With his swarthy good looks and hair a male pattern baldness sufferer like myself would kill for, Yanni was almost as pretty as the music on his album. Unfortunately, more than half the songs here confirm the reputation that New Age/Ambient music has acquired over the years- a lot of this stuff is really good, and a lot of this stuff is slop:
1. Once Upon a Time
The song's sudden start will catch you off guard, and the tune has a touchy feely warm fuzzy ambience to it. It sounds like the end credits to a "The Mighty Ducks" film.
2. A Love for Life
An edgier feel makes this a better listen. Yanni should have opened the album with this.
3. Nice to Meet You
An acoustic violin gives this a jaunty, jazzy, Celtic bounce. Really great.
4. So Long My Friend
Simple and sad piano is punctuated by completely unnecessary background instruments.
5. You Only Live Once
Driving percussion dress up this otherwise average cut, but this is also way too long at over seven minutes.
6. To the One Who Knows
Simple and sad piano is helped this time by background instruments, a nice, plain piece.
7. Face in the Photograph
The piano sails here, in a lush tune that screams for comparable lyrics.
8. Felitsa
I do not know who or what Felitsa is, but this feels contrived and emotionless.
9. Desire
I certainly hope this is not what desire sounds like to Yanni- bored drums and harsh wind instruments.
10. Aria
Taken from a French opera, this is the only cut with vocals on the album. There is more than just a backbeat here, and Yanni re-imagining other operatic works could prove interesting.
11. A Night to Remember
The less than stellar CD starts to wind down with a night I would prefer to forget- too long and repetitive.
12. In the Mirror
The album ends where it begins- on a sour note.
Never mind that the titles sound like greeting card categories at a Hallmark store or the program at a really dull French film festival, the entire effort smacks of mediocrity. I usually like this kind of stuff but the negative outweighs the positive. I must slightly not recommend "Dare to Dream."
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Album Review: "A Man Called (E)"- E (Mark Everett)
This decades old album is one of those unknown, underrated collections of songs that everyone can relate to, and will leave you wondering why E (real name: Mark Everett) never had bigger success with it. The songs, except for two co-writes, were written by E and deal with distant love in a screwed up world back in the early 1990's when our biggest problem was the Gulf War. The songs here are not depressing, however. They are upbeat, uptempo, and so true anyone out there will feel E is penning your emotions and getting it right on target. One by one, the songs are:
1. Hello Cruel World
This catchy intro song just talks about the weird world we are in, without getting melancholy. We should just learn to accept our surroundings and get on with it.
"What the hell, Hello Cruel World"
2. Fitting In With the Misfits
My favorite song on the album, as E sings about marching to the beat of your own drummer, made easier if you have friends who can march with you.
"Living in lost and found... Lost souls don't know where they're bound"
3. Are You and Me Gonna Happen
Great piano hook and fresh drums make a seemingly unhappy song about a one sided love affair almost giddy.
4. Looking Out the Window With a Blue Hat On
Another love from a distance song as E crosses into surreal territory, wanting to die and be born again so he can love his ideal even more. Not as uptempo as the earlier songs, but good.
5. Nowheresville
A song we can all relate to, as E (and maybe his cowriter here) want to just take off and travel to exotic lands, falling in love with the perfect girl/companion on these imaginary travels that many of us will never make.
"Insane on the Seine"
6. Symphony for Toy Piano in G Minor
A thirty second break in the songs has a toy piano leading an orchestra to crescendo, very funny.
7. Mockingbird Franklin
Great use of strings make this song about the singer's soulmate even more moving. Mockingbird is just going through life not caring what everyone else thinks.
"I'm a lot like you"
8. I've Been Kicked Around
This song is very similar to the George Harrison/Traveling Wilburys sound of the 1980's. The singer has been kicked around by life, losing his heart and soul, but he is alright.
9. Pray
Another peppy song about love from afar has a spiritual side to it as E looks for his perfect mate.
10. E's Tune
Another almost spiritual song, as E breaks from his perfect vocal/music mix to show the listener his confusion about the world around him.
"Life's just an ugly mess... and it feels like someone's smiling down on me"
11. You'll Be the Scarecrow
The weakest song here, while still good, borrows too many elements from the first ten songs on this album.
My biggest disappointment with "A Man Called (E)" is that the songs are too short and there are not enough of them. Excluding the thirty second toy piano symphony, three of the songs are under three minutes, and none of the songs go over four minutes. E's blend of friendly pop standard instruments and intelligent lyrics will make you wonder what radio programmers were listening to in the day. E (and his later band Eels) is an artist to seek out and enjoy, and is one of the many reasons I do not listen to mainstream radio.
1. Hello Cruel World
This catchy intro song just talks about the weird world we are in, without getting melancholy. We should just learn to accept our surroundings and get on with it.
"What the hell, Hello Cruel World"
2. Fitting In With the Misfits
My favorite song on the album, as E sings about marching to the beat of your own drummer, made easier if you have friends who can march with you.
"Living in lost and found... Lost souls don't know where they're bound"
3. Are You and Me Gonna Happen
Great piano hook and fresh drums make a seemingly unhappy song about a one sided love affair almost giddy.
4. Looking Out the Window With a Blue Hat On
Another love from a distance song as E crosses into surreal territory, wanting to die and be born again so he can love his ideal even more. Not as uptempo as the earlier songs, but good.
5. Nowheresville
A song we can all relate to, as E (and maybe his cowriter here) want to just take off and travel to exotic lands, falling in love with the perfect girl/companion on these imaginary travels that many of us will never make.
"Insane on the Seine"
6. Symphony for Toy Piano in G Minor
A thirty second break in the songs has a toy piano leading an orchestra to crescendo, very funny.
7. Mockingbird Franklin
Great use of strings make this song about the singer's soulmate even more moving. Mockingbird is just going through life not caring what everyone else thinks.
"I'm a lot like you"
8. I've Been Kicked Around
This song is very similar to the George Harrison/Traveling Wilburys sound of the 1980's. The singer has been kicked around by life, losing his heart and soul, but he is alright.
9. Pray
Another peppy song about love from afar has a spiritual side to it as E looks for his perfect mate.
10. E's Tune
Another almost spiritual song, as E breaks from his perfect vocal/music mix to show the listener his confusion about the world around him.
"Life's just an ugly mess... and it feels like someone's smiling down on me"
11. You'll Be the Scarecrow
The weakest song here, while still good, borrows too many elements from the first ten songs on this album.
My biggest disappointment with "A Man Called (E)" is that the songs are too short and there are not enough of them. Excluding the thirty second toy piano symphony, three of the songs are under three minutes, and none of the songs go over four minutes. E's blend of friendly pop standard instruments and intelligent lyrics will make you wonder what radio programmers were listening to in the day. E (and his later band Eels) is an artist to seek out and enjoy, and is one of the many reasons I do not listen to mainstream radio.
Album Review: "Marvelous Sauce"- Marvelous Sauce
This self-titled CD from a Canadian group was on many college charts around the country in the early 1990's, although you have probably heard music similar to this before. Do you remember that "jazzy" streak that hit popular music in the middle to late eighties? Groups like Double, Spandau Ballet, Level 42, and Breathe made it big.
Marvelous Sauce brings back that era with the first song on the album- "Sister Knows What To Do." To get an idea of what this song sounds like, think of Breathe at their weakest. Next is "Animals on Bicycles," which starts out fine, but sinks with poor lyrics. The song seems like an inside joke: "Animals on bicycles...they're likable/Thoroughly respectable in overalls." "The Amended Will" tells an odd story of a man dying of a heart attack. The song sounds like something from The Replacements, complete with bouncy guitar melody. "Medium" is also helped by better music than lyrics. Heck, think of Breathe at their best in a song praising the virtues of anonymity and mediocrity. "Strength and Sobriety" is probably the best cut on the album. It sounds like an early Billy Joel song, with some great piano and vocals. "Talk About You" has everything but soul and feeling- unmemorable, to say the least. "Move on Living" also falls into that category. "On My Floor" is better, thanks to a distinguished vocal arrangement, although the lyrics are a mystery. "Underwater"'s melody is everywhere, you will need a map to keep up. "Temporarily Aside" is another strong cut with strong lyrics and a wonderful organ riff.
The group's singer and lyricist, Stephen Barrick, has a nice range, although some of his lyrics seem silly. The rest of the band is very good, with Joe Rozier's piano, organ, and keyboards doing a fantastic job. Unfortunately, Rozier is under a "Special Appearance by..." credit. Strongest cuts on the album: "The Amended Will," "Strength and Sobriety," "Temporarily Aside," and "Medium."
Marvelous Sauce brings back that era with the first song on the album- "Sister Knows What To Do." To get an idea of what this song sounds like, think of Breathe at their weakest. Next is "Animals on Bicycles," which starts out fine, but sinks with poor lyrics. The song seems like an inside joke: "Animals on bicycles...they're likable/Thoroughly respectable in overalls." "The Amended Will" tells an odd story of a man dying of a heart attack. The song sounds like something from The Replacements, complete with bouncy guitar melody. "Medium" is also helped by better music than lyrics. Heck, think of Breathe at their best in a song praising the virtues of anonymity and mediocrity. "Strength and Sobriety" is probably the best cut on the album. It sounds like an early Billy Joel song, with some great piano and vocals. "Talk About You" has everything but soul and feeling- unmemorable, to say the least. "Move on Living" also falls into that category. "On My Floor" is better, thanks to a distinguished vocal arrangement, although the lyrics are a mystery. "Underwater"'s melody is everywhere, you will need a map to keep up. "Temporarily Aside" is another strong cut with strong lyrics and a wonderful organ riff.
The group's singer and lyricist, Stephen Barrick, has a nice range, although some of his lyrics seem silly. The rest of the band is very good, with Joe Rozier's piano, organ, and keyboards doing a fantastic job. Unfortunately, Rozier is under a "Special Appearance by..." credit. Strongest cuts on the album: "The Amended Will," "Strength and Sobriety," "Temporarily Aside," and "Medium."
ALBUM REVIEW INDEX
ALBUM REVIEWS: (alphabetical by primary performer's name)
E
- "A Man Called (E)"- E (Mark Everett)
M
- "Marvelous Sauce"- Marvelous Sauce
P
- "Release"- Pet Shop Boys
S
- "Laundry Service"- Shakira
- "Party"- Nick Swardson
- "Get In Touch With Yourself"- Swing Out Sister
T
- "This is Techno 6: UK"- Various Artists
Y
- "Dare to Dream"- Yanni
E
- "A Man Called (E)"- E (Mark Everett)
M
- "Marvelous Sauce"- Marvelous Sauce
P
- "Release"- Pet Shop Boys
S
- "Laundry Service"- Shakira
- "Party"- Nick Swardson
- "Get In Touch With Yourself"- Swing Out Sister
T
- "This is Techno 6: UK"- Various Artists
Y
- "Dare to Dream"- Yanni
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Lizzie (2018)
Chloe Sevigny shines as the infamous Lizzie Borden in a film that reminded me of "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford."
Lizzie (Chloe Sevigny), her sister Emma (Kim Dickens), and their father Andrew (Jamie Sheridan) and stepmother Abby (Fiona Shaw) live in a small house in Fall River, Massachusetts. They hire on Irish housemaid Bridget (Kristen Stewart), who the parents insist on calling Maggie. The household is in a constant state of tension, as Andrew tries to keep order but Lizzie often acts out like a repressed teenager. She and Bridget grow closer, despite Andrew's nighttime visits to Bridget's small room, and soon the new couple are pushed too far by the overbearing parental figures.
Knowing the basics of the Lizzie Borden case, the film contains many historical inaccuracies and the Savannah, Georgia location filming is all wrong. The strength of the film lies in its performances and direction. While Stewart's accent comes and goes as many times as Bridget meekly enters a room, Sevigny anchors the film with her strong performance. Her Lizzie puts up a strong facade that is easily shattered when confronted. The house is a prison of sorts to Lizzie and Emma, who are both trapped in societal expectations, expectations that may have contributed to Lizzie's not guilty verdict when she was tried on the charges of double murder. I've loved Shaw since "Mountains of the Moon," and she does a lot with her character. Although second billed, Stewart doesn't try to hog the film from Sevigny, and the two have a very halting chemistry just like their characters do. Sheridan is good as Andrew, if not a little to modern looking- I would have liked to see a full beard just like the original Andrew Borden had. Denis O'Hare is menacing as the women's ne'er-do-well uncle.
One piece of sound design/set decoration is the constantly creaking floors of the Borden house. No one can "sneak" around anywhere without being heard or overheard, and there are many quiet scenes where all you can listen to is creaking. Director Macneill also frames his film differently. There are many obscured shots, as panes of glass are opaque and distort what is being seen. I would have liked to see more background on Bridget, and a few scenes ring false, but I enjoyed the underwhelming sense of dread (I mean that in a good way) that develops without the use of jump scares or obvious foreshadowing. The violence in the film is brutal, the murders have become the thing of jokes today. Other reviews I read highlighted the nudity and sexual relationship between Lizzie and Bridget, forgetting that two people being bludgeoned to death with a hatchet isn't exactly fun. Kudos to Jeff Russo's careful score and the natural but unpretty cinematography.
Lizzie Borden's maybe-murders will probably never be solved. Over a century has passed, and there isn't any cold case DNA testing to do. Instead, we get quite a few dramatizations and murder mystery parties at the site of the original murders, which is now a bed and breakfast. "Lizzie" is one of the better, serious efforts to tell the stories of the murders, once Kristen Stewart fans get past her presence onscreen; the film isn't called "Bridget," after all.
Stats:
-(2018) 105 min. (8/10)
-Directed by Craig William Macneill
-Written by Bryce Kass
-Cast: Chloe Sevigny, Kristen Stewart, Jamie Sheridan, Fiona Shaw, Kim Dickens, Denis O'Hare, Jeff Perry, Tara Ochs, Daniel Wachs, Jody Matzer, Don Henderson Baker, Jay Huguley, Roscoe Sandlin
-(US: R)-(UK: 15)-(Aus: MA15+)- Physical violence, some sexual violence, strong gore, some profanity, nudity, some sexual content, mild sexual references, strong adult situations
-Media Viewed: Amazon Prime Video Streaming
Lizzie (Chloe Sevigny), her sister Emma (Kim Dickens), and their father Andrew (Jamie Sheridan) and stepmother Abby (Fiona Shaw) live in a small house in Fall River, Massachusetts. They hire on Irish housemaid Bridget (Kristen Stewart), who the parents insist on calling Maggie. The household is in a constant state of tension, as Andrew tries to keep order but Lizzie often acts out like a repressed teenager. She and Bridget grow closer, despite Andrew's nighttime visits to Bridget's small room, and soon the new couple are pushed too far by the overbearing parental figures.
Knowing the basics of the Lizzie Borden case, the film contains many historical inaccuracies and the Savannah, Georgia location filming is all wrong. The strength of the film lies in its performances and direction. While Stewart's accent comes and goes as many times as Bridget meekly enters a room, Sevigny anchors the film with her strong performance. Her Lizzie puts up a strong facade that is easily shattered when confronted. The house is a prison of sorts to Lizzie and Emma, who are both trapped in societal expectations, expectations that may have contributed to Lizzie's not guilty verdict when she was tried on the charges of double murder. I've loved Shaw since "Mountains of the Moon," and she does a lot with her character. Although second billed, Stewart doesn't try to hog the film from Sevigny, and the two have a very halting chemistry just like their characters do. Sheridan is good as Andrew, if not a little to modern looking- I would have liked to see a full beard just like the original Andrew Borden had. Denis O'Hare is menacing as the women's ne'er-do-well uncle.
One piece of sound design/set decoration is the constantly creaking floors of the Borden house. No one can "sneak" around anywhere without being heard or overheard, and there are many quiet scenes where all you can listen to is creaking. Director Macneill also frames his film differently. There are many obscured shots, as panes of glass are opaque and distort what is being seen. I would have liked to see more background on Bridget, and a few scenes ring false, but I enjoyed the underwhelming sense of dread (I mean that in a good way) that develops without the use of jump scares or obvious foreshadowing. The violence in the film is brutal, the murders have become the thing of jokes today. Other reviews I read highlighted the nudity and sexual relationship between Lizzie and Bridget, forgetting that two people being bludgeoned to death with a hatchet isn't exactly fun. Kudos to Jeff Russo's careful score and the natural but unpretty cinematography.
Lizzie Borden's maybe-murders will probably never be solved. Over a century has passed, and there isn't any cold case DNA testing to do. Instead, we get quite a few dramatizations and murder mystery parties at the site of the original murders, which is now a bed and breakfast. "Lizzie" is one of the better, serious efforts to tell the stories of the murders, once Kristen Stewart fans get past her presence onscreen; the film isn't called "Bridget," after all.
Stats:
-(2018) 105 min. (8/10)
-Directed by Craig William Macneill
-Written by Bryce Kass
-Cast: Chloe Sevigny, Kristen Stewart, Jamie Sheridan, Fiona Shaw, Kim Dickens, Denis O'Hare, Jeff Perry, Tara Ochs, Daniel Wachs, Jody Matzer, Don Henderson Baker, Jay Huguley, Roscoe Sandlin
-(US: R)-(UK: 15)-(Aus: MA15+)- Physical violence, some sexual violence, strong gore, some profanity, nudity, some sexual content, mild sexual references, strong adult situations
-Media Viewed: Amazon Prime Video Streaming
This Is the Tom Green Documentary (2025)
This is a surprisingly straightforward documentary on the subversive comedian Tom Green, who seemed to be everywhere in the 1990s and early 2000s before receiving a cancer diagnosis that derailed his career.
Green was from Canada, born in 1971. He was into skateboard culture, formed a locally successful rap group, and then started getting involved in making comedy videos that would emulate the man-on-the-street comedy that David Letterman was doing on his show at the time. The videos and material took off, Green was brought to the States and replicated his cult cable access show on MTV, and he and his friends started to rise in the entertainment industry.
Green directs the film and interviews his parents, who were the targets of many famous bits on his show. They seemed genuinely upset and put out by their son's shenanigans, unlike what passes as "reality" entertainment today. They were not privy to what their son was doing for TV (repainting the house plaid, waking them at 3am to listen to Bon Jovi), but they don't seem very angry about it today. Green goes through his career with friends and co-on air personalities Phil Giroux and Glenn Humplik (Humplik is the greatest name in the history of talk show sidekicks), his assorted films, his marriage to star Drew Barrymore, and his eventual testicular cancer scare that still shakes him and his family. I remember his cancer special, and talking about this taboo subject to millions of fans his age, like myself. He gives behind-the-scenes looks at how much pain he was going through in those times, the surgeries, the show cancellation, and we realized that we weren't immortal or enduring in this age. He tried to kickstart his career here and there, realizing the potential that the internet held, and now he's on the comeback trail with this documentary, a reality series, a stand-up special, and more.
Watching the old clips from his television show, I was having major nostalgia for the turn of the century when anything possible was in my future. Green is three years younger than me, firmly planted in our Generation X, and I felt a connection to him. He is more thoughtful and humble now, he doesn't try any zany stunts on his older parents in the documentary (thank god) because he's not that same guy. The film is well cut between crazed video bits from the good old days, and nice interviews with his subjects today. It's fun to see clips from the show and wonder where these people are now after having a huge impact on popular culture back in the day- Craig Kilborn, Flavor Flav, Janeane Garofalo, Monica Lewinsky, Dennis Miller, etc.
As I fast approach my late fifties, and friends and family start leaving us at an alarming rate (in the past year, I've discovered college classmates and coworkers have passed away and I had no idea until well after the fact), it's comforting to see I'm not the only one who is taking a step back and reflecting on the future. Green keeps his eye on his eventful past, but is doing the work instead of becoming frozen-in-place creatively, rising above internet-age rage and tumult. This is a very good film.
Stats:
(2025) 97 min. (8/10)
-Directed by Tom Green
-With Tom Green, Mary Jane Green, Richard Green, Glenn Humplik, Phil Giroux, Chris Mullington, Merilyn Read, Jackie Stearn, David Letterman, Drew Barrymore, Eric Andre, Joe Rogan, Monica Lewinsky
-(Amazon Prime Video: 16+)-(UK: 15)-(Aus: MA15+)- Some physical violence, gore, profanity, strong adult situations
-Media Viewed: Amazon Prime Video Streaming
Green was from Canada, born in 1971. He was into skateboard culture, formed a locally successful rap group, and then started getting involved in making comedy videos that would emulate the man-on-the-street comedy that David Letterman was doing on his show at the time. The videos and material took off, Green was brought to the States and replicated his cult cable access show on MTV, and he and his friends started to rise in the entertainment industry.
Green directs the film and interviews his parents, who were the targets of many famous bits on his show. They seemed genuinely upset and put out by their son's shenanigans, unlike what passes as "reality" entertainment today. They were not privy to what their son was doing for TV (repainting the house plaid, waking them at 3am to listen to Bon Jovi), but they don't seem very angry about it today. Green goes through his career with friends and co-on air personalities Phil Giroux and Glenn Humplik (Humplik is the greatest name in the history of talk show sidekicks), his assorted films, his marriage to star Drew Barrymore, and his eventual testicular cancer scare that still shakes him and his family. I remember his cancer special, and talking about this taboo subject to millions of fans his age, like myself. He gives behind-the-scenes looks at how much pain he was going through in those times, the surgeries, the show cancellation, and we realized that we weren't immortal or enduring in this age. He tried to kickstart his career here and there, realizing the potential that the internet held, and now he's on the comeback trail with this documentary, a reality series, a stand-up special, and more.
Watching the old clips from his television show, I was having major nostalgia for the turn of the century when anything possible was in my future. Green is three years younger than me, firmly planted in our Generation X, and I felt a connection to him. He is more thoughtful and humble now, he doesn't try any zany stunts on his older parents in the documentary (thank god) because he's not that same guy. The film is well cut between crazed video bits from the good old days, and nice interviews with his subjects today. It's fun to see clips from the show and wonder where these people are now after having a huge impact on popular culture back in the day- Craig Kilborn, Flavor Flav, Janeane Garofalo, Monica Lewinsky, Dennis Miller, etc.
As I fast approach my late fifties, and friends and family start leaving us at an alarming rate (in the past year, I've discovered college classmates and coworkers have passed away and I had no idea until well after the fact), it's comforting to see I'm not the only one who is taking a step back and reflecting on the future. Green keeps his eye on his eventful past, but is doing the work instead of becoming frozen-in-place creatively, rising above internet-age rage and tumult. This is a very good film.
Stats:
(2025) 97 min. (8/10)
-Directed by Tom Green
-With Tom Green, Mary Jane Green, Richard Green, Glenn Humplik, Phil Giroux, Chris Mullington, Merilyn Read, Jackie Stearn, David Letterman, Drew Barrymore, Eric Andre, Joe Rogan, Monica Lewinsky
-(Amazon Prime Video: 16+)-(UK: 15)-(Aus: MA15+)- Some physical violence, gore, profanity, strong adult situations
-Media Viewed: Amazon Prime Video Streaming
Attack of the Doc! (2023)
This documentary covers the cult show "Attack of the Show!" on the old G4 cable television channel. After watching the film, and doing a little reading online, the internet troll vitriol was sometimes more entertaining than the film.
I never saw "Attack of the Show!" or anything else on the G4 network. My first marriage had ended four days before the 9/11 attacks, and I was too busy sulking in a basement apartment or renting a spare bedroom from my best friend to sit down and watch cable television much, when I could afford basic cable at all. I was not a gamer anyway, getting that out of my system back in high school thanks to popping quarters into arcade machines or suffering through the Intellivision system at home. I didn't know AOTS was a thing, and I'm not even sure if G4 was on my cable system. One thing I was familiar with, however, was Chris Gore. I used to frequent a rundown little gas station in my then-hometown because they carried Film Threat magazine for some ungodly reason that I never figured out. I read and re-read every issue I could get my hands on, along with the Film Threat Video Guide, before loaning my collection to a friend and never seeing them again. I was going to be a film maker back then, carrying around well-worn issues of FT, Entertainment Weekly, Movieline, Premiere, and reading Variety and Film Comment at my alma mater university library. I wrote and directed one music video of a friend's song, graduated from college with a degree in Broadcasting (no, everyone in my life, it's not "the same thing" as film making), and never pursued my "chosen career." Writing about film, on the other hand...
When I was in elementary school in the late 1970's and early 1980's (I'm the epitome of Generation X), I used to flip through Leonard Maltin's TV and Movie Guide. I started writing capsule reviews on 3x5 inch index cards, and put them in a little recipe file box. It was stuffed full by the time I got to high school, but it eventually disappeared during one of the many moves in my life as an Air Force Brat. Once I discovered the internet, all bets were off. I wrote reviews for Epinions, and then eFilmCritic/HollywoodBitchslap- those sites are long gone now. I had 10,000 TV and film rankings on IMDb, which consistently crashed my local library's computer. I'm now on Letterboxd, where I have over 6,600 films ranked, and I have almost a thousand old reviews here and there- an archive blog, IMDb, TMDB, Amazon, and Rotten Tomatoes. All told, I've made approximately $1.75 from my decades of online film criticism.
I've been watching and reading Chris Gore since he had dark hair, and I had any hair. I don't have time to do entire podcasts, I'm a stay-at-home Dad and recovering victim of three decades in the Corporatethink/Big Box Retail field, but I enjoy Film Threat's clips on YouTube and Rumble, and reading the written reviews on their website. Gore pops up on Film Courage's YouTube channel as well, and his long interviews have me nodding in agreement consistently. I found a kindred spirit in Chris Gore and his Film Threat sidekicks (Alan Ng), as well as Heath Holland at Cereal at Midnight, The Critical Drinker, and Jeremy Jahns- they're among my must-watches. I don't necessarily agree with them all of the time, but I like hearing their views on film, television, and physical media collecting- I own almost a thousand shiny discs and about as many books.
But what about the film?! Sorry, I'm talking about the film maker more than the film- something most of the reviews I read online are guilty of, too. "Attack of the Doc!" is a fun, nostalgic trip down memory lane for a show I had no memory of. Gore couldn't get interviews with the most famous hosts (Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn), and I don't know why. He covers it well, though, with plenty of old footage from the show as well as voiceover interviews with people involved in the production. Gore himself appeared on over eighty episodes, according to IMDb, and he appears onscreen in recently shot footage. I was never bored, the show seemed like something I could have watched in between episodes of "The State," "Mystery Science Theater 3000," "The Whitest Kids U'Know," "The Kids in the Hall," and all the other subversive comedy I absorbed, if I had known the show existed.
The trolls lambast Gore for an anti-woke section of the film. From my reading, I expected an hour-long diatribe, and was laughing out loud at the very few sentences I heard. They really couldn't do a lot of the material found on AOTS today, and it was funny to read about how "alt-right" Gore is: "A biased Gore inserts himself into the documentary on a show he was barely on and made it all about himself!" I'm hard pressed to think of a documentary that is unbiased, and when it comes to a film maker putting himself into a documentary, the names Michael Moore and Nick Broomfield, as well as almost every "reality show," are forgotten. I wouldn't call eighty episodes "barely on" the show. Gore is criticized more for his honest takes about current pop culture, which is something I appreciate in the left-leaning world of Hollywood and film criticism. Sometimes I just want to read a writer's thoughts on a film without detrimental comparisons to the latest Trump rally, which has nothing to do with the film being reviewed in the first place. This is why I also frequently read John Nolte, Armond White, Bret Easton Ellis, and Christian Toto, and old material from Pauline Kael, Roger Ebert, and Gene Siskel. I don't agree with any of them all the time, but I'm not insulted for being a Middle America Conservative either.
So yes, if you were a G4 fan back in the day, you'll like this film. If you are like me and had no idea what the show or network were about, I think you'll still like this film. Chris Gore is still "doing the work" as Gary Vaynerchuk preaches, and I appreciate that.
Stats:
(2023) 87 min. (7/10)
-Written and Directed by Chris Gore
-With Chris Gore, Kevin Pereira, Olivia Munn, Candace Bailey, Sara Jean Underwood, Morgan Webb, Eric Andre, James Cameron, John Cena, Jimmy Fallon, Alison Haislip, Tom Green, Chris Hardwick, Tony Hawk, Stan Lee
-(Amazon Prime Video: 16+)- Physical violence, some gun violence, some gore, profanity, sexual references, adult situations
-Media Viewed: Amazon Prime Video Streaming
I never saw "Attack of the Show!" or anything else on the G4 network. My first marriage had ended four days before the 9/11 attacks, and I was too busy sulking in a basement apartment or renting a spare bedroom from my best friend to sit down and watch cable television much, when I could afford basic cable at all. I was not a gamer anyway, getting that out of my system back in high school thanks to popping quarters into arcade machines or suffering through the Intellivision system at home. I didn't know AOTS was a thing, and I'm not even sure if G4 was on my cable system. One thing I was familiar with, however, was Chris Gore. I used to frequent a rundown little gas station in my then-hometown because they carried Film Threat magazine for some ungodly reason that I never figured out. I read and re-read every issue I could get my hands on, along with the Film Threat Video Guide, before loaning my collection to a friend and never seeing them again. I was going to be a film maker back then, carrying around well-worn issues of FT, Entertainment Weekly, Movieline, Premiere, and reading Variety and Film Comment at my alma mater university library. I wrote and directed one music video of a friend's song, graduated from college with a degree in Broadcasting (no, everyone in my life, it's not "the same thing" as film making), and never pursued my "chosen career." Writing about film, on the other hand...
When I was in elementary school in the late 1970's and early 1980's (I'm the epitome of Generation X), I used to flip through Leonard Maltin's TV and Movie Guide. I started writing capsule reviews on 3x5 inch index cards, and put them in a little recipe file box. It was stuffed full by the time I got to high school, but it eventually disappeared during one of the many moves in my life as an Air Force Brat. Once I discovered the internet, all bets were off. I wrote reviews for Epinions, and then eFilmCritic/HollywoodBitchslap- those sites are long gone now. I had 10,000 TV and film rankings on IMDb, which consistently crashed my local library's computer. I'm now on Letterboxd, where I have over 6,600 films ranked, and I have almost a thousand old reviews here and there- an archive blog, IMDb, TMDB, Amazon, and Rotten Tomatoes. All told, I've made approximately $1.75 from my decades of online film criticism.
I've been watching and reading Chris Gore since he had dark hair, and I had any hair. I don't have time to do entire podcasts, I'm a stay-at-home Dad and recovering victim of three decades in the Corporatethink/Big Box Retail field, but I enjoy Film Threat's clips on YouTube and Rumble, and reading the written reviews on their website. Gore pops up on Film Courage's YouTube channel as well, and his long interviews have me nodding in agreement consistently. I found a kindred spirit in Chris Gore and his Film Threat sidekicks (Alan Ng), as well as Heath Holland at Cereal at Midnight, The Critical Drinker, and Jeremy Jahns- they're among my must-watches. I don't necessarily agree with them all of the time, but I like hearing their views on film, television, and physical media collecting- I own almost a thousand shiny discs and about as many books.
But what about the film?! Sorry, I'm talking about the film maker more than the film- something most of the reviews I read online are guilty of, too. "Attack of the Doc!" is a fun, nostalgic trip down memory lane for a show I had no memory of. Gore couldn't get interviews with the most famous hosts (Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn), and I don't know why. He covers it well, though, with plenty of old footage from the show as well as voiceover interviews with people involved in the production. Gore himself appeared on over eighty episodes, according to IMDb, and he appears onscreen in recently shot footage. I was never bored, the show seemed like something I could have watched in between episodes of "The State," "Mystery Science Theater 3000," "The Whitest Kids U'Know," "The Kids in the Hall," and all the other subversive comedy I absorbed, if I had known the show existed.
The trolls lambast Gore for an anti-woke section of the film. From my reading, I expected an hour-long diatribe, and was laughing out loud at the very few sentences I heard. They really couldn't do a lot of the material found on AOTS today, and it was funny to read about how "alt-right" Gore is: "A biased Gore inserts himself into the documentary on a show he was barely on and made it all about himself!" I'm hard pressed to think of a documentary that is unbiased, and when it comes to a film maker putting himself into a documentary, the names Michael Moore and Nick Broomfield, as well as almost every "reality show," are forgotten. I wouldn't call eighty episodes "barely on" the show. Gore is criticized more for his honest takes about current pop culture, which is something I appreciate in the left-leaning world of Hollywood and film criticism. Sometimes I just want to read a writer's thoughts on a film without detrimental comparisons to the latest Trump rally, which has nothing to do with the film being reviewed in the first place. This is why I also frequently read John Nolte, Armond White, Bret Easton Ellis, and Christian Toto, and old material from Pauline Kael, Roger Ebert, and Gene Siskel. I don't agree with any of them all the time, but I'm not insulted for being a Middle America Conservative either.
So yes, if you were a G4 fan back in the day, you'll like this film. If you are like me and had no idea what the show or network were about, I think you'll still like this film. Chris Gore is still "doing the work" as Gary Vaynerchuk preaches, and I appreciate that.
Stats:
(2023) 87 min. (7/10)
-Written and Directed by Chris Gore
-With Chris Gore, Kevin Pereira, Olivia Munn, Candace Bailey, Sara Jean Underwood, Morgan Webb, Eric Andre, James Cameron, John Cena, Jimmy Fallon, Alison Haislip, Tom Green, Chris Hardwick, Tony Hawk, Stan Lee
-(Amazon Prime Video: 16+)- Physical violence, some gun violence, some gore, profanity, sexual references, adult situations
-Media Viewed: Amazon Prime Video Streaming
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