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CD Review: MUPPETS MOST WANTED / THE MUPPETS soundtrack

By DANIEL SCHWEIGER | 06/01/2014
MUPPETS MOST WANTED / THE MUPPETS soundtrack | ©2014 Intrada Records

Animation has been a particularly well-suited realm for Christophe Beck to practice his melodically energetic way of giving an orchestra the frisky, bright vibes of pop music, a Pharrell-ish feeling of optimism as well as playfully ominous danger that’s recently helped to propel The Mouse House’s short PAPERMAN to an Oscar win before assisting in FROZEN‘s feature-length CGI-toon gold – a movie that’s made Beckthe box office champ of cartoon scoring as well. And if Beck can give animation the sensation of infectous happiness, than why not felt? Such is the antically pleasant spin he’s given to two Muppet movies, […]Read On »


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Exclusive Interview: Fran Kranz on THE LORD OF CATAN – PART 1

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN | 05/31/2014
Fran Kranz in THE LORD OF CATAN | ©2014 Stuart C. Paul

It isn’t that actor Fran Kranz only works with people he’s met on the projects he’s acted in for Joss Whedon – the TV series DOLLHOUSE and the films CABIN IN THE WOODS and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. In the past year, Kranz has had a recurring role on DALLAS and made several features (more about them later) that have nothing to do with those connections. Then again, he does often work with his fellow DOLLHOUSE alumni. One case in point is the short film THE LORD OF CATAN, which has its Los Angeles public premiere Saturday, May 31 at […]Read On »


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Interview: A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST composer Joel McNeely tames the Old West

By DANIEL SCHWEIGER |
A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST soundtrack | ©2014 Backlot Music

When Wisconsin-born composer Joel McNeely went from a land of good old fashioned American purity to the far more ornery streets of Los Angeles, his innate melodic talent arrived just at a late 80s time when newfangled synths and rock music were taking their place as underscore – putting any number of old studio composers out to pasture as they tried to adapt to the changing sound of Hollywood – or saw their legendary careers bite the bullet. Yet McNeely was a greenhorn with the symphonic chops to more than match his elders, with a particular talent for a golden, […]Read On »


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CD Review: CREEPSHOW soundtrack (3,000 edition)

By DANIEL SCHWEIGER |
CREEPSHOW soundtrack | ©2014 La La Land Records

From the time when the denizens of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD shambled through its farmhouse field to the tune of creature feature stock music, George Romero’s horror films have had a pulp throwback feel to them that recalled the graphic, moral comeuppance of such E.C. comics as “Tales From the Crypt” and “Vault of Horror.” So it was only natural that the filmmaker would unleash his own cinematic, blood-colored anthology with 1982s CREEPSHOW, authored by no less than Stephen King. It’s a film that for many remains the director’s most unhinged and pleasurable effort, especially with its seamless combination […]Read On »


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Movie Review: THE LOVE PUNCH

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN | 05/30/2014
THE LOVE PUNCH movie poster | ©2014 Ketchup Entertainment

Rating: PG-13 Stars: Emma Thompson, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Spall, Celia Imrie, Louise Bourgoin, Laurent Lafitte Writer: Joel Hopkins Director: Joel Hopkins Distributor: Ketchup Entertainment Release Date: May 23, 2014 If THE LOVE PUNCH had come out in the ‘70s, with two big-name stars and its cheery attitude, chances are it would have been a hit. The movie’s problem is that it’s coming out in 2014, and although its particular concerns (corporate raiders, vanishing pension funds) have a timely ring, the overall effect is retro. For some, this will be a plus; for others, this kind of lighthearted thriller seems now […]Read On »


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Movie Review: A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN |
A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST movie poster | ©2014 Universal Pictures

Rating: R Stars: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman Writers: Seth MacFarlane & Alec Sulkin & Wellesley Wild Director: Seth MacFarlane Distributor: Universal Release Date: May 30, 2014 There are moments of laugh-out-loud brilliance in A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST, writer/producer/director/star Seth MacFarlane’s send-up of classic Westerns. There are also plenty of just generally funny things. And then there are things that will make at least some people go, “I’m not with you on this one.” It’s 1882 in the Territories, a scrubby stretch of the Old West […]Read On »


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Movie Review: MALEFICENT

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN |
MALEFICENT movie poster | ©2014 Walt Disney Pictures

Rating: PG Stars: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Tom Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Brenton Thwaites, Kenneth Cranham, Isobelle Molloy, Michael Higgins Writer: Linda Woolverton, based on Walt Disney’s SLEEPING BEAUTY and Charles Perrault’s story LA BELLE AU BOIS DORMANT Director: Robert Stromberg Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures Release Date: May 30, 2014 Almost everyone who saw Walt Disney’s animated SLEEPING BEAUTY as a child, regardless of when that childhood was, had the crap scared out of them by the villainess Maleficent. An evil fairy who cast a death spell on an innocent baby, had green vapor surrounding […]Read On »


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TV Review: 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY – Season 9 – “3:00PM to 4:00PM”

By PETER BROWN |
Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) asks to be reinstated into the field on 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY | © 2014 Daniel Smith/FOX

Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Yvonne Strahovski, Tate Donovan, Mary Lynn Rajskub, William Devane, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Giles Matthey, Michael Wincott, Benjamin Bratt, Kim Raver Writers: Sang Kyu Kim, Patrick Somerville Director: Omar Madha Network: Fox, airs Monday nights @ 9 p.m. Original Telecast: May 26, 2014 The last episode of 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY gave us what we have been hoping for since the start – the chance for Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) to once again be given a chance to stop the bad guys from doing bad things under the flag of the U.S. government. Now obviously, this is beyond far-fetched […]Read On »


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CD Review: RIO 2 soundtrack

By DANIEL SCHWEIGER |
RIO 2 soundtrack | ©2014 Sony Classics

From having elephants hear whos to training dragons and teaching penguins tap dance, John Powell rules the animated animal kingdom when it comes to scores that fly on wings of energetic exuberance. Now he once again takes flight to Brazil with a return to the world of RIO, whose new trip up the Amazon gives him even more opportunities to bring on exotic South American percussion and winds, courtesy of such indigenous guest artists as UAKTI, Milton Nascimento and Carlinhos Brown. They’re peppy, pop-py birds of a feather in giving Powell a wonderfully manic, yet affectionately energetic sound depicting a […]Read On »


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Interview: Jessica St. Clair plays house on PLAYING HOUSE

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN | 05/29/2014
Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair in PLAYING HOUSE - Season 1 | ©2014 USA Network/Rodolfo Martinez

In USA’s new half-hour comedy PLAYING HOUSE, Tuesdays at 10 PM, Jessica St. Clair plays successful business executive Emma Crawford. Emma intends to spend just a short time in her hometown visiting lifelong best friend Maggie, played by Lennon Parham, but when it turns out that Maggie’s husband Bruce (Brad Morris) is cheating on his very pregnant wife, Emma opts to stick around and help Maggie with the soon-to-arrive baby. Parham and St. Clair created PLAYING HOUSE together; earlier, they had created and starred in BEST FRIENDS FOREVER at USA’s sister network NBC. St. Clair, who just had a recurring […]Read On »


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