Movie Reviews
Issue 240 / December 2008 More from this Issue
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Arab on Radar
Sunshine for Shady People
Three One G
Street: 09.16
Sunshine for Shady People is adamn fine documentary of Arab OnRadar. Directed by AoR drummerCraig Kureck, it follows theband through their beginnings indirty basements and through theircareer in dirty basements, boxingrings and astrocades across theglobe. Set against snippets of theshrapnel burn that is their sound,band members, a tour manager,fans and compatriots trade storiesabout Dachau, LSD, SlovenianOlympic rowing, Waco and othernefarious things. The real butter onthis disc is in the bonus films. Unadulteratedlive footage from theleisure suit era in Minneapolisand Cape Cod to the grey Dickieswork clothes era, including a set inhometown Providence, with effigiesof the band hung by nooses. Themusic Arab On Radar made wasintense––angular, pummeling, hyperspastic skronk that seem as ifthey are exercises in tension. Theinstrumentation is fairly traditionalrock band (drums, guitars, vocals),but the execution is like taking saidgear and throwing it into a blenderwith a few soldiers and a retardedchild, creating a cacophany thatyou will either run from or behypnotized by. They probably hadmusic teachers that said, "You’renot supposed to do that," but AORran the other way with it, creatingone of the most original soundsheard since paleolithic no-wave, orcave noise, or whatever machinesare doing these days. The energythey expel on stage is astounding,and may leave you wonderingwhere can you catch that goldenelixir. Well, look no further thanthis shiny jewel-like DVD and in theband Chinese Stars, where drummer/director Kureck & caterwaulerEric Paul now reside. Speaking ofPaul, ever wonder what the "DavidBerkowitz meet Andy Kaufmanby way of the Crucifucks" lyricsare representing? Well go to theheartworm.com and you can findhis book, I Offered Myself as theSea, along with some other greatstuff you would not be mad at mefor checking out. –David Parish
Changeling
Imagine Entertainment
In Theaters 10.31
Clint Eastwood successfully firesup the Oscar season with thisreal-life account of the inefficienciesand scandals of the corruptLos Angeles Police Department inthe 1920s. In 1928, Christine Collins’(Angelina Jolie) son, Walter,vanished, but months later wasdeclared found by the L.A.P.D.The only problem was that Walterwas inches shorter, pudgier, anduncircumcised. Obviously, thecase should be reopened, right?Nope. The obstinate detectives,helmed brilliantly by the devilishlycallous Jeffery Donovan, choseto remain in the public’s positivelight rather than admit their error.Oh, our tax dollars at work. Insteadof cowering to the mighty giant,Christine decides to risk everythingto expose the truth and find herson. In the extraordinary essenceof Girl, Interrupted, Jolie immersesherself (and veils her usually obtrudingego) into the character andprojects another performance thatrepresents her true talent. Whilethe multiple endings are similar toThe Return of the King and confusethe audience on when the creditswill actually roll, the stunningrevelation is undeniably worth thewait. -Jimmy Martin
Dark Funeral
Attera Orbis Terrarum Part II
Regain Records
Street: 10.20
I might feel differently about thistwo-disc DVD had I encounteredPart I, but I must say that AtteraOrbis Terrarum Part II is an impressivepackage. Containing two fullperformances from Dark Funeral’s2006 South American tour (disc1 from Buenos Aires, disc 2from Sao Paulo), the professionallyfilmed footage never drags.Generally, live concert DVDs aresomething to be endured ratherthan enjoyed, but multiple camerasand lively editing help sustaininterest. Black metal stalwartsDark Funeral have never soundedbetter. The live setting lends somesnap to songs that often sound flaton record. The true treasure is thebonus fan footage added to eachdisc, filmed in smaller venues,and reaching back to the band’sorigins. –Ben West
Parallel Worlds, ParallelLives
NOVA / PBS
Street: 10.21
This BBC Four-sponsored documentaryinvites you into the storyof a rock star, but not your normalrock star story of the rise & fall dipshitwho gets into drugs and boozing.It’s the story of Mark OliverEverett, lead singer of the popularband The Eels, following themystery of his father. Though theygrew up in the same house for 20years, Mark never really knew hisfather. His father is Hugh EverettIII, a physicist who came up with ahistory changing theory of parallelwords through quantum physics,known in the physics world to beas important as Einstein’s theoryof relativity. Mark didn’t inherit hisfather’s brain, but wants to learnwhat his father created and dealwith his daddy issues all at once.This is a NOVA / PBS productionso the quality of the filmmaking istop notch along with the quality ofthe content. It helps explain quantumphysics to the layman in asimple and educating way. My onlycomplaint would be Everett himselfseems to play to the camera quitea bit. Still, it’s very intriguing andinteresting, and worth your time ifyou’re flipping through PBS late atnight. –Adam Palcher
Sunshine for Shady People
Three One G
Street: 09.16
Sunshine for Shady People is adamn fine documentary of Arab OnRadar. Directed by AoR drummerCraig Kureck, it follows theband through their beginnings indirty basements and through theircareer in dirty basements, boxingrings and astrocades across theglobe. Set against snippets of theshrapnel burn that is their sound,band members, a tour manager,fans and compatriots trade storiesabout Dachau, LSD, SlovenianOlympic rowing, Waco and othernefarious things. The real butter onthis disc is in the bonus films. Unadulteratedlive footage from theleisure suit era in Minneapolisand Cape Cod to the grey Dickieswork clothes era, including a set inhometown Providence, with effigiesof the band hung by nooses. Themusic Arab On Radar made wasintense––angular, pummeling, hyperspastic skronk that seem as ifthey are exercises in tension. Theinstrumentation is fairly traditionalrock band (drums, guitars, vocals),but the execution is like taking saidgear and throwing it into a blenderwith a few soldiers and a retardedchild, creating a cacophany thatyou will either run from or behypnotized by. They probably hadmusic teachers that said, "You’renot supposed to do that," but AORran the other way with it, creatingone of the most original soundsheard since paleolithic no-wave, orcave noise, or whatever machinesare doing these days. The energythey expel on stage is astounding,and may leave you wonderingwhere can you catch that goldenelixir. Well, look no further thanthis shiny jewel-like DVD and in theband Chinese Stars, where drummer/director Kureck & caterwaulerEric Paul now reside. Speaking ofPaul, ever wonder what the "DavidBerkowitz meet Andy Kaufmanby way of the Crucifucks" lyricsare representing? Well go to theheartworm.com and you can findhis book, I Offered Myself as theSea, along with some other greatstuff you would not be mad at mefor checking out. –David Parish
Changeling
Imagine Entertainment
In Theaters 10.31
Clint Eastwood successfully firesup the Oscar season with thisreal-life account of the inefficienciesand scandals of the corruptLos Angeles Police Department inthe 1920s. In 1928, Christine Collins’(Angelina Jolie) son, Walter,vanished, but months later wasdeclared found by the L.A.P.D.The only problem was that Walterwas inches shorter, pudgier, anduncircumcised. Obviously, thecase should be reopened, right?Nope. The obstinate detectives,helmed brilliantly by the devilishlycallous Jeffery Donovan, choseto remain in the public’s positivelight rather than admit their error.Oh, our tax dollars at work. Insteadof cowering to the mighty giant,Christine decides to risk everythingto expose the truth and find herson. In the extraordinary essenceof Girl, Interrupted, Jolie immersesherself (and veils her usually obtrudingego) into the character andprojects another performance thatrepresents her true talent. Whilethe multiple endings are similar toThe Return of the King and confusethe audience on when the creditswill actually roll, the stunningrevelation is undeniably worth thewait. -Jimmy Martin
Dark Funeral
Attera Orbis Terrarum Part II
Regain Records
Street: 10.20
I might feel differently about thistwo-disc DVD had I encounteredPart I, but I must say that AtteraOrbis Terrarum Part II is an impressivepackage. Containing two fullperformances from Dark Funeral’s2006 South American tour (disc1 from Buenos Aires, disc 2from Sao Paulo), the professionallyfilmed footage never drags.Generally, live concert DVDs aresomething to be endured ratherthan enjoyed, but multiple camerasand lively editing help sustaininterest. Black metal stalwartsDark Funeral have never soundedbetter. The live setting lends somesnap to songs that often sound flaton record. The true treasure is thebonus fan footage added to eachdisc, filmed in smaller venues,and reaching back to the band’sorigins. –Ben West
Parallel Worlds, ParallelLives
NOVA / PBS
Street: 10.21
This BBC Four-sponsored documentaryinvites you into the storyof a rock star, but not your normalrock star story of the rise & fall dipshitwho gets into drugs and boozing.It’s the story of Mark OliverEverett, lead singer of the popularband The Eels, following themystery of his father. Though theygrew up in the same house for 20years, Mark never really knew hisfather. His father is Hugh EverettIII, a physicist who came up with ahistory changing theory of parallelwords through quantum physics,known in the physics world to beas important as Einstein’s theoryof relativity. Mark didn’t inherit hisfather’s brain, but wants to learnwhat his father created and dealwith his daddy issues all at once.This is a NOVA / PBS productionso the quality of the filmmaking istop notch along with the quality ofthe content. It helps explain quantumphysics to the layman in asimple and educating way. My onlycomplaint would be Everett himselfseems to play to the camera quitea bit. Still, it’s very intriguing andinteresting, and worth your time ifyou’re flipping through PBS late atnight. –Adam Palcher
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Posted on January 13, 2009 by Henry II
Re: Todd Sucherman LMAO! James Bennett, by contrast, is a well known and highly respected drum instructional DVD critic, not to mention a monster drummer in his own right. Why James Bennett is practically a household name.
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