs, Morrison’s drug-induced lyrics and overlong songs fail to spark sales or much attention.

But In The 80s…

Desperate to find fame once again, Morrison gets a perm, dons a one-piece track suit and a U-shaped electric guitar, and plays Depeche Mode style pop music. Seen by many as a joke, Morrison pleads to the public that he is serious about his musical reinvention. However, it may have been too severe. Having hired professional songwriters to write the melody, Morrison’s inability to write lyrics that don’t invoke thoughts of hallucination did not meld with the upbeat pop that he was singing. However, Morrison’s worsening drug habits forced him to continue trying for success, putting out countless albums hoping to garner success. He becomes especially jealous when former Beatle George Harrison has a hit with the song I’ve Got My Mind Set On You’ while his equally upbeat but titularly impaired The Maniacal Indignations of the Frog Prince at Night’ fails to even crack the Billboard 200. In a drugged out frenzy, Morrison attempts to kill Harrison, but is stopped before he can get a shot off. He spends the next 8 years in jail, stopping speaking altogether, and communicating only by the same really terrible poetry he had been spewing his whole life.

Unaccompanied Minors

DVD Reviews

Starring: Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama, Tyler James Williams, Dyllan Christopher, Brett Kelly, Gina Mantegna, Quinn Shephard, Paget Brewster, Rob Corddry
Written By: Jacob Meszaros, Mya Stark
Directed By: Paul Feig
Studio: Warner Bros.
Buy on Amazon.com: link

It’s interesting that a Christmas movie, even one that tanked at the box office, would be released on DVD in August (yes, this review is late). Wouldn’t it make more sense to wait about two more months and get it in there as an early holiday release? Even a whole new marketing campaign could save it.

But poor planning aside, Unaccompanied Minors is not nearly as bad as you might think. Yes, it is lame as hell and geared primarily to the under-12 set, but the film does something that I haven’t seen nearly enough of these days, and that is being a kids movie that actually centres around kids. When I was at about the age at which most of the target audience of this film is now, there were tons of options, from the Mighty Ducks trilogy, the seven million Karate Kid films, the Sandlot, or even my personal favourite Camp Nowhere. But these days, unless a film is specifically geared towards doll-buying (read: little girl) audiences, there are no real kid-centric films.

Unaccompanied Minors is cheesy, poorly paced at times, and is a bit long despite being under 90 minutes, but there is enough to enjoy here that I find it a shame that it did so poorly in theatres. It centres around a handful of kids that get stuck in an airport over Christmas, have some fun, run amok, and find out the true meaning of the holidays. In many ways, it’s the exact same plot as every other holiday movie, and far less painful. In fact, there really isn’t much unpleasantness – the actors and actresses are quite good, well cast in a very Breakfast Club dichotomy, and Lewis Black works quite well as a bad guy – he pretty much just yells like he always does, but this time it’s at kids.

These days too many young children are getting sucked in to horrid, super-saccharine propaganda like High School Musical, when there’s really no reason that they should believe the world is so happy and fancy-free (my new favourite word). Unaccompanied Minors is still very appropriate while still being just a tad darker than those aliens at High School Musical High School.

On a side note, the film was directed by Paul Feig, whose work in creating Freaks and Geeks, as well as directing some of television’s finest shows is celebrated by countless cameos, including Steve Bannos and Dave Gruber Allen of Freaks and Geeks, BJ Novak, Mindy Kaling, and David Koechner from the Office, and Jessica Walter and Tony Hale from Arrested Development. Plus, three members of the Kids in the Hall troupe are featured as Guards….in the hall.

Features:
Commentary by Paul Feig, Lewis Black, Jacob Meszaros, and Mya Stark
Charlie’s Dance Reel
Additional scenes
Guards in the Hall – a Hilarious Look at the Security Guards Out of Control

Audio:
English, French, Spanish 5.1 Surround

Video:
1.85:1 Widescreen
Full Screen

Subtitles:
English
French
Spanish

RATING & SUMMARY:

Favorites:
Rating: PG
Running Time: 90 minutes
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating:

Jason Spooner “The Flame You Follow”

Album Reviews

Record Label: S/R
Genre: Folk
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com:

I have to apologize to Mr. Spooner or any fans of his music. I received this CD a while ago, and after a first listen, I knew that it was really good. I put it in the ‘good’ pile of CDs – but seeing as everything else wasn’t that good, it was pretty much all alone. And then I lost it. It’s somewhere in my house, but I’m a messy person, so it could be up to a few years before I actually find it. So I feel really bad. I thought I’d review it anyways, based on what I remember about it.

The disc is enjoyable, mellow, and well-crafted folk music, played primarily by a 3-piece, straightforward acoustic guitar-bass-drums combo. As I remember, Spooner is fantastic at creating and maintaining a mood that carries from song to song. I can’t remember the names of any tracks, but I do know that the album is very listenable from start to finish. I wish I could say more, but I haven’t heard the CD since I first listened to it a month ago. If I find it someday, I’ll add more to the review.

RATING & SUMMARY:

Bottom Line: Really nice mellow folk music.
Notable Tracks:
Overall Rating: