Bob Burger's Superb "The Domino Effect"

Bob Burger is a founding member of New Jersey’s fabulous Beatles-inspired band, The Weeklings, a group in which he plays rhythm guitar as Zeek Weekling. He’s also a gifted songwriter who has penned tunes for artists including Styx, Kasim Sulton, and Donnie Iris. Burger has issued several marvelous solo discs, and his latest, The Domino Effect, is currently streaming online, and will be released on CD July 1 from JEM Records. The album features eleven top-notch songs that will definitely appeal to fans of 1970s and 1980s rock, power pop and new wave. The record kicks off with “The Suicide King,” a tale about a guy who “does what he wants,” even though he might be making some bad life decisions. That tongue in cheek opening number is followed by “Impression,” a fantastic, new wave-infused song which sounds like it's a lost track from Squeeze.

The Domino Effect aptly displays the breadth of Burger’s talent for writing terrific tunes, often laced with wry lyrics and a subtle touch of humor. The songs on the album evoke a number of styles, from pop-rock ballads like the lovely “Only A Way” and “Merely Beautiful” to straight ahead rockers such as the Tom Petty-esque “The One-Eyed Jack” and the alternative-flavored “Pain In The Ass." There’s a definite Crowded House feel to the excellent “Two Bodies,” and a dash of country on the wonderful “I’m Free,” and the sublime “Even If You Don’t.” The record closes with the superb “Rock & Roll Band.”  

The album is a treasure trove of outstanding songs, featuring heavenly harmonies, crackling guitars and taut, solid drum work in the classic rock and roll style. In addition to the masterful lead guitar work and extraordinary vocals from Burger, the album includes a magnificent group of backing musicians, including Jimmy Leahey and John Merjave on guitar, Jerry Gaskill on drums, Lisa Sherman on background vocals, and Arne Wendt and Plink Giglio on keyboards. The exceptional production work by Burger gives the album a sparkling pop-rock sheen that’s perfect for these exquisite songs.

The Domino Effect effectively celebrates Burger’s musical influences, which include artists like Tom Petty, Elvis Costello and The Beatles, while offering his own spin on the pop, rock and alternative genres. These are songs that will absolutely get stuck in your head, and touch your heart. This is a splendid album that deserves repeat spins on your music device of choice, and it should absolutely be part of the soundtrack of your summer. The Domino Effect is now available for streaming and will be released July 1 on CD on JEM Records.

An Epic "Northman" From Robert Eggers

Ana Taylor-Joy and Alexander Skarsgard

Robert Eggers is a talented filmmaker with a unique visual style. His first two films, The Witch and The Lighthouse, are dark, unsettling and atmospheric tales of psychological terror. The Witch is a dread-laden spin on folk horror and religion, and The Lighthouse is a slow burn study of two men’s descent into madness. Eggers most recent project, The Northman, is a Viking action story, hallucinogenic hero’s journey, and a revenge tale, all rolled into one. As the film opens, King Aurvandill is killed by his brother, Fjolnir, who then takes possession of Aurvandill’s wife, Gudrun, as well as his kingdom. Aurvandill’s young son, Amleth, escapes, and vows to return one day, avenge his father’s murder, and rescue his mother. If some of this sounds familiar, the story owes more than a bit to Hamlet. The Norse legend of Amleth was actually one of Shakespeare’s primary inspirations when he wrote his celebrated tale of the brooding prince from Denmark.

In The Northman, Amleth’s path to revenge is filled with violence and destruction. He’s adopted by a band of wandering Vikings, and grows up to be a fierce warrior. He helps the marauders to raid villages, and take the survivors prisoner as slave labor. A chance encounter during one of these raids enables him to learn of Fjolnir’s current location. Amleth joins a group of slaves destined for Fjolnir’s camp, and begins a tentative relationship with Olga, a Slavic woman who is believed to be a witch by the others in the group. He also encounters an eerie magician who guides him into experiencing a vision of Draugr, the sword that will be the instrument of his final revenge. He battles an undead warrior to obtain the sword. Amleth ingratiates himself into Fjlonir’s camp by saving the life of the man’s young son, and is given preferred status among the servants. As he attempts to achieve his long-simmering desire for revenge, Amleth discovers the reality of what happened to his father years ago may be different than his perception of the actual events. Will he forsake his quest for revenge, and escape to live happily ever after with Olga? Or is it Amleth’s fate to meet Fjolnir in battle?

The Northman, like The Witch and The Lighthouse, is a hypnotic and visually stunning film. There are some brilliantly directed sequences, including the attack on a village early in the story, and the hallucinogenic images experienced by Amleth throughout the tale. There’s also a masterfully staged battle scene at the crater of a volcano during the climax of the film, which is awash in fiery colors. Eggers and his crew have done a wonderful job visualizing the violent nature of the world in which Amleth and the other characters exist, balanced with their deeply spiritual essence. Destiny looms large in these people’s beliefs, and a certainty about inescapable fate is part of their worldview. In addition to the legend of Amleth, director Robert Eggers and his co-writer, Icelandic poet and novelist Sjon, weave elements of other Norse myths into the story. Alexander Skarsgard (who stars as Amleth) had actually been trying to develop his own Viking adventure film for a while, and Eggers became interested in doing a similar project when he traveled to Iceland with his wife, and became fascinated by the area’s history. When the two men met to discuss an unrelated project, they started discussing ideas for what eventually became The Northman.

The cast is superb. A muscular Skarsgard does a fine job as the haunted, revenge-driven Amleth. Nicole Kidman is terrific as Gudrun, and Claes Bang is fantastic as Fjolnir, with both actors giving the roles their all. Ana Taylor-Joy and Willem Dafoe, veterans of previous Eggers films, are excellent in their supporting roles. Singer Bjork has a cameo as an eerie sorceress. The cinematography by Jarin Blascke (who shot Eggers’ The Witch and The Lighthouse) is outstanding, and the film’s locations in Iceland and Northern Ireland give the film an authentic look, and act almost as a character in the story. The evocative score is by Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough. If you’re looking for an epic, powerful, deeply spiritual, visually striking action-adventure tale (and you’ve enjoyed Robert Egger’s previous work) check out The Northman, which is currently streaming on Peacock. Here’s a look at the trailer for the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMSdFM12hOw.

2nd Disaster Movie Blogathon: The Core

 Aaron Eckhart & Hilary Swank

Disaster movies flourished during the 1970s, when The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, Earthquake and the the Airport series found success at the box office. Despite the popularity of these films, there were also some box-office failures, including Avalanche, Hurricane and The Swarm. The genre ran out of steam in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but it has been revived throughout the ensuing decades, with movies like Dante’s Peak, Armageddon, The Day After Tomorrow and San Andreas continuing the genre’s tradition of placing all-star casts in jeopardy, as they face a variety of special-effects laden doomsday scenarios. 

One of the more entertaining films in the disaster cycle is 2003’s The Core. The story begins when a series of strange and deadly events occur around the world, which leads a group of scientists, led by Dr. Joshua Keyes, to theorize that the earth’s core is no longer rotating. This will eventually cause the Earth’s magnetic field to collapse, and leave the planet’s surface exposed to a powerful dose of solar radiation. Of course, this will lead to (what else?) the end of the world! What can we do to stop it?
 
A secret mission is initiated to re-start the rotation of the core, by journeying there and detonating nuclear weapons inside it. The Virgil, a vessel that can withstand the extreme heat inside the core, is constructed, using a material called “unobtanium,” which can convert heat into energy. The crew, in addition to Dr. Keyes, includes a pair of NASA astronauts, Bob Iverson and Rebecca Childs, who are recruited to pilot the ship, and Dr. Edward “Braz” Brazzelton, the creator of unobtanium. Also on hand are Dr. Serge Levesque, a nuclear weapons specialist, and Dr. Conrad Zimsky, an egotistical scientist who may know more than he’s telling about the real cause of these devastating events. Can the heroic crew of the Virgil succeed in their mission, and avert worldwide destruction?
 
The Core is improbable, over the top, and a whole lot of fun. Some of the science in the film is a bit wonky, and has been roundly criticized by real-life experts. However, since when did you watch this kind of popcorn movie for its scientific accuracy? The screenplay by Cooper Layne and John Rogers features all of the time-honored disaster flick cliches, including a hero (or heroine) with something to prove, the noble sacrifices of supporting characters, and a whole lot of pseudo-scientific dialogue. Check your logic at the door, folks. Any movie featuring an element called “unobtanium” can’t be all bad, can it?

The cast (in the fine tradition of producer-director Irwin Allen’s 1970s disaster epics) is full of familiar faces, including Oscar winner Hilary Swank, Stanley Tucci, Aaron Eckhart, Delroy Lindo, Bruce Greenwood, Richard Jenkins, and Alfre Woodard. DJ Qualls plays “Rat,” a hacker who figures prominently in the proceedings. Everyone seems to be having a good time with their roles, and Tucci and Lindo, in particular, chew the scenery in grand style. Jon Amiel’s assured direction keeps things moving at a brisk pace, so that you don’t linger too long pondering the inconsistencies in the plot, or the wonky science.
 
There may be better films in the disaster genre, but I have a soft spot for the amiable silliness of films like The Core. One of my other guilty pleasures of the genre is 1979’s Meteor, another “end of the world” tale about a super-size meteor that’s on a collision course with Earth, and the joint US-Russian team which tries to avert disaster. The cast features Sean Connery, Brian Keith, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden and Martin Landau. Like The Core, Meteor is gloriously melodramatic and absurd, but it’s also very entertaining. If you haven’t seen either of these films, I recommend pairing them as an awesome disaster movie double feature. Here’s the trailer for The Core: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVkocdkcmAc, and as a bonus, the trailer for Meteor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW6jS9bJ5bo.
 
This post is part of the 2nd Disaster Blogathon, hosted by the folks over at Dubsism and Pale Writer. I’d like to thank them for including me in the cinematic catastrophe-inspired fun. Please check out the other entries in the Blogathon from my very talented fellow bloggers by following this link: https://palewriter2.home.blog/2022/03/25/its-a-disaster-warning-announcing-the-second-disaster-blogathon/.