Tag Archives: Documentary

Come on Feel the Noize! The Story of How Rock Became Metal

4 Dec

 

Buy the DVD on Amazon

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Cleopatra Entertainment

VOD Release Date: December 3, 2019
Available on iTunes and Amazon Prime.

Plenty of documentaries exploring the growth of heavy metal music exist. Come on Feel the Noize! The Story of How Rock Became Metal is a new feature which goes beyond how the original Slade song started defining a new sound. It hit number one in the UK Singles Chart upon release; the cover by Quiet Riot more than a decade later cemented a style of performance theatre into popular culture. Metal is also a lifestyle, a state of mind. There’s more to it than meets the eye–or rather the rapid rhythms from the drums and melodies squelched out with heavily distorted guitars.

Director Jörg Sonntag and writer Thore Vollert‘s work digs into what being metal is about. Their reveal is reminiscent of the 2018 Dutch film, Heavy Trip. However, this documentary is not simply about lifestyle choices. Instead, it’s on the evolution of the sound.

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Say よし to Yoshiki! Coming to YouTube Originals March 2020!

20 Nov

RMMS-Yoshiki-YouTube-Original-announce-1.jpgA new documentary series detailing YOSHIKI -Life of a Japanese Rock Star is slated to premiere on YouTube Originals in March 2020.

It was hand-picked by this service as part of a select group of internationally-renowned artists to be profiled. He’s likened to such powerhouses such as Paul McCartney, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, BTS, Robert Downey Jr., Will Smith, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, Mark Ronson, Dwayne Johnson, and Taylor Swift. The six-episode series marks the first documentary program from a Japanese artist to be featured.

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Buñuel in the Labrynth of the Turtles

20 Nov

Available to stream on Amazon Prime

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Released:
Nov 12, 2019

GKIDS & Shout! Factory

Mild Spoiler Alert

Ask any modern art critic what this medium is about, and you’ll get a variety of answers. It’s either a social call to arms, a reflection of life or nothing at all. Sometimes it’s easier to understand a talent’s work by examining the life and times. Anyone studying early film is likely to come across the works of Luis Buñuel. The animated look of this auteur by Salvador Simó is a captivating analysis and one I had to view a few times.

Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles concerns his attempt into the making Las Hurdes (Land Without Bread). The filmmaker was near broke because his last movie (L’Age d’Or) branded him a heretic and he needed a new investor if he’s examining an impoverished region with a higher than usual adoption rate. Also, the medieval conditions he saw was something he had to express (through surreal imagery) to the world through his own profound use of visual shock therapy.

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The Power of Grayskull Hits Home Video Sept 3rd! & Other News

20 Aug

Image result for the power of grayskullAvailable on Netflix
Coming to home video, DVD on Sept 3
High Octane Pictures

When Masters of the Universe is looking like the reboot movie to keep an eye on, perhaps it’s time to revisit the merchandise that inspired it. Mattel once lamented over the missed opportunity when an offer crossed the desk of then CEO Roy Wagner to produce Star Wars toys. After seeing how successful that went, they missed the boat. The race was on by many toy manufacturers to produce the next big thing. Sadly, that meant licensing nearly every fantasy or sci-fi movies made under the sun in that quest to find El Dorado. Thankfully, a few creative minds got the right idea, but to maintain the fan base has been a struggle.

The conflict has always been with having associated media to keep interest alive. Randall Lobb and Robert McCallum‘s documentary, THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe explores the hurdles involved over the years in why this franchise is still reverent. According to a few chiefs at Toys r Us back then, 5-year-olds don’t read comic books. Mattel’s answer was to make a TV show.

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