Digital]

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

After the pop culture explosion that Steven Soderbergh brought to screens with 2012’s “Magic Mike,” director Gregory Jacobs does a bang up job of carrying the torch. “Magic Mike XXL” is a mixed bag that sags in the middle but is overall a very entertaining road film. After three years retired from the erotic dance business, Mike receives word that former boss “Dallas” is dead. Shocked to learn that he is very alive and abandoned his former group of dancers, Mike is inspired to rejoin his old team after a serendipitous airing of the song “Pony” reminds him of his old days.

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Scooby Doo Meets KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery (2015)

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

If you’re one of the many KISS fans that have always wondered what a sequel to “KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park” would look like, look no further. “Scooby Doo Meets KISS” should be more aptly titled “KISS Meets the Crimson Witch featuring Scooby Doo.” In all honesty, while this is primarily a cartoon for the Scooby Doo franchise, the majority of the film is based around KISS and their magical presences. Even the opening sequence is comprised of wonderful animated KISS montages with “Rock and Roll All Night” playing rather than the Scooby Doo theme song.

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Monty Python: The Meaning of Live (2014) [Fantasia Film Festival]

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL

You really have to appreciate the blunt honesty of the Python crew at their age and why they decided to team together after three decades to tour once again. They needed the money. After a brutal court battle over the creative rights of “The Holy Grail,” they were all left generally low on cash, so they decided to launch a stage show tour of their best bits to garner some quick cash and help seal their debts. There’s no fluff on a documentary that loves the Python crew. They love their fans, they love their work, but they need the money, and I respect the hell out of that.

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Strongest of Lotus (2014)

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

Director Patcharaphon Napapornpipat’s short film about a disabled young girl finding her voice is a sweet if short slice of life that really lends credence to the idea of music changing the way we live and interact. Lalita Srisuka plays a disabled young girl whose life is filled with stares and ostracizing from people around her, including her own classmates. The only time she’s capable of escaping is when she retreats to her music, which allows her to block out reality and lose herself in the world she creates.

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Strongest of Lotus (2014)

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

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The T.A.M.I. Show: Collector’s Edition (DVD)

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

Getting 1964’s “The T.A.M.I. Show” finally on a Collector’s Edition DVD fully restored for the rock fans is a special occasion. If only because “The T.A.M.I. Show” has long been a concert film that has been seen mainly through bootlegs and was sabotaged for a long time. Even film buff Quentin Tarantino never had a complete bootleg, and finally the entirety of “The T.A.M.I. Show” is on DVD from Shout! with nary a single dull moment to be had. What’s so fun about “The T.A.M.I. Show” is that it’s just an unabashed celebration of diversity in rock and roll, and how various artists have shaped it in to something incredible.

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Motown 25: Yesterday Today Forever (DVD)

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

The first time I ever saw “Motown 25” was in 1987 as a four year old, and I sat with my dad to watch a VHS recording of the 1983 broadcast. The memory of the time and place are fuzzy, but all I remember is watching through the tape entertained, and then being genuinely in awe of Michael Jackson’s performance of “Billie Jean” as he declared that he was his own entertainer now. He did so with a brilliant performance and the introduction of the moon walk.

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