Category: Music/Movies

Music/Movies, Pop Culture

Rank The Rock: A Look At The Films Of Dwayne Johnson

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on Rank The Rock: A Look At The Films Of Dwayne Johnson
Rank The Rock: A Look At The Films Of Dwayne Johnson

When news broke this week that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was going to be buying the XFL, I got excited. Not because I like, or even care, about that ridiculous league. Our site has spent way too much time and way too much talent talking about the second coming of the WWE’s failed attempt to break into the football business. No, my friends. I’m all on pins and needles because we finally get a chance to talk about Dwayne Johnson, the actor.

There is no doubt that The Rock is the most successful actor to come from wrestling and you could make the case that he has had the most successful post-wrestling career of all time. Sure, Jesse Ventura became governor, but that’s Minnesota, where there are more lakes than people. Johnson could become president. Hell, The Rock could be a pope if he wanted to.

But that’s not what I care about.

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Music/Movies, Pop Culture

Ghost In The Machine: a review of Taylor Swift’s “folklore”

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on Ghost In The Machine: a review of Taylor Swift’s “folklore”
Ghost In The Machine: a review of Taylor Swift’s “folklore”

Sitting in her log cabin and throwing another log on the fire (although it’s June), a quarantined Taylor Swift looks out her window and sees, chiseled in stone, the all too famous monument which is the Mount Rushmore of current pop music. Swift sees her own face, and why wouldn’t she? She smiles as she thinks about all of her amazing accomplishments. Sure, her fans would say she may not have as many Grammys as she should, but the proof is in the proverbial pudding: Taylor Swift sells records.

As she looks at the other faces carved into rock, Swift cannot help but think of her relationship with every member on the mount. Next to her is Beyoncé, the undeniable queen of this century. Yet, the relationship between Taylor and the true Child of Destiny has never been contentious; truly, game has recognized game. To Beyoncé’s right is Drake, a person who has had a similar career arc to Swift. Each dominated their original genre until pop music had no choice but to give them the respect they deserved. Next to Drake is an interesting situation, as construction crews are fervently dynamiting Kanye West’s face off this hallowed monument.

Taylor allows herself a brief smile before turning away from her window, heading to her music room where her piano and guitar sat, and began to get to work.

From these sessions, folklore was born.

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Music/Movies

Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Palm Springs

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Palm Springs
Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Palm Springs

With movie theaters closed, many studios have decided to release current-run movies out for streaming and download. I caught up with the newest romantic comedy available on Hulu.

If living in the time of COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that time is, truly, a construct. All it took was a sledgehammer to people’s everyday routines to have them completely unsure of what clocks and calendars even mean. We have gone from the age of, “I hate Mondays!” to “Is it even Monday?” to “Dude… what even IS Monday?” And we did it in the span of about four weeks.

Remarkably, Palm Springs is the perfect movie for this time in our society.

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Music/Movies, Pop Culture

Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Irresistible

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Irresistible
Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Irresistible

With movie theaters closed, many studios have decided to release current-run movies out for streaming and download. I caught up with the second film from comedian/writer/director Jon Stewart

When Jon Stewart’s career is long gone, he will be known for two things: comedy and politics. During his run on The Daily Show, Stewart redefined what political humor and satire could mean to a populous. Young voters trusted him, a fake newsman, more than actual news anchors. So much of this was because of his passion: he cared not just about crafting the best possible joke, but the best possible argument.

It’s why my hopes for Irresistable, Stewart’s second film as a writer/director, were so high. It’s also why I was so disappointed by the final product: a scattershot bleh of a film which spends most of its’ time feeling lost and never finding out what it’s trying to be or who its’ characters are.

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Music/Movies, Pop Culture

I Really Wanted to Like The King of Staten Island

by Brandon AndreasenLeave a Comment on I Really Wanted to Like The King of Staten Island
I Really Wanted to Like The King of Staten Island

With everything going on in the world, entertainment is even more of an escape than normal. That could be why I just didn’t enjoy The King of Staten Island. It felt a little too real and cut a little too deep to be an escape. Also, Pete Davidson plays one of the more unlikable people to be a protagonist in a movie in a long time. He is kind of a benign, stoner version of Adam Sandler’s character in Uncut Gems. At the end of Uncut Gems, though, Sandler felt the repercussions of his hubris. Davidson just kind of keeps floating on.

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Music/Movies

Soundtrack To A Revolution: A Review of RTJ4

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on Soundtrack To A Revolution: A Review of RTJ4
Soundtrack To A Revolution: A Review of RTJ4

The first rhyme comes out of Killer Mike like a war cry: “Back at it/Like a crack addict” and it’s followed by a series of repetitive percussion given to us by El-P. You can call it a beat, but I’m calling it war drums. It sends out a clear message: Run The Jewels have returned. And we couldn’t need them more.

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Music/Movies

#ReleaseTheSnyderCut?

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on #ReleaseTheSnyderCut?
#ReleaseTheSnyderCut?

Comic book fans love alternate universes. A timeline that exists in a parallel dimension where the rules are different. Perhaps a hero in this universe is evil somewhere else, or someone has different superpowers. But alternate universes are only fun if they collide with our existing universe. We have to bring the elements that are different and unique into our element and watch as things go crazy and both sides try and cope.

For a while, comic book fans have believed in an alternative universe of their own. In this world, there is a second version of the painfully average film Justice League. A version which is entirely written and directed by Zack Snyder, who brought Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice to film audiences. What does this new film look like? Comic book nerds have wondered for years. But it didn’t seem like it mattered. It didn’t even seem like it existed.

However, all of these fans got a shock to their system today, as HBO Max announced that, next year, they will be releasing the Snyder cut of Justice League.

Someone call Powerman 5000 for all of these fans, because we’re about to see what it’s like when worlds collide. The only question is: do people really want this?

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Music/Movies

Little Richard, the Architect of Rock and Roll 1932-2020

by Brandon AndreasenLeave a Comment on Little Richard, the Architect of Rock and Roll 1932-2020
Little Richard, the Architect of Rock and Roll 1932-2020

Richard Wayne Penniman, better known to the musical world as jubilant, innovating rock star Little Richard, passed away on Saturday at the age of 87 after succumbing to cancer. One of 12 children born to a moonshine selling, club owning Georgia deacon, Richard would go on to be one of the most recognizable pioneers of the early days of Rock and Roll.

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Music/Movies

May The Fourth Be With Him…

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on May The Fourth Be With Him…
May The Fourth Be With Him…

Let’s face facts: times are tough and we could all use a little good news.

We’re living in a world with coronavirus and quarantines and fucking murder hornets. It’s all stressful and anxiety-inducing and enough to make us want to curl into a ball and wait for better times.

But that why it’s so important to celebrate when good news comes our way. And today, on Star Wars Day, we got some very good news.

Sometimes, the universe gives us a little bit of force right when we need it.

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