#10: Iron Man, Local H, and Roots and Influences

After a small delay involving missing audio files, Rock and Reel is back for a grand episode number 10. With double-digits comes a show that's as packed as ever with goodness.

This episode, Kevin and I talk all about the first big summer blockbuster, "Iron Man". With Kevin being a huge comic book geek and my own hands almost never having touched a comic book before, we technically have the bases covered for those familiar with the back story to those who just went simply because it looked cool and Robert Downey Jr. is awesome in general. But despite these good signs for the film, did it pass our litmus test for a superhero film? Listen and find out.

Following that, we give our Album of the Week a Chicago-centric touch by reviewing the new record by Local H, titled "12 Angry Months". It's a concept album about the ups and downs (mostly downs) of ending a relationship. Singer Scott Lucas reportedly wrote it after a year of struggling when his girlfriend broke up with him. The idea is nothing new, however does it sound fresh? And where does it stand in terms of the Local H catalogue? We've got the scoop for you.

To help wrap things up, we're introducing a new segment that's music-focused, aptly titled Roots and Influences. The concept is easy in that we talk about the various bands and artists that have played a major role in the development of sound for another particular band or artist. For our first Roots and Influences we keep with the Local H theme and discuss how their sound has evolved. You'll also be able to hear a couple songs by some of the bands we mention, so if you're a fan of grunge and punk this is not to be missed.

Next episode we'll be reviewing the movie "Redbelt" starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tim Allen, and we'll also give our opinions on the new Death Cab for Cutie album "Narrow Stairs." Check back for that soon!

0:00-0:51 Intro
0:51-21:05 Movie Review: Iron Man
21:05-38:41 Album of the Week: Local H - 12 Angry Months (feat. song "Jesus Christ, Did You See The Size Of That Sperm Whale?")
38:41-1:00:50 Roots and Influences (new segment!): Local H (feat. songs by Nirvana and Cheap Trick)
1:00:50-1:02:47 Closing/Preview of Next Week

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#9: The Comedy Show - Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Flight of the Conchords, Please Kill Me Now

Hahahahaha! It's time for a brand new episode of Rock and Reel, this time dubbed "The Comedy Show," because we talk about all sorts of comedy-related things. Here's the text-filled details of what you can find on the audio of this grand Episode Nine:

We give our review of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," starring Jason Segel from the TV show "How I Met Your Mother," (fyi he was also in "Knocked Up" in a small role, as well as "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared" for those of you who are nuts about those sorts of details). Speaking of "nuts," aside from Segel's nude scene, we also talk about how good this comedy is and whether or not it's a modern day "classic" as some critics have already carefully stated. There's also a moment in here where Kevin and I have a really good laugh over certain comments.

Following that, we talk about the new album from New Zealand's 4th most popular folk parody duo known as Flight of the Conchords. Their self-titled debut is in stores now, and it follows a successful first season of their HBO show, which is coincidentally also on DVD. Find out if we think the CD filled with songs from that show is worth your time.

Finally, we introduce a new segment titled "Please Kill Me Now," in which we watch bad movies so you don't have to, and then describe the ways in which we'd like to be killed rather than watch the film again. For our inagural discussion we tackle the now-failed classic video game film "Street Fighter" from the 90s, starring most notably Jean-Claude Van Damme. 'Tis a thing of laughable beauty.

Next episode: We talk about the first big blockbuster of the summer, "Iron Man," along with the new album from Chicago band Local H, titled "12 Angry Months."

0:00-1:15 Intro
1:15-28:15 Movie Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
28:15-42:33 Album of the Week: Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords (feat. song "Bowie")
42:33-55:51 Please Kill Me Now (new segment!): Street Fighter
55:51-56:36 Closing

(click on the podcast icon above for the show, or subscribe with podcatcher software)

Subscribe and let us know what you think! Email us your comments, questions, and death threats.

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