Type O Negative Interview (Juggernaut Magazine, 1996?)

I dug this interview up after the news of Peter Steele's passing. I kept a copy of this interview I did with him when the After Dark DVD came out. I can't remember what year I did this but found him to be an interesting person to speak to.

Type O Negative
By Rei Nishimoto

After all of his years of performing in front of 1,000 plus audiences, and even after baring it all in an issue of Playgirl, Peter Steele still suffers from stage fright.

Couples Retreat (Valley Scene Magazine, October 2, 2009)

Couples Retreat
By Rei Nishimoto

Finding the humorous side of relationships between people and how they work on it comes in an assortment of ways. Couples therapy is the latest wave of how couples attempt to work on improving their relationships, and the funny can often be found.

Couples Retreat looks at four couples who are all encountering problems. Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell) are one couple who are overly happy except they do a superb job at masking their own problems. As a way to save them from divorce, they choose to take a vacation to a tropical resort in the South Pacific designed to help couples through therapy.

They enlist their other couple friends - the child raising Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman), the loveless yet married Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis), and the newly divorced Shane (Faison Love) and his new much younger girlfriend Trudi (Kali Hawk) - Jason and Cynthia are short on cash and enlist under a group rate. They give the couples a fancy slideshow about the resort, and they are thinking they are about to go have fun. This is where they quickly learn the other couples are about to have their relationships under a microscope like Jason and Cynthia.

They are met by Schtanley (Peter Serafinowicz), the British resort manager who is overseeing their stay. His blunt yet snobbish personality quickly interacts well with the four couples, where brief conflicts over what they expected from the resort and what was about to happen in the story build up naturally.

Another key person in the film in Marcel (Jean Reno), a Zen style therapist and founder of the resort. His methods of trying to work with the couples clashes with their lifestyles and causes tension to each of the couples. His unorthodox methods, such as having the couples disrobe on the beach to swimming in shark-infested waters, is the beginning of many laughs throughout the film.

Each of the couples never dominate throughout the film and compliment each other very well. Jason and Cynthia want others to think they have the perfect marriage except they try to hide their problems from the world. Dave and Ronnie are the couple who are only looking to spend some time away from their two young boys. They also are viewed by the others to have the good life, except they cannot see that. Joey and Lucy are the couple who are too busy seeking other singles on the resort and are too blinded to realize what they have. Plus Shane is trying to impress Trudi by overdoing things.

Part of their resort stay includes sessions with a couple's therapist (played by Ken Jeong, Amy Hill, John Michael Higgins, and Karen David). Each couple has their relationships examined closely, which creates tension for most of them. Their interactions with the therapists expose each of their vulnerabilities, but also creating problems that did not exist before.

Each of them discover each other's troubles, as Shane briefly loses Trudi over a fight and runs off to the single's resort. The rest of the group attempts to help Shane by going across the waters to the resort. During that moment, Cynthia breaks down and tells them about her secret. Joey's wandering eyes leads him towards younger singles he met when they arrived, and Lucy is impressed by the attractive yet flirtatious yoga instructor Salvatore (Carlos Ponce). But throughout their wild adventure, Shane finds what he was looking for, as well as the other three couples in their own wild ways.

This movie is not quite the comedy of the year, but the story is relatable enough for viewers to enjoy and find a few laughs along the way. There is a humorous side to this entire story without getting too ridiculous and becoming distasteful. Couples Retreat is enjoyable from beginning to end, and rarely has a dull moment.

The Invention of Lying (Valley Scene Magazine, October 4, 2009)

The Invention of Lying
By Rei Nishimoto

Imagine a world where people told the truth, regardless of how blatantly true their statement was. In Ricky Gervais' latest film, The Invention of Lying, he created a story about being in an alternate world like this and what the world would be like if no one would ever lie.

The Invention of Lying is a comedic story that is both hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. While many comedies aim towards cheap jokes, this film builds around a story that is relatable to many viewers.

Gervais portrays the character Mark Bellison, a down-on-his-luck, 40s-ish, single, schlubby, and a pessimistic loser, who works as a writer at the fictional Lecture Films Motion Picture Studios. The film starts with him going on a blind date with Anna McDoogles (played by Jennifer Garner), a beautiful yet bluntly forward woman who Mark had a crush on for years, who happened to be the first cousin of his best friend Greg (played by comedian Louis CK).

The two go on their date, where her forwardness practically leads to her shooting him down for another date. This starts the string of bad luck for Mark, including his worst fear of getting fired by Lecture Films. He is openly known as their worst writer at a company who makes films about historical facts read on camera. He was stuck with the 14th Century and specially the Black Plague era. He is openly heckled by his secretary Shelley (played by Tina Fey) and his boss Anthony (played by Jeffrey Tambor), who attempts to fire him every day but is poor at confrontation.

To add insult to injury, his rival Brad Kessler (played by Rob Lowe), rubs in his firing in person. Brad is viewed as the perfect specimen, both professionally and physically, which Mark never was or would be.

While he was suffering through this, his mother (played by Fionnula Flanagan) was in a senior home and was slowly in declining health.

This leads to Mark discovering he has the ability to tell lies. Gervais' dark humored overtone fits Mark very well and especially when this point in the film arrives. His tone comes in softly and brings a comedic touch that is not so over the top.

Once Mark discovers his ability, he shares his newfound knowledge. His friend Frank, his depressive neighbor who is always on the verge of suicide, is given words of encouragement by him. Later, he takes Greg along on a trip to a casino for some gambling, where they win money in the most unorthodox of ways (i.e. cheating). Gervais and CK both interact well, building a good interaction without having to tell vulgar jokes and instead keeping the comedic flow natural.

Mark uses his new powers to gain his job back and gaining revenge against the people who spited him at the film company. He produces a new film about the Black Plague, and eventually earns more money where he buys a mansion. He manages to attract Anna, where this becomes the first twist of the story.

While Mark begins telling his lies to move up in the world, another turning point comes while he is comforting his mother in her deathbed. His words of comfort mistakenly get out to the public, and are viewed as a prophet and a visionary about the afterlife. Crowds of people await Mark to share his words and what he knows. Gervais' subtle character comes across very well in this part of the film, and he shows why his style of writing and acting has attracted a new audience within the comedy world.

The relationship between Mark and Anna becomes the final plot twist in this film, as the two figures out what they truly want from each other. The two unlikely couple brings a moral piece to the story, especially when in this world everything revolves around the truth.

While it may not be the slapstick film of the year, The Invention of Lying does have lots of laughable moments along with moments that will leave a lasting impression. Gervais is slowly showing why he should be recognized for his work besides The Office. This may be the film where he will get his moment.

Evergreen Terrace (AMPMagazine.com)

Evergreen Terrace
by: Rei Nishimoto
Posted on Sep 08, 2009 - 3:17 pm

Evergreen Terrace is one of the bands who have lived and breathed the road life and made a career out of it. For over a decade, they have played to countless fans of hardcore, punk and metal music, and have built their following through hard work and dedication. Starting in Jacksonville, Florida in 1999, they named the band after the Simpsons fictional street they live on. The band has built its sound around aggressive riffs and a strong blend of raw shouted lead vocals and melodic vocals during their choruses. Musically, they mix influences of hardcore, metal and punk that has helped them stand out amongst the scene. With the recent economic difficulties plaguing most people, the band still managed to push through. They overcame uncertainties within the band to create their latest release titled Almost Home. They parted ways with bassist Jason Southwell after their last record, and they recently lost drummer Kyle Mims due to a freak bicycle accident before their most recent tour on the Summer Slob Tour. Caleb James of Casey Jones filled in for the tour.

Guitarist Josh James spoke about the new record, touring with new members, touring, and their love for the Simpsons.

Where are you now?

Josh James: We’re on the last night of the Summer Slob Tour with The Acacia Strain, Cruel Hand and Unholy. We are in Hartford, Connecticut at the Webster Theater. We have a nice 15 hour drive home and have two days off and then we hop on a plane and head to Europe.

How’s the tour going so far?

JJ: It’s been good. There are a lot of tours going on right now and you can definitely see the effects of that. Kids don’t know what they want they want to do this summer. You have Warped Tour, 10 Bands For $10, Summer Slaughter Tour, and the Summer Slob Tour. You have a lot of things going on. The crowds have been good. It’s been a lot of fun. This tour’s definitely had a less serious vibe to it, all because of the theme of being a disgusting slob. It’s made for some interesting nights!

I heard about your drummer’s situation. How’s he doing?

JJ: He just got out of the hospital yesterday. About five days before we left for the tour, him and the guy playing bass for us, they were cruising around on beach cruisers around the neighborhood. Kyle had a brand new bike and the spokes just collapsed. He was about a block from his house and it threw him over the handle bars. It broke his clavicle in three different spots and crushed his elbow. He was rushed to the emergency room. They put a steel plate into his shoulder. Caleb [James] from Casey Jones is filling in on drums. We try to keep in touch with Kyle every day. A week and a half after his surgery, he started getting really sick and went to the emergency room. They found out he had a blood clot in his lung. So he was put in the hospital for a week under observation. He called me and said he just received the bill solely for the clavicle surgery. It was around $40,000! It’s definitely a hard time for him and hard time for the band. Things were looking good. We have a new record about to come out. We have a lot of great tours lined up for the next six months. Something unfortunate as this happens; everybody is trying to stay as positive as we can. We didn’t want to cancel any tours. We were lucky to get Caleb to play drums for us. Kyle’s going through physical therapy and will be back with us in a couple of months.

Caleb will be in long as he is needed then?

JJ: He’s going to do the European run with us right after this tour, which starts next week. After that, we’re doing five and a half weeks with Emmure. That takes us into October. The doctors told him that there is a high chance that he won’t be able to turn his hand so his palm faces up. He’s not sure how that will affect his drumming. He’s trying to stay focused and not let it get to him too much. He’s a tough guy when it comes to bringing him down on things. Hopefully that attitude will come through in a positive way.

Not to bum out the interview, but what was the biggest difference between the making of Almost Home versus past records? I read you used a producer this time around.

JJ: This recording process was completely different than anything else we have ever done. In the past we had gone to one studio. We’ve never had a producer. We were strictly working with the engineer at the studio. This time, we ended up tracking all of the music without a producer. We recorded that in a small studio called Martel Studios in Georgia. We tracked all the vocals, as well as Jason Suecof produced and engineered the record. He just did the new August Burns Red, Job For A Cowboy, Black Dahlia Murder, All That Remains, and Trivium. It was cool and weird at the same time. He didn’t do a whole lot with Craig’s [Chaney] vocals, which are the clean singing vocals. It was cool to have someone step in and looking at it with a completely different perspective. He had Craig try so many things he hadn’t thought of. Obviously we hope one day…we don’t oppose working with a producer. When we started writing the record as far as the songwriting, there was so much going on with the band. Just like any other band was felt it…the economy had a huge impact on us, the impact of the outlook of our personal future, what’s going on in the world, and what is and what is not important. Our bass player [Jason Southwell] of over ten years, he decided it was time for him to call it quits. There were a few months there where it was rocky for us. We didn’t know what the future was. We didn’t know if everybody wanted to do it or if it was worthwhile doing it. Ultimately me and Drew [Andrew Carey, vocals] and Craig and Kyle started writing the songs, everything we were experiencing emotionally and dealing with, everyone started pushing out stuff that was deeper than anything in the past. It seemed like the songs flowed better. I think when listeners hear it they will be able to understand. They will be able to understand and grasp the energy the record holds.

Does the title Almost Home tie into your dealings over the past few years?

JJ: We come up with a bunch of different titles. Then Almost Home was brought up. We tour so much that we’re constantly saying we’re almost home. We’re always thinking of taking a break. It seems like the break never comes. As soon as we come home, we start writing and record. In another sense, when we started the band, it was never the intension to release a record. It was to have some fun and never to go on tour or to make it our career. It seems like throughout those years, I don’t want to say we strayed away from having a good time and having a useful mindset. Reality does kick you in the ass sometimes. It’s hard to not get caught up in the bullshit and becoming an adult and dealing with the problems you deal with. All the things I was talking about earlier, like Jason quitting and the economy, it puts so much pressure on us. When it seemed like we came to our breaking point, where we almost split up, it was a breath of fresh air. It felt like it took us back to home ten years ago where we were. I don’t care if the record fails. I don’t care if the record sells a million copies. That would be great but nobody’s thinking about that. Within the last few records, you have labels and management and other bands and booking agents and all of this bullshit and pressure from all of these people that ‘this record can’t sell! It’s gonna be a success!’ That’s all you’re thinking about. We got to a point where it’s like ‘we don’t give a shit.’ Either it’s gonna do well or it’s not. We can’t control that. All we can do is write songs that we enjoy and other people will like them. It brought us back to the order of the band where we started off.

I noticed on past records many of your songs were inspired by pop culture such as Survivor to Fight Club, amongst others. Did those types of themes inspire the songs on Almost Home?

JJ: We’ve always taken things from pop culture and slid them into the band. There are definitely ideas for lyrics that we’ve gotten from books – tons of titles for songs and records have been from movies and books. A lot of times we’ll hear something funny in a movie and we’ll write a song and we’ll call the song whatever the funny line is in the movie or the clever line is in the book. We don’t really think of the title when we write the lyric. Somehow at the end, the lyrics match the title of the song on the record. There are definitely some pop culture references in Almost Home. There’s a song called ‘I’m A Bullet Proof Tiger’ that is a Kenny Rogers quote from the show Eastbound & Down. There’s nothing lyrically based. I think it was something on Wolfbiker. Everyone was getting into philosophy and the idea of gods and religions. I think reading a lot of those books and lyrics, you could see where we were reading or watching through those lyrics. On Almost Home, it’s heartfelt lyrics and though out lyrics. There’s nothing specifically based from a book or a movie that influenced us in the past.

What’s the deal with the bass player situation? Do you have fill ins for now?

JJ: We made a decision that me, Craig and Drew have been in the band for ten years. Kyle’s been in the band for five years. We wrote the record. Jason our old bass player didn’t really write anything musically. It’s not going to change the writing process or the sound our old bass player didn’t influence in the music. We thought it would be easier for us to instead of having a fifth official member, just having someone to play for tours…it’s one less person to deal with on the business end of things. Also it’s easier that way. We have our friend Chris [Andrews] who formerly played for this band Stretch Arm Strong. He’s playing bass for us now. He’s doing these tours with us for the rest of the year.

So you have two fill in guys for now?

JJ: It’s never happened before. Caleb the guy who’s playing drums for us, he usually does merch for us. We’re used to touring with him. We’re not used to touring with Chris. The first few shows were awkward for us because I’m looking on stage and I’m like ‘who the hell’s on stage with me?’ We’ve all gotten into the groove and I think this group of people have gotten extremely tight and have figured out how and what everybody does live.

I know you had a YouTube page with some video diaries. Are there any plans of doing more in the future?

JJ: That’s something I recently started doing last year. We toured the States so much…whenever I talk to my friends, nobody ever asks about tours from the States. They don’t care what you did in Idaho. Whenever you go to Europe or Australia or Japan, that’s when all of your friends ask ‘how was it? Was it crazy?’ I started making little documentaries whenever we go overseas, mostly to show our friends and family what it’s like over there. I try to film things here and there, and if there’s enough good or humorous footage, we’ll try to put it all together and give people something to watch. Most of them are short and entertaining.

You got the band name from the Simpsons. Now that the Simpsons hit the 20th anniversary mark themselves, does this give you any added motivation to keep the band going another decade?

JJ: The goal is to eventually convince Matt Groening to put us on the Simpsons. Once that happens, then I don’t really care what happens. We know we’ve fulfilled all that we could do. If you want to let Mister Matt know that we’re fully ready to have our episode and just to give us a call.

You’ll do a duet with Bart?

JJ: I’d like to really get down with Homer personally because my stepdad’s name is Homer, as well. He used to get really pissed off when I was a little kid. I used to call him Homer Simpson. He would get furious.

Aliens In The Attic (Valley Scene Magazine, July 24, 2009)

Summer vacation films come with a load of surprises, and especially when it comes from another plant. The surprises in 'Aliens In The Attic' keep view3ers on its feet and rarely leaving a dull moment. It appears this was never part of their family vacation plans.

The movie is an all-out battle between the Pearson family and the aliens "who came from upstairs" and will decide the fate of Planet Earth. Stuart (Kevin Nealon) and his wife Nina (Gillian Vigman) played their summer vacation with their family in a comfortable suburban house in Michigan.

Then there are the kids - the adorable seven-year old Hannah (Ashley Boettcher); the 15-year old Tom, a computer geek whose grades intentionally tanked; and the older sister Bethany (Ashley Tisdale), who is secretly dating an 'older' boyfriend Ricky Dillman (Robert Hoffman).

Stuart decides to band the family together and takes them to an old fashioned retreat in a surburban house away from the things the kids became attatched to, such as video games and computers. The PearsoNana Rose (Doris Roberts) and identical 12-year old twins Art (Henri Young) and Lee (Regan Young). This side of the family is the polar opposite of Stuart's family, as they drive in cranking loud rock music, playing video games and carryingillegal fireworks for the sheer thrill of it all.

An unexpected Ricky also works his way into an overnight visit with the Pearsons. This does not sit well with Tom, as he is the only member of his family who sees through Ricky's shallow ways.

Gradually, as night time falls, dark clouds swirl around the house and then four glowing objects shoot towards the roof. This is where the alien crew of Skip, the tough commander (voiced by J.K. Simmons); Tazer, a muscle-bound enforcer (voiced by Thomas Hayden Church); Razor, a lethal female commandert (voiced by Kari Wahlgren); and Spark, the techie four armed member, who is also the sole non-threatening one (voiced by Josh Peck).

While Tom and Ricky were supposed to be bonding on the roof while fixing their satellite dish, this is when Ricky is taken under a spell of the aliens, due to a high-tech-mind-control device and plug implanted into his brain. Dillman put on quite a performance, as Ricky having to move around at fast speeds into walls and his marionette like portrayals throughout the film. While Ricky is a slimeball as a character, his potrayal was worked in as karmic, payback way by the kids.

Much of this film is focused around the children trying to takr down the aliens. Each of the children's roles plays a key part in the interaction with the aliens. Tom is the brains and figures out how to counteract the aliens' tactics. Bethany is the love struck yet later betrayed whose moods swing throughout the film. ZJake is the crazy one who loves to play with fireworks and blow things up. The twins tinker with the controls they stole from the aliens, and later use to control Ricky, Hannah plays the sensitive one who bonds with the alien Sparks, when he is captured by the kids.

In many ways, this film showed hints of the 1985 hit Goonies, with the kids on an adventure type feel. But unlike the Goonies, Aliens in the Attic is a simplified version without the in depth adventure story that would make it exciting for viewers of all ages to enjoy.

The four aliens each portray a unique personality that comes across well as they attempt their evil ways, inside of the house. Plus their interaction with the kids, especially during the shooting scenes with the potato guns, comes across somewhat predictable but still enough to leave some of the excitement within the story.

Aliens In The Attic is the human versus alien film that the family can enjoy together. While this film does not have the rough 'em up type of story like much of the movies out today, instead it is one of the few movies that people of all ages could enjoy.

Orgy @ Roxy (VISIONS Magazine - January 22, 1999)

Orgy: Los Angeles - The Roxy (22.01.1999)
Autor: Rei Nishimoto
Erschienen in: VISIONS Nr. 74 Author: Rei Nishimoto
Published in: VISIONS No. 74
Support: Professional Murder Music, Hero
Besucher (Visitors): 500

Der Abend wird von zwei Bands eröffnet, in denen ehemalige Mitglieder der verblichenen Band Human Waste Project mitwirken.

The evening is opened by two bands, in which former members of the faded band Human Waste Project participate. At work is Sänger Aimee Echo und Drummer Scott Ellis, together with former Snot members Mike Smith (Guitars) und Jamie Miller, former Drummer, now Bassist. Hero is a lot more melody-driven than HWP and have more in common with Cure or the Beatles than with the grain. For Professional Murder Music are HWP, bassist Jeff Schartoff and ex-Tura satana guitarist Brian Harrah of the meeting. PMM go on wearing experimental Industrial enriched with DJ scratches and chilling background sounds from the synthesizer. Both Professional Murder Music and Hero have already been offers from various labels on the table - there will probably still listen. In the last six months, Orgy, the emerging heroes of the music of the 21st Century, the scene by storm. Their bizarre, some glam, some Gothic-influenced outfit, and the ubiquitous cover of New Orders "Blue Monday", the band from the state to quasi-Stars. Their first appearance in their home city of Los Angeles as the headliner is also definitely a success, well over 400 people fill the Roxy, among them some members of Coal Chamber, Downset, and Limp Bizkit, Orgy, the wish to express their support. The star of the band is clearly the mastermind and vocalist Jay Gordon: Less than two meters tall, spindly and with a hairstyle, which suggests that he deals with Manson and Coal Chamber announced the hairdresser, he immediately draws the attention. What is not surprising, because the rest of the band is not nearly as involved in the show as he delivers an excellent job but as an accompaniment. Orgy define the 80s-wave and synth-rock re-fit, but the zeitgeist of modern synth guitar effects and an extremely dark background. The highlight of the predicted performance is said "Blue Monday" in which an almost familial atmosphere emerges. Orgy optimists see as one of the bands, the hard music in the new millennium may bring. Even if something seems premature - Orgy will make their way.

Asian Dub Foundation @ Troubadour (VISIONS Magazine - March 23, 1999)

Asian Dub Foundation: Los Angeles - Troubadour (23.03.1999)
Author: Rei Nishimoto Published in: VISIONS No. 76
Visitors: 350

The British revolution of new electronic music slowly reached the American coast, and in the form of Asian Dub Foundation. The existing five-man combo, originally from India, break beats mixed with hip-hop, funk, reggae and electronic influences to create a new, fresh sound to modern, with all these styles, new country enters. Together with socially critical lyrics and the fact than Asian living in England, they have in the music world, new doors open. Since the U.S. as opener for the Beastie Boys for the first time already have, they could be an ever-growing popularity of delight. Her most recent appearance in Los Angeles again this was impressively demonstrated. Among the enthusiastic audience was also Rage Against The Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha, who probably also wanted to show his support. Resemblance to him, are not absurd, especially since ADF frontman Master D vocally the reggae version that is de la Rocha represents. Master D and guitarist Chandrasonic are often the audience to the deeper meaning of a song to convey. This is a piece not just down, but like when? crash? the audience indicated that this was the secret behind the world economy going. This is not to say that, as with most rap-metal acts, the rest of the band in the background hidden, and only one or two people in the show included. On the contrary, even Sampler DJ Pandit G and J Sun actively take part in the action and let her run free movement, especially when you agree with an imprisoned hero in a song for his recognition proves. The Asian Dub Foundation, slowly opens up new avenues for the musical future and probably will in the coming years, the leadership style of taking the time is still emerging. Take in eight.