Spectre: Bond's Past Comes Calling

The James Bond series hit a high water mark with the 2012 release of Skyfall. The movie celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the long-running franchise with a gripping, action packed tale. The film managed to have a strong emotional element as well, and seemed to bring Bond’s origin story (as re-imagined in the Daniel Craig led entries that began with 2006’s Casino Royale) to a close. At the climax of the movie, the template was set to move the series forward with new adventures steeped in 007 tradition, including the return of some classic elements of the previous era, like Miss Moneypenny. Now the latest film in the series, Spectre, brings a wall-known Bond villain back into the forefront of the series, and digs a bit deeper into 007’s past.

The movie opens with a thrilling chase set in Mexico City during the Day of The Dead festival, as Bond hunts down an assassin. The scene is done in one long tracking shot, and director Sam Mendes does an amazing job orchestrating the sequence. It’s one of the best “teasers” of the series. Bond gets his man, but when he returns to London, we learn the mission wasn’t sanctioned, and M suspends him. Bond has very personal reasons for his actions, and continues his own investigation of the assassin’s mysterious terrorist organization. Meanwhile, a top-level bureaucrat in MI5 is planning to close down the Double O section, and use a new worldwide surveillance system to keep the peace. Bond, M, and their entire team may be out of a job. 

Bond continues to follow his leads, and he infiltrates the organization, known as Spectre. As he tries to get further inside the group, he meets a familiar enemy; Mr. White, from Casino Royale & Quantum of Solace. White gives him information on the organization, but asks Bond to protect his daughter, who will be targeted by the group because he helped Bond. Once 007 gets to the heart of Spectre, he finds that their leader is someone who has ties to his past, and has specific plans for vengeance against our hero. It’s a villain who will be very familiar to long-time Bond fans, just like Spectre itself. Just how far (and how deep) does Spectre’s reach go? Have they infiltrated the government? Will the new surveillance system mean the end of Bond’s days an agent? Its a fast-paced, exciting and well-produced movie. You get everything you expect from a Bond film: globe-hopping adventure, gadgets, nefarious villains & beautiful women. 

While the screenwriters stretch things a bit trying to tie together all of Craig’s films into a single story, there are some spectacular action sequences, and the many nods/Easter eggs to classic Bond lore make this a sure bet for 007 aficionados. It’s a film that recalls the large-scale vistas of Dr. No & You Only Live Twice, but also the tough, lean espionage action of From Russia With Love. Spectre is a well-made movie that should please fans of the series. While it doesn't quite reach the heights of Casino Royale or Skyfall, it's a solid entry in the adventures of our favorite British agent. There are reports that this may be Daniel Craig’s swan song as Bond (though no official announcement has been made) so it will be interesting to see where the series goes next. I’ve purposely not given away too much of the plot specifics so you can enjoy the film on your first viewing. Spectre is currently in theaters. Here’s a link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujmoYyEyDP8. 

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats: Sweet Soul, Funk & Rock & Roll

Talk about a leopard changing his spots. On his current release, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Denver based singer-songwriter Rateliff has taken a sharp left turn into Sam & Dave territory. After releasing a couple of albums worth of intense, folk leaning music, he’s embraced his inner Otis Redding. The disc is filled with songs that should appeal to fans of Redding, James Brown, Sam Cooke & Van Morrison. From the terrific R&B flavor of “Look It Here,” & “Howling At Nothing, “to the soulful ballads “I’d Be Waiting” & “Wasting Time,” this is a groove-tastic record. There are also some touches of gospel & rock & roll on tracks like “I Need Never Get Old” and “S.O.B.” which is perhaps the catchiest ode to post-breakup drinking (and the DTs) ever written. It's no mistake that the record has been released on the now legendary Stax label, the well-known home of gritty soul music. It's the perfect place for this album.

Rateliff’s powerful vocals are by turns gruff & tender, depending on the needs of the song. The band is uniformly excellent, featuring trumpet player Lesley Watkins and guitarist Luke Mossman, among others. It’s as if Booker T & The MGs and The Band formed an alliance, and combined their sounds to bring forth a melting pot of Americana, rock, funk, blues & soul. This is an album you’ll want to spin at parties, driving in the car, or while hanging out on a rainy Sunday. The disc was produced by Richard Swift, and is available for download on iTunes & other streaming music services. Here are links to performances of “Howling At Nothing” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzqmVa6n-es, “I Need Never Get Old,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2hxU4UG3dA, and of course, "S.O.B." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iAYhQsQhSY. This is one my favorite releases of 2015. Check out Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats now; highly recommended. And be sure to go out and see the band live if they're in your area; the group is currently on tour.

Crimson Peak: Del Toro's Gothic Tale

Tom Hiddleston & Jessica Chastain

Writer-Director Guillermo Del Toro is a filmmaker who’s always worn his influences and his love of genre stories on his sleeve. His latest film, Crimson Peak, is his version of a Gothic romance, with a strong helping of the supernatural etched into the story. The movie tells the tale of Edith Cushing, a woman living in Buffalo in 1901. She writes stories about ghosts & spirits, but her editor keeps telling her to stick to love stories. Edith is close to her father, who's a successful businessman. She’s sensitive to supernatural events, after losing her mother at a young age. In fact, her mother’s ghost appeared to Edith shortly after her passing and warned her to “Beware of Crimson Peak.” But what is Crimson Peak, and what does the cryptic warning mean?

Edith meets Sir Thomas Sharpe, an Englishman who’s in town seeking investors for his clay-mining project. He meets with Edith’s father, who rejects his investment proposal. Edith & Thomas share a mutual attraction, and pursue a relationship. Edith’s father disapproves, and tries to block the romance, but he dies mysteriously. Edith marries Thomas (which gives him access to her inheritance) and moves to England with him. His sister, Lucille, who lives with them, treats Edith coldly, and seems to resent her presence. Then Edith begins to see ghosts in the strange house, and becomes distressed. Why does she feel ill all the time? Is there more to Thomas & Lucille’s story? Will Edith’s friend Alan, who’s back in America and investigating the mysterious circumstances of the death of Edith’s father, learn the truth? And can it be that the house is called....Crimson Peak?

This stylish movie is Del Toro’s love letter to a mélange of genres, including the films of Italian horror master Mario Bava, director Roger Corman’s 1960s Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, and classic Gothic romances like Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. Crimson Peak is an amazing looking film with stunning production design, and the use of sumptuous colors for the costumes & backgrounds adds to the rich detail. In fact, the color palette is very reminiscent of the Hammer films of the 1960s, another of Del Toro’s touchstones for the project, and you might notice Edith's last name is a tribute to one of Hammer's stars, the late Peter Cushing. And you will truly feel, as in many of Poe’s tales, that the house is a character in the story. Del Toro, and his crew, including cinematographer Dan Laustsen & editor Bernat Vilaplana, has done a masterful job. The score by Fernando Velazquez is appropriately romantic and eerie in equal measure.

The cast is excellent; Mia (Alice in Wonderland) Wasikowka, as Edith, is the perfect Gothic heroine; Tom Hiddleston, best known as Loki in the Marvel Universe films, is quite good as the handsome, brooding Thomas, and Charlie (Sons of Anarchy) Hunnam offers fine support as Edith’s loyal friend Alan. But this movie belongs to Jessica Chastain, who is equal parts mysterious, sensual, and terrifying as Lucille. If you’re a fan of Del Toro’s or the filmmakers and genres I’ve mentioned above, this is a film that’s tailor made for you. It’s old fashioned in style and approach, and more atmospheric than scary, but it is beautifully made, and well worth seeing. This dark, romantic fairy tale has more in common with Del Toro’s previous efforts, like 2001’s The Devil’s Backbone, or 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth, than a lot of today’s horror fare. While the movie is currently ending its run in theatres, I highly recommend checking it out on home video when it's released. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oquZifON8Eg.

Retro Movie: Frankenstein's True Story

David McCallum, Nicola Pagett & Leonard Whiting

There have been many versions of Mary Shelley's classic novel, Frankenstein, but one of my favorites is the British/American co-production, Frankenstein: The True Story. In this retelling of the story, Victor Frankenstein (who's training to be a doctor) loses his faith after his brother drowns. He vows to learn to create life & resurrect the dead, and achieve the power of God himself. Working with the brilliant scientist Henry Clerval, Victor attempts to re-animate dead flesh & limbs, and the two achieve amazing results. But Clerval dies suddenly, and Victor is forced to continue his work alone. He sacrifices his personal life (including his relationship with his fiance) in pursuit of his goals. When his creature is born, Victor is elated by his success...at first. But then Clerval's former mentor, the scheming Dr. Polidori, arrives, and forces him to do further experiments. As the story continues, Polidori gets Victor to help him create a "bride" for the monster, and a series of murderous events is put into motion, culminating in a final confrontation between Victor & the monster.  

The intriguing difference this time out is that the "monster" is an intelligent being who starts out looking handsome, and degenerates into a nightmarish creature. Victor & his creation are friends at first, but things soon take a turn for the worse. Along the way, there are some memorable moments, including one involving the monsters's bride that has stuck in my mind ever since I first saw the film back in 1973. It originally aired on NBC as a two part mini-series, though a shorter, feature-length version of the movie was released overseas. If you're a fan of the Universal or Hammer films interpretations of the story, you'll find a lot to enjoy in this film. Frankenstein: The True Story is a handsomely produced, well written (by Christopher Isherwood & Don Bachardy) & directed (by Jack Smight) version of the classic tale. The phenomenal cast includes David McCallum, James Mason, Jane Seymour, Leonard Whiting and Michael Sarrazin. There are also cameos by Tom Baker, John Gielgud and Agnes Moorehead. The two-part version of the movie is available on DVD, and is recommended viewing for your Halloween fright fest. Here's a link to some scenes from the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx83SjnHxBo.

Brief Reviews: New Solo Releases by Chris Cornell, Don Henley & Grace Potter

Chris Cornell – Higher Truth – The talented front man for Soundgarden & Audioslave recently released this stunning solo disc. After working with producer Timbaland on 2009’s electronica & pop influenced Scream, Cornell dials things back on Higher Truth. It’s a folk-leaning record that features his usual strong vocal performances, but in a more acoustic setting. The songs are about life, love, loss & redemption, and feature Cornell’s vivid & atmospheric lyrics. Some highlights include the melodic "Worried Moon," the mandolin tinged “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart,” the beautiful “Let Your Eyes Wander,” and a father’s touching ode to his daughter in “Only These Words.” Producer Brendan O’Brien plays on many of the tracks with Cornell, and has done a fabulous job crafting the sound of the album. This may be Cornell’s most assured solo work to date, and it’s a solid mix of his alternative rock strengths with a more quiet, ethereal feeling. Higher Truth is very much worth a listen.

Don Henley – Cass County - It shouldn’t be a surprise that Henley’s gone country on his first solo release in 15 years. The Eagles always had a touch of country in their sound, and Henley & Glenn Frey got their start backing Linda Ronstadt in her early days. On this new release, he reflects on growing older & the passage of time in our lives on songs like “Take A Picture Of This,” and “That Old Flame,” a duet with Martina McBride. In fact, there are many guest stars on the record including Jamey Johnson, Merle Haggard, and Dolly Parton. One of my favorite tracks is the opener, a solid cover of Tift Merritt’s “Bramble Rose,” that features Mick Jagger & Miranda Lambert. It’s an enjoyable, low-key album that will appeal to Henley’s fans, and might grab him a few new ones. It recently debuted at number one on the country charts.

Grace Potter – Midnight – I’m a huge fan of Potter’s work with her roots-oriented rock band The Nocturnals, with whom she’s recorded several fine albums. But she’s taken a sharp left turn towards pop on her solo debut. The music has a very produced, layered & radio ready feel, courtesy of producer Eric Valentine. Sadly, it sometimes push Potter's wonderful voice to the background. Tracks range from the bouncy “Alive Tonight” to the r&b flavored “Instigators,” & the destined for the Top 40 “Delirious.” That’s not to say these songs are bad, but it’s a very different sound for the soulful Potter, and may surprise longtime listeners. As the album winds down, we are treated beautiful ballad about loss entitled “Let You Go,” that sounds most akin to her previous work. Potter is stretching her muscles here, and trying something different. It will be interesting to see how the album (and the accompanying tour) is received by her loyal fans.

All three albums are now available online & in stores: Here are links to "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart," by Chris Cornell, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpMfZPAc1kg, "Take A Picture of This," by Don Henley, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHTZwvgcGZQ, and Grace Potter's "Delirious," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cEKi_W4Vvg.

Get "Lost In Space" All Over Again!

For longtime TV science-fiction fans, there are the acknowledged classics: The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and the original Star Trek, to name a few. Then there are the classics of a different kind; the fun shows that bring out the kid in all of us, and a smile to our faces; the 1950s Superman series starring George Reeves, the 1960s Batman adventures with Adam West & Burt Ward, and of course, Lost in Space. The series, created & produced by Irwin Allen, is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year. To commemorate the event, Twentieth Century Fox has released a comprehensive Blu-ray box set of the series. Lost in Space, which originally aired on CBS from 1965-68, chronicled the adventures of the Robinsons, a family of space colonists, whose ship was bound for Alpha Centauri. The villainous Dr. Smith used the mission’s Robot to sabotage the ship, and the Jupiter 2 went off course. The family attempted to find their way back to their original heading, and survive in the far reaches of space. Conceived by writer-producer Allen as a space-age version of the Swiss Family Robinson, the original pilot was the most expensive show filmed for TV up to that time.

Lost In Space starred Guy Williams as the group’s stalwart leader, John Robinson, June Lockhart as his wife Maureen, and as their children: Marta Kristen as Judy, Angela Cartwright as Penny and Bill Mumy as Will. The show also featured Mark Goddard as pilot Don West, Bob May (inside the suit) & Dick Tufeld (the voice) as the Robot, and Jonathan Harris as Smith. During the first season, our heroes crash landed on an unknown planet, and while repairing their ship, fought to survive the elements, and met a host of weird creatures & alien beings. The group also had to deal with the scheming, manipulative Smith, who seemed willing to sell them down the river to anyone or anything who might help him return to Earth. These early episodes, filmed in black & white, are some of the series’ best. The shows ended with cliffhangers that brought viewers back the following week to see the story’s resolution. That format remained in place for the series' first two seasons. For the third year, the cliffhangers were dropped in favor of a coming attractions trailer with scenes from the next week's episode.

As the show switched to color and moved into its second season, stories began to focus more on the trio of Dr. Smith, Will Robinson & the Robot, who were constantly getting into & out of trouble. Smith’s character became less of an evil, unsympathetic villain, and more of a comic foil, with many episodes centered on the character’s silly antics. The show still featured colorful sets, cool special effects & wild looking (often comedic) aliens. The fantasy elements (and the camp level) of the stories were amped up, reportedly to compete with ABC’s Batman. The same thing happened with Irwin Allen’s other series, Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea, which had shifted from the Cold War centered, espionage themed stories of its first season episodes to more fanciful tales in its later years. Lost in Space tried to pull the balance back toward some of the other characters in its third & final season, but those episodes were still a long way from the relatively serious shows of the first year. Still, there are some enjoyable outings throughout the run of the show, and it remains a fan favorite to this day. The cast is wonderful & the Robinsons are similar to other TV families of the era, likable & appealing. The show also had some talented (and familiar) guest stars, including Michael Rennie, Al Lewis, John Carradine, Warren Oates and a young Kurt Russell. Even the goofiest episodes have some effective moments; well, maybe not the infamous "The Great Vegetable Rebellion," which truly has to be seen to be believed.

The new Blu-ray set features all 83 episodes of the series presented in impressive high definition transfers. The black & white episodes look fantastic, and the color shows look very good as well. There are a plethora of extras, including cast commentaries (some of them boisterous & laugh-filled) on selected episodes, TV spots & effects footage, and the option to view several shows as they aired in the 1960s, complete with vintage commercials. Also featured is is a full length documentary on Irwin Allen’s career, The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen, originally produced for the Sci-Fi Channel, an episode of A&E’s Biography series focusing on Jonathan Harris, a Lost In Space animated TV special from 1973, and some current interviews with the surviving cast members. And you can also check out a couple of special treats: one is a table reading by cast members of Bill Mumy’s epilogue for the series, which he wrote to tie up the plotlines of the show; another is the longer version of the series unaired original pilot “No Place To Hide,” which did not feature Dr. Smith or the Robot – they were added to the series later, and joined the cast in the reworked debut episode, “The Reluctant Stowaway.”

This is the best home video presentation of the series thus far, and the extensive bonus features are truly worth viewing. Whether you watched the show during its original airings, or first saw it via syndicated reruns (as I did) indulge that young sci-fi fan inside you, and pick up this terrific release. I'm not going to review the individual episodes here, but if you 're a fan, you'll want to dig into the set and watch some of your favorites. For example, I enjoyed seeing some of the more straightforward adventure-themed episodes like "The Derelict" and "Invaders From The Fifth Dimension," but I also liked some of the more comedic stories like "A Visit To Hades" and "Revolt Of The Androids." By the way, here's a little trivia note: the theme music for the series was composed by the one & only John Williams, of Jaws & Star Wars fame. For fans of Lost In Space, this Blu-ray set is highly recommended. Follow this link to view a vintage trailer for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mok6sn3v3HM. The full details of this spectacular Blu-ray release can be found here: http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=16490. And remember "Warning! Warning! Danger, Will Robinson!"

Rock's Behind the Scenes Heroes are profiled in "The Wrecking Crew"

California Dreaming. Good Vibrations. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling. Be My Baby. These are some of the most enduring & memorable songs of the rock era. But who really played on those records? A group of wonderful artists that became known as The Wrecking Crew, who were vital to the creation of these now classic songs. During the 50s & 60s, as rock & roll was on the rise, it was common practice to have session musicians lay down the studio tracks, and then the actual bands would play the songs on tour. Now, an engrossing documentary traces the history of these supremely talented musicians. The film features insightful, revealing & entertaining interviews with drummers Hal Blaine & Earl Palmer, bassist Carol Kaye, guitarist Tommy Tedesco, and other members of this amazing cadre of players. There are also comments from Roger McGuinn, Brian Wilson, Micky Dolenz, Nancy Sinatra, Cher, Dick Clark and many others.

The movie has fascinating behind the scenes footage of The Wrecking Crew at work in the studio, and some great vintage performance clips. This is an elite group of musicians who were not mere sidemen, but helped come up with the sound & feel of well-remembered songs & albums such as The Beach Boys classic Pet Sounds. In fact, the segments on the sessions with Brian Wilson are some of the best in the film. It’s also a fascinating look at the Los Angeles based side of the recording industry during those halcyon days of the rock era. In addition, you get to see the members of the “crew” who went on to become stars in their own right, including Glenn Campbell & Leon Russell. Denny Tedesco, the son of iconic guitarist Tommy Tedesco, who passed away in 1997, directed the film. It's a wonderful & loving tribute to his father, as well as the rest of these fine musicians who helped provide the soundtrack of our lives.

If you’re a classic rock fan who has enjoyed other films about this era, such as Standing In The Shadows of Motown, 20 Feet From Stardom or Muscle Shoals, then this is essential viewing. It’s a compelling & powerful story that will really resonate with you. And it’s a unique & absorbing look at the creative process, detailing how music was recorded & produced back then. These artists weren’t just there for this era of rock history; they helped make that history. They’re the unsung heroes of rock & roll, and their stories really are worth seeing & hearing. The Wrecking Crew is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and for digital streaming on sites such as Netflix. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX5BCgmr7tg. By the way, you can also see The Wrecking Crew depicted in the current Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy, starring Paul Dano & John Cusack, which is also recommended. You can read my review of that film here: http://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2015/06/love-mercy-genius-of-brian-wilson.html.