WE'RE ALL US: a review of "Roger Waters: Us + Them"

"ROGER WATERS: US + THEM"
Directed by Sean Evans and Roger Waters
**** (four stars)

RATED R

Life in the time of COVID-19 has hurled more than its share of obstacles and even so, it is our own human nature, congealed with the authoritarian and increasingly inhumane policies and actions of those with their hands upon the wheels,  that has only enhanced and extended this unprecedented time. In addition to the uncertainty, the fear and mounting anxiety, the rising numbers of the infected and the dead, the world we once knew just months ago feels to be a universe away.

The seemingly simple pleasures that we enjoyed to enrich our lives have all been placed upon elongated hiatuses, thus increasing our intense understanding that we are all living within a world forever changed. While the world of sports is trying to establish its return, live music performances and just going to the movies feels even more uncertain as one recent report proclaimed that concerts may not return in earnest until 2022 and movie release dates have either shifted to streaming services or have been pushed until a hopeful 2021.

As an antidote, what I have for you is an experience that superlatively speaks to the times in which we live plus allows and affords all of us who love live music and film to engage thoroughly with a performance that succeeds triumphantly an deeply emotional, enrapturing work of rock and roll theater and enthralling cinema. 

Sean Evans and Roger Waters' document, "Roger Waters: Us + Them," the follow-up concert film to "Roger Waters: The Wall" (2015), is another staggeringly well conceived, staged and executed performance by the singer/songwriter/bassist and former member of Pink Floyd with his stellar band, this time captured in Amsterdam during his 2017-2018 tour. 

It is an elegant film, that superbly builds from the previous movie, as it is fueled with a virulent anger against our societal walls and urgent hope for a greater humanity within a dark world during our dark times together. Through its enveloping visuals, which are constantly jaw dropping, and of course, the iconic music that has engaged and elevated listeners for over 40 years, Evans and Waters has delivered a most cathartic expression designed for all of the bleeding hearts and the artists to make their stand in these increasingly fascistic. If we ever needed an acknowledgment of our anxieties and a lifeline to our hopes and resistance, this film more than delivers the goods. 

"Roger Waters: Us + Them" begins with a grim vignette. Seated upon a beach, ocean waves lapping against the shoreline, a woman, whose back is to the camera, sits quietly, while overhead storm clouds approach, first, growing darker, soon to be over come with thunder and lightning. And finally, the skies turn dark red, with the sounds of bombs in the distance.

These ominous visual then phase themselves into the sounds of a heartbeat and the variety of dialogue enactments that opens Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" (released March 1, 1973) fully revealing itself into the concert's existential fanfare that is a beautifully performed "Speak To Me" and "Breathe." 

Over the course of two hours plus, Waters and his band soar through large sections of the aforementioned "Dark Side Of The Moon," "Wish You Were Here" (released September 12, 1975), "Animals" (released January 21, 1977), as well as detours into "The Wall" (released November 30, 1979) and Waters' most recent, and excellent, solo album "Is This The Life We Really Want?" (released June 2, 2017) plus even more. 

Accompanying the music, which is blissfully and energetically performed by Waters' ace band, are  indeed the stunning, downright awesome visual displays that occur, at first behind the band and later within and seemingly around the audience as the factory setting from the "Animals" album cover appears to rise upwards in the middle of the auditorium itself, thus revealing even larger screen upon each side showcasing an amass of psychedelic colors and seas of stars and space surrounding us all--even as we watch from home! 

Every song contains its own visual interpretation. "Time" is showered by a galaxy of clocks. A more aggressive "Welcome To The Machine" is accompanied by the vintage and still seriously disturbing animated film footage by Gerald Scarfe. The eternal "Wish You Were Here" features two outstretched hands reaching for each other before breaking apart in pieces. Yet, what has made this event extend exceedingly far from existing as a Pink Floyd "greatest hits" show is how Waters has re-contextualized the songs, both old and new, into an astounding sequence that begins with a sense of the universal ethereal and descends into 21st century human depravity, horror, war, and inhumane absolute power while finally combining messages of resistance and transcendence by the finale of "Brain Damage/Eclipse." 

"Another Brick In The Wall Parts 2 and 3" feature on stage political prisoners in black hoods and orange jumpsuits who free themselves as they all wear T-Shirts boldly proclaiming the single word, "RESIST. "Money" is shockingly interrupted by nuclear holocaust. The nearly 30 minute section starring the venomous "Dogs," which features the band adorned with pig masks downing wine as the world burns and Waters holding up one sign declaring "Pigs Rule The World" before discarding the mask and defiantly holding up a second sign reading "Fuck The Pigs" and the wrathful "Pigs (Three Different Ones), " a vicious take down of our world's current despots from Putin, to Kim Jong-un to America's current occupant of The White House contains the film darkest core. 

The newer material of "Deja Vu," "The Last Refugee" and "Picture That" provides the film with its narrative motifs and conceptual core as we are given non-linear depictions of a drone pilot (Lucas Kornacki), the aforementioned Last Refugee (Azzurra Caccetta) and her young daughter (Anais Dupay-Rahman) who is killed, most likely through a drone strike.

The mastery and majesty of "Roger Waters: Us + Them" firmly resides in the impassioned humanism of Waters as depicted through his formidable presence, which remains in prime voice and fighting form at the age of 75 at the time of this performance, and  hs equally formidable songwriting and conceptual vision. 

What cannot be over-stated with this film is how this time, Waters may have formulated his most formidable band since departing Pink Floyd in the 1980's, as he has surrounded himself with a younger, yet seasoned crew which includes, but is not limited to, songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Wilson (guitars, vocals), guitar wizard Dave Kilminsgter, My Morning Jacket's Bo Koster (keyboards), veteran session drummer Joey Waronker, and as the crucial, crystalline element that is the vocal duo known as Lucius (Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe), who elevate all of the songs with their glorious harmonies, choreography, occassional drumming and their striking appearances in bob cut, platinum haired wigs.

Waters' band is superlative as they have the mammoth job of somehow ensuring their own personas while filling the shoes of re-creating the parts originally devised by Waters' former Pink Floyd bandmates from the drumming musicality of Nick Mason, the transcendent keyboard soundscapes of the late Richard Wright and of course, it takes no less than three to four guitarists to even approach what David Gilmour achieved all by himself. This band's performance is a testament to the legacy created by Pink Floyd in its entirety and yet we marvel at what they are accomplishing on stage in this film. 

In some respects, "Roger Waters: Us + Them," in this fashion reminded me very much of Prince's "Sign O' The Times" (1987) concert film in which we always knew who the star of the show was, but he was a most generous host, happily showcasing the members of his extraordinary musical unit. Here, Waters performs the same feat and for a figure who has cut a legendary mercurial presence, he is clearly happy with his collaborators, often sharing smiles and more than willing to allow them the spotlight.

Even so, it is a film that also sees Waters claiming a greater ownership over his musical legacy, singing parts and lyrics that he wrote but never sang himself upon the original Pink Floyd recordings. Hearing h is own words arriving from his own natural voice did give the familiar material a greater weight, as if he was speaking to us more directly than ever.     

And that is indeed where the power of this film resides because through the songs, the performances and the dynamic visual spectacle, "Roger Waters: Us + Them" is a musical sermon from Waters' own pulpit. A space and place where we are all invited to commune and feel a sense of collective humanity with each other as we endure the tenuous, precarious nature of the world that exists around us through the songs, that with all lyrics completely unaltered, have continued to reflect our collective existence to ourselves to an even larger degree now in 2020 than perhaps they existed during the 1970's. In doing so, Waters' messages are more urgent than ever, his moral outrage more furious, his compassion more earnest and open-hearted. 

In fact, the greatest message in the film, quite possibly arrives upon the belly of the recognizable floating pig who does make a appearance during the concert and film. Yet, this time, written upon the animal is the message "STAY HUMAN." Roger Waters understand greatly of our own human capacity to project our worst impulses as targets upon others in means of self-preservation and holding power over the heads of others. This duality of our own individualistic existences is paramount to the humanist message of the film overall. 

For in the end, there is no "THEM," there is only "US" and through that symbiotic nature, we will rise or fall together, regardless of our prejudices, our fears, our stations in life. And in the case of what Sean Evans and Roger Waters have accomplished with this film, what better way to experience this sentiment than through the communion of song. 

SAVAGE POSTSCRIPT:
"Roger Waters: Us + Them" is available for on-line streaming and digital download and will be available on home video and CD formats later this year. For the streaming platforms, you will also be able to view a short documentary entitled "A Fleeting Glimpse," a behind-the-scenes look at the show and well as two deleted performances from the film, the classic "Comfortably Numb" and a sinister, incendiary more recent track "Smell The Roses."

SHINE ON: a review of "Doctor Sleep"

"DOCTOR SLEEP"

Based upon the novel by Stephen King

Written For The Screen, Edited and Directed by Mike Flanagan

***1/2 (three and a half stars)

RATED R

For a film that is so effectively and eternally burned into the collective consciousnesses of movie goers, and truth be told, pop culture itself (honestly, it is one of those movies you may feel that you have seen even when you haven't due to its superior entrenchment), it would be hard pressed to find anyone, anywhere that would feel a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining" (1980), woud not only be unnecessary but otherwise, impossible. 

As for me, I am indeed one of those people. The reputation of Kubrick's iconic adaptation of the Stephen King novel profoundly preceded it as I saw the film in full many years after its original release. Yet, as an 11 year old in 1980, and one who did not care for horror films, I decidedly gave the movie an extremely wide berth at the time. But, that said, I was curious as word of the film was not exactly loudly endorsed but one that traveled through the school hallways like a dark urban legend. The twin girls. The blood. Jack Nicholson with the axe. Chants of a guttural "redrum." All of that was expressed through excited whispers and therefore, ingratiated themselves within my own imagination, which conjured the type of horrors I knew that I didn't want to see no matter how curious I was about the movie itself. 

When I would catch snippets of the film on cable television, I would find myself mesmerized by the sight and sounds of young Danny Torrance riding through the massive Overlook Hotel on his Big Wheel, a sequence so lengthy that my trance would slowly find itself being interrupted by feelings of unease, of which I would mentally challenge myself to endure until I just had to change the channel for fear of seeing the very thing I could then no longer un-see. It wasn't really until adulthood when I saw the complete film end to end and was a tad surprised at how un-scary it actually was. Although, it was a sensational film, where Kubrick's clinical aesthetics, stunning visual perspectives, gliding cinematography and unnerving film score all combined to create this bird's eye view of madness that was deeply, powerfully enveloping. 

So now, nearly 40 years later, we arrive with Mike Flanagan's "Doctor Sleep," his adaptation of the Stephen King novel, which is indeed a sequel to King's The Shining (1977) which of course, makes this film a sequel to the Stanley Kubrick classic. What once felt to be unnecessary to impossible has now proven itself to being purposeful, entertaining, provocative, skillful and deeply resonant as "Doctor Sleep" surprisingly achieves the feat of honoring the past while carving out its own macabre existence with creativity, inventiveness, meticulous attention to the details of characters, place, time and space.  It is akin to a heavy, dark dream.

Opening in 1980, shortly after the climax of the events at the Overlook Hotel, "Doctor Sleep" finds Danny Torrance (Roger Dale Floyd) and his Mother, Wendy (Alex Essoe) re-located to Florida. Danny, still plagued by nightmares and visitations from the demons of the Overlook, finds himself in a conversation with the spirit of Overlook head chef and fellow telepath Dick Hallorann (Carl Lumbly), who teaches Danny precisely how to overcome these demons by encasing them inside of a mental "lockbox," a feat which allows the boy to move forwards in his life. 

Meanwhile, and unbeknownst to Danny, a travelling cult of psychic vampires known as the True Knot and led by Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) roam the nation seeking and hunting those with psychic abilities to torture and kill them to feed upon their lifeforce known as "steam," for the purposes of extending their own malevolent life spans.  

Flashfoward to 2011, as Dan Torrance (now played by Ewan McGregor), now an alcoholic like his Father before him, and as a means to suppress his shining abilities as well as his demons, finds  himself at his personal rock bottom. Moving to New Hampshire, he is immediately befriended by Billy Freeman (Cliff Curtis), who helps Dan find room and board, becomes his AA sponsor and also helps Dan find a job as a hospital orderly, where he surreptitiously utilizes his telepathic abilities to comfort dying patients, thus earning him the nickname of "Doctor Sleep."  Back at his new home, Dan also begins to receive psychic messages via written notes upon a chalkboard wall from young Abra Stone (Dakota Hickman) and with whom he begins a correspondence. 

By 2019, with Dan fully sober and the teenaged Abra (now played by Kyleigh Curran), armed with shining abilities far stronger than his own, their worlds converge as the now starving True Knot, in desperate need of steam for survival, have become aware of Abra, placing her in immediate danger. At this stage, all of the threads converge for Dan Torrance as he must, at long last, fully confront his past in order to preserve his present and save the future.

Where Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" was intensely intimate, Mike Flanagan's "Doctor Sleep" takes a grander, more decidedly epic approach as the film covers a greater locale as well as a nearly 40 year trajectory.  That being said, Flanagan smartly refuses to over load the experience with a barrage of special effects, and overblown tonality. On the contrary, he diligently walks the cinematic tightrope of being fully inspired and reflective of Kubrick original vision while branching outwards to instill his own--no small feat indeed. I was deeply impressed with how Flanagan ensured his film adhered strictly to tone and character development, almost and often feeling more like a visual novel to lose yourself inside of due to its detail. 

For some viewers, the deliberate pacing may strike as being uneventful, plodding or taking its own sweet time to just get to things. Yet, for me, I loved this approach as Flanagan created a world where I wanted to know who these characters were, what their motivations and inner workings actually were, so when the tension does strike, there is meaning, there is weight, there is connection between story and viewer. And with "Doctor Sleep," I was intensely connected and when the callbacks to "The Shining" do arrive, they pay off in spades!

I am also aware that there may be some sense of disconnect for some viewers witnessing different actors portraying characters so entrenched into our minds via the conduits of Shelley Duvall, the late Scatman Crothers and the aforementioned Jack Nicholson from Kubrick's film. Here is another area, where I felt that what could have bee a large disadvantage worked extremely well to Mike Flanagan's gain. 

With a film that does indeed play heavily to themes of memories, inner demons and especially those as filtered through years of Dan Torrance's alcoholism, having familiar characters portrayed by people who resemble them but not quite just added to the false sense of security that memory often elicits, plus palpable sense of unease, existential confusion and dread, which Ewan McGregor embodied with subtlety, grace and the correct amount of inner turmoil in which we could still see the afflicted child inside of him.

For the world that builds and expands upon "The Shining," Mike Flanagan more than has his work cut out for him and yet, he accepts the challenge fearlessly. Working brilliantly with Cinematographer Michael Fimognari, Flanagan ensures that "Doctor Sleep" feels very much of the same cinematic universe as Kubrick's "The Shining" through its carefully composed shot compositions, moody tracking shots and Steadicam motions. Yet, where Kubrick's palate was purposefully wintry due to the setting, Flanagan instills a hazy, autumnal glow as if we are essentially viewing an especially slow burning ghost story for a Halloween night and still discovers ways to emulate and re-conceive Kubrick's vision at crucial points, thus showcasing Mike Flanagan's cinematic dexterity.

From a conceptual perspective, Flanagan also utilizes Kubrick's near chamber piece tonality, as the film floats via its shuddering, ghostly vibe, never reducing itself to jump scare cliches but rightfully explodes at the correct points with the correct intensity and turbulence. Again, think of how easy it would have been to just essentially have the greatest moments of "The Shining" re-done yet regurgitated in a standard Hollywood bombastic frenzy that is instantly cathartic, I guess, but ultimately disposable. Flanagan is a filmmaker who is clearly trusting that the audience is intelligent and more than willing to spend some time in this cinematic world, understanding the lay of the land before tightening the screws.

In achieving that feat, "Doctor Sleep" gives us a richly expansive world to explore, populated by compelling characters, most notably, Rose The Hat, who is performed deliciously by Rebecca Ferguson, clearly having a grand time inside of a character so alluringly, threateningly poisonous. There was nothing within "The Shining" that suggested that there was any other evil that existed than the ones which invaded our own souls, so to speak. With "Doctor Sleep," and its odd hippie/sideshow circus caravan of the True Knot, that palpable sense of evil and dread that lurks in the shadows of the mind now made dangerously flesh, just gave me yet one more reason to look cautiously around corners. 

And then, there is the character of Abra Stone, strongly played by Kyliegh Curran, where again, representation means everything. For how often have any of us ever seen, within any big budget Hollywood feature, the sight of a teenaged Black girl with telekinetic powers as a central figure, one of the very engines driving the story? I was pleased and refreshed for this inclusion, which also never felt to be forced due to any sense of disingenuously performed political correctness. The character, and the fullness of her arc, felt as inviting as it was organic and ultimately, essential to the film as a whole.      

Mike Flanagan's "Doctor Sleep," a film so assured, confident and exceedingly well done, is one that truly deserves your attention, the very kind that the film surprisingly did not receive during its theatrical run late last year. But now, with our theaters closed and as we are all looking for something new while ensconced at home, this film is more than worthy. 

And especially on these hot summer days and nights, it will deliver more than enough chills.

SAVAGE CINEMA'S COMING ATTRACTIONS FOR JULY 2020

And still, the theaters are closed...

Never did I imagine one year ago, or at any time n my life really, that I would be living through an extended period where I would not only not be going to the movies, but that the theaters themselves would be closed due to a global pandemic. Even as the world is opening up, either too slowly or too quickly depending upon your perceptions, I know that for myself, that as much as I want to return to the movie theaters, I am not ready for I do not believe for a moment that it is safe enough. 

Regardless, Savage Cinema has remained busy and in fact, I do need to return to my Time Capsule series which has two more segments (and a mini segment) to go before being complete--I have come too far to quit now.

I do have anew review to get started on and I wanted to still screen one selection I did not have time for  last month and then...there, of course, is this...

 Yes indeed, as I write, the long awaited film version of the mammoth Broadway production has now hit streaming and I need to carve out time to get myself to seeing it, at long last. 

So...here we are still, in movie theater stasis just awaiting the day to all be sitting in the dark together for a shared experience. I long for that day to come back but only when we can do so, and then, do it all over again.