Back So Soon? Episode 53 Show Notes...

Howdy at-home movie lovers....

Ah, the advantages of having material in the can....Marquee Show 53 is now live and worldwide with numero 54 following closely behind (but not tailgating).

Compared to the magnum opuses of the last two Oscar-fueled production monsters, putting together this 'un was smooth....and although it's a shorty, some good stuff to recommend, especially Kurt Cobain: About A Son, The Jane Austen Book Club and Barry Manilow: Songs From The 70's...hey, no snickering....even Dylan and the once and forever Chairman Of The Board (aka Francis Albert Sinatra) proclaimed themselves fans...but more on that in a second.

I'll never forget hearing the band Nirvana for the first time...and it was in a most unusual setting. As I said in a previous dispatch, I was part of an SNL-ish program in my neck of the woods in the early 1990's...and during one sketch that defies description, we segued from Smells Like Teen Spirit to Give A Little Whistle from Pinocchio (I kid you not) and back again....and it was during the shooting of this bit that I heard that groundbreaking grunge staple...and it was the most vital piece of rock and roll I'd heard in ages. Wasn't long before I became the proud owner of a copy of Nevermind like millions of others sonically baptized into the fold...but just as quickly as the flashpoint ignited, Cobain was gone.

Without giving too much away, let me just say that About A Son is not only the most unusual musical documentary I've seen in a long time, it's endlessly revelatory and invaluable in the way it peels away the TMZ-ish crap that's formed the public image of Cobain's image since his passing...and makes you feel like you're getting to know him for the first time...and all without the use of one single solitary song from his back catalog.

Note I said, unusual. Check it out...you won't be sorry. A must for rock scholars, Cobain-philes and anyone that appreciates filmmakers tearing up the atypical rock documentary playbook to bits....something I know Kurt was surely approve.

I was also wonderfully surprised by The Jane Austen Book Club...Despite still being a virgin as far as her writings, I'm a major romantic, so I had no trouble immersing myself in this so-called chick flick that I don't think many a female will have to twist their boyfriend's/hubby's arms into settling in on the couch for it....and fellas, even if it doesn't strike the same chord in you? Maria Bello, Maggie Grace (attention LOST geeks!), Kathy Baker (adorable actress from Edward Scissorhands and Picket Fences), Amy Brennerman and Emily Blunt....but please, don't slobber too much in the midst of eye-candy overload...that might affect post end credits mood making.

Finally, Mr. "I Write The Songs" salutation, here. I get so tired of people painting Barry Manilow fans in a corner...You've either got to be a middle-aged housewife reliving a bedroom wall teenage crush or a guy with the enthusiasm of Ross The (Tonight Show) Intern in heat. I fit into neither of those categories (save for when my lovable three year old great nephew accidentally points a toy in the wrong direction toward my nether regions....only then might I go Ross-y and achieve Frankie Valli high notes of vintage Four Seasons proportions in the process). In other words, you won't see me hurriedly hiding my copy of Barry Manilow: Songs From The 70's when company comes over. From bringing back out those infamous commercial jingles (yay!) from his pre-Mandy days that helped ward off the landlord to a stirring cover of He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (nice tip of the hat to fellow Brooklyn boy Neil Diamond) and a baker's dozen of AM transistor classics that still sound great in the I-Pod age, it's just as fun as his recent Emmy winning Music and Passion in half the time.

You know the drill: www.thedvdmarquee.com

Looks like tomatoes, er, we made it,

Jeffrey
(Lord of the Marquee)

Quick Update

Apologies for the delay in getting Episode 50 up, folks....But to make it up to ya, I'm taping two shows back to back with the possibility of a third as well. Lots of new stuff to talk about including what I feel will be the year's first big DVD seller in Beowulf....

--Jeffrey

Future Reviews On The Show, Etc.

Hi folks....

Looks like there's light at the end of the tunnel as far as the post-holiday blah's as far as exciting DVD releases to talk about on our show and our blogs. Actually, this month hasn't been that bad with quality offerings ranging from Danny Boyle's Sunshine to King Of California, with the latter featuring Michael Douglas' best performance in ages...so much so that it's going to be amongst the three main DVD's featured on our forthcoming 50th episode which will be up by this weekend.



In addition to a dozen or so recent releases in our Quick Takes segments, I'll also be talking up SONY's new upgrade of Bill Murray's classic comedy Groundhog Day (say it hasn't been 15 years!) and an outstanding PBS Home Video release compiling the most recent episodes of Pioneers Of Television.



More to come,

Jeffrey



--Jeffrey Rosado is a free lance writer, pop culture historian
and host/writer/creator of The DVD Marquee podcast.