ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 26, 2008 Hollywood’s habit of churning out crappy remakes of Asian horror flicks continues unabated with Shutter, which attempts to do for cameras what The Ring did for videocassettes, what Pulse did for computers, and what The Grudge did for grudges. Nicole Kidman knockoff Rachael Taylor and Dawson's Creek’s bland … Continue reading Horror review: Shutter
Tag: 2008
Horror review: Untraceable
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JAN. 30, 2008 It was only a matter of time before the lamentable movie subgenre known as torture-porn stopped being the sole property of the horror scene and grew into a marketable angle for the mainstream thriller. Untraceable boasts a respected director (Gregory Hoblit of Fracture and Primal Fear), and a … Continue reading Horror review: Untraceable
Horror review: Cloverfield
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JAN. 23, 2008 Imagine if somebody came up to you, grabbed your head, and jiggled it around for 80 minutes. Now imagine they did that while you were trying to watch a movie about a monster attacking New York City. Pretty irritating, eh? Cloverfield’s herky-jerky camerawork isn’t the only thing preventing … Continue reading Horror review: Cloverfield
Horror review: One Missed Call
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JAN. 9, 2008 While exiting the theatre after a screening of One Missed Call, I overheard a barrage of extremely negative viewer comments. The derisive chatter was enough to renew my faith in today’s mainstream horror crowd. The latest Americanization of a Japanese fright flick (renegade director Takashi Miike’s Chakushin ari), … Continue reading Horror review: One Missed Call
Grace Potter says jamming with Gov’t Mule is one of her fave pastimes
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 30, 2008 By Steve Newton Partway through Gov't Mule’s astonishing three-hour set at the Commodore last November, a stunning lady joined them for a killer version of “Honky Tonk Woman”. The spotlight-stealer on that occasion was Grace Potter, frontwoman for the night’s opening act, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Turns out … Continue reading Grace Potter says jamming with Gov’t Mule is one of her fave pastimes
Ace Frehley talks smokin’ guitars, Kiss money, sex videos, and “teddy bear” Gene Simmons
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 12, 2008 By Steve Newton When Kiss played Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom back in early 1975, the band had just released its second album, Hotter Than Hell, and was about to embark on a rocket ride to untold riches and fame. Thirty-three crazy years later and KISS guitarist Ace Frehley is heading … Continue reading Ace Frehley talks smokin’ guitars, Kiss money, sex videos, and “teddy bear” Gene Simmons
B-52s guitarist Keith Strickland recalls the Cramps’ Lux Interior loving “Rock Lobster”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 26, 2008 By Steve Newton That Lux Interior sure knows a hit when he hears one. Back in the late ’70s, when the B-52s first journeyed from their native Athens, Georgia, to make the scene at underground Manhattan clubs like Max’s Kansas City and CBGB, the outrageous Cramps frontman heard them … Continue reading B-52s guitarist Keith Strickland recalls the Cramps’ Lux Interior loving “Rock Lobster”
Rush defies age with vitality and verve (and rotisserie chickens) in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 30, 2008 By Steve Newton When you’ve been around as long as Rush has, you can pretty well do as you please. If you don’t feel like doing any interviews to support your tour—even though you have a relatively new studio album, 2007’s Snakes & Arrows, to talk about—you don’t have … Continue reading Rush defies age with vitality and verve (and rotisserie chickens) in Vancouver
Iron Maiden’s metal gets the masses moshing
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 4, 2008 Last week, I wrote a fun little piece in the Straight about how the members of Iron Maiden are more on the ball than your average headbangers, but I didn’t realize they were absolute geniuses until I saw that they were selling T-shirts outside the Coliseum last night … Continue reading Iron Maiden’s metal gets the masses moshing
Stevie Wonder lays the love on thick
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JULY 14, 2008 Stevie Wonder is one of the most influential singer-songwriters of our time. He’s been covered by everyone from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Boney M., from Jeff Beck to Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Grey-haired grannies groove to the advertising-jingle vibe of “I Just Called to … Continue reading Stevie Wonder lays the love on thick
Rob Halford says it’s incredible to be a metalhead in 2008
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 16, 2008 By Steve Newton On his 1974 album, Past, Present and Future, British folk-pop troubadour Al Stewart recorded “Nostradamus”, a nine-minute opus detailing the predictions of the 16th-century prophet. It told of the visions in which Nostradamus reputedly foresaw such world events as the rise of Hitler and Great Fire of … Continue reading Rob Halford says it’s incredible to be a metalhead in 2008
Tinsley Ellis shed blood en route to blues mastery
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JULY 16, 2008 By Steve Newton Like many of today’s top blues-rock guitarists, Tinsley Ellis was hugely influenced by the six-string action of the early Rolling Stones. He recalls being particularly entranced by the fretwork of Brian Jones on the Stones’ 1965 cover of Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster”. “I heard … Continue reading Tinsley Ellis shed blood en route to blues mastery
Carlos Santana still stunning the masses
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 8, 2008 The last time Carlos Santana played here, a few years back at GM Place, one reader used my rave review of the show as an excuse to slag the guitarist for selling out with his multiplatinum album of 1999, Supernatural. This Payback Timer didn’t like the fact that … Continue reading Carlos Santana still stunning the masses