Spinning Platters

Film Review: “Men in Black 3″

Gordon Elgart — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:30:42 +0000

starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson written by: Etan Cohen directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, and brief suggestive content In a world full of unnecessary sequels, Men in Black 3 might stand as one of the most unnecessary in history. The second movie is [...]

Show Review: Sparta with KI:Theory at The Independent, 5/21/2012

Jonathan Pirro — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:20:39 +0000

Rising from the ashes of a former band can be a help or a hinderance to a new act that has cut their teeth in the music scene and is ready to unleash a fresh new set of tunes to the world. When you are as volatile and chaotic of an act as At The [...]

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/24/12-5/30/12

Dakin Hardwick — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:04:01 +0000

The first of 400,000 outdoor music festivals of the Summer start this week, but there is plenty of other rocking for you, so good luck and make some excellent live music decisions. Thursday, May 24th Tenacious D, The Sights at The Fox Theater – Oakland People think that I look like Jack Black, and that [...]

SpinningPlatters Interview: Penelope Houston of The Avengers

Dakin Hardwick — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:04:48 +0000

Penelope Houston is a rock legend. She is the lead singer of seminal San Francisco punk rock band The Avengers, and actively performs with both The Avengers, and releases solo albums. She recently released a fine new record called On Market Street, as well as a 2-disc edition of the band’s 1983 debut full length, [...]

Show Review: Rachel Platten with Madi Diaz at Hotel Utah, 5/18/2012

Stacy Scales — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:56:37 +0000

What’s a girl to do with a Friday night off in San Francisco? When Rachel Platten is in town with her first headlining gig (supporting her album Be Here), the choice is easy. When she brings the lovely Madi Diaz with her and sets up her keyboard on the Hotel Utah’s tiny stage, I’ll even [...]

Film Review: “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”

Jason LeRoy — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:43:55 +0000

starring: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Rodrigo Santoro, Ben Falcone, Chace Crawford, Dennis Quaid, Brooklyn Decker, Rebel Wilson, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Chris Rock written by: Shauna Cross and Heather Hach directed by: Kirk Jones MPAA: Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, thematic elements and language At first glance, a film adaptation [...]

Film Review: “Battleship”

Gordon Elgart — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:18:06 +0000

starring: Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Rihanna, Alexander Skarsgard, Liam Neeson written by: Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber directed by: Peter Berg MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, action and destruction, and for language Picture yourself as an executive for Hasbro. You’ve made boatloads of money on the Transformers movies, and you want to [...]

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/17/12-5/23/12

Dakin Hardwick — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:44:14 +0000

This list simply goes to show you that there is no such thing as a slow week in the bay area for shows…. We have two legendary punk bands playing in SF, plus a slew of other odds and ends that insure that nobody’s musical taste will go unaccounted for. So, do yourself a favor [...]

Film Review: “The Dictator”

Jason LeRoy — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:52:39 +0000

starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley written by: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer directed by: Larry Charles MPAA: Rated R for strong crude and sexual content, brief male nudity, language and some violent images How does one successfully parody internationally infamous figures that are already parodies of themselves? This [...]

Spinning Platters Interview: Richard Linklater on “Bernie”

Jason LeRoy — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:55:15 +0000

Ever since leisurely ambling onto the cinematic scene with his generation-defining 1991 classic Slacker, Richard Linklater has remained one of the most influential and innovative figures in American independent film. A restless creative force frequently driven to push himself into personally uncharted territory, Linklater’s filmography is remarkably diverse: ensembles pieces beloved (Dazed and Confused) and [...]