Film Review: Dio: Dreamers Never Die (BMG)

By: Jesse Striewski

I’m sure I’ve probably mentioned this a time or two before, but one of the biggest personal regrets I have is not catching the late, great Ronnie James Dio in concert before his death in 2010 (the closest I ever came was a 2019 Dio Returns show, where several former members of the Dio band paid tribute to their former singer while using live backing tracks of Ronnie behind them, along with a hologram of him). The recent documentary Dio: Dreamers Never Die certainly helps confirm this regret.

Spanning his entire life and career, the film covers every aspect of his time in rock music. From Elf to Rainbow, to Black Sabbath to Dio, there’s no shortage of story to tell. And featuring interviews and insight from fellow personalities and rockers like Rob Halford, Eddie Trunk, Lita Ford, and Jack Black, as well as former wife Wendy Dio, and a host of many of Ronnie’s former bandmates.

“The Man on the Silver Mountain,” “Heaven and Hell,” “We Rock,” “Holy Diver,” “Rainbow in the Dark,” “The Last in Line,” and “Rock and Roll Children” are just a few of the titles Dio gifted us during his time on this Earth, and remain unmistakable classics to this day. The origins to many of these tracks are meticulously covered in great detail, among many others.

But of course, there’s only one way Dio’s life story can possibly end…with his unfortunate death. The results are some of the most tear-jerking moments compiled on film in recent memory (no doubt enough to make a grown man such as myself shed a tear or two). But that just stands to reason the true testament of Ronnie James Dio; every bit of praise is not only accurate, but deserved. He left behind a legacy that most artists today could only dream of ever having, and those of us who knew his music, understood his deep impact and worth.

Shot from the Dio Returns show Rewind It Magazine covered at The Plaza Live on 6/2/19. Photo by Brooke Striewski.

Shot from the Dio Returns show Rewind It Magazine covered at The Plaza Live in Orlando, FL on 6/2/19. Photo by Brooke Striewski.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

In Memoriam: Kirstie Alley (1951-2022)

By: Jesse Striewski

I was far too young for Cheers during Shelley Long’s run as Diane Chambers in the earlier seasons, but can clearly remember watching the show after Kirstie Alley had come on board in the late ’80s as Rebecca Howe, and quickly became a fan all the way up to the much-watched series finale on May 20, 1993. In that short span of time watching the show, I’m not ashamed to admit I had the major hots for Alley. But it was more than just a physical attraction; her ability to appear so down to Earth, not to mention quick-witted, made her a strong, relatable example of an ’80s woman, just as much as a sexy one. I wasn’t prepared when I learned of her passing last night on December 5, 2022.

Alley was born in Witchita, Kansas on January 12, 1951, and made her film debut four decades ago in 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Although I’ve never been much of a Trekie myself, the sequel was much more tolerable than many other entries in the series, perhaps partly due to Alley’s involvement.

From there on out, Alley made appearances in a number of supporting roles in such ’80s staples (at least in my book) as 1984’s Blind Date and the Sci-Fi action/thriller Runaway opposie both Tom Selleck, and Gene Simmons of KISS (a personal favorite of mine to this day, and the scene where Alley “strips down” in front of Selleck is one still etched in my mind after all these years).

If there were a “breakthrough” year for Alley, it’d have to be 1987; not only did she score big co-starring (with Mark Harmon) in the hit film Summer School, she also landed said role of Rebecca on the previously-mentioned hit television series Cheers, a character she would thrive as for six full seasons.

By 1989 she had become a box office draw, co-starring with John Travolta in what was billed as his “comeback” in 1989’s comedy romp Look Who’s Talking (re-uniting her in sorts with her Blind Date co-star Willis). The film was successful enough to spawn two sequels; 1990’s Look Who’s Talking Too and 1993’s Look Who’s Talking Now.

Aside from the L.W.T. sequels, the ’90s were not as kind to her at the box office, but she appeared in a number of underrated films such as 1990’s Madhouse with John Larroquette, John Carpenter’s Village of the Damned (1995), and 1997’s For Richer or Poorer (along with Tim Allen). But she fared better on the small screen, landing another hit show in the form of Veronica’s Closet on NBC, which ran from 1997-2000.

She made more sporadic appearances throughout the next couple of decades, becoming a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig in 2004 after struggling with weight issues, and occasionally still scoring a memorable role or two (her guest spot on a 2006 episode of The King of Queens particularly stands out) and short-lived starring roles like 2013’s Kirstie, and 2016’s Scream Queens.

Most recently, Alley appeared as a contestant on season seven of The Masked Singer earlier this year, which looks to be her final public appearance now since her family announced her passing at the age of 71 on Monday night after a battle with cancer. Although I can’t say I understood every aspect of her personal life (especially her spiritual beliefs), I definitely think her and I would’ve seen eye to eye politically (among other things). Her death no doubt came as a sudden shock to many, and left yet another huge unfortunate void for all of us children of the ’80s. She will be missed by many.

Album Review: Ozzy Osbourne – Patient Number 9 (Epic Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

I was initially hesitant when I first heard Ozzy Osbourne would be releasing another album so soon after 2020’s Ordinary Man, feeling it might be on the “rushed” side. But it doesn’t take a genius to recognize greatness when they hear it, and that’s exactly what’s achieved with (most of) Patient Number 9.

From the moment the title track/first single kicks into high gear, it’s apparent the Prince of Darkness has still got it, crooning through seven minutes of epic proportions. From then on, the Ozzman channels his best John Lennon impression (“One of Those Days,” “God Only Knows”) to echoing back to his days in Black Sabbath (“Evil Shuffle,” “No Escape From Now,” Degradation Rules” – the latter two each featuring former Sabbath band mate and godfather of the metal guitar, Tony Iommi). But it’s when Ozzy dives deep that’s most interesting; “Nothing Feels Right” and “Dead and Gone” might just go down as a couple of my personal favorites here.

Aside from Iommi, there’s an array of other star musicians that guest here, including longtime axeman to Ozzy’s solo band Zakk Wylde, and legendary guitarists like Eric Claption and Jeff Beck. Bass parts are rounded out by Metallica’s Robert Trujillo and Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, while drum duties are handled by Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in what may now be his final recorded performance.

But getting back to the music, Patient Number 9 delivers on all accounts as both a rock record, and an Ozzy album, filled with heavy menancing riffs, and plenty of catchy hooks. Surprisingly, there’s not even a lot of filler found here, either. At seventy-four years old, Ozzy shows he’s still got it after all these years, and I’m just thankful to still be able to witness it.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Series Review: The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Season 2 (Disney +)

By: Jesse Striewski

This latest season of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers is even more predictably wholesome than the last, yet somehow it still works. All the familiar underdog story tropes are thrown in as usual, but even the “bullies” are painfully likable this time around.

Our heroes now find themselves fish (or ducks?) out of water when they arrive unintentionally invited to an elite summer hockey camp ran by a former NHL player (Josh Duhamel). As the team and their coach (played by the returning Lauren Graham) struggle to fit in and make their own individual marks at the camp, they encounter new allies and adversaries, and plenty of conflicts to contend with.

Gone is Emilio Estevez as Gordon Bombay, replaced this time by Duhmal, who does his best take on the stereotypical alpha male role. And the returning team itself is again made up of some talented youngsters, lead by Brady Noon, Taegen Burns, Swayam Bhatia, Maxewell Simkins, and Luke Islam, this time joined by the likes of newcomer Naveen Paddock.

There’s obvious similarities to other youthful contemporary shows like Cobra Kai, though everything is kept family friendly. And as corny as it may be, both seasons of Game Changers so far have been the most fun I’ve had watching a fictional hockey-themed show since going to see D2 in the theater all the way back in 1994. With that being said, the kid in me actually enjoyed skating into this one with the fam, and you just might too if you slide into the neutral zone with an open mind.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Book Review: Still Alright: A Memoir By Kenny Loggins with Jason Turbow (Hachette Book Group)

By: Jesse Striewski

Growing up a kid in the ’80s, Kenny Loggins to me was simply “the movie soundtrack guy,” as faceless in my mind as the famous “voiceover guy” for all of the big movie trailers back in the day. Of course it wasn’t until later in life I started realizing these were actual people with lives that I never gave much consideration to, with many other artists such as Loggins eventually becoming more human to me.

Reading his book I discovered even more about him than I ever expected to, perhaps even a bit more than necessary if I’m being honest (Loggins’ memoir is a tad more detailed than many others I’ve read in the past, often teetering on the brink of boredom). In fact, I nearly forgot completely that he experienced his first success prior to being a solo artist with Loggins & Messina, and had even written/co-written such classics as “Your Mama Don’t Dance” and “Danny’s Song.”

Loggins goes over every chapter of his life’s journey without missing a single note, sharing with audiences all of the highs and lows that come along with pop stardom. At times it’s a fascinating ride, while at other moments you want the point to be reached already (and on a side note, I think Loggins and I are complete opposites as far as politics are concerned, not surprising).

But I have to give thanks where it’s due; if not for hearing that opening guitar riff from “Danger Zone” the first time I saw Top Gun all those years ago, I might never have fallen in love with rock music the way I did (okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but it was a definite mind/eye-opening moment for me nonetheless). If you’ve ever felt remotely the same about Loggins’ music, you’ll likely enjoy the ride as well.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Series Review: The Walking Dead Season 11 (AMC)

By: Jesse Striewski

When The Walking Dead premiered on Halloween night 2010, I was a single father at the time, in need of some definite escapism to fill the void after completing a full night of trick-or-treating with my son and dropping him off to his mother’s place for the rest of the night. The show was the perfect remedy I needed, not only that very night, but for many more to come.

Since then I’ve never seen a show climb so steadily (and painfully) down hill before in my life. What once was a concise series filled with relatable characters and plots worth emotionally vesting in, became muddled with far too many ridiculously tedious and (often non-sensical) subplots, as well as the addition of far too many unlikable characters that it became impossible to keep track of them all, many just being added for no better reason other than to show how “woke” the show could be. Even the special effects have suffered an immense loss of quality.

The show had been on a noticeable decline for several seasons now, ever since the writing staff started going through changes and main characters like original boss man Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincolin) left (no doubt seeing the writing on the wall). But this latest season has just been so predictable, and just plan weird at times. You’ve got all these different communities (or “Commonwealth”) intertwined together, with these storm-trooper looking morons walking around now that it all just feels like, frankly, a joke. There’s even an episode that featured a full-on wrestling match in the zombie apocalypse, if you can believe that.

The core trio of early cast members that consists of Darryl (Norman Reedus), Maggie (Lauren Cohan), and Carol (Melissa McBride) hold it together as best as the can among the noise and chaos, but are given little to nothing to work with here. It’s not until the very last finale episode that anything of any real interest actually occurs, with some standout emotional performances from the likes of Rosita (Christian Serratos) and Eugene (Josh McDermitt) that offers some sort of closure at least.

But it doesn’t really end there now, does it? With multiple spin-offs still very much in motion, we’ll still be seeing more from this “dead” horse for years to come. Let The Walking Dead be a lesson to AMC of exactly what not to do to a once-flawless show. Hopefully at least one of said spin-offs (I’m putting my money on the one about Rick and Michonne) will manage to bring some integrity back to the brand, instead of just continuing to tarnish it.

Rating: 1.5/5 Stars

Film Review: Falling For Christmas (Netflix)

By: Jesse Striewski

Hailed as Lindsay Lohan’s “comeback” film (it’s been nearly a decade since her last major starring role), Falling For Christmas at best is a bag of mixed emotions that can’t decide if it’s a straight romantic comedy, or a parody of every Hallmark Christmas movie ever made.

Lohan plays the spoiled diva daughter of an Aspen business tycoon who suffers amnesia immediately after her uppity boyfriend (George Young) proposes to her on a mountain top. But she’s of course taken in by a local lodge owner (Chord Overstreet) who happens to be a single father. Of course, sparks eventually fly, and without giving away too much, the two realize their respective destinies (despite seemingly not the best real life “match”).

The material isn’t always concise, but Lohan is undenibly likeable here, especially in the many the fish-out-of-water scenarios her character is thrown into. Nothing life-changing here, but a harmless film and Lohan vehicle no doubt.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Album Review: Queensryche – Digital Noise Alliance (Century Media Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

Quite a bit has changed in the Queensryche camp since 2019’s The Verdict album; drummer Casey Grillo is now a full time member of the band, and guitarist Mike Stone has since returned after a decade-plus absence. Still intact though is that signature sound the group created well over four decades ago.

Here the guys unleash yet another round of thought-provoking progressive metal true to form. Opener “In Extremis” gives listeners an immediate look at what’s to come from the twelve track album. “Chapters,” Nocturnal Light,” and “Out of the Black” are by far some of the stronger tracks found here, with the single “Behind the Walls” standing out as an instant classic. There’s also a seven minute masterpiece in the form of “Tormentum” that’s undeniably perfect.

“Hold On” is likely to become a staple in the band’s live sets, but is weak in comparison to the previously mentioned other numbers, though does contain a music video that makes interesting social commentary on the digital age (hence the album title). Surprisingly, the band end things with a cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” a curious yet admirable choice to close things out with.

If you’ve already been bit by the Queensryche bug, this shouldn’t be hard for you to get into; even purists who still can’t get past the fact that Geoff Tate is no longer fronting the band might be able to find something worthwhile that’s assembled here.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Film Review: Hocus Pocus 2 (Walt Disney Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

The original Hocus Pocus from 1993 was an innocent enough family film from Disney; while not a “hit” at the time, over the years it has since grown to cult status thanks to repeated showings during the Halloween season and seeping its way into pop culture via costumes and various other merchandise and yearly decorations.

Nearly three full decades later, Disney finally had enough foresight to realize the time was right to reunite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters from the first film for another round of Halloween mischief. If you’ve already seen the original film, then it should come as no surprise just how the three witches appear in Salem again. And just like the first film, they’re put in plenty of familiar fish-out-of-water scenarios with amusing results (the Walgreens scene is fairly ingenious, albeit a shameless cross-promotion all the same) with a group of all new protagonists played by Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham, respectively.

Gone though are the rest of the old cast and characters (aside from Doug Jones, who also returns as the zombie Billy), an unfortunate missed opportunity, as well as director Kenny Ortega’s presence. The effects this time around are also noticeably lazier, and of course, you can’t make a Disney film in 2022 without at least some sort of underlying message of “equality” (though thankfully not overly in-your-face as some others). Overall though, the young newcommers are definitely admirable with what material they have to work with here.

All in all, Hocus Pocus 2 is a fairly harmless adventure, sure to please all the little ghouls and goblins in your haunted house this Halloween.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Album Review: Darkthrone – Astral Fortress (Peaceville Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

I’m not as privy when it comes to black metal these days as I might have once been, but Darkthrone is one band I still hold appreciation for no matter how distant from the genre I may have become. At this point, core members Fenriz and Nocturno Culto have become the Lennon and McCartney of the extreme metal genre.

Astral Fortress, the band’s twentieth full-length album (released just one year since their previous outing, Eternal Hails), finds the group hard at work conjuring more sinister numbers that sound as though they came straight from hell. No time is wasted right off the bat, as the band unleash the nearly eight-minute long “Caravan of Broken Ghosts.” And although only seven tracks total, the length of many songs makes it feel even longer, with “The Sea Beneath the Seas of Seas” clocking in at over ten minutes long. Other titles like “Kevorkian Times” and “Eon 2” are more straight forward and direct to the point.

I usually have to be in the right mood to listen to black metal, but once I do I usually find myself totally immersed in the isolated nature of it all. Darkthrone are a force to be reckoned with, and a perfect starting point for anyone just now getting into extreme metal.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars