G.H. Harding
A SUPER MESS — I finally watched the new Superman movie this week and I have to say as a former and forever-comic-geek, it was rather dreadful all around, and yes, as I read, Krypto the super-doggie, indeed steals the whole show.
Krypto
Now, my Superman, started with the TV-one with George Reeves and the first-movies with Christopher Reeve. Superman, aka Clark Kent, was always sort of tame and lame and did his best to hide his true identity. The new Superman was sort of a wise-talking, modern-day man who didn’t take crap from anyone.
The writer and director James Gunn certainly had his work cut out for him as the first-few “new” Superman movies with Henry Cavill, though great, didn’t exactly run up the $ charts. Warner Brothers itself went almost as many changes and the current boss at WB, Zaz the Butcher, did everything he could to ensure a success. Did he get it? It was the top-grossing movie two weeks in a row, but I predict it’ll be streaming in a matter of weeks.
For the record, the WB logo doesn’t even appear in the credits-rather, DC Studios.
I liked the first two Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel-epics, which Gunn did, and you can see almost all of the tricks from those movies here. I think ten smartest thing Gunn did was to not do an origin story, rather quickly proceed with who Superman is and what just happened. Honestly, origin stories are done over and over, and are boring. Right?
Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane delivers perhaps the best performance ever of the character, though the group I watched it with heavily preferred her in Miss Maisel. It’s a heck of a risk to portray a character like Lois Lane, but I think she pulled it off very impressively.
Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor was just an awful choice. He sort of was what the creators meant, but seeing him crying at the end of the movie was a bit weird.
David Corenswet as the super-man, was impressive at times, but to me, nothing like the earlier Superman. This new version is sort of the Gen-Z brand and somewhat diminished.
I was pretty disappointed, but I knew the reason why the changes happened. The current crop of movie goers probably never even heard of George Reeves or Kirk Alyn, let along Christopher Reeve. Strange, but true.
SHORT TAKES — Carson Daly on Today Show led his New Music Friday with new releases from Chappell Roan; Rene Rapp; Demi Lovato and Maren Morris. Imagine my surprises when they all sounded virtually the same. Maybe all the songs were written by the same committee?
Martha Wash
Sad days for music is all I can say … Martha Wash (Two Tons of Fun/Weather Girls) at My Father’s Place on August 22? Yes indeed … Bar Nine has closed after becoming a fixture on 9th avenue in Hell’s Kitchen for years. Check this out: https://w42st.com/post/bar-nine-dueling-pianos-venue-closes-9th-avenue-hells-kitchen/…
Stephen Bishop
Stephen Bishop and his wife/manager, Liz Kamlet have said that his new album, Thimk, will be his last … ever! I’m a huge fan of the Bish. Here’s the first single from it, “Now That I’ve Hit The Big Time.” Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr2MlrI5u5k&list=RDcr2MlrI5u5k&start_radio=1…
Ben Kenney
Ben Kenney, late of Incubus, will be hitting the road this November. More to follow on him … Watched Rami Malek’s The Amateur over the weekend. What a cast indeed (Rachel Brosnahan; Laurence Fishburne), but it felt like a rerun of the first Bourne movie. Malek was great as was the superb direction by James Hawes; the plot intriguing, but we’ve seen it before … Shirley Halperin joins Rolling Stone September 1 as its first-ever female editor. Wonder if Jann Wenner was consulted? Stone’s been going down the rabbit hole for the last decade. Can it survive? Methinks Wenner himself may have to return …
I wonder if Debbie Gibson’s 1989 book with Mark Bego (Between The Lines) is referenced at all in her new autobiography coming next month? Stay tuned … The now-called awning collapse at Brooklyn Height’s Clark Street Station could have occurred anytime in the last few years. I live near there (as does PIX 11’s Magee Hickey) and always wondered as I walked under it, when it would fall. The awning was the sign for the Hotel St. George which is over 95 years old. Thankfully no one was hurt in the Sunday collapse, but the stop remains closed for the time being … As we go to press, Rupert Murdoch has announced a California Postpublication. Yes, the celebrity.land on the left coast. Considering the state of newspapers out there, the timing is perfect. The LA Times, if you don’t know, is in mass turmoil. I can’t remember the last time we posted an announcement about a new paper starting up. I like the idea. Here’s theHollywood Reporter’s coverage: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/the-california-post-ny-post-spinoff-1236336835/ … October 27 is this year’s Rockers On Broadway … Hard to believe, but The Who’s Roger Daltrey is still babbling about the Zak Starkey firing. In this article from Rolling Stone, he now seems to be blaming a tech. Crazy. Take a read: https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-whos-roger-daltrey-zak-starkey-comments-upsetting-81082/?fbclid=IwY2xjawL-0NNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFxYllicUpwYnlqVDdTeW43AR47oRB6Rt4LoWbsrdaI6qR5_WGdn4mmAV-JillB5onoGtwJHn3cOaUdF42d-A_aem_iHZ5UDfvSs_w1wCHEXmotA … Great Goldmine review for John Cafferty’s Sound Of Waves by Tone Scott. Check it here: https://www.goldminemag.com/columns/eclectic-discoveries-music-by-john-cafferty-david-lowery-ally-venable-and-more#gid=ci0300f0c07000256f&pid=jc-and-tbbb … The Stray Cats (Brian Setzer, Lee Rocker, and Slim Jim Phantom) have reunited and are staring a tour this October. Great band. Can’t wait … With the success of the Naked Gun-reboot, next up is T.J. Hooker from 1982. Everything old is new again …Happy Bday Stuart Shabman; RIP Loni Anderson.
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Chuck Pulin; Richard Johnson; Steve Walter; Mark Bego; Tony Seidel; Heather Moore; David Anthony; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Oasis; Dan Zelinski; Bill Murray; Todd Oldham; Richard Johnson; Neal Travis; Ian Mohr; Chris Ortiz; Vito Bruno; Glenn Friscia; Cory Robbins; Manny Bella; Rex Reed; Michael Musto; Amy Fisher; Debbie Gibson; Donnie Kehr; and CHIP!
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