Reviews
Lil Nas X Introduces the Man Behind the Meme at New York’s Radio City: Review and Setlist
When arriving at a show on the “Long Live Montero Tour” (grab tickets to remaining dates here), you’re first greeted by venue security handing you a Playbill. It’s a jarring experience — particularly, as was the case at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on September 20th, when a local radio DJ is warming up the audience by blasting songs you might have attempted to grind to at a homecoming dance. But this Playbill actually sets the scene well: It has a photo of Lil Nas X on the front, adorned with butterfly wings and all. “I hate writing stuff that isn’t music but my people are forcing me at gunpoint to write this welcome note,” reads the first page in a hand-scribbled passage from the rapper, who certainly isn’t known for doing things in earnest. “This play is about my journey, what I...
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Shines Thanks to a Deadpan Daniel Radcliffe: Review
This review is part of our coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The Pitch: Based on the 100% true story of comedian/musician/renegade polka king’s rapid rise to superstardom, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is an “unflinching” look at “Weird” Al Yankovic’s chaotic life. From his childhood as a closeted accordion player, to his brief flirtation with the hot underground polka scene, to his excessive rock and roll lifestyle to his artistic struggles, to his tumultuous romance for the ages with Madonna, and his deadly feud with a legendary drug lord, writer/director Eric Appel and co-writer Al Yankovic pull no punches. This is as real and serious as it gets. Related Video Generic Blues: A fake biopic of “Weird” Al Yankovic is most likely a foolproof formula. How wrong can you...
Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson Charm in the Time Loop Rom-Com Meet Cute: Review
The Pitch: It’s a tale as old as time: Gary (Pete Davidson) and Sheila (Kaley Cuoco) meet at a bar, and it’s basically love at first sight. She notices him because he’s the only one in the bar not watching the Big Game. He notices her because she’s funny, witty, unexpected, and a little kooky; their droll senses of humor bounce off each other like electricity. As their night goes from bar to restaurant to slow walks and talks along the riverside, it seems like their moment-one spark is too good to be true. Well, that might be because it is: It doesn’t take long for Sheila to fess up to the fact that their spontaneous meeting wasn’t so spontaneous: She’s lived this night dozens of times before, thanks to a magical tanning machine in a nearby nail salon that zaps you back 24 hours in ti...
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever Is the Worst-Reviewed Movie on Rotten Tomatoes — 20 Years Later, Is It Still That Bad?
According to Rotten Tomatoes, there has never been a movie quite like Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever. The 2002 film, which stars Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu as espionage agents on opposite ends of an action-packed conspiracy, turns 20 years old today, and it bears one of the most unfortunate distinctions in the entire entertainment industry: It has 118 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and every single one of them says it’s bad. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever is not the only movie with a 0% on the internet’s best-known review aggregator, but not all the zero-percenters are equal on that site. Even notorious duds like Jaws: The Revenge and Highlander II: The Quickening only have a fraction of the reviews have been logged for Ballistic. The odds that out of 118 critics, not a single one of them ever gave ...
Primavera Sound LA 2022 Was a Festival of the Future with Arctic Monkeys, Nine Inch Nails and More: Recap
Primavera Sound’s approach to live music has been nothing if not influential; since its inaugural edition in Barcelona back in 2001, Primavera Sound’s lineups have expanded in size and scope, but have never lost the futuristic, progressive edge that have captivated fans and festival organizers alike. The heavily curated, forward-thinking selections of music represent some of the most exciting artists around, whether it be in the pop universe or the fringes of genres. Twenty years in, Primavera Sound is expanding to the Americas, including three new editions in South America and one Los Angeles festival, which was originally scheduled to mount in 2020 (before the pandemic cancelled both 2020 and 2021’s festivals). Taking place at Los Angeles Historic State Park last weekend (September 16th-...
Primavera Sound LA 2022 Photo Gallery: Arctic Monkeys, Lorde, Nine Inch Nails, and More
This past weekend (September 16th-18th), Primavera Sound held its inaugural Los Angeles edition at L.A. State Historic Park. Featuring heavy-hitting headlining sets from Arctic Monkeys, Lorde, and Nine Inch Nails, the weekend proved to be a successful American translation of the iconic festival. Amazing sets didn’t stop at the headliners, though, as the festival’s deep lineup did not disappoint. Notable sets came from acts like Arca, Mitski, Clairo, Fontaines DC, Tierra Whack, and Stereolab, as well as Faye Webster, James Blake, Mayhem, and Squid. Check out actions shots of such artists and more below, courtesy of photographer Debi Del Grande, who was on the ground for Consequence all weekend long. Advertisement Related Video [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_...
House of the Dragon Episode 5 Recap: The Worst People in Westeros, Ranked
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon, Season 1 Episode 5, “We Light the Way.” To read last week’s ranking, click here.] Game of Thrones was a show that became famous for the shades of grey to be found in its heroes and villains alike, and so far the prequel series House of the Dragon has shown every indication of following in that proud tradition. Thus, Consequence is happy to bring you Who’s the Worst Person in Westeros, a weekly ranking of House of the Dragon‘s most important characters, and just how unsavory they ended up being each week. Everyone on screen, including dragons, is eligible for this list (though expect for the show’s series regulars to be heavily featured from week to week). Advertisement In “We Light the Way,” there’s a minimal amount o...
Confess, Fletch Review: Jon Hamm Finds His Perfect Post-Mad Men Role
The Pitch: Irwin M. “Fletch” Fletcher (Jon Hamm), an investigative journalist of some repute, arrives in Boston to help his lady friend Angela (Lorenza Izzo) retrieve some of her father’s paintings from an eccentric art dealer (Kyle McLachlan). But before he can unpack his bags, he finds a dead body in the apartment he’s borrowing. Pegged by two homicide detectives (Roy Wood Jr. and Ayden Mayeri) as the primary suspect, Fletch has to clear his name, secure the missing artwork, and fend off the advances of Angela’s stepmother (Marcia Gay Harden). Cards on the Table Time: Since he broke into the global consciousness through his still-outstanding work as morally bankrupt ad man Don Draper in AMC’s Mad Men, Jon Hamm has seemed content to serve as a utility player: For the better part of 15 yea...
Moonage Daydream Captures David Bowie’s Legacy and a Life Lived Magnificently: Review
The Pitch: The new David Bowie documentary, Moonage Daydream, succeeds not only for what it is, but what it isn’t. That has a lot to do with the clichés — and, occasionally, limitations — of the well-trodden format of the music documentary. We know bad ones — or just boilerplate ones — when we see them. They typically open in medias res; the subject mumbles something backstage through celluloid grain and a plume of smoke. Here come the talking heads: Jakob Dylan, Dave Grohl, Bono. The director takes us from the cradle to the grave — and you’re left a few bucks poorer, wondering if this is all music is, in the end. But never fear: Brett Morgen is at the wheel of Moonage Daydream, the new documentary plumbing the depths of Bowie. You may remember Morgen because he directed Kurt Cobain: Monta...
Atlanta Season 4 Remains One of TV’s Most Imaginative and Subversive Series Ever: Review
The Pitch: Since 2016, FX’s Atlanta has proven to audiences that it has no intentions of playing by any rules. Created by and starring multi-hyphenated talent Donald Glover, the story about a broke Ivy League dropout who manages his cousin’s burgeoning rap career while their wacky and aimless friend tags along does not seem like it would become one of television’s most imaginative, subversive, and thought-provoking shows of all time. After four seasons of following Earn, Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), Darius (Lakeith Stanfield), and Earn’s baby’s momma Van (Zazie Beetz), however, that’s exactly what Atlanta has become — and its farewell season is no different. In the fourth and final season of Atlanta, the characters have all fully evolved from the financially unstable and emotionally lost...
See How They Run Review: An Engaging Meta Riff on the Fun of a Whodunnit
The Pitch: In part thanks to Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc, detective stories are having a bit of a moment right now, but stories of mysterious murders have been around for eons, with Agatha Christie being one of the 20th century’s pioneers in the genre. It’s Christie’s legacy that plays a huge role in See How They Run, which takes its inspiration from a famed play of the writer’s, but still has its own original mystery to unfurl. In the new film, directed by first-time feature director Tom George, it’s the 1950s, and a murder has taken place at the theater where Christie’s The Mousetrap has just celebrated its 100th performance. Enter Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) to investigate, with everyone present the night of the death, including producer Petul...
Red Hot Chili Peppers Jam Out at The Apollo Theater for SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series: Recap, Photos and Setlist
After a wild summer of playing sold out stadiums in the US and beyond, Red Hot Chili Peppers returned to New York City to play one of the smallest-capacity shows of their tour on Tuesday night (September 13th). Although The Apollo Theater doesn’t have the size of, say, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, it certainly has the history. “I’m standing where Duke Ellington stood,” said Flea early on in the show, making sure the band paid their respects to one of the most legendary performance venues in the country. Luckily, Red Hot Chili Peppers definitely know how to bring their best to a legendary location like The Apollo. It wasn’t just the venue that made this performance special; the show was set to be recorded and broadcast on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ exclusive SiriusXM channel, Whole Lotta ...
