The moment I first heard author and longtime friend of the Rewind It Magazine extended family Christopher Long had a new book coming out all about the joys of collecting vinyl and the music contained within the grooves of many a great record, I knew I had to quickly get on board with this train.
Along with the help of Byran Dumas (as well as a foreword from the lovely Bella Perron of the band Plush), Long paints a perfect picture of what a lifetime of hunting for “a song” is like for a true collector that still has the drive to allow physical media to take precedence over any “download” or “stream.”
Even the very first record mentioned, Aerosmith’s Toys in the Attic, holds a special place in my own heart, ironically being the first rock album I ever owned (albeit on cassette format rather vinyl), helping add to a personal level of nostalgia.
The only compliant? (if one can even call it that); I only wish the book was a bit longer to give readers a little more time to enjoy it. But who knows, perhaps we’ll even see a sequel book later on down the line in the near future (hint hint!).
There’s a certain amount of pros versus cons that have to be weighed when factoring in an extensive, four-day music festival such as Welcome to Rockville. On the one hand, you’re getting in a LOT of your favorite bands in a very short span of time. But on the other hand, you’re also getting much shorter set lists, and dealing with WAY more obnoxious, drunken fools than you would on any other given normal day of the week (such a blast I’ll tell ya).
It’s a definite take-the-good-with-the-bad type of situation to say the least. But for better or worse, I bit the bullet, taking my son Jacob once again to catch up on many of the bands I’ve already seen over the years, but he had yet to have the chance to catch live himself (my wife Brooke wisely decided to sit most of it out, only attending the first night at the Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, May 9). Said first day was one for the books indeed, and I will try to recall as much of the massive festival as I possibly can here, from start to finish.
DAY 1:
The very first band we caught while walking up on the very first day was Saliva, and we could hear the sounds of their generic 2000 hit “Click Click Boom” (thankfully) ending just as we entered the gates. Luckily ’90s rockers Stabbing Westward were up directly afterwards, although something seemed slightly “off” since the last time I saw them back in 2019 (namely some lineup changes that now included the lack of a bass player). After catching a few tracks in the form of “Falls Apart,” “The Thing I Hate,” and “I Don’t Believe,” it was already on to the next band, which at that point was Flyleaf w/ Lacy Sturm.
I can’t say I’ve ever really sat down and listened to Flyleaf a single day of my life, but there was no denying frontwoman Sturm had a certain presence (not to mention cuteness) to her. After a few minutes of the chaos that is Shadows Fall (a little closer up my ally with songs like “King of Nothing” and “Still I Rise”), Christian rockers Skillet blasted through several of their admirable well-known anthems like “Feel Invincible,” “Rise,” “Surviving the Game,” “Awake and Alive,” and “Hero,” it was time to catch one of the biggest draws of the entire festival for me…Max Cavalera and Soulfly.
I had seen his former band Sepultura a couple of times previously (most recently at last year’s Welcome to Rockville), but never with frontman Cavalera at the helm. So it was a blast finally hearing such epic tracks as “Bleed,” “Refuse/Resist,” “Jumpdafuckup,” and “Eye for an Eye” with Cavalera’s distinct voice over them (along with his son Zyon behind him on the drumkit to boot).
Max Cavalera and Soulfly on stage on Thursday, May 9 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).
Next up was an even bigger favorite for me; Anthrax. I’ve seen them a handful of times prior as well (seems like each time with a different lineup), but this time bassist/former Rewind It interviewee Frank Bello was unable to attend, so the band enlisted none other than original bassist Dan Liker (also of S.O.D. and Nuclear Assault, among many others) to fill in for him on this tour for the first time in four decades.
I instantly felt like I was watching metal history as the opening notes of “Among the Living” kicked in and the guys absolutely slayed the stage! “Caught in a Mosh,” “Madhouse,” “Metal Thrashing Mad” (finally something off the first album live!), “Antisocial,” “A.I.R.,” “Got the Time,” and “Indians” all felt new again (no disrespect to Bello of course).
Metal legendsAnthrax performing with original bassist Dan Liker for the first time in four decades on 5/9/24 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).
A few more acts more in line with my son’s tastes than my own in the form of August Burns Red, Mudvayne, and Biohazard all followed before the mighty Judas Priest, who it had been nearly twenty years since the last time I saw them all the way back at Ozzfest in 2004 (not counting catching spinoff act KK’s Priest earlier this year). There just felt like there was something missing this time though unfortunately without both KK Downing and Glen Tipton handling guitar duties.
New tracks and classics alike in the form of “Panic Attack,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Rapid Fire,” “Breaking the Law,” “Lighting Strike,” “Love Bites,” “Sinner,” and even “Turbo Lover” (a nice welcomed addition that I don’t recall them playing back in ’04) were all heard before we were heading to the next act…Insane Clown Posse (which proved to be a mammoth mistake).
The sound during ICP’s set was beyond comprehension, and it was hard to even distinguish whether it was intentionally done, or just a major foul up (either way it was terrible). Needless to say it didn’t take us long to move on to the next one again.
And that next one this time was Disturbed. Those who know me know that I’ve never claimed to be a big nu metal fan by any means, but there are some bands in the genre I can tolerate more than others, with Disturbed no doubt being one of them. Opening with “Hey You,” the band must’ve been suffering from similar technical difficulties as ICP (though not quite as bad) as chants of “Fix the Sound!” could be clearly heard throughout the Speedway. But that didn’t stop the band from going through numbers like “Stupify,” Ten Thousand Fists,” “Prayer,” “Bad Man,” a cover of Genesis’ “Land of Confusion,” and “The Game.” But their cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” seemed like the perfect time to head on to the next act.
Enter Kerry King of Slayer, a man I’ve seen and even photographed on stage on more than one occasion over the years. After the two sub-par sets we had just witnessed, it was a total breath of fresh air of metal for sure. Hearing the 1986 classic “Raining Blood” live again, and new tracks like “From Hell I Rise” (all being sung by Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda and with former Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel in tow as well, which were added bonuses for sure) was completely worthwhile.
Legendary Slayer guitarist Kerry King and his current “supergroup” that also includes Death Angel’s Mark Osegueda and ex-Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmelon Thursday, 5/9/24 (Photo by JesseStriewski).
It was while transferring from one stage to the next again that I could see Disturbed were not only still on, but had invited a female guest singer on stage with them. I would later come to find out that guest was none other than Ann Wilson of Heart Fame (the two parties share vocal duties on the track “Don’t Tell Me”); it was a moment I wish we had been fully aware was happening, though I’m still glad we witnessed what little of it that we actually did.
And finally, Motley Crue. There was a time when I genuinely loved Motley Crue, but unfortunately they have not aged all that gracefully. With this latest appearance, I’ve now seen them a total of four times since 2005, and it feels as though they are merely climbing further and further downhill (taking original guitarist Mick Mars out of the equation in favor of John 5 was not necessarily the right move for them, either).
After kicking things off with a rather embarrassing “Breaking News” segment, the band opened their set decently enough with a somewhat strong version of their 1991 single “Primal Scream.” But from then on, it was merely more of the same old situation (if you’ve seen Motley Crue once, you’ve seen them more than enough times) that included “Too Fast For Love,” “Wild Side,” “Shout at the Devil,” “Live Wire,” and “On with the Show.” By the time the guys got to “new” track “Dogs of War,” it felt like more than a signal to finally call it a night.
Motley Crue closing out the first night of Welcome to Rockville on Thursday, 5/9/24 (Photo By Jesse Striewski).
Day 2:
The second day day of the festival was admittedly the least interesting one to me. The first act Jacob and I would catch on this day was ’90s female rockers Kittie, who I can’t say I was ever really a fan of, though there was a small amount of curiosity to hear how tracks like “Brackish” would sound firsthand.
After that, there was a bit of downtime before the next band of interest, Russian deathcore act Slaughter to Prevail, was on. I had only really given their music a spin once or twice in the past (unlike my kid, a noted fan), but there was no denying the amount of energy they threw down. After them, it was on to the sounds of ’90s punks The Offspring (my third time seeing them live since 2009).
I’ve always held a small spot in my heart for The Offspring, although their views boarder on idiocy to me, and the unceremonious dismissals of both founding bassist Greg K and former drummer Pete Parada (the latter of which apparently getting the boot over not wanting to get vaccinated – again, sheer idiocy) were downright lame in my book. Still, there’s no denying the catchy-ness of songs like “Come Out and Play,” “All I Want,” “Want You Bad,” “Staring at the Sun,” “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” “Blitzkrieg Bop” (one of at least three bands to cover the overplayed Ramones anthem at Rockville this year), “Bad Habbit,” “Gotta Get Away,” “Why Don’t You Get a Job?,” “(Can’t Get My) Head Around You,” “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy),” and “The Kids Aren’t Alright.”
The Offspring performing at Welcome to Rockville on Friday, 5/10/24 (Photo By Jesse Striewski).
Next up were Falling in Reverse, and although former Escape the Fate frontman Ronnie Radke still maintains the same energy he did back when I first saw the band at Earthday Birthday in 2011, something just feels “missing” now. Whether it’s the numerous lineup changes since then, or the quality of the music itself that has since been released, it’s not as thrilling of an act as it might have once been. Still, there was no denying the crowd was eating up tracks like “Zombified,” “I’m Not a Vampire,” “Losing My Mind,” “Fuck You and All Your Friends,” “The Drug in Me Is You,” “Just Like You,” “Popular Monster,” “Voices in My Head,” “Ronald,” and “Watch the World Burn.”
It had been quite awhile since I last saw Faith No More frontman Mike Patton live on stage with the short-lived Tomahawk back in 2002, and I was really looking forward to hearing the legendary singer on stage again with an act as eclectic as Mr. Bungle. Although the band is not for everyone’s tastes, is was still a trip watching Patton belt out the likes of “Hell Awaits,” “True,” and “You Lose” (among many others) alongside former FNM bandmate Trey Spruance, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, and original Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo.
Next up was singer/rapper Jelly Roll, who back when we first attended Rockville the first time in 2021 was one of the lower tier acts there (though I don’t recall actually seeing him at that time), but has since blown up to full headliner status. A cover of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” was the first song I could hear emanating through the speakers while walking up. If for nothing more than sheer curiosity, we stuck it out long enough to hear tracks/hits like “Smoking Section,” “Same Asshole,” “The Hate Goes On,” “Bottle of Mary Jane,” “Dead Man Walking,” “Son of a Sinner,” and “Need a Favor” before going over to the last stage of the night for (I can’t believe I’m even saying it) Limp Bizkit.
Let me first start by saying I was never, not once a Limp Bizkit fan, ever (in fact, you might say I was even a “hater” back when they first emerged on the scene). But for whatever reason my kid is a fan, so I endured their set, all the way from the opening of “Break Stuff” to a cover of Riff Raff’s “Tip Toe Wing In My Jawwdinz” (can’t say I know that one!) with rapper Riff Raff himself. Even Jelly Roll made another appearance to help the band out on their cover of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes.” I still can’t say I’m a fan, but after seeing them live, I can see how some might find Fred Durst and company entertaining now.
Day 3:
Saturday the 11th was definitely another day for the books. We arrived just in time to catch the very last song of Mammoth WVH’s (former Van Halen bassist and the son of the late Eddie Van Halen’s project) final song. But it was okay considering he would make another appearance later on in the day (stay tuned).
Stone Temple Pilots are one of those ’90s bands that have alluded me for many years now (though I was lucky enough to catch late singer Scott Weiland live on stage with Velvet Revolver in both 2005 and 2007). Even without Weiland there, his presence could still be felt as songs like “Wicked Garden,” “Big Bang Baby,” “Vaseline,” “Crackerman,” “Big Empty,” “Plush,” “Interstate Love Song,” “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart,” and “Sex Type Thing” all echoed through the air that afternoon.
Primus were up next, and significantly more entertaining than the first time I saw them open for Tool back in 2016 (I knew it was a good sign as I walked up to the sounds of “Sgt. Baker” – my personal favorite by them – being played). More gems like “Here Come the Bastards,” “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver,” and “American Life” could be heard before it was time to move on to the next stage already.
Les Claypool and Primus rock Rockville on Saturday, 5/11/24 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).
Helmet are another one of those bands I can’t say I ever really got that into either, and the one and only time I saw them prior (back at the 2006 Warped Tour), they didn’t really leave much of an impression. The only noticeable difference I can recall between the two shows was that they actually played the track “Milquetoast” (from 1994’s The Crow soundtrack) this time around.
Same goes for the next act, A Day to Remember. While I’ve seen them a couple of times previously as well, nothing has really left that big of an impression on me. One could of course hear such “hits” of theirs that day, including “The Downfall of us All” and “All I Want,” for better or worse. Still, it was no worse than catching a glimpse of L7’s set, which had to be the most unappealing act of the entire festival, and I don’t recall seeing a single smiling face between the group or the crowd.
The next band Greta Van Fleet seemed like a talented enough bunch with their throwback sound to ’70s rock, though can’t say I’ve ever given their music much mind, either. But as if L7 weren’t unappealing enough, Queens of the Stone Age had to be the most boring act of them all (and I actually don’t mind some of the material frontman Josh Homme has been a part of as a member of Kyuss). Tracks like “Little Sister” and “Go with the Flow” had me wanting to go somewhere else indeed.
Finally, the mighty Foo Fighters took the stage, and I had finally felt like I had come full circle seeing a member of Nirvana live in the form of frontman Dave Grohl (not to mention touring guitarist Pat Smear, also known for his time with ’70s punks the Germs, among others). Aiding them behind the drumkit now in place of the late Taylor Hawkins was also Josh Freese of The Vandals, Nine Inch Nails, and Guns N’ Roses (just to name a few).
I had not actually planned to stay the entirety of their two-hour set that night, but circumstances out of my control kept me there until the very last note of the very last song, which in hindsight I’m actually glad I did despite my exhaustion. The band started off with a strong start in the form of “All My Life,” “No Son of Mine,” “Rescued,” “The Pretender,” “Times Like These,” “La Dee Day,” “Breakout,” “Medicine at Midnight,” and “Walk.”
The most interesting moments of the evening however came when some guitar and keyboard solos lead to the band goofing around and just having a good time. First via the Beastie Boys’ “Sabatage,” then some individual moments; Pat Smear returning to his punk rock roots via “Blitzkreig Bop” (again with that song!) and Josh Freese pounding out some Nine Inch Nails beats via “March of the Pigs.” But the best moment of them all came when Grohl tricked his audience into believing he was playing Van Halen’s “Eruption,” only for it to be revealed it was actually Wolfgang Van Halen behind the scenes throwing down his father’s old riffs (a little bit of “Hot For Teacher” was then played for good measure, too).
Wolfgang Van Halen makes a surprise appearance mid-way through the Foo Fighters’ set on 5/11/24 to play some classic Van Halen riffs(Photo by Jesse Striewski).
After finishing the shenanigans, the band got back to business with “My Hero,” “The Sky is a Neighborhood,” “Learn to Fly,” “Arlandria,” “These Days,” “Shame Shame,” “All My Life,” “Nothing at All,” “The Glass,” “Monkey Wrench,” “Aurora,” “Best of You,” “The Teacher,” and “Everlong” (and it was at that moment, watching my son skip off hand and hand with his girlfriend to be up close, that I knew every minute of this festival was worth it).
Day 4:
By the fourth and final day (coincidentally, Mother’s Day), I was ready for a long reprieve to say the least. But we soldiered on as true warriors of rock (because what else can we do?), and made it in time for former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach’s set. The first time I had ever seen Bach all the way back in 2006, my son was only about six months old at the time. So to finally have him share in on these songs like “18 & Life” some eighteen years later, was an especially cool moment for me as a father (ironically Bach’s son is now behind the drums in his father’s band much like Soulfly, too).
Opening “Bachville” (as he so dubbed it himself) with his latest track “What Have I Got to Lose?,” he quickly belted out the classics with “Slave to the Grind” (which found Bach and company briefly segwaying into Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” too), “Here I Am,” “18 & Life,” “Monkey Business,” “I Remember You,” and “Youth Gone Wild.”
A couple more on my son’s list of bands to see, Wage War and Enter Shikari, were up next before we made it over to see one of the very first bands I ever saw at a music festival (at the 1997 Ozzfest), Fear Factory. A lot has unfortunately changed within their personal too since then though, but it was still a blast from the past to hear the likes of “Demanufacture” again. The next act (Atreyu) was another one I’ve seen several times in the past (most recently in 2010), but due to numerous inner changes their music just doesn’t hit the same anymore as it once did (songs like “Right Side of the Bed” and “Ex’s and Oh’s” just don’t have the same effect without ex-singer Alex Varkatzas screaming on them).
Sum 41 rock Daytona for possibly their last time ever on 5/12/24 as part of their final tour (Photo by Jesse Striewski).
About one or two songs each (about all that was needed) for Breaking Benjamin and Black Veil Brides followed before catching Sum 41 for their “final” tour. Another band I caught once upon a time at my first Vans Warped Tour back in 2001 (then once more in 2009, ironically with The Offspring), it may have been somewhat tolerable hearing tracks like “Motivation” and “The Hell Song” live one more time had it not been for the hordes of people clamoring to catch one last glimpse of them.
And then there’s Evanescence, a band I once saw at the height of their prime back in 2004, and another band that has gone through their own share of changes since then. But one thing is for certain, the voice of lead singer Amy Lee has not changed one bit, and is as strong as ever on tracks like “Going Under,” “Better Without You,” “Call Me When You’re Sober,” “Imaginary,” “Use My Voice,” and “Bring Me to Life” (their closer, which sounded odd this time without the “rapping” segment actually done right this time).
Amy Lee and Evanescence perform on the final night of Rockville on Sunday, 5/12/24 (Photo By Jacob Striewski).
By the time Slipknot hit the stage (this time wearing “throwback” masks from the late ’90s), I was ready to call it a night/weekend/all of the above. “(515),” “People = Shit,” “Eyeless,” “Disasterpiece,” “Custer,” and “Psychosocial” were more than enough to hear before doing just that, finally. I can’t say for certain whether or not this might be my last major music festival like this (this old man is definitely starting to feel his age for sure), but should it be, I’d say it was a high enough note to go out on.
I really wanted to give the latest from black metal masters Darkthrone my fullest attention prior to reviewing their latest LP (and with an album cover as epic as the one found here, how could I not?), so I tried to absorb their latest effort It Beckons Us All as best as I possibly could since its release date on April 26.
Again, I don’t make us much time for black metal these days as I once might have, but there’s no denying the greatness of certain acts of the genre like Darkthrone. At this point the guys have undoubtedly perfected their craft, and it shows through on this latest record.
From the beginnings of “Howling Primitive Colonies” to the epic closure of “The Lone Pines of the Lost Planet,” there’s no shortage of the dark lyrics and menacing guitar riffs that define their sound. “Eon 3,” “Black Dawn Affiliation,” and “And In That Moment I knew the Answer” are all further prime examples of this. No doubt a must-listen for any fan of the genre.
The world just seemed like a much more simple place “back in the day.” Growing up in the ’80s, we were able to push a few more boundaries, poke a little more fun, and overall, just laugh at little bit more without being so easily “offended” (nor did we have the same kind of manufactured hate being pushed down our throats that Hollywood has tried so effortlessly to do so as of late). And most importantly, we were all capable of being “equals” without ever even knowing it at the time.
I was still just shy of preschool when the original Police Academy made its world premiere on March 23, 1984. Yet just a few short years later, I would be introduced to the series via replays of the numerous films on cable television, and seeing its eventual extensive catalog represented on the shelves of video rental stores seemingly everywhere I went. I saw a part of myself in lead actor Steve Guttenberg, who portrayed the wise-cracking Carey Mahoney, and felt it was possible to just maybe be a “police officer” too someday thanks to our similar lanky frames.
The initial seeds for Police Academy started in the mind of Producer and series creator (and one time Rewind It Magazine interviewee) Paul Masalanky, who, while filming The Right Stuff in 1983, got the idea after seeing a group of goofy cadets on the sidelines of the production. This simple moment proved to be vital, and would spawn a worldwide franchise that would eventually see six sequels and two television shows (one animated, one live-action).
In the first film, we’re introduced to said troublemaker Mahoney (Guttenberg), who after finding himself in some hot water with the law, is given the option to sign up for the desperate Police Academy that has recently lowered its standards in lieu of jail time. It’s here we’re introduced to a group of similar, bizarre misfits in the form of Larval Jones (Michael Winslow), Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith), Eugene Tackelberry (David Graf) and Laverne Hooks (Marion Ramesy), among many others (but “diversity” and” inclusion” definitely did not exist back then at all though guys. Nope, not at all).
A young and slender Kim Cattrall played the posh love interest for Mahoney, Karen Thompson, while George Gaynes played the brilliantly inept Commandant Lassard with ease. There’s also some classic banter exchanged between Mahoney and his nemesis Lt. Harris (G.W. Bailey in one of the best “bad guys you love to hate” roles ever put on screen).
By the following year, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment was already hitting theaters (in my opinion the best entry of them all, featuring my personal favorite character “Zed” played by Bobcat Goldthwait for the first time), which was quickly followed by Back in Training (1986), Citizens on Patrol (1987), Assignment Miami Beach (1988), City Under Siege (1989), and eventually the direct-to-video Mission toMoscow (1994), each having their own varying results.
When I interviewed Maslansky back in 2021, I asked him why he thought the series had such the long and successful run that it had. He told me; “It was almost like a sitcom; you had (original Director) Hugh Wilson who came from WKRPCincinnati, and then Jerry Paris (Director of parts 2 and 3) who was of course Gary Marshall’s guy. And that’s really why we were prepared for it; we had a cast that was steady, and every year everything was just serendipitously there, and the studio kept asking to make another one because the results were just so damn good, and the cost for these pictures was not that much. It was just really a smooth operation, and I had the right directors, production managers, and just overall people in general all the time.”
All these years later, neither my love for the series, nor my respect for law enforcement, have faltered at all. And somewhere I still even have action figures from the toyline that was made for the animated series back in the late ’80s/early ’90s (maybe I’ll dig them out again someday). Hopefully the legacy of Police Academy will remain untouched and remembered for just the way it was and we’re not forced to endure yet another atrocious remake “with a message” any time soon.
Good actors deliver convincing performances. Great actors transcend and connect, evoking a wide range of emotions that linger long after the credits roll. Few actors have made more of an impact in their field than legend of legends, Jack Nicholson.
As a three-time Academy Award winner and the most nominated actor in film history, Nicholson has dominated the scene since the 1970s. But getting there was no easy feat. His ambition, drive, raw-talent, and dedication to the craft were keys to his incredible success. He also happened upon a time when Hollywood was undergoing a tremendous artistic revival.
A New Era of Film
The social upheaval and political unrest at home during the Vietnam War gave birth to the New Hollywood movement of the ’60s and ’70s, pushing the industry toward artist-driven films. This brief renaissance era introduced a new generation of filmmakers, actors, and writers who helped redefine cinema in new and exciting ways.
Their films emulated a new realism seen in similar movements in European and Asian cinema while establishing unconventional narratives, anti-establishment themes, and clever subversion of the status quo. The emerging works of directors Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, Brian De Palma, Sam Peckinpah, Sidney Lumet, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Zemeckis (to name a few) provide a glimpse of the groundbreaking work on display in a time of fresh, emerging talents unprecedented in their numbers.
Born to Be Wild
Throughout the 1960s, Jack Nicholson worked tirelessly on stage, screen, and television across genres to little success. He then turned to screenwriting, which led to his working with Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper on the Roger Corman-directed psychedelic nightmare hippie movie The Trip (1967). His big break, however, was yet to come.
The 1969 counterculture milestone Easy Rider was at the forefront of New Hollywood independent filmmaking. Its financial success ($60 million on a $400,000 budget) stunned major studios and gave rise to the commercial possibilities of artist-driven works outside the studio system.
Among its lasting impact, Easy Rider also introduced wider audiences to a young, charismatic actor seen previously in several low-budget Corman films. Nicholson’s supporting role as a boozy lawyer accompanying motorcyclists Hopper and Fonda across the vast American landscape helped launch his seemingly unstoppable career. Easy Rider also garnered his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Nicholson remained prolific throughout the ’80s and ’90s. Audiences marveled at his iconic performance as The Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), which saw a career resurgence among a new generation of moviegoers. It was a role he was born to play and one that would cement his status as one of our greatest living actors. This is further evidenced by an exceptional career of unforgettable films from the New Hollywood age to his retirement in 2010.
The 1970s
Five Easy Pieces (1970) set the stage for Nicholson’s career choices, embodying the type of challenging films he would embrace throughout his distinguished career. This quiet character study further established Nicholson in his first major leading role. In the film, he plays aimless drifter and blue-collar oil rig worker Bobby Dupeae who returns home to visit his dying father with his ditzy girlfriend (Karen Black) in tow. His character remains an enigma of hidden complexities and failures behind a façade of arrogance.
Already a bankable star, Nicholson elevated the subversive comedy-drama The Last Detail (1973) to new heights as an as an angry, insubordinate Navy sailor assigned to escort a young Seaman (Randy Quaid) to prison for theft. The film reflected the growing cynicism of the time against the U.S. Government and its military. It was written by Robert Towne who would later present Nicholson with a screenplay for a post-modern film noir classic the actor could not pass up.
In 1974, the Roman Polanski-directed Chinatown captivated audiences with its bleak atmosphere and multi-layered Oscar-winning screenplay. As private investigator Jake Gittes, Nicholson drew additional praise in this engrossing tale of political corruption in 1930s Los Angeles. Gittes is hired by a mysterious woman (Faye Dunaway) to investigate the death of her husband, a safety engineer at the Department of Water and Power. The case pulls him into a dangerous world of conspiracy and murder, where nefarious forces battle for control of L.A. public utilities.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) remains a landmark film that became Nicholson’s greatest achievement to date. The Ken Kesey novel on which it was based had already been adapted to the stage years before and went through years of development until everything fell into place. Nicholson was recommended through Hal Ashby who directed him in The Last Detail. In the film, Nicholson portrayed headstrong lowlife Randle McMurphy—a role that encapsulated his wildest qualities.
In prison for statutory rape, McMurphy feigns insanity for a transfer to an Oregon mental institution, where he assumes time will be easier. He unwittingly enters the crosshairs of the tyrannical Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) who is appalled by his rebellious nature and nonconformity. Their tense battle comprised a sprawling examination of the human condition; tragic, moving, and profound. It would win all five major Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Miloš Forman), Best Actor (Nicholson), Best Actress (Fletcher), and Best Screenplay.
The 1980s
Stanley Kubrick’s epic adaptation of the Stephen King best-seller The Shining (1980) easily ranks as one of the greatest horror films ever made. For Kubrick, Nicholson was his first and only choice for the lead role of Jack Torrance, schoolteacher, writer, and recovering alcoholic.
The well-known setup involves a winter caretaker position at the remote Overlook Hotel in the Rocky Mountains and its long-buried history of violence. We witness the destruction of the modern American family with wife Wendy (Shelly Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) at the hands of the very monster who is supposed to protect them.
Nicholson’s hasty descent into madness reflects his isolated surroundings and personal demons. The hidden evilness within the Overlook Hotel is further amplified by the film’s grand cinematography and Nicholson’s gleefully insane performance. The Shining remains one of his most famous roles for good reason, he’s captivating from start to finish.
Terms of Endearment (1983) was the first of four collaborations with director James L. Brooks, which gained Nicholson his second Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as sleazy bachelor and retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove. While the story mainly focuses on the mother/daughter relationship between Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger, Nicholson shines as an unexpected grifter who brings romance and excitement into lonely wdow MacLaine’s life…for a moment.
By the time George Miller’s adaptation of John Updike’s novel The Witches of Eastwick (1984) novel hit the big screen in 1987, Nicholson was at the height of his pre-Batman star power. His wild performance as Daryl Van Horne, mysterious newcomer to an idyllic Rhode Island town, is equal only to the talent of his formidable cast, including Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer who portray the “witches” whose plan to conjure up the ideal man backfires.
The summer of ’89 was an event for the ages. Warner Brothers released a gothic big-budget re-imagining of the famed Caped crusader, heavily influenced by the Frank Miller and Alan Moore comics of the 1980s. Batman (1989) was a massive hit that elevated the careers of director Tim Burton, composer Danny Elfman, and all involved.
It also revamped the entire comic book genre in ways that continues today. As the psychotic Joker, Nicholson gleefully embraced the role he seemed destined to play, leading to a new generation of fans with Batman movie posters in their rooms. He would also team up with Burton again, playing two comedic roles in the madcap big budget b-movie satire Mars Attacks! (1996).
The 1990s
A long-overdue sequel to Chinatown titled The Two Jakes was directed by Nicholson in addition to starring in it in 1990, but thankfully was not a sign of things to come for the new decade as the uneven film flopped at the box office.
But A Few Good Men (1992) remains a spellbinding military courtroom drama courtesy of director Rob Reiner, writer Aaron Sorkin, and excellent cast at the top of their game. Nicholson’s mesmerizing performance as the domineering Colonel Jessup remains a masterclass of acting. Tom
Cruise plays a self-centered Navy JAG officer defending two Marines for the murder of one of their own. The case seems clear cut until Cruise’s superior (Demi Moore) insists otherwise, leading to their discovery of a conspiracy that goes straight to the top.
The bombastic Jessup easily stands out as the film’s main highlight. No one else could have so convincingly demonstrated the pettiness, arrogance, and indignation of a man believing his actions to be justified. Endlessly quoted, the thunderous courtroom finale between Cruise and Nicholson ranks among the most gripping courtroom scenes in recent memory, and for good reason.
In As Goods as It Gets (1997), Nicholson won his third Best Actor Academy Award for his role as a misanthropic romance novelist who lives a solitary life in the big city. The hugely successful romantic comedy-drama was his third collaboration with writer/director James L. Brooks. Melvin Udall suffers from a dozen unspecified disorders, unable to connect with a single person around him.
His obsessive-compulsive behavior, bigoted comments, and general unpleasantness repels all who cross his path. He soon finds unlikely solace and eventual redemption in a waitress named Carol (Helen Hunt), the only person who can stand him. Nicholson’s performance makes Udall both engaging, relatable, and human. Helen Hunt holds her own and won Best Actress for her role opposite Nicholson in this truly engaging and entertaining modern classic.
The 2000s
In About Schmidt (2002), retired insurance actuary Warren Schmidt had high hopes for his future. From youth, he felt destined for greatness and dreamed of starting a Fortune 500 company. Reality, however, is not what he imagined. His crisis worsens when adjusting to retirement life and the lingering fears that come with it. So begins the heartwarming, tragic, and often hilarious odyssey of one man’s search for meaning in his twilight years.
About Schmidt was a critical and financial success, nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Actor. In accepting the Best Actor Golden Globe for a Motion Picture Drama, Nicholson said, “I don’t know whether to be happy or ashamed, because I thought we made comedy.” In some ways it was and so much more.
The Departed (2007) remains Nicholson’s only collaboration with director Martin Scorsese and one of the finest crime films of its kind. His over-the-top performance as the real-life South Boston mob boss Frank Costello resonates because he appears to be having so much fun with it. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon star as opposite police officers of the same coin. Damon has been groomed by Costello as an insider while DiCaprio has been groomed by a Special Investigations Unit to infiltrate Costello’s gang.
Deceit, murder, and vigilante justice round out this relentless, epic crime thriller. Famous for the visceral landmark mobster films Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995), Scorsese and editor Thelma Schoonmaker both won well-deserved Oscars for Best Picture, Director, and Film Editing. Nicholson’s Costello is a depraved lunatic who terrorizes his community and leaves misery in his wake. No one else could have made him such a blast to watch.
A Hard Swan Song to Swallow
Jack Nicholson’s lifetime of work has immortalized him as one of the greatest actors of all time. Since retirement, his fearless screen presence is sorely missed. There is no doubt, however, that he gave the best he could in nearly every role he took on. His significant contribution to films that challenged, moved, and entertained generations of audiences lives on.
This year, he celebrates his 87th birthday. He hasn’t been seen out in public or courtside at a Lakers game in some time. His children have stated that Nicholson prefers to remain close to home with family. In response, generations of grateful movie lovers send their best wishes to this titan of cinema.
During his AFI Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech in 1994, an emotional Nicholson said, “I love this work. It’s dangerous, you give your life to it. The truth is, I’m proud of all my collaborations. The work that this is about has set my life free.” He closed by saying, “All these things about age or time and everything is… you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Up until about a week ago, I truly thought the closest I would ever come to having any contact with a member of legendary ’60s rockers The Doors would be when I saw Ian Astbury – who at one time stepped in the shoes of late frontman Jim Morrison with The Doors of the 21st Century (a.k.a. Manzarek-Krieger) in the early 2000’s – on stage with The Cult back in 2001.
But alas, as fate would have it, the chance to pick away at the brain of Doors co-founder and Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Robby Kreiger presented itself recently, and it was impossible to resist. Krieger just recently released a new album with The Soul Savages, an instrumental effort infused with jazz, and psychedelic rock that became our initial main topic of conversation.
One of the first things I wanted to know was what fans could expect from said new album. He stated; “I hope they can expect to hear me grow as a guitar player and writer…otherwise why bother?” He continued enlightening me with his personal favorite track from the record, saying “My fave lately is “Contrary Motion,” I think it’s pretty advanced musically.”
Krieger filled me in on the lineup of the band as well; “Kevin Brandon – who has played with me on other projects in the past – plays bass (quite well I might add). And (Lenny Kravitz drummer) Franklin Vanderbilt handles drums, and Ed Roth (keyboards) was the first guy I hooked up with for this project.” As far as any touring plans might go for the group he informed me; “Depending on how much radio play, I hope so. We’ll definitely do the local (California-based) clubs like The Baked Potato and Vibrato.”
I was also curious what his relationship with former bandmate and Doors drummer John Densmore was like today, and if there were any potential plans to possibly play together again someday. He told me; “We talk quite often and I’m sure we’ll play together again.”
There were two things regarding Krieger’s work while in The Doors that I really wanted to know; what his personal favorite track from the band’s catalog was, and how he felt looking back on the post-Jim Morrison albums Other Voices and Full Circle that he and late keyboardist Ray Manzarek each shared vocal duties on. He stated; “My fav lately is “Wishful Sinful.” And we wrote that stuff fully expecting Jim to come back from Paris and record. Would’ve helped a bit to have his voice there.”
If I had to pinpoint my introduction to The Doors, it likely came via the 1987 film The LostBoys, in which Echo & the Bunnymen’s cover of “People Are Strange” plays a big part in the beginning. I was curious what his opinion of said cover was, and he declared; “Not bad! In fact I recently sat in with them at a festival in Long Beach. Was fun!” And keeping with the theme of The Doors in film, I also wanted to know how he felt about Actor Frank Whaley’s portrayal of him in the 1991 Oliver Stone film TheDoors. He responded; “I thought he was pretty good, but not good-looking enough (Laughs).”
And lastly, I wanted to know what else was on the bucket list for Krieger; “Need to have an instrumental hit like Booker T…maybe it will come from this album!”
Not since Andrew Lincoln departed the original Walking Dead series after its ninth season have I seen a show (and entire franchise) take such a steep downhill dive and overall decline in quality. But after disappointing conclusions and over-saturating the material with far too many spin-offs (all with varying results), the character of Rick Grimes (Lincoln) is resurrected and finally given his just due.
In the fist episode we learn that Rick, presumed dead after a helicopter crash in said original series, is alive and well (?) and part of the CRM, a military operation on the outskirts of Philadelphia focused on rebuilding society at a hefty cost. Rick is anything but free though as several attempts to escape back to his old life have proved unsuccessful.
Meanwhile Michonne (Danai Gurira) has been searching for her long lost love (Rick) and is shocked to find how submissive he has become once finally reunited. Meanwhile Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh), another leftover “bad guy” from the original show, holds their secret over their heads and threatens harm upon their family.
The initial reunion between the two characters, and – without giving too much of it away – the conclusion of the final episode are both some of the most gratifying moments of the show, albeit a tad on the cliche and predictable side. Nonetheless, the ending here is far closer to what fans of the very first show since 2010 had deserved over what was actually dished out on that series finale.
Like many of us who grew up watching much of the original run of Night Court from 1984-1992, I too was initially excited to hear the beloved classic show based in a New York City court house would be coming back for a reboot in 2023. But like the majority of media that’s resurrected in today’s world, I was also skeptical knowing that often times the original source material is far better left alone (Fuller House is first to come to mind). I only caught sporadic episodes of the first season of said “reboot” here though, but made a conscience effort to make it through the entirety of season two, for better or worse.
Dan Larroquette is the only cast member to return from the original series (it’s a shame the late Richard Moll was unable to appear as Bull Shannon at least once prior to his passing in 2023), and has unfortunately lost much of his “edge” in this tamed-down version of the character. Melissa Rauch is cast in the lead role as Abby, the daughter of the late Judge Harry Stone (Harry Anderson), and at times works when she’s not being too overly “Hey, look at me and the funny thing I just did!”
This particular season tackled everything from granting children’s Christmas wishes to comic cons, each with varying results. One standout episode titled “The Roz Affair” finds former cast member Marsha Warfield returning as Roz Doyle, leading to a fairly welcomed reunion between her and Larroquette (Lacretta does an admirable job as current bailiff Donna “Gurgs” Gurganous in her place). Warfield later returns for the final episode of the season centering around her wedding, yet another highlight.
Another episode titled “Wheelers of Fortune” finds Brent Spiner and Annie O’Donnell returning as the whacky Bob and June Wheeler, and add some humorous moments of their own. But then there’s also episodes like “The Dukes a Hazard,” so forced and unfunny I felt embarrassed for all those involved (even gust star Dave Foley, whose work on The Kids in the Hall and elsewhere I’ve often enjoyed over the years).
I can’t say I would give this latest version of Night Court a high recommendation per se, but there are way worse sitcoms out there these days in comparison. Give it at least a casual try if you were ever a fan of the original show and judge for yourself.
I was already aware of some prior negativity being thrown out there regarding the latest fourth entry (we’re not going to include that dreaded 2016 reboot here) in the Ghostbusters franchise, and after catching it on the big screen this past opening weekend, for the life of me I just don’t understand why.
The latest chapter finds the Spengler family (McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and Carrie Coon) and Grooberson (Paul Rudd) now all fully (and rapidly) established Ghostbusters in New York City via Oklahoma after their encounters in 2021’s Afterlife (I never said there weren’t a few plot holes here). Viewers are instantly thrown into their new chaotic lifestyles, and the adventure quickly begins.
Things seem all-too routine until a random slacker (Kumail Nanjiani) sells a strange orb belonging to his recently deceased grandmother to O.G. Ghostbuster Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) in his occult shop, which just so happens to contain a trapped evil entity capable of being the catalyst to the end of the modern world as we know it.
Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts all return again from the older films, with even William Atherton reprising his role again as Walter Peck from the 1984 original (which admittedly felt a bit on the “forced” side). Blink and you might even miss the brief cameo of John Rothman as the library administrator from the first film as well. New cast members also include Patton Oswalt, Emily Alyn Lynn, and James Acaster (among others). Curiously however Sigourney Weaver does not show up here even after her quick cameo at the end credits of Afterlife.
There’s moments of nostalgia (the nod to Ray Parker, Jr. on a television set in one scene is a nice touch), but it’s never too overly sentimental. It’s far from a “perfect” film, but I honestly felt like that kid again watching Ghostbusters II up on the big screen in the summer of 1989 (back when life was much more simple). For that, I don’t have all that much to say about Frozen Empire that isn’t positive; the “For Ivan” added on at the ending credits for late Director Ivan Reitman also shows a certain touch of class by new Director Gil Kenan for sure.
If there was ever any doubt whether or not Judas Priest could still bring it nineteen albums into their career, it’s quickly answered within seconds of spinning their latest record, Invincible Shield, which hits listeners with a dose of metal perfection right from the start that simply never lets up.
I was legitimately caught off guard by the intensity of opening track “Panic Attack,” a ferocity that continues with the likes of “Devil in Disguise,” “As God Is My Witness,” and “Fight of Your Life” (the latter of which one of three bonus songs found on the “deluxe edition” of the album).
But “Crown of Horns” is without a doubt the true standout here, with some of the best guitar work from the band on the album, and probably one of my favorite songs from them overall in years. Aside from the title track and maybe one or two others, there’s really very few weaker moments to even be found here at all though.
I think it’s safe to say my love for Priest has only increased over the years, and Invincible Shield only helps reinforce this. It’s reassuring to know that Rob Halford and company are still capable of releasing such strong material this deep in to their career, a testament to the character of its core members no doubt.
