After the surprisingly wonderful Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert presented on HBO over the weekend (review to follow), Bruce Springsteen said, “if there is any justice at all, my next guest will be inducted to the RRHOF in 2010! Ladies and Gentlemen, Darlene Love!” Darlene Love? You serious Boss? On that note I’d …

On my soapbox again for DVD rental of TV series. This time for comedy. Comedies are different than serialized dramas in terms of the DVD viewing experience. Most comedies fully stand on their own, and it’s not critical to connect the dots from the preceding weeks to the current episode. Some dramas, like the Shield …

James Cameron’s Avatar is the event movie of the year if not the decade. It takes whatever technology began with Polar Express, refined with Golum in Lord of the Rings, and expanded to near perfection in Peter Jackson’s King Kong jungle sequences and takes it to a whole other level. If you don’t go to …

I haven’t gone back to see a movie twice in many years. The last one I remember was Collateral, which I thought was brilliant. My second viewing confirmed it. That is a great movie with a terrific ensemble performance and captures LA as only Michael Mann can. It might be Mann’s best film – although …

It’s been a lame year for movies. I can’t remember the last time I was actually excited to see a film. Wait, I was excited enough about Inglorious Basterds to write a review (out on DVD next week!). Even there however, it wasn’t anything like the excitement I feel for James Cameron’s Avatar. I am ready to ditch …

Muhammad Ali is one of the most beguiling figures of the previous half century. His place in boxing history is undeniable. With his colorful personality, quick wit, and seemingly endless charisma took the sport to another level riding on the back of the evolution of media from black-and-white TV and AM radio to the pay-per-view …

Dweezil Zappa continues the Zappa on Zappa Tour, and I thought this would be a great time to comment on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s most vexing inductee, his father, Frank Zappa. Zappa is singular. There is really no one like him before or since. His output is staggering in term of volume and …

It Might Get Loud is a documentary chronicling a “summit” between guitarists The Edge (U2), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), and Jack White (White Stripes). In a warehouse they chat about their pasts, development as guitarists, while sharing some of their classic riffs between them. Remote locations with each guitarist are also included in order to …

In a just world all lovers of blues-based guitar would know Robben Ford. Sadly they don’t. Allow me to introduce him to some of you, while reviewing and updating for the rest. Robben is one of the dozen absolute finest guitarist playing today. On paper, he has had a remarkable career from the blues of …

Today the inductees for 2010 were announced. They are ABBA Jimmy Cliff The Hollies Genesis The Stooges I have commented on these artists previously. I am neither surprised nor disappointed by this list. With Madonna’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, all bets are off to a criteria which includes any notion of rock …