Tuesday, November 10, 2020

MEAN MAN: The Story of Chris Holmes


MEAN MAN: The Story of Chris Holmes

Coming to Blu-ray, DVD and VOD on January 15th
 
Iconic W.A.S.P. guitar player Chris Holmes has lived a life of highs and lows. This musical journey draws parallel stories of his rise, fall, and rebirth with live performance, interview, behind-the-scenes, and archival footage.

Written and directed by French filmmakers Antoine de Montremy and Laurent Hart (whose Music production career includes televised interviews with Scorpions, Deep Purple, Slayer, Guns N' Roses and more), MEAN MAN: The Story of Chris Holmes was a project that was born in 2014 after they had an opportunity to meet and direct Holmes in a music video for the Holmes-penned song "Let It Roar" in Cannes, France. At that time, the former W.A.S.P. guitarist had more or less disappeared from the music scene, leaving his home in the U.S. to seek a new beginning with his wife Sarah in France. Not content with merely directing a music video for the re-born Holmes, de Montremy pursued his bigger dream of writing and directing a documentary film about this iconic metal guitar legend and for the next several years shadowed him throughout Europe while filming everything from band rehearsals, to recording sessions to live performances.
 

By creatively combining archival footage, interviews with past and present band members and musical peers, family members and childhood friends - interspersed with beautifully filmed concert performances of Holmes' current solo band - Director de Montremy skillfully portrays the story of an iconic guitar player who has lived a life of extreme highs and lows. After losing the publishing rights of his own songs and combating dangerous addictions, the legendary W.A.S.P. guitarist is shown starting over from scratch while living at his mother-in-law's in Cannes, France as he puts together with his wife a brand new band and a brand new musical role as not only the main guitarist, but now as the actual lead singer of this newly-born musical project aptly named
 MEAN MAN.  
 
Montremy said "Over the last five years, I've had the privilege to establish a true relationship with Chris Holmes and to follow him throughout Europe. I was impressed by his charisma, his approach towards life, his multiple experiences and taste for simplicity which have actually altered my own vision of existence. In fact, he has almost become a spiritual father to me, in the way that he inspired me in many of my own decisions."

The DVD and Blu-ray are full of extras not available on the VOD version, which will follow the physical release. A west coast theatrical premiere is being discussed as well, pending the revision and/or relaxation of the current local State Government's restrictions on movie theaters operating during the Covid pandemic. 

Monday, November 9, 2020

Monday Motivation

Elation!!!
Chrissy Teigen & John Legend

Coming off a real tense Election I can honestly state that I'm riding in to this week with plenty of Monday Motivation. Our collective "Happy Place" has been restored.

Four years of abuse by the so called leader of the free world is coming to an end, and like Chrissy Teigen & John Legend seen here celebrating the outcome in West Hollywood, I too am elated.

So let's use that unifying energy to embark on something that makes us happy that we may have subjugated during this rough time ("Yes" we still have a pandemic to deal with, but we also have a new President who is taking it seriously and has already assembled a Pandemic Task Force) Thus that alone should make you feel somewhat better about the situation. 

Me? I've put on those PP's = Pandemic Pounds, and am going on Nutrisystem. That's correct, I am going on a strict meal plan. So your get out there and do something for yourself that will make you feel good about, well, you! 

Monday Motivation at it's finest...Mic Drop!

Chrissy on IG -

https://www.instagram.com/chrissyteigen/?hl=en

John on IG -

https://www.instagram.com/johnlegend/?hl=en   

Sunday, November 8, 2020

"We're Speaking"

Dynamic Duo
Joe Biden & Kamla Harris

We the people have spoken and united. That's correct Minions, in case you have not heard we have a new President and Vice President elect. I for one am already feeling much more secure and calm and am looking forward to President Joe Biden's inauguration in January.

The time for healing from the last four years of abuse is here!

Joe Biden on IG - 

https://www.instagram.com/joebiden/?hl=en

Kamal Harris on IG -

https://www.instagram.com/kamalaharris/?hl=en 

Saturday, November 7, 2020

Just Because...Chris Hemsworth

Beach Boy
Chris Hemsworth

Just Because we all need some election tension relief. Just Because we need to look at someone more attractive than Donald Trump & Just Because he's Thor. Here comes Chris Hemsworth in swim trunks, Woot!

So who said a prolonged on the edge of our collective sanity election couldn't be fun as well? C'mon don't be shy, gimme an answer. Our collective energy has voted a resounding "Yes!"

Thus if you need a break from the newest soap opera As The Election Turns (my stomach personally) just take gander at good ole Chris is his almost Birthday Suit down under, as in Australia mate!

Trunk Drop, Please!

Chris on IG -

https://www.instagram.com/chrishemsworth/?hl=en

Friday, November 6, 2020

Film Buff Friday: Silent Running

In 1968, visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull (The Andromeda Strain, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) contributed to the ground-breaking special photographic effects of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Four years later, he stamped his own indelible mark on the science fiction genre with his mesmerising directorial debut - Silent Running. In the not-so-distant future, Earth is barren of all flora and fauna, with what remains of the planet's former ecosystems preserved aboard a fleet of greenhouses orbiting in space. When the crews are ordered to destroy the remaining specimens, one botanist, Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern, The 'Burbs), rebels and flees towards Saturn in a desperate bid to preserve his own little piece of Earth that was, accompanied only by the ship's three service robots. Featuring a captivating central performance by Dern, visual effects that rival anything in 2001 and a powerful ecological message, Silent Running is a haunting and prescient sci-fi classic that resonates even more strongly today than it did at the time of its original release.

Media

 Watch trailer »

Bonus Materials

  • Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative, approved by director Douglas Trumbull and produced by Arrow Video exclusively for this release
  • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray™ presentation
  • Original lossless mono audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Brand new audio commentary by critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw
  • Original audio commentary by Douglas Trumbull and actor Bruce Dern
  • Isolated music and effects track
  • No Turning Back, a new interview with film music historian Jeff Bond on the film’s score
  • First Run, a new visual essay by writer and filmmaker Jon Spira exploring the evolution of Silent Running’s screenplay
  • The Making of Silent Running, an archival 1972 on-set documentary
  • Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull and Douglas Trumbull: Then and Now, two archival interviews with the film’s director
  • A Conversation with Bruce Dern, an archival interview with the film’s lead actor
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Extensive behind-the-scenes gallery
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw and Peter Tonguette

Order Here:

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Michael's Musings

Analyze This
Michael Shinafelt

What Was Most In 2020? Hands Or Brains? That is what the sign behind me states. Do you know the answer? I do, it's a grey matter...

Hey Minions, Keep The Faith

Key Race Alert: Where's My Pizza???

Current Vibe: I don't trust you

Advice: Don't bother me when I am speaking with a dead person 

Luckily Bravo had vintage RHOBH reruns on today...

People are protesting vote counting in the US, let that sink in

Instead of Red or Blue let's get physical, "yes" horizontally

Today I hereby claim Christian Bale 

Woman Crush of the Week - Pamela Anderson as Barb Wire. Why? Why not and she's hot in that outfit. Also because I interviewed her once, she was lovely!

Fetch my Red Wine, in copious amounts

There's always tomorrow, perhaps. But at least we have today, thoughts?

Real Clown Pubes, Discuss

Wipe your nose, damn it!

I've entered into a BDSM relationship with MSNBC - wish me well

Come into my world at:

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/MShinafelt