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 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.
Linda Ronstadt was one of the voices of the latter part of the twentieth century. The pure, gorgeous vocals that were once a staple at the top of the Billboard charts has been silenced by Parkinson’s disease but a new documentary, “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice,” serves as a reminder of a pioneer who danced to the beat of a different drum.
The Arizona-born singer made headlines as much for her off-stage life as much as for her on-stage work, but the film wisely focusses on her legacy, the music that made her a superstar. The story begins at home with a family who played and sang all types of music from rock and roll, rhythm and blues, gospel, opera, country and mariachi. Later, those influences mixed and mingled in the folk-rock trio the Stone Poneys. Their biggest success, a cover of Mike Nesmith’s “Different Drum,” became Ronstadt’s first and only hit with the band and she soon left to forge a solo career that would see her become the first female rock star and the first woman to have five platinum albums in a row. “Linda was the queen,” says Bonnie Raitt. “She was like what Beyoncé is now.”
At the peak of her fame she grew tired of selling out arenas and the constant grind of being on the road. Looking for new challenges she took to the Broadway, appearing in “Pirates of Penzance” on stage opposite Kevin Kline. “Gilbert and Sullivan? Can you imagine another rock star who has the guts to go out there and do that kind of musical comedy?” says Jackson Browne. “To her it was a mountain to climb.”
From operetta she went on to explore the American songbook, interpreting the songs of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald among others. “I didn’t think it was a good idea, not because she couldn’t do it,” says Warner bros executive Joe Smith, “but because we had this run going with rock and roll and country rock records.”
The portrait painted of Ronstadt is one of an artist more concerned with music than her career. She was once the highest paid women in music but left that behind in favour of following her passions, whether it’s making a record of traditional Mexican songs (which became the largest selling Spanish-language record in history to that date), roots rock or singing with her pals Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris.
The film closes on an emotional note with the revelation that Parkinson’s disease has robbed her of her instrument. “I still sing in mind my but I can’t do it physically,” she says.
Oscar-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman use archival footage, mixed with new interviews with many of the singer’s friends and colleagues, to complete the picture. It’s wonderful to hear the music, to be reminded of the width and breadth of Ronstadt’s daring and talent, but the commentary tends toward the “She was the best singer I’ve ever heard,” style rather than providing much insight into what makes the singer tick. At the end, however, it doesn’t matter much, as the music, in all its variation and strength, tells the story in a way that suits Ronstadt best.
