Change Page:
< 12345678 > | Showing page 7 of 8, messages 235 to 273 of 286
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, October 28, 2007 5:25 PM
( permalink)
BROTHERHOOD
I'm finally catching up with Showtime's excellent answer to HBO's "The Wire" and "The Sopranos".
And this show is just as well written, acted and directed as they are.....
Between this, Dexter and Weeds - Showtime is definitely giving HBO a run for their money...
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Thursday, November 08, 2007 8:18 PM
( permalink)
RICH WILSON I have spent my entire day off here in Newport Wales today reading the upcoming DT Biography "Lifting Shadows" which arrived here at our hotel today hot off the presses.... And once again (having proof-read the chapters for "historical accuracy" quite sometime ago), I am blown away by the detail that went into this book. As my Foreword in the book already states, Rich Wilson did an AMAZING job chronicling our career and interviewing so many people from throughout our history to make this book an absolutely amazing read. And the Special Edition "Images" book and companion CD are also an incredible bonus to the whole experience. I cant wait for the fans to read it!!!  MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, November 25, 2007 12:43 AM
( permalink)
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Finally! The Coen Brothers have returned to form!
Their great new film had me on the edge of my seat and was absolutely beautiful to watch (and listen to!)
The performances were all top notch with Javier Bardem delivering one of the most ruthless villians in recent years.
Surely my favorite Coen Bros film since Fargo and possibly my favorite film of the year.
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Tuesday, December 04, 2007 12:44 AM
( permalink)
MASHUP MANIA!
One of the main reasons I was a big rap music fan in the late 80's/early 90's is that I loved the use of rock samples in the context of hip hop music.
I found it so cool to hear the Beastie Boys sampling Led Zeppelin and The Beatles, Public Enemy sampling Slayer, De La Soul sampling School House Rock or 3rd Bass sampling Blood, Sweat and Tears.
But then the labels, lawyers (and yes, even the artists) ruined all that fun with new sampling laws and drum loops with gangster rapping on top became all the rage and my interest in rap kinda went away....
But now the internet and downloading has spawned a whole new generation of sampling that somehow side-steps the legal system (at least on the surface) and I'm having fun all over again! 
I am totally digging the work of such talented artists/DJ's/producers such as CCC with his full-on Beatles mashups (Cracked Pepper and Revolved are sonic masterpieces), DJ BC who created The Beastles (a mashup of The Beatles and The Beastie Boys) and possibly the grand daddy of them all, Mark Vidler and Go Home Productions (utilizing everything from Radiohead to Rush to The Doors to the theme from I Dream Of Jeannie)
How did it take this long for somebody to realize and point out the sad reality that Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall Pt.2 is merely The Bee Gee's Staying Alive dressed up with a guitar solo??
(sorry...I never realized it but they are closer than you think!!) 
MP
PS - thanks to Philip Hopkinson for settin me up with enough mashups to keep me entertained for the next year!
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Thursday, December 20, 2007 7:36 PM
( permalink)
LED ZEPPELIN Like all my top bands/artists of all time (the big 5 for me are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who and Frank Zappa), every few years a new binge comes around that lasts for a few months. And this has obviously been a BIG month for us Zep fanatics... For starters, I just listened to a boot of the entire London reunion show from last week....WOW! I sooooo regret not taking the trip over to have witnessed this monumental event in person. But even not having been there, I was getting the chills listening to the show. Even after the Live Aid, Atlantic Records and Hall of Fame reunions - there still was never a real, rehearsed FULL set. THIS was indeed the REAL reunion show we'd all been waiting for!!! The Zeppelin spirit was alive and well and it sounded as if this could've been a 1980 show without missing a single step. I have to give major props to Jason for doing an amazing job. You can tell he knows every one of his dad's nuances and totally respected his dad's memory and captured them all...while still throwing in his own style and spirit. There is NOBODY else that should have've been playing drums in this band and I'm glad it was him. Now we all have to sit, cross our fingers and wait and hope for a real tour......  The other big event is the reissue of The Song Remains The Same. The complete show now restored and completely re-mixed by our very own Kevin Shirley and sounding bigger and better than ever. History has givin this film and this album a bad rap for whatever reason, but I've always considered it Zeppelin at their finest (even replicating this exact version of Dazed & Confused with my Hammer Of The Gods tribute) and the new version now raises the bar to a whole new level. It's been an amazing year for reunions: Van Halen, The Police, Genesis....but really, there was never and will never be another band on the level of the mighty Led Zeppelin. All hail the kings! I'm now thinking a Hammer Of The Gods 2 may have to happen at some point down the road....  MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Friday, December 21, 2007 1:59 PM
( permalink)
EXTRAS
I LOVED the Extras series finale!
Gervais and Merchant are geniuses!
Woody Allen meets Christopher Guest genius...
I can't wait to see what they do next.
How awesome would an appearance by them on the US Office be???
Or better yet, the office of Wernham Hogg meet up with the office of Dunder Miflen?
That would be CLASSIC!!!!
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, December 23, 2007 2:41 AM
( permalink)
EASTERN PROMISES
David Cronenberg has finally made his masterpiece.
This was a great film with great performances all around and a fight scene that should go down in film history as an absolute classic. (it was as masterfully staged as any of the murder sequences in either of the first 2 Godfathers!)
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Monday, December 24, 2007 2:09 AM
( permalink)
MP's Fav Albums of 2007 (in no particular order) 1. Between The Buried And Me - Colors 2. Machine Head - The Blackening 3. Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet 4. Beardfish - Sleeping In Traffic: Part One 5. The Dear Hunter - Act II: The Meaning Of And All Things Regarding Ms. Leading 6. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - In Glorious Times 7. Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works 8. Blotted Science - The Machinations Of Dementia 9. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace 10. Oceansize - Frames I thought 2007 was really a particularly great year for music, so my year-end list would be incomplete without acknowledging a few other excellent honorable mentions as well:
11. Symphony X - Paradise Lost 12. Pain Of Salvation - Scarsick 13. Riverside - Rapid Eye Movement 14. 3 - The End Is Begun 15. Down - Over The Under 16. Baroness - The Red Album 17. Overkill - Immortalis 18. Megadeth - United Abominations 19. Rush - Snakes And Arrows 20. Thought Chamber - Angular Perceptions And finally, two amazing late discoveries from 2006: --- Unexpect - In A Flesh Aquarium --- And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - So Divided And of course: --- Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos --- Neal Morse - Sola Scriptura ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MP's Fav Films of 2007 (in no particular order)
1. No Country For Old Men
2. There Will Be Blood
3. Taxidermia
4. The Lives Of Others
5. Once
6. American Gangster
7. I'm Not There
8. Across The Universe
9. Juno
10. Eastern Promises
These last spots can still change because of the many end of year films of 2007 that I am still waiting to catch......(most notable still on my must-see lists: Southland Tales, The Diving Bell And The Butterfly and Margot At The Wedding)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MP's Fav TV of 2007
(in no particular order)
1. Lost
2 The Sopranos
3. Brotherhood
4. Rescue Me
5. Tell Me You Love Me
6. Dexter
7. The Shield
8. Heroes
9. The Office
10. Curb Your Enthusiasm
11. Extras
12. The Flight Of The Conchords
<message edited by Portnoy on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 12:35 AM>
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Thursday, January 03, 2008 11:31 PM
( permalink)
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
PT has finally unleashed his latest masterpiece "There Will Be Blood".
This is classic old-school filmmaking whose after-effects are still resonating with me days after leaving the theater.
If Boogie Nights was his Scorsese film and Magnolia was his Altman film, There Will Be Blood is absolutely his Kubrick film. (Not Clockwork/Shining Kubrick.....more like Barry Lyndon meets Dawn of Man 2001 Kubrick)
Like Barry Lyndon, the film is deliberately slow and moody (and NOT immediate and fast paced like most previous PT films) and it has a depth that takes some time to fully appreciate and soak in.
Like most other huge, epic (but slow) films, I don't know how soon I will rewatch this film, but whenever I do I know it will reward me with its riches.
I've always had this internal debate in my head on who is my favorite modern American filmmaker between Anderson and Tarantino....its always been impossible for me to pick....Boogie Nights and Magnolia vs. Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction....But I think by making a film like this, Anderson has put himself in a catagory leaps and bounds above the rest....
It should also be mentioned Daniel Day Lewis certanly deserves another Oscar for this tour-de-force performance.
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, January 20, 2008 11:19 AM
( permalink)
CLOVERFIELD We had a day off here in Bangkok today and low and behold, Cloverfield opened up this weekend over here as well!!  woohoo! Well just got back to the hotel from seeing it and I am BLOWN AWAY! First of all I must say... Unlike many people, I LOVED "The Blair Witch Project"... and unlike many people, I also loved "War Of The Worlds". Well this film took the best of both of those films and combined them into an even greater film. (and throw in some "Lost" and "Children Of Men" for good measure as well...) This is the sort of film that will probably lose some of its impact once the plot is known and once the hype gets out....but to see this as a completely FRESH experience with no expectations or knowledge of the content (as I did with Blair Witch as well), it was one of the most INTENSE viewing experiences I've had in quite some time! MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Monday, January 21, 2008 10:43 AM
( permalink)
JUNO
I know I'm a little late to the party with this one, but I finally got around to seeing Juno.
I was kind of expected something like Little Miss Sunshine meets Knocked Up meets Napoleon Dynamite (all of which are films I liked BTW), but I was so pleasantly surprised that this was so much more than just another light-hearted teen movie.
Although in some ways this film can still indeed be put into similar catagories as those films, there were two factors that rose it up to another level:
The screenwriting was awesome....very Kevin Smith (without the obsenity) at times...
And the real Hero of the Day here is Ellen Page whose performance as the title character should deservingly catapult her career. She reminds me of a cross between Sarah Silverman and Natalie Portman...what a career making role this was.
After having recently just watched the absolutely INTENSE and dark Romanian film about abortion "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" (which was also brilliant in its own way), Juno was a refreshing look at the other side of pregnacy!
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, January 27, 2008 11:22 AM
( permalink)
CHOPPER
In keeping with the Australian spirit of DT's first tour Down Under, I finally watched this DVD that I've read about for many years now and has been sitting in my collection waiting to be watched...
I'm sorry I waited this long as I've been missing a real Indie classic all this time!
Think a cross between "Man Bites Dog", "Natural Born Killers" and "Sexy Beast".
Eric Bana's performance is absolutely brilliant and this being the debut of Director Andrew Dominik now has me really excited to see his follow-up from this past yeat ("The Assassination of Jessie James.....")
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Wednesday, February 06, 2008 10:17 AM
( permalink)
PROTEST THE HERO Between The Buried And Me's latest CD was my album of the year in 2007 and it landed them a spot from me on our Progressive Nation '08 tour.... Well if you loved that album as much as I did, and you need a new fix of some avant garde, over the top, progessive, metalcore - look no further than Protest The Hero's new CD "Fortress"... Wow...this is some amazing stuff!! Totally amazing playing by the band and while it has the usual metalcore screaming, the vocals are also very melodic as well...(wow, what a concept!) Fans of BTBAM, Dillinger Escape Plan, Watchtower/Spastic Ink/Blotted Science (and some DT thrown in for good measure) - RUN to get this album immediately!!! You're in for a TREAT!!! Only a month into the new year and this one's a shoe-in for one of my top CD's of 2008!
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 1:20 PM
( permalink)
JENS HANNEMANN Pick up his "Complicated Drumming Technique" DVD....you wont be sorry! He is my new drum hero! 'nuff said.... MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Tuesday, March 04, 2008 12:32 AM
( permalink)
ONCE
I finally got around to seeing this absolute JEM of a movie!
What an absolutely great film....
Kinda like Extras, Lost in Translation, Before Sunrise/Sunset and Juno all rolled up into one!
Surely one of the best films of last year and one that will probably become an all-time favorite as time goes on....
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Thursday, April 10, 2008 12:39 AM
( permalink)
NEVER BEEN THAWED
This mockumentary is an absolute classic!
It's Spinal Tap & the Christopher Guest films meets Clerks, Slacker & Trailer Park Boys...
A must-see if you're a fan of this type of stuff...
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, April 20, 2008 5:32 AM
( permalink)
INTO THE WILD
An absolutely inspiring road film with a 1,2,3 punch of a powerhouse performance by Emile Hirsch (in a career-making role), beautiful direction by Sean Penn and a haunting score by Eddie Vedder.
(not to mention ahandful of great supporting performances as well...)
This was The Straight Story meets Jesus' Son meets Easy Rider meets Neil Peart's Ghost Rider.
Truly awe-inspiring!
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Monday, May 19, 2008 5:55 PM
( permalink)
CALIFORNICATION
I finally got around to watching Showtime's latest great new show.
It's kind of a cross between Entourage and Rescue Me (without the fires!)
David Duchovny is pitch perfect and has done what I thought would be seemingly impossible:
Created a character that will redefine his career in a way that he will no longer forever be in the shadows of Fox Mulder!
I can't wait for season 2!!
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Saturday, September 06, 2008 1:51 AM
( permalink)
OK.... After the DT tour finished in June, I did the LTE shows, wrapped up work on the DT DVD and then took some long-needed, much-deserved ACTUAL TIME OFF! Which meant alot of sitting by the pool with the wife and kids, BBQ-ing, going to concerts, watching DVD's and trying to spend as little time as possible on the computer.Which meant no HOTD posts....
That's not to say I haven't been inspired by some great music, film, TV and books all summer long....I've just been too consumed doing NOTHING to write about it! So here's a kind of one-stop-shopping, end-of-summer, special edition HOTD recap: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KEVIN SMITH I've been reading his "My Boring Ass Life" book/journal and I can totally relate to his walking the fine line between the extremes of workaholic, control-freak to lazy, DVD watching home sloath....And you gotta love somebody who is willing to write about his anal fissures and how often (and in what position) he has sex with his wife!
VERONICA MARS As a result of reading Kevin Smith's book (which is almost like his version of HOTD at times), I got turned onto the wonderfully entertaining Veronica Mars which is like a cross between Twin Peaks and Beverly Hills 90125 (wait, is that the Yes album or the TV show? I can never remember....) WILCO I re-watched "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" (a previous HOTD entry from years ago) and re-confirmed this as one of the greatest Rock and Roll Documentaries of all time. Showing everything that is wrong with the music industry (but luckily seems to be turning around as of late as the labels are all going down and the artists are all finally getting to take their music back...) SLIPKNOT Totally digging the latest CD which is incorporating even more of Corey's singing and the more mainstream Stone Sour elements....(but yet they're still incredibly heavy). Caught the Mayhem show in Philly and they put on an amazing show. Joey was my hero of the day that evening as I met up with him and hung out before the show where he couldn't even walk as he had just broken his ankle, not knowing how the hell he was gonna play, and he went up there and kicked total ass!
INTO ETERNITY
Their new CD "The Incurable Tragedy" take their brand of extreme progressive metal to a whole new level of intensity with some great playing, killer riffs, insane vocals and an intense lyrical concept. Should they continue to build on all of the touring they did the past 2 years (some of which with yours truly), they should have another great album cycle ahead of them. LAMB OF GOD Their latest home DVD "Walk With Me In Hell" was a great watch for a very cool, inside look at their past 2 years on the road as well and all of the great progress they have made and the success that they truly deserve. BEARDFISH
They made one of my favorite albums of 2007 with "Sleeping in Traffic Part 1" and have now easily secured a placed at the top of my 2008 list as well with "Part 2". They are probably my favorite pure prog band to come around since I discovered Spock's Beard 12 years ago....Great musicianship, great songwriters, great stuff!!
MATS/MORGAN Speaking of great Swedish musicians, I continute to be blown away by this duo and more specifically with drummer Morgan Agren. Their latest release contains an amazing compilation of Morgan's work which includes some awesome footage with Meshuggah guitarist Fredrik Thordendal.
PLASTIC ONO BAND Watched the amazing "Classic Album" DVD of the making of this classic John Lennon album.(an all time favorite of mine) This also contained one of my favorite Ringo interviews of all time as it was great to see some fresh questions and insight from the man that has probably answered the same Beatles questions a million time over by now. SIXX AM I am blown away by how surprisingly good this Nikki Sixx album is. I read his book as well which was pretty incredible in itself, but this CD really contains some unbelievably hooky, melodic stuff (and some great vocals!) and a very inspiring message of sobriety and recovery from addition.
CELEBRITY REHAB Speak of sobriety and recovery, the closet reality TV-junkie in me finally caught up with this series from earlier in the year. Looking foward to season 2 next month....I'm such a sucker for this shit! TIM & ERIC AWESOME SHOW GREAT JOB Not only am I stoked for this all-time whacked out show to be back on the air with new episodes (the return of Spaghet!!!), I cannot get enough of the CD they released as well....(getcha poke on!)
Alright, that's enough for now....you get the idea of what I've been checkin out....Time to get back to poolside before we enter the studio next month! MP
<message edited by Weymolith on Saturday, September 06, 2008 5:44 PM>
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, September 07, 2008 12:57 AM
( permalink)
SIGUR ROS
Their latest DVD "Heima" is an absolutely gorgeous, hypnotic piece of film.
As beautiful and simplistic as their music is, the images and landscapes in this film are just as beautiful to watch and is a must-see for all filmmakers, musicians and artists.
This is very much this generation's version of "Pink Floyd Live At Pompeii"
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Thursday, September 11, 2008 12:22 AM
( permalink)
TRUE BLOOD
I loved the Series Premiere of this new HBO series from Alan Ball (writer of American Beauty and creator of Six Feet Under)
It's kinda like "From Dusk Til Dawn" meets "The Lost Boys".
The opening credits in itself have to be the most visually intense I've ever seen (up there with the opening credits of "Seven" and "Natural Born Killers")
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:27 PM
( permalink)
METALLICA Death Magnetic is HANDS DOWN the best Metallica album in 20 years.
This is the CD I've been waiting for them to make since "And Justice For All"
And thumbs up to them for doing the 1st REAL Metallica instrumental in 20 years since "To Live Is To Die". (If you don't count DT's "Stream Of Consciousness") Welcome back boys.... MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Saturday, September 13, 2008 3:07 AM
( permalink)
GET THRASHED
Holy shit....this awesome new documentary is MY LIFE from 1984 to 1986!!!!
I was totally and completely part of this scene during that time (not as a musician, but as a fan in the moshpits of L'Amour and Sundance) Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Exodus, Overkill, Death Angel, Testament, Nuclear Assault, Violence, S.O.D., Crumbsuckers, Carnivore, Ludichrist, Metal Church, Raven, King Diamond, Flotsam and Jetsam, Agnostic Front, D.R.I., Cro Mags, Leeway, etc etc I saw em all during that time....had em all on my denim and leather jackets....and even have the pix to prove it! MP at Exodus In-Store Appearance '85:  MP at Flotsam & Jetsam In-Store Appearance '86:  MP (with the old school Slayer shirt) & JP (with the nice Prog-guy shirt!) '86: 
MP & ex-Fates Warning Vocalist John Arch '86:(note MP's Crumbsucker shirt and Murphy's Law sticker on the jacket!)  When I left for Berklee and met JP & JM, we had the common love for Rush/Yes/Floyd and Maiden/Priest/Sabbath, so that redirected the musical path I ended up taking in my career.....
but I was and will ALWAYS be an old-school thrasher at heart!!! (You can take MP out of the thrash scene, but you cant take the thrash scene out of MP!) This DVD is a must see if you were there at the time....or even if you weren't so you can see where it all began! MP
<message edited by Weymolith on Saturday, September 13, 2008 3:14 AM>
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Monday, September 15, 2008 2:44 PM
( permalink)
RICK WRIGHT This is a sad day for us Progressive/Classic Rock fans.....  I'm gutted over this news. Pink Floyd is one of my "Big 4" bands (that are tattooed on my leg) And now 3 of the 4 bands have 2 dead members....very sad. Thank god we got to see him at the reunion at Live 8 and on the last Gilmour tour. Time to go listen to Echoes.... MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, October 12, 2008 6:00 PM
( permalink)
LIFE ON MARS
Time travel.....the 70's....serial killers....Michael Imperioli and Harvey Keitel....and named after one of my favorite songs of all time.....
How on earth can I possibly NOT love this new show????
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Friday, November 21, 2008 5:13 PM
( permalink)
There's been an incredible slew of great Live Concert DVD's released in the past month or so...so here's a collective HOTD entry to pay tribute to some of the great ones I've recently checked out: THE WHO
Two classic shows from two drastically different eras have finally been released from the Who archives: Live at the London Coliseum 1969 is The Who at their live best...filmed between Woodstock and Live At Leeds, this is closest we'll ever get to seeing a Leeds DVD and is the earliest filmed performance of Tommy (an album which is very dear to me...)And Keith is just mesmerizing to watch....what a huge influence on me. Live at Kilburn 1977 is a legendary and much sought out show for us Who fanatics (but for all the wrong reasons!). This is essentially The Who (as I loved them) on their last legs. The band is loose and sloppy and Keith is a completely different player and person from the Coliseum footage which is unbelievably only 8 years earlier...(and this was his second to last live show ever...)Yet this is a fascinating watch and I'm so glad this has finally been released...only because it is indeed history that deserved to be seen by us Who fanatics, regardless of the warts... FOO FIGHTERS Live at Wembley Stadum is a great document of a historic show that shows why these guys deserve to be where they are today....they are the best band of their kind and it's obvious how incredibly emotional this performance was for Dave.And oh yeah....those two "special guests" for the encore was pretty cool too! : )
OPETH 2 years in the waiting, we finally get the Roundhouse DVD....an amazing set of progressive epic classics. Even after spending 5 weeks on the road with them this past spring, I still can never get enough Opeth!!!!
ZEBRA Even though this DVD is about 20 years late (it's pretty low budget & cheesy at times, and the band is pretty loose), I still really enjoyed this trip down memory lane! Back in the mid-80's I used to go see them live all the time and DT opening for them back in 1988 was a huge career highlight for me at that point. Their 1st album is still an all-time classic and one of my favorites from that decade...every song is a classic!
TENACIOUS D The Complete Masterworks Vol.2 not only contains an amazing concert (kind of a cross between a concert and a broadway show!), but a fascinating documentary that for the first time ever shows JB and KG as "normal" people....(the controversy at their Letterman appearance was so incredibly uncomfortable and sad....) MP
<message edited by Weymolith on Saturday, November 22, 2008 1:03 AM>
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Wednesday, November 26, 2008 2:41 AM
( permalink)
THE SHIELD WOW!!! What a tremendous ending to a truly great show.... Quite possibly one of the best series finales I've ever seen (close only to Six Feet Under)... This is how to wrap up a series! Shane and Ronnie's fate were absolutely heartbreaking (Shane's final scene was devastating)....and Michael Chiklis' final scene was an acting tour de force and surely Emmy-worthy. I'm gonna miss this one... MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, November 30, 2008 2:05 AM
( permalink)
THAT METAL SHOW
Call it a shameless plug for my episode next week, but really...even if I wasnt next week's guest, I'd still be giving major props and plugs for this awesome new show on VH1 Classic for all things metal.
It's a show about metalheads, for metalheads, by metalheads....
Essentially Eddie Trunk has taken the concept of some of the metal summits we've done together on his radio show and put it on TV.
Where else on TV can you see metal artists and fans gather to debate Led Zeppelin vs. Black Sabbath, Kiss fans vs. Rush fans, etc.
After my episode next week, future guests include Ace Frehley and Alex Lifeson & Geddy Lee.
Don't just tune in next week....tune in every week!
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Thursday, December 04, 2008 1:53 PM
( permalink)
ROADRUNNER UNITED - THE CONCERT
I just watched this great DVD that documents THE metal event of the millennium....
Its great to finally have a document of this historic show from 2005 celebrating Roadrunner's 25th Anniversary concert.
It's a who's who of metal past and present with members of Sepultura, Machine Head, Slipknot, Fear Factory, Anthrax, Biohazard, Trivium, Stone Sour, Killswitch Engage, etc, etc. all mixing it up into different lineups and covering everybody else's songs...what an awesome, unique idea!
So many great players and good friends....everybody kicked ass and sound totally tight and powerful...
To me the highlight was the Mercyful Fate/King Diamond stuff (some of my favorite metal albums ever!) perfectly sung by Ripper Owens (and backed by Joey Jordison, Roy Mayorga, Andreas Kisser, James Murphy, Jeff Waters, Adam Duce and Paul Gray)
This whole thing is like a Metal "We Are The World"!!!!
My only complaint is that I wasnt involved! (we werent on the label yet at that point...)
Maybe for the 30th Anniversary...?? : )
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 11:13 PM
( permalink)
THE WRESTLER
Darren Aronofsky is back on track after the (IMO) overblown disappointment of The Fountain.
Although stylistically The Wrestler is worlds apart from the flashy technique of his previous films like Requiem From A Dream, he's created a great, small indie film more in the vein of his debut Pi (actually this feels more like a John Cassevettes character study piece....)
Mickey Rourke gets the John Travolta comeback of the decade award for this one as well with a knockout performance (no pun intended!)
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Monday, December 22, 2008 12:13 AM
( permalink)
BROTHERHOOD What a year for Series finales... In the wake of the ends of both "The Wire" and "The Shield", comes the end of another great cable crime/drama series (and I may have to say my favorite of the three...) Although the end of this show came quite abrupty and surprisingly due to poor ratings.... It's sad to see that this brilliant show never caught on because it really was a perfect cross between "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" and was just as well made... Hopefully time will give this great series the acclaim it deserved after 3 short, but brilliant seasons.... MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, December 28, 2008 9:34 PM
( permalink)
MP's Favorite Albums of 2008:(in no particular order)
1. Metallica - Death Magnetic
2. Protest The Hero - Fortress
3. The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath
4. Beardfish - Sleeping In Traffic Part 2
5. Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone
6. Opeth - Watershed
7. Bloodbath - Unblessing The Purity / The Fathomless Mastery
8. Frost - Experiments In Mass Appeal
9. Trivium - Shogun
10. Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
A few honorable mentions:
Dir En Grey - Uroboros Cynic - Traced In Air Extreme - Saudades de Roc Gojira - The Way Of All Flesh
MP's Favorite Films of 2008:(in no particular order)
1. The Wrestler
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Milk
4. Rachel Getting Married
5. Cloverfield
6. Tell No One
7. Synecdoche, New York
8. Slumdog Millionaire
9. Towelhead
10. Let The Right One In
MP's Favorite TV of 2008:(in no particular order)
1. True Blood
2. Brotherhood
3. The Shield
4. Californication
5. Mad Men
6. Dexter
7. Tim & Eric Awesome Show
8. Entourage
9. Z Rock
10. In Treatment
<message edited by Portnoy on Wednesday, April 01, 2009 1:50 AM>
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Saturday, January 03, 2009 1:07 AM
( permalink)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Danny Boyle is back with his best film since Trainspotting......
This is "City Of God" meets "Quiz Show" set in India with a romantic twist!
I need to now add this one to my top 10 of 2008.
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, January 18, 2009 3:01 AM
( permalink)
DAMAGES
In order to jump into Season 2 which just began, I caught up with the entire first season of this absolutely brilliant show.
Season 1 was 13 PERFECT hours that unfolded like an epic film or a classic novel with more twists and turns than a Six Flags roller coaster.
The writing is absolutely top notch with a masterfully executed story told through use of flashbacks and flashfowards which kept me on the edge of my seat for all 13 hours....
And the cast is surely the best on TV with incredible peformances by Glenn Close, Rose Byrne and Ted Danson.
FX is starting to rival HBO and Showtime for the best roster of shows at the moment between this, The Shield (RIP), Rescue Me (can't wait for the next season) and Sons Of Anarchy which I am just getting into....(sorry Nip/Tuck fans, I gave up after Season 3...)
Damages is easily one of the best shows on the air right now....and I'm sorry I missed having it on my year-end list of 2008....but I already have the top spot reserved for it in 2009!
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Sunday, February 01, 2009 2:24 AM
( permalink)
BIGELF
Holy shit....
These guys totally rule!!
I just got turned onto em (thanks Ray!) and downloaded their latest one "Cheat The Gallows" from iTunes which is an absolute masterpiece.
It's the type of album that completely blew my mind upon first listen and had an immediate impact on me (very similar to the first times I heard Jellyfish's Spilt Milk, Muse's Absolution, Radiohead's OK Computer and Spock's Beard's The Light)....every song is just absolute pure perfection!
This is like all my favorite classic rock / prog rock bands from the 60's & 70's all wrapped in one!
Picture the bastard love-child of Black Sabbath, Queen, The Beatles, Deep Purple, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and King Crimson.....
I think I have a favorite new band!
WOW....
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Tuesday, March 03, 2009 2:54 PM
( permalink)
ANVIL Having done Eddie Trunk's Metal Summit together this past weekend, director Sacha Gervasi hooked me up with an advance screener DVD of his upcoming brilliant rockumentary "Anvil: The Story Of Anvil" This is an absolutely heartbreaking (but ultimately bittersweet) look at the ups and downs (well, mainly downs) of the 30 year career of Canadian Metal veterans Anvil. Somebody recently described it to me as "This Is Spinal Tap" meets "The Wrestler" and I cannot think of a better description. The thought of what this film is inevitably going to do for Lips and Robb Reiner (give them the comeback of a lifetime), is what put the biggest smile on my face at the end of the film. At the end of the day, this is ultimately a love story between two Canadian Metalheads and their love for making music and the challenges that failed to break them apart against all odds. MP
<message edited by Portnoy on Thursday, March 12, 2009 1:10 AM>
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Thursday, March 12, 2009 1:09 AM
( permalink)
BREAKING BAD
Just watched all 7 episodes of Season 1 which were awesome and am all set for Season 2 which premiered this week.
This is surely one of the best new shows on TV (along with Damages and Mad Men)....
Kinda like if the Coen Brothers had a weekly show!
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 1:47 AM
( permalink)
The last 3 DVD's I watched were easily 3 of the best films of last year....
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
True Blood meets My Bodyguard?
The Lost Boys go to Sweden?
Twilight in Fargo?
Surely one of the most stylized (and sweet!) vampire/horror films I've ever seen....
SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK
This was every bit as brilliant and bizarre as I expected.
Another knockout performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman and another completely off the wall, original story by Charlie Kaufman....
This was kind of like Stardust Memories meets Brazil!
TELL NO ONE
A top notch, incredibly well written, French suspense mystery....ala classic Hitchcock....
With more twists and turns than a Coney Island roller-coaster and touches of The Usual Suspects and Memento...
Definitely one that will require repeat viewings...
MP
|
|
|
|
Portnoy
-
Total Posts
:
1508
- Joined: 5/18/2002
-
Status: offline
|
RE: MP's "Hero of the Day"
Thursday, May 14, 2009 2:03 AM
( permalink)
LOST
Best
.
.
.
Show
.
.
.
Ever
'Nuff Said......
MP
<message edited by Portnoy on Thursday, May 14, 2009 8:39 AM>
|
|
|
|