Hit So Hard: The Life & Near Death Story of Patty Schemel
April 22nd, 2012 by chocko
Last week, we saw the documentary titled, Hit So Hard which tells the story of Patty Schemel, the drummer of the infamous band, HOLE. It is a brutally honest and cautionary tale of Patty’s meteoric rise to “rockstar” fame while struggling with the demons of alcoholism and addiction. Most of the movie features behind-the-scenes video footage Patty shot from 1992 – 1998 while touring the world with one of the biggest bands of the grunge era. You’ll see it all, from the backstage shenanigans to the sweaty moshpits of the early nineties. Most of Patty’s belongings from that era were lost but miraculously her videotapes survived. After watching the film, you will be amazed that Patty survived as well.
The film is crammed with many intriguing stories: Patty’s struggles as a gay teenager seeking acceptance and love, Patty’s passion for punk rock music and drums and her close friendships with Kurt Cobain (he steals the scene in every clip he’s in!) and founding member of Hole, Kristen Pfaff (who unfortunately died from a drug overdose 2 months after Cobain’s suicide). There is a part of the movie that tells the story of the recording of Celebrity Skin (Hole’s third album) – a shocking and eye-opening glimpse at the evil ways of the music business. The film also features recent interviews of family, people who know Patty including her former band mates: Eric Erlandson (guitarist), Melissa Auf Der Maur (bassist who replaced Pfaff) and Courtney Love (lead vocalist).
Courtney is also a big part of the film and despite her negative public image, there is a human side to her that shines through in the movie. In a big sister sort of way, it is Courtney that helps and provides the push that Patty needed to recover from her drug addiction after becoming a homeless crack addict on the streets, desperate for the next high.
I enjoyed the film a lot and definitely recommend it. I can’t wait to get a DVD release of this, hopefully with lots of extras and commentaries!
After the opening screening at Cinema Village in NYC, Patty on drums, Eric Erlandson on guitar and James McNew of Yo La Tengo on bass rocked out and performed a song by The Wipers, “Over The Edge” with James on vocals. Miss Guy of NYC glam rockers, The Toilet Boys, provided the vocals on “Celebrity Skin” and “Violet” with the help of an overenthusiastic audience member who provided the yelling during the memorable chorus. Sia dazzled the crowd with her rendition of “Miss World” after calling out Courtney…was she in the crowd?
Melissa Auf Der Maur made a surprise appearance, coming all the way from Hudson, New York where she recently opened an art space, Basilica Hudson. Gotta say it…looking great for being a new mom! She joined her old crew for an instrumental of “Use Once & Destroy” and capped the night off with Sebadoh’s “Brand New Love.” Check out the videos below!
Tags: cinema village, courtney love, hit so hard, melissa auf der maur, movie, new york city, nyc, patty schemel, review, screening
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Alphabet City – “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” – photos
April 19th, 2012 by Mr. C
A weekday gander around alphabet city led me onto some new and old graff pieces including the mural on Gil Scott-Heron on 12th & Avenue C and the mocking of The Fancy buff over Pinterest which The Fancy commisioned the Tats Cru to paint. The Fancy piece can be found on 2nd street by Avenue A. I was also trying to get into the community park known as La Plaza Cultural on Avenue C and 9th street with all the ingenious sculptures made from recyclable material perched on top of the fence throughout the perimeter of the park, but unfortunately the green space was locked.
Thanks to Eating in Translation for the 411 on the Tats Cru piece. Check them out for NYC eats and beyond!
(photos by mr c)
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cherry blossoms and graffiti in brick city – NJ
April 18th, 2012 by Mr. C
After our recent expedition to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden to take a peek at the cherry blossoms, I HAD to represent and pay homage to one of our nations largest collection of cherry blossom trees – a mere 4,300+ trees – I was told! And located where? Right in my homestate of NJ and only about 12 miles away from the Planet Chocko experimental labs. Her name is Branch Brook Park in Newark. A beautiful park she is and the cherry blossoms be a bloomin’! Branch Brook Park boasts a beautiful array of these colorful trees. Amongst the serenity of the park would also lay some evidence of urban aerosol art – quite serene and beautiful in its own right. Keystone, a paperboard box manufacturing company that has been in Newark for over 100 years would be the canvas for a community of graffiti artists. Keystone is located adjacent to the park on the northeast section of Branch Brook divided by a fence – across the street from a school. I spoke briefly with one of the workers of the company and he stated that the owner of Keystone welcomes the art as it promotes unity within their community. All the artists respect the property and each others work.
So there you have it, cherry blossoms and graffiti in one setting! I would definitely recommend that you make a visit to Branch Brook Park – pronto!
Checkout Bloomfest at Branch Brook Park!
Date: Sunday, April 22
Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension
Events include Japanese Cultural Demonstrations, children’s activities, live music, a crafters’ market place, food & more. Free.
On the side and back of this building…
(photos by mr c)
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brooklyn botanical garden – photos
April 10th, 2012 by Mr. C
We spent a better part of Easter Sunday at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden to soak in some nature to offset the concrete slabs with the hopes to catch some cherry blossoms in bloom but I think we were just a few days too early. According to this really neat map offered online by Brooklyn Botanical Garden, you can actually see the “CherryWatch Blossom Status“. Pretty darn cool updates for the green thumb & plant enthusiast in you! The smells and sight of mother nature was a much needed reprieve from the everyday grind.
On the weekend of April 28-29th, come down to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for the Sakura Matsuri event! It’s going to be a funfilled weekend celebrating traditional and contemporary Japanese culture! We are talking about Taiko Drumming • Manga Artists • J-Pop Bands • Tea Ceremonies * Samurai Sword Fighting • Cosplay Fashion Show • Bonsai Demonstrations • Minbu Folk Dance • Kids’ Workshops • Puzzle Plaza and More!
See ya’ there and in the meantime enjoy some photos that we took from the BBG!
Brooklyn Botanical Garden
1000 Washington Ave
Brooklyn, New York 11225
(photos by mr c)
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NJ Graffiti Mural Causes Uproar
April 9th, 2012 by chocko
A Trayvon Martin (a teenager shot and killed in Sanford, Florida) tribute mural recently completed in Elmwood Park, New Jersey features a hooded figure and graffiti. The mysterious man depicted with the hoodie is actually a a self-portrait of local artist, Joe Iurato who has been painting faceless, hooded figures for quite some time now. Iurato along with artists Snow, Demer, Mr. Mustart and 2Tek were invited to paint a mural on the side of Messina Deli on E. 54th St. in Elmwood Park, NJ (Iurato’s hometown). It’s only a few blocks away from where my best friend, Raluca (R.I.P.) lived. She was an amazing human being and artist and she would have got a kick out of seeing street art in her neck of the woods.
Most residents support the mural, but unfortunately, the town has received multiple complaints from residents (old folks!) who see the mural as a threat to their quiet neighborhood. They see it as a threat that promotes vandalism and gang activity. I checked out the mural this morning in person and think those ideas are a misinterpretation and there is nothing in that artwork I saw that suggests gangs, violence, drugs nor vandalism. The owner of the building granted permission to the artists (who are not gangsters!) to paint the wall! I think art in any community is a valuable asset and can add color and positive messages in a landscape which already bombards us mostly with images and advertisements that force-feed us products and ideas that normal people can’t relate to. So much for freedom of speech to express his or her own ideas…I read an article in a local newspaper and it suggests that the town will most likely have the mural removed. Enjoy the photos by Chocko and Mr. C.
(PANORAMIC PHOTOS by MR. C)
Tags: demer, elmwood park, graffiti, joe Iuratato, mr. mustart, mural, new jersey, nj, snow, street art, trayvon martin
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Lower East Chinese Side + DUMBO Brooklyn – photos
April 9th, 2012 by Mr. C
You can take my idaho potatoes, oranges, and bean sprouts but you cannot have my cart! – Chatham Square, Chinatown
who needs polo on horseback – fuggetaboutit!! – Sarah D Roosevelt Park
DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bride Overpass) – Brooklyn
(all photos by mr c)
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Adventures of an Autograph Hound
April 7th, 2012 by chocko
Eric Erlandson, Patty Schemel and Melissa Auf der Maur made an appearance at Barnes & Noble in Union Square to promote Eric’s new book titled “Letters To Kurt” on the death anniversary of his friend, Kurt Cobain. Eric read some of his emotional letters, which actually read like ‘stream of consciousness’ poetry. His former Hole bandmates, Patty and Melissa also shared their thoughts about the loss of their friend and music icon. Eric and Melissa also performed some songs including “Seasons In The Sun,” a song Nirvana covered during their last tour. Eric considered it Kurt’s “swan song.” They ended the night with a cover of The Smiths song, “Paint A Vulgar Picture.” Pretty heavy stuff for a Thursday night! Be sure to check out Patty’s upcoming documentary about being in Hole. “Hit So Hard” starts at the Cinema Village in NYC on April 13. Melissa Auf der Maur recently opened an art space, Basilica Hudson in Hudson, New York. Check them out for upcoming events!
Tommy Ramone, the only living original member of the legendary punk band, THE RAMONES stopped by Barnes & Noble in Tribeca recently along with Linda Ramone (Johhny Ramone’s wife) and John Cafiero (director of documentary Ramones Raw) to sign the Johnny Ramone autobiography, Commando. There was a big turnout and it was good to see that people still care about a band that helped pave the way for punk, new wave and alternative bands. Tommy signed lots of Ramones memorabilia including my highly coveted “Rocket To Russia” album. Tommy is currently in a band, Uncle Monk whose music is rooted in old-timey bluegrass music.
Nicki Minaj at the Best Buy in Harlem…getting her new CD, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded autographed was a major ordeal. First, I had to get up early for the 8AM wristband pickup and had to move my hovercraft in two different spots to avoid parking tickets. Then, I had to go back to the store at 4pm to line up for the 6pm signing. The diva from outer space was an hour late but it was all worth it. I killed a lot of time in Harlem, shopping at Hue-man Bookstore (2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd), wandering the streets for bootleg blaxploitation movies on 125th St and eating at soul food spots such as Jacob Restaurant on Lenox Ave. They have an excellent buffet there but don’t pile your plate too high because there’s so many places to eat in Harlem. I also ate at Patsy’s for the first time. They’ve been located at 2287 First Ave (between 117th and 118th St) for 75 years and I could just kick myself for not checking them out sooner. It was the best pizza I’ve had since going to Rome a couple months ago. Thin slices, crispy crust. No joke…gotta go back soon!
Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields) at the signing table after his recent appearance with Emma Straub (author of The Other People We Married) at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. Stephin performed a couple songs with his ukulele including “Andrew In Drag,” “Your Girlfriend’s Face,” “This Little Ukulele” and “The Book of Love.” Stephin signed anything you brought at the table but weirdly did not want to personalize anything. He told me that without personalization, my CD was now worth 5 times more if I sold it at Academy Records. Funny dude! Check out Love At The Bottom of The Sea the new album by the Magnetic Fields. It’s their first album on Merge Records since 1999’s 69 Love Songs. Go get it!
Jennifer Hudson showed up at a Barnes & Noble in midtown a couple months ago to promote “I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down,” her encouraging book about weight loss. Jennifer dropped 80 pounds and is looking good. Security at the event was super strict about taking photos. Chocko went into ninja-mode and took the photo anyway. Jennifer was more than happy to sign CDs too.
Overkill, the old school thrash metal band from New Jersey made a stop at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ to promote and sign their new album, The Electric Age. Despite the middle finger salutes (they might have disapproved of me bringing a bootleg to the table), the dudes are quite friendly and have a dedicated fan base that showed up in great numbers. Pictured clockwise from the top left corner: Bobby “Blitz” Ellworth (vocals), D.D. Verni (bass), Rob Lipnicki (drums), and Derek “The Skull” Tailer (rhythm guitar). Pick up the new album-guaranteed quality whiplash-inducing head banging music! Check ’em out live at The Killfest 2012 Tour with God Forbid, Diamond Plate and Sudkara!
Tags: eric erlandson, jennifer hudson, melissa auf der maur, nicki minaj, overkill, patty schemel, ramones, signings, stephin meritt, tommy ramone
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DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles played Highline Ballroom
April 2nd, 2012 by chocko
Last Monday DJ Premier and Freddie Foxxx (aka Bumpy Knuckles) tore the roof off Highline Ballroom in celebration Bumpy’s birthday and also the release of Kolexxxion, a new album featuring Foxxx on the microphone and Premier on the beats. The night started with DJ Technician from The Bronx spinning new and classic tracks. He announced that there was a Wu-Block album coming out soon that features Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan and Sheek Louch of D-Block.
DJ Premier emerged behind the turntables and early in the night was surrounded by some Legendary Hip Hop Pioneers: Grandmaster Flash and DJ Kool Herc. If you don’t know who those two guys are, you need to do your homework! Herc got on the mic later on to drop some knowledge and to also mention his favorite MC’s: Nas, KRS-ONE and Jadakiss! Flavor FLav of Public Enemy was the host of the evening’s festivities and flew in from Las Vegas where he recently opened up a fried chicken restaurant. Don’t worry people of the tri-state area…Flav’s got a chicken joint planned to open soon in New York City. He did an excellent job hosting the show and started the night with “911 Is A Joke” from the Public Enemy album, Fear Of A Black Planet. Rock Out With Your Clock Out!
Preemo affiliates and longtime members of the Gang Starr Foundation, NYG’z (Panchi and Shabeeno) performed “Same Team No Games” along with H. Stax. Sweet Tee, a female rapper from the 1980’s came out of the woodwork and got the crowd pumped with a performance of “It’s My Beat” instantly bringing the crowd back to the days when they blasted Sweet Tee from the back of their Jettas. Brooklyn’s Shawn Pen, who used to go by the name Little Shawn, also did some songs. Anyone remember him? He had a 1992 new jack swing hit titled “Hickeys On Your Chest” and rhymed with Notorious B.I.G. on the track “Dom Perignon.”
Bumpy was getting antsy to rock and came out growling on the track “The Key” from his newest album, Kolexxxion. He paced the stage in a pointy, black hoodie and was surrounded by a posse that included Eric B. Props to that dude…the albums he’s worked on especially Paid In Full were game changers. Throughout the night, many more artists including Lord Finesse (pictured), Pete Rock, and Kid Capri stopped by to get on the microphone for a few words and to wish Bumpy a happy birthday.
Bumpy not only let the DJs get some shine, but he also brought out his heroes growing up-The Cold Crush Brothers! The Cold Crush are a legendary crew from the Bronx that Bumpy emulated early on, in particular the Captain of the Cold Crush, Grand Master Caz. After Bumpy set it off with a song paying homage to the art form, Cold Crush countered with a quick song with their signature powerhouse rhymes.
O.C. from the Diggin’ In The Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) came out and performed “M.U.G. (Money Under Ground)” with Bumpy which is a track off of O.C.’s 1997 second album Jewelz. O.C. then proceeded with a special request-his 1994 classic and most well known track, “Time’s Up.”
Big Shug, also a member of the Gang Starr Foundation, performed “Militia” with Bumpy. Guru’s verses played through the speakers while live footage of the Gang Starr MC was projected on a huge screen in back of the stage. It was a bittersweet moment of the night. R.I.P. Guru.
The party then continued with M.O.P. performing a few songs including the crowd-moving “Ante Up” and “My Kind Of Nigga” with Heather B. Treach was pretty visible throughout the night, but once Vin Rock emerged there was no question…Naughty By Nature was in the house. Some of Jersey’s grimiest and finest performed a quick set of jams including “Uptown Anthem” and “I Gotta Lotta.” Bumpy ended the night with another track off Kolexxxion titled “The Gang Starr Bus.” Peace to Premier on the 1’s and 2’s. Check out some videos below!
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“911 IS A JOKE” by FLAVOR FLAV
“M.U.G.” by Bumpy Knuckles and O.C. and “Time’s Up” by O.C.
“My Kind of Nigga” by M.O.P. + Heather B.
“Uptown Anthem” and “I Gotta Lotta” by NAUGHTY BY NATURE
Tags: bumpy knuckles, concert, dj premier, freddie foxxx, highline ballroom, new york city, nyc, review, show
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Grimes played The Church
March 26th, 2012 by chocko
Montreal’s Claire Boucher aka Grimes played a show in the basement of the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia last Thursday in support of her 3rd album titled Visions which is a totally fun record if you like catchy, haunting cyborg electro-pop. I don’t normally make the roughly 2 hour trek to Philly but I just had to go. And plus, all her shows in NYC were sold out and I couldn’t get tickets to those shows. Throw in some Philly cheese steaks (shout out to Jim’s Steaks on South Street!) and some record shopping (Repo Records and Long In The Tooth) for the win!
Born Gold (formerly Gobble Gobble), another Canadian electro-export opened up for Grimes and made it through their set despite early audio problems. Their set was like a lo-fi Depeche Mode meets Tron. The lead singer’s jacket was fully equipped with flashing lights and colorful buttons that lit up the otherwise dark stage. The other two members of the band took part in the theatrics by jumping into the audience with strobe lights and another time with stilts while playing an instrument that looked like it was made from an old snow shovel. There was also some wacky choreography involving blinking decorative fans and creepy masks.
Grimes arrived and made a disclaimer to those in attendance in the basement that she had been sick and her voice was messed up. I don’t think the hyper-excited crowd would have even noticed that she wasn’t quite hitting those falsettos which sound so effortless on the albums. Grimes stood between two tables of all sorts of little drum machines, pedals and a keyboard…pushing buttons and singing into a microphone, often wincing at her attempt at the high notes. Her singles “Genesis” and “Oblivion” got the biggest response from the Philly crowd that never stopped dancing once the music started. Grimes was accompanied by members of Born Gold for most of her set that included a good amount of songs from the new LP which is heavy on synthesizers, loops and electronic samples. The album is a beautiful and intriguing schizophrenic mix of mostly upbeat songs with influences from 80’s club music and new wave to modern R&B. I can’t recommend it enough. The show was awesome and left the sweaty mess of a crowd wanting more. The basement took a while to empty out and it looked like a water pipe burst and a garbage can exploded up in there. Grimey Grimes is da real deal!
Tags: concert, grimes, live, philadelphia, philly, review, show, the church
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MANDRILL (2009)
March 21st, 2012 by Mr. C
Director: Ernesto Diaz Espinoza
Fight Choreographer: Marko Zaror
Stars: Marko Zaror, Celine Reymond, Alejandro Castillo, Luis Alarcon, Juan Pablo Aliaga, Miguel Angel De Luca, John Francis Meany
Genre: Martial Arts/action/thriller
Mandrill is a fun filled martial arts – action flick set in Atlantic City – Lima, Peru directed by Ernesto Diaz Espinoza from Chile. I think all old school kung fu/karate/action film fan hobbits would appreciate this one! The film feels and flows with a 1970’s like vibe, but the background and dress would make us believe it’s from the current times. Although our protagonists and antagonists threw us off by inserting a cassette tape into their BMW 540 car stereo! I’ll compromise and say modern times with a 1980’s spirit!
Marko Zaror, the fight choreographer and lead actor in this film is one big-badazz mutha that showcases his kicks and flips being almost as nimble as Jackie Chan despite his large size. His spinning somersaults and backflips usually has a deadly end result with a footprint being engraved onto someones face!
Mandrill (Marko Zaror) plays a rico-suave hitman who is focused on getting revenge on the person that murdered his parents when he was a child as he witnessed the whole ordeal unfold before him while hiding in the bedroom closet. Now trained as an assassin himself while idolizing the great TV show personality – John Colt (James Bond wannabe), Mandrill would meet formidable mob bosses like Waldo and other hitmen such as Felipe Wasca before finding out that Cyclops would be the man responsible for his parents’ death!
You kind of want to hate on Mandrill’s mr. smooth persona but you know underneath it all, he’s just a deadly nerd looking to get blood in the name of his parents! In the end, you really do care about the character that he portrays and the love that he has for this certain lady. But enough with the sappy stuff and onto the fights!! The choreography of the fight scenes looked very appealing to the eye with great technical execution by very skilled combatants led by Marko!
Fight #1 : Takes place in a bathhouse/jacuzzi as Mandrill dispatches 2 goons with one swift backflip turned kick that immobilizes both of his opponents in one shot! Really brief but neat sequence! This scene will show that Marko Zaror has the goods!
Fight #2 : vs Wasca . Not a great fight but Mandrill still displays awesome technique. He lashes out some quick spinning back kicks and back fists. Atlantic City in Lima, Peru will have a big shoutout in this scene!
Fight #3: Mandrill quickly dispatches 3 easy opponents en route to the villains home, but the one on one rumble in the garage is a tough opponent! Zaror shows his long range fighting techniques with nice footwork, kicks, & boxing techniques while eventually closing the gap into a takedown, then joint locks before finishing the deal with a choke! Really nice choreographed fight!
Fight #4: While in the apartment, he dispatches a few easy foes with one swift signature backflip turned into a knockout kick!
Fight #5: A neat but quick barrage sequence in a stairwell that has Mandrill all fired up and of course finishes off an opponent with an aerial – body twisting somersault with that crazy kick of his!
Fight #6: vs a Goliath bodyguard. Mandrill’s opponent is a strong, gigantor, but the fight itself was very sloppy on the Goliath’s part. Mandrill was finally able to get the beast with a choke out and an armbar.
Fight #7: vs the 3 amigos was my favorite fight sequence in the film! The 3 all take their turns offering a nice beatdown for Mandrill. The trio combined their aerial assault with a hybrid half-capoeira/half-karate standup style. The 3 amigos didn’t have the rhythm that you normally would see fom Capoeira fighters but they had some awesome looking aerial techniques of their own in a more direct way without the indigenous brazillian one-two step! Mandrill closes the gap by taking the fight to the ground as armbars, takedowns, and that twirling flip kick he does puts the icing on the face!
If you appreciate well designed, thumping martial arts action in a B-movie setting then this film is for you, my friends! The stylish slow motion, stop & go camera techniques executed during the moment of impact in the fight scenes enhanced the art of the kill! Say Hella yes to John Colt and Mandrill!
Tags: chile, mandrill, marko zaror
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Zigtebra, Joey Molinaro, Dead//Beat and Cauldron played ABC No Rio
March 20th, 2012 by chocko
(from top to bottom: Zigtebra, Joey Molinaro, Dead//Beat and Cauldron)
Last Saturday, Chocko bum rushed the lower east side to see what was going on at ABC No Rio, the “collectively run center for art and activism.” Most Saturday afternoons, they hold a hardcore matinee where you can check out a bunch of punk bands for $7. ABC’s been around since 1980 and not only do they have punk shows, but there’s a dark room, a print shop, computer lab and a ‘zine library in there too. The last couple of years, the collective’s been accepting donations which will go towards the demolition of the old building and construction of a new art space.
The first band Chocko checked out in the dark gallery was Zigtebra, a girl and boy duo from Chicago. They kept the sound to the basics: guitars and drums, and sang loud, quirky songs. Sometimes they made animal sounds and howled like in their song “We Dogs.” Next up, was NYC’s Joey Molinaro who played the violin like he was in a metal band…rocking riffs and solos. His foot stomps provided the percussion and it was pretty intense. I’m not sure how much of that I can listen to until I flip a table, but Joey kept his set nice and short. Brooklyn’s DEAD//BEAT brought the punk rock fury to the show. I was definitely feeling their set of short, old school punk songs and if I was a little younger, my carcass would’ve started a mosh pit up in there. DEAD//BEAT released a killer demo last year and an EP titled “Tremors.” Cauldron (not the Canadian heavy metal band) played last. The trio of punk dudes played so loud or the mix was all messed up…I couldn’t make out any of the vocals. I’ll have to check ’em out again next time along with the band I missed, Columba Fasciata. A bunch of folk punk bands are playing next Saturday including Ghost Mice (Indiana) and Absinthe Rose (Boston). See you in da pit!
Dead//Beat at ABC No Rio
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Tags: abc no rio, cauldron, dead//beat, joey molinaro, punk, zigtebra
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THE RAID — REDEMPTION (2011)
March 18th, 2012 by Mr. C
Director: Gareth Evans
Stars: Iko Uwais,Joe Taslim,Donny Alamsyah,Yayan Ruhian,Pierre Gruno,Tegar Setrya,Ray Sahetapy
Genre: modern action
“Fatality” – “Finish him!” – “aDamn” – “Yeaaah” as well as other rebel yells, and hand clapping filled the theater at Cinema Village last Wednesday with the screening of Indonesian film, THE RAID with the director – Gareth Evans in tow for a quick Q&A after the film! Thank you Fangoria for making this a free event for us action freaks! We came in strong with our own little Paul Bunyon-lumberjack film gang including the three headed Planet Chocko, Unseen Films with DB and Mondo Curry, and the filipino Kwai Chang Caine – The Wandering Asian. We even met Rufus from cineAWESOME – the rad dudes that hosted the 2012 Korean Blogathon. It was a nice celebratory way to soak in this much anticipated 2nd cinematic, martial art effort from this director. Gareth Evans’ first film – MERANTAU – which featured the debut of Iko Uwais who wonderfully displayed the Indonesian fighting arts of Pencak Silat in a more traditional way. Iko would return again in The Raid to showcase Silat in a non traditional, no nonsense short range combat filled movements which instituted quick immobilizing strikes with throws, takedowns, and joint locks added to the violent menu. You will also see one of the specialties of Silat — weapons especially the 1001 ways to slice, dice, and ginsu an opponent going straight towards the vitals to incapacitate and add to the kill list! Suffice to say, the martial arts choreography, the action, the stunts were R-A-W, gruesome, and unique which made it all the much more fun as manifested through with the audience reactions at Cinema Village! The bad ass villain in the story played by the character, Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian – actor not the character) was also in Merantau. Yayan was in that off the chain fight scene in the elevator for all those that watched it. Yayan Ruhian (Mad Dog) came back again in The Raid as a bad azz, diminutive mofo! Donnie Yen, you better watch the EFFF out! I think a new sheriff is in town!
The following is just a quick rundown of the film with no spoilers whatsoever of what little plot there was anyway. The dialogue is minimal and the bodycount is high – just the way we like it! The Indonesian Swat team is called upon to Raid a low income/tenement building – home to a flip-flop wearing thug of twisted proportions & his urban puppets armed with Uzis, hammers, knives, & of course – empty handed martial art goodness! Up and down the floors they go, but who’s chasing who!? That’s all the information from the film I’m going to divulge! Go see The Raid: Redemption, y’all! We are definitely in for take 2 of this film on a massive screen! I can’t wait for this film to get released on blu-ray! I so want to see the outtakes and the behind the scenes footage!
By the way, the Linkin Park influenced (Mike Shinoda) soundtrack from the film was also a nice way to amp up the adrenaline!
(footage of the Q&A with Director: Gareth Evans – vid by chocko)
Tags: gareth evans, Iko Uwais, indonesian film, Pencak Silat
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