-
A Working Man Movie Review
I spent my Saturday afternoon at the movie theater, seeing the new Jason Statham movie called A Working Man.
I grew up on action movies like this.
I loved them then and I love them now.
In this movie, Statham plays a construction foreman, who finds out that his bosses’ daughter was kidnapped.
Using his military skills, Statham goes on a one man crusade to get her back.
If you’ve watched 80s and 90s action movies, then you know exactly how this movie goes.
Statham is great at doing movies like this, but he also shows his acting chops too because in this movie, he has a little girl of his own and their relationship is very sweet.
This movie was directed by David Ayer and was co-written by he and Sylvester Statllone (yes the one and only).
Stallone and Statham are also producers on this movie.
If you love 80s/90s action movies and Statham movies, then you will love this.
I know I do.
-
Gregg Allman w/Alan Light My Cross To Bear Book Review
Singer/songwriter/musician Gregg Allman, of The Allman Brothers Band and solo artist, collaborated with Alan Light to put out his book “My Cross To Bear” in 2012.
This is about Gregg’s life growing up, his relationship with his older brother Duane (also in The Allman Brothers Band), good and bad times with the band, breakups and reunions, deaths (including his brother Duane and bassist Barry Oakley, and unfortunately in 2025 as I type this, most of the members of the band are gone including Gregg), substance abuse, relationships and marriages Gregg had (including with Cher), and all kinds of rock and roll stories.
If you are a fan of Gregg’s and The Allman Brothers Band, I don’t know how you could not read this book.
It’s got it all and then some.
I wish Gregg and most of the guys in the band were still here, but thank goodness for the music they made, together and separately, and for this document of a lot of their history, told by the very talented Gregg Allman, or as his friends called him Gregory.
-
Queen Of The Ring Movie Review
One of my best friends and I went to see the movie Queen Of The Ring on Saturday, March 15, which was about a week since the movie premiered.
Queen Of The Ring is about the female wrestler Mildred Burke, who was popular in the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
She was a single mother who wanted to get in the professional wrestling business.
She ultimately met a wrestler/promoter by the name of Billy Wolfe, who became her husband and manager, and who ran a female wrestling troupe, which included the female wrestler Mae Young and others.
Mildred started wrestling in carnivals and eventually moved up the ranks to become a very popular female wrestler, in a time where female wrestling was banned in certain parts of the country.
This movie, Queen Of The Ring, chronicles Mildred’s start in the business, her relationship (good and bad) with Wolfe, being a mom and wrestler at the same time, trials and tribulations of being a female wrestler in a male dominated industry, and ultimately defying the odds and becoming successful.
Like any movie, some of it is exaggerated or even held back (the book the movie is based on is much more detailed), and even some of the names/events are different for dramatic effect.
However, this does not take away from Queen Of The Ring being a very good movie.
You do not have to be a wrestling fan to appreciate this movie.
It has a great story and a very good cast.
Emily Bett Rickards plays Mildred, Josh Lucas plays Billy Wolfe, Francesca Eastwood plays Mae Young, Walton Goggins plays promoter Jack Pfefer, and Martin Kove plays promoter Al Haft.
Some of the cast are in the wrestling business.
For example, wrestling manager/booker/promoter/commentator/announcer/podcaster Jim Cornette plays an athletic commissioner and Kailey Farmer, known as the wrestler Camille, plays another wrestler named June Byers.
My friend and I really enjoyed this movie.
Wrestling movies and biopics can be hit or miss, but I think this one is a hit.
It is an independent movie, directed and co-written by Ash Avildsen, and if you like good stories, this is one you should see.
-
Jethro Tull Curious Ruminant Album Review
The legendary band Jethro Tull released their 24th studio album, Curious Ruminant, on March 7 of this year (2025).
Singer/Flutist/Multi-Instrumentalist/Songwriter/Founder Ian Anderson and the band is still going strong, still writing in my opinion very good songs.
Even though Ian is the only original/classic member left in the band, he still has great players with him.
On this album he has Jack Clark on electric guitar, David Goodier on bass, Scott Hammond on drums, James Duncan on drums/cajon/percussion, John O’ Hara on piano/keyboards/accordion, and Andrew Giddings on piano/keyboards/accordion.
Ian, while singing and playing flute as always, also plays acoustic guitar/tenor guitar/mandolin on this album, and as listed “odds and sods, bits and bobs”.
I know that several Jethro Tull fans don’t like what Ian and the band do now or have been doing for many years because they don’t like that Ian’s voice is not what it used to be.
It does not bother me at all. I think he still sounds good. It’s definitely different sounding now, but it doesn’t sound awful.
Ian just changed his vocal style to best fit what he can sing now, and as long as it doesn’t sound terrible, it does not bother me.
I understand why people aren’t as into it anymore, but I also think they are missing out because Ian and the band I think are still great.
I’ve already played this new Jethro Tull album, Curious Ruminant, several times. I find it very pleasant and fun to listen to.
Way to go Ian Anderson!! Keep on making music. I’ll keep on buying it and enjoying it.
-
Dream Theater Parasomnia Album Review
The Progressive Metal band Dream Theater released their 16th studio album Parasomnia, on February 7 of this year (2025).
For Dream Theater fans, this is a treat because Mike Portnoy, the original drummer and co-founder, is back!!!!
He left Dream Theater in 2010 to pursue other musical ventures, while the band (James LaBrie on vocals, John Petrucci on guitar, John Myung on bass, and Jordan Rudess on keyboards) carried on with drummer Mike Mangini for 5 studio albums and a few live albums.
A few years ago, Portnoy saw Dream Theater as a fan for the first time, worked with Petrucci and Rudess on another album by their instrumental band Liquid Tension Experiment (LTE for short), then worked with Petrucci on one of his instrumental solo albums and did the tour.
Sometime during that period, the decision was made for Portnoy to return to Dream Theater.
This new album, Parasomnia, is the result of this reunion with Portnoy back on drums.
If you are a Dream Theater fan, you should really enjoy this.
It’s very heavy, but also has plenty of progressive music, intricate parts, great singing, long songs, and even one ballad.
It’s a great album to listen to if you are a diehard Dream Theater fan, and it’s a great album for any new Dream Theater fans.
This may not be your cup of tea, but if it is, get it!! It’s great.
Welcome back Mike Portnoy!!!! Hopefully this is the lineup for the rest of their career, which I thought it would be until it wasn’t in 2010.
But I’m glad the band carried on, and I love a lot of what Portnoy did outside of the band, but nothing against Mike Mangini, but this is Portnoy’s gig and I’m very glad he’s back.
Carry on guys!!
-
My Girlfriend Mariah and My Fantasticon Experience
My girlfriend Mariah and I went to Fantasticon in Toledo, Ohio.
We met Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Navy Seals, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Tombstone, The Rock, The Magnificent Seven TV series, The Walking Dead, The Mandalorian), and his wife Jennifer Blanc Biehn (Dark Angel, Party of Five, The Brady Bunch Movie), Donald Gibb (Bloodsport, Bloodsport 2, Revenge of the Nerds), and Mark J. Pillow (Superman IV: The Quest for Peace).
All were very kind and gracious.
I had met Michael once before in 2019 and he said it was nice to meet me again.
I told Michael that Mariah and I both love his movie Tombstone, and he said that movie turned out really well.
Mariah was just getting his autograph, but I wanted to get a selfie of the three of us together (Jennifer told us since we were doing that that we didn’t have to pay as much. Thanks for that!!). Also, the sign at Michael and Jennifer’s table said it cost extra for Michael to write a quote on a picture, but it did not cost any extra. Again thanks for that!!
Thank you Michael and Jennifer soooo much.
Donald Gibb could not have been nicer. He said he appreciated the fans and that without us fans people like him would not be here. I thanked him a bunch.
Mark J. Pillow again was very kind and gracious too.
I told Mark how much I love the Superman IV movie and he said he loves it too.
I asked him why Gene Hackman’s (R.I.P.) voice was used instead of Mark’s in the movie and Mark said that it was just decided to use Gene’s voice since his character Lex Luthor created Mark’s character Nuclear Man.
I also asked him about Gene Hackman and he said he was a joy to work with and just be around and have lunch with.
And I asked Mark about working with Christopher Reeve (R.I.P.) and Mark said that Christopher was great but very busy.
Mark also appreciated my shirt I was wearing (Cannon Films, which produced and distributed Superman IV along with Warner Brothers).
There were other cool guests there too, but Mariah really wanted to meet Michael and I wanted to meet Michael and Jennifer, Donald, and Mark and we did!!
We weren’t there for too long, but we had a fun time.
Thank you everyone for your kindness, all the selfies and autographs (thanks Mark for the picture of me and you on your page, which I included here also, hope you don’t mind) and Fantasticon for this great time.
