Comment Archives: Stories: Film
Re: “Saying Goodbye to Live From Memphis”
sad
Re: “Oscars 2013: Best Picture Predictions 2.0 (UPDATED)”
ARG...o!
Re: “Live From Memphis Calls It Quits”
Thank you for the wonderful resource, Chris. I remember the summer you started recording at the Shell and have sent enumerable friends to your site to taste Memphism music and art over the years. You were a true innovator of community based streaming and artist networking. I hope that the content remains available through archive.org and/or the Wayback Machine. I look forward to all your future endeavors.
Re: “Leonard Cohen Announces Orpheum Date”
According to his website, he will be in Atlanta on the 22nd, Memphis on the 24th.
http://www.leonardcohen.com/us/tour/events
Re: “Live from Graceland: SiriusXM's Elvis Radio”
You have no idea, what it means to me, to be able to hear Elvis' music via Graceland. We don't get anything like it, here in the N.W. and it is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for making it available.
Re: “Memphis Beat: The Last Farewell”
can't believe the shows cancellation i loved that show can't see why they took that off the air & then air honey boo boo
Re: “The Year in Film”
It's getting better but sooooo many great movies never get a Memphis playdate. I was able to see Holy Motors (this years best film) out of town and it's a shame it won't get a week at a local movie house. Also saw Zero Dark Thirty a great but deeply flawed character study where the fresh out of school protagonist takes on the system , her co-workers, the system and seems to have Superman like qualities but alas no motivation for the task at hand.
Re: “Judd Apatow’s heartless This Is 40.”
Most of Apatow's films aren't very funny. "Knocked Up" had maybe two laughs in the entire film and I can't imagine this sequel is much better.
Re: “The Switchblade Kid Record Release Party”
I think you are garbage.
Re: “Les Misérables”
"Why are they singing," is an important critical question even when you're watching a musical on stage, no matter how beloved the material might be.
In fact, the "why" is often how we define musicals. In the American tradition it's because, in theory, words fail and something more is required. In some musicals the songs move the narrative, in others they interrupt the action. Some musicals are sung front to back, others balance music and spoken text.
"Why are they singing," is foundational to any evaluation of the object, divorced from hype.
And The Miz is a movie now, and deserves to be evaluated on its own terms. With strong exceptions-- especially animated features and other musicals created expressly as films-- the musical hasn't always fared well in translation.
I'm not saying I agree with Herrington, but I do think he asked a serious question, and one that too many theater reviewers miss.
Let the dislikes begin.
Re: “Les Misérables”
Wow. So the Flyer decided that the right person to do a review of the movie adaptation of one of the most heralded and loved stage musicals of all time is someone who has never seen the stage version and seems to indicate that he is far from familiar with the concept of a “musical” at all. It leads to comments like “So my occasional, helpless reaction during The King's Speech director Tom Hooper's adaptation of the musical version of Les Misérables — why are they singing?” With this kind of thinking by the Flyer, perhaps they should send someone who has never seen a football game and isn’t really familiar with the rules to cover the Super Bowl. Then we could have equally ludicrous comments like “Both teams would score a lot more if they would just quit knocking each other down.”
Re: “The Switchblade Kid Record Release Party”
This is garbage.
Re: “Argo Leads Southeastern Film Critics Association's Annual Awards”
I am shocked the association of Southern White Film Reviewers did not list DJANGO UNCHAINED. But, all-in-all a rather predictable list bloated with big studio , audience tested, "serious film". (with very few exceptions )
Re: “Hi-Tone Café to Close”
The average band in Memphis makes no where NEAR 2grand a show!!!! Most bands are lucky to get 4 or 500 for at least 2 sets.
It is not the talent, nor the lack of bands. It is the fact that most venues now run through some sort of booking agent or agency.
In order for a band to play in most venues in Memphis, there is some sort of price, or somebody charging a percentage to book the show. (Unless you are a Restaurant, bar, or other place that makes money off of the crowd). To my knowledge, most bands that actually make money(regularly) playing music in this city are using an agent to book their shows. Take a look at Hueys and Mulligans. Both have an outside consultant bringing in the entertainment. (just to name two)
Memphis has plenty of talent. Memphis has a very diverse pool of talent. Most musicians play for the love of music, not to get paid. If they did, we would not have local music.
Re: “Hi-Tone Café to Close”
End of an era. I remember seeing lots of great music from names like Rasputina all the way to little-known artists who have usually always been excellent. Thank you for 15 wonderful years of greatness, sir. May your next endeavours do well, too.
Re: “Hi-Tone Café to Close”
With an attitude like that, I can understand why there is no longer a Lafayette's on Overton Square.
How long have people like progressive and doggrell been saying that Memphis is dying? I wish it would just hurry up an die already so these jackasses would shut up.
Re: “Hi-Tone Café to Close”
I don't recall ever paying $30 to go see an act at the HiTone, could be a few really big names but admission is generally 5-10 dollars. I doubt many of our fantastic local bands make even $2000 anywhere around here. I am sure they wish they did. That said, Memphis is definitely not a dying city, there is so much talent here. The problem is not enough venues. Cannot blame anyone for that, it is a hard way to make a living and you have to love it. Poplar and Mendenhall an entertainment area? Restaurants and a movie theater, what venues are there for bands to play? I agree about I wish there was more live music but this is not a dying city. Our music scene has always had highs and lows but it is always there under the surface and you can go see great music for under $100. The HiTone is definitely one of the highs, so thank you.
Re: “Hi-Tone Café to Close”
+ 1 on progressive's comment
it is unfortunately true . memphis is dying and so is the memphis music scene . this is a sign of the times . unless you are atlanta nashville or new orleans ( major southern cities ) your city is dying along with the death of the middle class . nobody has an extra hundred bucks to blow just for drinks and a show at some club . especially in midtown . probably the best place to book any act would be at some venue near mendenhall and poplar which is the only half way vibrant commercial area left in the city . but even the more well off middle class of memphis do not go to clubs anymore . a club that has the nightly overhead of paying a band two thousand dollars ( and that is a cheap unknown act ) cannot hit customers for a big cover charge plus three dollars per drink and make money each night . these days any act with a known reputation charges $30k and up per night . expensive acts are not plausible for a small sized club . the economics of the club business is tricky and risky .
f doggrell
former owner / manager of lafayette's on overton square .
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Re: “Saying Goodbye to Live From Memphis”
This is sad news. You guys have been amazing.