"THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS" (COLLECTOR'S EDITION)
"The Fabulous Baker Boys," featuring a rare teaming of brothers Jeff and Beau Bridges,
plus a dazzling star turn by Michelle Pfeiffer, proves to be a bittersweet beauty of a film.
Savor its new Blu-ray release from MVD, which offers sharp video, crisp sound and
worthwhile bonus material.
The 1989 comedy-drama was winningly written and directed by Steve Kloves. The
Academy Award-nominee wrote the acclaimed "Wonder Boys" and adapted most of the
Harry Potter novels for film.
With "The Fabulous Baker Boys," Kloves explores the unglamorous, but fascinating
world of lounge entertainers. The Seattle-based Baker Boys, Jack (Jeff Bridges) and
Frank (Beau Bridges), have been performing as a piano duo since childhood.
Increasingly disgruntled and disengaged, the womanizing, emotionally detached Jack
floats through their shows, drained by the soul-numbing sameness of each night.
Pragmatic, domineering Frank is still content to eke out a living, tickling the ivories,
supporting his wife and two kids. But now their schlocky act is tired and tattered. Gigs
are starting to dry up. Frank thinks he has a solution -- hire a female vocalist.
After a round of disastrous auditions, in glides former escort Susie Diamond (Michelle
Pfeiffer), an hour-and-a-half late. Despite her tardiness and garish outfit, she wins them
over with a pleasing singing voice. Pfeiffer did her own vocalizing for the movie and she
impresses, effectively delivering standards such as "More Than You Know," "My Funny
Valentine" and, especially, a breathtakingly sensuous "Makin' Whoopee."
The revamped act proves to be popular. But it doesn't take long for sexual tension to
build between Susie and Jack. And that complicates things. Also Susie quickly grows
sick of singing the same cheesy numbers, particularly "Feelings."
Susie awakens something within Jack. Soon he's spending his free time at the piano,
pouring out his own brilliant jazz compositions. So two-thirds of the band members are
going through changes, even though the act itself is not.
All three of the leads serve up nuanced, complex portrayals. Drop-dead gorgeous in red
gowns and sequins, Pfeiffer captures the vulnerability beneath Susie's brashness. The
Bridges brothers convincingly reveal the sibling conflicts, as well as the undeniable,
underlying bond between Frank and Jack. In a couple of brief scenes, Jennifer Tilly
makes a lasting impression as a waitress who unrealistically dreams of becoming a
singer.
"The Fabulous Baker Boys" is fabulous indeed. It earned a Best Actress Oscar
nomination for Pfeiffer. (She lost to Jessica Tandy, but won the Golden Globe). Also
nominated for Academy Awards were Dave Grusin's score (which snared a Grammy),
Michael Ballhaus' cinematography and William Steinkamp's editing.
The MVD Collector's Edition Blu-ray contains some great extras, including two audio
commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes featurettes and numerous deleted scenes,
several of which add further context to the characters' journeys.
THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS" (SPECIAL EDITION)
1957's "The Brain From Planet Arous" is all about brain power... of the alien variety.
There doesn't seem to have been much brain power involved in the making of this
science-fiction/horror movie, but for all its inanity and cheesy special effects, it's a heck
of a lot of fun to watch, even 65 years later. It's now available as special edition Blu-ray
and DVD from Film Detective. You can view this newly restored version in widescreen
or full frame.
Steve (John Agar), a nuclear scientist, stumbles onto a cave that serves as the lair of a
floating alien brain named Gor. Gor is hungry... for power. He takes over Steve's body
and kills his associate (Robert Fuller of TV's "Laramie" and "Wagon Train)."
Gor boasts that he is indestructible, declaring himself to be "one of the greatest
intellects from a planet where intelligence is all." He tells Steve that he should feel lucky
that the superior being has chosen to use the human's "stupid body." Craving world
domination, Gor proclaims that he is about to unleash "a power such as no man has
seen before in the history or your planet, the power of pure intellect."
But that pure intellectual turns into a pure perv when he encounters Steve's girlfriend
Sally (Joyce Meadows). Suddenly he's behaving like Brett Kavanaugh at a frat party. In
the guise of Steve, Gor mauls her, tearing her dress, The incensed young woman
protests, "You've turned into a real caveman!"
Gor tells Steve, "She gives me a strange new elation." So there's our new favorite
euphemism. Maybe Gor is actually not from Planet Arous, but from Planet Eros.
As on Earth, not all brains are created evil. Another brain, this one more benign and
called Val, drops by and explains to Sally and her father the truth about the outlaw Gor
and his possession of Steve. Sally then humors Gor, while fending off his brutish
advances, in hopes of saving Steve... and our world. Val helps out by floating into the
body of Sally's dog. Fortunately, unlike Gor, Val does not use his new form to sexually
harass Sally.
The movie shows nuclear blast footage... and it's a lot scarier than any alien invasion.
Wake up, Earthlings! The atomic bomb is more of a threat than Gor. But first things first.
Let's get rid of the brain from Arous.
The film was directed by Nathan Juran (using Nathan Hertz here, including his middle
name and dropping his surname). He also helmed such genre faves as "20 Million Miles
to Earth," "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" and "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman." In the 40s,
he won an Oscar for Art Direction on "How Green Was My Valley:" and received a
nomination in the same category for "Nightmare Alley." But he certainly didn't receive
any Academy love for "The Brain From Arous."
The visual effects department deserves no kudos for its work on this movie, even
considering the meager budget. The highlight would have to be the silver contact lenses
worn by Agar, when he's the possessed Steve. However, applause goes to Walter
Greene, for his surprisingly effective score.
Less than a decade prior to this movie, our star, John Agar had co-starred with John
Wayne in such classics as "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon." The public adored him when he
was Mr. Shirley Temple. But an alcohol-greased slide into B-pictures led him to do such
flicks as "The Brain From Planet Arous."
Joyce Meadows .No, not Audrey Meadows, Alice of "Honeymooners" fame. Not her
sister, Jane Meadows, who was married to Steve Allen. This is pretty Joyce Meadows,
who guested on many of the top TV series of the 60s, including "Perry Mason," "Alfred
Hitchcock Presents" and "Wanted: Dead or Alive." In "The Brain From Planet Arous,"
she's fetching enough to turn gray matter red hot.
Meadows pops up in the bonus feature that makes this special edition release
indispensable. It's a short titled "Not The Same Brain," shot in 2022, showing the 89-
year-old actress, still beautiful and sharp, on location, chatting about her career and
experiences shooting "Arous," It's amusing and well worth checking out.
Other extras in the Film Detective edition include a commentary track full of entertaining
trivia, as well as a couple of interesting featurettes about director Juran.
Get yourself some "Brain" power!
Albums
THE EVERLY BROTHERS - "HEY DOLL BABY"
Harmony. When you look up that word in the dictionary, you should find a picture of The
Everly Brothers.
From childhood onward, Don and Phil's voices entwined in a way that was truly magical.
Hearing their heavenly harmonies send chills up the spine, make the heart flutter and
stir the soul. And the new compilation album, "Hey Doll Baby," on Rhino/Warner
Records, proves that the duo's unmistakable sound is just as thrilling today as it was
when the tracks were first recorded, well over half a century ago.
The Everly Brothers were among the handful of rock 'n' roll's founding fathers. They
influenced countless artists in rock and country, among them, The Beatles, The
Searchers, The Hollies, The Byrds, The Bee Gees, Simon & Garfunkel and Tom Petty.
Petty's daughter Adria curated this 17-track collection, working with Don (before he
passed in 2021), as well as Phil's widow Patti and son Jason. As part of the liner notes,
Jason wrote insightful info for each of the selections.
The title track, "Hey Pretty Baby," an innocent rockabilly tune, energetically opens the
compilation. That's followed by Phil's classic composition, "When Will I Be Loved,"
which was later covered vigorously by Linda Ronstadt. Another Phil number, the jaunty
"Made to Love," remains fun. Don is well represented, too. A few of his best loved
songs are here -- "Cathy's Clown," "('Til) I Kissed You" and "So Sad (To Watch Good
Love Go Bad)."
Other Everly favorites in the set include Sonny Curtis' "Walk Right Back" and a
wonderful pair of Boudleaux Bryant weepers -- "Love Hurts" and "Devoted to You." The
siblings' magnificent blood harmony enlivens diverse material, ranging from the Merle
Travis barn burner "Muskrat" to the Johnny Otis R&B hit "So Fine" to a sizzling rendition
of Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" to a finger-snapping version of Johnny Cash's "I Walk
The Line." Their interpretation of Jimmy Reed's oft-covered blues tune, "Baby What You
Want Me to Do," proves spellbinding. Phil and Don put their unique imprint on every
tune they perform.
The album contains not only many of the brothers' best known numbers, but appealing
obscurities, as well, including the aching "Sigh, Cry, Almost Die." That's just one of the
Don/Phil co-writes, which also include "That's Just Too Much," and the irresistible,
rollicking rocker, "Gone, Gone, Gone."
Phil and Don could rock with the best of them and deliver a ballad so it would break
your heart. On the newly remastered tracks, the vinyl really brings out the vibrancy of
the brothers' vocalizing, the warmth, the urgency, the sincerity. But the new compilation
is also available in CD and streaming formats. Listen any way you like... but do listen!
You'll be rewarded with timeless music that continues to be moving and exciting.
ADA BIRD WOLFE - "ODD BIRD"
With her third album, "Odd Bird," jazz songwriter/vocalist Ada Bird Wolfe really takes
flight. Benefitting from a burst of creativity during the Covid-19 lockdown, she penned a
number of new songs and a delicious dozen of them pop up on her new release.
Adventurous, smart and elegant, the results prove to be mesmerizing.
Wolfe enlisted an outstanding group of musicians to back her on this project --
pianist/musical director Jamieson Trotter, bassist Dan Lutz, drummer Peter Buck and
Scott Mayo on saxophones, bass clarinet and flute. Each gets plenty of chances to
shine individually.
Wolfe wrote the consistently intriguing lyrics and composed the music with Trotter, who
handled the harmonies and imaginative arrangements. Wolfe's melodies offer many
pleasing surprises.
With her conversational, yet percussive manner of phrasing, Wolfe's compelling voice
finds an ideal balance between smokiness and warmth. Her original material is
enticingly challenging.
Her inspiration could come from anywhere. The bebop opener, "Odd Bird Bop," takes its
title from Charlie Parker's monicker, as well as the artist's own name. The sax work
enhances the song's effect. The enveloping "The Wave" came out of a childhood near-
drowning experience. "Ashes to Ashes" grew from the California fires. "Ericolloquy"
pays homage to Eric Dolphy. "Ordinary Man" is Wolfe's emotional reaction to the
George Floyd tragedy. The wonders of nature give shimmer to "Ocean, Mountain, River,
Sky." The album concludes on an optimistic note with the clever "An Egg."
"In the Shade," with the acoustic bass lines wrapping themselves seductively around
Wolfe's vocal, is a sultry highlight. She soars in a Brazilian direction for the peppy,
rhythmic "Samba Batucada." On "Lover's Leap," she sings of taking another chance on
romance. The melancholy "Did I Ever," about a love that went wrong, allows Wolfe to
showcase a powerfully poignant vocal. Her lyrical eloquence, along with the sparkling
interaction between flute and piano, make "Something Fast, Something Light"
something special.
Wolfe's astute songwriting and bewitching vocals, accompanied by an entrancing
combo, will leave you convinced that she is a rare bird, indeed. Her music will make you
feel. It will make you think.
LAUREN GLICK - "LUSH"
Are you ready to rock? Maryland-based singer-songwriter Lauren Glick bursts forth with
a bold set of original blues-rock numbers. Her latest album, "Lush," features strong
songs and powerhouse vocals.
Glick will grab listeners right from the opening number, "Don't Add Up." She continues to
mesmerize with such potent songs as "Living in Pain," "I'm Onto You," "Permanent,"
"Little White Lies" and "Poor Boy." Many women will relate to the driving mantra of
"Perfectly Capable." Glick is adept at delivering a power ballad, as she demonstrates on
the moving "Don't Let The Rain In."
Her performances ring with resilience and forcefulness. "I try to look on the good side,
when the walls come tumbling down. I try to stay away from the bad things, of people
putting me down," she sings on "Love and Peace."
Throughout, In all the right spots, Glick hits a Janis Joplinesque intensity. With each
emotion-packed note, she proves convincing. Authentic all the way.
She also contributes keyboard work and rock solid bass on the album. She's well
supported by guitarist Scott Malaby, drummer Bobby Malaby and another keyboardist,
Matt Vangasbeck.
Fierce and fiery, Glick has created an album that's persuasive, uplifting and memorable
from start to finish.
BOOKS
ROCK ON FILM -- THE MOVIES THAT ROCKED THE BIG SCREEN
By Fred Goodman [Running Press/TCM]
Attempting to capture the electricity of rock music on film is like trying to catch lightning
in a bottle. Many such endeavors, both the well intentioned and the exploitative, have
missed the mark, the spirit eluding them somehow. But when it does click, the results
can be energizing, illuminating and transcendent.
Author Fred Goodman, former editor at Rolling Stone, presents a fascinating
examination of rock movies in this hard-to-put-down new book, a TCM/Running Press
publication. It will give you thought-provoking insights into many of your favorite films in
this category. More importantly, it's sure to provide even the genre aficionados with
some nuggets they haven't yet viewed and will hurriedly be hunting.
Documentaries feature prominently. Among those discussed are "Beware of Mr. Baker,"
(about Cream drummer Ginger Baker), the influential Dylan doc, "Don't Look Back,"
"Standing in the Shadows of Motown," "The Wrecking Crew," "Chuck Berry: Hail, Hail
Rock 'n' Roll," "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" (about Ian Drury) and the Oscar-winning
"20 Feet from Stardom," which put an overdue spotlight on the great background
singers, like Darlene Love and Merry Clayton.
There are concert films, including "Woodstock," "The T.A.M.I. Show," "Monterey Pop,"
"The Last Waltz," "Stop Making Sense" (The Talking Heads)" and "Gimme Shelter," the
Maysles brothers disturbing chronicle of the Stones' catastrophic Altamont
extravaganza.
Goodman brings up a number of exceptional biopics, such as "The Runaways," "The
Buddy Holly Story," "La Bamba," "Bound for Glory" (Woody Guthrie), "Ray," and "Telstar:
The Joe Meek Story," the engrossing tale of one of the most colorful characters in early
60s London, an innovative and ultimately unhinged music producer, perhaps Britain's
answer to Phil Spector.
Elvis is represented by two of his finest movies, "Jailhouse Rock," one of the King's few
pictures to display an edge, and "Viva Las Vegas," which gave him a co-star, Ann-
Margret, who could come close to matching his charisma.
Cleverly, Goodman introduces the device of suggesting opportunities to "make it a
double feature." For instance, one could team Cameron Crowe's much acclaimed
"Almost Famous" with the wildly entertaining Robert Zemeckis comedy about
Beatlemaniacs -- "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." Or follow the adaptation of Nick Hornby's
"High Fidelity" with Alan Parker's "The Commitments," an exhilarating portrait of a
Dublin soul band.
Fictional depictions of the rock world can brim with energy and fun, as in "A Hard Day's
Night," "That Thing You Do!" and "The Girl Can't Help It."
Rock superstars pop up in intriguing dramatic roles -- Prince in "Purple Rain," Mick
Jagger in "Performance" and Joan Jett in Paul Schrader's underrated "Light of Day."
Props to Goodman for recognizing some of the under-appreciated rock-oriented
classics. One in particular is Peter Watkins' riveting "Privilege," a 1967 film starring Paul
Jones of Manfred Mann fame. This challenging work shows rock clashing with the
establishment and ending up being used and usurped by it.
Goodman mentions "Catch Us If You Can" (aka "Having a Wild Weekend"), One of the
best and most ambitious films to serve as a star vehicle for a British Invasion band, this
one makes excellent use of The Dave Clark 5. They play stuntmen and don't perform
any songs on camera. But their music on the soundtrack explodes with dynamism.
Directed by John Boorman (who later helmed "Deliverance" and "Hope and Glory"), the
movie expresses rock's rebelliousness and independence in the face of greedy
corporate intrusion.
Goodman includes interviews with a number of prominent filmmakers -- Taylor
Hackford, Cameron Crowe, Jim Jarmusch, Penelope Spheeris, and John Water -- who
make clear their profound connections to rock. Another director, Sir Michael Lindsay-
Hogg provides the foreword.
The author includes rap-based movies -- "Straight Outta Compton," "8 Mile," etc. Punk
shows up in many forms, including "The Decline of Western Civilization, Park 1," "Rock
'n' Roll High School" and "Ladies and Gentleman, The Fabulous Stains." "The Harder
They Come" reps reggae. The early 60s Greenwich Village folk scene comes to life in
the Coen brothers' remarkable "Inside Llewyn Davis." Metalheads will appreciate seeing
info on "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" and "This Is Spinal Tap."
Goodman doesn't turn his back on campier fare like "Hairspray," "Phantom of the
Paradise" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." But he decided to leave out country-
oriented movies.
Of course, you could quibble about Goodman's inclusions and exclusions. But debating
that subject, as well as the author's opinions on these films, is half the fun. Goodman
has presented a well-thought-out, perceptive look at rock's impact on film and vice
versa.
TELEVISION WESTERNS 1950 TO 1980
By Lanny Tucker [BearManor Media]
Saddle up! It's time to gallop back in time to an era when cowboys dominated the TV
landscape. This affectionate, nostalgic ride, authored by Lanny Tucker, lets fans of the
genre revel in descriptions of westerns, great and small.
Tucker offers interesting information on each entry, including the years the series ran,
cast members' names, number of episodes, synopses of the shows' premises and
sometimes bits of trivia, as well. He may serve up facts about the actors' later careers or
when they passed.
For the mega-long-running "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza," Tucker goes more into detail.
But he doesn't forget to mention even the most obscure series, such as 1960's
"Wrangler," starring Jason Evers. It lasted a mere six weeks.
The author points to some lesser known shows, whose quality and distinctiveness made
them worthy of more attention -- and longer runs -- including Rod Serling's "The Loner"
with Lloyd Bridges and "The Outcasts," a post-civil war drama examining interracial
conflicts, starring Don Murray and Otis Young.
And it's not all about cowboys. There were several shows that delved into the role of
Native Americans, such as "Broken Arrow," which featured Michael Ansara as Cochise.
Tucker makes us long for the glorious and/or gritty depictions of empire-building,
outlaws, saloons, cattle drives, trusty sidekicks and trustier horses. Shows like
"Rawhide," "The Virginian" and "Wanted: Dead or Alive" made for compelling drama and
rich characterizations. Westerns could provide lighthearted entertainment, as well, as in
"Alias Smith and Jones." Or romance, exemplified by "Here Come The Brides." Lawmen
of the Old West could even utilize 007-like gadgetry, at least they could on the Robert
Conrad/Ross Martin adventure series "Wild Wild West."
The book, which includes a bevy of terrific photos, is an enjoyable celebration of one of
the most iconic and beloved elements of Americana, the western.
Contact Paul Freeman at paul@popcultureclassics.com
