Assemblog: August 2, 2013
Published on August 2nd, 2013 in: Assemblog, Conventions/Expos, Critics/Criticism, Feminism, Film Festivals, Horror, Movies, The Internets, TV |
Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori in Pacific Rim
New this week on Popshifter: Brad reviews yet another Scream Factory reissue, this time it’s The Burning; Jeff finishes up this month’s Waxing Nostalgic Cover Albums series with Replicants’ eponymous album; Paul informs critics that being average is not worse than being bad; John pays tribute to The Olivia Tremor Control’s Bill Doss; I embrace the post-punk transvestite stylings of The Garden on their new album The Life And Times Of A Paperclip; and enjoy a lot of good movies new on home video and in theaters: Trance, Kiss of the Damned, The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh, and Berberian Sound Studio.
Assemblog: July 26, 2013
Published on July 26th, 2013 in: Assemblog, Conventions/Expos, DVD, Feminism, Film Festivals, Movies, Science Fiction, Trailers, TV |
Idris Elba in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom
New this week on Popshifter: Brad is a big fan of two new Scream Factory Blu-Ray releases: Ninja III: The Domination and The Howling; Jeff rethinks not having given Bulletboys a chance before and urges others to give the 2006 version of The Wicker Man another chance; I review the vinyl reissue of White Fence‘s self-titled debut as well as the splendid Lenses from Soft Metals, and marvel at the brilliant, hilarious Computer Chess.
Assemblog: July 19, 2013
Published on July 19th, 2013 in: Assemblog, Feminism, Horror, Legal Issues, Movies, Trailers, TV |
Frankenstein’s Army
New this week on Popshifter: I urge everyone to see Pacific Rim as soon as possible; Melissa is surprised and delighted by the new Blow Monkeys album Feels Like A New Morning and thinks that Boyce & Hart’s I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonite is filled with the “finest pop gems”; Jeff equates Powerman 5000’s Copies, Clones & Replicants album with being trapped in Hell; and Brad is ecstatic for Scream Factory’s upcoming release of The Fog on Blu-Ray.
Assemblog: June 14, 2013
Published on June 14th, 2013 in: Assemblog, Canadian Content, Copyright/Piracy, Legal Issues, Movies, Music, Science Fiction, Trailers, TV, Upcoming Events |
Xanadu, 1980
New this week on Popshifter: Emily reviews Dark, the latest from the British Electric Foundation; Chelsea appreciates the “exuberant energy” of CSS’s Planta; Melissa thinks Gap Band VII has “moments of brilliance” and enjoys the “invariably perfect” Volume 4 of Music from True Blood; Jeff introduces us to his next Waxing Nostalgic series on cover albums; and I review the new film Peaches Does Herself from the inimitable Peaches and the “remarkably original” John Dies At The End, now on DVD.
Music Review: True Blood: Music From The HBO Original Series, Volume 4
Published on June 13th, 2013 in: Current Faves, Horror, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews, Soundtracks and Scores, TV |
The latest installment of the True Blood soundtracks, True Blood: Music From the HBO Original Series, Volume 4, reinforces the idea that no matter how silly or bewildering or campy the show is (even in the best way), the soundtrack is invariably perfect. It’s listenable and enjoyable out of the context of the show, though if you want to reminisce about Alcide and Sookie getting their drink on, you can listen to “Let’s Boot And Rally” and remember that magical time as well. Or possibly remember any time that Alcide was shirtless. I digress.
Assemblog: June 7, 2013
Published on June 7th, 2013 in: Comedy, Horror, Movies, Science Fiction, Trailers, TV |
Insidious Chapter 2
New this week on Popshifter: Melissa B. calls the expanded edition of Doris’s Did You Give The World Some Love Today, Baby “mind blowing and brilliant” and thinks Pokey LaFarge’s self-titled debut is “excruciatingly fine”; Cait wants to remind everyone of Dudley Moore’s musical talents in her review of From Beyond The Fringe; I chat with Jen and Sylvia Soska, directors of American Mary; Chelsea explores the “eclectic style” of Young & Wild; Lisa hopes that After Earth will “represent a step back toward redemption for M. Night Shyamalan”; and Jeff gives his first impressions of “Came Back Haunted,” the new Nine Inch Nails single.
Assemblog: May 31, 2013 – Critiquing The Role Of Women in Hollywood
Published on May 31st, 2013 in: Assemblog, Critics/Criticism, Feminism, Film Festivals, Movies, TV |
Lynn Ramsay on the set of We Need To Talk About Kevin
New this week on Popshifter: Jeff presents the last days of Metal Mayhem with Iron Maiden and Spinal Tap; Chelsea describes the “smart, talented trio” known as Hot Club of Cowtown in her review of their new Rendezvous in Rhythm album; Lisa praises Elementary as “the abomination that wasn’t”; I share 15 hilarious minutes with Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick of The Venture Bros., have a dance party with King Tuff’s reissued Was Dead album, and fall in love with Charles Bradley: Soul of America.
The Abomination That Wasn’t: CBS’s Elementary
Published on May 30th, 2013 in: Current Faves, Feminism, TV |
When CBS announced that it would be doing Elementary, a contemporary take on Sherlock Holmes like the BBC’s Sherlock, the loudest reactions were one of horror. Some of the misgivings were understandable: after all, it was an American attempt to emulate something that had already been done, on a major network and in prime time. It wasn’t even going to be set in London—a first for any interpretation of the source novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Most controversial of all was the casting of Lucy Liu as Holmes’s sidekick, now named Joan Watson. A lot of racist and sexist things were said about that, under the guise of preferring “authenticity.” In the end, though, Elementary, which had its season finale on May 17, turned out to be a highly entertaining and solidly made show.
Fifteen Minutes With: Doc Hammer & Jackson Publick of The Venture Bros.
Published on May 28th, 2013 in: Cartoons, Comedy, Interviews, TV |Interviewed by Less Lee Moore
When you’re a Venture Bros. fan, you see things through Venture-colored glasses and everything looks so much better. There is nothing not to love about this show: incredible characters, an overabundance of wit, numerous pop culture references, clever visuals, and a narrative arc that puts most live action TV shows to shame. In anticipation of the show’s Season 5 premiere on June 2, I chatted with Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick, the show’s creators, writers, voice actors, and just about everything else. We started discussing how they work and what drives them and eventually got into the important stuff: Kajagoogoo concerts, whether or not Trent Reznor is a poseur, and Gary Numan. When I got on the phone, Doc and Jackson were already there, chatting with each other.
Jackson: Yesterday there was fake harpsichord hold music.
Doc: I think it was fake guitar.
Jackson: I think it was trying to be fake harspsichord.
Doc: Really?!
Assemblog: May 17, 2013
Published on May 17th, 2013 in: Assemblog, Feminism, Film Festivals, Horror, Movies, Trailers, TV |
James Spader, from NBC’s The Blacklist
New this week on Popshifter: Chelsea thinks Xenia Rubinos’s Magic Trix is a “thrilling listen”; Metal Mayhem continues with Jeff’s take on Dangerous Toys and Judas Priest; Jeff also says that Big Country’s The Journey is the best new album he’s heard this year; Melissa B. parties traditional style with the new album from Kermit Ruffins and gets transported to the past with the reissue of Marty Robbins’s El Paso City and Adios Amigo; I recommend both the glam psychedelia of Burnt Ones’ You’ll Never Walk Alone and the party music of Dead Ghosts’ Can’t Get No, and revisit 2002’s excellent, unsettling One Hour Photo, recently released on Blu-Ray.