Black Metal: The Cult Never Dies Vol. 1

This is a follow up to the more comprehensive tome, Evolution of the Cult. Dayal didn't put everything in one gigantic book, so he's spreading it out with smaller additional publications like this. The Cult Never Dies reads like an extension of the first book. There are zero surprises there. I'm sure there will be a Vol 2 and I'll order that once it's out. Even though I don't listen to the majority of bands that are covered, I still find it interesting from a journalistic perspective.

Big Trouble in Little China

I haven't seen Big Trouble in Little China since I was a kid. It was definitely the 80's. But I saw it pop up on Netflix a while ago and I added it to the queue. Finally watched it again tonight.

It holds up really well! I think I like it more now than I even did at the time. Great soundtrack. Classic stuff. Whoever the DP was was good, too. Kim Cattrall is hot as hell in this! And Kurt Russell is everything you want out of an 80's hero.

The movie is part Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, part Goonies, and part Karate Kid. It rules. And one of the street gangs is called "Lords of Death," which is something that Temple of Void didn't pick up on when we named our new album LoD...

Singles

Twenty-five years later and I finally watch Singles. I was twelve when it came out and far more interested in Arnold Schwarzenegger flicks or the latest from Jean Claude Van Damme. I was digging the music featured in the film at the time so it's kinda weird it passed me by. Whatever. Point is that now I've finally seen it.

I've had the soundtrack for a while and it's a fucking awesome soundtrack. Some of the best jams ever from AiC, Pearl Jam (State of Love and Trust!), Soundgarden (their old good song), Chris Cornell (his only good song), Mother Love Bone, Smashing Pumpkins,.... it's awesome. The actual flick has some other great songs that aren't on the soundtrack, like Hendrix, the Cult and John Coltrane.

So the music is brilliant. How about the film? Well, it REALLY dates itself. I imagine anyone who wasn't around in the 90's would have a hard time believing that's how we dressed. But yup, that's how we dressed. So it's very nostalgic in a very 90's manor.

Does it hold up? Not really, but I found it entertaining. Would I recommend it? No. There are other movies that are arguably way better that you could be watching. But if you want a trip down memory lane, want to see the members of Pearl Jam doing cameos, and see some cool AiC "live" footage, then check it out. The Paul Westerberg tracks are crap, but the rest is all good.