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Cornell Brings ‘Comfort’ to all her Endeavors
By Joe Puccio Ditzy blondes in television and film have seemingly been around for nearly as long as the mediums themselves. From Marilyn Monroe, who popularized the archetype in movies like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Jayne Mansfield, who was known for exotically vacuous parts in pictures such as The Girl Can’t Help It, to Suzanne Somers’…
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‘Swinging’ on the Vine
Revisiting Swingers Through Sideways3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa When Alexander Payne released his intoxicating ode to wine and midlife crises in 2004, it was not uncommon for Sideways to be compared to Doug Liman’s 1996 indie hit Swingers. Many viewers and critics argued that both its central theme of wooing the fairer sex and…
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From ‘Grease’ to ‘Gidget’ to Greg Brady’s Wife, Richman Radiates Grace
By Joe Puccio There are a number of different ways to leave a lasting impression in show business. While none are easy, guaranteed, or without the requisite rejection that every single individual in the industry regularly faces more times than can be counted, receiving an idiomatic ‘big break’ or achieving notoriety via an already successful…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘Unforgiven’
4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa In 1992, after almost a decade away from the Western genre that initially made him a star, Clint Eastwood returned to it with Unforgiven and the Academy gifted him two Oscars for his efforts. They honored his work as both director and producer, as well as that of…
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A ‘Harder’ Type of Christmas
Die Hard 23.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Around fifteen or so years ago, for better or worse, fans of Die Hard began to retroactively champion it not just as a Christmas movie, but as the Christmas movie to end them all. They’ve argued that its qualifying bona fides are plenty, as evidenced by a…
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From ‘Mary’ to ‘Match’ to Her Memoir, Bulifant is a Marvel
By Joe Puccio As the performers who’ve been both talented and lucky enough to be able to earn a living in show business can surely attest, the struggle to attain autonomy in one’s career is very real. Furthermore, managing to maintain said success is sometimes just as challenging. For Joyce Bulifant, the struggles she overcame…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘Scarecrow’
3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Originally released in 1973, Scarecrow is usually not the first movie that comes to mind when thinking about the filmographies of both Gene Hackman and Al Pacino. Part of this may have to do with the fact that it was a box-office bomb upon its release. And most…
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Riding Fairly High in the Saddle Again
Aerosmith & Yungblud – One More Time3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa After being forced into retirement from touring two years ago due to a severe vocal injury sustained by singer Steven Tyler, and with a complete lack of new music since 2012, Aerosmith, as a band and brand, save for through the…
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Solomon’s a ‘Force’ on Monsoon’s Life
By Joe Puccio Depending on just how far back one’s fandom of professional wrestling stretches, the name Gorilla Monsoon can easily evoke very different memories. For those who began following the business in the counterculture decade of the 1960s, when Vincent J. McMahon reformed the Capitol Wrestling Federation into the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF,…
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Master of His Domain
Being Eddie3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America? Check. A wildly successful tenure on Saturday Night Live? Check. Reverential praise from peers and fellow comics? Check, check, and check! If you’re looking for an opportunity to revisit not only Eddie Murphy’s greatest hits and multiple career…
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Some Kind of Monster
Frankenstein3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Beautifully lit, lavishly designed, and brimming with the type of luminous colors that its director is known for, the latest Frankenstein seems to center around the popular talking point of it supposedly being the film that Guillermo del Toro was born to make. Or destroy, I’d say might…
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From Malachai to Music, Courtney ‘Gains’ an Appreciation Among Fans
By Joe Puccio Best known for his chilling turn as Malachai in 1984’s supernatural slasher hit Children of the Corn, it may be slightly surprising to some that Courtney Gains has carved out quite an eclectic career for himself since appearing in the seminal shocker. A variety of parts in non-genre fare ranging from science fiction…
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Opening Right on Time
Back to the Future5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa I have always maintained that Back to the Future is a perfect movie; perfect in the sense that every one of its elements works at an optimum level. I would not change a single thing about it – not a frame, not a take, not…
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Actress/Author Arngrim Will Always Be Nellie Oleson and She Wouldn’t Have it Any Other Way
By Joe Puccio Transforming into vile, detestable characters is difficult enough for most actors. Yet playing those parts while still a young child would seemingly prove to be even more daunting. Unless you’re Alison Arngrim, that is. “When I filmed “The Music Box” with Katy Kurtzman, she was so good doing the stammering and crying…
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From ‘Santa’ to ‘Sons’ to Science Fiction, Walker is Saturated with Stories
By Joe Puccio It’s not unusual for those in show business to eventually get the itch to write a book. For almost as long as film and television have captivated audiences around the world, the often-extroverted performers who so vividly bring the mediums to life are frequently known for putting pen to paper to chronicle…
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There’s an Easier Way Out
Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago – The Ultimate Director’s Cut3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa In 1985, Sylvester Stallone sat on top of the world. The explosive success of Rambo: First Blood Part II that summer gave the writer/director/actor his biggest hit to date, suggesting that he was one of Hollywood’s grandest stars of…
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Fish’s YouTube Channel is the Real Deal – And That’s ‘Undisputed’
By Joe Puccio For professional wrestlers based in the United States who are not currently under contract with either World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) or All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the struggle is certainly real, as the commonly repeated expression goes. While there is absolutely an abundance of independent promotions in existence that allow both novice upstarts…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘Twice in a Lifetime’
4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa There has been talk of Amy Madigan possibly receiving an Oscar nomination for her scene-stealing turn as Aunt Gladys in this summer’s breakaway horror hit Weapons. Were that to happen, it would be the actress’s second trip to the big dance, having originally been nominated in a…
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Through the Dark Corners of His Father’s House
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Few would argue that Bruce Springsteen isn’t one of the most important and influential musical artists of the past fifty years. Having been such a seismic cultural force is usually reason enough to merit a great biopic that explains how such status was…
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Beginning Anew Through ‘The End’
Mammoth – The End4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa After storming onto the rock scene a mere four years ago – and less than a full year since the death of his legendary father Edward Van Halen – Wolfgang Van Halen, under his artist moniker Mammoth (initially Mammoth WVH), returns with The End,…
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The Toughest Battles Are Usually Within
The Smashing Machine3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has come a long way since body-slamming his way to the top of the professional wrestling world. His natural charisma and ample magnetism in front of the camera allowed him to quickly transition into a hugely successful career in Hollywood, one…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’
3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa An instrumental version of The Beatles’ iconic “Hey Jude” serves as the musical backdrop to a prologue montage that details the history of the eccentric and highly dysfunctional family that serves as the namesake of Wes Anderson’s third feature film, originally released in 2001. It is an…
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From Dupree to Executive, Shulman is a ‘Giant’
By Joe Puccio Rock and Roll has obviously had an abundance of both talented artists as well as pioneering record executives, separately, throughout its vast history. What’s not as common, however, is the number of individuals who excelled at both. “I never expected to work behind the scenes. When I got the call from a…
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For Maximum Impact
David Gilmour Live at the Circus Maximus, Rome3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa With almost universal consensus amid rock enthusiasts and connoisseurs, over the past 50 years, David Gilmour has been considered one of the absolute premiere guitarists of the genre. Watching this latest concert film, David Gilmour Live at the Circus Maximus,…
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Greenberg’s ‘Better’ Than Ever with Book Examining WrestleMania III
By Joe Puccio Perhaps more than any other time in modern publishing history, literature related to professional wrestling is experiencing a renaissance that would have seemed to be highly implausible not too long ago. While poorly produced, factually challenged books were the norm throughout the glossy 1980s as well as much of the transitional 1990s,…
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Stonehenge, Guitars, and Lots of Cheese
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa “We want Tap! We want Tap!” So chants a mob of thousands packed into a New Orleans arena, moments after one of those many has passionately professed on camera that Spinal Tap is up there with AC/DC and Motörhead as one of…
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Jarratt’s Mick Taylor is a ‘Wolf’ in Sheep’s Clothing
By Joe Puccio Upon graduating from the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Arts in 1973, if someone had told John Jarratt that he’d be best known for playing Australian serial killer Mick Taylor in the “new classic” modern slasher Wolf Creek just over 30 years later, the formally trained actor would’ve assumed his leg was…
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Kung Fu, Karate, Pizza, and Nonsense
Karate Kid: Legends2 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Trite, illogical, and ultimately pointless, Karate Kid: Legends takes all the goodwill amassed by the successful Cobra Kai spinoff and squanders it for no other reason than to keep cashing in on an old, albeit revived, IP. In this regard, it overtly aims itself at the Netflix…
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‘Prom Night’ Actress Brings ‘Joy’ to Both Fans and Students
By Joe Puccio Forty-five years ago, Jimmy Carter was in the midst of his final full year as the President of the United States, ‘Who shot J.R.?’ was the pressing question on the minds of television audiences throughout the country, and Pac-Man, which would eventually become the most successful video game of all time, made…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘French Connection II’
3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Across an illustrious and varied acting career that spanned over four decades, Gene Hackman’s most signature role (at least to anyone not raised solely on comic books) will undoubtedly always be Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, the ruthless, morally-questionable New York City police detective that the venerable actor played…
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Former (Current?) WWE Star Kross Still ‘Fighting’ for What he Believes in
By Joe Puccio While the recent scuttlebutt revolving around popular pro wrestling sensation Kevin Robert Kesar – more widely known as Karrion Kross – has primarily focused on the New York City-born competitor’s complicated and somewhat cryptic contract situation, it would be a shame if one of the talented performer’s many other endeavors was overshadowed…
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Renewing the Insult
The Naked Gun3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Way back in 1995, the original Toy Story presented a memorable scene in which three little green aliens, stuck amidst an assortment of other toys inside a crane game, fervently hoped that the all-powerful “claw” would select one of them for deposit into a better life.…
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Catching Up with Michael Myers’ First Victim
Widely considered to be one of the greatest horror masterpieces of all time, 1978’s Halloween is revered for its heart pounding suspense, pulsating score, and of course, the seminal cinema slasher himself, Michael Myers. And ask any aficionados of the genre to list its most important characters beyond the devoid-of-emotion antagonist at the center of…
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Trapped in the Ring
No Holds Barred1 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa The recent death of pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan surely has had many fans revisit his legacy and embark on requisite nostalgia trips in the days since. It’s a complicated legacy, made so by the various reported transgressions that Terry Gene Bollea (Hogan’s birth name)…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘Mississippi Burning’
3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa A burning cross is one of the most powerful and frightening images ever unleashed upon citizens of the United States. It is a searing blemish on the nation’s conscience, created by those who are so driven by hate that they are willing to desecrate the most sacred…
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Not Taking S#@! from Anyone
Billy Joel: And So It Goes4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa With a strong, inventive, and always-engaging telling, Billy Joel: And So It Goes is unquestionably the definitive account of the life and career of the ever-popular piano man and musical prodigy from Long Island. But you will need four and a half hours…
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TNA Takes Over New York With ‘Action’-Packed Slammiversary Event
By Joe Puccio Total Nonstop Action has had several incarnations since its launch nearly a quarter century ago (2002) following the demise of World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Initially known as NWA: Total Nonstop Action (NWA-TNA) and affiliated with the historic National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) governing body, the company dropped the “NWA” name from its moniker…
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Lost-and-Found in Epic Size
Bruce Springsteen – Tracks II: The Lost Albums By J.C. Correa Leave it to Bruce Springsteen to swiftly rectify that the 1990s never really were the lost period that many of his fans have chosen to believe for years. Through the recent release of the almost comically-titled box set Tracks II: The Lost Albums, the…
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VanHentenryck Sculpts an Impressive Career – ‘Case’ Closed
By Joe Puccio Mass media in popular culture is often categorized by the respective decade in which the subject belongs to. In music, grunge rock (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden) dominated the 1990s. On the small screen, the 1950s are looked back on as the ‘Golden Age of Television’ (I Love Lucy, Father Knows Best, The…
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Taking to the Ground
Superman2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Majestic, gleaming, and awe-inspiring. So rises the Fortress of Solitude like an Arctic Minas Tirith, revolving out of the ice in a way never before rendered so spectacularly. And yet, it seems instead to be located in Antarctica. If this little detail confuses some moviegoers well-versed in…
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The Unbearable Lightness of Aging
The Last Showgirl2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa During awards season six months ago, much was made about Pamela Anderson’s acclaimed performance in The Last Showgirl receiving Golden Globe and SAG nominations, yet getting completely ignored by the Academy come Oscar time. After finally watching the movie, almost a year after it premiered at…
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Unloading it All
Metallica – Load (Remastered) Deluxe Box Set By J.C. Correa How much Metallica is too much Metallica? The legendary heavy metal outfit has made it a point to possibly provide that answer with the recent release of the gargantuan box set that serves to commemorate, of all things, their contentious 1996 LP Load. With over 240…
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Friday the 13th’s ‘First Jason’ is First Class
By Joe Puccio Michael Myers. Freddy Krueger. Pinhead. Chucky. Ghostface. All are certainly seminal figures in the horror subgenre of the slasher film. But while each one has undoubtedly left his bloody mark on both viewers, as well as his respective victims (Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson, Kirsty Cotton, Andy Barclay, and Sidney Prescott, to name…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘The Conversation’
4.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa One of Gene Hackman’s absolute best and most layered turns is in this 1974 Francis Ford Coppola cult classic that last year made the rounds in cinemas around the world as part of a 50th anniversary re-release. As Harry Caul, a surveillance expert whose perpetual nervousness and…
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Wang Chung Still Clearly Having ‘Fun’
By Joe Puccio Creating hit songs that resonate with the public is obviously a distinct goal of every working musician. Crafting melodies so memorable that they stand the test of time or constructing catchy choruses that become permanently instilled in the listeners’ psyche are traits that every working auditory artist hopes to achieve even once…
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Of Shark and Men
Jaws5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa What more can be said or written about Jaws that hasn’t already been done? By now, a half-century into its life and legacy, most have probably seen it. At the very least they might know it was responsible for not only properly establishing Steven Spielberg as the consummate…
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Summertime Blues
The Beach Boys3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa With the recent death of Brian Wilson representing such a monumental loss in pop culture, and more specifically, in its history, a renewed interest in The Beach Boys can only be expected. For those seeking to satiate that appetite, they may consider giving a look…
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A Schwartz ‘Story’
By Joe Puccio Show business is a peculiar animal, especially for children. While some performers who got their start in the industry at an early age became known for much more than their innocuous initial introductions (Ron Howard as freckle-faced Opie on The Andy Griffith Show, Neil Patrick Harris as the titular boy genius on…
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Guns N’ Roses Returns to the ‘Jungle’ in Barcelona
By J.C. Correa Inconceivable as it may seem, since 2016, Guns N’ Roses have toured the world repeatedly with a level of frequency and consistency, and with enough professionalism, to rival any act in music. The legendary band, which partially built said legend on a reputation of constant tardiness and unreliability, in its early ‘90s…
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An Operatic Tale of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Bono: Stories of Surrender4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Bono, the lead singer of U2, and one of the world’s most prominent activists of the past 25 years, is a polarizing individual. I guess that’s what happens when you front a band whose earnest approach to themes of love, spirituality, injustice, and redemption…
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A Most Nutritious Bullet
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa As you may have heard by now, there is a reboot of The Naked Gun dropping in cinemas later this summer. More specifically, it is apparently not a remake, but rather, a continuation of the beloved film series started in…
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From ‘Brewster’ to ‘Belvedere,’ Ellison Can Back it Up
By Joe Puccio Goofy sidekicks have been a mainstay on classic sitcoms since the advent of television. From Ed Norton (Art Carney) in The Honeymooners for one revered season in the mid-1950s to Barney Fife (Don Knotts) in the venerable The Andy Griffith Show throughout almost the entire decade of the 1960s to Freddy “Rerun”…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘Get Shorty’
4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa It is not every day that you have freezing temperatures in Miami. Similarly, it is rare for Los Angeles to be graced with torrential downpours. Both of these surreal realities, however, occur within the first twenty minutes of Get Shorty, and what is sandwiched in-between them is…
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The Expansive Sounds of History
Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa It takes approximately a full three minutes (possibly more) for the camera lens to absorb the deserted vastness of the ancient Roman amphitheater in Pompeii before slowly settling on the four members of Pink Floyd as they leisurely run through their 1971…
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An Explosive Marathon, Should You Choose to Accept it
Mission: Impossible film series By J.C. Correa Almost thirty years ago, Tom Cruise, then already one of the world’s biggest movie stars, accepted the task to produce and star in a big-screen adaptation of Mission: Impossible, the celebrated late ‘60s espionage television show with the even more famous pulsing theme music. Three decades later, he…
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All’s Game in the Art of the Close
Glengarry Glen Ross By J.C. Correa Fans of Broadway and New York City theater are surely aware that there is a new revival currently playing of the 1984 Pulitzer Prize-winning sizzler, Glengarry Glen Ross. That is likely the case because its marketing team has leaned heavily on promoting its all-star cast in the months since…
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From ‘Annie’ to ‘Kate & Allie,’ Allison Smith is Still ‘Wing’ing it and Doing a Stellar Job
By Joe Puccio Performing on stage before a live audience and acting on a film or television set are two very diverse experiences. While the pair of skills are certainly equally as impressive on their own, being adept at both is even more remarkable. For gifted thespian Allison Smith, she thoroughly excels at each endeavor…
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Fifty Years After Their Heroes, Lez Zeppelin Brings it on Home
By J.C. Correa In May of 1975, the mighty Led Zeppelin finished a tour for their hallowed Physical Graffiti double album at London’s Earl’s Court. That whole cycle represented a victory lap of sorts for a band that was then at the peak of its powers and fame. Five shows were performed there, each lasting a…
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The ‘Sith’ Strikes Again, and Maybe Just in Time
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa George Lucas was never a subtle filmmaker. At least as far as his approach to Star Wars was concerned. His biggest crime, more so than the consistently wooden dialogue or subpar acting, was probably his tendency to tell you as…
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Kroll’s Luna Vachon Doc is One Not to Be Missed
By Joe Puccio It certainly wasn’t always the case, but professional wrestling-themed documentaries are undoubtedly in the midst of a honeymoon phase. From the Evan Ginzburg-produced 350 Days, which peeled back the curtain on the uncompromising toll that former wrestlers were forced to endure being on the road for that many days a year, to…
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A Heartwarming Gem You Can Still ‘Count’ On
You Can Count on Me4.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Though he had been acting consistently for five or so years, it was in You Can Count on Me, the Sundance breakout hit from 2000, that I first watched Mark Ruffalo perform. And he was largely the reason why, then, I placed Kenneth…
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The Not Always Sweet Smell of ‘Success’
The Secret of My Success 2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Thirty-eight years ago this week, The Secret of My Success, a light-hearted romp starring Michael J. Fox, was released. It went on to become a modest hit at a time when the young actor was a hot Hollywood property on the strength of…
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Horowitz Proves to be a ‘Winner’ in Spite of Wrestling Record
By Joe Puccio Supporting players in the various art forms of entertainment are just as integral as the leading parts they correlate with. Without William Zabka as antagonistic bully Johnny Lawrence, Ralph Macchio’s popular underdog character Daniel LaRusso wouldn’t have been nearly as effective in The Karate Kid. If Rob Reiner, as left-leaning son-in-law Mike…
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Coupling Up in the Shadow of Grunge
Singles3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa In the fall of 1992, at the absolute height of the grunge movement, writer-director Cameron Crowe released this modest exploration of love and relationships and set it against this very backdrop. It was Crowe’s second directorial feature following his breakout hit Say Anything, one that quickly earned…
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‘More Than a Feeling’ – DeCarlo and Scheff are ‘Stronger Every Day’
By Joe Puccio There is certainly not a dearth of veteran musicians pounding the pavement, attempting to capture -or recapture – the glory of days gone by. Whether it’s the Rolling Stones, in the midst of their inconceivable seventh decade of performing, Frankie Valli, perhaps the oldest artist, at 90, still active, or the Beach…
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The Big De Niro Face-off
The Alto Knights2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Robert De Niro sits across a table from himself and begins to have a conversation. The De Niro seen on screen right has a haggard face with light-colored eyes and a rough-looking, pronounced nose. He speaks, though, like Robert De Niro. The version that sits…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘No Way Out’
3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa The recent death of Hollywood screen legend Gene Hackman is one that has undoubtedly left a hollow mark across the movie industry. Part of this, unfortunately, has to do with the eerie circumstances behind his and his wife’s demise. But above all, it is the natural result…
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From ‘The Karate Kid’ to ‘Flashdance,’ Esposito is Still One of the ‘Best’
By Joe Puccio Flashdance. Scarface. Coming to America. Staying Alive. American Hot Wax. These are just a smattering of the motion picture soundtracks that singer-songwriter Joe “Bean” Esposito has crafted timeless tunes for. Whether it was as a founding member of harmonious R&B trio Brooklyn Dreams (with Bruce Sudano and Eddie Hokenson), as a passionate…
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Fifty Years Later, This Trio is Still ‘Happening!!’
By Joe Puccio In show business, it’s difficult enough for motion pictures to attain suitable box office success to justify the perpetually exorbitant costs of creating them. Furthermore, adapting profitable television versions of fruitful films are often even tougher tasks. While M*A*S*H (Film: $3 million budget and $81.6 million gross; Series: 11 seasons), The Karate…
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Licks That Stick: The Unsung Hero of Aerosmith
By J.C. Correa When you listen to the bluesy solo on Aerosmith’s influential early hit “Last Child,” the lead guitar work of their 1993 rocker “Fever,” or the assaulting guitars and piercing solos on 1976’s deep cut “Nobody’s Fault,” you would immediately think that they offer further proof of how indispensable a lead player Joe…
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‘Growing’ into an Adult: Miller Makes his Mark
By Joe Puccio It isn’t every television show that can count Hollywood heavyweights such as Brad Pitt, Hilary Swank, and Leonardo DiCaprio among its celebrated alumni. Growing Pains, however, can do just that. The popular situation comedy, which premiered in the fall of 1985, focused on the Seavers, a middle-class family from the suburbs of…
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Fear Was Not an Option
Batman Begins3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa It may be difficult to remember, let alone believe, but twenty years ago the character of Batman was dead in the water. At least as far as his cinematic viability was concerned. After a string of three consecutive hits from 1989 through 1995, the lucrative property…
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Orndorff’s Son Carrying on a ‘Wonderful’ Legacy
By Joe Puccio For Generation Xers, the unofficial glory years in professional wrestling undoubtedly land between 1984, at the birth of Hulkamania, and 1992, as Hulk Hogan’s seemingly perennial immense popularity began to wane considerably. The colossal period in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE), which largely coincided with the…
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‘The Outdated Entertainment Hour’ with Bob Smith
Nostalgic for the great entertainment you loved as a kid and young adult? The Outdated Entertainment Hour – hosted by Bob Smith, a veteran entertainment podcaster, writer and editor (Good Times Magazine, Pro Wrestling Illustrated) – will bring back many of your favorite music artists, TV shows, books, films, and much more. Enjoy conversations with…
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Billy Joel Exhibit Puts Fans in a ‘New York State of Mind’
By Joe Puccio Long Island is known for many things. Between beautiful beaches, sizeable mansions, scenic vineyards, and fresh seafood, the largest island in the contiguous United States certainly isn’t lacking in its vast array of comforting and appealing aspects that seem to draw more and more tourists each year. But as attractive as the…
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A 30-Year Rain Before ‘Seven’
Se7en4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa After a string of iconic and influential music videos in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s like Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up,” Madonna’s “Vogue,” George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90,” and Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun,” director David Fincher made the leap to feature films with the controversial and much-maligned Alien 3 in…
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The James Bond Family’s Midas Touch
By J.C. Correa It is very hard to believe, but after more than 60 years, the James Bond films finally belong to entities other than those who have always and exclusively made them. I’m referring, of course, to the recent seismic deal that effectively removes creative control of the storied franchise away from EON Productions…
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Journeying Into the ‘Unknown’ with Nary a Light to Show the Way
A Complete Unknown3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa There is no denying that Bob Dylan is one of the greatest and most prolific songwriters in history. In the same manner, I don’t think anyone will ever argue that his work and legacy have left a print on our culture that has only enriched…
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No ‘Fear’ in Antonella Rose as Career Takes Off
By Joe Puccio In show business, there’s a fine line between acting and overacting; between being prepared and being overprepared; between being precocious and being aloof. Child performers, perhaps unfairly, tend to be scrutinized by these traits more so than their adult counterparts. And while obstacles such as these have always been and likely always…
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‘Friday the 13th’ Actor Monarque Carves Out Successful Career
By Joe Puccio Any type of deviation to a cherished art form is inevitably met with resistance. When Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror masterpiece Alien was expanded into James Cameron’s decidedly more action-centric Aliens, science fiction fans were skeptical. When J. R. R. Tolkien’s beloved 1937 children’s fantasy novel The Hobbit received a sequel nearly twenty…
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Closing the Dojo with Love
The Unexpected and Glorious Legacy of Cobra Kai By J.C. Correa When Cobra Kai first debuted back in the spring of 2018 – on what was then known as YouTube Red – you would have been forgiven for being extremely skeptical about its prospects in quality, not to mention longevity. After all, no one was really…
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Getting the Led Finally Out
Becoming Led Zeppelin3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa In early 1969, after having already played a few dates in America, Led Zeppelin, then opening for a band called Vanilla Fudge, delivered a triumphant show at San Francisco’s famed Fillmore Club. It was considered so because up until then, though buzz was slowly building…
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‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
Saturday Night4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa In one long, uninterrupted take we are swiftly hurdled through several of the rooms at NBC studios where it seems pretty much everything is going on at once. Like flies on the wall, what we witness is an abundance of chaos and panic that are gradually…
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Dougherty’s Rod Serling Book is in the ‘Zone’
By Joe Puccio There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his…
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Bronwyne Billington Carving Out Her Own ‘Dynamite’ Legacy
By Joe Puccio Modern era professional wrestling is virtually saturated with acrobatic, high-flying daredevils who wow the audience with their unmatched technical prowess each time they step into the squared circle. While five-star classic masterpieces are par for the course for Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, and Kazuchika Okada these days, this luxury really didn’t exist…
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Chipping Away at the Old Block of Kryptonite
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Imagine you wake up one day only to learn that a movie you very much loved as a child is not necessarily the definitive version of that story, and that somewhere out there exists a potentially better rendering of it that is…
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The Sights and Sounds That Colored the Rain
Purple Rain2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Recently, Rolling Stone magazine awarded the top spot to Purple Rain in a list it compiled of the 100 greatest movie soundtracks in history. The choice was not necessarily unsurprising, in part considering the enduring appeal of many of the tunes in Prince’s 1984 masterpiece. Furthermore, the…
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The Freaks Come Out at Christmas
Batman Returns4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa After the triumphant one-two punch of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice, Warner Bros. gave Tim Burton the keys to the Batcave in 1989, effectively allowing him to, for better or worse, launch the modern-day superhero cinema craze with the uber-successful Batman. It was a gamble that proved…
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Toasting to a Classic: ‘Sideways’
5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa “If anybody orders merlot, I’m leaving! I am NOT drinking any F@&#ING MERLOT!” With those immortal words Paul Giamatti inadvertently disrupted the mojo of an up-until-then profitable wine grape, the diminished sales of which were felt all over Northern California. At least that is what a winemaker…
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‘From’ Television to Film, Ghafoori is a Star
By Joe Puccio Horror is arguably – and undeservedly – the single most maligned genre in the television and film landscape. While small screen critic darlings like The X Files and The Walking Dead have admittedly received their share of praise and motion picture fan favorites such as Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs…
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When Four Young Dudes With Dubious Haircuts Landed in America
Beatles ’643 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Albeit several months late, Beatles ’64 arrives perfectly timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the illustrious English band’s first trip to the United States. It was a two-week foray that saw them play The Ed Sullivan Show twice (first in New York, then in Miami); a…
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Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley
By J.C. Correa Rock music enthusiasts (and basically anyone with a faint interest in measuring the pulse of pop culture during the second half of the 20th century) are undoubtedly familiar with the seismic importance associated with Elvis Presley’s 1968 Comeback Special. Along with Queen at Live Aid, The Beatles at Shea Stadium, and Jimi…
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Rebeca Arthur is No ‘Stranger’ to Success
By Joe Puccio Sometimes the world looks perfect,Nothing to rearrange.Sometimes you get a feelingLike you need some kind of change. No matter what the odds are this time,Nothing’s going to stand in my way.This flame in my heart,And a long lost friendGives every dark street a light at the end. Standing tall, on the wings…
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Acting, Writing, Directing – ‘Terrifier’s Scaffidi Embraces It All
By Joe Puccio If someone would have attempted to sell Samantha Scaffidi on the notion that Terrifier, the 2016 American slasher film about, well, a terrifying serial killer clown, would have become a pop culture phenomenon, she likely would have thought them to be just as misguided as Art, the demented joker at the film’s…
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Dee Wallace ‘Self-Creates’ an Impressive Career
By Joe Puccio Cultivating a fruitful film and television career for an astounding 50 years, talent, tenacity, and even a little luck are all clearly somewhat responsible. Dee Wallace names self-creation, however, as a key rationale for her success. “Each time you have a thought or a feeling or a perception of the world, you…
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Butler’s a ‘Prairie’ Man at Heart
By Joe Puccio Good casting is paramount to the quality of any television series. While many factors, such as script, plot, and direction are equally important, the painstaking process of selecting the right mix of performers can be just as difficult to cultivate. Attempting to visualize All in the Family without Carroll O’Connor and Jean…
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A Charmed ‘Life’ for ‘Facts’ Originals
By Joe Puccio You take the good,You take the bad,You take them both and there you have,The facts of life In show business, there is a widely held belief that in the vast majority of cases, child actors grow up being unable to transition to adulthood or to learn how to cope with a routine,…
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Knapp’s a ‘Keeper’ – ‘Evil’ Actor Makes Her Mark
By Joe Puccio While there has been an abundance of quality, supernatural, facetious, thrillers to hit the small screen in recent times (Lucifer, Penny Dreadful, American Horror Story, to name a few), none have quite encompassed the multi-layered genre quite as well as Evil. Premiering to critical acclaim on CBS in 2019 before shifting to…
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Wrestling’s Jim Brunzell Excels Both Inside and Outside the Ring
By Joe Puccio It would be understandable for any promising, young, professional wrestler training alongside eventual legends like Ric Flair, Ken Patera, and the Iron Sheik to feel self-conscious early on in the learning process. Jim Brunzell, however, was not a typical student. In arguably one of the strongest collective classes of aspiring grapplers ever assembled,…
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Howarth Makes the ‘Trek’ to Long Island’s Fabled Cinema Arts Centre
By Joe Puccio The name Alan Howarth might not be as recognizable as Harrison Ford, Kurt Russell, or Jamie Lee Curtis. Yet in many ways, his contributions on films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Escape from New York, and Halloween II are just as pivotal as that of their respective stars. Howarth has worked…
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Not Just ‘Big Talk’ – ‘Good Times’ Aplenty at Warrant / Lita Ford/ FireHouse
By Joe Puccio Once fairly rare, package tours have become quite the commodity for Generation Xers in recent years. In the current unsettled economic climate, musical acts simply cannot gross the same amount of money they did during the notably more lucrative 1980s and 1990s. Take ‘The Stadium Tour,’ for example. In the summer and…
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50 Years Later, This ‘Land’ is Not ‘Lost’
By Joe Puccio For Gen Xers who came of age in the 1970s, Sid and Marty Krofft are two names lavished with reverence. The Canadian brothers, simultaneously television creators, writers, and puppeteers, produced some of the most enduring small screen offerings of the era, including H.R. Pufnstuf, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and The Banana…
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90’s Wrestling Flashback Set For Atlantic City on July 13
By Joe Puccio The Confather, Tommy Fierro, is at it again this Saturday, July 13, as he presents 90’s Wrestling Con at ACX1 Studios in Atlantic City, New Jersey. An abundant array of the squared circle’s most revered personalities from the culture-shifting decade will be on hand to take photographs, sign autographs, and simply reminisce…
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The Keirn Chronicles: A ‘Fabulous’ Follow-Up Continues a Profound Tale
By Joe Puccio As notable aspiring authors are keenly aware, merely getting one life story passed the developmental stage in the form of a written autobiography is impressive enough. Having an extended second volume, north of 400 pages, is utterly astounding. Yet for retired professional wrestler Steve Keirn, it was never in doubt. “My career…
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Men Without Hats Can Still ‘Dance’ If They Want To
By Joe Puccio Johnny played guitar, Jenny played bassName of the band is ‘The Human Race’Everybody, tell me have you heard?Pop goes the world So go the lyrics to “Pop Goes the World,” a whimsical, yet intuitive, commentary on the music industry and the often cursory nature of popular culture. The song, a chart topper…
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Stones Still a ‘Gas, Gas, Gas’ in 2024
By Joe Puccio Shuffleboard. Gardening. Wordle. Scrapbooking. Relaxing. All of the above are standard activities for typical senior citizens that nobody would bat an eye at. Sir Michael Philip Jagger, however, is not your typical senior citizen. The superhuman, better known as Mick Jagger, frontman of the Rolling Stones, sprinted, shimmied, shook, and, well, sang…
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Macho Man ‘Untamed’ – The Definitive Randy Savage Biography
By Joe Puccio “He was de-venomized, but maybe I wasn’t!” That was Randy “Macho Man” Savage’s tongue-in-cheek quip in response to hearing the unfortunate news that his concurrent rival Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ ten-foot king cobra passed away less than two weeks after sinking its half-inch fangs into Savage’s arm, drawing a notable amount of…
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80’s Wrestling Con Set to Main Event New Jersey on May 4
By Joe Puccio The Northeast’s premiere professional wrestling nostalgia convention, 80’s Wrestling Con 5, will hit the Garden State once again this Saturday, May 4, at the Mennen Sports Arena in Morristown, New Jersey. For the fifth time, irrevocable utility man Tommy Fierro has assembled an elite array of the sport’s larger than life superstars…
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Crack Open a ‘Six Pack’ With 1980s Wrestling Luminaries
By Joe Puccio Books on professional wrestling are anything but an anomaly in 2024. In the first four months of the year alone, the sport has already boasted Ballyhoo! The Roughhousers, Con Artists, and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling, Becky Lynch – The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl, and Macho Man – The Untamed,…
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Pearcy Goes Back to the ‘Cellar’ 40 Years Later
By Joe Puccio Often overlooked in favor of more prominent 1980s hair metal offerings like Slippery When Wet (Bon Jovi), Hysteria (Def Leppard), and Shout at the Devil (Motley Crue), 1984’s Out of the Cellar is every bit as deserving of praise as its spandex spouses. Spawned by seminal sleaze rock favorites Ratt, the debut…
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Madonna Offers Smoke and Mirrors with Little Substance in Brooklyn
By Joe Puccio 10:20pm. That’s when Madonna hit the stage at Barclays Center on Thursday night, December 14. Although the arena was sweltering, the reception for the Queen of Pop was initially a bit chilly. While obviously garnering the expected roar from the thousands of faithful followers in attendance, the number of fans remaining in…
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A ‘Deuce’ of Shows in NYC and It’s a Wrap for Kiss – In Human Form, That Is
By Joe Puccio Fifty years after forming in New York City, glam rock icons Kiss ended it where it all began with a pair of sold-out extravaganzas at the legendary Madison Square Garden on December 1 and 2. For constituents of the Kiss Army privileged to be in attendance at one (or both) of the…
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The Darkness ‘Land’ in New York City
By Joe Puccio When Permission to Land exploded onto the music scene in 2003, glam rock was anything but at the top of the charts. Genres such as garage/indie rock (The White Stripes), rhythm and blues/soul (Alicia Keys), art/alternative rock (Radiohead), and nu metal/rap rock (Linkin Park) ruled terrestrial radio. Enter The Darkness. The British…
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Duran Duran Still Rocking ‘Planet Earth’
By Joe Puccio Formed nearly a half century ago, it’s difficult to truly understand just how popular Duran Duran still are – unless you witness the Birmingham, England-bred boys in person. The ‘notorious’ new wave notables barreled into New York City’s Forest Hills Stadium on September 22 with an eagerness equal to an act half…
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‘The Outdated Wrestling Hour’ with Bob Smith
Veteran pro wrestling magazine personality Bob Smith (Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WCW, Wrestling’s Main Event) continues to present a singularly unique podcast flavor with a lighthearted yet informative look at pro wrestling from the 70s through today. Now in its third year, the OWH podcast features pro wrestling industry guests, humor, and all the factoids a…
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Aerosmith ‘Saddle’ Up in New York
By Joe Puccio If you were one of the 19,000 or so Aerosmith fans packed into the UBS Arena on Saturday, September 9, consider yourself lucky. After completing just three dates on their ‘Peace Out’ farewell jaunt, the band announced that lead singer extraordinaire Steven Tyler is being forced, per doctor’s orders, to rest his…
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Rule your Office Pool: National Football League (NFL) Picks
By Brian Boru, NFL Guru The wait is over as the 2025-2026 NFL season is finally here. Get ready for another year of office pool drama, trash talk, and animal choices. If you followed us here last year, no doubt that you ruled your office pool. NFL picks sponsored by Rankin/Bass Follow me at…
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Preteen Actor/Singer Madison Baez Is Proving to Be the ‘Right One’
By Joe Puccio Possessing the poise and pluck of somebody twice her age, Madison Taylor Baez has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most esteemed and elite talents. Fresh off of her commanding lead role in Showtime’s Let The Right One In, a television adaptation based on both John Ajvide Lindqvist’s 2004 novel as well as…
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‘Fabulous’ Wrestling Great Rougeau Looks to the Future
By Joe Puccio For many fans of the sport, the mid-to-late 1980s through the early 1990s are deemed to be the glory years of professional wrestling. Compelling storylines (think the Hulk Hogan/Randy “Macho Man” Savage/Elizabeth love triangle and Shawn Michaels attacking longtime partner Marty Jannetty on Brutus Beefcake’s “Barber Shop”), celebrity crossovers (consider The A-Team…
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Journey Provides a Much Needed ‘Escape’
By Joe Puccio While some popular musical acts benefit from bringing peers in their genre along on the road with them to aid with less than stellar ticket sales or a lack of sufficient hits, some obviously don’t require any help in the field. In these instances, being treated to ‘two for the price of…
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‘Mat Memories’ is a Home Run
By Joe Puccio Had he continued on his ill-advised foray into becoming a professional wrestler, the Sultan of Schizophrenia would have been an appropriate moniker for John Arezzi. By his own admission, Arezzi’s life has been a frenetic whirlwind of undeniable success, unavoidable obstacles, and missed opportunities, with a sprinkling of well-deserved, old-fashioned, luck for…
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‘Mr. Belvedere’ – A Depiction of the Good Life
By Joe Puccio Streaks on the china, never mattered before, who cared?When you drop kicked your jacket, as you came through the door, no one glared,But sometimes things get turned around and no one’s spared,All hands look out below, there’s a change in the status quo,We’re gonna need all the help that we can get,According…
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From Football to ‘Chico’
By Joe Puccio Billed from the nonexistent town of Tocula, Mexico throughout his illustrious career, Tito Santana, one of the most technically sound and respected professional wrestlers of the 1980s through the early ‘90s, was actually born and raised in Mission, Texas, before gaining worldwide fame inside the squared circle. “Vince (McMahon, owner of the…
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Ratt ‘Back For More’ in New York
By Joe Puccio Sleaze-rock veterans Ratt scurried into Long Island’s Paramount Theater on Thursday, December 19, as part of their In Your Direction tour, celebrating the 35th anniversary of the group’s seminal offering, Out of the Cellar. The rodent-branded quintet, led by gravelly-voiced front man Stephen Pearcy, barreled through a brisk, hits-heavy set that leaned considerably…
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‘Foreigner: Then and Now’
By Joe Puccio Perfectly timed for the gift-giving holidays, arena rock heavyweights Foreigner have released Foreigner – Double Vision: Then and Now. A grandiose, multi-platform celebration of the band’s legacy, past and present, the package includes the first ever reunion of the entire original lineup of the English-American outfit (minus the late Ed Gagliardi), sharing…
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Styx is Stellar in New York
By Joe Puccio When veteran artists produce new music, it tends to be a precarious endeavor. While diehard fanatics of still-active classic bands of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and beyond, such as the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, and Cheap Trick, will usually seek out any and every release of their favorite acts, the vast…
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Queen Musical Set to ‘Rock You’
By Joe Puccio Jukebox musicals have always been one of the most popular varieties of stage presentations. From Movin’ Out, which features the reflective, down-to-earth, stylings of Billy Joel, to Mamma Mia, a raucous celebration of Swedish dance pop sensations ABBA, to Rock of Ages, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to 1980s glam rock, the subgenre has…
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‘A Nightmare’ No More For ‘Elm Street’ Actor
By Joe Puccio When one mentions the term “scream queen,” several leading ladies of fright films generally come to mind – Jamie Lee Curtis, Linnea Quigley, Adrienne Barbeau, and Drew Barrymore, just to name a few. Mark Patton, however, typically is not among them. But with the new documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm…
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Joan Still ‘Loves Rock ‘n’ Roll’ While Heart Tries to Find the ‘Magic, Man’
By Joe Puccio Two of rock’s most decorated female-led acts closed out this year’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater concert season with both a bang and a whimper, depending on which portion of the performances one referred to. Dubbed “Love Alive,” headliners Ann and Nancy Wilson, with their bandmates in Heart, teamed up with…
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Celebrating Mexico in NYC – Lucha Libre Style
By Joe Puccio It was easy to confuse the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden for Arena Ciudad de Mexico on Sunday, September 15, as Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, Mexico’s leading professional wrestling promotion, produced an authentic lucha libre experience for the thousands in attendance lucky enough to have witnessed the historic event. Coined “Invading…
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Extreme Bring the ‘Funk’ To NY
By Joe Puccio Widely pigeonholed for their syrupy, Everly Brothers-esque hit “More Than Words,” Extreme has always been a band that’s defied expectations. Although the New England-bred funk rock act’s career was launched with their self-titled debut at the tail-end of the 80s, it wasn’t until their 1990 sophomore release, Pornograffitti, lit up the charts…
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It’s ‘Nothin’ But A Good Time’ at Rock of Ages Revival / A ‘Rock’ing Conversation with Mitch Jarvis
By Joe Puccio Glam metal and theater are two canons of pop culture that seemingly couldn’t be more distinct. But if that’s entirely true, the thousands of hybrid fans of both genres that have made Rock of Ages, Chris D’Arienzo’s cleverly crafted classic rock creation, one of the longest running shows in Broadway history, clearly…
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Chicago Still Getting ‘Stronger Every Day’
By Joe Puccio Chicago is anything but an ordinary rock and roll band. Though often associated with softer style acts such as REO Speedwagon, Air Supply, and Orleans, in reality, the Midwestern outfit, formed more than 50 years ago in Illinois’ most populous city, are much more complex than that. While most traditional classic rock…
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Pro Wrestling’s Arezzi in the ‘Spotlight’ Again
By Joe Puccio Wrestling fans in 2019 have a cornucopia of choices at their disposal to satiate their auditory appetites. Between Chris Jericho’s jolting Talk is Jericho, Edge and Christian’s clever E&C Pod of Awesomeness, and Bruce Pritchard’s polemical Something to Wrestle with Bruce Pritchard, there is seemingly an option for every admirer of the…
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Former Wrestler/Ref Danny Davis Has The ‘X’ Factor
By Joe Puccio Wrestling autobiographies are not exactly a scarce commodity nowadays. Between tomes written by grappling luminaries like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Chris Jericho, and Bret “Hitman” Hart, pro wrestlers chronicling their wild and frenzied days as kingpins of the squared circle have certainly cultivated a crowded field in the genre in the last…
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This ‘Killer Bee’ is an ‘A’ Inside The Ring
By Joe Puccio Ask any fan of 1980s professional wrestling what their favorite characteristic of the era was and you’ll likely receive a plethora of responses, ranging from the bombastic personalities, the loquacious managers, the nearly-extinct squash matches, and, of course, the crossover into the mainstream. But no list of attributes of the extravagant decade…
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MLW’s de la Renta ‘Manages’ To Make Her Mark in Pro Wrestling
By Joe Puccio Once a routine part of professional wrestling, managers have seen their once-pivotal roles gradually become extinct in the sport’s modern era. While figures such as Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Jim Cornette, and Captain Lou Albano previously held the distinction of acting as smarmy mouthpieces for many of wrestling’s most esteemed characters, eventually,…
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A ‘Beer’ Lover’s Paradise at NY ‘Expo’
By Joe Puccio Beer of all types, styles, flavors, and strengths was flowing on Saturday, November 10, at this year’s edition of Long Island, NY’s annual celebration of one of the world’s oldest and most popular alcoholic drinks. The Great Beer Expo, beautifully produced by award-winning marketing firm Starfish Junction Productions, and held once again…
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Ratt Singer Delivers a ‘Thrill’ With New Album
By Joe Puccio The latest solo disc from Ratt rocker Stephen Pearcy is a virtual tour de force of 80s-style hard rock hooks. From the frenetic opener “U Only Live Twice” to the infectious “Sky Falling,” an Out of the Cellar-era-sounding powerhouse (think “In Your Direction” with a splash of “Wanted Man”), all the way…
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Micro Wrestling Proves Size Doesn’t Matter
By Joe Puccio Once a regular feature on weekly pro wrestling television, “midget wrestling” eventually suffered the same fate as other previous staples of the sport such as “jobbers” (performers whose primary role was to lose their matches while enhancing their opponents’ abilities) and “managers” (supporting players who were tasked with strengthening their charges). That…
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In ‘Pursuit’ of ‘Horror Trivia’
By Joe Puccio As we enter the apex of the Halloween season, the abundance of horror-themed activities to keep us entertained is seemingly endless. From haunted houses to creepy corn mazes to hair-raising hay rides, there’s plenty to keep our inner psycho sufficiently occupied. But if you’re looking for something a bit more subtle that…
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Kix’s ‘Blow My Fuse’ Turns 30
By Joe Puccio One of the more underrated hard rock records (and really, groups, as well) of the 80s, Kix’s platinum-selling Blow My Fuse is the latest classic disc to get the deluxe treatment aimed at diehard fans longing for something extra from their favorite artists’ catalogues. The seminal work, originally unleashed on audiences back…
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Alter Bridge With an Orchestra Live in London
By Joe Puccio Recorded over the course of two sold-out shows at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall, hard rock mainstays Alter Bridge have released their latest live album, out September 7, aptly titled Live At The Royal Albert Hall, through Napalm Records. And although it’s not the first recording of its kind for the Orlando,…
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The Dead Daisies ‘Rise Up’ Again at The Highline
By Joe Puccio It’s been exactly one year since The Dead Daisies last played The Highline Ballroom in New York City. And although it would have been difficult to believe at the time, the talented supergroup has become even tighter than they were during their last visit to the Big Apple. Led by the powerfully…
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New York Metal Fans Still ‘Mad About’ Slaughter
By Joe Puccio If there was only one word to describe Slaughter’s recent headlining performance at The Space in Westbury, ‘loud’ would be fitting. The metal quartet, led by former Vinnie Vincent Invasion vocalist Mark Slaughter, brought their raucous show to Long Island, N.Y. on Wednesday, August 15, and proceeded to thrash the eardrums of…
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‘Kick’ing It With Saigon’s Bieler in New York City
By Joe Puccio Saigon Kick co-founder Jason Bieler, in the midst of a string of one-man acoustic performances, recently proved once again why the singer-songwriter’s gigs have been so well-received by everybody who attends them. More of a sporadic schedule of shows than a full frenetic flock of back-to-back dates, Bieler is clearly having a…
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Poffo Talks Road Perils, Macho Man, and his Wrestling ‘Days’
By Joe Puccio While the generally accepted belief is that in order to cope with the grueling, seemingly endless, life on the road for pro wrestlers in the 70s and 80s, drugs were a necessity, don’t tell that to Lanny Poffo; the former wrestler doesn’t buy it. “It’s a complete copout,” he contended. “I was…
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Retro Futura: A Journey Back to the 80s
By Joe Puccio Totally awesome would be the most appropriate description of the predominantly United Kingdom-centric version of the annual Retro Futura concert, the all-1980s package tour that celebrates the decade known for big hair, bold fashion, and bombastic music. The NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Long Island, NY, played host to the popular multi-act…
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Quiet Riot ‘Feel The Noize’ in New York
By Joe Puccio They were the first heavy metal band to top the Billboard album charts, with Metal Health, in 1983. They had a string of successful music videos in the MTV-saturated 80s. They toured with some of the most elite acts in rock, such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Whitesnake. Today, in 2018,…
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Styx, Joan Jett, and Tesla in New York / Styx Singer is on a ‘Mission’
By Joe Puccio One of the most anticipated package tours of the summer hit the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater on Friday, June 29, as fans of three rather diverse bands came together to support their favorites. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Styx, and Tesla teamed up to provide an evening of both familiar radio…
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Poison Has ‘Nothin’ But A Good Time’ at Jones Beach
By Joe Puccio There is perhaps no band more synonymous with straight-forward, feel-good, American party rock than Poison. The glam quartet, together for over 30 years – with a brief interruption during the not-kind-to metal mid-90s – steamrolled into the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island, NY, on a mission. And that…
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Any Way They Want It: Journey and Def Leppard Rock The Garden
By Joe Puccio In the crowded summer concert season, artists will often roll out a variety of gimmicks with the hope of enticing music fans to part with their hard-earned money. These may include celebratory performances of classic albums from the act’s catalogue, “farewell tours” that are more often than not followed years later with…
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Lizzy Borden Set to Slay With ‘Midnight’
By Joe Puccio Before Marilyn Manson unleashed his distinct brand of ‘shock and roll’ on audiences all over the world, glam rocker Lizzy Borden was crafting his own visual version of music to affectively assault the senses. Named after the infamous 19th century New England woman accused of viciously murdering her father and stepmother with…
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Sons Of Apollo ‘Come Home’ to New York
By Joe Puccio It’s easy to label progressive rock as pretentious, bombastic, and self indulgent. The polarizing genre, popularized by prog pioneers such as Rush, Yes, and Kansas, has long been criticized for its propensity for lengthy solos, grandiose stage shows, and nonsensical lyrics. But with any musical style, there are a plethora of both…
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Night Ranger Can Still ‘Rock In America’
By Joe Puccio For those who think Night Ranger is merely the group who rose to the top of the music charts with the 1983 hit power ballad “Sister Christian,” seeing them during their recent stop at the Paramount Theater on Long Island, NY on May 3 would surely change their minds. The gig, part…
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Guns Are ‘Cocked And Loaded’ at Revolution
By Joe Puccio The 80s produced many different well known subgenres of “metal,” from speed metal (Motorhead, Anthrax), to thrash metal (Slayer, Metallica), to progressive metal (Queensryche, Dream Theater) to glam metal (Poison, Bon Jovi). But there’s one subcategory of the style that’s not quite as established in the vernacular of rock aficionados – sleaze…
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Benatar and Giraldo Get ‘Intimate’ at The Paramount
By Joe Puccio The Holy 14. Diehard fans of Pat Benatar are exceedingly familiar with the aptly-titled term, which refers to the healthy number of Top-40 hits that the mega-successful crooner has amassed throughout her illustrious, nearly 40-year career. Along with her often overlooked, yet immensely important, songwriting partner – and husband – Neil Giraldo…
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Kix ‘Blows’ Its ‘Fuse’ at The Space
By Joe Puccio As difficult as it is to believe, Blow My Fuse, the seminal album recorded by 80s hard rockers Kix, turned 30 this year. And what better way to mark the occasion than to play the popular record in its entirety, from top to bottom, as part of the Maryland band’s current string of live…
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Daisies Are Set to ‘Burn It Down’
By Joe Puccio They are a part of the genre known collectively as “new classic rock,” according to rhythm guitarist, businessman, and band founder David Lowy. And if The Dead Daisies’ new disc Burn It Down, out April 6, is any indication, the self-appointed label couldn’t be more veracious. From the blazing, opening cords of…
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From 80s Babe to ‘Amityville’
By Joe Puccio If you were a guy growing up in the 80s, you wanted to date her; and if you were a girl, you wanted to be her. Diane Franklin first lit up the silver screen in 1982 in the Boaz Davidson coming-of-age classic The Last American Virgin, playing conflicted transfer student Karen, whose…
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Downton Abbey Lives On!
By Joe Puccio March 6, 2016 is a date that no Downton Abbey fan in the United States will ever forget. It was on that date, just over two years ago, that PBS aired the final episode of the beloved British drama. And for the popular show’s millions of fans worldwide, the conclusion of the…
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Former Motley Crue Singer Releases First ‘Live’ Album
By Joe Puccio Ask any average metal fan what their favorite Motley Crue song is and you’ll likely receive a wide range of answers, ranging from early, pre-Elektra Records picks like “Live Wire” or “Too Fast For Love,” breakthrough-era selections such as “Shout At The Devil” or “Looks That Kill,” and consequent, post-rehab tunes like…
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Suspiria and Inferno: Argento 101
By Joe Puccio Retro Picture Show hit it out of the park yet again on Friday night, January 12 with its latest special event, a unique 35mm double feature screening of Suspiria and Inferno, two of legendary Italian horror master Dario Argento’s most notable works. The Long Island-based movie revival company is coming off a…
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Winger Fans ‘Can’t Get Enuff’ at The Space
By Joe Puccio When Kip Winger altered the chorus to “Seventeen” and sang “She’s only 47” on December 10 in New York, the intent of the joke was clear – the hit came out nearly 30 years ago, meaning the barely legal subject of the popular song would be exactly that age now. Yet despite…
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Skid Row Still ‘Paramount’ to Rock Scene
By Joe Puccio While most people might think of either Bon Jovi or Bruce Springsteen when the subject of New Jersey rockers comes up, it’s difficult to ignore another powerhouse from the Garden State – metal veterans Skid Row. Formed in 1986 by co-founders bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo, the pair recruited…
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‘Saigon’s’ Bieler ‘Kicks’ it up a Notch
By Joe Puccio No single musical genre immediately comes to mind when discussing the sound of Saigon Kick, the Florida-formed outfit that first hit the scene in the early 1990s with their self-titled debut that quickly resulted in cult classic status. Not quite metal, not exactly glam, and not entirely alternative, Jason Bieler, Matt Kramer,…
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‘Fame’ Comes at a High ‘Price’ for The Million Dollar Man
By Joe Puccio If you were a fan of professional wrestling during its ‘glory years’ in the late 1980s, one name that would be instantly recognizable is ‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase. Along with his loyal, mostly silent, bodyguard Virgil, DiBiase played the role of the heel, or the ‘bad guy,’ to perfection. He…
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‘Life’ is Good for Tom Keifer
By Joe Puccio Tom Kiefer usually makes it a priority to play BB King’s in New York City whenever he embarks on a solo tour, a stop that frequently results in being a highlight of the trek. Wednesday night, October 11, proved to be no different as the Cinderella frontman performed a blistering, 75 minute…
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‘Halloween’ Arrives Early in New York
By Joe Puccio While there’s been an abundance of buzz on the Halloween film series of late, the majority of it has been focused on the forthcoming David Gordon Green-helmed sequel hitting theaters in October of 2018. The attention isn’t surprising, with Jamie Lee Curtis set to reprise her iconic role as Laurie Strode, sister…
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L.A. Guns Find ‘Peace’
By Joe Puccio It’s been 15 years since one of hard rock’s most talented duos, frontman Phil Lewis and guitarist Tracii Guns, have released new music. The pair, the two core members of 80s heavy metal veterans LA Guns, last collaborated on 2002’s Waking The Dead, the initial comeback disc in the band’s history. Its…
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‘Through Worlds Of’ Steelheart
By Joe Puccio Known for possessing one of rock’s most powerful and melodic voices, Miljenko Matijevic is back with a brand-new album comprised of a healthy mix of throwback anthems and modern tunes, sure to please both old and new fans alike. Steelheart, Matijevic’s brainchild, burst onto the music scene in 1990 with their self-titled…
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The Dead Daisies are ‘Making Some Noise’
By Joe Puccio Comprised of former members of legendary bands such as Whitesnake, Motley Crue, Foreigner and Dio, The Dead Daisies are the prototypical example of a supergroup. Formed in 2012 in Sydney, Australia by guitarist David Lowy and vocalist Jon Stevens, the band has gone through multiple personnel changes in their relatively brief five years of existence.…
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‘Camp’ is Back in Session: ‘Sleepaway Camp’ Star, Trilogy Come to New York
By Joe Puccio Jason Voorhees. Michael Myers. Freddy Krueger. Angela Baker. Yes, Angela Baker. While some people might scoff at the idea of including her (him?) in the same breath with the horror icons of Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, respectively, don’t tell that to those who were in attendance at the Sleepaway Camp Trilogy…
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Quiet Riot Still Unleashing the ‘Rage’
By Joe Puccio When most people think of Quiet Riot, they think of the mid-80s heavy metal powerhouse quartet, famous for anthems like “Cum on Feel the Noize,” “Party All Night,” and “Mama Weer All Crazee Now.” But the band’s history is much more immense than that. Originally founded in 1973 by legendary guitarist Randy…
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Warrant Return, ‘Louder Harder Faster’
By Joe Puccio You’d be hard pressed to find a band that embodied 1980s glam rock more than Warrant. Although their debut offering, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, wasn’t unleashed until the tail end of the hard rock-laden decade in 1989, the band succeeded in becoming one of the most iconic and hard-working acts of the…
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Generation X Wire 