MP's "Hero of the Day"

DIMEBAG DARRELL

I wasn't gonna post anything because this whole tragedy isn't about me or how I feel..and I feel so helpless and insignificant at such an unbelievable time as this...
But after sitting in front of my computer screen in disbelief for the last 24 hours since I heard about this last night I finally felt I needed to at least acknowledge how absolutely horrible I feel about this nightmare.
Actually, I am sick to my stomach.

Dime was an incredible talent who I've admired since the beginning when we had both just signed to Atco Records. It's been many years since I've hung with him or any of the Pantera guys - but my memories with him and the guys were always great fun and filled with crazy drunken insanity.
He lived each and everyday to the fullest. In fact, I never could believe how he could even function (both on and off stage) with the way he partied and lived life.

I feel so sorry for Vinnie and the rest of the band and family.

Words really cannot describe the heartache I've had all day.
This is as tragic and unbelievable as Lennon getting killed.
But this hits home even closer because he was ONE OF US.

I really cannot believe it...

MP

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

"Welcome To The Dollhouse" meets "Election" meets "Office Space"

If you dig independant, campy, dry humour - this is a CLASSIC!

MP

Hey Kids,
Time for another year end round-up....
Here ya go:

Favorite CD's of 2004:
(in no particular order)
1. Muse - Absolution (technically this is a 2003 release - but it is hands down my favorite CD of the year and probably the decade as well!)
2. Incubus - A Crow Left Of The Murder
3. Mastodon - Leviathan
4. Chevelle - This Type Of Thinking Could Do Us In
5. Pain Of Salvation - Be
6. Coheed And Cambria - In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3
7. Shadows Fall - The War Within
8. Umphrey's McGee - Anchor Drops
9. Secret Machines - Now Here Is Nowhere
10. Megadeth - The System Has Failed

and of course:
1. Dream Theater - Live At Budokan
2. Neal Morse - One


Favorite Films of 2004:
(in no particular order)
1. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
2. Closer
3. Sideways
4. Dig!
5. Tarnation
6. The Passion Of The Christ
7. Napoleon Dynamite
8. The Polar Express
9. Kill Bill Vol.2
10. Saw

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year and c-ya on the road in 2005 for DT's 20th Anniversary!

MP

PEDRO ALMODOVAR

I've only just discovered this master filmmaker from Spain.

Just this week I watched All About My Mother, Talk To Her and his latest masterpiece Bad Education.

His style reminds me very much of one of my other favorite foreign filmmakers of the past few decades: Krzysztof Kieslowski.

Great writing, great writing, stylish direction.
I've got a whole back catalog of his films to look foward to!

MP

PETER SELLERS / GEOFFREY RUSH

Just watched HBO's brilliant "The Life & Death of Peter Sellers" which was an amazing tribute to the genius of Peter Sellers and had an unbelievably uncanny top notch performance by Geoffrey Rush.

MP

THE RUTLES

The Pre-Fab Four are back!
The long awaited (27 years!!!) return of Dirk, Nasty, Stig and Barry in the brand new DVD "Can't Buy Me Lunch".
I have been a huge Rutles fan since I was a kid, so this has been a long time coming for me!

Great cameos by Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Steve Martin, David Bowie, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon and many more!

MP

THE MARS VOLTA

WOW!

I loved their first album, but the new one Frances The Mute takes their insanity to a whole new level...

This is one of the most DARING and extreme CD's I've heard in a long time! (reminding me at times of the first two Mr. Bungle albums)

It's so out there at times it will inevitably turn alot of people off...(critics are gonna slam the shit out of it - giving a bad name to progressive music - is this the new millennium's Tales From Topographic Oceans?), but if you are patient and open-minded this is an absolutely amazing journey!

MP

WILCO

Watched the fascinating DVD "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" about the making of a masterpiece and the subsequent corporate BS that followed.

Very interesting indeed...but also quite terrifying on a personal level - having just handed over something I labored over every single day for the past 5 months into the hands of a bunch of strangers at a record company that has never worked with us before...

Thank god we have such a great fanbase to count on (that's you guys!) that the label's support (or possible lack of it) is completely irrelevant to our continued growth and momentum...

It's a scary business!

MP

PETRA HADEN

This has to be one of the most unique CD's I've heard in a long time....

"Petra Haden Sings The Who Sell Out" is the entire classic Who album re-done completely accapella. (all the vocals, guitar parts, drum parts, sound effects...even the commercials in between!)

A totally original idea and a new twist to an old favorite album of mine...(damn, I wish I thought of it first!)

MP

THE CONTENDER

OK...I'm hooked!
I suppose this was a natural for me as:
a) I'm a sucker for reality TV (I know, how pathetic!)
b) I used to be a HUGE Boxing fan...
(back in the 90's there was no bigger fan of the sport than me....unfortunately I have lost track and interest in it over the past 7 or 8 years, but this show has surely renewed my hope for the sport...)

I will be following this competition til the end...

MP

JONATHAN GLAZER

Watched his sophmore film "Birth" last night.
Unfortunately, I can't really recommend the film to the casual viewer is it is a very flawed film...

However, if you are a Stanley Kubrick fan (who is possibly my all-time film GOD)...this film is a must-see.

If I didn't know otherwise, I would swear on my life this was a Kubrick film. Everything about it breathes like a cross between The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut and Barry Lyndon.

Director Jonathan Glazer has impressed the hell out of me for his visual and pacing style (even it is directly copped from somebody else's), and I am glad to know somebody out there will be making "Kubrick films" even though the master is now gone...

MP

THE OFFICE

 

After having caught some of the new American version on NBC and digging it, I picked up the original English BBC version on DVD and watched the entire box set throughout the G3 tour in Japan.

 

What an absolutely brilliant and hilarious show!

I've never been a big fan of british TV comedy, but this one takes the best elements of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm and combines it with the improv/documentary elements of This is Spinal Tap and Christopher Guest's films.

 

What a shame there's no more to watch.....

I hope NBC renews the American version so I can continue to get my fix...

 

MP

LOST
 
It took a while for me to get around to it, but it was worth the wait....
 
Not wanting to jump in half way through the season, I downloaded all of the episodes and over the past month or so, have been playing catch up with this great show.
 
This has replaced 24 as my favorite current primetime network TV drama.
It reminds me at times of the X-Files in the early seasons when they were still a great show.
 
Serious thumbs up!
 
MP

I haven't posted any heroes in a while as I've been kooked up with kick starting the DT World Tour, so here's kind of a "early Summer Update" compilation edition of what's been floating my boat lately:
 
COLDPLAY
I LOVE the new CD "X&Y"...
Granted, they aren't treading any new water with this one, but man...every song is so great. These guys couldn't write a bad song if they tried.
(and thumbs up for our boy Michael Brauer!)
 
SYSTEM OF A DOWN
Also, once again, blown away by the new SOAD "Mezmerize"...
These guys are so damn original.
The riffs, the melodies... 
 
DREDG
Another great outing with the new "Catch Without Arms".
I must admit, at times the singer can bother me - but musically, these guys are the modern day combination of Rush, U2 and Radiohead.
 
IRON MAIDEN
DT just finished doing 4 shows with them in Europe and they are putting on their best show in 15 years...the setlist is an old-school fan's wet dream!
Phantom Of The Opera, Murders In The Rue Morgue, Another Life, Drifter, Where Eagles Dare, Revelations, etc. etc.
Man, even I could not have written a better setlist!
 
SIX FEET UNDER
I'll admit, they're off to a bit of a slow start so far - but ANY SFU is better than 90% of what's out there.
I am soooo upset this is the last season....this is one of my ALL-TIME favorite series'
 
ENTOURAGE
Lovin this show....the 2nd season has been great so far.
These guys are the coolest...
Ari's character has some of the best and funniest one-liner's I've ever heard...
 
STAR WARS
I never got to post about this as I finally got to see it while The Forum was down before Octavarium was released...
MAN, did I love Episode III!!!!
It was everything I hoped it would be and WAY MORE!
Lucas totally delivered in my book.
BTW - I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else (although I'm sure it has been), but didn't the whole "Order 66" sequence seem like a direct tribute to the baptism sequence in The Godfather???
 
FUNNY GAME
I just watched this film again today on our flight to Greece (I believe this was a HOTD entry a few years back) and man.....
What a DISTURBING film!!!!
It's as bad as it gets in terms of subject matter (think "Man Bites Dog" meets "A Clockwork Orange" meets "Straw Dogs"), but it is so incredibly well made in terms of it's dark tone, relentless tension and its ability to convey both fear and repulse without showing much violence at all....
Proceed with caution!
 
That's my update for now....
C-y'all on the road!
 
MP
 
 

ROGER WATERS, DAVID GILMOUR, RICK WRIGHT & NICK MASON
 
I never thought I'd see this day!!
One of my lifetime dreams has finally come true...
To see Dave and Roger hug at the end of the set was one of life's little miracles...and I can only pray it leads to the end of their 20 year feud and hope for a new beginning....
 
What's next?
Gabriel and Genesis?
Fish and Marillion?
Kevin Moore and DT?
 
Shit, if these guys can re-unite I think ANYBODY can! 
 
MP

STEVEN SPIELBERG

Once again proves he's the greatest living director on Earth today.
Finally got to see War Of The Worlds tonight and was BLOWN AWAY!

When you think about it, only he could've made this film - as it is a cross of so many of his great films:
The Sci-Fi/Fantasy of "Close Encounters", "E.T." and "A.I.", the terror of "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park", and the unrelenting violence and epic doomsday feel of "Saving Private Ryan" and "Schindler's List"

OK....I do have admit the final 5 minutes almost completely kills the movie for me....
(SPOILER - highlight to read)
I'm hoping they were all dead and meeting in heaven...otherwise that ending is absolutely inexcusable...so I'll stick to that interpretation in order to save the film in my book!
 
Other than the ending, I suspended my disbelief and enjoyed one of the most terrifying Hollywood rides I've ever seen....

 

Who would've thought this indie/foreign/cult film fanatic's 2 favorite films of the year so far are Lucas and Spielberg hundred-million dollar blockbusters! 

 

MP 

LAMB OF GOD
 
Finally got to watch the new DVD "Killadelphia"...
Damn these guys RULE!
They are the tightest, most brutal metal band out there at the moment.
They are to the current metal scene what Slayer was in the 80's and Pantera was in the 90's....
 
Much respect,
MP

ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW

I just saw the best independent film of 2005 (so far) in my book...
Kind of a cross between PT Anderson's "Punch Drunk Love" and Todd Solondz' "Happiness"

First time Director, Writer and Star Miranda July knocks it out of the park and proves Sofia Coppola's got some new competition on the block!

And lead actor John Hawkes gives a great, heartfelt performance reminiscent of Bud Cort in "Harold And Maude"

This small, quirky film is a real winner!

))<>((

MP

SIX FEET UNDER

What an ending to one of the greatest series in the history of television!

The finale was just PERFECT!
I've never seen a show end with so much closure....

The ending really made me look at life in a whole new way.
I'm really gonna miss this show....
 
Some further thoughts in this thread:
http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=945853&mpage=3&key=&#977402
 
MP
 
 

OLD BOY

This Korean film is an absolute mind-f*ck and masterpiece!

Director Chan-Wook Park is Tarantino, Hitchcock, Lynch, Miike, Almodovar and Kubrick all wrapped up in one!

This one has so many levels to it, it's gonna take a few more viewings to fully grasp and appreciate it all....

MP

OPETH
 
I'm loving the new CD "Ghost Reveries"!
I think it's the PERFECT blend between Deliverance and Damnation...
And I love the full-time addition of keyboards to their sound...while still keeping everything heavy and dark.
 
This is surely one of favorite albums of 2005.
Cheers to my friend Mikael Akerfeldt for another great piece of work!
 
MP

CRASH

(the new one...not the David Cronenberg sex and accident fetish one!)

 

Absolutely fantastic ensemble piece in the vien of Robert Altman's "Short Cuts", P.T. Anderson's "Magnolia" and Steven Soderberg's "Traffic".

 

Brilliant performances all around and all kinds of twists and turns in this dramatic character study of racial predjudice and sterotypes.

 

MP

OVERNIGHT

 

Fascinating documentary on filmmaker/musician Troy Duffy whose insanely meteoric rise and fall in Hollywood is poetic justice when his ego absolutely destroys everything in its path.

 

An interesting lesson on everything NOT to do in the music and film industry!

 

MP

OCEANSIZE
 
I went and saw these guys tonight in Paris. (Thanks Sebastian!)  
 
Their new album "Everyone Into Position" is surely one of my favs of 2005.
 
They are kind of like a more progressive version of some very cool, spacey alternative bands like A Perfect Circle, My Bloody Valentine, Sigur Ros, Muse, Incubus and Radiohead (back when they played guitars!)
 
They could be destined for big things if the rest of the world catches on....
 
MP

SPOCK'S BEARD

Just spent the last 2 days on the road with my good friends through Paris and London. (and played "The Light" with them each night for the encore!)

The musicianship in the band is just so great...they sounded so tight.
Nick is doing an outstanding job now fronting the band.
They truly are one of my favorite bands on the planet!

Thanks to Nick, Al, Ryo, Dave and Jimmy (and crew) for being such great hosts these past couple days...

OK, vacation's over - back to work I go....

MP

TODD SOLONDZ

 

Finally got to see his latest "Palindromes" having missed it in the theaters...

(a quasi-indirect sequel to his "Welcome To The Dollhouse") and it's a great return to form after the disappointing "Storytelling"...

 

It's another one of his feel good movies (ala "Happiness") with all the sick and twisted elements I've come to expect from him...dealing with topics ranging from abortion to religion to pedifiles. (all told with 8 different actresses playing the same part!) 

 

MP

 5 X 2
 

Interesting French film from director Francois Ozon (Swimming Pool) showing the story of a couple through 5 different stages of their relationship told in reverse (from Divorce to meeting)

 

Kind of like if Woody Allen made Irreversible!

 

MP

AVENGED SEVENFOLD

 

OK....I'm confused.

 

I always ASSumed from their image (and name) that they were some kind of Orange County Skate/Pop/Punk band (I assumed something like Blink 182 or Good Charlotte)....but then I saw one of their videos and I said "wow...these guys can play!"...so I picked up their new CD "City Of Evil" and was blown away!

 

I don't know the story on these guys...if it is trendy or uncool to like them, but these guys are great players!! (picture Paul Gilbert, Joey Jordison and Mike Patton putting together a pop/metal band!)

 

And they write some really cool, untraditional, almost proggy pop songs, but with catchy hooky choruses....I can't believe these guys are getting the commercial acceptance & exposure they are with a sound that sounds more like Iron Maiden meets DT than anything else that's currently on MTV!

 

I guess it proves never to judge a book by its cover!

 

MP

THE DA VINCI CODE
 
I've never been much of a reader (99.9% of my Heros Of The Day are films, directors, bands, musicians, TV shows, etc.)
Most of the time if I pick up a book, it's usually bio/artist related (Neil Peart's books, the Motley Crue bio, the Howard Stern books, etc.)
 
But I was given The Da Vinci Code by our manager on the current South American tour and I am HOOKED!
(I am currently about half way through)
 
This book is fascinating, compelling & exciting and I can't put it down!
 
Of course being a film fanatic and not a reader, it will interesting for me to see the film AFTER reading the book (which never happens for me!) - as I'm sure you all know it is currently in production by Ron Howard & Tom Hanks for a release next summer...
 
O, Draconian devil!
MP

OK Kids, time for my year end round-up....

Top 10 Albums of 2005 (in no particular order):
1. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
2. System Of A Down - Mesmerize / Hypnotize
3. The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
4. Oceansize - Everyone Into Position
5. Riverside - Second Life Syndrome
6. Coldplay - X&Y
7. Between The Buried And Me - Alaska
8. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
9. Avenged Sevenfold - City Of Evil
10. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine

and of course:

--- Dream Theater - Octavarium
--- Neal Morse - ?


Top 10 Films of 2005 (in no particular order):
1. Oldboy
2. Sin City
3. Crash
4. The Best Of Youth
5. Me and You and Everyone We Know
6. Bad Education
7. Mysterious Skin
8. Match Point
9. The Squid And The Whale
10. Palindromes

Happy New Year everybody and all the best in 2006!

MP

WOLF CREEK
 
Just watched and enjoyed this Australian import...
This is yet another ultra-violent, modern-day "slasher" film in a series of recent ones that have come out this past year...(including High Tension, The Devil's Rejects, Saw 2 and the just-released Hostel which I've yet to see)
 
All of these films are not for everybody and are surely not perfect...
but if you're in the mood for sheer, intense terror and disturbing graphic situations, they get the job done!
 
MP
 

ENDOCHINE
 
I can't get enough of the 2004 CD "Day Two" from this great band from Texas...(thanks to our guitar tech Jay Baskin for turning me onto them!)
Every song on this album is so catchy and filled with great hooks.
They are kind of a cross between Muse, The Greys and Bends-era Radiohead.
 
MP
 

WOODY ALLEN
 
Hallelujah! He's back!!!! 
 
Woody is one of my ALL-TIME film heroes (in my top 5!)
There was a time through the 60's, 70's and 80's (and the beginning of the 90's), were he could do no wrong in my book....
I loved EVERY SINGLE one of his films...in my opinion, his body of work was flawless and possibly the greatest in film history.
 
But then something went wrong....
and I haven't liked a single film of his in many, many years...
His formula became stale, predictable, not even remotely funny, original or interesting... 
How could the man who could do no wrong in my book, possibly do no right?
Could it be our love affair was over?
 
Then, along came "Match Point"!
This is hands-down, his best movie in over 20 years!
Woody has left New York, moved production to London and has RE-INVENTED himself!
This film is so un-Woody, I would've never in a million years have guessed he wrote and directed it.
It is more Kubrick meets Hitchcock (2 of my other top 5!)
 
Welcome back Woody, I missed you dearly...
 
Love, MP
 

THE BEST OF YOUTH
 
Wow!
I just spent the last few days watching this epic Italian masterpiece.
It is 6 hours long... but it is an incredibly rewarding experience if you're willing to put the time in.
 
Director Marco Tullio Giordana has made an epic film that can stand up next to such directors as Francis Ford Coppola & Martin Scorsese's best work.
It is essentially the story of two brothers over the course of almost 40 years (from 1966 to 2003) and how their lives go in different directions and effect each other and the family and friends around them.
 
It is as great, epic and emotional as watching the first two Godfather films back to back. 
This is the type of film that doesn't come along very often... 
 
MP

THE SOPRANOS
Hoooooraaaaayyyy!!! My favorite show of all time is finally back!
 
I spent the last week re-watching all of Season 5 (which was much greater than I remembered...episode 511: The Test Dream - might be one of my favorite Sopranos episodes of all time)
 
And last night's season premiere did NOT disappoint at all!!
 
1 down, 19 to go....
 
MP
 

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
 
Great quirky, small film (similar in vein to last year's Junebug or You & Me & Everyone We Know)
 
Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney are great...but the two kids steal the film.
(the youngest of whom is Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline's son)
 
Pink Floyd, Blue Velvet, Schoolhouse Rock and smeared semen....
What more could you ask for from a movie?
 
MP

THE SHIELD

 

A great season finale to a great season! (poor Lem...)

 

I had almost given up on the show after last season (as I have with 24 - sorry, 24 fans), but the addition of Forest Whitaker's character kicked a whole new life into the show and this season came back with a vengeance!

 

MP

CHAN-WOOK PARK
 
Finally got to watch "Sympathy For Lady Vengeance" (his latest which is about to come out in theaters in the US but is already available on imported DVD from Asia) 
 
This is the third and final part in his Revenge Trilogy ("Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance" and "Old Boy" being the first two)
 
Man, I said it before and I'll say it again: This guy has got IT ALL!!!
He is a perfect cross between Tarantino, Kubrick, PT Anderson, Lynch, the Coen Brothers and Miike....(all my favorites!!)
 
This latest film shows that he's not only about blood & guts and an incredible visual style , but also has alot of heart and soul in his storytelling with this film that is incredibly touching at times.
(in between the torture scenes of course!)
 
He's hands down one of my favorite filmmakers out there right now...
 
MP

LOST
 
Just watched last night's season finale....
WOW!!!
This has got to be the coolest, deepest, most nugget-infested show in TV history....
Hats off to these writers for creating such an incredibly cool labyrinth for us fans to crawl though each week....
 
4 8 15 16 23 42
 
MP
 
PS - whatever happened to the Darren Aronofsky-directed episode that was announced earlier in the year? 

DWEEZIL ZAPPA

Saw the Zappa Plays Zappa show last night at the Tower Theater in Philly.
MAJOR props to Dweezil for putting this tour together and carrying the torch for a whole new generation!
I've been waiting 18 years to see a "Zappa show" again and this did not disappoint!!

He's taken the extremely high standard that his father (aka: my God) set and has risen to the occasion with an amazing band of incredible young musicians and special Zappa alumni guests (Napoleon Murphy Brock, Steve Vai and Terry Bozzio)

The setlist was PERFECT!
It was pretty much my dream setlist (Inca Roads, Montana, St.Alphonzo's, Achindna's Arf, Zomby Woof, Florentine Pogen, Peaches, The Black Page)
There's no need for me to ever do a Zappa tribute anymore, because this would've been my exact setlist!

Really, this was EXACTLY what seeing a Frank Zappa show was like...
If any of you never saw the master live back in the 70's/80's, get your butt out to one of these shows to see how it's done!

AMAZING!

MP
 

MASTODON

Went and caught the "Unholy Alliance" tour kickoff last night which is DREAM line-up with 3 of my favorite metal bands on one stage (Slayer, Lamb Of God and Mastodon)

Spent most of the night hanging out with Mastodon drummer extraordinaire Brann Dailor who so kindly burned me a copy of their upcoming CD and it is totally SICK!!

Kind of a cross between King Crimson, Tool, The Mars Volta, Slayer, Watchtower and Voi Vod - but at the same time, totally original sounding and like nothing else out there.

And Brann's drumming (as always) is off the hook - imagine what Keith Moon would've sounded like if he played in a hardcore band! 

Be on the lookout in the coming months when this is released....

MP

ROCK STAR: SUPERNOVA
 
OK...I hate to admit it, but I am a sucker for some good (and even some not-so good) reality TV...
 
I also have to admit I have NEVER seen a single episode of American Idol in my life (really...I swear!) so I figured with all the hoopla over these type of shows (and a cool band line-up on this one), the new season of Rock Star could be interesting to check out so I tuned into the first two episodes and I am now hooked!!
 
Some of these singers are real talented and it will be interesting to see who makes the cut...
Plus the house band (and especially the drummer) KICK ASS!
 
 
MP
 
 
 

SYD BARRETT
 
Just returned home from a 3 day camping trip with my son to learn the news that Syd died a few days ago...
Wow...
 
I guess it's not a total shock as so many people thought he's been dead for a very long time now and are often shocked to hear that he has indeed been alive all these years.
 
I guess it's mostly sad as I still held some hope that one day he would resurface to the public as his history is such an enigmatic and fascinating one that it would've been great to see and hear from him again.
Of course, now he will forever remain a mystery to us fans...
 
The ironic timing with this is that I am currently working on something (NOT at all a musical project) that incorporates my 5 favorite bands/artists of all time:
The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Who and Frank Zappa.
And only just a few days ago I was thinking how of my "Big 5", 4 out of 5 have members that are now gone...and Pink Floyd was the only exception.
Weird timing...
 
Shine On You Crazy Diamond,
MP

KEVIN SMITH
 
Clerks 2 is Kevin Smith's best film since....well, Clerks!
 
This sequel was everything I was hoping it would be!
 
Everybody always thinks of and associates Jay And Silent Bob as THE duo from Kevin Smith's ViewAskewniverse, but really it is Dante and Randal who are the true dynamic duo of his films.
 
Nobody can deliver Kevin's dialogue as sharply as Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson...(well, Jason Lee does a damn great job too)
 
Here's hoping to a Clerks 3 in another 10 years!
 
MP 
 
PS - With all the great marketing Kevin Smith does, why on earth hasn't he created a salad dressing yet called "Snoochie Blue Cheese"?

THE CRUMBSUCKERS
 
Last night's 20th Anniversary/reunion show at BB King's was a total TRIP down memory lane for me....
 
I was totally into the whole NYHC scene back in the day...
(Crumbsuckers, Ludichrist, Cro Mags, Agnostic Front, Leeway, Nuclear Assault, etc.) 
But The Crumbsuckers were always ahead of the NYHC pack as they all could really play well...incorporating odd times, alot of temp changes, guitar solos, etc.
 
These guys are old buddies of mine (Chuck Lenihan in particular was one of my best friends in the late 80's/early 90's) and my friendship with these guys was responsible for landing DT its first record deal with Mechanic in 1988.
 
Seeing them all together again on stage again and all of the fans and friends from the old scene was like a big class reunion!
 
Thanks to Chuck, Gary, Slate and Chris for bringing everybody back together again for a great night!
(and Alex from England for initiating the whole party!)
 
MP 

MUSE
 
Saw them at the Electric Factory in Philly on Friday night....
 
Man....are these guys the greatest band in the world at the moment???
I think quite possibly so...
They have all the makings to be so massive and it looks like America is finally beginning to catch onto them...
 
They mix the majesty of Queen with the reckless energy of Nirvana and the soul and emotion of U2....
 
I have to say hands down, they are my favorite band to emerge in the past decade...
 
Oh....and they are incredibly cool guys....hanging with me for hours! 
(thanks for the hospitality guys!)
 
MP
 

MP & Dominic Howard - the phattest groove to come out of England since John Bonham!
 

MP & musical genius Matthew Bellamy - Freddie Mercury meets Kurt Cobain meets Thom Yorke...and a hell of a nice and humble guy.... 

HARD CANDY
 
Just watched this great psychological revenge thriller which is kind of like Fatal Attraction being directed by Takashi Miike or Chan Wook Park...
(with a torture scene reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs and Audition that had me literally holding on for dear life!!!)
 
MP

ROGER WATERS
 
Went to see him last night at Madison Square Garden and as always, he put on the ultimate Pink Floyd show....(I've always known "Which one's Pink"....there's never been a question who my allegiance is with in the Waters/Gilmour debate)
 
Plus as an awesome bonus, Nick Mason joined him for the 2nd set and encore!
Getting to see Gilmour with Wright in April and now Waters with Mason, fans are at least getting to see PF reunited over 2 different shows!
 
BTW - I had the privilege of meeting Nick and Roger earlier in the day and watching soundcheck from Nick's kit on the stage! 
But that (and some other very cool news) is another story for another time (coming soon!)
 
MP 
 
 
 

13 TZAMETI
 
Just saw this gripping low-budget French film about a young man who mistakingly gets involved in an underground game of russian roulette...
 
Pretty dark and disturbing stuff...
David Fincher could do a killer remake of this baby!
 
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GIGANTOUR 2
 
I had a great time at Saturday's Gigantour show at the PNC in NJ...
 
I think they have a great line-up this year and I'm glad to see Dave carrying it on beyond our maiden voyage together last year.
 
For starters, I jumped up and played Elimination with my boys in Overkill which is always fun....
(I really do need to do a HEAVY side-project one of these days...it's so in my blood!)
 
Spent some time hanging out with my friends Mikael & Peter in Opeth...
Man, I love these guys!!!
They are the KINGS of what they do...such incredible dynamics...
And yes, me and Mike continued to talk about needing to do our much-talked about project together...
At this point, it not a matter of "if" - it's just a matter of "when"....
 

 
Also spent some time hangin with Chris Adler and the Lamb Of God boys...
They are another one of my favorite bands out there at the moment.
I've loved their last few albums, but the new one just KILLS!!!!
Perhaps the most brutal, consistantly strong album of it's kind since Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power...?
And surely one of my favorites of the year...
I sat behind Chris at his kit for a few songs and he is so incredibly tight...I love the way he plays.
 

 
And of course, Dave Mustaine and Megadeth were great and totally hospitable to me....
 
Congrats to all on another year of Gigantour!
 
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A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS
 
I've seen the ads for this film describe it as a cross between "Mean Streets", "Saturday Night Fever", "The Basketball Diaries" and "Kids"....and I can't think of a better description! That really nails it...
 
I really loved the raw edge of this film...great performances, great camerawork, great soundtrack.
 
Possibly my favorite film of the year so far!
 
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THE FLAMING LIPS
 
Just watched the documentary "The Fearless Freaks" which documents 20 years of the band.
 
Interesting to see their development from a garage punk band to a psychedelic pop band to alternative sonic masterminds.
 
Their style is surely not for everybody on this board (especially if you are a prog or metal purist) as they can often sound like Syd Barrett meets Neil Young, but their last few albums are indeed sonic masterpieces (kind of modern day "Pet Sounds")...
 
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DEXTER
 
So far, I'm digging this new Showtime series.
Of course I love seeing the great Michael C Hall back in action (from one of my all-time favorites Six Feet Under)
 
This show has potential to be a true classic if it keeps up the standard layed down in these first few episodes.
 
It's a pretty dark show with shades of "Nip/Tuck", "The Shield" and "Six Feet Under" mixed together with "Seven"...
 
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EXTRAS
 
Although HBO in America hasn't begun airing Season 2 yet, the BBC in England has already broadcast all 6 episodes (and those of you who are net-smart should know where to find em!)
 
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have created another masterful show...
(think less "Office" and more "Curb Your Enthusiam")
 
With hilarious cameos ranging from Chris Martin to Robert DeNiro to David Bowie, this new season was even better than the first.
 
Shame if the rumours are true that Gervais and Merchant are gonna to do as they did with The Office and end it after two 6-episode seasons...   
 
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LITTLE CHILDREN
 
Todd Field's follow-up to "In The Bedroom" is a great film in the vien of "American Beauty" with great performances from Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley who's been MIA for 25 years!
 
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BORAT
 
Absolutely hilarious!
I've been a fan of Ali G for years now (even before debuting on HBO a few years ago, every tour bus in Europe always stocks the original UK shows and DVD's)
 
Sacha Baron Cohen is the Andy Kaufman of our generation....
 
I can't wait for a Bruno movie!
 
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INLAND EMPIRE
 
I just got back from a private screening of the new David Lynch film that I was privedged to have been invited to....and I am still numb! 
 
His latest masterpiece is dark, strange, twisted, disturbing, cryptic, bizarre, beautiful, challenging, frightening and intense....
....and I have no idea what it's about!!
 
I can't wait for the online fanatics to analyze this and help make heads and tails out of it (which really helped me with Mulholland Dr)
But this is as "out there" as Eraserhead!
 
Lynch's first film shot on digital video is a strange visual adjustment at first (I'm so used to his incredibly clean and darkly lit imagery), but after a while the dream-like quality of the story becomes actually enhanced by this "new look" of his...
 
And BTW, Laura Dern delivers the tour-de-force performance of her career...
 
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ROBERT ALTMAN
 
It's a sad sad day today with the news of one of my favorite director's passing away...
 
His always incredible ensemble casts, improvised dialogue (often simultaniously overlapping!) and multi-layed character studies were incredibly unique and his groundbreaking style paved the way for so many of today's great fillmakers (most notably PT Anderson).
 
Films like Magnolia and Crash would not exist if it weren't for films like Nashville, The Player and Short Cuts.
 
RIP
 
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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
 
Christopher Guest scores again with another hilarious film.
(Although for the first time, he's abandoned the traditional "mockumentary" format)
 
His usual cast of greats are all still in tow (Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer, Fred Willard, Parker Posey, Michael McKean, etc.) and are even joined this time by Ricky Gervais.
 
These guys can do no wrong with these films!
 
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THE BEATLES - LOVE

 

Or more specifically, I should say the true heroes are Sir George and Giles Martin.

They have created a masterpiece (with a little help from their friends!) that quite possibly represents the most amazing sonic Beatles experience currently in existence!

 

For starters, the Beatles music has never sounded this crisp and ALIVE.

(further proof their catalog is in long need of a remastering update since their initial CD releases 20 years ago...)

 

But on a creative level, the Martins have created an album that might be the quintessential desert-island Beatles experience. Everything is PERFECT...from the song selection, to the segues to the sequencing...it plays like a great film or a piece of theater (which I suppose makes sense being that was the purpose of this project to begin with...)

 

The opening of the album (from the accapella "Because" into the crescendo montage leading to "Get Back") sent chills down my spine and brought a tear to my eye...and it never let up for the next 75 minutes!

 

From the marriages of pieces like Drive My Car/The Word/Taxman/What Your Doing to Tomorrow Never Know/Within Without You to the version of Strawberry Fields which shows its development from demo to final version and adds Penny Lane, Hello Goodbye and Piggies on the fade....this is pure genius!!!

 

And the newly added strings to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" have finally given George his very own "Yesterday"

 

Can you tell I like this CD???

I think I'm ready for a Yellow Matter Custard reunion!!!

 

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COLOUR ME KUBRICK
 
Strange little film with a great performance by John Malkovich as an insane man who impersonated Stanley Kubrick through the last 10 years of his life....(this is a true story)
 
I found this film intriguing on many levels:
--- The Kubrick film references and nods throughout the film were very clever
--- I happen to personally know somebody that was conned by this very guy in the late 80's
--- It was eerily similar (and disturbing) for me given the situation I went though back in 2003 (and am still dealing with...)
 
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THE DEPARTED
 
Finally got around to seeing this as I've been waiting to for some time now....
From the opening scene staged to "Gimme Shelter", it was obvious this was going to be classic Scorsese.
And indeed, it is his best film since Good Fellas 16 years ago.
The performances from Nicholson, DiCaprio, Damon, Wahlberg and Winstone were all absolutely top notch and the story line is incredibly dense and complex with many twists and turns.
Could this finally be Scorsese's year at the Oscars?
 
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DEAD MAN'S SHOES

 

This compelling low budget British revenge film (kind of "Straw Dogs" meets "Kill Bill") about a war veteran who returns home to avenge his handicapped brother's torturers is dark and disturbing, yet somehow very touching at the same time.

 

Thanks to Philip Hopkinson for turning me onto this sleeper!

 

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OK Kids...it's that time again for my year end round-up!

Top 10 Albums of 2006 (in no particular order):

1. The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics
2. Lamb Of God - Sacrament
3. Muse - Black Holes And Revelations
4. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
5. The Beatles - Love
6. Stone Sour - Come What(ever) May
7. Slayer - Christ Illusion
8. Beck - The Information
9. The Panic Channel - (ONe)
10. Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist

and of course:

--- Dream Theater - Score
--- OSI - Free
--- Morse, Portnoy & George - Cover To Cover


Top 10 Films of 2006 (in no particular order):

1. Children Of Men
2. Inland Empire
3. The Departed
4. A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints
5. Sympathy For Lady Vengeance
6. Little Children
7. Borat
8. The Fountain
9. The Prestige
10. For Your Consideration

(Positions 9 & 10 can possibly change pending a few remaining 2006 films still waiting to be seen....)

Happy New Year everyone and all the best in 2007!

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CHILDREN OF MEN
 

WOW!

Not only is this getting added to my top 10 list of 2006, it is going straight to the TOP of it!!

This is, hands down, the best film I saw all year...

 

Alfonso Cuaron has created an absolute masterpiece that still has me completely numb.

And I'm sure this film is still going to stay with me for a long time to come....

His not-so-distant future apocalyptic world of 2027 is dark, dreary, depressing and absolutely horrific. (even made all the more realistic by setting so much of it in daylight - unlike so many other films of this kind...)

 

There are at least 4 or 5 sequences in this film that are eye-popping, jaw-dropping visual and emotional tour-de-forces that are absolutely virtuostic filmmaking and classic film moments.

(up there with some of the most classic sequences from films like Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Good Fellas and A Clockwork Orange)

 

Also, any film with nods to King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Radiohead and John Lennon is pretty cool in my book!

 

This is as good as it gets...

 

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CARTOON NETWORK'S ADULT SWIM
 
With most of my favorite "normal" shows in between seasons or on temporary winter hiatis (Lost, The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, Heroes), I'm finding myself constantly watching the great, bizarre and twisted shows on Adult Swim.
 
First and foremost is the BRILLIANT Family Guy which has now taken its place as my all-time favorite animated series (topping previous favorites the Simpsons and South Park - neither or which I have consistantly watched in years now...)
 
I have also been getting into the absolutely out-there Aqua Teen Hunger Force which makes me wish I still smoked pot! (I guess this is the next closest sensation!)
 
Also, equally amusing is Metalocalypse - which is kind of a Death Metal version of Spinal Tap.
(I know they are indeed Scandanavian, but they really do look like the guys from Meshuggah, Opeth and Pain Of Salvation!)
 
Finally, there is also the hilarious Robot Chicken (think SNL meets Reality TV meets the WWE) and Moral Orel (Davey and Golieth meets South Park)
 
This is the new generation of animation, claymation, comedy and parody....
And we are all going to hell!!!  
 
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24
 
OK...Here's the deal:
I followed the show religiously for the first 4 seasons (and LOVED it), but by the end of the 4th season I was starting to become a little annoyed by some of the far fetched premises.
("why doesn't anybody ever have to pee or eat?", "how can a president be assassinated at 7am and then by lunchtime life is back to normal?")
 
I gave the Season 5 premiere a chance but then decided to let the show go (hey, that's 24 hours of my life back!) thinking the show was on an X-Files decline...
 
Then the 5th season got rave reviews by both fans and critics, so when it was recently released on DVD, I decided to give it another chance...
I am currently half way through Season 5 and WOW!!
Every episode is on the edge suspense and excitement!!
 
Granted, the only way to really enjoy this show is to suspend your disbelief and just go along for the ride...(ignore the above questions when they arise in your head)

So now I am racing the clock to finish Season 5 on DVD and catch back up with the rest of you to join in the fun for Season 6 (which just began this week with a 2-day, 4-hour Season Premiere of which I know nothing about it...so I'm desperately dodging posts and headlines!)
 
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ALPHA DOG
 
Never in a million years would I have ever thought I'd be putting a Justin Timberlake film as a HOTD entry...but this new film kicks ass!
 
Picture a Larry Clark film (Bully, Kids) being told with the flash of PT Anderson or Martin Scorsese.
 
And Six Feet Under's Ben Foster gives one of the most over the top portrayals of a wreckless teen since Crispen Glover in River's Edge 20 years ago!
 
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THE PRESTIGE
 
Finally got around to catching this serious mind-bending film by Christopher Nolan.
 
I cannot wait to see it again to piece together one of the best ending twists since The Usual Suspects or Nolan's own masterpiece Memento....
 
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MARTIN SCORSESE
It's about time!!!!
 
Realistically, his big win tonight was not for the right film (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Good Fellas are in a whole other league from The Departed...), but his win was a lonnnng time coming and very sweet nonetheless!
 
The icing on the cake was it being presented to him by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola....that in itself put a major smile on my face!
 
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FAST FOOD NATION
 
Just watched this great character piece by one of my favorites, Richard Linklater.
 
This was really a great film with great dialogue (like all Linklater films) and great performances by a great ensemble cast. Very much in the vein of Crash, Traffic and Babel (of which I thought this was the superior 2007 film of its type...)
 
Warning: there is one scene towards the end that is excruciating to watch if you are an animal lover...(I had to watch it through my fingers)
 
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THE DEAD GIRL
 
Emotional ensemble film (also very much in the vein of the above mentioned Fast Food Nation, Babel, 11:14, Go, etc. and throw in a big pinch of Twin Peaks as well) about a murdered young girl and the effect on many different people her life and death come in contact with.
 
Amazing performances all around and great writing by director Karen Moncrieff.
A great, overlooked film from last year...
 
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An overdue HOTD TV update:
with Season Finales coinciding with the release of the new DT CD and kicking off our World Tour, I am behind on my HOTD entries…but I have indeed been watching!
 
THE SOPRANOS
Possibly the greatest TV show ever (it’s surely up there in my book) came to a close with a few final episodes in which we lost some major players (RIP Christopher, Bobby, Phil and possibly Sil). Unlike most of America, I was not AT ALL disappointed with the open ended final episode. In fact, anything otherwise would’ve been too easy and too expected.
I think David Chase rounded out the final episode with class and showed that life doesn’t always have closure.
 
LOST
This season went out with a bang and opened up a whole new world of future season possibilies with flash forwards and the idea of a post-island story taking place….
….and RIP Charlie!
 
HEROES
The best new show of last season came to an exciting finale. I hope they keep up for Season 2….
 
THE SHIELD
Another great season with great performances all around. The brewing battle between Vic and Shane is getting very intense and I cant wait for next season….
 
ENTOURAGE
After a VERY disappointing second half to Season 3, the premiere to Season 4 was a breath of frest air – showing the entire making of Medellin in a 30 minute documentary style format. The character of Billy Walsh is a great one and I hope he sticks around for this season. (BTW, HBO sets a bizarre new between-season record…instead of the frustrating year to year a half wait between seasons – Entourage had a whopping 2 week interval between seasons!)
 
THE FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS
I’ve been checking these guys out for a while now on You Tube in preparations for this new HBO series and they are hilarious. They are an obvious comparison to Tenacious D (even the fan character Mel is their equivalent to the D’s Lee), but with the D no longer doing their HBO skits, I’ll gladly take this New Zealand substitute. And mark my words, Jemaine is another Jack Black or Sasha Baron Cohen waiting to take Hollywood by storm in the coming years.
 

ON THE LOT
The Contender meets Rock Star Supernova. Yes, I’m a sucker for this reality competition stuff! I am enjoying watching these incredibly talented filmmakers’ work, but I find myself screaming at the screen over Carrie Fisher and Garry Marshall’s ridiculous, overly PC, and totally overly critical reviews of these filmmaker’s work. Anything that is daring and out of the box gets immediately shot down and unfairly sways the audience voting…
But I am enjoying watching these young talents at work…
 
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THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW
 
Having only casually watched it in the 90's, I'm totally enjoying the new 4-disc box set that was recently released...
Shame they aren't releasing them season by season, but this compilation is surely done right with amazing behind the scenes stuff and great personal interviews all throughout....
 
Hey Now!
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UNEXPECT
 

WOW.....I am speechless!!!
(well almost...)
 
I just got turned onto this INSANE band from Canada and their last CD "In A Flesh Aquarium".
They are pretty indescribable...
Kind of in the vein of Mr. Bungle, Spastic Ink, Estradasphere, Dillinger Escape Plan, Fantomas and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (another new favorite band of mine BTW - thanks Stephane!)....
 
Absolutely some of the most OUT THERE, progressive, technical, avant garde music I've ever heard!
 
My brain hurts!
 
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BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME
 
Their new CD "Colors" is absolutely incredible!
Kind of a cross between Opeth, Dillinger Escape Plan and Dream Theater!
 
I guess between this album and my previous post about Unexpect, there is a whole new wave of progressive, extreme music happening....and this album is surely a masterpiece of its genre! 
 
There is so much going on in this album, it's gonna take me a few more dozen spins to even start to grasp everything.
 
This is definitely a candidate for my album of the year!
 
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RESCUE ME
 
Well, I spent the last 2 DT legs playing catch-up and watching all 4 seasons of this brilliant show.
What a great cast, great writing, great direction....
 
This is now surely up there with some of my favorite shows of all time...
 
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ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
 
I absolutely LOVED this great new musical based on The Beatles music.
 
I went in really sceptical (yes I remember "Sgt Pepper" in '78), but I was pleasantly surprised to see how well done it all was.
Kind of a mix between "Moulin Rogue" and "Hair".....
 
The film was perfectly written to the Beatles songs, almost as if the songs were written JUST for the movie! (some songs that I've heard tens of thousands of times, will now have a whole new meaning for me...)
 
And the entire film PERFECTLY spanned the the Beatles' timetable (starting with the Cavern Club and ending with the rooftop concert.)
 
Well done!
I heavily recommend it to all Beatles fans....
 
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