Ranking the "Fast" Films

Since 2001 Universal has released 7 movies that take place in the "Fast and Furious" universe. Starting with what can now be considered a "humble" entry the series has turned into one of Universal's biggest franchises. And with the series' latest Furious 7 taking in $143 million in the US box office over the weekend it shows no signs of stopping. To mark the occasion I've decided to share my ranking of the films. Lists like these are always subjective and I'll preface mine by saying that my order doesn't necessarily indicate which film I think is the "best" of the series; it's more the order I'd watch them in if I was grabbing one off of my movie shelf to watch.

Review: Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone

With Marky Ramone - October 2014

As previously written about here I'm a Ramones fan. Beyond the music I've become interested in what was going on behind the scenes. Along with the excellent liner notes included in the band's remastered catalog, the documentary End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones, Dee Dee and Johnny's memoirs and tour manager Monte Melnick's On the Road with the Ramones we now have the latest (and possibly final?) word on the Ramones from someone who lived it. Marky Ramone's Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone covers his entire run as drummer for the band and much much more.

5 Essential Apps

Back in 2011 I posted a list of 10 essential smartphone apps. In that time the smartphone landscape has changed and apps that were once necessary additions to a stock phone have become standard functions. With that said I'm presenting a second list showcasing the 5 apps that help me get the most out of my Android experience in 2015.

Jane the Virgin

In the last few years I haven't watched much episodic television, but this season I've been watching quite a few shows ("Gotham", "Justified", "Kroll Show" and "Lilyhammer"). TV is really a writer's medium and I think I've responded to all of these shows because of the strong characters that each show is able to take time developing.

My Problem with Gotham

Last year FOX announced that it was developing a TV show based in a pre-Batman Gotham City. Fittingly named "Gotham" the press release read: "The series follows one cop, destined for greatness, as he navigates a dangerously corrupt city teetering between good and evil, and chronicles the rise of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes."

SlyCast - Episode 10: Rambo III (1988)

On episode 10 of SlyCast: The Sylvester Stallone Fan Podcast hosts Craig Cohen, Jeff Ferry and Jeff Hulit talk 1988's Rambo III. Before jumping into the movie they chat with Mat from RAMBOMANIA about the alternate scripts for the film as well Rambo creator David Morrell's novelization of the film.

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An Early Ramones Playlist

Yesterday I wrote a piece about the Ramones shaped around the idea of judging a band's newer work against what they've done in the past. "New" in this sense was historical as the music I was writing about was upwards of 35 years old.

After writing and posting the piece I thought it would be fun to go back and make a playlist of Ramones' songs pulled from the 5 albums that inspired the article. I tried to create a good balance of songs from each release. I only included 2 songs from their sophomore release, Leave Home, but included a total of 7 songs from 1977 (they released their 2nd and 3rd album this year) so I feel the list is still a good representation of where they were musically.

As an added bonus I've included a link to a live performance of each song*.  

With drummer Marky Ramone - 2014

Music in a Vacuum?

After casually listening to the Ramones over the years I finally decided to become a "fan" a few years ago. Since then I've been exploring their catalog starting with the genre-defining debut.

I've been taking my time and have found much to like along the way. So far Road to Ruin is my favorite, but I'm sure that will change at some point in my journey.

After spending time with the first 4 albums I finally moved on to the Phil Spector produced End of the Century. I was looking forward to this one because it seems to be such a debated entry in the band's catalog with some members even questioning the choices that were made. Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee were all critical of the album in the years following its release with Johnny even saying "End of the Century was just watered-down Ramones. It's not real Ramones."

Knowing all of this I still went in hoping for the best. Instead of a loud and fast punk album I discovered an energetic collection of songs that found the band breaking new ground for themselves. A lot of the album might not be "Punk Rock" but it is full of Punk attitude.

After nearly a dozen listens I definitely consider End of the Century to be a solid album. I also find myself slightly conflicted. Is it OK to like the album despite the (some would say) drastic change of direction? Of course the answer is "yes". What other fans or even the band itself think of an album shouldn't taint an individual's enjoyment of said album.

My main takeaway from End of the Century though is really about bands and the expectations that we place on them. Is the listener being fair with themselves if they judge an album based on what a band has already done? Is it better to catch the growth and slight sonic shifts from album to album or should each release be listened to and analyzed in a vacuum in an effort to judge the album on its own merits?

I think the best result might be to straddle those 2 ideas somehow. Embrace the new and then consider it in light of the past. What do you think?