I caught iconic girl group the Go-Go's at the House of Blues in Hollywood Saturday night, and the band rocked it like they usually do whenever they're back in their hometown. Hard to believe its been 31 years since the Go-Go's were formed but I have to say that time, for the most part, has been kind to the self-proclaimed "goddesses of rock." Guitarist Jane Weidlin and bassist Kathy Valentine look nearly ten years younger than their actual ages, and lead singer Belinda Carlisle looked more like the attractive 50-year old woman she is than the wax mannequin she appeared to be during her recent turn on Dancing With the Stars.
Speaking of DWTS, Belinda's dance partner on the show, Jonathan Roberts, made a guest appearance for the band's performance of "Cool Jerk", during which he jitterbugged and twist-ed with both Belinda and Jane.
Other show highlights were spirited performances of the Sparks' and Jane Weidlin's "Cool Places"; "We Got the Beat", "How Much More", "Tonight", and "This Town" and the melancholy "Forget That Day" (from the Talk Show album) which the girls haven't performed live since 1984.
Another interesting tune in the set list was "Mad About You" (the group doesn't perform a lot Belinda's solo material) and I was able to capture it on video:
Hey, here’s a question… Is anyone in Hollywood doing anything original? When I take a look at the last six months worth of major studio releases, I come back with the answer, “Not really.”
Let’s start by taking a look at the box office champs for the past two weeks -- Fast and Furious and 17 Again; the recently released Race to Witch Mountain, Last House on the Left, and Crank 2: High Voltage; and the upcoming Obsessed. Each one is either a remake or a sequel to an earlier film.
In Fast and Furious, the stars of the original The Fast and The Furious (Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster) return to try and breathe new life into the tired franchise. (I guess the three previous Fast and Furious movies (plus Redline) didn't sufficiently cover the world of illegal street racing.)
17 Again stars Matthew Perry as a middle-aged schmoe who’s transformed into a teenage version of himself and then proceeds to attend the same high school as his kids. The film is just another in a long line of body-switching, “grown-up in a kid’s body and let’s have them go back to high school with their own kids” fantasy-comedies that include Freaky Friday (both the original version with Jodie Foster and the remake with Lindsay Lohan), Big, Like Father Like Son (featuring Kirk Cameron and Dudley Moore as a father and son who switch bodies) and Vice Versa (with Fred Savage and Judge Reinhold doing the same.) Oh, and by the way, in 1988, there was a movie starring George Burns, where he’s transformed into the body of his teenage grandson and then goes back to high school. That movie’s title?... 18 Again. Evidently, besides not caring to make a film with an original story, the producers of 17 Again were too lazy to even come up with a fresh title.
There’s more.
Race to Witch Mountain, features Dwayne (“The Rock”) Johnson in an updating of one of the more forgettable 70’s Disney flicks and its sequel Escape to Witch Mountain. (I guess since they're remaking lame Disney family movies from the 70s, we should all brace for a new version of Gus, the field goal kicking mule.) Meanwhile, with his "new" version of Last House on the Left, producer Wes Craven remakes his 1972 suspense/horror cult classic.
In Crank 2: High Voltage, protagonist Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) returns, and this time instead of constantly having to keep his adrenaline level up (or else he’ll die) Chev has to keep his artificial heart electrically charged (or else… you guessed it, he’ll die.) Now the original Crank had a creative, high concept premise (Speed but with a person instead of a bus) and it's understandable why it developed into something of a cult classic after its DVD release. And though it makes sense that there would be a sequel, it doesn’t change the fact that the plot and action sequences in Crank 2 are too often scene for scene copies of the original.
This Friday we get Obsessed, which stars Ali Larter as a sexy secretary who develops a "fatal attraction" towards her boss. I guess I’ll see it cause I liked 1993’s The Temp, starring Lara Flynn Boyle as a sexy secretary who develops a… aww nevermind, you get it.
Even many of the most highly publicized upcoming summer movies –- Terminator Salvation, Star Trek, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Angels and Demons, Night at the Museum 2, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Ice Age 3, and X Men Origins: Wolverine -- represent nothing new in that every one of these is a sequels.
Additionally, nowadays the vast majority of prestige pictures -- serious fare including the recent Oscar nominees Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, and Doubt, as well as the just released The Soloist -- are based on critically-acclaimed novels or other material.
So what’s my point?... It seems that increasingly, Hollywood is growing more and more reluctant to make original films from original scripts, opting instead for movies based on books, toys, TV series or comics.
I ask with exasperation -- is no one writing directly for the screen anymore? Why don’t we see more original scripts reach the level of Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, and Crash? It's because what seems to occur more often is that creative, edgy, imaginative screenplays are passed over in favor of what agents, movie executives, and other decision-makers consider less risky, more bankable properties -- ones that they believe will bring some level of a guaranteed audience because they are retreads, sequels or remakes of previously successful films. That’s why we get movie versions of popular books like Confessions of a Shopaholic and He’s Just Not That Into You, along with Hannah Montana movies, and endless installments in Tyler Perry’s Madea series.
Sadly, it’s all just more of the same. The studios, and others holding the purse strings, would rather go over the same ground a second, third, or tenth time with something that is (or at one time was) proven, instead of taking a chance on writers, scripts and filmmakers that are fresh or inventive. It’s a frustrating proposition for all the unknown writers out there with inspired spec screenplays that aren’t getting produced, while the script for a 30-years too late Land of the Lost movie and Final Destination: Death Trip 3D are quickly greenlighted.
Don’t get me wrong. I know there are still a lot of very good and original screenplays being produced these days. Interestingly, more and more, these stories are finding their way to HBO, Showtime, FX and other cable TV outlets. And while it seems that cable is becoming more edgy and willing to take chances on original material, Hollywood is becoming more and more risk averse. It’s a shame, because the industry is in desperate need of fresh ideas from new writers, and the big screen needs more pictures like last year’s In Bruges and Frozen River. And yes, it even needs more like I Love You Manand Hotel for Dogs, which, though they may not be great movies, at least get points for originality.
Don't know if it's her bubbly personality, the red hair, her Lisa Loeb "geek-chic" look, or the fact that I use a PC too (sorry all you condescending Mac lovers), but I am seriously crushing on Lauren.
Now that the TV season is winding down and football and basketball are done (sorry, I'm not into baseball) I’ve turned more of my attention to my PS3 and video games. In my search for a little something to tide me over until NCAA 10 arrives in July, I came across two interesting titles --Wanted: Weapons of Fate and The Godfather II. Here’s a quick take on each:
Wanted: Weapons of Fate (based on the successful 2008 action movie)
Type: 3rd Person Shooter
Pros:
Slowing down time and curving bullets (just like in the movie) makes for a unique shooter experience.
Cons:
AI is not very good.
Repetitive gameplay.
No Angelina Jolie character (Guess she didn’t give permission to use her likeness.)
The Godfather II
Type: Action
Pros:Grand Theft Auto-like gameplay.Nice plotlines that are faithful to the films.
Takes many hours to complete.
Cons: More than a few visual glitches that are really annoying. AI is wildly inconsistent
Winning tactics/strategies are too easy to figure out.
Dara Torres is a 42 year old (as of yesterday) American swimmer, and the the only swimmer to compete (and medal) in five Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008.) Last year, after eight years in retirement, she made an amazing comeback and won both the 50 and 100 meter freestyle at the US National Championships and at the Olympics in Beijing, Torres won three silver medals. (And to boot, she has the sickest abs on a 40+ year old woman you'll ever see.)
Been watching VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders Of The 80s and found it a bit confusing. I really need to know VH1's criteria for determining a one-hit wonder because a lot of the artists listed actually charted with other singles. For instance, John Parr (#28 "St. Elmo's Fire") actually had a number one hit on the rock charts with "Naughty, Naughty".
Quarterflash (#32 "Harden My Heart") also charted with "Take Me to Heart" and "Find Another Fool".
And Twisted Sister (#21 "We're Not Gonna Take It") had another very famous charter with "I Wanna Rock".
Oh well, at least the show got us thinking about 80s music and the songs that best defined the decade. So step back now to the time of Pac-Man, Pee-Wee Herman and parachute pants. Of rubber bracelets, Rubik’s cube, and Reaganomics. The 80s gave us the Walkman, Dynasty and Air Jordans. (Of course we also got New Coke, Full House and those damn "Baby on Board" signs.) But what we mostly remember is the music. These songs weren’t necessarily the decade’s best, but they linger in our minds as the soundtrack from the era of legwarmers, really skinny ties, and really, really big hair.
"Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar – 1980
Classic 70's hard rock carried into the 80s with this, Benatar's breakout hit. Powered by ballsy lyrics and vocals, and a crunching guitar riff courtesy of the vastly underrated Neil Geraldo, this single from the Crimes of Passion album reached #1 on the rock charts and was Benatar's first Top 10 hit in the US.
“Tainted Love” – Soft Cell – 1981
An unlikely hit built on the hypnotic fusion of synthesizer-generated tinkles and pulsing beats blended with the chorus from the Supremes “Where Did Our Love Go”. The record’s international success paved the way for a slew of contemporary synth-pop artists like Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins, Eurythmics, and Howard Jones. And "Tainted Love's" electronic sound also spurred the development of entirely new genres of music, including house, techno and electronica, and influenced the work of future artists like Paul Oakenfold and Moby.
“We Got the Beat” – The Go-Go’s – 1982
When you think of signature 80s groups, the Go-Go’s come immediately to mind. Still the most successful all-girl band in music history, the quintet from Los Angeles reached #2 on the charts with this, the second single from their debut album, Beauty and the Beat. The song’s new wave party vibe and bouncy arrangement retained the irreverence of a fading punk movement and at the same time, commanded you to get up and dance. The intro in particular—Gina Schock’s staccato drumming quickly joined by guitars and heavy bass—remains instantly recognizable. The fact that the song was used for the opening credits of the seminal 80’s movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High has helped the it endure as one of the decade’s most memorable.
“Billie Jean” and ”Beat It” – Michael Jackson – 1983
Back in the early 80’s, before the excessive cosmetic surgeries, before the allegations of child molestation, and the babies dangled off of balconies, it was actually non-controversial to like Michael Jackson. Though neither was the first single off the mega-album Thriller (“The Girl is Mine”, with Paul McCartney, was released in October of ‘82), “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” hit the charts within weeks of each other and kicked off the Michael Jackson phenomenon that lasted well into 1984. These two records’ monumental success (a combined 10 weeks at #1) was due in part to MTV, which played the music videos almost non-stop. “Billie Jean’s” infectiously cool groove fit perfectly with Jackson’s pleading vocal, while “Beat It”, with its ferocious Eddie Van Halen guitar licks showed that the future King of Pop also had a heavy metal edge. Both songs were nominated for Record of the Year at the ‘84 Grammy Awards, but “Beat It” took the honor.
"True” – Spandau Ballet – 1983
Two things made this jazzy, lounge-flavored ballad a pop hit: lead singer Tony Hadley’s rich, ultra-smooth voice and the breathy and extremely catchy “Ha-ha-ha-haaaa-ha” chorus. By embracing the music video format earlier than their American counterparts, a number of English bands gained popularity via heavy exposure on MTV. This led to a second British invasion headed by groups like Duran Duran, Human League, and Culture Club. Spandau Ballet was perhaps the most stylish of these acts. “True” shunned traditional British pop in favor of a more sophisticated R&B sound. Featuring Hadley’s lush vocals set amongst mellow saxophone and piano arrangements, “True” broke Spandau Ballet big in the US and was the sexy track that set the mood for romantic nights and last dances at high school proms. The cut has since been sampled on hits by both PM Dawn (“Set Adrift on Memory Bliss”) and Nelly (“N Dey Say”).
“Every Breath You Take” – The Police – 1983
In a decade dominated by synthesizers, drum machines, and dance beats, The Police scored the song of the decade and established themselves as the number one rock band in the world with this haunting number about obsessive love. Unique in its simplicity, both lyrically and in its stripped down arrangement (just drums, bass, and a little guitar during the bridge) most still ignore the sinister undertones of the song’s lyrics and simply appreciate it for its understated brilliance and Sting’s mournful, seductive croon.
Not even Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy” captured the care-free frivolousness and optimistic spirit of the decade more exuberantly than Cyndi Lauper’s debut smash. Appearing on the pop scene from humble beginnings as the frontwoman for the New York-based rock group Blue Angel, Lauper successfully modified her image and used this record (which most don't know is actually a cover of a Robert Hazard song) to reinvent herself as a zany, cartoonish, solo artist with a “don’t-take-me-or-anything-else-too-seriously” attitude. Peaking at #2 in March of '84, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” served as the party anthem of the year, a call for female self-expression, and even inspired a 1985 movie of the same name.
“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – Band Aid – 1984
USA for Africa’s charity single “We Are the World” got more hype and awards, but the Bob Geldof-led Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” came first and had more sincerity and earnestness than the American record. After watching a BBC documentary on famine in Ethiopia, Geldof organized the most popular British artists of the time (including Sting, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Phil Collins, U2, George Michael, Culture Club, and Bananarama) into a supergroup, then cut and mixed the track in one night. The record became the best-selling single in UK history, raising millions for famine relief and inspiring Geldof to organize the Live Aid shows, the biggest rock concert of all time. Just as important, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” instilled a sense of social consciousness in musicians, celebrities and the public that survive to this day. Other charity singles and fund-raising concerts (Artists Against Apartheid’s “Sun City”, Farm Aid) soon followed, helping to give a new moral purpose to a decade remembered more for its selfish, indulgent attitudes.
“Walk This Way” – Run-DMC (with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith) – 1986
One of the breakthrough records in music history in that it was the first rap song (not counting Blondie’s experiment with the genre on “Rapture”) to enjoy crossover success. Run-DMC had foreshadowed “Walk This Way’s” rock/rap fusion with their singles "Rock Box" and “King of Rock”, built around the blistering guitar work of Eddie Martinez. But the group’s cover of “Walk This Way” (which had originally charted some ten years earlier) had more mainstream appeal due to the participation of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. The pairing not only helped jump-start the careers of the fading 70’s rockers, it broadened the group’s fan base. In the larger scheme of things, rap, which had been an exclusively black music genre to that point, suddenly found an audience with suburban white kids, who quickly began discovering and supporting other rap artists. As the first successful rock/hip-hop collaboration, “Walk This Way” legitimized rap and all that it encompassed, setting the stage for countless others. The success of “Walk This Way” also made Run-DMC the first rap act to get airplay on MTV, further helping to erase prejudices towards that genre's top artists.
“Pour Some Sugar on Me” – Def Leppard – 1987
Four years had passed since Def Leppard’s 1983 success, Pyromania, and by 1987, with an abundance of "hair bands" dominating the (pop) metal scene, many wondered if the group could equal its earlier success. Def Lep surprised everyone with the comeback album Hysteria, which featured a slicker, more radio-friendly sound. Though some no doubt believed the band sold out, “Pour Some Sugar On Me” (one of six top 20 singles off Hysteria) was one of the decade’s most rousing and head-banging hits, blending traditional heavy metal elements like fierce guitars and bombastic drums, with a more melodic vocal delivery from lead singer Joe Elliot.
The "I want my MTV" chorus and accompanying video's groundbreaking use of computer animation contributed to the success of this biting satire on the plethora of disposable music the 80s produced.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” – Tears for Fears
Featured in seemingly every movie between 1985 and 1987.
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Where the Boys Are '84, which was a remake of a popular 1960 beach comedy featuring Dolores Hart, Paula Prentiss, George Hamilton, Frank Gorshin (best known as The Riddler from TV’s Batman series) and Connie Francis, who also sang the hugely successful title track.
Where the Boys Are '84 had an equally eclectic cast that featured actress turned country singer Lisa Hartman, figure skater turned actress Lynn Holly Johnson, Lorna Luft (daughter of Judy Garland), Wendy Schaal (now the voice of Francine on American Dad), and Christopher MacDonald (Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmour.) The film wasn’t nearly as successful as its predecessor but will forever have a place in cinema history as the very first theatrical release from Tri-Star Pictures.
Tri-Star was a joint film production and distribution company formed in 1982 by HBO, CBS, and Columbia Pictures. The company went on to produce and/or distribute a number of successful (Rambo: First Blood, Part II, Glory, Sleepless in Seattle, My Best Friend’s Wedding) and not so successful (Meatballs 2, Night of the Creeps, Nothing in Common, Jawbreaker) features before it was eventually folded into Columbia (and later into Columbia's parent company Sony Pictures.) And though Tri-Star’s still around today, it’s a much smaller player than it used to be.
I took a look at some of my old Maxim magazines and noticed that back when it was in its prime (around the late 90s, early 2000s) the magazine was substantially thicker (i.e., it had way more content) than it does now. The December 2000 issue with cover girl Tara Reid, for example, topped out at a whopping 292 pages, the below recent issue featuring Hilary Duff was a measly ninety-six. I know that in the magazine business, ad dollars are way down, and fewer ads means less content -- but 292 down to 96? That's a two-thirds reduction in pages.
I was on board early with Maxim (issue #3 with Carmen Electra on the cover) and always liked its smartass, unapologetically sexist tone, as well its focus on the things that truly matter to us men -- sex, sports, entertainment, gadgets, and of course, women.
So in honor of the magazine's better days, here are some of our best photos from Maxims past (pulled from the Pop Culture Fiend Archives:)
