Thoughts on The Menu (2022)

January 16, 2023 — Leave a comment

I’m not going to call this a review, but I just had to post about this film. I said I was gonna write more about movies this year, after all.

I had to let the movie percolate for a couple of days, and now I’m ready to share my thoughts. (No spoilers, I promise!)

For those of you who don’t know, here’s a short synopsis of the film from IMDb.

“A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.”

When I saw the preview, I was intrigued. I love Ralph Fiennes, first and foremost, and I could easily picture him in the role of a creepy – perhaps murderous – chef. Plus, I had my own assumptions of what the twist would be once the trip went horribly wrong, as it so clearly was going to. Even believing that it was going to be semi-predictable, I still wanted to watch it.

I’ll start by saying up front that my assumption was wrong. I was actually pretty far off. However, and I mean this humbly, my semi-predictable idea would have been better than the reality.

The Menu wasn’t bad, per se, it simply…lacked any excitement. The characters weren’t very likable (except, ironically, the “evil” chef), and it was a story that’s been done before numerous times in numerous settings. There were no shocking moments, or perhaps I’m just immune at this point. It became obvious early on who would survive, and I don’t even want to talk about the absurdity of how that happened.

IMDb categorized The Menu as a “horror, comedy, thriller.” It is none of these things. It wasn’t scary, nor even the least bit creepy. It wasn’t thrilling. And the comedic bits fell flat.

As you can probably tell, I was not impressed. This is one I’m glad I missed in theaters; I would have demanded my money back. Lol.

This isn’t a review, but I would rate this film a 2 out of 5, and the 2 can be attributed only to Fiennes and the performance by Hong Chau, who plays Elsa. It’s watchable, I suppose, so I won’t advise against watching it. However, definitely get it on HBO Max or something.

30 Day Film Challenge: Day 16 – A Film That is Personal to You

January 16, 2023 — Leave a comment

I thought this might be difficult, but it really wasn’t. Harvey (1950) is a movie that is very personal to me. Not so much because I relate to any of the characters or the plot; it’s more about the memories I connect to this film.

When I was little, I would always wake my brother up at some ridiculous hour like 3 or 4 a.m. on Christmas morning. My parents had set a rule, though: we couldn’t wake them until 7. So he and I had to do something to kill the time, and it soon became tradition to watch Harvey every year. In fact, my parents and I didn’t watch it this past Christmas because we’re waiting until my brother visits in February. We’ll all watch it then ❤️

Nothing More Posts North American Dates For Their Spirits Tour 2023

January 16, 2023 — Leave a comment

Nothing More is bringing their Spirits Tour back to North America in the spring! With them will be special guests Crown The Empire and Thousand Below. Grab your tickets and VIP experiences at nothingmore.net.

  • 3/31 – Richmond, VA – The National
  • 4/1 – Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
  • 4/2 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
  • 4/4 – Harrisburg, PA – Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center
  • 4/5 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall
  • 4/7 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
  • 4/8 – Worcester, MA – Palladium
  • 4/9 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
  • 4/11 – Evansville, IN – Victory Theatre
  • 4/12 – Dubuque, IA – Five Flags Center
  • 4/13 – Clive, IA – Seven Flags Event Center
  • 4/15 – Minneapolis, MN – Fillmore
  • 4/16 – Omaha, NE – The Admiral Theater
  • 4/17 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
  • 4/19 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
  • 4/21 – Calgary, AB – The Palace Theatre
  • 4/22 – Edmonton, AB – Midway Music▪️Arcade▪️Kitchen
  • 4/24 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
  • 4/25 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House
  • 4/27 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre
  • 4/28 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
  • 4/29 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory Concert House
  • 5/1 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
  • 5/3 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco Theater
  • 5/5 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
  • 5/6 – Phoenix, AZ – AK Chin Pavilion (98 KUPD U Fest 2023)*
  • 5/26 – Bloomington, IL – Castle Theatre*
  • 5/27 – Moline, IL – The Rust Belt*
  • 5/28 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival 2023*

* No Crown The Empire or Thousand Below

30 Day Film Challenge: Day 15 – A Film That Makes You Feel Happy

January 15, 2023 — Leave a comment

Let’s be honest: you can never go wrong with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn.

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

30 Day Film Challenge: Day 14 – A Film That Gave You Depression

January 14, 2023 — Leave a comment

Okay, when I watched Odd Thomas (2014), I already knew it would rip my heart to shreds because I’d read the book. I have cried during books before, shedding a few tears over fictional deaths or whatever, but I literally sobbed at the end of that one, and that unhappiness lasted days. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the film had a similar effect on me.

August Burns Red: 20 Year Anniversary Tour

January 14, 2023 — Leave a comment

August Burns Red has announced their 20 year anniversary tour with special guests The Devil Wears Prada and Bleed From Within. You can snag tickets and VIP experiences at augustburnsred.com.

  • 2/15 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore
  • 2/16 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
  • 2/17 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
  • 2/18 – Orlando, FL – Heart Support Fest
  • 2/20 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live
  • 2/21 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall
  • 2/23 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
  • 2/24 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
  • 2/25 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Event Center
  • 2/27 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
  • 2/28 – San Diego, CA – Soma
  • 3/1 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
  • 3/2 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
  • 3/4 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
  • 3/5 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
  • 3/7 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
  • 3/8 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
  • 3/10 – Denver, CO – The Fillmore
  • 3/12 – Little Rock, AR – The Hall
  • 3/13 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
  • 3/14 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
  • 4/14 – New York, NY – Palladium Times Square
  • 4/15 – Albany, NY – Empire Live
  • 4/16 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
  • 4/18 – Niagara Falls, NY – Rapids Theater
  • 4/19 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
  • 4/21 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
  • 4/22 – St. Louis, MO – Red Flag
  • 4/23 – Kansas City, MO – The Truman
  • 4/24 – Wichita, KS – Wave
  • 4/25 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
  • 4/26 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
  • 4/28 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore
  • 4/29 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
  • 4/30 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
  • 5/2 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
  • 5/3 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
  • 5/5 – North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
  • 5/6 – Richmond, VA – The National
  • 5/7 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
  • 5/9 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall
  • 5/10 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall
  • 5/11 – Montreal, QC – MTELUS
  • 5/12 – Quebec City, QC – Theatre Capitole

New Music Friday With Steve Vai, Blutengel, and Clint Lowery

January 13, 2023 — Leave a comment

Steve Vai: “She Saved My Life Tonight”

From Steve Vai’s new album Vai/Gash, set to be released January 27, 2023. This is a collection of songs recorded in the 90s by Vai and Johnny “Gash” Sombretto, but it is only now seeing the light of day.

Blutengel: “Tief”

From Blutengel’s upcoming album Un:Sterblich – Our Souls Will Never Die, available everywhere May 12, 2023.

Clint Lowery: “Devil Leather”

The first single from Clint’s latest EP Ghostwriter, which is set to be released February 17, 2023.