2019
Tag: romance
audio review : Lianne La Havas ( album ) … Lianne La Havas
Bittersweet, one of the best songs on this album, would’ve made the most fitting title for it, but any of these song titles would’ve been better than Lianne La Havas. That it’s confusing as to whether I’m referring to the artist or the album is a testament to why self-titled projects are almost always an awful idea, especially when it’s not even a debut.
This is her third full-length set and she’s still singing mostly about “love” to 1970s-style soul grooves. Those funky/lush soundscapes remain the best thing about her music. The singing; not her voice, which is husky yet soothing, but her melodies; is usually trailing behind. Read My Mind is a joy to listen to though, along with Paper Thin and Courage.
my rating : 3 of 5
2020
I Shouldn’t Be Alive : Lost In The Snow
2005
Lost : the birth of John
2008
video review : Undertaker : The Last Ride
The Last Ride bit references The Undertaker’s final WWE match, but there should be a question mark at the end. Many athletes get addicted to the thrill of performing for thousands of cheering fans and don’t know when or how to quit. Taker, my favorite wrestler almost since his 1990 debut, is no exception. At 55 years old and riddled with injuries, he still can’t manage to formally announce his retirement from the sport.
This behind-the-scenes documentary series, which, like most, would be better edited down to one lone project, chronicles his latter years, starting at his WrestleMania 33 bout with Roman Reigns. It stops just after WrestleMania 36 and, while compelling all the way; I lost interest in the kayfabe aspect of wrestling as a teenager but remain a die-hard fan of the shoots; it never stops feeling like an extended epilogue.
my rating : 4 of 5
2020
Rest Stop ( story ) … Stephen King
It seems people vomit in Stephen King stories for reasons that seem unlikely in real life. One is a “whore”, albeit a pregnant one, being beaten by her boyfriend or husband. The other is protagonist John Dykstra after attacking the man to protect the woman.
Dykstra is a novelist with an alter ego, a “literary werewolf” named Rick Hardin, whom he conjures in order to do the deed, but the point is lost on me. Rest Stop is technically well-written; Stephen King guarantees as much; but the plot doesn’t really go anywhere.
my rating : 2 of 5
Fair Extension ( story ) … Stephen King
The most interesting character in this story, about a lung cancer patient who makes, as the phrase goes, a deal with The Devil, is also the most ridiculous. That character’s name is George Elvid and he’s a “pudgy” salesman who at least serves as a metaphor for the aforementioned entity.
He offers Dave Streeter, who’s been told he has a few months to live, an Extension in the form of a longer life in exchange for money and a redistribution of his (Streeter’s) bad luck or “negative weight”. It’s a silly premise with a mundane plot and odd references to real-life celebrity news bits.
my rating : 2 of 5
2010
You Know They Got A Hell Of A Band ( story ) … Stephen King
This is a good story during its early stages as a married couple; Mary and Clark; drive down a back road in the “boonies” of Oregon. The two being lost, surrounded by wilderness, as the sun heads west conjure a genuine sense of suspense.
The road goes awry from there. Where they end up and what (who) they see when they get there is a major letdown in comparison to what came before. An engaging tale based in reality is spirited away to a silly dream-like fantasy world.
my rating : 2 of 5
1992
That Feeling You Can Only Say What It Is In French ( story ) … Stephen King
This story, about a woman experiencing déjà vu on a second honeymoon trip to Captiva Island, is one of Stephen King’s worst. It’s a lot of biographical rambling, mostly about the woman’s mundane marriage, without any narrative payoff.
my rating : 1 of 5
1998
video review : Total Recall
Douglas Quaid’s wife is hot, especially when she’s fighting up a sweat. He loses her, along with the normal life he thought he had, after going to Rekall, a corporation that sells fake vacation memories via brain implants. He chooses the Mars trip with the option of being a “secret agent”.
Things go wrong immediately and that’s when the adventure begins. It’s also when the confusion begins as Quaid tries to determine what’s real and what isn’t. The plot sometimes lapses to trite; the hero is prone to corny one-liners; but Total Recall is ultimately a trip that’s both fun and memorable.
my rating : 4 of 5
1990
audio review : Sour Candy ( song ) … Lady Gaga ( featuring Blackpink )
Well, Lady Gaga does seem to have sticky fingers. Not only is the concept of this song similar to the opening theme to Madonna’s Hard Candy, it also sounds like Katy Perry’s Swish Swish, though that latter faux pas has more to do with producers BloodPop and Burns. They made the beat.
Blackpink; apparently every member is featured; come across as more of a novelty than artsy collaborators. Their parts, with all the “yeah”s, are kind of annoying. Gaga does better, especially at the bridge. “I’m hard on the outside,” she says, “but if you give me time, then I could make time for your love.”
my rating : 3 of 5
2020
audio review : Enigma ( song ) … Lady Gaga
What’s puzzling is the concept of this song, which seems to be about romance. “We could be lovers, even just tonight,” Gaga roars, “We could be anything you want.”
It sounds sort of silly the way she says “I’ll” twice when telling this “mystery man” she’ll be his Enigma, but the house music she’s singing to is rather stimulating.
my rating : 3 of 5
2020