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#441 Re: The Sunset Strip » Most Recent Movie You've Seen » 176 weeks ago
I don't see how she could have had a better career than she's already had. Child actress, household name, Oscar win. She's a good actress but come on. She's not Elizabeth Taylor.
Season 5 Sopranos.
I'm trying to analyze why this feels like a half assed season and the beginning of the end for the show. They've stuck to some of the same style as season 4. Lots of close ups, but fewer long shots and artistic choices. Color wise it is more saturated. Season 4 had a lot of characters dressed in black and red surrounded by cold colors. This season is darker with even the scenery taking on lots of black. But where season 4 added a lot of existential themes to go with the new look and feel of the show, they are going back to the more directly mob related in this season. But it lacks the fun of season 1-3. Many staging shots appear to be lazy with Tony talking to people behind the Bing desk all the time. Stylistically it feels very sameish.
The storylines are starting to jump the shark a little bit. The typical fatigue of an old show. Having Tony and Carm separate is a mistake. So much of the show is centered around activities in the house. It's a bit like screwing up the Bar setting in Cheers, you don't do that. Having an entire episode deal with Carmela's relationship with a teacher is straight up boring. The New York thing too, I like the characters and the introduction of that world, but why do you kill off a great character like Carmine Lupertazzi just so you can have Johnny Sack replace him for a handful of episodes before going to jail. And then the whole war thing with New York that culminates in season 6. It feels like a desperate need for drama.
Getting rid of Robert Loggia after 4 episodes is a massive waste. Every scene with his character is a joy. Also killing Tony B doesn't achieve anything other than set up the pieces for the Leotardo war later. They should have kept Buscemi on for the full duration. He was a great addition to the show.
The bear storyline is nonsense. Just to set up the return of the bear in the last episode and all this other pretentious symbolism.
That being said there are some absolute killer scenes in this season. Some of the best in the whole show. Tony fighting with Janice is pure gold. Some of the therapy sessions and flash backs are great. If I give the first four seasons all 6 stars out of 6, this season only gets 5.
#442 Re: Guns N' Roses » 2023 Tour Dates » 176 weeks ago
I don't know what Roy Thomas Baker problem was when he told Axl he had no hits. I'm listening to the 98 mix of CD (song) and to me that's a fucking hit in 2000. The Blues is a hit. Catcher could be a hit. Those songs were ruined in production.
Oh My God was dumb thing to do. The only reason they put it on the soundtrack is because it has "God" in the title. It's a good song but definitely not a hit or something you want to promote. If Chinese Democracy is attached to a big movie you could have a smash hit on your hands. It's a kickass, no nonsense rock song with a modern feel to it and Axl sounds amazing on it.
So many mistakes and missed opportunities.
#443 Re: Guns N' Roses » 2023 Tour Dates » 176 weeks ago
Dumbest thing he ever did was to force the band name clause when he didn't have to do that. That more than anything is what turned Slash against him.
Trying to keep the band relevant is not a bad idea in itself. Oh My God is a good example of the initial direction of the band, and I don't think that song is a deal breaker for most old fans, while also pleasing younger fans and pushing the envelope of the GN'R sound. Silk Worms is like the worst of the worst stylistically so not the best example. CD, IRS, Better all of that would have played. Especially if you got Slash doing the guitar.
#444 Re: Guns N' Roses » 2023 Tour Dates » 176 weeks ago
Their setlist is actually fairly even on material. About 10 songs from the 80s, 10 from the 90s and 10 other songs. That surprised me.
But why do the worst song on AFD? They could do The Garden or Pretty Tied Up, You Ain't the First, Bad Obsession, so many more interesting choices.
#445 Re: The Sunset Strip » Tina Turner Dead at 83 » 176 weeks ago
She did this at 70. Axl Rose, take a bow.
#446 Re: The Sunset Strip » Tina Turner Dead at 83 » 176 weeks ago
The media will seize on a black icon any way they can.
Great song. That kind of stuff is what separates the 80s from the 90s. Later it became all negative, but in the 80s there was still innocence. The fall of the USSR was a mistake.
I won't really miss Tina like I don't miss most celebrities. I never knew them and the work is still there. But I will miss her heyday.
#447 Re: The Sunset Strip » Most Recent Movie You've Seen » 176 weeks ago
There are independent movies out there. Usually art movies, horror and comedies. Clint Eastwood is the only guy I know who makes "Hollywood movies". That's why I love stuff like Absolute Power so much. On the surface it looks like your typical thriller, but you notice the little quirks and lack of production values that reveal it as an independent effort. There is purity in Clint's approach. Where Hollywood tries to make a movie yes, at least back then, they are a machine with committees and agendas. All of that tend to interfere in the process. With Clint it's just Clint making the decisions. Kinda like how De Palma tries to make a better Hitchcok movie, Clint tries to make a better Hollywood movie. And when he succeeds the result is really good.
#448 Re: Guns N' Roses » How do you feel about CD potentially being the last GNR album? » 177 weeks ago
The more I think about it, If The World is the most accomplished song on CD. It's not the greatest melody out there, but it sounds modern, crisp and you can tell they didn't mess around too much with it. The same can be said of Sorry, another late edition to the sessions.
Rest of the album is a bunch of great ideas ruined by overproduction. The Blues was a great song when you heard it live and you dreamed about hearing a studio version. Madagascar too. But what we hear on the album is a mess. The village sessions are for the most part far superior in their simplicity and attitude.
What we need is a proper remaster, but won't happen with the reunion band. Perhaps the best thing would be to compile a whole new album with Slash and Duff, using songs from CD and from "CD II", and then make that the last GN'R album. In a sense that would be similar to a hypothetical late 90s, early 00s GN'R album.
#449 Re: Guns N' Roses » If GNR releases nothing in 2023, is this the end for you? » 177 weeks ago
Bucket plays solos on Sorry, If The World, Shacklers and Scraped, CD outro after Finck, SOD outro…..he’s all over the album! Read the credits again!
He plays a lot of solos but few of them are great. It's more chicken cooping than twatting. If he brought his Rio Madagascar game to every song I would be overcome with joy, but as it stands his contributions to CD are disappointing. BBF and Robin are just as important in the credits. Being a much better player he should be dominating.
#450 Re: Guns N' Roses » If GNR releases nothing in 2023, is this the end for you? » 177 weeks ago
Apart from TWAT and IRS what did BH really contribute to CD? CD (song), Catcher and Scraped is actually Bumblefoot on the solos. Better is Robin (the good one). TIL is Robin. Madagascar was good in RIO but it does not catch your breath on the album.
Shackler is bad, If the World and Sorry are good but not because of any amazing guitar work.
I've gone from thinking BH was indispensable to sort of not caring. He contributed a handful of bits, he wasn't exactly dominant like Slash. His potential in the band was never fulfilled.
