The Rolling Stones - Foreign Tongues (2026)

"Some people seek their fortune on the turn of a card 

Or throwing some bones in a whiskey glass   

'Cause if you wanna seek your fortune, need a lot of luck 

I was standing there when the lightning struck."

(In the Stars)

------------------------------------------------

Oh, What a day ! What a Lovely day :)

Who ever expected (and btw needed. another RS record?) after the last one (Hackney Dimonds, 2023) took 18 years to happen?

and it seems it's not only here, but it's great. Did I say Great ? :)

I love the songs that did not get video promotion /airplay:

Mr. Charm, Some of Us (Keef), Covered in You, and imo the hit of the album, Never Wanna Lose you.

 35 year old producer Andrew Watt (Hackney Diamonds) returned for the RS's 25th studio album. 

14 new and 12 original songs, a grotesque (most would say ugly, but catchy) cover -a composite of the three RSurvivor's faces -Ronnie (79), Keith Richards (82), and Mick Jagger (who will be 83 on July 26th).  and a weird and abstract title, Foreign Tongues !

the band is completed by the regular collaborators, Steve Jordan (69) on the drums -he keeps a great Charlie Watts time, and  most reliable Darryl Jones (64) on bass -Jones played with the Stones since 1996!

The record (total running time 62 mins.)

Rough And Twisted - “All I drank was Muddy Waters”

Originally released on a limited-run vinyl under the alias "The Cockroaches". The band then made the track the opening song—and the lead visualizer video, now all the songs who don't have a video have an official visualiser

 In The Stars  -second video using deepfake -de-aging, directed by Francois Rousselot

https://aldmovieland.blogspot.com/2026/05/in-stars-rolling-stones-sotd.html

originally called Starf**ker, about the Groupie 'culture'. 

Jealous Lover -visualiser shot in Sydney

- third video with Anya Taylor-Joy & Charles Melton. Directors: Chris Barrett & Luke Taylor 

Directors: Chris Barrett & Luke Taylor

Steve Winwood on the piano. He appears and plays keys on the whole record.

Mr Charm (also a pun on mad mogul Mr. Musk)

says Mick: 

 "Life's too short for just making money 

Ain't no fool, ain't nobody's monkey 

Life's too short to waste it living on your own, oh! 

Life's too short, nothing lasts forever 

Can't be bought, help me bring you pleasure 

Life's too short to waste it living on your own, yeah"

Divine Intervention -shot in Buenos Aires

Ringing Hollow  - “Lady Liberty don’t look so good when there’s a tear in her gown,”

Never Wanna Lose You   featuring Robert Smith from The Cure.

Hit Me In The Head  featuring Charlie Watts on drums, his track recorded in 2019. 

You Know I'm No Good -shot in Mumbai  -cover of the Amy Winehouse song. 

Some Of Us  -Keef's song, visualiser shot in Berlin

 "Some of us are on our knees"

Covered In You  featuring Paul McCartney (who also has a marevelous album out, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, also produced by Andrew Watt !!!)

Side Effects 

Back In Your Life -great ballad with an even greater Ronnie Wood guitar solo. 

"I hate that I'm losing a friend

 I tried making you laugh 

I tried making you cry 

Is this how our story will end?"

Beautiful Delilah featuring Robert Smith from The Cure and Chad Smith on drums. 

A Chuck Berry cover.

****

Uncut review here -four stars !

Spin Magazine here 

Euronews here. 

Rolling Stone here.Four stars !

Record Collector -Five stars !

The Guardian-Four Stars !

L.A. Times here.

In the Stars-The Rolling Stones (SOTD)

The 1st video from the new album, Speaking Tongues (out July 10th) is out.

In the Stars. With 'em stars. 

“Some people seek their fortune on the turn of a card 

Or throwing some bones in a whiskey glass 

‘Cause if you wanna seek your fortune, need a lot of luck 

I was standing there when the lightning struck"

Indeed ;)

It's a slick, big budget, high concept video for a cool song reminiscenting the 70's. 

AI de-aging, etc.

Directed by Francois Rousselet, who directed also the most recent clip of RS, Angry from Hackney Diamonds in 2023, as well as  Ride 'Em on Down from Blue and Lonesome (2016). 

my buddy Ticke aka Attila Brushvox wrote about it here !

Deep Purple-Arrogant Boy (SOTD)

 Great new song from some ol' boyz

Lyrics here 

video here, premiered 2nite.

Produced by Bob Ezrin. Written by Don Airey, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Simon McBride & Ian Paice.

From their upcoming 24th studio album SPLAT !, out on July 3d.

see ya in Cluj on Oct. 1st !!!

https://btarena.info/event/concert-deep-purple/

tickets here

Angine de Poitrine - Sarniezz- SOTD

Angine de Poitrine ... this name is showing up all over, today I studied them more and I agree...

Microtonal duo from Quebec. Fantastic. Plus a gimmick they have, playing incognito under weird carnival masks and pointilist costumes ! It seems they are brothers and they play:

"un répertoire d'anti-aréna-rock instrumental cartonneux qui, à la manière de la musique techno, s'articule autour d'un jeu dynamique d'ajout et de retrait de motifs sonores en constante métamorphose."

Khn de Poitrine - Microtonal Guitars 

Klek de Poitrine - Drums

check out the whole KEXP concert here. 

They describe their music as: "Dada Pythago-Cubist Mantra-Rock".

Here's Rick Beato take on them: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO8bt94-ybg

RIP Bob Weir

One of the greats and Only Ones, Bobby / Bob Weir, the legendary guitarist of Grateful Dead and later on Dead & Company, Kingfish, etc, is gone at  78 (on Jan. 10th 2026). 

He survived Jerry Garcia (dead at 53 in 1995!!!) for another 31 years !!!

He was still playing last year.

Obit in Rolling Stone

Dead & Company - 08/03/25, Recorded live at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA

RIP Brigitte Bardot

 Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot, aka B.B. , once the most famous French incons, died at age 91. She was one of the most beautiful women on screen, bringin g a certain modern quality to feminity in the 60's. 

She was married four times, most famously to Roger Vadim and Gunther Sachs. Also a singer, involved with Serge Gainsbourg (Bonnie & Clyde).

Films: Vadim's  Et Dieu... créa la femme, Louis Malle's Viva Maria, Henri Clousot's La Vérité, Godard's Le Mépris. Last film in 1973. She became a Grand Animal Activist, and that was her main activity and her legacy. 

Obit in The Guradian here.

And here's the great  Tom Zé, with his song BB (1973). 

RIP Chris Rea

Sad news before Xmas...

Chris Rea is no longer Driving Home for Christmas...

The English blues player and singer was 74. 

Rea recorded 25 studio albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart, The Road to Hell in 1989 and its follow-up, Auberge, in 1991.

He did the music for La Passione in 1996, film he wrote and produced about racing cars and Ferrari, Rea being a racing driver himself.

He also had the lead in the pythonesque black comedy Parting Shots (1998, directed by Michael Winner), next to Ben Kingsley, Oliver Reed and John Cleese. The film can been on youtube, here.

He had an Italian father and Irish mother - his family were in the ice cream business. 

Chris Rea had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 33, a lot of other health issues folllowing it, but he lived and played, album after album, gig after gig, until a stroke in 2016...

He played Bucharest's Sala Palatului, on February 6th 2010 -my memories and review here.

His last album was a compilation, The Christmas Album, released on October 17, 2025....

Obit on BBC here 

LMA Keef @82

Keith Richards / Keef is 82 !!! Amazing ! Noroc !!!

also the Stones have announced NO European tour in 2026.

They will have a new album out tho soon...

La multi ani to the original Pirate King !!!

thinking of Bobby Keys too !

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1166318042379539

Black Rabbit (2025)

Binged this over two nights Black Rabbit, 8 episodes, New York set and well presented into it. The name of the show -miniseries of a Season, no twofers, comes from a bar / restaurant / lounge next top Brooklyn Bridge, names Black Rabbit. Intrigued me that Jude Law sings, together with Albert Hammond Jr. from The Strokes, they are The Black Rabbits, the fictional band in the new netflix series.

There are two Black Rabbits songs, “Turned To Black” and “Outside People,” written and produced by Albert Hammond, Jr. 

Best part of Jason Bateman's career IMO, great teaming with Jude Law as the Friedken brothers, Jake and Vince. Jake own the Black Rabbit and wants to move to The Room, Vince is an addict and a f**k up on the run, turning like a bad penny into Jack's life, worst moment, worst time...

Great supporting cast, including Troy Kutsur (Oscar winner from CODA), Abbey Lee (Oz ex model, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Neon Demon, Old), Joe Ales as Jules Zablonski, Don Harvey, Dagmara Dominczyk, many more. 

Great tense score by Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans (series Tokyo Vice, Ozark and Speak No Evil). 

Links with Ozark and The Order, Justin Kurzel (directs last 2 eps), the writers, who wrote both, Zach Baylin and Kate Susman (also producer and showrunner). 

First 2 eps directed by Bateman and 2 more by Laura Linney, his partner in the Ozark series. Two more by Ben Semanoff (also from Ozark).  Lots of Ozarks and Jude Law's The Order that led to this greenlit by netflix. Location shooting and plenty of atmosphere, noirish nightmare descent, bravura performances, I guess it won't be much loved but I appreciated it. Will be on my list of 2025 Top series. 

Alice Cooper - Wild One ( The Original A.C. Group)

The Revenge of Alice Cooper, the new album by Alice Cooper featuring his original group after more than 50 years off (Muscle of Love in 1973), will be out on July 25th 2025 !!! The 1st single was Black Mamba (out on youtube in April), fearturing Robby Krieger (The Doors).

Inspired by the iconic 1953 film The Wild One starring Marlon Brando, the track captures the same defiant spirit that once shocked middle America and defined a generation. Reuniting five decades after their rise to fame, the band channels the chaos, danger, and cool of their early days, a time when rock was feared, eyeliner was scandalous, and every show felt like a revolution. "Wild Ones" is the sound of the Alice Cooper Group with their engines roaring, still loud, still dangerous, and still not asking for permission. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wild Ones We are the wild ones crashin' through the night Livin' in the shadows, hidden from the light Revving up our engines, sharpening our claws Cause baby when you're hungry, the jungle is the law Oh, runnin' with the wild ones Yeah, baby we're the wild ones Yeah, we're the wild ones, we live in every town We own the city streets, we rule the underground, There is no cagin' us, you'll suffer if you try We got the rage in us, cause it makes us feel alive Oh, runnin' with the wild ones Yeah, baby we're the wild ones Wild ones, wild ones, wild ones Can you feel it, rolling thunder, Lose your mind and drag you under Can you see it, getting' higher Cause it's burning, burning like a fire We are the damned ones, this is the life we choose There's no redemption and nothin' left to lose. If you see us coming, you won't have time to pray When you hear the motors gunning, just get out of our way Yeah, runnin with the wild ones Yeah, baby we're the wild ones Wild ones, wild ones, wild ones Can you feel it, rolling thunder, Lose your mind and drag you under Can you see it, getting' higher Cause it's burning, like a fire

Life, Death and Dennis Hopper by The Waterboys -Out now !!!

 Finally ! On April 4, the most expected album (in any sense, and for me in special) by Mike Scott's The Waterboys is out. I announced here on Jan. 8 2025.

What a Treat !!! 25 songs (you can find 'em all on Youtube here, spotify and other patforms), featuring an array of guests, from Steve Earle to Bruce Springsteen and Fiona Apple. 

Vignetes about Golf (Hooper's latter passion), The Last Movie (his doomed film), Andy (Warhol), Michelle (Phillips), Frank Booth (from Blue Velvet), Terry Southern (who wrote Easy Rider), etc. Including a fake trailer for a biker movie, "Freaks on Wheels", a la Tarantino's latest films. 

Post-modern, cool, eclectic, funky, groovy, mad -as Sir Dennis was ;) A wonderful heartfelt tribute, about the times and of Wild Pop Americana and one of True Legends of the Movieland (und more). 

Reviews here:

MOJO -4 stars

Uncut -4 stars

Under The Radar  -75 %

Rolling Stone 

Metacritics -78 %

**** 1/2 out of FIVE. 

Life, Death and Dennis Hopper Track List 

(where there are links you find the videos). 

1. Kansas (featuring Steve Earle)

2. Hollywood’55

3. Live In The Moment, Baby

4. Brooke / 1712 North Crescent Heights

5. Andy (A Guy Like You)

6. The Tourist (featuring Barny Fletcher)

7. Freaks On Wheels

8. Blues For Terry Southern

9. Memories Of Monterey

10. Riding Down To Mardi Gras

11. Hopper’s On Top (Genius)

12. Transcendental Peruvian Blues

13. Michelle (Always Stay)

14. Freakout At The Mud Palace

15. Daria

16. Ten Years Gone (featuring Bruce Springsteen)

17. Letter From An Unknown Girlfriend (featuring Fiona Apple)

18. Rock Bottom

19. I Don’t Know How I Made It (featuring Taylor Goldsmith)

20. Frank (Let’s Fu*k)

21. Katherine (featuring Anana Kaye)

22. Everybody Loves Dennis Hopper

23. Golf, They Say

24. Venice, California (Victoria)/The Passing Of Hopper

25. Aftermath

 

Hopper's On Top (Genius)-The Waterboys

1st excerpt from the upcoming album by Mike Scott's The Waterboys' Life, Death And Dennis Hopper. (out on April 4).

song of the day and til now song of the year ;)

love the lines, "Are you ready for the most creative generation in over 2000 years? "

also reminds me a lot of Tom Petty... 

 

One Million views BC !!!!

1001015 views now. Over one million. Felt like sharing ;)

This blog, beaten, heavy, conflicted, controversial and ridiculed ("blogul cu morti"/ dead people's blog) never made any $ and I kept coming back to it just because it felt like a maligned child -was born when i was tricked to do it  at Mediapro (see Old blog) and then Ndgu suggested I did my own _July 2008-such eons lifes ago....and then (and then ? ) yes, IT Lives, and Lives Again, it lived, noh...til any moment when it can be erased, disappear, etc. 

This year it seems, I spent more time on it, it's like coming back home, an empty home, a poor home, a dear home, so many lost friends, so many heroes, so many great films and fun moments. None pushed me to write stuff I ddi not want to write, I promoted my activity, being that film festivals from TIFF to Cannes, got even accredited on Sitges with it (!!!), my years at the Cinemateca Patria, my short run of Bohemian Mondays (aldmovieLight), my Transilvania Blues Nights. 

It's random and it has tags for things most important and loved, from Keef to Iggy to Alice (Coop), to His Bobness, Leonard Cohen Ozzy, Iron Maiden, Steve Vai and VH in Rockland. 

On movieland it's BDP and Scottfree, QT and Jack (De Palma, Ridley and Tony Scott, Tarantino and Jack (Nicholson, not Daniels), giallo and Mickey Rourke. Und more.

It's trips and alinland, and SOTD (song of the day), and it's all been random into a design that fits or unfits. Why switched in English from original Romanian It's done good with imdb and anyhu, more than half of my life is in Ingles, so, why not ?

"Cent'anni !!!"

-...well, we live for much longer, kiddo ;)

Edward and Alex Van Halen-Unfinished

Alex Van Halen wrote about a book about him and Eddie VH, entitled BROTHERS.

The Audio book includes the final song of Eddie and him, Unfinished. It's a nice elegy to the genius to Edward Van Halen.

the song is available for download from van-halen.com. 

Never Let Go (2024)

Never Let Go (2024):  I'm quite puzzled by the ratings, they're like for a mediocre film/ or were people's expectations too high ? It seems that is a "way too much thinking and speculation" film, that's why it flopped.

Halle Berry was before in horror in Gothika (a bad thriller, d. by Mathieu Kassovitz, 2003), this is the second time she works with a French director.

Alexandre Aja is a very stylish horrormeister, he shot two films in Romania, Haute Tension and Mirrors, then he made it to the big league in the US with creepy remke to The Hills Have Eyes, the fun fun Piranha 3D remake, the crocodile fare Crawl, the weird one Horns, He is the son of director Alexandre Arcady. His last film before NLG, Oxygene, shot during the pandemic, went on to stream on Netflix.

NLG is also a gimmicky film, sure you got that, and I'm not gonna spoil anything here but the gimmick it's in the style of mr. Twist and Shout M. Night Shayamalan, (The Village, Knock on Cabin), just that the drama and it's subtler and darker.  The writers, Ryan Grassby and KC Coughlin wrote  The King's Tide, which is still on my "to see" list. The film was then titled "Mother Land". Woud've loved that title much more.

A big plus of NLG is the superb acting of Halle Berry (again taking on a risquee part, it's her film after all, she produced it too) and the two kids, Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV). There is a twist on the Abel and Cain story here too. And on Hansel & Gretel, for all that matters. References to Grimm and Anderson's dark fairy tales are on the screen for you to see. And judge. 

Opening credits roll a la The Shining, the music score by ROB is dense and thrilling (his third score for Aja after Horns and Oxygene) and you'll never hear "The Big Rock Candy Mountain" (the 1928 bluesy song by Harry McClintock, that was also in O Brother Where Art Tho ?), again the same way. 

Aja's old collaborators are there, Maxime Alexandre as DOP  (in widescreen 2.11.1 by Alexa digital), and Gregory Levasseur (his buddy screenwriter), now as the director of the Second Unit. NLG was shot in British Columbia, in the wilderness of the woods.

And the dog, Koda (Brass), is worth a Palme Dog ;)

To be seen in a theater (the soundscape is fantastic and the photography it's just beautiful).

7 out of 10 / 3 1/2 out of 5 

RIP Kris Kristofferson

Again gone one of the great ones...Mr. Kris K. is one of my personal favourite heroes, just for his look, I fell in love at first sight. He didn't have to be tough, he was in his own right, One of the Only Ones !!!

Mr. Kris Kristofferson was 88

I think the first film I saw with him was The Sailor who Fell in Grace with the Sea (1976), or maybe it was Convoy (1978) ?

in the early Nineties they brought a film in the cinemas called Flashpoint (1984), a curio that I dug. Tangerine Dream scored it too. Also that dud, Millennium (1989-oi), and Welcome Home (1989), the last film from Franklin J. Schaffner. Triple Kris bill :)

His 1st film was Dennis Hopper's aptly titled ;) The Last Movie (1971). But even if there is Pat Garret & Billy the Kid (1973- forSerban Celea :(, the best is for me is now & for a long time that infamous and immortal Heaven's Gate .

Trivia: Kristofferson turned down Sorcerer, him and Steve Mc Queen, all respect for Roy Scheider, I would've seen both Steve and Kris in it...God of Movies said no :(

Yep, he was in Blade and Blade two. And Blade: Trinity, resurrected ;) And what about that Albert Pyun's Knights (1993)? With Mister Lance...

Also: Alice doesn't Live here Anymore, Cisko Pike (wow, the whole flick is on youtube!), A Star is Born (the 1976 version), Trouble in Mind, Lone Star (4 Andrei ;), Payback (not in the director's cut that we dig ;), & a fierce cameo on Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia... 

I got one record on vinyl like over 30 years ago -I guess it was Repossessed from 1986- and was kinda disappointed cos it wasn't rock enough for me then ;) Too young & dumb & ...

posted here a song with his super band The Highwaymen, Desperados Waiting on a Train...

...now Kris is on the TRAIN, on the way to Heaven's Gate, to meet his old buddies, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Sam the Man (Peckinpah), James Coburn, Michael Cimino too...Willie Nelson still Standing !!!

Kristofferson said that he would like the first three lines of Leonard Cohen's "Bird on a Wire" on his tombstone: 

Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free

The Penguin (2024)

As people didn't recognize Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb (short for Oswald Cobblepot) in 2022's The Batman, now they only talk about the prostethics of the new HBO / Max series, The Penguin.  I was waiting for this and sure hope they won't f**k it up.

Under the hunchback there is a huge actor I always loved and still he does not get the reputation it deserves, Irishman Colin Farrell (just in before and after doing Banshees of Inisherin and Sugar). You can hardly notice his voice and manierisms, he looks more like Robert De Niro as Al Capone in The Untouchables than the previous Penguin incarnations, Burgess Meredith in the '60's and Danny De Vito in 1992's Batman Returns. Plus a soft spot for Robin Lord Taylor in the Gotham series. Farrell was the best thing in the 2022 Se7ven ripp-off with emo batmen & riddlers. Also John Turturo was cool but he's off.  Here Mark Strong replaces Turturro as Carmine Falcone and Clancy Brown is Sal Maroni.

Cristin Milioti (Fargo, season 2) is Sofia Falcone, the daughter of the dead Mafia Kingpin.

Oz has a tight relationship with his mother (Deirdre O'Connell), that bringing him closer to James Cagney in White Heat and Scarface, from Paul Muni to Pacino's Tony Montana. 

1st episode was good but not fantastic, and it clearly goes into the gangster noir-ish tale, no supernatural involved. Surely this being HBO, they'll talk Sopranos in connection with this. 

Music score by Nick Giacchino (Michael's son). Here's The Penguin Theme, "Scherzo for a Flightless Bird").

Ep. 1 "After Hours"- From 9 to 5 / Dolly Parton. Rita Hayworth when Oz dances with his mom. End credits song, When In Rome with "The Promise".  

Ep. 2 "Inside Man" -so/so, gangsters by the numbers. Flashback of the kid. End credits song, a cover of "Happy Together", The Turtles' 1967 song, by Floor Cry. 

Ep. 3 "Bliss", the new drug, some betrayals. "Broken Belief" by Bob Moss.  Gil Scott-Heron's bladting "Me and The Devil" on the end credits.

Ep. 4. "Cent'anni", finally Carmine Falcone flashbacks. And Sofia's Arkham story, The Hangman, & a great finale (on Sarah Vaughan's So Long, My Love-1964). The Stranglers 1981 song  "Strange Little Girl" on the end credits. 

Ep. 5. "Homecoming". By the numbers mafia biz & betrayals but an interesting finale if it follows up. The Cure -"A Forest" and St. Vincent-"Reckless". 

Ep. 6. "Gold Summit". Most boring episode, all set up and a good end shot. Credits roll on a Chris Isaak cool song, "Black Flowers" from 1998.

Ep. 7 "Top Hat". The groove is back as we flashback to Oswald's childhood and his two brothers. Cue to Top Hat, the 1935 Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers musical which winks also in Joker: Folie a deux (Fred Astaire again, in 1953's Band Wagon  Cut to: "Islands on a Stream" (Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton) and Yazoo's Only You. It ends badly for The Penguin. "How did you called  me?". End credits on Swans-"Lunacy". Great song. 

Ep. 8: La Grand finale. Glimpses of Selina Kyle on an envelope and Oz puts on a tux to dance. One unexpected scene (not spoiling it here but it's about Victor Aguilar). Promises of season # 2 ensure. See if Colin Farrell wants to put athe makeup again. Golden Globe/Emmy should be guaranteed.

Complete songs list here. 

Already The Peng is  #92 on IMDb TV top shows (NA: Now, 6 weeks later, it's # 70 !) . Penguin beats the Joker, mostly now with Folie a Deux being the "hate it movie of 2024"...

So, in the end The Peng is for me a 3 out of 5, 6 out of 10. 

While he mentioned that he did watch DeVito as The Penguin and “was a fan of Burgess Meredith” in the Adam West-starring 1960s “Batman” TV show, Farrell said the inspiration for his take on the character ultimately drew from darker and less comic book-infused sources, including Dustin Hoffman’s Ratso Rizzo in “Midnight Cowboy,” Robert De Niro as Al Capone in “The Untouchables” and “The Sopranos’” James Gandolfini. “All of them are in there,” Farrell said. “Like, I’ve seen ‘Untouchables’ twice, I’ve seen ‘Midnight Cowboy’ four times. Anything, as an actor, anything you ever see, any piece of music you ever hear, it all kind of meets you inside in a place that gets used, gets filtered through every single character you do in lesser or greater ways.”

(from CNN piece here)

Kinds of Kindness (2024)

“Some of them want to abuse you / Some of them want to be abused” 

(Eurythmics-Sweet Dreams -Are Made of These-1983), the song that starts the film and was used on the promotion (trailer, etc, very misleading or?)

                                                  (Brand New B*tch)

The new film by Yorgos Lanthimos (after the Awards darling Poor Things), the leader of the Greek "Weird Wave", Kinds of Kindness, premiered in Cannes this year in the Official Competition.

It's his longest film 2date, at 2h44 mins. A tryptich played by the same actors in different parts (Emma Stone, Margaret Qualley, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Hong Chau, Mamodou Athie ), except the mysterious R.M.F. (Yorgos Stefanakos). It's bleak, it's surreal and it's almost sadistic -especially on the characters, but on the viewers too. Black comedy in the vein of Roy Andersson, with nods to Bunuel and Kubrick (esp. Eyes Wide Shut, from where Jerskin Fendrix takes his music cues-a discordant piano, a tragedic chorus). On the end credits he has a vocal song, "King Lear", ('cause he had three daughters???;), where he reminded me of Nick Cage and Leonard Cohen. 

Closer to Lanhimos' debut, Kynodontas (Dogtooth)-"the dogs treat us good", Alps, and to the mood and atmosphere of  Killing of a Sacred Deer. The director says he was inspired by Albert Camus' Caligula and the relations of power-Trust, Love & Death. 

Jesse Plemons (Fargo, Killers of the Flower Moon) won Best Actor in Cannes. 

Shot again (after The Favourite and Poor Things, another Three;) by Irishman Robbie Ryan in color and black & white in anamorphic widescreen (2.29:1).

Also, wtf is Ronnie James Dio song Rainbow in the Dark doing in here?

Bill Wyman -Drive My Car (2024)

Bill Wyman put out an album at 87. Drive My Car, some wonderful covers (among which a nice rendition of Thunder on the Mountain from Bob Dylan's and 3 originals. Sounds a lot like J.J. Cale....

87? Eighty-Seven ? This is definitely the oldest rock musician's album yet. 

Also Wyman (former Rolling Stones bass player and co-founder) is retired from over 30 years (1993). In 1997 he formed The Rhythm Kings aka  Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, more of a club band. He joined the Stones for last year's Hackney Diamonds, playing the bass on the "Live By the Sword" song.

Surely on my Top albums of 2024. Made my Day (and what a Day :)

Review on Louder, here. 

                                                             "....but drive it Slow !!!"

Lucero-Bikeriders (SOTD)

Now in the film The Bikeriders (my thoughts here)

Lucero is Ben Nichols' band and the song is from 2005's Nobody's Darlings album. Based on photojournalist's Danny Lyon book The Bikeriders (1968).  See the photos in the video below.

Kathy met a girlfriend at a place around Grant,

Swore if she got out alive she'd not go back again,
Fellas didn't know her and they scared her half to death,
Hand prints on her jeans, she would have just got up and left,
That's when she saw Benny standing over by the bar,
Sat back down, and waited 'til he came over to talk,
Later on that night as she was walking out the door,
Benny started up his bike, and the boys came out for more

Ooooh...

They picked her up and put her on the back of Benny's bike,
Now Kathy's been with Benny Bauer ever since that night,
She's tried to leave him many times, can't quite get away,
Seen more jails and courts and laywers than she'd like to say,
Benny's always been a fighter, that'll never change,
Kathy takes him home and heals him up, it's all the same
He made it from the club room all the way out to the street,
They beat him with the barstools but he made it on his feet

Ooooh...

Kathy's runnin' to her boy, picks him up and takes him home,
And Benny's crying "Kathy please, I'm sorry don't you know?"
I'm sorry don't you know, I'm sorry don't you know?
At a bar they call Stop Light the fellas drink their beer,
Women with their hair done up, they make it very clear,
Which one of the fellas is all theirs and can't be touched,
They're tellin' me that motorcycle rider just give up,
They're talkin' to the pretty ladies, everyone they can,
I never seen the trouble caused all by just one dance,
If Benny don't get himself shot tonight I wish he did,
When he gets home

Ooooh...

Now Kathy's datin' Benny and he keeps her by his side,
Kathy's still the cutest girl these boys will ever find,
Riders line up BSA's out on the scrambler's tracks,
Levis jeans and a leather jacket numbers on their backs,
Benny's bike is too big to race up 250 class,
They make him start way up the hill, up by the railroad tracks,
Tomorrow they'll all ride across the Illinois state line,
Motorcycle Blessing at the St. Christopher Shrine

Ooooh...

Kathy's walking out the door leavin' Benny all alone,
And Benny's crying "Kathy please, baby don't you go"
Baby don't you go, baby don't you go
Kathy you mean it this time, just leave in the middle of the night,
His wallet's on your table, boots on your floor,
The car is parked right outside your back door,
So leave him asleep in your bed and,
You're halfway to Chicago before good-bye is said

Ooooh...