Monday, April 7, 2008

The Stones, Viggo and Moses

Over the weekend I saw the new Rolling Stones concert film Shine a Light at the IMAX theather in Manhattan. I highly recommend this film for any big fan of their music. Directed by my main man Martin Scorsese who is no stranger to concert films. In 1978 he filmed The Band’s final concert in the film The Last Waltz (Which is considered by many critics to be the best concert film of all time). Shine a Light is very similar as it inter-cuts historical footage and interviews with the Rolling Stones’ performance at The Beacon Theather in Manhattan last year. Guest performances by Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera added to this fantastic performance.

One of the most interesting parts of the film were the interviews with Keith Richards and his tongue in cheek comments about how he has lasted this long! As well as the Rolling Stones 45 year together with no signs of slowing down. Richards also performs an amazing version of their 1969 classic You Got the Silver. Mick Jagger has always been known as their front man but Richards still has a great rock voice. However the biggest draw back of this film for me was seeing Richards cracked face extremely close up on the 75 foot IMAX screen. Eek!! Richards is the ultimate survivor after the insane life he has lived. In fact, I bet that after all of man kind is extinct and the cockroaches die off eons later, Keith Richards will still be around strumming his trademark guitar riffs and puffing on his cig. Long live Keith and the Rolling Stones.

Secondly, I watched the film Eastern Promises staring Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts. Great flick. I never liked Mortensen before this film. However, he did receive an Oscar nomination last year and deservedly so. He plays a conflicted Russian mobster in London. His deadpan performance was amazing which included an intense and bloody fight scene while naked in a Russian bath house! (He'll make all the ladies swoon with his funky tattoos all over his body). Complex story but very compelling. It is one of the best new films I’ve seen in a while.

Lastly, I’d just like to pay homage to Charlton Heston who died on Saturday. Say what you will about his politics but he was a commanding screen presence. Touch of Evil is one of my favorite Film Noirs. Even though the running Hollywood joke is that he was miscast as a Mexican in the film, he still showed a dominating and very memorable performance. And from my Catholic grammar school days, he will always be embedded into my memory as the face of Moses in all those bible passages. There were very few stars like Charlton Heston.







- The Mountain Cat.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't Charlton Heston Just rock!

Christina Aguilera Is Hot!! I will say it!! Love her!! LOL!!

Okay I will go!

Single

Jahooni said...

i saw the Stones back in 1997 with an old friend from college. Drank ONLY coffee, lots. had toast for dinner that night I think....and just so you know, i have seen a TON- *truck loads" of concerts over my life.... first being Def Leopard at age 13! ;)~

I have this to say. Stones should RETIRE! They were old in 97' , I should have drank heavily (not coffee... maybe coffee w/ Baily's, shit, yep! I am pissed.

BUT anyhoo, There are FREAKIN OLD NOW! Period.

Doc said...

Keith Richards 75 feet tall is more scary than anything I can think of at the moment.

Leighann said...

I'll take Viggo with a side of warming massage oil please!

Lu' said...

Look at the face of Keith, he looks like leather face for Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Viggo don't know much about him accept that my husband can't stand him?

R.I.P. Chuck. He had a good sense of humor too, not often spoken about.

As American as Apple Pie said...

Holy Crap! Keith Richards is even more scary than I remember. Look at how knarled his hands are. I have no problem with them still making music, b/c they rock. BUT...please, no more films or even pics. Scary to me.

Totally sad about Heston. I also have him firmly implanted in my brain as Moses.

Don't know anything about Viggo. Although, I may have to see that movie just for the naked fight seen!

Unknown said...

I like some Kieth Richards solo stuff. I to saw them in the 90s too and I have to say - the show sucked. It was very commercial and kind of boring. Maybe this docu-movie is more exciting.

Let's all give it up today for MT.CAT case it's his BIRTHDAY!!

Doc said...

Shhhhh Christine... I have to wait until Noon to post his birthday wishes 'cause he posted this at midnight last night.

Please everyone hold your birthday wishes until noon... :p

Leighann said...

I'm thinking Keith Richards could get a part time job as a pumice stone ;)

Unknown said...

**she wispers** Okay, sorry. I'm sure he's expecting something anyway!!

Unknown said...

OH. MY. GOD. This tells you how much I watch TV and keep up with the news. I had no idea he died. I loved him. He was just to great for words.

Doc said...

It's all good Christine... Right now he is out "shopping" anyway. Maybe he is turning into a metro-sexual or something ??

Karen said...

I also saw Eastern Promises over the weekend. Again it was a movie I had to pause and rewind and ask my friends what was happning. I was a bit confused, but it was good.

These days my brain seems incapable of understanding anything more than a simple chic flick.

Knight said...

"From my cold dead hands!" Too soon?

Jay said...

I thought Eastern Promises was a really good movie. Viggo was great in it too. He deserved his Oscar nomination!

Lu' said...

Leighann: ha ha ha ha ha!

Aunt Becky said...

I'm dying to see Shine a Light. Glad it's worth it.

As American as Apple Pie said...

What's wrong with metrosexual? I'd rather have that than Lumberjack. As long as he's not girlier than me, we're ok.

Doc said...

Oh don't get me started... My comment was an allusion back to a prvious post on this topic. LOL!

Leighann said...

Metrosexual men scare me. I want a man whose not going to cry like a girl if he gets dirt under his fingernails!

I want a man that can pick me up and throw me around, not one that I have to carry around!

I could go on and on....

Lu' said...

Doesn't Mr Richards resemble the guy from taxi and grease that was on celebrity rehab?

Metrosexual men are pretty. But I prefer a manly man too. I don't want a manly man that's a pig however. Sometimes I think mine teaters on the edge :):)

DirkStar said...

I was completely with you until you said that Christina Aguilera added to the show and then I left...

She sucks.

In fact she takes sucking to a whole new level.

She is eye candy and little else.