Category: Music/Movies

Music/Movies, Pop Culture, Uncategorized

My Sincere Pitch for a New Muppets Movie

by rikimjadamsLeave a Comment on My Sincere Pitch for a New Muppets Movie

When the pandemic started in 2020, part of my escapism from the dread of the moment was going back and rewatching the entirety of the old Muppet Show.  And it felt good, letting the nostalgia wash over me, but also it made me sad.  As I continued watching more Muppet content, the movies, then the later TV shows, I felt like something got lost along the way, and it was the earnestness with which the Muppets and even the humans around them behaved.  Even in moments of commentary or weirdo subversion, there was a genuineness that I felt fell away a bit.  Recent years felt like there was more snark, more bite, more irony,  even in how we as viewers engage with the Muppets.  I was pleasantly surprised by the Electric Mayhem focused show with Lilly Singh and Tahj Mowry from a few years back, that felt like a love letter to music through the heartfelt lens of the Muppets.  And it gave me hope that perhaps more Muppets could be coming.  Then news came that a certain Warner Bros owned streaming service might be looking to off-load Sesame Street, and I didn’t just have hope, I had an idea, a movie pitch for how to reunite the Muppets and the folks of Sesame Street for the first time since the early 2000s.  

I guess in order for this to happen Disney would have to buy the rights to Sesame Street to have them under the same umbrella as the Muppets.  I’m not here to discuss the pros and cons of monopolistic IP hoarding and such.  I’m here to talk about Muppets.  So…

Continue reading “My Sincere Pitch for a New Muppets Movie” →
Music/Movies, Uncategorized

The Fifty Best Songs Of 2024

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on The Fifty Best Songs Of 2024
The Fifty Best Songs Of 2024

Well, if we can say anything about the state of music in 2024, we can certainly say that it was decidedly less horny than last year.

Look, there were definitely still some efforts to keep the mojo running in music. Sabrina Carpenter, Tinashe and Addison Rae all did their best to get us going like so many did in 2023. But there was not enough to overcome some of the bigger feelings we got this year: Rage. Contempt. Loneliness. Hopelessness.

Because of this, joyous songs (and there were a good number of them) felt like overwelcome lifeboats getting us to the next day. And even with this year’s crop of the best songs taking us to darker, more introspective places, there was still so much amazing music to share. Let’s take a look at the 50 best songs from a very good year of music.

Yes, there’s a playlist at the bottom of the article. Let’s boogie!

Continue reading “The Fifty Best Songs Of 2024” →
Comedy, Music/Movies, Pop Culture

Riki’s Righteous Xmas Playlist

by rikimjadamsLeave a Comment on Riki’s Righteous Xmas Playlist
Riki’s Righteous Xmas Playlist

Look, if you’re trapped in the capitalist hellscape that is the US, you’re a conscript in the war against Christmas, whichever side you fall on.  I mean, Christmas won, it’s fucking everywhere.  It’s inescapable.  Our borders are contained within Santa’s vast panopticon whether we like it or not.  Because this is THE capitalist holiday.  This is the grand devotional, our wallets made sacrifice to prove our love to each other.  

Even if you just celebrate “the holidays”, the holiday party you’re at is gonna play Christmas music.  Because, well, there’s just a fucking lot of it.  And more every year.  And worst- a lot of it fucking sucks.  

But not all of it.  So if you find yourself in control of the tunes and you want to make the most of the theme, I offer you this fine tuned playlist to keep things interesting

Continue reading “Riki’s Righteous Xmas Playlist” →
Music/Movies, Pop Culture, Uncategorized

“Have You Heard of Martini Ranch?” by Riki MJ Adams

by rikimjadamsLeave a Comment on “Have You Heard of Martini Ranch?” by Riki MJ Adams

“Have you heard of Martini Ranch?” 
It’s a question that I ask of anyone who gets to know me on a long enough timeline.  More often than not, I’m not even met with a faint glimmer of recognition.  Which always blows my mind until I remember that I also had to be introduced to Martini Ranch long after it had ceased to exist.  

I remember exactly how it happened, I was working as a truck driver in 2017, and I had a lot of time to listen to podcasts on the road.  A personal favorite was the Witch Finger Horror Podcast.  I’d started listening to it as a fan of the band Kittie (who still rips by the way and just dropped a phenomenal album back in June), because the vocalist Morgan Lander was one of three hosts along with Megan Rae, and Yasmina Ketita of Rue Morgue Magazine.  As I was listening to episode 19, titled “Near Dark and our tribute to Bill Paxton” (he had died earlier that year) I heard the name Martini Ranch for the first time.  

Continue reading ““Have You Heard of Martini Ranch?” by Riki MJ Adams” →
Music/Movies, Pop Culture

So You Don’t Have To: A Limp Bizkit Concert

by Brandon AndreasenLeave a Comment on So You Don’t Have To: A Limp Bizkit Concert
So You Don’t Have To: A Limp Bizkit Concert

Everything feels vaguely off. It’s not the mind altering drugs. It’s not the fact that I’d competed in two hot sauce eating conversations during the afternoon. It was because everyone around me looked like they had been arrested at some point for stealing Catalytic Converters.

No, I wasn’t at a penal colony. Or a job fair for Port-A-John workers, or a Kid Rock cruise. I was at a Limp Bizkit concert. Desperately trying to figure out how I got there, and spastically trying to figure out how to leave if all the cans of Zyn go empty in this joint.

Continue reading “So You Don’t Have To: A Limp Bizkit Concert” →
Music/Movies, Pop Culture

Paddington In Peru: The Trailer Breakdown

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on Paddington In Peru: The Trailer Breakdown
Paddington In Peru: The Trailer Breakdown

Last week, we were lucky enough to get the trailer for Paddington In Peru, the third film in the PCU (Paddington Cinematic Universe). With a November 24th UK release date (January 7th for us unlucky souls in the United States), there hasn’t been a more anticipated movie ever. That is not hyperbole.

Paddington 2 is the third best sequel of all time, only behind The Godfather Part 2 and The Empire Strikes Back. As mentioned on this site, P2 usurped Citizen Kane to become the film with the highest-ever Rotten Tomatoes score of all time. With the first Paddington film, Paul King gave us an amazing and beautiful (plus very funny) story and the second film blows the first one away. To call Paddington 2 a great film would be an insult… it’s a goddamn fucking masterpiece.

Continue reading “Paddington In Peru: The Trailer Breakdown” →
Music/Movies, Pop Culture

A true actor’s director: A review of Hit Man plus a ranking of Richard Linklater

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on A true actor’s director: A review of Hit Man plus a ranking of Richard Linklater
A true actor’s director: A review of Hit Man plus a ranking of Richard Linklater

Of the indie directors to come out of the 1990’s, Richard Linklater might be the hardest to attach a label to. He doesn’t have Steven Soderbergh’s visual style or Quentin Tarantino’s inventive storytelling skills or even Kevin Smith’s ability to write a great scene. But, if there was any director from this class I think I would like working with if I was an actor, it would be Linklater. Because the man is a true and selfless collaborator.

In his great movies, of which there are many, the Texas filmmaker works hand in hand with his onscreen talent to create the best possible product. In many of Linklater’s films, the actor has a screenwriting credit, which shows you exactly how much he wants the input of his talent. And then there is Boyhood, in which he worked with his three principal actors over the course of a dozen years to truly show the experience of growing up.

Continue reading “A true actor’s director: A review of Hit Man plus a ranking of Richard Linklater” →
Music/Movies, Uncategorized

The Drake/Kendrick Lamar Feud- UPDATE- Drake may be the dumbest person alive…

by Matt Drufke1 Comment on The Drake/Kendrick Lamar Feud- UPDATE- Drake may be the dumbest person alive…
The Drake/Kendrick Lamar Feud- UPDATE- Drake may be the dumbest person alive…

Last night, after a full day of watching people respond to Kendrick Lamar’s allegations that he was a pedophile running a child trafficking ring out of his mansion, Aubrey Graham (better known to the world as Drake) finally responded. Look, I’ve never been in a feud with Kendrick Lamar. And I’ve never been accused of, by all accounts, the worst crime a person can be accused of. So I’m not going to pretend I have any idea what was running through Graham’s head as I sure he was doom-scrolling social media reading about himself.

His response came in the track “The Heart Part 6”, a reference to a series of songs Lamar has released. And as far as responses go…

It’s really stupid.

Continue reading “The Drake/Kendrick Lamar Feud- UPDATE- Drake may be the dumbest person alive…” →