Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to brush your teeth. Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the anarchy of “Minions & Monsters,” the relationship woes of “The Invite” and the music bio “Peter Asher: Everywhere Man.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join “CTV News Toronto at Five” with anchor Zuraigah Alman to talk about the anarchy of “Minions & Monsters,” the relationship woes of “The Invite” and the music bio “Peter Asher: Everywhere Man.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 12:20)
I join CTV Atlantic’s Stephanie Tsicos to talk about anarchy of “Minions & Monsters,” the relationship woes of “The Invite” and the music bio “Peter Asher: Everywhere Man.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join CTV NewsChannel anchor Akshay Tandon to talk about the new releases in theatres, including The anarchy of “Minions & Monsters,” the relationship woes of “The Invite” and the music bio “Peter Asher: Everywhere Man.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join “CP24 Breakfast” hosts Nick Dixon and Jennifer Hsiung to talk about the anarchy of “Minions & Monsters,” the animated adventures of Disney+’s “X-Men ’97” and the Prime Video “Legally Blonde” prequel “Elle.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: The documentary “Peter Asher: Everywhere Man” details musician, manager and producer Asher’s impact on popular culture from the 1960s to today.
CAST: Peter Asher, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Carole King, Steve Martin, John Lennon, Eric Idle, Twiggy, Pattie Boyd, Yoko Ono. Directed by Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine.
REVIEW: Dripping with nostalgia, “Peter Asher: Everywhere Man” is an appealing time capsule of twentieth century popular music, from the point of view of one of the people who shaped era defining sounds.
Fans of British Invasion period act Peter & Gordon and folks who read album liner notes will likely be familiar with Peter Asher. Others, less so. An influential but shadowy character, the documentary shines a light on his lifetime of success.
Son of a doctor and music professor, brother to actress Jane Asher (who dated Paul McCartney as Beatlemania took hold), child actor, pop star whose song “A World Without Love” went to number one around the world, head of Apple Studio’s A&R department and producer of singer-songwriters like James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt, his impact on pop culture is undeniable.
His life hasn’t been as documented as his famous friends, like Paul McCartney (who wrote four Peter & Gordon chart toppers), James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, so this guided tour through his Zelig-like life offers up much previously unearthed material.
Hung around the framework of one of Asher’s live storytelling and music shows, directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine intercut the new material and interviews with rare archival footage to create an entertaining but buy by-the-numbers biography.
We learn that McCartney gave “A World Without Love” to Peter & Gordon because John Lennon didn’t think it was strong enough for The Beatles. That his father was the doctor who identified and named Munchausen syndrome, and how he owned the gallery where John Lennon first met Yoko Ono. He introduced Marianne Faithfull to Mick Jagger and signed the unknown James Taylor to Apple Records.
He was at the spearhead of the British Invasion, and later, massaged and shaped the LA singer-songwriter sound through a mix of determination, great timing and an ability to grab opportunities as they presented themselves.
The show biz stories are fun and filled with bold-faced names, but the film skims the surface of its subject, content to let his cultural legacy stand front and center. A bit more insight as to why things happened rather than a chronological list of how they happened would have deepened the story and the appreciation for Asher’s accomplishments. Still, as a tribute film, it’s a snappy, if superficial, look at a remarkable career.
“Immediate Family,” a new rock doc now playing in theatres, and available December 17 to rent or buy on the Apple TV app and other VOD platforms, is a feature length look at musicians you’ve listened to your whole life.
“I would buy records just because they were on it,” says Phil Collins.
They were to the 1970s singer-songwriter era what The Funk Brothers were to Motown or The Wrecking Crew to Los Angeles based pop music. They were the four names that graced the back covers of albums by singer-songwriter Hall-of-Famers like James Taylor, Keith Richards, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Stevie Nicks and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
“The creative input of these session guys cannot be overstated,” says Taylor.
Legendary session musicians, drummer Russ Kunkel, bassist Leland Sklar, and guitarists Danny Kortchmar and Waddy Wachtel, are the Immediate Family, a group who’ve played together on-and-off for more than fifty years, and treat one another as brothers, hence the band’s name.
The story brings together each of their stories, from Kortchmar’s first exposure to James Taylor, when both their families were vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard, to Sklar admitting he hides his insecurities behind his trademark ZZ Top-worthy beard to Kunkel’s story about being kicked out of the 5th grade orchestra.
Each has a tale to tell, and, of course, there are accounts of excess on the road and studio stories galore, but director Denny Tedesco isn’t interested in a tell-all or gossip. The most rock ‘n roll moment comes when Linda Ronstadt says she always won their tour bus poker games because she “was the sober one.”
“Hammer of the Gods” this is not. Instead, this is a warm-hearted story of friendship and music.
There is an undeniable chemistry in their group interviews, as they share a lifetime of experience punctuated with lots of laughs. It doesn’t dive deep. This is a hangout movie with great music. To that end, Tedesco makes sure to include lots of archival musical footage, bolstered by newly shot performances.
Tedesco, the director best known for his doc “The Wrecking Crew,” is clearly a fan and while “Immediate Family” is a companion piece to movies like “Echo in the Canyon” and “20 Feet from Stardom,” it doesn’t have the same in-depth flavor. Still, as a snapshot of an iconic era, it’s a bit of fluffy fun.
