Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon (2022)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Andre Relis
Cast: Doug Aldrich, Frankie Banali, Kevin DuBrow
Time: 85 minutes

 

Many rock music fans, I included, consider Randy Rhoads to be nothing less than a guitar god. In this documentary, we have a look at his youth, his start with Quiet Riot, his rise to fame as part of Ozzy Osbourne’s band and his untimely death in a plane crash. Through recent interviews with those who knew him and archived footage, we find out a lot more about this guitar hero that was loved by many and is still missed by music fans to this day.

Some musical material from the Ozzy period was missing here, due to some rights issues, which is unfortunate. The sound of the documentary was not optimal either. But, as for the material itself, if was interesting and very informative.

 

Rating: ««««

Chien blanc (2022)

Genre: Franco / Drama
Réalisateur: Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette
Distribution: Denis Ménochet, Kacey Rohl
Durée : 96 minutes

 

Ce film est une adaptation du roman du même titre écrit par Romain Gary. En 1968, l’écrivain Romain Gary habite à Los Angeles en tant que diplomate avec sa femme, l’actrice et activiste Jean Seberg, et leur fils. Les tensions entre noirs et blancs sont vives suite à l’assassinat de Martin Luther King. Le couple accueille un chien abandonné, mais se rendent compte qu’il a été entraîné dans le sud des États-Unis pour s’en prendre spécifiquement aux gens de race noire. Incapable de se résoudre à le faire abattre, Gary l’amènera à un spécialiste dans le but de le faire rééduquer.

Ce film est comme un poème qui se déroule plus dans l’émotion et la tension émotive que dans l’action. Le jeu des acteurs est convaincant et l’histoire est très intéressante. C’est frappant de voir, aussi, à quel point, plus ça change, plus c’est pareil. C’est un peu triste d’y penser.

Note: ««««

Tom Segura: Completely Normal (2014)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Jay Chapman
Cast: Tom Segura
Time: 74 minutes

 

Live on stage in Minneapolis for this comedy special, Tom Segura discussed such topics as the mistreatment of hotel rooms, hobbies, pot, digestion and much more. I love Segura’s dark and sarcastic tone, though some of the material here was not as solid as some of his later stuff. I still enjoyed it for what it was.

 Rating: «««

Stand Up Guys (2012)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Fisher Stevens
Cast: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin
Time: 95 minutes

 

Doc picks up his old partner in crime, Val, from prison. Val took the fall in a deal that went wrong, but a crime boss involved in the matter has ordered Doc to kill Val. As Doc contemplates the difficult idea of eliminating one of his best friends, he gets convinced by his potential target to go out on the town for a night of partying and debauchery.

What makes this black comedy much better than it had any hope of being was the involvement of Pacino and Walken. Alan Arkin was a nice addition too. The script was far from flawless, but the talented cast lifted the material beyond its initial potential. In the end, the film was a solid piece of entertainment.

Rating: ««««

Rolling Stones: Sympathy for the Devil (1968)

 Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Jean-Luc Godard
Cast: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts
Time: 110 minutes

 

The main part of this avant-garde film shows the British band The Rolling Stones recording their hit song Sympathy for the Devil at London’s Olympic Studios. We see how the song evolves into what it became and we also see how Brian Jones fell apart from the rest of the band. In between these studio sessions, we see footage of Black Panthers members in a junkyard and we hear some readings of some material about such topics as Marxism and sex.

To say that this artsy film is weird is an understatement. I probably would have really dug it fully in my drinking days. Nonetheless, it was certainly still very interesting from an historical standpoint, as a snapshot from the late 1960’s.

Rating: ««««

Side Effects (2013)

 Genre: Thriller
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum
Time: 106 minutes

 

Emily Taylor is a woman who attempts to commit suicide shortly after her husband Martin is released from prison for insider trading. Her psychiatrist, Jonathan Banks, prescribes a new antidepressant called Ablixa to Emily, but one of the side effects is sleepwalking. One evening, while sleepwalking, Emily stabs and kills her husband. After she is acquitted, the psychiatrist starts suspecting that there is something fishy in the whole thing.

This is a compelling thriller with a good story and some solid acting. A few twists almost lost me along the way, but I held on and it was a fun ride.

Rating: ««««

Viking (2022)

Genre: Franco / Comedy
Réalisateur: Stéphane Lafleur
Distribution: Steve Laplante, Larissa Corriveau, Fabiola N. Aladin
Durée : 104 minutes

 

Une mission de cinq astronautes est envoyée sur la planète Mars. En parallèle, cinq autres personnes partageant les mêmes profiles que ces astronautes sont recrutées par la Société Viking pour participer à une expérience en huis clos, sur Terre, question d’éviter les problèmes au sein de l’équipage dans l’espace. David, une de ces cinq personnes recrutées, prend ce rôle très au sérieux, et l’harmonie au sein du groupe s’envenimera au fil des jours.

Ce film est fort bizarre, mais, quand on prend le temps de vraiment embarquer dans l’histoire, c’est fort divertissant. C’est de l’humour un peu noir, mais plusieurs expressions m’ont beaucoup faire rire. La fin est un peu en queue de poisson, mais, somme toute, un bon divertissement de champ gauche.

Note: ««««