RUNAWAY TRAIN (1985)

RUNAWAY TRAIN (1985)

Directed By Andrei Konchalovsky

Starring Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, and Rebecca De Mornay

Streamed this on Prime

Transfer is legit good!

This is a straight up underrated ripping classic.  If you haven’t seen it, well than you need to watch it tonight! One of my favorite films of all time, I’ve probably seen it almost ten times in my life. It’s the best Cannon Group Film in my opinion. There really is nothing like it for that time period. I found myself having to re-watch it again today because I was talking to Devon, and Matt about it, and Matt has never seen it (or even heard of it for that matter). Don’t worry, we’re  trying to change that.  Jon Voight is terrific in this, every single line that comes out of his mouth is as hard and cold as steel. He’s very believable playing a career criminal who is also a hero to all of the other inmates in the prison that he escapes from.  This is Voight’s role of a lifetime here, he has nailed it completely.  You really don’t like his character as a person, but you find yourself routing for him all through out the movie. A very young Eric Robert also stars in this, and plays Voight’s annoying sidekick.  If you love movies like I do then you probably look at Roberts as a annoying D grade hack actor. Well, for this film he is amazing in it, and they definitely could NOT have chosen a better partner to play the part of Buck.  

The story is awesome, with some violence and brutality that is cringe worthy when you watch it happen. This film is based on a screen play written by Akira Kurosawa.

The only negative thing I can say about this film is the music straight up sucks. At times it sounds like Seinfield meets Knightrider, but even that can’t destroy the movie. I think it holds up just as good now as it did when I saw it for the first time on VHS in around 1986.  I recall renting it with my buddy/bandmate Kenny Donovan. We were hooked and rented it a few other times before I moved back East.  

Do NOT sleep on this, you’ll be shocked at how fun this film is.  I’d rate This as an 8.  (NW)

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Nate Wilson: NW  Devon Cahill: DC  Matt Average: MA

 

FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1996) / WHOSE STREETS? (2017)

FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1996) / WHOSE STREETS? (2017)

While the movie theaters here in Los Angeles remain closed due to the pandemic, The Royal marquee communicates to the passerby on the present situation. Sometimes funny, sometimes poignant.  I’m thankful to whoever puts these marquees together every week. A much needed light in gloomy times. (MA)

INTER ARMA • Sulfer English 2 x LP

INTER ARMA- Sulfer English 2 x LP

Relapse Records

I really have appreciated Richmond, Virginia’s INTER ARMA’s earlier releases a lot. I’ve given this double LP a listen more than once and just can’t hang or relate to it, and I’ve really wanted to. In my opinion, they seem to have moved away from the heavy doom, Southern stoner sound and traded it all in for a later NEUROSIS vibe. NEUROSIS have always been innovators of sound, and have not been afraid to pursue new/different sounds. With INTER ARMA this record, to me, doesn’t feel truly authentic in the way their earlier releases do. It is almost forced and copied. For me there isn’t really much interesting or even new with Sulfer English, it just sounds like what Relapse Records would want I.A. to sound like (a NEUROSIS clone). The production is great, the musicianship is terrific, but I feel as though they went from almost finding or having their own sound to clearly taking an influence and just rolling with it at full steam. Sorry guys, you lost me on this one.  (NW)

 

Hit me up on Instagram if you want to send me your release for review at: nate_gloom

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Justin Dratson: JD   Nate Wilson: NW   Matt Average: MA

 

CAPITLE • Why 1981 – 1986 cassette

CAPITLE • Why 1981-1986 cassette

Cacophone Records

2019

This band might not mean to much to anyone from outside of the Albany NY area… but there is so much I can to say about Albany’s first real hardcore band. These dudes formed out of the ashes of The VERGE (the guitarist and drummer). The VERGE were great, but more dark punk rather than a hardcore band. In 1982 the VERGE got back together and that left CAPITILE trying out other players to keep the momentum going.  Both versions of the band are great. 

The first I knew of these guys was from the graffiti I saw on the corner of Lark Street and Central Ave in Albany. This must have been around 1983. I’d go to Fantaco Comics and Worlds Records with my parents every Saturday, and would see that graffiti on every trip.  Right there, in huge fucking letters on a wall was written CAPITILE. It was scrawled all over Albany in the early 1980s right up until around 1992 when it was finally cleaned up.  Back then, I had no idea what it meant or who the band was (it was 1983 I was still just a young metal kid). I just thought it was a political statement in regards to Albany being you know… the capital (misspelled). It was in either 1984 or ’85 when these guys played Lark fest. Some work friends (Todd Smith) and myself went to see what Larkfest was all about. We saw a few other really crummy bands playing outside on Lark Street. When Capitle played I had no idea what I was seeing, and didn’t fully grasp what they were doing. I, to this day, still can’t recall much because I was drunk and stoned. What I can tell you is that it was outside, and the sound really sucked. They played on the back of a truck bed, or something.  Larkfest later turned into an annual community festival that still happens to this day.  

Fast forward to maybe 1990 after I’d moved back to Albany from SF, and somehow found the now legendary Erl Records. Immediately, Dave (the owner) and I realized we went to the same high school together and even rode the same bus.  I was the guy sitting in the back of the bus shooting spitballs in Daves afro. At any rate, hanging out at Erl records I became friends with Phil Samuels who was the bassist of Capitile.  We’d hang out at the shop while these guys drank, smoked and talked good music.  Phil told me many stories of those early days of punk in Albany. Unfortunately, Phil (the Surgeon General) passed away a few years ago from lung cancer. He was a super sweet guy and is missed by many of us.

For those of you that have never heard CAPITILE, I just have to say that I have always heard elements of BLACK FLAG, SUICIDAL, MINOR THREAT, and yup, I even hear some AGNOSTIC FRONT in there. Some of the songs are super short bursts, and that was pretty unheard of in Albany back in those days.  

This tape compiles everything these guys ever did between 1981 to 1986.  Twenty five songs from two demo tapes and some compilations. It’s of my opinion that this tape is all you need to hear by this band. Any reunions or re-recorded songs for records are useless to this old dude. Buy this shit! (NW)

Hit me up on Instagram if you want to send me your release for review at: nate_gloom

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Justin Dratson: JD Wilson  Nate : NW   Matt Average: MA