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 

Nuremberg (2025)

 Nuremberg, to be seen in theaters. 

My favorite actor for the next Oscars would be Russell Crowe in an all-time high career role as Hermann Göring in this WW2 courtroom drama based on the real events pd the Trial at Nuremberg. His opponent in the film is Rami Malek as the shrink Hermann Göring in a weird casting choice. Screenwriter James Vanderbilt's 2nd feature has great production values (shot in Hungary for 7.5 mill. $ !!!), sets, costumes, supporting cast (John Slattery, Michael Shannon, Richard E. Grant, Colin Hanks,   Andreas Pietschmann as Rudolf Hess), dramatic music by Brian Tyler and great widescreen cinematography by Dariusz Wolski. Bsed on  Jack El-Hai's book,  "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist".

For many too academic, long (2h30 -I'd say Epic), ut a worthwhile dramatic story with a new take, worthy to be told TODAY.

3 1/2 out of 5 / 7 out of 10 !!!

RIP Marty DiBergi

 took a while to process, and but it's not processed yet..:(

Mr. Marty DiBergi who just a had a comeback with Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues had left the showbiz...Dec. 14th 2025. He was 78. More about Rob Reiner in another later post...

The End Continues 

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

Sirat (2025)

The Sirat Bridge, in Islamic belief, is a narrow and perilous bridge that every person must cross on the Day of Judgment to enter Paradise (Jannah). It is described as being thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword, with the faithful crossing it swiftly, while sinners may fall into Hell below.

(from imdb trivia)

SIRAT is one of the best films of 2025, and definitely the most interesting, visually and thematically. Jury Prize in Cannes and Golden Globe nominated for best foreign film (Spain's entry) and surely Oscar nod in the same category. Sergi Lopez leads a cast of unknown and unprofessional actors into the Morrocan -here unanmed-desert in a Jodorowskian take on Sorcerer (Friedkin's best !!!) in Burning Man territory. Existentialism follows upwards and downwards spiral ;)

Director and co-writer Oliver Laxe says Sirat it's a mix of Mad Max, Easy Rider and Stalker.  

Also there are one armless man, one legless man (Freak show, /Freaks t shirt), another hint at some Jodorowski. And a pun on a Boris Vian poem and song, more existentialism and surrealism mix.

Stellar Techno electronic soundtrack by French artist Kangding Ray. Would deserve the Oscar and the Globe for best score.It won Cannes Soundtrack Award.

Kudos also for Laia Casanova’s sound design, that turns the "rumors of the wind" and the noises of the desert into their own Rave.

 Also as I was sure, it's the Winner of 2025 Palm Dog - Jury Prize For Pipa the Jack Russell, and Lupita the Podenco mix.

9 out of Ten / 4 1/2 out of 5 !!!

*To be seen in a cinema with powerful speakers and good sound design. And about that, it's a real shame the film runs in Romania only a few shows, in some cities (see here on the distributor's site Transilvania Film), and not at all in Brasov :((( shameful...

A review in Hollywood Reporter here

The Secret Agent /O Agente Secreto (2025)

Kleber Mendonça Filho's follow-up to Bacurau is O Agente secreto. 2025's Cannes award winner for best actor -Walter Moura !and best director, Golden Globe nominated and soon Oscar nominated-Brazil's entry for best foreign film.

Also Udo Kier's last part as Hans, a great on screen goodbye.

2h38 of complicated narrative, non-liniar, Brazilian politics and 1970's history, plus a lot of love for the cinema, ecclectic soundtrack, one of the most interesting and best films of the year. 

**** out of *****

8 out of 10 !

2026 Golden Globes Nominations (#83)

 All nominations out, Awards on Jan. 11th 2026.

https://celebmix.com/the-2026-golden-globe-nominations-are-here-see-the-full-list/#google_vignette

Tops, Sinners, One Battle After Another, Frankenstein, The Secret Agent, and Sirat, mostly Sirat ;)

Sentimental Value, Hamnet, Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice remain to be seen. 

I guess The Voice of Hind Rajab as the Panahi, not my faved at all, due to their own political agenda that is not Cinema for some of us. 

Remembering John Lennon

 8 Dec. 1980-IMAGINE what he could ve done in these stolen 45 years......John Lennon...WHY ?

RIP Artan

 Chiar nu-mi vine sa cred...drum bun Artan...Adrian Pleșca-om de Timpuri Noi si mereu Partizan...

o sa revin si am sa scriu mai multe depre intilnirile mele cu el...

next day: am apucat acum pe Sunete, asa cum se vede mai jos, si acolo ne-am intilnit Corespuzator...

imi place sa cred ca Adrian Artan a plecat in Concendiu...

https://sunetelive.ro/artan-4ever/

                                          13 martie 2016 cu Vlad si Artan, Sunete si..David Bowie...

                                                                        *****

"Perfect", in recital special la Cerbul de aur (!) in 1996, show regizat de Radu Muntean. 

si un interviu frumos, linistit, de unde aflati si de unde vine numele de Artan la min. 26.

The S.H.I.T. – Brand-New Blues Rock Supergroup – premieră în România!

The S.H.I.T. este un nou supergrup internațional, format din patru muzicieni excepționali ai scenei blues și

rock: Innes Sibun (chitară și voce), Mike Hellier (tobe), Roger Inniss (bas) și Rob Tognoni (chitară și voce).

Acești artiști, formați pe scenele mari ale blues-ului și rock-ului, s-au unit pentru a crea un proiect original,

plin de energie și atitudine.

Muzica lor combină blues-ul, roots și Americana, într-un stil autentic, caracterizat de virtuozitate instrumentală și prezență scenică remarcabilă. Acesta va fi primul concert susținut vreodată de The S.H.I.T. în această nouă formulă cu Innes Sibun la chitară și voce.

Innes Sibun (UK) – unul dintre cei mai apreciați chitariști britanici de blues rock, parte din Robert Plant Band și artist cu peste 30 de ani de experiență scenică. Unul din prietenii statornici ai Transilvania Blues Nights ca parte din proiectul The Malone Sibun Band împreună cu texanul Marcus Malone, prezenți de trei ori la Brașov, în 2019, 2020 si în 2023.

Rob Tognoni (Australia) – The Tasmanian Devil, un showman de forță, chitarist exploziv și o carieră de peste trei decenii. A mai fost prezent la Transilvania Blues Nights cu propria trupă în 2022 și 2024.

Roger Inniss (UK) – basist cu o versatilitate remarcabilă, activ în proiecte de blues, funk și soul. A colaborat cu artiști precum Joanne Shaw-Taylor, Snowy White, Mick Taylor, Edwin Starr, Chaka Khan. A fost prezent la Transilvania Blues Nights de două ori, alături de brazilianul Fred Sunwalk.

Mike Hellier (UK) – baterist cu groove puternic și experiență eclectică, a cântat în diverse formule, de la Mike Scott (The Waterboys), James Hunter, Johnny Thunders, la Mudd Morganfield, fiul lui Muddy Waters.

Un concert-eveniment în premieră națională și la Brașov, în cadrul Transilvania Blues Nights.

Un eveniment marca Transilvania Blues Nights, recomandat de Rock FM și Zile și Nopți.

Sponsori: BCR, ButanGas, Dräxlmaier, Tehnic Mihor BitDatamining, Aplind

Parteneri de ospitalitate: A-Ha Bistro, Coliba Haiducilor, Brașov Old Town Apartments.

6 decembrie 2025, ora 20:00, open doors 18:00. Transilvania Blues Nights. Clubul Rockstadt, Brașov.Bilete: pre-sale 120 lei până în data de 05.12.2025; 150 lei în ziua concertului. Informații și bilete: www.transilvaniablues.ro

Eveniment Facebook: Concert The S.H.I.T. @ Transilvania Blues Nights

Subscribe to the Transilvania Blues YouTube channel here

B. There & Let There B. Blues!