Two Series Seek Out "Star Trek's" Legacy

This week, please take a look at one of my recent pieces for Culture Sonar, the awesome arts and entertainment website where I also regularly share my thoughts on music and movies. This article is about two current science-fiction TV series that owe a great debt to the original Star Trek and its spinoffs; click on the link below the photo to access the article. You can also find my other work for the site by going to the main page (http://www.culturesonar.com) and using the search function. Thanks for reading, both here at Eclectic Avenue and over at Culture Sonar. 

The Orville, Discovery and the Spirit of Roddenberry

http://www.culturesonar.com/the-orville-star-trek-discovery/

Wishing my wonderful, loyal readers all the best for 2018!

Remembering the Talented Pat DiNizio

DiNizio (center) performing with The Smithereens in 2016

Since Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens passed away on December 12, songs like "Only A Memory" and "Top of The Pops" have been playing in heavy rotation on my iTunes, in my head, and most definitely in my heart. While we’ve suffered the loss of a number of musical icons over the last few years, this one caught me by surprise, and truly felt like a gut punch. DiNizio and the rest of The Smithereens are masters of that special type of power pop fueled rock and roll that could only be created by disciples of The Beatles, The Who and The Beach Boys, among other 1960s bands that influenced the style of DiNizio and his fellow New Jersey based rockers. A true rock/pop craftsman, DiNizio was equally adept at writing excellent rockers such as “A Girl Like You” and mournful tales of love and loss like “In A Lonely Place” which actually quoted dialogue from the Humphrey Bogart noir film whose title it borrowed. And those are only two examples of the amazing songs penned by DiNizio.

While The Smithereens had some mainstream success in the mid to late 1980s with hits like “Blood & Roses” and “Behind the Wall of Sleep,” the sound of grunge gradually took over MTV and the radio airwaves, and classic guitar based rock temporarily took a back seat to flannel shirted bands (though, ironically, Kurt Cobain was reportedly a huge fan of the band’s debut album, Especially For You). That didn’t deter DiNizio and his band mates from continuing to release excellent records like 11 and A Date With The Smithereens, which showcased DiNizios songwriting gifts and the band’s masterful musical chops. Their rocking sound was honed by years of playing in local bars and working as an opening for other touring bands. The Smithereens’s raucous live shows were always worth seeing, and the band retained a loyal following in the tri-state area. I count myself among those true fans. Not only did I see The Smithereens a number of times throughout the years, but I was lucky enough to meet them and tell them how much I enjoyed their work.

DiNizio also released several wonderful solo albums, starting with 1997’s Songs & Sounds, and did audaciously fun (and amazing) things like “The Living Room Tour” where he would actually perform at your house for you and your friends, hosted songwriting workshops and even tried out for a minor league baseball team. Through it all, he kept his sense of humor, his love of rock and roll and his dedication to his music, his band and their fans. The Smithereens continued to perform live, and released tribute albums to The Beatles and The Who, as well as their most recent disc of original material, 2011, which was one of their best. The band’s music never lost that straight-ahead garage rock sound, and like all great rock and roll, continues to sound fantastic as time goes on. It’s one thing pay tribute to your idols in your music, its quite another to create equally memorable songs of your own. Pat DiNizio and his bandmates managed to do just that for 30 plus years. Rest in peace, Pat. You will most definitely be missed. To paraphrase one of your lyrics, “we’re in a lonely place without you.”

"Stoker" is Mysterious and Intriguing

Nicole Kidman & Matthew Goode in Stoker

The title family in the movie Stoker (2013) brings new depth to the term dysfunctional. When her beloved father dies in an accident on her 18^th birthday, India Stoker is distraught. Tensions grow between India and her emotionally distant mother, Evelyn. Both women are surprised when her Uncle Charlie (who India has never met) comes to pay his respects. Charlie is handsome, good-looking and intelligent. But India is suspicious of him and the true reasons behind his visit. Charlie stays around after the funeral, and sets his sights on Evelyn. When India sees Charlie arguing with their housekeeper, who later disappears, it’s only the beginning of a mysterious and twisted series of events.

As Charlie and Evelyn grow closer, India becomes interested in Whip, a student at her school. Another relative visits, and attempts to warn the women about Charlie, with tragic results. Things aren’t what they seem for any of these characters. Charlie’s motives are far more devious than they appear on the surface, and the complex India may have some secrets of her own. The jumping off point for this intriguing film is the Alfred Hitchcock classic, Shadow of A Doubt (1943). In that tale, Joseph Cotten starred as another Uncle Charlie, who also visited his family, and whose easygoing demeanor hid a darker truth. In fact, this story’s Charlie is named in homage to Cotten’s character in that Hitchcock film. There’s also more than a touch of the movie The Bad Seed (1956) on display in the story.

Mia Wasikowska (who played the title role Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, and was also featured in Guillermo Del Toro's Crimson Peak) is very good as India, finding just the right balance between innocence and sensuality. Matthew Goode is excellent as the smooth talking, devious Charlie. And Nicole Kidman is outstanding as Evelyn, who is initially drawn in by Charlie’s charming ways, but later terrified upon learning his true nature. The film is visually striking, with some startling images of beauty and horror, thanks to the fine work of cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon. The evocative score is by Clint Mansell, and there’s a great choice of songs used in the background of a couple of key scenes. The screenplay is by actor Wentworth Miller, who's best known for appearing in the TV series Prison Break, The Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow. The film marked the American debut of Korean director Park Chan-wook, best known for The Vengeance Trilogy.

To say much more about this film would give away too many of its twists and turns. This is a fascinating and mysterious psychological thriller. If there’s any problem with the the movie, it’s that you may find it a little hard to sympathize with any of the characters. But that’s a minor quibble with this eerie, unusual tale. If you’re a fan of the TV series Bates Motel, American Horror Story or Twin Peaks, you’ll probably enjoy this offbeat film. The movie is well worth a look if you've run out of options on your Netflix, Hulu or DVR queues. Stoker is available on Blu-ray, DVD and for digital download. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXaanQkzrXU.

What Really Lurks Inside Room 237?

Have you ever been deeply enthusiastic about a movie, album or book? Maybe you’ve discussed it over and over with friends or fellow fans? Perhaps you've kept thinking about the true meanings of the images, words or music and endlessly considered its real meanings? Well, you’ve got nothing on the people featured in the film Room 237 (2012). This documentary features a group of Über-fans discussing their theories on the subtext of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 version of Stephen King’s novel The Shining. While the movie wasn’t a huge success on its original release (and King wasn't very happy with Kubrick's version of his novel) the film has gone on to achieve classic status. It's now considered one of the best of it's genre by many fans and critics. But the Kubrick devotees featured in Room 237 think there’s a lot more lurking behind the doors of The Overlook Hotel than Jack Nicholson, ghostly bartenders, corridors of blood and creepy twin girls.

The movie features clips from The Shining and other Kubrick films. It's narrated by these "superfans" and admirers of the director, who remain off camera. They discuss their views and opinions on what they feel are the true themes of the movie. The Kubrick aficionados include Bill Blakemore, Juli Kearns and John Fell Ryan, among others. The theories they put forth about what Kubrick is really discussing beneath the surface include the massacre of Native Americans by the white man, the Holocaust and the possible faking of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Few filmmakers inspire as much intense debate and offbeat interpretations among their fans as Kubrick does, and this group is no exception. It’s fascinating to see what some viewers feel is the true message of this unsettling horror tale. 

To paraphrase one of the Kubrick admirers featured, “Even if my view isn’t what he intended to say with the film, does that make it any less valid?” We all bring our own histories, interests and feelings with us when we watch a movie, see a play, read a book, or listen to an album. My take on a piece of art may be very different from yours, but that doesn’t make it incorrect. While some of these ideas regarding the subtext of The Shining are pretty far out, one thing is for sure: these people are truly passionate about this movie, and Kubrick’s work as a whole. The one drawback is that the same clips from the film are used multiple times to illustrate the theories which are being discussed.

We’re all fans of something, be it the films of a celebrated director, the performances of an award-winning actor, the work of a beloved author, a specific TV show or film genre, or the music of our favorite bands. Most people don’t espouse theories quite as far out as the ones featured in Room 237, but on some level, we’ve all been deeply affected by our own personal favorites This film celebrates movie fans, movie analysis and movie love, and that’s a good thing. Room 237 was produced by Tim Kirk and directed by Rodney Ascher. It’s currently available on Blu-ray, DVD and for digital download & viewing. One final note that may be of interest to fans: In the original novel, the room number used by King was 217; Kubrick changed it to 237 for the film version. Here are links to the film’s trailers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOxukprEwjg & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHE5YUNkssQ.