The Golden Globes

A list of what caught my attention at tonight’s award ceremony:

-Christian Bale winning – he was unbelievable in The Fighter and deserved this award more than anyone. In other news his hair looks like Eddie Vedder circa 1993 and I always forget that he is not American.
-Katey Sagal winning for her turn as the wrong mother to mess with on Sons of Anarchy – very cool to see someone so thrilled to win.
-Ricky Gervais referring to Bruce Willis as Ashton Kutcher’s dad.
-Crowd shot of Angelina Jolie fixing Brad Pitt’s tie.
-Toy Story 3 winning – especially the look on Tom Hanks’s face.
-Ricky Gervais calling out Robert Downey Jr.’s jail time.
-Robert Downey Jr. talking about all the famous actresses he has and has not slept with.
-Emma Stone is bleach blonde now? What the hell was she thinking? Did she want to look like one of Hef’s bunnies? Mission accomplished.
-Annett Bening giving her husband Warren Beatty a shout out during her acceptance speech by pointing out that he was the 1962 winner for the Golden Globe for Most Promising Actor.
-Al Pacino getting a standing ovation.
-Clare Danes – couldn’t miss her in that hot pink dress – hugging Temple Grandin (the woman she played) after hearing she won. P.S. The last time Danes was nominated she won and it was for her performance in My So-Called Life in the 90s.
-I need to see The Social Network immediately. I can’t believe I haven’t seen it yet.
-The boys who will play Thor and Captain America….wow.
-Apparently I need to see Burlesque as well – I wonder if it’s going to be the speakeasy version of Coyote Ugly. Hmm…
-Everyone from the cast of Glee is extremely dramatic – big surprise.
-Melissa Leo winning for her role as the tough-as-nails mother on The Fighter – awesome. Just awesome.
-Rodney – I mean Matt Damon – doing impressions of Robert De Niro. Priceless.
-Seeing a rundown of De Niro’s best work in honor of him receiving The Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures – they don’t call him a legend for nothing. The respect for De Niro in that room was palpable…just ask Tom Hanks who was crying.
-The crowd giving Michael Douglas a standing ovation and Robert Downey Jr. fist pumping for Mr. Gordo Gekko.
-Social Network – watching it tomorrow.

Reckless Road

When I first saw the title of Marc Canter’s book – Reckless Road: Guns N’ Roses and the making of Appetite For Destruction – I was really excited. I couldn’t wait to read all about the creation of one of my favorite records of all time; an album so good that as of September 2008 it had been certified 18 times platinum by the RIAA, accumulating worldwide sales in excess of 28 million as of October 2008. Appetite is also the best-selling debut album of all-time, beating Boston’s debut album Boston, which has gone 17 times platinum.

Released in July 1987 on Geffen Records, people couldn’t help but notice one of the rawest, ballsiest and most aggressive albums of all time. In 1989 Rolling Stone ranked Appetite for Destruction as the 20th best album of the 1980s. The magazine later ranked it at 61 on their list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” In 2003, VH1 named Appetite for Destruction the 42nd Greatest Album of All Time. It was also rated number 18 in SPIN magazine's “100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005.”

So as I was saying before, I couldn’t wait to read the story behind Appetite and I figured Canter’s book would be it. Unfortunately Reckless Road wasn’t as good as I thought it was going to be but there were some interesting parts.

Positives:

-The photos are awesome. The photographers clearly had all access to Guns N’ Roses, as the reader can literally see every detail of the band members in the performance shots. Every tear in Axl’s jeans, the color of Slash’s nail polish, Duff McKagan’s bass strings, Steven Adler’s huge hair, every piece of jewelry Izzy Stradlin wore and most importantly the look on their faces as they tore through some of the best rock and roll the 80s had to offer.
-Canter says that he “wants the reader to feel the flow of the live shows” and that is exactly what it feels like. Canter even provides a play-by-play of what was said by the band at the 50- plus performances Canter attended – something that could only be given to the reader by a person who was there.
-The tickets and the concert posters are very cool to see – Guns playing at now legendary Sunset Strip venues like the Whiskey, the Roxy and the Troubadour- and seeing those items in the book make me wish even more that I was there.
-Axl’s outfits are works of art: leather chaps with only speedo-type underwear underneath, studded belts, fingerless gloves, countless bracelets, torn jeans, aviators, cowboy boots, snakeskin belts with Harley Davidson belt buckles, bandanas…and the list goes on and on.

Negatives:

-A lot of what was said at the shows is very repetitive. Makes sense for their individual performances but reading them all together in one collection gets old quickly.
-Being the pain in the ass that he is, Axl of course did not contribute to this book so we don’t have anything new from his perspective.
-A lot of what I read in this book I had already heard on VH1 specials, biographies and documentaries.
-Although the book was presented chronologically at times I felt that it was disorganized. For example, the comments from band members and external players were jumbled together when I think they would have been more effective if they weren’t.

Regardless of the negatives of this book I can’t reiterate enough how great the photos are – they show exactly why Guns N’ Roses is so notorious. If you haven’t seen live footage of Axl performing, these photos do a good job of demonstrating why he is regarded as one of the best rock and roll front men of all time. He is constantly in motion, back-bending and slithering his way across the stage; it’s as if Axl and the microphone merge into one. Also, the photos of the scantily-clad women that flocked to this band like moths to a very glittery flame are hysterical. The black leather leotards, thongs, leopard skin, big belts – it’s so unbelievably 80s.

But at the end of the day it’s the music that matters. Appetite For Destruction featured so many Guns classics that it might as well have been a greatest hits album: “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine” are all on this record along with other gems like “It’s So Easy,” “Mr. Brownstone” and “Rocket Queen.”

Canter gives us more set lists and on-stage chatter than the real making of the album which is what I was expecting/hoping for. That being said, it would be great to hear live versions of the band covering “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” both of which Canter got to see numerous times.

I’m glad I read Reckless Road but I’m hoping that the next time Canter writes something about the band that gave him a front row seat to their climb from good to legendary he offers more of the authentic, raw and exceptional details that would make a real page-turner.

Don’t Judge A Talent By Their Looks

By now I’m sure everyone has seen or at least heard about the homeless man with the golden radio voice but if you haven’t here is a quick recap: Two days ago a reporter from the Columbus Dispatch (in Columbus, Ohio) went to a street intersection and filmed Ted Williams, a homeless man holding a sign about his natural radio voice. The handwritten sign read: “I have a God-given gift of voice. I'm an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. Please! Any help will be gratefully appreciated.”

The reporter conducted an interview on the spot that began with him saying something along the lines of: “You’re going to have to work for your money, say something to us in your radio voice.” Williams, who was wearing a fatigue jacket and was sporting mangy hair and crooked teeth, was happy to oblige and what came out of his mouth was shocking. Not only does he have the perfect radio voice but also the perfect sports announcer voice, television commercial voice, etc. You name it, this guy can sell it. It was unbelievable. When asked how he ended up on the street Williams confessed that drugs and alcohol took their toll but that he’s been sober for two years. For such a haggard looking man he was both kind and charming. I found myself rooting for this guy from the minute he came on my computer screen.

As my friend Justin Reed said, watching this video was kind of like watching the clip of Susan Boyle on the now famous episode of Britain’s Got Talent when everyone (including Simon Cowell) laughed at her until they heard her killer voice. That audience was left feeling ignorant and superficial for laughing at a woman just because she was older and plain-looking and I’m sure the same happened with people who initially saw the photo of Williams. Then, just like with Boyle, the video of Williams went viral on YouTube reaching more than four million views in 24 hours. And also like Boyle, Williams was able to benefit from this clip as he now has job offers from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena which are offering him voiceover work in radio and television. Apparently, Williams is also sorting through numerous opportunities for other appearances on national TV and radio, which could result in further offers in the days to come.

Either way the video of Williams should remind us of two things: 1) Don’t be another ignorant person who judges someone by their appearance. 2) The Internet, specifically YouTube, can do amazing things.

The Fighter

Go see this movie immediately. While it’s no secret that I love sports movies – especially those that are based on a true story – this movie is incredible. I also love Mark Wahlberg – especially when he is playing the strong but silent athlete that must overcome all kinds of barriers to reach his dream (see Invincible). And that’s exactly what happens here, as Wahlberg plays struggling welterweight fighter Micky Ward who is talented but is held down by the family he can’t help but love.

Although Wahlberg is great and there is no question that he has been training for this role for a very long time, he is not the star of the movie. The Fighter is actually Christian Bale’s movie – he steals the show. Bale plays Micky’s brother Dicky (yep, you read that right and no, this is not a Cat in the Hat rhyme), a has been fighter turned crack addict who despite his fall from grace is still regarded as the local hero – “The Pride of Lowell” as they call him. Dicky’s claim to fame is taking out Sugar Ray Leonard 14 years prior, an event he talks about seemingly every hour on the hour, as does his nutjob mother and seven aqua net-haired sisters. Bale plays this crack addict/former athlete with a tortured charisma that makes it hard to look away. He is skinny, has jack-o-lantern teeth and dark circles under his eyes but like the people of the neighborhood it’s hard for the audience ignore him. He never stops talking and regardless of the fact that he’s horrifyingly addicted to drugs it’s easy to see why it’s so hard for Micky to walk away from the brother that taught him how to be a fighter in the first place.

While everyone seems to ignore the fact that Dicky is a severe drug addict, Micky is being mismanaged by his chain-smoking, alcohol-pounding mother and is being trained by Dicky who is too whacked out to realize that HBO is filming him as a cautionary tale about crack addiction and not for his big comeback like he thinks. It’s only when Micky starts dating Charlene (played with some serious balls by Amy Adams) that he figures out that he needs help outside of his family. Micky finally gets a real manager and a real trainer and starts winning fights as a result. He’s on his way until Dicky gets in trouble with the law and causes Micky to suffer severe injuries to his hand. Dicky goes to prison and Micky continues to succeed. While in prison Dicky suffers from brutal withdrawal symptoms and only when he sees the HBO documentary of himself as an addict does he realize it’s time to clean up his act.

In an effort to not give too much away I won’t go any further plot wise but I will say that The Fighter is full of extremely layered characters who – regardless of how insane they are – put family first. Wahlberg is strong, silent and resilient – especially for someone whose family causes more pain than the opponents he fights in the ring. Bale’s performance is award-winning in every sense of the word. He is intense, enthralling and in your face and it never stops. And while the Mafioso mindset of this family is as damaging as it is understandable, the mix of drama and action rivals that of The Sopranos with a Boston accent. Go see what all the fuss is about – and make sure you sing along to White Snake.

The Town

As far as bank robber movies go I would say, without a doubt, that I’m a fan. Point Break, The Italian Job, The Dark Knight, Ocean’s Eleven – all heist movies, all awesome. And Ben Affleck’s The Town is no different. Taking place in hardcore Boston – a setting for some of my other favorites like The Departed and Good Will Hunting – the action never stops in this move and trust me, you don’t want it to stop.

Affleck plays local kid Doug MacRay who got drafted to play pro hockey but then chose drugs over an athletic career. As a result he turned out just like his father (played brilliantly in one scene by Chris Cooper) and became a bank robber. But unlike his father, who is serving time in prison and will be there for seemingly forever, Doug is looking to get out of the criminal life and get out of town. In the meantime he hangs out with three friends and literal partners in crime including best friend James “Jem” Coughlin, played with angst and rebellion by the amazing Jeremy Renner, Owen Burke who is from New England and Slaine who is a Boston-bred, Irish-American hip hop MC and actor. Jem would do anything for Doug, never met a drug or drink he didn’t like and never shies away from a fight.

“Doug MacRay: I need your help. I can't tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we're gonna hurt some people.
[Jem pauses to think for a moment]
James Coughlin: Whose car are we gonna take?”

These guys pull off bank robberies with finesse and precision while wearing rubber masks that are reminiscent of Point Break’s “Ex-Presidents” – except these guys switch up their masks going from skeletons to nuns.

The first bust turns out to be the most important because we are introduced to bank manager Claire (the fantastic Rebecca Hall) who ends up being Doug’s love interest. She doesn’t know that Doug is the one who held her at gunpoint and robbed her bank so they begin dating. It starts off as a way for Doug to make sure she doesn’t say too much to the FBI but it turns out he actually falls for her.

Another excellent performance is given by Jon Hamm who plays FBI Special Agent Adam Frawley. This guy is no joke – he is out to get Doug and his crew and will not stop until they are dead or behind bars forever.

[To the team of police officers]
“Adam Frawley: Where are they? What are they doing right now? They got the money, now they have to clean it. Casino's, tracks, maybe they make a big drug buy, flip it across town. They wanna go celebrate, right? V.P.D, D.E.A. I want chips, names, witnesses. Anything. We're gonna knock on some doors see who wants to help us out. Any questions? No. Great. Let's go.”

When Doug and company aren’t robbing banks and running drugs the guys also hang out with Jem’s sister Krista (played by Blake Lively) who has an affinity for cocaine and oxycontin and also has a young daughter. From watching the previews I thought Lively would have more screen time but she does make good use of the little time she is given. Though her character is a cliché, she exemplifies the “townie” type person who is a young mother, into drugs and booze, wears tights clothes and has smeared makeup – essentially the Boston version of Courtney Love.

While the final 30 minutes of the movie are pretty predictable – final robbery goes wrong and people die – Affleck (who starred in and directed this movie) went big and decided to make the final bust take place at “The Cathedral of Boston” – Fenway Park. Very cool and very appropriate considering how big the Red Sox have been over the last few years. But that’s how this entire movie played out – very cool and very well done. I think Affleck has finally shaken the Jennifer Lopez bullshit and is back making good movies about a town he knows very well. While The Town proves you can never and may never want to go home again, it sure is fun watching these guys try.

I’m Jealous Of Grace Potter

Have you seen the video for the Grace Potter & The Nocturnals song, “Paris”? Shot in black and white with lead singer Potter and her band looking like something out of seventies rock and roll I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. While female singers aren’t always my first choice, Potter kills it. In addition to looking like Heidi Klum and pulling off Tina Turner – type dresses she can hit AC/DC-esque high notes and while playing several instruments including guitar and piano. When the band played a live concert for the troops in Iraq she even duetted with the Heart girls and completely held her own. It was unbelievable.

Now to be fair – and to not be one of those writers who pulls a No Doubt and only talks about the female lead singer –Potter has a sensational band behind her. The Nocturnals include Scott Tournet on guitars and harmonica, drummer Matthew Burr, Catherine Popper on bass guitar and vocals and Benny Yurco on electric and vocals. They too carry the seventies band persona and provide an incredible backdrop for Potter.

Favorite simple but brilliant lyrics:

"You got me down on the floor
So what'd you bring me down here for?
If I was a man I'd make my move
If I was a blade I'd shave you smooth
If I was a judge I'd break the law..."

For those around the country who have a television the band will be on Letterman tonight. For all the Denver kids – this band is coming to the Ogden Theatre on Friday, February 11 so let’s get some tickets and go! In the meantime, download “Paris,” “Apologies” and their cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.” You won’t be disappointed.

Steel Panther Is A Little Soft

A friend of mine said: “They’re an 80s metal cover band that plays songs by Guns, Van Halen and Motely Crue. You’re gonna love them!” Famous last words. I was so excited to see Steel Panther this weekend and unfortunately I have to admit that I was disappointed. I was expecting some amazing covers by a band who really loved the Sunset Strip bands that made the 80s so legendary. What I got was a bunch of posers who dressed and looked like the bands I love but were actually turning everything into a big joke. One of the band members even spent his time in between sets spraying his hair with Aquanet and looking into a pink mirror. Funny at first but it got old really fast.

Rather than using their talented front man (who looked and sounded like Motley Crue’s Vince Neil) and heavy guitar skills to pay respects to the great bands from the decade of decadence, they made fun of those bands by talking about sex, drugs and rock and roll as if it was a stupid act that everyone fell for. While I’m well aware that not everyone loves 80s metal bands the point of going to this show was to see a band that dressed like those bands and played their songs. Instead, they played their own songs with ridiculous names like “Asian Hooker” which would have been fine if they had played three or four of their own songs and then played 10 or 12 amazing covers. No such luck. In between playing boring parody Steel Panther songs they did some kind of comedy routine during which they talked about having sex with groupies and doing drugs – stuff that Crue, Guns and Van Halen did but didn’t feel the need to discuss on stage. There was a good reason for that.

Some would say I got what I asked for when I decided to see a tribute band but if you’ve ever seen the all-girls AC/DC cover band called Hells Belles you would see why I was excited. There is a reason why Hells Bells sell out every single show – they sing AC/DC songs like they wrote them and play all the hits. Their lead singer sounds so much like Brian Johnson and their lead guitarist could fill in for Angus Young if necessary.

Steel Panther could learn a thing or two from Hells Bells: Play a few of your songs and then play what people came to hear. And shut up in between songs – no one is trying to hear your half- assed comedy routine about drugs and groupies when you’re playing a part and you all have wedding rings on. It’s ridiculous.