Weekly Ketchup: A Justin Bieber Biopic... WTF?
Plus, films based on classic kids' books, and casting news for Cruise, De Niro, and Bruce Willis.
This week's Ketchup includes news of two new CGI- animated movies based on classic children's book characters (Babar and Curious George), director news for the new Jack Ryan movie and the latest from screenwriter Diablo Cody, as well as new roles for Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Maggie Grace, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron and Bruce Willis. We get the week started, however, with the most Rotten Idea (which is usually at the bottom of the column). But this one's a doozy!
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY
JUSTIN BIEBER: THE BIOPIC
Earlier this month, this writer started seeing the name "Justin Bieber" showing up on sites like Twitter and Google as being a hot new search, but I had no idea who he was. The reaction of this jaded, 39-year-old Gen Xer can probably best be paraphrased as "WTF is Justin Bieber?" Then, one day while browsing a magazine rack, I noticed that Justin Bieber's face appeared prominently on 23 of the 36 "teen celebrity" magazine covers (yes, I counted!). So, I finally (begrudgingly) gave into my curiosity and looked him up. My first hunch was that he was probably one of the newest American Idol contestants, but nope, Justin Bieber is actually a baby-faced, 16-year-old pop singer who got his first exposure on YouTube. Suffice it to say, that sated my curiosity, and I didn't really feel compelled to go and actually listen to any of his songs. If you didn't know who Justin Bieber was either, well, now you know. Anyway, Bieber is apparently quite popular with the female younglings out there, and so Paramount Pictures has greenlit a biopic which will (of course) also be in 3D. When the news first broke, it came with the surprising news that the director would be Davis Guggenheim, the Academy Award-winning director of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. That, however, didn't last long, as two days later, Guggenheim announced that he had dropped out of the Justin Bieber project. As Mike Fleming of Deadline guesses, one has to wonder if Guggenheim got besieged by "razzing from all of his documentary peers." Justin Bieber will be playing himself in the biopic, which will also feature performances from his current concert tour, including footage from Madison Square Garden. Paramount is scheduling a release on February 11, 2011, just in time for Valentine's Day, because as Deadline puts it, "when you think of romance, you think of a 16-year-old who looks much younger." And now, here's what Justin Bieber himself had to say via his Twitter account, "This is so sick!! Gonna come out in theatre's Worldwide Valentine's 2011!!! I'm taking this thing worldwide thanks to u all!! Hyped!" and "Next Valentine's we r coming with a major 3D Movie telling the story with an Oscar winning director and also filmin the tour at MSG in NYC!!" The young lad is truly a literary giant, no doubt, as he has also made a deal with HarperCollins for a memoir about his life story, which will probably be tied into this movie. As for why the Justin Bieber biopic is this week's most Rotten Idea... really? I have to explain this one? To borrow the vernacular of Bieber's young fans, LOL GTFO!
FRESH DEVELOPMENTS THIS WEEK
#1 CHRIS PINE'S JACK RYAN REBOOT MIGHT GO UNDER THE ALIAS OF LOST
In this summer following the end of LOST, many of the people involved with the show's success have been lining up new jobs (such as Damon Lindelof last week signing on to rewrite the Alien prequel). On the LOST director front, the man who emerged as the show's signature helmer, directing many of the best episodes (including the series finale) was Jack Bender. Bender's early film resume was not that impressive (being mostly Child's Play 3) but over the last ten years, his work on Bad Robot shows like Alias and LOST has shown vast improvements for Bender. This week, word leaked out that Jack Bender is close to landing the job of directing Moscow, the long-planned new entry in the Jack Ryan film franchise. J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot have a strong relationship at Paramount (due to the success of Star Trek and Mission: Impossible III), and so it makes sense that Paramount would recruit someone like Jack Bender to shepherd their aging Jack Ryan property as well. Jack Ryan is of course the intelligence expert character created by Tom Clancy who has been portrayed in the past by Alec Baldwin (The Hunt for Red October), Harrison Ford (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) and Ben Affleck (The Sum of All Fears). The fourth actor to take on Jack Ryan will be Chris Pine, who emerged as a star by playing the rebooted Captain Kirk in Bad Robot's Star Trek. Moscow continues the de-aging of Jack Ryan; this time around he will be fresh out of the Marines and working for a Russian billionaire, until his new job sends him on the run after being implicated in a terrorist plot. Moscow also has the distinction of being the first Jack Ryan movie not directly based upon a novel by Tom Clancy.
#2 JUST FOUR YEARS LATER, CURIOUS GEORGE IS ALREADY GETTING A REBOOT
One of the more recent mini-trends in Hollywood is the idea of the "recent reboot," in which a franchise is given a remake despite a relatively recent effort. Mostly, this has been a superhero thing, with The Incredible Hulk and the upcoming Spider-Man reboot being two high profile examples. The Haunted Mansion and Van Helsing are also getting similar treatment. Universal Pictures had one of their biggest box office hits in recent years with Despicable Me, the first film from the new CGI animation studio Illumination Entertainment. That means Universal has set up Curious George as a project at Illumination as well, just four years after the studio's live action/CGI mix fizzled at the box office with just $69 million in 2006. The failure of Curious George was seen as a particular blunder for Universal as the studio had been attempting to establish the H.A. Rey-created monkey as a new trademark (ala Mickey Mouse at Disney). Rather than featuring a live actor as the Man with the Yellow Hat in the new Curious George, this new project will be entirely CGI animated. Larry Stuckey, one of the cowriters of Universal's upcoming Little Fockers is currently working on the new Curious George script. Other branded properties that Illumination Entertainment is adapting as upcoming animated movies include Where's Waldo? and Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. What saves this reboot of Curious George from being labelled as a "Rotten Idea" is the 79% Tomatometer for Despicable Me, and the possibility that Illumination might be able to keep up that level of quality on their future animated movies.
#3 FROM THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU THE TWILIGHT SAGA... BABAR?
Temple Hill, the production company behind The Twilight Saga, has found their next popular branded property to adapt, and like Twilight, it's one most associated with a young audience: Babar. First introduced in 1931 in French picture books, Babar is an elephant who talks and walks around on two legs after being raised by humans in a big city. Babar returns to his homeland where he is crowned the King of the Elephants and he begins to bring civilized ways to the land of the elephants, while also engaging in war with the neighboring nation of rhinoceroses. In addition to dozens of books, Babar has also starred in animated television series and movies. Temple Hill's plans for the Babar movie is to make "a family comedy that will mix live-action with CG."
#4 MAGGIE GRACE GETS TAKEN AGAIN IN LOCKOUT
Maggie Grace is developing quite a career out of specializing in a very specific role: the kidnapped daughter in Luc Besson-produced movies. After costarring in Taken last year, Grace has signed back on for Taken 2, and is also reuniting with Besson on a sci-fi action movie called Lockout. Based upon a story by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, The Professional), Lockout tells the story of a wrongly convicted man (Guy Pearce) who is sent to rescue the U.S. President's daughter from an outer space prison that has been taken over by the inmates. Lockout will mark the feature directorial debuts of James Mather and Stephen St. Leger, who previously directed the 2004 short film Prey Alone. Really, the only thing that's missing from this story is news about Luc Besson and Maggie Grace collaborating on an adaptation of the Resident Evil 4 game. Lockout will start filming in 3D on September 7, and Sony Pictures is in talks to distribute.
#5 THE JUNO FOLKS TEAM BACK UP FOR ANOTHER YOUNG ADULT STORY
Director Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) and screenwriter Diablo Cody (Jennifer's Body), the creative team behind Juno, are reuniting for another movie: Young Adult. The independent comedy-drama will star Charlize Theron as a ghost writer of young adult novels who tries to "reclaim her identity" by rekindling a relationship with her high school boyfriend (who is now married and a father), as well other high school acquaintances. John Malkovich's Mr. Mudd production company is also producing, and they are currently seeking financing with hopes of starting production on November 10, 2010 in New York.
#6 BRADLEY COOPER MIGHT GO ON A HONEYMOON WITH ROBERT DE NIRO (BUT IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK)
Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, The A-Team) recently did a script readthrough with Robert De Niro on a long developing movie frequently listed as one of the "best unmade" movies in Hollywood. The project is called Honeymoon With Harry, and it was written by Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby; cowriter of Crash and the last two James Bond movies). Haggis based the script upon a novel by Bart Baker that was acquired by New Line Cinema back in 2004, but then the novel itself was never actually published (though it may now be once the movie gets made). Jonathan Demme (Philadelphia, The Silence of the Lambs) is considering Honeymoon With Harry as his next movie as director. If they sign on, Cooper and De Niro would be starring as the two men in the life of a recently deceased woman. Cooper would play her fiance (a former drunk and womanizer), and De Niro would play her father who tried to break up their relationship, recognizing aspects of himself in his daughter's would-be groom. At one point, Vince Vaughn and Jack Nicholson had been in talks to play the roles.
#7 BRUCE WILLIS AND SIGOURNEY WEAVER SEEING THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY
Bruce Willis has joined the cast of a Summit Entertainment thriller called The Cold Light of Day. Henry Cavill (The Tudors) has also already been cast, and Sigourney Weaver is rumored to be up for the role of the film's villain. The Cold Light of Day tells the story of an American (Cavill) whose family is kidnapped while on vacation in Spain, giving him only hours to find them while also uncovering a government conspiracy and the secrets that connect their disappearance with his father's secrets (Willis?). The original script was cowritten by Scott Wiper (cowriter of The Condemned) and TV producer John Petro, with a rewrite by Richard Price (Sea of Love, The Color of Money and several episodes of The Wire). The Cold Light of Day will mark the next movie for director Mabrouk El Mechri, whose 2008 film JCVD was a surprise dramatic success for Jean Claude Van Damme. Filming of The Cold Light of Day is scheduled to start on September 6th on location in Spain.
ROTTEN IDEA OF THE WEEK
#3 TOM CRUISE PICKING UP HUGH JACKMAN'S FAILED FRANCHISE: VAN HELSING
This news can probably be interpreted as a sign of how far Tom Cruise is starting to fall from his former perch, that he is now taking on a role that didn't work the first time for Hugh Jackman. Leading up to San Diego Comic-Con, there was a report that Guillermo Del Toro was possibly considering writing and producing a new Van Helsing movie as a replacement for leaving The Hobbit. When it was revealed that Del Toro is instead writing/producing a new Haunted Mansion movie (as well as his next movie being At the Mountains of Madness), most fans probably though the idea of a new Van Helsing was dead as well. Not so, we learned this week, as the missing piece of the puzzle is who else is producing the new Van Helsing for Universal: Tom Cruise. Even though Del Toro has left the project, the actor who once played the Vampire Lestat in Interview with the Vampire may also someday play the great vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing. This is one of the week's "Rotten Ideas" just because the world is not really crying out for another Van Helsing movie. Fans might have been able to give it a try with Guillermo del Toro involved, but now, it just seems like a direct-to-video sequel idea. Starring Tom Cruise.
#2 THIS WEEK IN UNNECESSARY REMAKES: AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
Last summer, Dimension Films announced that they had acquired remake rights to the classic 1981 horror/comedy film An American Werewolf in London. Since then, there's been no news for the project, so as a major fan of that movie, I had hopes that Dimension had just forgotten all about this idea. But nope, someone there still thinks it's a good plan. Dimension Films has hired screenwriter Fernley Phillips (The Number 23) to adapt John Landis' awesome script to "give it a modern spin." I guess that means that when the werewolf terrorizes London this time around, there will be people standing around with phones recording it for YouTube. Great. How modern. There's something else that should be remembered about An American Werewolf in London, besides it being one of the first movies to inject the monster movie genre with a sense of post-modern humor. Rick Baker's werewolf transformation scene (set to CCR's "Bad Moon Rising") remains to this day one of the most effective ever, and there's little chance that modern CGI artists can come even close to replicating it without embarassing themselves. It's also worth noting that back in 1997, there was also a sequel called An American Werewolf in Paris, and it was spectacularly awful. In most weeks this would be the most "Rotten Idea" for obvious reasons. But most weeks don't have...
#1 ROTTEN IDEA OF THE WEEK: SEE THE TOP STORY!
Honestly, what could be more Rotten than a Justin Bieber biopic?
For more Weekly Ketchup columns by Greg Dean Schmitz, check out the WK archive, and you can contact GDS via a RT forum message.
Jonathan Nono
FOLLOW THE LINE:
Teen pop star ----> Looks pretty ----> Gets fangirls ----> Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd fans (or Metalheads) cry their hearts out like bitches.
Aug 6 - 03:46 PM
onaivatco5 november
We don't cry like bitches, we get annoyed and move on (well at least I do).
Aug 6 - 04:04 PM
Jonathan Nono
You may not, but it's a common habit for these people to cry and I'm sick of it. It blocks any attempt at a good discussion about music.
Aug 6 - 04:18 PM
Jasen Frederiksen
You're an idiot.
Aug 6 - 05:07 PM
Jonathan Nono
Metalheads are idiots in general. Yes, I know them. I hang around music communities and I had enough of them.
If you're not a stupid metalhead you shouldn't get offended by this.
Aug 6 - 05:13 PM
Brendon Day
most metal heads are generically stupid yes. but so are Bieber fans,im just going by forum responses i see on other sites. either way he will be forgotten in a few years, so lets not worry and just wait for the next until the next fad
Aug 7 - 03:23 AM
Jonathan Nono
With that I agree. I don't think he'll stay too long and his songs aren't as strong or memorable as other Pop icons. I don't think he'll make something as good as "Bye Bye Bye", "Toxic" or "Can't You Get Out of My Head". Now that's pop.
Aug 7 - 03:41 AM
Matt Jordan
"Metalheads are idiots in generalâ??. Any moron that would make that kind of generalized assumption about a group of people based solely on the type of music they listen toâ?¦well that idiot really isnâ??t worth my time. So Iâ??m going to sit my metalhead down here with my PHD and not cry about this little shit getting a bio-pic. Iâ??ll sit back and watch him fade away into the where are they now file.
Aug 7 - 10:36 AM
Jason Wilkerson
Wait, your idea of classic songs are Bye Bye Bye, Toxic, and whatever else was made by the pop bubblegum masses of crap you listen to? I'm a music fan, but music made by committee is not music. Yeah, I listen to metal, I also listen to country, classic rock, oldies, classical music, some rap (most of it is gutter trash, but there's a few poets out there), but most of this bubblegum pop crap needs to die. Whatever happened to true artistry like The Rolling Stones circa 1965-1972, The Beatles, The Who, etc.?
Aug 7 - 10:54 AM
Jonathan Nono
I love how you completely missed the point.
I brought those songs up as example of good POP. I would also bring "Night of the Living Baseheads", "King of Rock", and "I Ain't No Joke" as examples of good rap. Each genre had its own share of classic songs.
"TruE artistry" is a bullshit term. Yeah, we need more crap like "Under My Thumb" and "My Generation". Please, it's not like The Rolling Stones made intellectual music. Electronic music today is more challenging than classic rock. In fact, classic rock is overrated. I suggest making a little effort to find new good music. Devo released a new album which is great.
Yes, I generalized metalheads because I never met an intelligent metalhead who can discuss music without resorting to "It's good because it's technical!".
Aug 7 - 11:36 AM
onaivatco5 november
So are you saying that classic rock sucks? look I know we all have different opinions but theres a reason why you can't have an intelligent conversation with any "metalhead" it's because you seem to be quick to comment on how the classic bands suck, yet call more recent and unknown bands great. Nothing wrong with unknown bands, but you do know that a lot of people like those classic bands because they're what made the genre what it is today.
Also I've never heard a metalhead say
"It's good because it's technical!"
Are you sure your talking to metalheads because that sounds to stupid to come out of a metalheads mouth.
Aug 7 - 01:00 PM
Jonathan Nono
I said it was overrated, not that it sucks.
"bands August listed have been popular and well beloved by many different age groups and by both genders for years." - Not a musical arguement. This is not how you judge music.
Metalheads praise technicality all the time. I'm in music communities and it's a well known stereotype. It goes something like this: Rap is crap because it's too violent, doesn't use instrument, unoriginal (El-P? Cage? Del?), let's listen to Opeth.
"Bye the way "Bye, Bye, Bye" and "Toxic" are incredibly comparable to Biebers crap." - They can be compared because they're both teen pop. The difference is "Bye Bye Bye" is very catchy, "One Time" is just... ehh...
Aug 7 - 01:31 PM
Jason Wilkerson
There is such a thing as true artistry, most of the music nowadays has no heart. I love early Korn because the emotion was raw and pure. I like NoFX because they're writing what they believe. I love Michael Jackson because he wrote his own songs and you could believe he meant what he was singing by the sound of his voice. I love The Beatles because they pushed their artistry and caused other artists to as well, not to mention they pioneered many studio tricks that are still in use today.
A lot of these people make money off other people's music, not a lick of originality on their own and I find that ridiculous. Technical doesn't matter, raw emotion, talent, saying something even if it isn't always the most intelligent, that's true artistry to me.
Aug 7 - 04:05 PM
Gary Lee
To Doctor Xeno:
Let us review some of your statements.
"...it's a common habit for these people to cry and I'm sick of it. It blocks any attempt at a good discussion about music."
Yes, it does. However, making generalizations about fans of metal or any other genre also hinders a discussion of music. You complain about people "crying" about Beiber or pop music in general, yet here you are complaining about metalheads for their taste in music and there inherent ignorance. Why do they block attempts of discussions about music? Obviously because they listen to metal. Unfortunately you don't realize that everyone differs with regards to taste in music, movies, etc. I'm sure you have met every metal head on the planet and that you were far more intelligent than all of them. I'm also sure you have studied music theory and composition to a greater degree than every metal musician in the entire world, so you know far more with regards to "technicality" in music. Heck, we might as well say you know more about music than everyone in the world, because of another comment of yours:
"I hang around music communities"
So you found a group of people as pompous as you? Congratulations. No, you have not mentioned any education with regards to music, or any other artistic medium. Not that it matters, because you hang around music communities. I'm sure all members of this "community" are just as non-conformist as you are with regards to music, which of course means that all of you are more intelligent than those who enjoy metal, Justin Beiber, or bands that have received critical acclaim and mainstream success (Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin).
I know this was a waste of my time, but I haven't posted on this site in awhile so this was somewhat cathartic. I would usually look forward to a response from you, but I know that it would be more of your inflated ego. I'm sorry to sound rude, but you have to admit, you are either incredibly pretentious or a troll. The only impressive part about your posts is that you know how to use punctuation. While your claims are invalid and rely solely on your arrogance, I find solace in the fact that everyone who replied to your post acknowledges how inane your statements are. Therefore, I will never read your response, as you have reminded me how shallow and self-absorbed people can be. If you really are the troll you say you are, feel free to post immature rabble for me to never read, as I don't visit this site often. Of course, I do not think you are that type of troll. I respect your passion for music and the fact that music has a significant role in your life. Please respect everyone else and their musical taste.
Note: Within this post I never claimed that one genre is superior to another genre, or that one band is superior to another band, because I listen to what I enjoy and I don't give a damn what you or anyone else listens to.
Aug 7 - 06:10 PM
Jonathan Nono
@krycker: I'll also reply point-by-point
1. I can't really remember a metalhead who was open-minded about music. I've known fans of electronica, rap, and rock in general who can give anything a try. In the case of metalheads, they always had a millitant attitude and were ignorant of anything beyond their genre. I'm willing to talk to metalheads that don't fit the stereotype. Go ahead and spoil it.
I guess because RT isn't a music site the stereotype isn't familiar.
2. Your comment regarding music communities is about nothing. By "music communities" I mean sites like Las.fm and RYM. There are people there who have some of the strangest tastes ever, and provide serious insight into music. The best way to study music is to listen to it, and it should be judged on how it affects you. Sometimes they agree with the consensus, sometimes they don't. However, the variety of opinions is what made it so interesting.
You ended your post with claiming I'm arrogant, etc. etc. etc. Learn from Jason and bring up more point for discussion.
Aug 7 - 11:42 PM
Gary Lee
I said I wouldn't reply but I couldn't help myself. Honestly, I was being rude and I don't think you deserved it. The main reason I was put off by your comment is that I do listen to metal, and I thought you claims were unfounded. In fact, I've probably been bashed for listening to metal just as often as you have had to deal with ignorant metal heads who consistently complained about Pop music. Despite being a metalhead I am just as disconcerted as you are when I meet other metalheads who think metal is superior to every other genre (I've met alot of metalheads who fit that description). So I do understand your stance on metalheads, I just thought that it is not descriptive of the entire fanbase. I always thought that everyone could gain something from every genre. Alot of metal musicians that I enjoy started with drastically different genres (e.g. studying latin drum techniques, jazz drum techniques, etc.) It is probably obvious from that last statement that I am a drummer, so I enjoy that facet of the metal genre the most. You may not like metal, and I respect that.
Aug 8 - 02:03 AM
Anthony Pennito
http://www.motivatedphotos.com/?id=20294
Aug 8 - 11:29 AM
Jason Wilkerson
DoctorXeno: Another comment I wanted to make about metalheads is that the stereotyping is not the rule. Zak Wylde who plays guitar for Ozzy Osbourne and fronts Black Label Society listens to Elton John when he comes off stage. Rammstein was seen at a Pink/ Butch Walker concert (I follow Butch Walker on Twitter and he tweeted about it). I used to sing and write the lyrics for a metal band, recorded an album, and my top 5 favorite bands are not metal. Look at my phone, where I keep all my music, and you'll see music as varied as Rammstein, Blake Shelton, Alkaline Trio, Eminem, Apocalyptica, Jars of Clay, Eric Clapton, Lady Antebellum Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tears For Fears, The Beatles, etc. But at one point I hung out in metal crowds. Not every metalhead is afraid to listen to other styles.
Aug 8 - 02:26 PM
Jonathan Nono
My problem is less with metal (Even though most of the metal I like is Nu or Industrial. It's flat-out more creative) and the terrible fanbase. If you're not metalheads who fit the cliche (And you don't seem so. Jason never sounded like a metalhead and neither you did) you shouldn't be offended. Was the generalization wild? Yes. There are obviously metalheads who know their shit, but we can't deny most of them are one-dimensional.
As for metal, I vote for Ministry.
Aug 8 - 03:16 PM
Jason Wilkerson
Ministry's great, but I'd vote for Mushroomhead.
Aug 8 - 10:36 PM
'schak Attack
To DoctorStereotypeXeno:
I love Metal. But I'm not even close to caring enough about Justin Whoever to bash him.
But I'm glad you and your clitoris like him. Cheers! *raises middle finger*
Aug 9 - 06:04 AM
Agustin Macias
Fuck You! The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden, KISS, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Black Sabbath, Metalica, AC/DC, The Who, Elvis Presley, Queen, Spinal Tap, and anyone else from the 60s-80s can kick Justin Biebers ass.
Why are you defending him with that comment? Justin Bieber's popularity is one of the many reasons to prove the Devil exist.
Aug 6 - 06:06 PM
Jason Woods
Xeno will troll fucking anything, lmao. Not even Justin Bieber is safe to bash when King Xeno is lurking waiting to defend everything unpopular.
Aug 6 - 09:07 PM
Jon Owens
hehehe you said Spinal Tap....... you have proven yourself awesome.
Aug 6 - 10:09 PM
Agustin Macias
Thanks.
Aug 7 - 06:49 AM
Jonathan Nono
I haven't defended him. I'm just bored of "OMFG JJUSTIN BEIBERR IS GAY I HAVE GOOD TASTE IN MUSIC". He's not the kind of pop I like.
Also, you listed bands everybody likes. Great, you follow popular opinion. Go listen to some Skinny Puppy and Monster Magnet. There's more to music than AC/DC and Led Zeppelin.
AC/DC are overrated anyway.
Aug 7 - 02:49 AM
Yavor Chomonev
Monster Magnet are nice, but repetative, the other guys - never heard of them. But I've been in love with LZ since I was five, so this whole Bieber thing sounds really stupid to me. I am not crying, just rolling my eyes.
Aug 7 - 06:41 AM
Jonathan Nono
I don't find MM repetitive. I think it's awesome we have rock bands who sing about outer space and ridculous stuff like that. LZ are pretty good, but they haven't really impressed me. "The Ocean" is great though.
I agree the Bieber biopic is a terrible idea, but I don't care because it would get smashed by critics anyway.
Aug 7 - 08:24 AM
Jason Wilkerson
Skinny Puppy's not bad, but by complaining about people bashing Bieber, you're pretty much saying you enjoy his music and perpetuating stupid ideas like a 16 year old kid getting biopic and an autobiography!
Aug 7 - 11:01 AM
Super Cartman
Dude, AC/DC is only half over rated, and that is the Brian Johnson days. When Bon Scott was the lead singer (RIP) AC/DC was the best. Bye the way "Bye, Bye, Bye" and "Toxic" are incredibly comparable to Biebers crap. Only a few fan girls liked it, and thats it. No man would ever admit to liking any of those songs. Real good pop from that era is "Ms. Jackson" and "Peaches and Cream".
Aug 7 - 12:37 PM
onaivatco5 november
Well the reason everyone likes those bands is because they are great so whats wrong with listing those?
The difference between those singers to Bieber, is that Justin Bieber is only popular to preteen girls of now, the bands August listed have been popular and well beloved by many different age groups and by both genders for years.
Aug 7 - 12:42 PM
Alan Smithee
So you're saying logical folks don't have the right to be annoyed about the record company taking some kid they know they can sell to the tween population and auto tuning his voice till it sounds musical? Then you turn around and down on bands who have actual done something for music because they're popular? I mean really, talk about mixed messages here. These bands have stood the test of time for a reason, where as JB will fade as soon as he gets his first pimple.
Any true music or film connoisseur will tell you that quality is quality no matter where you can find it. Sure, you have to search high and low to find diamonds in the rough, but you can find those diamonds out in plain sight sometimes. Also believe it or not, there was once time when quality music was played on a regular basis on pop stations. I also find it amusing that you think the two bands you listed are obscure when in fact they're not. Not that being obscure makes the music good. Plenty of rotten obscure bands out there as well.
Aug 7 - 04:47 PM
Corin Prendiville
Even if a band is overrated that does not necessarily mean it isn't good. I mean a band could be so overrated that people worship at its feet, the band could still be the best on the planet and not reach its own praise.
The problem with Justin Bieber (and all pop idols), is that they aren't honest. Each and every one of them is out to do two things. Make money and get famous doing it. The reason they disappear every few years is because they take all their boatloads of cash and go have fun. The vast majority of pop idols have no passion for music, or any sense of dignity. If they did, they wouldn't be selling sex or clothing under the guise of "art".
Furthermore using computer effects to drastically alter your personal performance in the studio on studio albums is despicable enough, but to then go on stage with a backing track to make yourself sound even remotely similar live is unforgivable. Yes, I am implying that most (not all), pop stars do this. What they create isn't quite what I would call music, but noise created for the masses to push product. Even if you did claim to actually enjoy those sounds you still can't deny that the 'music' itself is made for the sole purpose of making money. It has absolutely nothing to do with art, culture or joy.
As for rap, electronica, etc. I have no respect for music that is made with a computer. The act of rapping alone does not bother me, and I can see how it could take some talent to rap. If a rapper is rapping from the heart and is saying something honest and truthful. Something not manufactured by the media to sell things by promoting an image of black society as consisting solely of gun violence, prostitution and theft then I welcome their contribution to music culture. Seeing as the vast majority of rappers (especially gangster rap), has managed to produce nothing but a negative image of the black community I have to say rap is the worst thing to happen to black people in America since segregation.
Bragging about leaving your pregnant girlfriend to be a drug-dealer in Florida is not cool, especially if it never even happened (we are looking at you '50 Cent').
Aug 7 - 09:50 PM
Alan Smithee
"I have no respect for music that is made with a computer."
Congrats for the most closed minded comment on the page thus far. There's tons of great electronic music out there. The digital age is a huge step in music history. Sure, there are those who abuse it, but there are also tons of composers doing things they could only dream of before. To a musician it's all about get your ideas out there any way possible. You can't even imagine the endless experimentation and unique sounds that you can make on an electronic device such as a keyboard, a computer, etc. It's completely intimidation every time you sit down because there's so much there. Also as a drummer I despise when people talk down on programmed drums. It's a different sound for a different effect. Everything has it's place.
Aug 7 - 10:58 PM
Jake Armistead
So true, none of them sold out to artists who just want to use and gain money.
Aug 7 - 05:16 AM
Corin Prendiville
The one I'd disagree with is KISS. The band couldn't write a good song if their lives depended on it. The only good they ever did was sell sex really well in a live performance and make people want to booze and screw.
Aug 7 - 09:53 PM
Jason Wilkerson
I disagree, they weren't the best musicians, but they could write a decent, catchy tune. I'm not a big fan, but I do enjoy some of their music. I hate Rock and Roll All Night though.
Aug 8 - 10:39 PM
Corin Prendiville
The one I'd disagree with is KISS. The band couldn't write a good song if their lives depended on it. The only good they ever did was sell sex really well in a live performance and make people want to booze and screw.
Aug 7 - 09:53 PM
Hector Losen
I HOPE THE JUSTTN BEIBER BIOPIC FLOPS BIG TIME!
Aug 8 - 09:22 AM
Brian Nallick
????
What a stupid comment.
You ridicule people who like metal but you like corporate pop?
Are you really that brainwashed?
If you don't like metal don't listen to it.
Oh, and Nu Metal is dead, get over it.
I'd love to see Bieber or any of these pop "artists" try do what what Nile, Obscura or Septic Flesh do.
Brain Drill would probably put Bieber in a coma.
Oh...and it's not good because it's technical.
It's good because these people know how to actually play their own instruments and write their own songs.
Aug 9 - 07:29 AM
Jonathan Nono
Music isn't about playing technical stuff. It's about musical ideas and expression.
See also: Tom Waits, Nine Inch Nails, Regurgitator, El-P, Run-D.M.C., CKY, Local H, Skinny Puppy.
You act like a stereotypical metalhead. Nobody has to play what Nile or Septic Flesh play.
Also, another guy's misogyny is leaking!
Aug 9 - 01:05 PM
Brian Nallick
"Stereotypical metalhead".
This is why people are upset with your comments.
I grew up on Fleetwood Mac, Sabbath and Kiss.
Went on to Motley Crue and the hair bands then on the the speed metal (Metallica, Slayer) then finally on to death and black metal.
Never lost my love for Duran Duran or Madonna. And my tastes have expanded to dark ambient (Nox Arcana, Midnight Syndicate).
Hardly stereotypical.
And I never said they HAVE to play what Nile and Septic play, THEY COULDN'T.
misogyny??? Do explain...........
Aug 10 - 06:31 AM