The Twists and Turns of "The Perfection"

Thrillers and horror films often provide an ample canvas for filmmakers to paint some unique cinematic moments. Some movies play with the established conventions of the genre, offering new spins on stories we’ve seen before, like director Drew Goddard’s The Cabin In The Woods (2011), which he co-wrote with Joss Whedon. Others go for the subtle, slow building rhythms of a nightmare, like Robert Eggers’ The Witch (2015), or the genre bending, pedal to the medal horrors of Ari Aster’s Hereditary (2018). Director Richard Shepard’s psychological terror tale The Perfection (2019) touches upon all of these styles, offering a wild, twist-laden mix of thriller, horror and revenge drama that will keep you guessing about what’s really going on until the very end.

Allison Williams

Charlotte Wilmore, a talented cellist, leaves a world-renowned music school to care for her ill mother. Years later, after her mother’s passing, Charlotte re-connects with Anton, her former teacher and mentor, who’s hosting an event in Shanghai. The concert features a performance by his protégé, Lizzie, who had replaced Charlotte as Anton’s star pupil. Charlotte and Lizzie hit it off, and spend the night together. The two lovers decide to take a vacation, and that’s when things start to go very wrong. Lizzie isn’t feeling well, and her condition worsens, making her uneasy and paranoid. But that’s just the beginning of a fateful series of events. Be warned, there are dark (and gory) times ahead, and Lizzie and Charlotte’s lives will never be the same.

The cadence of the performances is definitely a key to the success or failure of a film like this. If you hit the wrong note (pun intended), things can quickly go off the rails. The Perfection  benefits from the work of three fine actors in the central roles. Allison Williams (who was great as the girlfriend in Get Out) offers a stunning turn as Charlotte, and her co-star Logan Browning, who portrays Lizzie, ably matches her with some multi-faceted work. Steven Weber gives a deceptively laid back performance as Anton, which subtly hints at the character’s inner depths. None of these people are what (or who) they seem on the surface. To say more about the characters or the story would ruin some of the film’s spring-loaded surprises.

 The Perfection offers twists, turns, reveals and reversals in equal measure. The direction by Richard Shepard keeps things spinning along at a brisk pace. Fans of David Lynch, Korean horror films, and 1980s erotic thrillers will definitely spot those influences in the clever script, which was co-written by Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder with the director. The kinetic cinematography by Vanja Černjul offers some cool visuals and memorable shots, especially in the film’s climactic sequences. The Perfection is not a film for the squeamish, so if you’re a viewer who can’t take some bloody moments, you may want to opt out on this one. But if you’re looking for an energetic, full-blooded thriller, it’s worth checking out. The film is now available for streaming on Netflix. Here’s a link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q57D6kF5B1k.

Isaac Hayes, Shaft and Sweet Stax Music

Cover Image Courtesy Craft Recordings

The toughest 1970s hero of them all wasn't James Bond, it was John Shaft, the baddest private detective of them all. He was played with almost effortless cool and super-charged charisma by Richard Roundtree in three films and a short-lived television series. The original Shaft (1971) helped catapult the blaxploitation genre into ongoing box office success, and the music composed for the film by Isaac Hayes is as perfectly cool as its title character. Hayes, who had been working behind the scenes for years as a session musician and producer, as well as writing songs (often with Dave Porter) for Johnnie Taylor, Carla Thomas and Sam & Dave, had recently broken out as a solo artist with landmark albums such as Hot Buttered Soul and The Isaac Hayes Movement. His music for Shaft is a gloriously funky, deeply soulful and jazz-tinged score which provides the perfect mood for the film's action. The memorable title song "Theme From Shaft" netted Hayes an Oscar for Best Original Song, and the soundtrack album captured three Grammys. Hayes continued working as a singer, songwriter and actor until his death in 2008.

Craft Recordings has put together a wonderful new edition of the music from Shaft, featuring the most complete collection of Hayes' score for the movie, as well as the soundtrack album. When he first worked on the film's music, Hayes did it in two batches. Originally, he recorded the tracks "Theme From Shaft" and "Do Your Thing" as well as a great deal of incidental music for the movie, in between tour dates. Hayes later went into the famed Stax Studios in Memphis to re-record much of the music for the film's soundtrack album, which was released in 1971 as Shaft - Music From The Soundtrack. Now both sets of recordings, including Hayes' full score for the film, have been released as a two-disc set. The first disc features the original soundtrack album, and the second disc includes the film's score. It's the most comprehensive release of this marvelous music, which not only helped define a genre, but cemented Isaac Hayes' reputation as a ground-breaking artist. With a new version of Shaft, featuring Samuel L. Jackson, now in theaters, it's a perfect time to revisit the thrilling grooves of Hayes' powerful music for the original movie adventures of Shaft.

Cover Image Courtesy Craft Recordings

But the soundtrack from Shaft isn't the only sweet soul music being offered by Craft Recordings this month. The label is re-releasing one album per day in June from the iconic Stax label, to help celebrate Black Music Month. Titles include the excellent two-disc collection, Soul Explosion, which helped ignite the label's reputation as a soul music powerhouse upon its release in 1969. That record originally came out after Stax had cut ties with Atlantic Records and went out on its own as an independent label. Soul Explosion features music from Johnnie Taylor, Albert King and Booker T and the MGs. Other releases include the soul-tastic Boy Meets Girl - Classic Stax Duets, a gathering of incredible twosomes featuring Eddie Floyd & Mavis Staples and William Bell & Carla Thomas, among others. There will also be releases of albums by David Porter, Kim Weston, The Mad Lads, The Sweet Inspirations, The Bar-Kays and The Dramatics, all available in digital format for the first time.

These records have all been lovingly curated for this project by the crew at Craft Recordings, a label who is at the forefront of issuing fantastic legacy releases by artists that need to be heard again, who were at the forefront of the soul genre. The music of Stax Records is some of the grooviest, funkiest, tastiest music ever recorded. You can read the full information on all of the Stax re-releases by visiting this link: https://concord.com/concord-music-news/craft-recordings-celebrates-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-stax-soul-explosion/. I highly recommend checking out these essential recordings, which are the pinnacle of 60s and 70s soul. Here are a links to a fun promotional video of Johnnie Taylor's "Who's Making Love," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwFKa7z5VuE, and a trailer for Soul Explosion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpdchB9lw9s.

Early Elton: Tumbleweed Connections and Deep Tracks at The Warehouse

Early Elton, the outstanding trio who play the music of Elton John from the 1970-72 era, took the stage on Saturday, June 8 at The Warehouse at the FTC in Fairfield, Connecticut to perform the classic album Tumbleweed Connection. The show was a celebration of the band's tenth anniversary, and to mark the occasion, they provided the audience with a truly memorable evening of music. Tumbleweed Connection, originally released in 1970, is a concept album, inspired by Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin's love of the Old West, and the sound of groups such as The Band. It's one of the finest albums in Elton's catalogue, and whenever Early Elton pays tribute to the record, it's always a special night. Things kicked off with a knockout version of "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun," and the band continued on with stunning performances of all of the album's songs, including "Country Comfort" and "My Father's Gun." The "Tumbleweed" section of the show climaxed with a spectacular, bring down the house version of the record's closing track, "Burn Down The Mission." But the night wasn't over yet. There were a lot more incredible songs to come, and the evening also included a couple of salutes to the amazing Dr. John, who we lost recently.

Early Elton - photo by Gilda Caserta

The evening continued with a number of "fan favorites" such as "Levon," and "Rocket Man," as well as a barn-storming rave-up on "Take Me To The Pilot." There were also visits to the gospel-fueled "Border Song" a lovely version of "Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters" and a deep tracks dive into the 11-17-70 version of "Can I Put You On?" which is one of my personal favorites. The enraptured audience sang and clapped along throughout the night, and by the time the guys got to the encore of "Madman Across The Water" and "Your Song," we'd been amazed, enthralled and transported to another level. The supremely talented John Conte (bass, vocals), Rich Pagano (drums, vocals) and Jeff Kazee (keyboards, vocals) have played with great bands like Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes and The Fab Faux, among others. But there's something very special and magical that happens whenever these three marvelous musicians come together as Early Elton.

The band has really done their research on Elton, or as vocalist/drummer Pagano refers to it "the archaeology," searching the internet for live videos and sound board mixes of Elton's concerts from the early 1970s, which featured Dee Murray on bass and Nigel Olsson on drums. Early Elton recreates the feeling of those vintage performances, but also adds some of their own ideas into the mix, with arrangements that feature passionate vocals and rich instrumentation. The combination makes for a superb and absolutely unique live experience that pays tribute to this classic music, while also giving it a depth and freshness that allows these talented musicians to share their deep love of Elton's music with audiences.

I've seen the band a number of times now, and I always enjoy their passionate performances. If you haven't seen these guys live yet, what are you waiting for? They're doing a number of dates this summer, so get out there and see them! Happy Anniversary, Early Elton, and thanks for the music. Here's to the next ten years! If you'd like to take a look at the band's info, follow this link to their website: http://www.earlyeltontrio.com, and check this link out to view a fantastic version of "Take Me To The Pilot." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQaNuJxAyHQ.

Is Godzilla the "King of the Monsters?"

Godzilla has been a part of our pop culture landscape for over 60 years now, and the big guy has been re-interpreted, re-vamped and re-invented a number of times over the years, ever since he was introduced by the Toho company in the 1950s. The latest incarnation of the character stomps across the screen in director Michael Dougherty’s Godzilla, King of the Monsters. The film is the third entry in Legendary Entertainment’s “Monsterverse” series, following 2014’s Godzilla and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island. The movie also features appearances by some of the other fan favorites from the classic Toho monster universe, including Rodan, Mothra and Ghidorah.

Millie Bobby Brown and Vera Farmiga

This time out, the organization known as Monarch, which has been cataloguing and studying the giant monsters known as Titans, must battle a new threat; Ghidorah, a three-headed dragon, who is awakened from a millennia long slumber by an eco-terrorist named Alan Jonah, played by Game of Thrones veteran Charles Dance. He’s enlisted the help of Dr. Emma Russell,  a rogue member of Monarch, who’s developed a system for communicating with the monsters called the Orca. Jonah plans to control a group of Titans (including Rodan) who will lay waste to the Earth, so the planet can be reborn and cleansed of the environmental damage caused by humans. The anti-nuclear message of the original Godzilla (aka Gojira) gets an additional “protect the environment/save the planet” element layered into the story this time around.

The Monarch team, with the help of Dr. Russell’s ex-husband Mark, must stop Jonah’s plan by enlisting the aid of Godzilla to stop Ghidorah’s rampage. Of course, this plotline allows for some cool monster battles featuring Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and Ghidorah. If you’re a long-time fan of these types of films, you can’t help but enjoy the modernized versions of these kaiju (giant monsters) squaring off against each other. The creatures have been updated with care and attention to detail (Mothra is particularly well-done) and the film is visually stunning. There’s also a monster-sized number of Easter eggs in the film for long-time fans, from character names to visual references and throwaway bits. If you’re a student of Godzilla lore, you’re going to have fun re-watching the film to catch everything you’ve missed.

Some critics have complained about the film’s weak story and under-developed human characters. I agree that the screenplay by director Dougherty and Zach Shields could have used one more re-write, and a bit of sharpening. The storyline (which effectively re-works some ideas used in the 2001 Japanese entry Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack) is interesting, it's just that some of the execution is uneven. It’s hard to fault the cast, which features Kyle Chandler, Aisha Hinds, Millie Bobby Brown, and Vera Farmiga. Ken Watanabe, David Straithairn and Sally Hawkins reprise their roles from 2014’s Godzilla, and Bradley Whitford is very funny as a Monarch scientist who’s essentially a stand-in for the audience.

I’m of two minds when I look at a movie like this. The ten year old Godzilla fan inside me is thrilled by the fact that we get to see these characters visualized in a way which couldn’t possibly have been achieved when we watched these films on a rainy Saturday afternoon growing up. I’m willing to forgive a bit of loopy plotting and uneven character development, as the film does work on it own terms as a giant monster thriller. But I still have genuine affection for the warmth and simple charms of films like Monster Zero (1965). There’s no denying that the big budget “modern blockbuster” style of moviemaking can be a bit cold at times, but we are living in a different cinematic world now. Godzilla, King of the Monsters is an enjoyable ride and should please fans of the Big G, but here’s hoping that the next entry in the series, Godzilla vs. Kong (2020), can inject a bit more of an old school “popcorn movie fun” element into the proceedings. Here’s a link to the trailer for the monster-athon Godzilla, King of the Monsters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFxN2oDKk0E. 

"What/If" is a Delicious Guilty Pleasure

Remember the ABC television series Revenge, a modern take on The Count of Monte Cristo, which told the story of a mysterious woman who comes to the Hamptons to take, well, revenge, on the people who destroyed her family? That show’s delightfully over the top combination of thriller, soap opera and murder mystery practically re-defined the term “guilty pleasure.” The creator of that series, Mike Kelley, has returned with an equally addictive Netflix drama entitled What/If. The show is a stylish mix of sex, money, obsession and murder. What/If is inspired by (and an homage to) 80s/90s era thrillers such as Indecent Exposure, Fatal Attraction, Malice and Wall Street.

Renee Zellweger 

The story centers on Lisa Ruiz-Donovan (Jane Levy) and her husband Sean (Blake Jenner), a happily married couple with a strong bond to their circle of friends. Lisa is badly in need of funding for her bio-tech startup, which has developed a genetic mapping technique that could revolutionize the healthcare industry. Into their lives steps Anne Montgomery, a hard-edged, extremely successful venture capitalist. Anne has an offer for Lisa: she’ll fund Lisa’s company, in exchange for one night alone with Sean. The catch is that the agreement specifies that Sean cannot discuss what occurs on this evening with Lisa. After discussing the offer, Lisa and Sean agree to Anne's terms; after all it’s only one night, right? Sean wants to help Lisa achieve her dream.

But the devilish Anne has a hidden agenda, and it’s not really about a one-night stand. The results of accepting Anne’s offer will reveal secrets about Sean and Lisa’s pasts, and bring their relationship to the breaking point. Meanwhile, their friends and family are going through their own challenges. Sean’s co-worker Todd and his wife Angela are dealing with the repercussions of Angela’s affair with an egotistical doctor, and Lisa’s adopted brother Marco is being haunted by a terrible secret. Who is the manipulative Anne Montgomery, and what is her true plan? Will Sean and Lisa’s marriage be torn about by all these terrible secrets? Will Lisa’s company survive? You’ll have to watch all ten episodes to find out!

Blake Jenner and Jane Levy do a nice job as Sean and Lisa, and Dave Annable is quite good as the creepy doctor. Gabriel Mann (who was so good as Nolan Ross in Revenge) pops up as a shady financier who may or may not be in league with Anne. But the VIP of What/If is Renee Zellweger, who not only chews the scenery, she devours it, stealing every single scene that features her. Zellweger clearly has a grand time playing Anne; she gives the character enough depth and shading to make the portrayal a gloriously well-rounded study in villainy. If you thought Madeline Stowe was amazing as the conniving family matriarch in Revenge, (and she was) wait until you see Zellweger tear through her role with obvious relish.

Creator/producer Mike Kelley has fashioned another juicy, twist-laden tale of secrets, lies, sex and murder. If you liked Revenge, then you’ll likely enjoy What/If as well. This isn’t a series that you examine in the same way you’d look at, let’s say, Breaking Bad, or Mad Men. It’s the viewing equivalent of reading a suspenseful, page-turning “beach-read” novel. On that level, it works extremely well. Be warned: once you start, you just might find yourself binge watching the whole thing. The series is being promoted as an anthology, much like American Horror Story, which means that a different story will be featured each season. Here’s the trailer for the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eREDQ8H2OA4.