Aquarium Playlist, 8/8/23

By Jack Silbert on August 8, 2023

EPISODE #550: NOWHERE

Jaime Rose — “Nowhere” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Ribbon Stage — “Nowhere Fast”
The Wedding Present — “Getting Nowhere Fast”
The Smiths — “Nowhere Fast”
Big Eyes — ”Suddenly Nowhere”
Talking Heads — “Road to Nowhere”
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas — “Nowhere to Run”
The Rock ’n’ Roll HiFives — “Running Nowhere”
UV-TV — “Back to Nowhere”
Young Guv — “Nowhere at All”
Pounding Serfs — ”To Go Nowhere”
The Smithereens — “Miles From Nowhere”
Karl Hendricks Trio — “Nowhere But Here”
Bob Dylan — “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”
Teenage Fanclub — “Nowhere”

Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.

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Movie Review: We Were Famous, You Don’t Remember — The Embarrassment

By Jack Silbert on August 4, 2023

3.5 stars out of 5

Sometime in the late ‘90s, I picked up a used CD by The Embarrassment. It was selections from a two-disc compilation released by Hoboken’s own Bar/None Records, and there was a quote from Freedy Johnston on the back. OK, good enough for me. But I must admit, I didn’t spend a ton of time listening to that album — I don’t think it really grabbed me on first spin — and I dutifully filed it away under E on my shelves.

Last week I dug out that disc, from in-between Joe Ely and The English Beat, to put myself in the mood for this unlikely documentary. (Or perhaps I should say inevitable documentary in this current content-craving climate.)

The film makes the case that The Embarrassment’s isolated home base of Wichita, Kansas, both helped turn them into something special while also preventing them from reaching greater heights. Without any real “native culture,” they were able to absorb influences and references from everywhere, and developed within a fairly insular scene with no one to tell them to do it differently. The band blossomed into big fish in this small Midwestern pond.

There is a decent amount of video footage of The Embarrassment from the late ‘70s to the early ‘80s, and also current interviews with the band members and various talking heads (alas not the Talking Heads) including Evan Dando and the aforementioned Freedy. So we get to see the youthful joy of the band hitting their groove and trying to find a wider audience, while staying true to their nerdy, quirky sensibilities.

Spoiler alert: They never quite reach that bigger audience. They tour, they record, they do get a following, they are mentioned in Rolling Stone, and Jonathan Freaking Demme even sends a letter on their behalf to A&M Records, but… as is so often the case, life gets in the way, and The Embarrassment give up the ghost without becoming one of the “known” alternative bands of the 1980s. So the guys are left with what-ifs: if only they had moved to New York, or if they had just stuck around another year or two, etc. etc.

There is an oddly long time range in the “modern-day” interviews — it turns out this film was cobbled together by two directors (Daniel Fetherston and Danny Szlauderbach) who eventually learned they were both making documentaries about the same band. How Embarrassing! Though what was gained in more footage, research, and resources is perhaps offset here by a lack of one director’s “vision” for the project.

And a pet peeve that I had also noticed in the Go-Go’s documentary: conveniently no mention of a reunion album (1990) or that Bar/None compilation (1995) that likely brought the band the most attention they’ve ever had. That wouldn’t fit the legend and story arc of the Completely Forgotten Underground Band, rediscovered by the dogged documentarian (or in the Go-Go’s case, finally putting aside their personal gripes and triumphantly reuniting for the first time). But, if you’re trying to make a definitive documentary, the facts need to be in there.

Fans of indie music and rock docs will appreciate this film, even if it’s a different take on a story you’ve likely heard about other bands. As for me, I gave that old CD yet another listen a few days after seeing the documentary, and, I think I finally “get it”!

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Aquarium Playlist, 8/1/23

By Jack Silbert on August 1, 2023

EPISODE #549: HITCHHIKING + SINEAD O’CONNOR TRIBUTE

The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Marvin Gaye — “Hitch Hike”
The Pastels — “Hitchin’ a (Ride)”
A Giant Dog — “Hitchhike Love”
Neil Young — ”Hitchhiker”
Bruce Springsteen — “Hitch Hikin’”
Creedence Clearwater Revival — “Sweet Hitch-Hiker”
The Replacements — “Hitchin’ a Ride” [live at Maxwell’s]

The Edge with Sinéad O’Connor — “Heroine”
Sinéad O’Connor — “Mandinka”
Sinéad O’Connor — ”Black Boys on Mopeds”
Shane MacGowan & Sinéad O’Connor — “Haunted”
Sinéad O’Connor — “Take Me to Church”
Jack Silbert — “For Sinéad” [spoken word for WFMU’s Six Degrees With Alan]
Kris Kristofferson — “Sister Sinéad”

Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.

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Movie Review: Barbie

By Jack Silbert on July 25, 2023

4 stars out of 5

OK, OK, I’m not exactly the target audience for this flick. Yes, I did own and enjoy Barbie-sized G.I. Joe and Six Million Dollar Man dolls. And just today in the mail, I received a Mark Mothersbaugh action figure. But the only reason I knew I’d be seeing this movie was some text in the trailer: “from director Greta Gerwig.” As I’ve said ad nauseum on these e-pages, I am absolutely crazy about Greta Gerwig and would see basically any movie she’s involved in, even one about dollhouses and what-not.

But then there was a New Yorker article about how Barbie was the opening volley in the Marvel-Universizing of Mattel. And it made me feel kind of icky about the whole thing. Was Greta selling out to Corporate America??

Still, I’m a loyal son of a gun, and the trailer did make me laugh, so there I was at the multiplex, which was pretty crowded on a Monday afternoon, especially considering that Tuesday is cheap-ticket day. I am here to tell you: Barbie is a very good movie, and if for some reason your daughters haven’t gone to see it yet, they really should! Go with them!

Early on in the film, I wasn’t so sure. It was reminding me of The LEGO Movie, all shiny and colorful and “everything was awesome!” until the main character has to face some challenge. There were a few subversive lines that were handled like throwaways and I thought that the intended messaging might not resonate.

But I needed to trust Gerwig. Oh and co-writer Noah Baumbach of course. (Are they still happily married? What’s up with that?)

When Barbie (Margot Robbie) arrives in the real world, things really start picking up, and the movie hits its stride. Ryan Gosling is especially hilarious as neutered beach-goer Ken who discovers something called the patriarchy in Los Angeles. Also adding several laughs is Will Ferrell as the head of Mattel, one of those bumbling bad guys who you never actually dislike. (Hey, wait, Ferrell was also the villain in The LEGO Movie, hmm.) Michael Cera’s character is as random in the movie as he seemed in the trailer, and that’s worth a giggle or two.

Yet despite some really, really funny stuff, this is not merely a comedy, and the casting of America Ferrera as a mom struggling to relate with her daughter was pretty much genius. Ferrera — the non-white former Ugly Betty — can handle the wackiness but has the chops to play a real person. She ends up with the show-stopping monologue in this film, on the countless contradictions and comparisons society (from men but also from fellow women) is continually forcing on women. Everybody needs to hear this speech — in the movie and in the audience too.

During her “hero’s journey,” Barbie lets it all sink in, with Robbie skillfully going from over-the-top perfection to confused to worried to depressed until Barbie finally realizes… she has no idea what to do. Gerwig and Baumbach carefully present the very complicated genuine world of gender roles, misogyny, self-esteem, capitalism, inclusion, and much more. And they admit that, unlike in pretty much every Hollywood movie ever, there are no easy answers. The script ends up being extremely subversive by simply being honest. I got kind of mad at the cynical marketing campaign for this movie — the endless memes, wear pink to the theater, etc. etc. — which all seem totally at odds with what Gerwig is trying to achieve. But you do have to get people into the theater in order for them to hear the message… oh life is so complex.

I imagine that the Millennial women flocking to this movie — and the Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers — can enjoy the tweaking of their childhood nostalgia while vigorously agreeing that the struggle for equality is far from over. But this movie seems most important for the young set. They won’t pick up every nuance, but that’s OK, and it could lead to wonderful cross-generational discussions.

Sorry for mansplaining.

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Aquarium Playlist, 7/25/23

By Jack Silbert on July 25, 2023

EPISODE #548: SOMEWHERE

The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Tom Waits — “Somewhere”
The Cucumbers — “Gotta Start Somewhere”
Jon Brion — “Gotta Start Somewhere”
Bo Diddley — ”Somewhere”
Laura Cantrell — “Somewhere, Some Night”
Steve Earle — “Somewhere Out There”
Lydia Loveless — “Somewhere Else”
American Music Club — “Somewhere”
Tom Petty — “Somewhere Under Heaven”
The Goon Sax — ”Somewhere In-Between”
Gum Country — “Somewhere”
Tony Bennett — “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” r.i.p.

Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.

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Movie Review: Mission Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One

By Jack Silbert on July 24, 2023

3.5 stars out of 5

In the Mission: Impossible films, protagonist Ethan Hunt famously disguises himself with rubber masks. At age 61, Tom Cruise is starting to look like he’s always wearing a rubber mask. But by gum, he can still crank out an entertaining action spectacle. And despite the return of writer/director Chris McQuarrie, if you had any question at all about who was in charge here, the opening credits spell out that this is A TOM CRUISE PRODUCTION starring TOM CRUISE.

The story is actually somewhat relevant to modern life. No, really! An artificial-intelligence “Entity” is gaining sentience and if a rogue nation (eh? eh?) got control of it, that would be really bad. The MacGuffin here is a really chintzy-looking key that can turn off the Entity, because the Entity was built without keyless ignition.

Of course Hunt’s IMF buddies Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are back. They talk a lot about what good friends the three guys are and how important they are to each other, but this is film 7 and there still is no real chemistry. Love interest/sharpshooter Ilsa returns for her third consecutive M:I flick. Former IMF head/now CIA director Kittridge is back for the first time since the original movie in 1996; I guess Alec Baldwin was busy. Among new additions, I always like seeing Shea Whigham but mostly here he just gets to run around an airport like 1970s O.J. Simpson. Esai Morales is a good baddie but I became a bit annoyed, as there are flashbacks, and I’m thinking, oh maybe he too was in a long-ago M:I installment. He was not.

As always, fun action sequences, including one on a train (though if it has to literally be the Orient Express, at least have Cruise wink at the camera), a thrilling car chase in Rome (with a surprisingly prominent Fiat in yet another M:I movie shamelessly hawking BMWs), and some nifty motorcycle work. The in-between stuff certainly could’ve been trimmed, with the overall running time clocking in at 2 hours, 40 minutes. But maybe the Entity helped write the script?

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Aquarium Playlist, 7/18/23

By Jack Silbert on July 18, 2023

EPISODE #547: LOOSE

The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
James Brown — “Give It Up or Turnit a Loose”
La Luz — “Loose Teeth”
Kimya Dawson — “Loose Lips”
T-Bone Burnett — ”Shake Yourself Loose”
Sex Clark Five — “Can’t Shake Loose”
Sly & the Family Stone — “Loose Booty”
Fabian — “Turn Me Loose”
Black Flag — “Loose Nut”
Cecil Gant — “Loose as a Goose”
Rolling Stones — ”Let It Loose”
Heatwave — “Lettin’ It Loose”
Amy O. — “Loose Cassette”
Lake — “Loose Wind”
Bruce Springsteen — “Loose Ends”

Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.

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What I’ve Been Watching: Edition XXIV

By Jack Silbert on July 13, 2023

As the writers’ strike necessarily drags on — and now the actors are joining them on the picket line — we may run out of new scripted shows. Fear not, I will once again be your guide to series you might’ve missed. Here are the programs I’ve checked out in the past half year-plus.

LOVED

Party Down (Starz) They certainly kept us waiting for the revival of this catering cult comedy, but oh my was it worth it. Excellent to see the old gang after so long — Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen, Megan Mullally, Jane Lynch — and the new additions fit in perfectly. The writing didn’t skip a beat from 2010 — this was immediately once again the smartest, funniest show around.

2022 Men’s World Cup (FOX) Was held in the late fall instead of summer because it’s 8,000 degrees in Qatar, a terrible place that mistreats its women, LGBTQ community, and laborers. But what do you expect from a country so dumb they don’t even know how to pronounce their own name? Nonetheless, I couldn’t stop watching, and what a thrill to see the legend Lionel Messi finally kissing that trophy.

White Lotus (HBO) Mike White — who writes ”uncomfortable” and also “rich jerks” better than anybody — came through again in season 2, shifting the focus from money to sex, with another absolutely stellar cast. Bonus points for a shot-by-shot tribute to the 1960 Italian classic L’avventura. And the season’s ending was utter perfection.

Wednesday (Netflix) A spiritual continuation of the Barry Sonnenfeld Addams Family films, the blend of dark humor, teen soap, and just enough heart made this a real winner. Jenna Ortega is brilliant in the lead role. And what a treat to have 4 episodes directed by the macabre master himself, Tim Burton.

LIKED A LOT

Unstable (Netflix) The dynamic between Rob Lowe and actual son John Owen Lowe is a delight to watch in this workplace comedy. But the secret weapon is co-creator Victor Fresco, who delivers the same offbeat comedy and sweetness he brought to Andy Richter Controls the Universe and Better Off Dead (which the science-lab work setting here is basically cribbed from).

George & Tammy (Showtime) Michael Shannon is never happier than when he’s chewing up the scenery, and he really gets to have some fun as The Possum, George Jones. And Jessica Chastain, in a bit of a stretch from her previous roles, certainly holds her own as out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire Tammy Wynette. The period details feel spot-on, and kudos to north Jersey’s own David Mansfield for the original music.

LIKED

Shrinking (Apple) The cast is outstanding, from Jason Segel and Harrison Ford on down. (OK, I find Christa Miller as Liz kind of annoying.) And although I enjoyed the series and it did make me cry, I had a nagging suspicion that with less talented actors, this show might be feel-good garbage. For starters, it is such an unrealistic view of the psychiatric profession, it almost seems offensive to me. I will award bonus points for an original theme song from Ben Gibbard, and also for returning Ted McGinley to series television.

Night Court (NBC) Ooh, a couple of friends were so angry at this reboot when it debuted. Worst show ever, disgracing the legacy of Harry Anderson! Well, news flash: The original Night Court wasn’t such great shakes either; we were very young and didn’t know any better. Now, I’m not saying that this new version is anything special, but it is a pleasing-enough example of that dying breed, the old-fashioned sitcom. I find the cast likable, and having John Larroquette in those familiar sets with Reinhold Weege’s name in the opening credits checks off nostalgia boxes for me. No-stress viewing!

SORT OF LIKED, SORT OF DIDN’T

History of the World, Part II (Hulu) I was so happy when this was announced (Mel Brooks and Nick Kroll together!), and the first couple of episodes were really strong, but over the course of 8 episodes, the hit-and-miss ratio got worse and worse. Ultimately this should’ve been a 90-minute movie instead of a 4-hour limited series.

FORTY-THREE AND DONE

Dark Shadows (FreeVee) On TCM, I’d watched and gotten a kick out of House of Dark Shadows (1970) and Night of Dark Shadows (1971). So I figured I should finally take a wooden-spike stab at the original 1966 series with several of the same actors as in the movies. I was quickly hooked on this corny black-and-white gothic soap opera, and I loved the vintage ABC promos during the closing credits. But of course the problem with a daily soap opera: They mete out the plot in such tiny portions that very little happens in the day-to-day episodes. I’d watched the entire 35-episode first season, and there was still no vampire! I started season 2 but with 1,182 episodes to go, I just couldn’t commit.

FOUR AND DONE

Fleishman Is in Trouble (Hulu) The marital woes of over-privileged Upper West Siders just wasn’t for me. Also, did they steal the music from The Leftovers? Oh, and was angry at this show for making Lizzy Caplan unavailable for Party Down.

THREE AND DONE

The Night Agent (Netflix) Initially thought this was going to give me my 24 dumb action fix, but there was way too much plot and the lead guy is too bro-y. Plus I was hoping all episodes would take place at night. False advertising!

TWO AND DONE

Lucky Hank (AMC) I thought this was going to be right up my alley (Bob Odenkirk as a creative writing professor), but the tone was off. The series is not nearly as smart and good as it thinks it is. And do not promise me author George Saunders and then it’s an actor playing Saunders. Why?

ONE (AND 4 MINUTES OF A SECOND ONE) AND DONE

Not Dead Yet (ABC) Not Watching Again. I was intrigued by the concept — former newspaper reporter returns to job, assigned to obituary desk — but the writing was lame. Adding insult to injury, seeing actor Rick Glassman as a co-star was the only way I learned that my beloved As We See It had been canceled.

BAILED AFTER 15 MINUTES, 13 SECONDS

The Diplomat (Amazon) This was not the show’s fault; I’ll take all the blame. Michael “Lenny” McKean tweeted (gosh, remember Twitter?) about a new show he was in. I assumed it was a comedy. It is not.

BAILED AFTER 13 MINUTES, 53 SECONDS

Virgin River (Netflix) A trusted friend told me it was “ridiculously corny and kind of bad but I like it.” I was hoping for a Northern Exposure groove — nurse practitioner moves to rural Northern California. I agree with my friend that it is kind of bad, and to me it felt really phony.

YES, I STILL WATCH THE SIMPSONS

I have been intimating this and look, now Vulture agrees that The Simpsons is good again. (At least I think that’s what they said; I used up my free articles so I can’t read it.)

BUT I NO LONGER WATCH PERRY MASON

Was hoping his switch to attorney would turn the show into something I wanted to watch. After two episodes of the second season, I dismissed the case.

THANK YOU AND GOODBYE

Barry has been such a dependably strong show — dark, funny, with an increasingly complex look at the human psyche. The final season took a wonderfully unexpected turn. And Bill Hader’s direction has become so skillful, I can’t wait to see what he does next — I hope it’s movies.

LOOKING FORWARD TO

Women’s World Cup — let’s do this! Full Circle on HBO looks promising. Most of all I’m looking forward to equitable contracts for writers and actors.

SHOWS I USED TO WATCH AND IN MANY CASES STILL DO

Links to Edition I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, and XXIII.

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Aquarium Playlist, 7/11/23

By Jack Silbert on July 11, 2023

EPISODE #546: TIGHT

Booker T. & the MG’s — “Time Is Tight” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Rolling Stones — “Too Tight”
Tallies — “Wound Up Tight”
John Lee Hooker — “Big Legs, Tight Skirt”
CachaBacha — ”Stitch Me Tight”
Electric Light Orchestra — “Hold On Tight”
Matthew Sweet — “Hold On Tight”
The Beatles — “Hold Me Tight”
Explorers Club — “Hold Me Tight”
Suzi Quatro — “Skin Tight Skin”
Bob Kayli — ”Tie Me Tight”
Cheap Time — “Tight Fit”
Cheap Trick — “She’s Tight”
The Box Tops — “You Keep Tightening Up on Me”
Bob Dylan — “Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anyone Seen My Love)” [alternate mix]

Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.

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Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

By Jack Silbert on July 7, 2023

4 stars out of 5

I was 12 when Raiders of the Lost Ark came out, and the lost ark of the Covenant was mentioned in the Haftorah portion at my bar mitzvah. Needless to say, I have an awful of lot of emotional energy invested in the character of Indiana Jones. And though hard to say how tween me would’ve reacted to a septuagenarian Indy running around the globe with his fedora and whip, the 54-year-old me pretty much loved it.

Sure, I’m increasingly a sucker for “let’s get the old gang back together” projects, and I recall being genuinely bummed when it was announced that Steven Spielberg decided not to direct this one. Still, replacement James Mangold wrote and directed one of my favorite movies, Cop Land. And his fellow screenwriters here were Jurassic Park and Crystal Skull vet David Koepp, and Jez and John-Henry Butterworth who wrote the very good Flag Day. So I felt the project was in capable hands.

An extended flashback with a de-aged Harrison Ford (ooh computers) and the trusty Toby Jones (as archaeological colleague Basil Shaw) opens the film. The action here felt like it could’ve used a little Spielbergizing, but the sequence does set the table: Nazis and this installment’s desired MacGuffin — the real-life Antikythera, fictionalized as Archimedes’ dial. As we settle in modern-day 1969, Dr. Jones is retiring from Hunter College (my mom’s alma mater!), his marriage with maid Marion (Karen Allen) is kaput after the death of their son (whoever’s idea it was to kill off Shia LaBeouf deserves a pat on the back and a gold-plated replica Lance of Longinus), Shaw’s daughter Helena — Indy’s goddaughter a.k.a. Phoebe Waller-Bridge — shows up, as does aging Nazi Dr. Voller from the flashback (a makeup-aged Mads Mikkelsen who I’d seen in a couple of movies but hadn’t made an impression before), both in search of that pesky dial.

So, there’s an awful lot of exposition and character introductions for the first 45 minutes or so, and it all hamstrings the movie a tad. But just about the time Indy reunites with his dear old pal Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) and, alone, heads to Tangiers, the film begins to soar and never looks back.

I credit Waller-Bridge for adding some real smarts and spunk — and a modern touch — to the proceedings. The character is a great foil for Indiana Jones and Waller-Bridge even believably holds her own in action scenes. Points also to teen actor Ethan Isidore as the requisite younger person, who pulls it off with nonchalance and charm. Among the grown-ups, it was easy to imagine Antonio Banderas as an old buddy of Jones, and Mikkelsen makes for a top-notch Nazi; I was really hoping to see his face melt.

And of course there is Mr. Harrison Ford. His somewhat grumpy true-life persona colors the character’s “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” reluctant last adventure. And the older Ford truly knows how to play this person who it’s not all effortless for anymore, who has slowly learned from experience what’s important in life, and who mourns what he’s lost. Though the back half of the film is packed with fun and thrilling chases and fights, all that early story development prepares us for some gravitas too. By the end — no spoilers here — I was in tears that continued into the credits. Music by John Williams! Executive producers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg! The gang’s all here.

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