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June 19, 2013

Latest: A Cleaner BigO Homepage

Sure, Robert Downey Jr's wit and charm as Iron Man is endearing, to a point, but after all the digitized bang-bangs in Shane Black's Iron Man 3 (2013), the real question is: why on Earth should we care? By Critic After Dark Noel Vera.

And the celebration continues with Iron Man 3, where billionaire industrialist (only in comic books - and, by extension, the movies - can this be considered a respectable appellation) Tony Stark has his toys taken away from him and he's reduced, so to speak, to playing with the cardboard box.

Director Shane Black (who co-wrote the script with TV writing and producing veteran Drew Pearce) almost manages to get away with it, only the fight sequences don't quite emphasize the qualitative difference between Stark's exoskeleton armor and people who are themselves living weapons (you'd think said living weapons would be more agile, or graceful, or adaptable).

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Free Downloads: This Week's New MP3s
(Click on the link to download the show)

Latest: Jerry Garcia Band
San Francisco 1989 (R.I.P. Big Man 1942-2011)

Latest: Jonathan Richman
Songs For Laura 1974

Latest: Michel Legrand
Helsinki 2013

Latest: Jim Croce
Final Show - Louisiana 1973

John Stewart
Mill Valley 1990

The Chambers Brothers
Mill Valley 1991

George Harrison
Acoustic Masterpieces

Michael Jackson
Yokohama 1987

John Fogerty
El Rey, Los Angeles 2013 (soundboard); Poster added

Youn Sun Nah and Ulf Wakenius
Frankfurt 2013

Joni Mitchell
Forest Hills 1979

The Rolling Stones
Chicago, Third Night - June 3, 2013

Moby Grape
San Francisco 1974

It's A Beautiful Day
Demos

David Bowie
White Light

ABC
London 2009

Van Cliburn (with the Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Boston 1958

Mike Bloomfield
New York 1975

Wendy Waldman
Roslyn 1977 (79?)

Ornette Coleman
New York 1987

John Fogerty
Los Angeles 2013

Paul McCartney
Austin 2013

Magnolia Electric Co
Stuttgart 2009

Restart

Latest: White Stripes
Glastonbury 2005

David Murray
Philadelphia 1975

Ike and Tina Turner
River Deep, Mountain High Outtakes

Procol Harum
Hollywood Bowl 1973

Linda Ronstadt
Ultrasonic Studios 1990

Stills-Young Band
Empty Ocean Road 1976

Rickie Lee Jones
Philadelphia 2009

A Coltrane Serenade
New York 1991

Dawn Landes
Paris 2007

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(Readers can email us a request to reopen closed shows.)

Long Live Rock! [BigO Audio Archive]

New ROIOs*
Nico, John Cale & Brian Eno - Berlin 1974: FIXED
John Martyn - Bologna, Italy 1977: Emperor Nobody Remaster
Linda Ronstadt - Boston Music Hall 1976 JEMS Transfer 2013
Patti Smith - Live in Rome 2013: FM Radio2 Live
Yuna - Pasadena 2012
Bob Marley & The Wailers - One Love Peace Concert 1978: No Cuts
Bob Marley & The Wailers - A Smokeyroom Dub Collection 1974 - 1984
(Bob Marley &) The Wailers - Max's Kansas City 1973 aka Set 3: JEMS Archive Upgrade PITCH CORRECTION
Genesis - Live in Wembley 1975: COMPLETE SHOW IN QUAD and STEREO
Fleetwood Mac - First Show 2013, Columbus Ohio
The Swingle Singers with the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala di Milano (cond. Ingo Metzmacher) - Symphonie, per otto voci e orchestra (1968) by Luciano Berio
Thin Lizzy - Drugs & Booze: Hammersmith Odeon 1981
Various - March On Washington For Jobs & Freedom 1963
Rory Gallagher - Not The Rollers Maniac!: A Mr Peach Recording
Arthur Brown, The Crazy World Of - Schaefer Music Festival 1969
Natasha Borzilova - Chicago 2013
Fratelli Mancuso, Memento Domini di Mussomeli, Lamentatori di Marianopoli - Canti Della Passione, Ravenna Festival 2011
Arvo Part - Portrait 8
Miles Davis Octet - Oviedo, Spain 1986: Previously Uncirculated SBD
The New Tony Williams Lifetime - Gabe & Walkers, Iowa City 1976
Roger Waters - The Happiest Night of Our Lives
Yes - Holmdel, New Jersey 1984
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Sydney 2013
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Somebody Tried to Blow Us Up Tonight: ER Archives via JEMS 2013
Linda Ronstadt w/Marian McPartland - Piano Jazz in Worchester 2005
Elvis Presley - Alternate '70s Masters Vol 5
Led Zeppelin - "Studio Magik Sessions 1968-1980"
John Denver - Philadelphia Folk Festival 1968
Eric Clapton - Austin Texas, Third show of 2013 U.S. Tour
Kevin Ayers and The Wizards of Twiddly - Soligen, Germany 1995: The Complete Night
Jackson Browne - Clark University 1974: FIXED w Correct date
Budgie - Electric Ballroom, Milwaukee 1978
The Carpenters - Live in Amsterdam 1976
*Recordings of indeterminate origin
Click here for complete list

New DVD Archive Of Rare Films
Psy - Happening 2013
Jay-Z and friends - Made In America Festival 2012
Sheryl Crow with Warren Haynes - Warren Haynes 24th Christmas Jam: Blu-ray Disc 2
String Cheese Incident with Warren Haynes - Warren Haynes 24th Christmas Jam: Blu-ray Disc 3
Warren Haynes Band - Warren Haynes 24th Christmas Jam: Blu-ray Disc 4
David Bowie - Discovering Bowie
David Bowie - Cracked Actor Widescreen: 2013 broadcast
Bat For Lashes - Coachella, CA, 2013
Esperanza Spalding - "AVO Session 2012"
Various - Totally British 70s Rock n Roll Vol 1 BBC 2013
Various - Totally British 70s Rock n Roll Vol 2 BBC 2013
Various - Beat-Club Treasures From The Vaults: The 70's Compilation
Emeli Sande - BBC Theatre 2013
Justin Timberlake & Friends - Saturday Night Live S38E16, March 2013
Stevie Wonder & Friends - A Message Of Peace UN Concert 2012: EDITED HD VERSION
Graham Parker - Don't Ask Me Questions: BBC4
Graham Parker and the Rumour - Sight and Sound In Concert 1977: BBC4 rebroadcast 2013
Madness - Goodbye 2013 HDTV
Miles Davis Septet - Vienna 1973
Katie Melua - Avo Session 2012, Basel
VARIOUS - RockPop 1979 Vol 8
VARIOUS - RockPop 1979 Vol 9

Audio

ROIO Of The Week
Michael Jackson - Yokohama 1987 [no label, 2CD] Live at the Yokohama Stadium, Yokohama, Japan; September 26, 1987. Excellent radio broadcast. Long live the king.
Click here to find out more and to download free MP3s.

Features

The Judicial Lynching of Bradley Manning

The trial of Bradley Manning borders on inhuman rights. The whistleblower has been told the material he revealed is classified, hence it cannot be mentioned in court so he cannot argue why he released the information. Manning is also forbidden by the court to challenge the government's unverified assertion that he harmed national security. All that's missing is the kangaroo. By Chris Hedges.

The military trial of Bradley Manning is a judicial lynching. The government has effectively muzzled the defense team. The Army private first class is not permitted to argue that he had a moral and legal obligation under international law to make public the war crimes he uncovered. The documents that detail the crimes, torture and killing Manning revealed, because they are classified, have been barred from discussion in court, effectively removing the fundamental issue of war crimes from the trial.

Manning is forbidden by the court to challenge the government's unverified assertion that he harmed national security. Lead defense attorney David E. Coombs said during pretrial proceedings that the judge's refusal to permit information on the lack of actual damage from the leaks would "eliminate a viable defense, and cut defense off at the knees." And this is what has happened.

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Edward Snowden: The Whistleblower Behind The NSA Surveillance Revelations

The 29-year-old source behind the biggest intelligence leak in the NSA's history will be a person hated and feared by pragmatists. For a man of principle cannot be bought. Neither will he be cowed. Why he has chosen Hong Kong, a part of Communist China, to stay in says a lot about America today. By Glenn Greenwald, Ewen MacAskill and Laura Poitras of The Guardian in Hong Kong.

The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security Agency (NSA) for the last four years as an employee of various outside contractors, including Booz Allen and Dell.

The Guardian, after several days of interviews, is revealing his identity at his request. From the moment he decided to disclose numerous top-secret documents to the public, he was determined not to opt for the protection of anonymity. "I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong," he said.

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Shakin' All Over [the noize]

Can The Circle Be Unbroken?
Everyone needs to do a pilgrimage. The Muslims head to Mecca for the Haj. Tibetan Buddhists bow in supplication for miles to reach their hallowed temple. For us, rock devotees, we go to record stores around the world. It's our kind of church. From Jalan Surabaya in Indonesia to Yongsan in South Korea, the faithful are called. Philip Cheah records his journey to the rock n roll holy land - Memphis, Tennessee.
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Bono: Mascot Of Neoliberalism
The few who dislike the mannerisms of U2's Bono, now have a hefty body of evidence to refer to. The Rock & Rap Confidential man, Dave Marsh, reports.
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The Soundtrack Of Imperial Revisionism
Composer-for-hire Alex Desplat makes winners out of losers. By David Yearsley.
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I Can See For Miles [cinelife]

Play Ball
In Yudai Yamaguchi's Deadball (2011), giving the inmates at a reformatory a hand means sticking up the arm into the ass for a body search but that's the least of their troubles when the next game is against the psycho-butchers of an all-girls team. Stephen Tan reviews.
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Puzzle Of A Downfall Model
What price beauty and being a cover star? Mika Ninagawa's Helter Skelter (2012) looks at the life of model whose face, body and fame start to literally fall apart. Stephen Tan reviews.
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No Pain, No Gain
Imagine a serum that will instantly turn your pain into pleasure. In Hisayasu Sato's splatter-porn Pleasure Kill (1987), what was initially an interesting idea turns into a bloody bloodbath when a young boy with serious mother issues start testing the serum on unsuspecting girls. Stephen Tan reviews.
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A Saucy Journey To The West
By turning a key character into a nun who does not abstain from sex - and it is all for a good cause - this 2005 Journey To The West simply takes the mickey out of the Chinese classic story, especially Monkey with his extending Magic Wand. Stephen Tan reviews.
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I Can't Explain [world affairs]

The Social Costs Of Capitalism
Paul Craig Roberts writes "there is a high social cost from corporate executives pursuing short-term profits in order to maximize their performance bonuses". Don't worry $ingaporeans, all our government overseas investments are for the unforseeable "long term". John Maynard Keynes said, "by then, you'll be dead." What me worry?
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Why Disinformation Works
Truth hurts. Not only that, it's a pain. Most people, according to the big guy, the guy who holds all the power, can't handle the truth. That's where a simpler lie works better. Just a teeny, weenie, little white one. Paul Craig Roberts explains.
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Washington Signals Dollar Deep Concerns
It all started at the end of 2007 with the U.S. sub-prime crisis that should have crippled that economy. The Americans printed money to pay their way out. With that move, there was talk of replacing the dollar as the world's currency. Then the Euro got weakened and now the problem is at Japan's doorstep. It's a game of too big to fail. And the U.S. are the BIGGEST. By Paul Craig Roberts.
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Bush's Legacy
Just in case you have forgotten, what cause was the Coalition of The Willing fighting for in March 2003? What are its results? William Blum writes.
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Movie Reviews

The Great Gatsby
Dir: Baz Lurhman
To Critic After Dark Noel Vera, Baz Lurhman's The Great Gatsby is anything but. One of the first things that grates is how loud the movie is - how it shrieks out plot points in advance, heavily underlines them, and highlights them several times over with a screaming bright-pink marker, and floats the relevant text in man-high letters across the big screen.
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Star Trek Into Darkness
Dir: JJ Abrams
When JJ Abrams remade Star Trek, he practically created a new universe and, on this second outting, Into Darkness (2013), he expanded the canvas by having even more action and bringing back an old foe in new guise. Spoilers alert - so don't boldly go as Critic After Dark Noel Vera obviously relishes taking this particular warp drive.
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Spring Breakers
Dir: Harmony Korine
Maybe Harmony Korine figured big names like James Franco and Selena Gomez and the allure of girls flashing their nipples are enough for Spring Breakers but as Critic After Dark Noel Vera says, the film's only like a day-glo g-string in the dank Miami night.
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Evil Dead
Dir: Fede Alvarez
Fede Alvarez's retooling of Evil Dead (2013) might even be good genre filmmaking but, as Critic After Dark Noel Vera says, the granddaddy of them all is still the "original": Sam Raimi's Evil Dead 2 - the cabin-in-the-woods flick to end all cabin-in-the-woods flicks.
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