It’s been a long time since I last watched this, but man, it really stuck with me.
You watch this kid get sucked into this group of skinheads—who honestly just look like your typical neighborhood hooligans and troublemakers hanging out—until Comov finally gets out after serving three years in prison. He’s got much bigger ambitions than just being a delinquent, though. He wants to turn that ragtag crew into a full-blown nationalist movement, fueled by all sorts of conspiracy theories... including that whole conflict over the Falklands, if I remember correctly.
Since the kid lost his dad in that conflict, he’s even more vulnerable, which makes him an easy target for Comov’s influence.
At its core, the movie is a critique of nationalism and racism, seen through the eyes of this boy who quickly realizes that this path just isn't for him...
That ending was so incredibly moving, and I bet you still have that Einaudi soundtrack playing in your head from the credits...
I basically grew up on Balašević, man. I used to collect every single album he ever put out and everything... But, you know, once you hit a certain age, all that sentimentality just starts to feel a bit much. 😬 My absolute Peak was seeing him at Madison Square Garden back in 2010, if I remember correctly, and honestly? I think that’s enough for one lifetime.
Naturally, during high school, I went through a massive punk and metal phase. Now, I only revisit a few specific bands from that era because back then, I was such an elitist! I had these huge opinions about having to support the local underground scene, even when—let's be real—some of those bands were just straight-up bad. Luckily, thank God, that phase passed too. 😁
There are plenty of guilty pleasures in my rotation, but also a lot of digging around. Nowadays, thankfully, I have a totally different perspective on music, though I have to admit I don't explore nearly as much as I used to in the past.
Basically, every band or artist eventually loses their luster for me. Every now and then, though, I'll find myself circling back to a few favorites.
Look, lemonzoo, they’re constantly breathing down our necks about not mentioning those borderline illegal things on the forum 😬 Could you maybe just get straight to the point next time and say you just happened to listen to or watch something? Or even just go with, "it was right there in front of me." I mean, honestly, we don't really need to know how you stumbled upon it for a review, right? 😁
No clue yet! We should know something by sometime in June, I think...
NP: JJ Cale. I've been looping his albums all week, it's just the perfect vibe while I'm reading and grinding away at this new project... pairing it with that world music I linked in my playlists. Still totally digging my way through The Cove, though I've already realized the quality there is absolutely top-tier 👍 ...
wiredmason61 said:Oh, man, that sounds awesome! Definitely let the crew know when the next one rolls around. It's not like we have to drive all the way to Columbus or anything...
The New Orleans Jazz Festival happens every summer at the start of July—it’s becoming a total tradition now, though maybe not quite as legendary as the Coachella 😁 festival yet. Just a little heads-up, no biggie! 😉
I didn't even realize he was filming something new! The Grand Budapest Hotel. It’s already feeling like summer out here, and then this trailer just drops (though I rarely watch them—I don't really need a sneak peek to know if a movie looks good).
Anyway, everyone is pretty much counting down the days until 👍
I was actually going to skip this one just out of pure principle, but since I’m officially in my "Soderbergh phase," I figured it was time to finally give it a shot.
Honestly? It’s not half bad! I really dig that slower pace and that quiet, almost hypnotic vibe... it really pulls you into the story. Even though it leans pretty hard into typical Hollywood tropes—and it's nowhere near what Tarkovsky intended (putting aside the Lemov stuff, his ideas haven't exactly translated perfectly to the big screen 😬 )—it still has its own unique charm and is definitely worth a watch.
Soderbergh has such an unconventional path for a director. He started out as this indie auteur with totally fresh, original ideas, and then suddenly he's jumping straight into massive blockbuster territory. Of course, to get there, he had to deal with some struggles (Kafka) and some total misses (Schizopholis) before hitting it big with his next hits (Traffic, Erin Brockovich).
He established himself as a master of commercial hits, only to pivot right back to that indie vibe. And if I remember correctly, he even announced he was quitting filmmaking altogether! But then he gets this idea to shoot on an iPhone and keeps rolling, producing a string of little successes.
Given his style, Solaris isn't such a weird choice, but to me, it still feels like he's in a bit of an experimental phase that's, let's just say, only halfway successful.
Since we all know Steven Soderbergh basically lives and breathes heist movies (I mean, look at the Ocean's Eleven series...), you’d naturally expect this one to follow that same vibe. It doesn't quite hit that same high level, and it leans a bit more into its themes than just pure action, but honestly? It's still a total blast...
RockLive is hitting its big ten-year milestone this year! Mark your calendars for July 23rd through the 25th. So far, we've got TBF and Mort locked in—and man, I'm so glad Mort is finally playing, since that massive storm wiped out their set last time... plus, Mortal Kombat is officially on the lineup too!
The party is already starting with the Warm-upov series, too. On February 28th, they're throwing a free Kandžija concert. So exciting...
This one definitely wasn't my cup of tea. I don't know, even if the acting is solid, it just doesn't make up for that chaotic atmosphere, the grating soundtrack, and a camera that won't stop shaking. It just left me feeling kind of... meh...
Just some instrumental bands... one leans more towards prog/psychedelia, while the other is a bit harder to pin down since they change things up with every single release. So interesting...