It will not last the night

Shine a Light

Post

Didn't expect to get to a movie this weekend, but my chiquitas' (daughter & granddaughter) flight to LGA got canceled, and the reroute brings them into HVN--but only after the plane change (in PHL) that we were trying to avoid for the sake of toddler-and-mother stress--and not until hours later (just got a call for the third delay out of Philly, in fact). I'd heard good things about this film, directed by some young turk and documenting a concert by an up-and-coming rock 'n' roll band, so why not?

I'd love to be able to report that this band is going to be around for a long, long time, because, good golly, they give one hell of a show. But fact is, the lead singer, who must weigh about 110 pounds, expends so much energy that it's hard to imagine his still being able to prop up his frail frame, say nothing about catapult it around the stage, once he's past 30.

The family of rock being what it is, the youngsters got one-song support from veterans like Jack White and Christina Aguilera (wearing even more eye shadow than the lead guitarist), but they didn't need any help rocking. On the other hand, an appearance by blues guitarist Buddy Guy--for Muddy Waters's "Champagne and Reefer"--was a highlight. If one were to offer a single constructive criticism, it would be that a drum and two guitars (plus an occasional third when the singer consents to tone down his gymnastics enough to strum) just doesn't make it as a rock ensemble; fortunately, there was competent backup on this occasion from freelancers on keyboards, bass, horns, and vocals, but the band probably should shore up its act instrumentally.

On the other hand, they seem to write most of their own material, and it's A+ sex-and-sweat stuff. They did cover one old Motown hit, but it turns out that the Marianne Faithfull ballad was their own composition. Who knew?

Anyway, if you enjoy discovering new pop talent as much as I do, don't miss this one--if you have an IMAX nearby, you might try to catch it there, though the sight of that lead guitarist 50 feet high might give the children nightmares--unless they've already seen him in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Anyway, check out these tyros--they're bound to burn out quickly, but for now they shine a lovely light.

Trailers

Golly, it was the day of eagerly-anticipated-big-summer-blockbusters-based-on-fond-memories trailers previews. Well, after the first couple.

• 88 Minutes--Pacino's a lawyer, and someone wants him dead. And guess what the running time is? Yes, that's right: according to IMDb it's . . . 108 minutes.

• Deception--Hugh Jackman seems very very naughty, Ewan McGregor a tad out of his depth, and Michelle Williams dangerously innocent. Or not.

• Get Smart--Would you believe Sir Ian McKellan and Dame Judi Dench as Maxwell Smart and Agent 99? Would you believe Patrick Stewart and Helen Mirren? How about Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway? The former perfect, the latter promising, assuming the film doesn't ask more of her than the TV series asked of Barbara Feldon. Also Alan Arkin (yes, good) as the chief, Dwayne Johnson (perfect) as Agent 23, Bill Murray (always good) in a presumptive cameo as Agent 13, and Terence Stamp (yes, yes, yes, omigod yes!) as Siegfried, the leader of KAOS. OK, I'm a 5.

• Iron Man--You've collected the comic books, you've smoked dope to the song, now pay eleven bucks to see whether Jon Favreau can do better with this than Ang Lee did with The Hulk. I don't recall Iron Man being a wise guy in the Marvel tradition of Spidey, Daredevil, and the Thing, but then I didn't even remember that his name was Tony Stark. Anyway, this one's gonna be a wise guy, played by Robert Downey Jr., and Pepper Potts will be a red-headed Gwyneth Paltrow. I'm a skeptical but hopeful 4.

• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull--Filmed in part right here in the Elm City--I think I may have exchanged greetings with the director while crossing the Green after work one day, but he doesn't have as distinctive a face as, say, Harrison Ford, whom everybody in town saw. Finally, Karen Allen is back--there hasn't been a worthwhile female lead since we saw her last--and Cate Blanchett is an evil emissary of the Evil Empire. Oh, boy!