Anthony J. Merced

Rockumentaries have been around since the 60’s, chronicling the life, times and music of some of the most famous artists in their prime. Lately, we’ve seen this breed of documentary slip away from the public eye and end up on the far end of the DVD rack. Many times, the films are thrown together as a tool to sell more albums, leaving music and film fans wondering why they waste their time viewing such lazy works. Luckily, even though those terrible concert videos still exist, it seems that we are moving away from such things. 2004’s Some Kind of Monster and 2008’s Shine a Light still prove that you can create something that doesn’t just sit on a shelf as an add-on to an album.

Iron Maiden: Flight 666 is one of those rockumentaries that looks to entertain instead of advertise. For those that have not been gifted with the ear for metal, Iron Maiden is one of the most prolific metal bands of all time. They’ve sold millions of records and currently sell out concerts nearly twenty years past their prime. Actually, if it weren’t for a few stray gray hairs and some wrinkles, you wouldn’t be able to tell that many of the band members are pushing sixty. This documentary shows you just how vibrant, energetic, and passionate very successful musicians can still be after years of touring.

The movie starts with an introduction to Ed Force One, the 757 jet that will ambitiously carry the band, crew and equipment around the world over the next six weeks. Front man Bruce Dickinson, a very capable pilot, dawns his flight uniform to guide the band on their first trip from England to India. Right from the beginning we see a potential for major disaster. A cabin full of rowdy crew members, heavy metal legends, and a large imprint of the band’s signature mascot Eddie on the back of the plane lets you know you’re not in for the usual concert film. Fortunately for the audience, the film doesn’t deteriorate into a bunch of egotistical arguments and late nights at the bar. Instead, the film shows us how loyal the crew is, how young and rabid their international fans are, and just how disciplined the band is to maintain the rigorous schedule they place on their calendars.

The tour takes them from India to Australia, from Japan to Alaska, from Mexico to South America, and finally from The United States to Canada. Along the way there are laughs and a few close calls. Including a golfing mishap that nearly ends the tour. Like any great concert documentary, it is the live performances that keep the piece interesting. Their energy is infectious and the formula never becomes dull. The same routine of travel, song, travel is replaced with interesting tidbits about the individuals that not only make up Iron Maiden but that also make up their loyal fanbase.

While Iron Maiden: Flight 666 won’t end up on a list for greatest rockumentaries of all time, it definitely provides insight and light entertainment to a genre that has been filled with social messages and egos. If you’re a classic metal fan, you owe it to yourself to check this piece out. If you’re a documentary fan, take heed in that everything doesn’t need a somber or sobering message to fit into the genre.

Anyone that knows me is aware of my history with Pro Wrestling. Since I follow it, almost as much as I follow film, I thought it would be smart to do a bit of a news segment on it similar to how I cover film. This will go up once a week and be an insider spin on the business.

- The Survivor Series main event is locked. Randy Orton will defend the WWE Championship against Nexus leader Wade Barrett. Since WWE main events can never  be without a stipulation, John Cena has been added as the special guest referee. If Barrett wins the title, Cena is free and is no longer bound to Nexus. Conversely, should Barrett lose, Cena will find himself on the unemployment line.

- There are a few different ways that you can interpret where the Wrestlemania plans are for The Undertaker. Originally planned to win the Buried Alive Match this past Sunday, Taker’s shoulder injury threw a wrench into the machine. His injury should sideline him until early 2011. Whether the plan to include Nexus in the feud was in the works already isn’t clear but it has been pushed to the forefront of Taker’s pre-Wrestlemania program at the very least. This coupled with talks of a John Cena heel turn early next year makes a Cena vs. Undertaker match very likely. Some have eluded to Wade Barrett as the possible Mania opponent but common sense would dictate which combination would draw more money. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much else in the works for WWE’s biggest show. Considering the amount of high level talent that they have lost in the past year, the options are extremely limited.

- Smackdown faces it’s own set of problems. The main problem centers around what to do with Kane. Edge’s move to Friday night’s makes it obvious that he’ll be next in line to feud with The Big Red Machine. However, this is a band aid that is covering up a larger problem with WWE’s second brand. Aside from Rey Mysterio and Edge, there is an extreme lack of babyface main event talent on Smackdown. With Rey constantly being pushed to appear on Raw, it has done damage to the potential of a prolonged feud with Alberto Del Rio. The likely scenario will see Kane dropping the belt to Edge before looking to conclude his saga with The Undertaker. As champion, Edge can move on to secondary feuds with Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio but nothing that will garner too much attention.

- TNA has watched their television ratings shrink back to a 1.2. This has to be disappointing considering the great response they received following the Bound for Glory event two weeks ago. The incoherent booking and nonsensical finishes continue to keep this company from being anything more than a second rate promotion. Their lack of advertising for ppv events continues to show in their abysmally low buyrates. Bound for Glory’s numbers have not been counted yet but, needless to say, you shouldn’t expect Wrestlemania numbers.

Japan:

-NTV is back on the pro wrestling bandwagon. After dismissing Pro Wrestling NOAH in 2009, the national network is interested in bringing back some form of wrestling in 2011. Whether that’s NOAH’s spot to reclaim is still a mystery. The company has reached new lows in attendance and revenue this year due to lack of exposure. A return to national television may help, but much like New Japan, it will take time. Moreover, the philosophical disagreement between president Ryu Nakata and legendary performer Kenta Kobashi, could lead to yet another split. While not as drastic as the exodus from All Japan ten years earlier, a division in the NOAH roster cannot be something that interests a television network.

- As for All Japan, the anniversary tour came to an end in Yokahama with a few weird booking moments. The most obvious one is Kaz Hayashi’s defense of the Jr. Championship against Keiji Muto. Muto, president of All Japan pro wrestling and New Japan heavyweight legend, cut weight to face Hayashi who has been the most dominant Jr. Champion the company has ever seen. Now nearing his second year with the title, Kaz’s biggest issue is finding more opponents. While Japanese wrestling is never short on freelance competitors, it will be hard to find ones that can believably beat a Jr of his caliber. The other issue is Hayashi’s growing number of victories over All Japan heavyweights. Japanese wrestling tends to pride itself on a class system where heavyweights keep their mystic by rarely losing to foes of the lower weight classes. While exceptions are made, Kaz has scored victories over Keiji Muto, Minoru Suzuki and Suwama in recent years. All names that are considered headliners.

- All is well in the world of New Japan. Satoshi Kojima returned to his old home to claim is first G1 Climax trophy in August and, just a few weeks ago, claimed his second IWGP Heavyweight Championship. The victory ends Togi Makabe’s reign which can be seen as spotty at best. The once colorful heel has fallen bland under his babyface persona and may see a return to a darker character soon. Similar to Tanahashi or Nakamura, Makabe could be in line for a return to the edgier character that got him over with the fans.

Have you ever wondered why certain movies or television shows capture the minds of viewers easier than others? Why is it that people trampled each other to get a seat at the first screening of Star Wars: Episode III but could care less about renting Battle for Terra? Fan boys and families alike piled into theaters for each installment of Harry Potter but wouldn’t touch Golden Compass with a twenty foot pole. The answer is both simple and complicated. If you analyze any successful movie franchise, especially those in the realm of fantasy and science fiction, you’ll find similar trends. Not only do they all share a similar story arch, but they mirror the personalities of the filmmakers that created them. There are those that say that personality can get you far. And there’s no other place that exemplifies this saying than the world of movie making.

Before we dive into the reasons behind the success of certain franchises, there’s something that we must get out in the open. This could hurt some people, especially those that constantly scream for originality in entertainment: There is no original thought in entertainment storytelling. Every cinematic or theatrical idea has been laid out centuries before remakes and sequels flooded movie screens. The basis for all modern storytelling was etched long before Shakespeare ever put pen to paper. To expect writers and filmmakers to strike originality when there is none is asking too much. A more realistic request is a more dynamic take on the age old stories we all know inside and out. This is where personality becomes paramount.

It is safe to say that if a movie is boring or one dimensional, the person that made it is boring or one dimensional. Certain filmmakers that made their names off of a certain concept have quickly found themselves feeling left out in the cold by audiences because of their inability to show anything new. M. Night Shyamalan is a perfect example of one dimensionalism. The Sixth Sense is revered as one of the more original and exciting films of the late 90’s. That same formula captured audiences in follow-up films like Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village. The problem emerges as soon as audiences know what the trick is and when it’s coming. Some of the more famous filmmakers have been able to vary their concepts under different devices. Unfortunately for Mr. Shyamalan, too many of his films such as Lady in the Water and The Happening, bear too similar resemblance to the film that sparked initial interest. There is nothing more annoying to audiences than watching an entertainer’s lack of development.

Like success in other fields, money-making films leave a trail to prosperity. Whether or not anyone notices it is another issue. Most of the time, producers believe that copying is the way to guarantee success. To a certain extent they are absolutely correct. Where they fail is in the areas that they decide to mimic. We tend to see the special effects, cinematography and actors repeat. Unfortunately we rarely see the results reproduced on a high level. For every Star Wars there are twenty Battlefield Earth’s. So what exactly is it that’s missing from the failures? Let’s go into more detail:

1. Personalization

While every major story may have already been written, personal storytelling is the only area that can never run dry. The most successful movies are those that are given a personal touch by the filmmaker. In a way, they are reflections of those that worked on them. This is why an interesting past can lead to an interesting artistic career. More than in any other field, it is the intangible element of the personal story that creates the illusion of originality. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix and Harry Potter all share similar thematic elements. They are all about the little man battling the evils of the world. It is about the success of the little man and living up to high hopes despite desolate surroundings (The Greek story of Theseus). Where each one differs is in the perspective and treatment of characters. Each film is different even though they share almost an exact plot.

2. Perspective

Illusion of originality can also be achieved by simply changing the perspective. In the case of the original Star Wars, we see the world through the eyes of the peasants. You may think I mean Luke Skywalker. However, it is very easy to forget that the looking glass is being held by the two droids that have become the poster children for the entire franchise. C3PO and R2-D2 are the everyman in which we see the galaxy changing events transpire. With Harry Potter, we see the world through the eyes of a growing child. Events are confusing and sometimes overwhelming. The entire story doesn’t reveal itself until the end. Even then we are left with questions that only time can answer. Simply detailing the progression of events isn’t enough to keep interest. Perspective is essential when retelling a story for the one millionth time.

These are only a few of the differences between the success and failures in Hollywood. Most of them revolve around these two themes. Life experiences provide the most interesting story. If the filmmaker or writer doesn’t have it, the film suffers greatly. This is why there is a belief that the age of the filmmaker creates a more interesting artist. However, life experiences are not necessarily dictated by age. And thus, good filmmaking is not always dictated by simple story progression.

So! If you couldn’t tell… things are a bit different around here.

With the new website comes a new blog and new things to talk about. I’ve taken the last six months to bare down and focus on different aspects of my life and art. Now I’ve reemerged, focused and ready to conquer all. I’m working on a series of shorts that begin shooting this month. As time passes this blog will be used as a production diary as well as a place for me to place strange stories that go on in my everyday life. Speaking of which:

Did anyone else see Eminem get tea bagged by Bruno? That was ridiculous! While I laughed loudly at what I say, I can’t help but think of how I would have reacted had a 160 pound man fallen face first into my crouch. Come to think of it Eminem’s reaction was actually pretty tame compared to what I would have done. Its always funny until its done to you. Truthfully, I think the whole thing was as staged as a wrestling match including Eminem’s reaction. Go MTV. They finally succeeded after twenty million attempts at shock television. Lets hope they don’t try it again.

Tonight felt like the dawn of a new era… of sorts. I’ve been considering a return to school within the next year and a half. Working for peanuts in non profit theater isn’t quite what I envisioned myself doing with a college degree. Granted, I’m only a year removed from college, it just never sits well when you’re not doing what you spent four or more years learning to do. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t expect to graduate from college and land a multi million dollar film deal on the first swing. But I spent a long time working in theater and film so that maybe I wouldn’t have to work for peanuts. Unfortunately it seems that focusing on marketing was a bad idea considering that’s the area where most people are getting laid off. I should be grateful that I have a job, and I am. But to say that I am satisfied with my work would be a flat out lie.

So Conan O’Brien took over The Tonight Show. And not surprising, this was the first time I’ve ever watched a full episode. Not only did it feel like one of those crazy must watch tv moments, but my favorite band performed on the show as well. Pearl Jam played the new single off their upcoming album. The best part is that I’ve been so out of the loop that I didn’t even realize they had a new album coming out. I expected some oldie to come out of the band. Instead what I got was a fantastic first single… at least that’s what I think it is. I modeled much of what I wanted to be like as an artist after what Pearl Jam managed to accomplish. They’re a band that never sold out to the mainstream and made the music that they were inspired to make. Hell, the band fought Ticketbastard for Christ’s sake! I still envision myself as an artist that will never need to compromise what I want to do just because it’ll make a buck. Great artists bring the mainstream to them. And watch Pearl Jam go out there in their t shirts and jeans still proves that its possible. While other band… Green Day… go out there in mascara and black leather (an image they never would have taken up five years ago) Pearl Jam continues to be the same awesome band they started out as twenty years ago… Has it really been that long?

Anyway, expect more entries and expect more updates as things start to pick up this summer!!!