Guitar heroes and heartaches: Howie Day at Ann Arbor’s The Ark

Howie Day

Howie Day

I’m not much for folk music (see my review of Inside Llewyn Davis) or, for that matter, guitar-driven singer/songwriters. So, when our friend Bonnie offered an extra ticket to see Howie Day at Ann Arbor’s The Ark, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I had vague memories of Day as an early aughts pop/rock folkie with the following attributes: an inescapable (and kinda bland) radio hit “Collide,” a reputation as having been Britney Spears’ rehab rebound boy toy, some TMZ-style controversies that involved berating flight attendants and throwing cell phones, and a Russell Crowe-esque fiery temper (that last point being the most intriguing to me).

It’s a shame that this is his legacy to ignorant lay-people like yours truly, because he is phenomenal.

The joy of seeing a musician live when you know pretty much none of their songs is that every tune is a new discovery. (My apologies to those Howie Day fans looking for a set-list or some other detail from tonight’s show. I have no idea what the songs were titled.)

Bonnie and Roy

Bonnie and Roy

Day was such a compelling presence, with just his honey-husky voice, his Liev Schreiber-ish look, a guitar and a microphone, and (his secret weapon) some astonishing gizmo that let him record, dub, layer, and re-layer his own voice and instrumentation in real time. I don’t know how else to describe it.

I’m sure someone out there knows the name for this, but he had a device on the floor that he would tap with his foot and record a snippet of guitar or voice or some other noise that would then loop and repeat and become the accompaniment for any given song. This technique – which was part dusty troubadour, part Ibiza-bound DJ – was transfixing and transporting.

This beat-infused folktronica (lord, I always hated that term, yet here I am using it) offered a surreal soundscape for the heartache dripping from every lyric. While Day gave sparkling between-song  patter (he kept returning to the notion that he really should have seen the film Noah today if he was going to perform at a venue called “The Ark”), every song he played related the tale of someone abandoned by love, by friends, by life. Haunting doesn’t even begin to describe the musical stories he wove.

Shane Piasecki

Shane Piasecki

Opening act Shane Piasecki was a sunny counterpoint to Day’s melodic solemnity. Piasecki – resembling some mashed up hybrid of Ed Norton, Bob Dylan, and James Franco – captivated the audience with his shaggy dog charm, playing guitar and harmonica and vocalizing, with studied casual aplomb. His numbers all had a loping frat boy charm but with a musical sophistication that belied his youthful demeanor. He had the audience in the palm of his hand … and that was prior to him telling us he had to rush back to his mischievous dog at the hotel where he’s staying before the establishment lost every last pillow to the canine’s canines.

If these two wandering minstrels find their way to your town (or somewhere nearby), do not hesitate to check them out. You won’t be disappointed. I, for one, bought all of Piasecki’s musical output (four CDs – $35 in total) at the merchandise table, and Day’s are now added to my Amazon cart for ordering posthaste!

_________________________________

Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! Please check out this coverage from BroadwayWorld of upcoming book launch events. In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan; by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan; and by Memory Lane Gift Shop in Columbia City, Indiana. Bookbound, Common Language, and Memory Lane also have copies of Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series.

“The beat goes on …” Cher’s “Dressed to Kill” tour at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena

Heart of Stone

Heart of Stone

This review of Cher’s “Dressed to Kill” tour stop at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena will not mention anything about how good she looks or how great she sounds or how well she moves or her stamina, all of which seem to be referenced by other reviewers with the qualifier “for her years.” These remarks annoy me for many reasons, chiefly that they are ageist and sexist and demeaning and, well, just plain dumb. Cher is an awe-inspiring pro regardless the era of her storied career.

A Woman's World

A Woman’s World

 

 

 

 

With that disclaimer out of the way, the show kicks ass. Yes, she employs the arena spectacle template that Madonna and Janet Jackson perfected in the 90s, but she definitely makes it her own. (Some might argue that Cher actually invented the genre with her “Take Me Home” tour in the 70s/80s.) There are plenty of Cirque du Soleil style moves from her backup dancers, a thunderously tight band, and all manner of pyrotechnics and digital displays.

And the costumes. Oh, the costumes. Rather famously, Bob Mackie had to withdraw from his long-time professional relationship with Cher because he couldn’t handle the demands of this tour. Well, whoever filled his sequined loafers did a fantastic job. Cher, with a knowing wink to her audience, proceeds seamlessly (pun intended) through just about every iconic outfit of her forty-plus year career, including the ginormous Native American headdress and that leather-thong-up-her-derrière get up.

Cher ... of Troy?

Cher … of Troy?

Unlike some other pop stars, who shall remain nameless, Cher sings full voice throughout, with no apparent backing vocals other than those provided by the onstage backup singers. She doesn’t seem to lip-sync for one moment. I know that should go without saying when you pay exorbitant prices for concert tickets, but I’ve seen plenty of stars in recent years quite obviously mouthing along to prerecorded vocals.

Cher covers all of the major hits, and even some forgotten ones. But her strongest moments are when she breaks through all the Vegas glitz, and talks directly to us in that inimitable, down-to-earth, saucy style.

Her tribute to Sonny Bono is touching without being maudlin, and her overview of her film career is surprisingly moving, given how uneven some of those movies have been.

The Beat Goes On

The Beat Goes On

(At one moment tonight, she let loose a delightfully irreverent diatribe about her addiction to Dr. Pepper and how the company has never given her any swag in her decades of drinking the stuff, save one shabby cooler filled with a lowly six pack after one of her recent shows. She also told the crowd that her cat was rescued from under a tour bus on another concert stop in Detroit years ago. “He’s a Malibu cat now,” she drawled in that distinctive contralto of hers.)

She is at her best when she just stands still and SINGS (!), including “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me,” an underrated gem from her last cinematic foray Burlesque. The song is lyrically perfect for a performer who has launched about four “farewell tours” in the last decade.

Benatar and Giraldo

Benatar and Giraldo

The mod 1960s montage of hits from “The Beat Goes On” through “Half Breed” is also a high point. Cher efficiently glides through those numbers, giving us just enough to remember how much we love those songs and not so much that we realize how darn silly they are.

Opening act, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are outstanding as well. They shred gleefully through all their 80s classics, having a ball tonight as they celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary with all of us at Joe Louis Arena. Benatar’s vocals are crisp and throaty as ever, and Giraldo proves what an amazing guitarist he is over and over. And I really don’t give a hoot about guitarists, but I was impressed.

Finale

Finale

 

Cher and Benatar are wonderful examples of smart, savvy, witty women – no, strike that last word and replace it with people. They have given their all to the entertainment industry and yet retain strikingly distinctive senses of self. Their authenticity should give hope to all the young performers out there who may be tempted to sell their souls to the devil. Cher likely would wink and nod, flip her hair, and say, “Don’t sell your soul to the devil … just give it to him on consignment … whoooaaahhh.”

____________________________

Dinner before at Ferndale's Local Kitchen

Dinner before at Ferndale’s Local Kitchen

 

 

Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! Please check out this coverage from BroadwayWorld of upcoming book launch events. In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan; by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan; and by Memory Lane Gift Shop in Columbia City, Indiana. Bookbound, Common Language, and Memory Lane also have copies of Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series.

“Oh, what a night!” Reel Roy Reviews book launch event at Ann Arbor’s Common Language

Paula Rivera Kerr and Darin Kerr and John Mola

Paula Rivera Kerr and Darin Kerr and John Mola

Wow! What a night! I may be recovering from last night’s book launch at Common Language for weeks (which is going to be tough ’cause there is another fun event scheduled for April 26 at 3 pm at Bookbound in Ann Arbor – I may need to get in some power naps before then).

Event PosterEnjoy these photos from last night, courtesy of expert presenter and photographer John Mola. (You can view more pics here and here.)

Keith Orr

Keith Orr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Keith Orr and Martin Contreras, owners of Common Language, for their generosity as our hosts for the evening. They are wonderful souls! Go now (right now!) to their store and buy lots of stuff. And meet their beautiful, happy, sweet canine rescue mascot Duke.

AudienceThanks to my guinea pigs … er … amazing readers who took part in presenting some of my wilder reviews. Yes, there were accents, cartoon voices, Mad Libs-esque games, saucy asides aplenty, laughter, editorializing, aural mimicry of John Barry’s hypnotically bizarro Black Hole score, and spot-on Xanadu roller boogie choreography.

Lyn Weber

Lyn Weber

 

 

 

After a lovely intro by Keith who had some very encouraging things to say about me being a reviewer who blends the personal and professional in a humorous and (more or less) kind-hearted way (I’m paraphrasing shamelessly!), the rogues gallery rundown of readers (who pretty much unraveled any good will achieved by Keith’s remarks) included the following folks …

Rachel Murphy

Rachel Murphy

 

 

 

Rachel Murphy with “Did you read the book first? Life of Pi“; Lyn Weber with “Never trust a movie with a colon in the title … The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones“; John Mola with “Whatever the hell that is supposed to mean … HBO’s Behind the Candelabra“; Rebecca Biber with “Twerking, tongue all a-twangle: Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz“; Nick Oliverio with “A psychedelic fever dream … for kids! Disney’s The Black Hole“; and Barbara Bruno with “Gene Kelly, sir, you owe us an apology: Xanadu.”

Nick Oliverio

Nick Oliverio

 

I love my talented friends, who made me feel so very special reading these crazy musings of mine. My mom once told me that Quentin Tarantino will show up at friends’ homes and make them listen to his scripts (in development), read aloud by the maestro himself. I totally get that now, as last night I realized (while listening intently, of course!) that I have a tendency to overuse the terms “heebie jeebies,” “balsa wood,” and “skeezy.” I’ll leave it to you to figure out where and how!

 

Thanks again to Keith and Martin for a fun night – they are now carrying copies of Reel Roy Reviews in the store as well as my mom’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter essay collections. (Read her latest Homeward Angle column here.)

And my deepest appreciation for the friends who participated and who attended.

Rebecca Biber

Rebecca Biber

Speaking of friends, while I’m in this giddily self-promotional haze, thanks to new friend Gina Furia Rubel for the following comments about the book. (Gina’s Twitter bio describes her as “CEO of FuriaRubel, a Legal Marketing, Web & Public Relations Agency; media source, speaker, blogger, & attorney who loves travel and photography” … all true! But she is also a warm, very witty, and delightful soul who loves animals and movies. My kind of person!)

 

Barbara Bruno

Barbara Bruno

 

 

 

Gina writes, “If you love movies, wit, snarky commentary and humor as much as me, you will love reading Roy Sexton‘s book, Reel Roy Reviews. Perhaps, Roy, you will solve the riddle of how the $10+ movie ticket and $8 popcorn entitles many of us to ‘armchair quarterbacking’ or answer why the movie Xanadu was ever filmed….”

___________________

books

 

Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! Please check out this coverage from BroadwayWorld of upcoming book launch events. In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan; by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan; and by Memory Lane Gift Shop in Columbia City, Indiana. Bookbound, Common Language, and Memory Lane also have copies of Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series.

Reel Roy Reviews in Ann Arbor Current Magazine + New Amazon Reviews

Thanks to Nan Bauer and Ann Arbor’s Current Magazine for this coverage of the release of Reel Roy Reviews (available at www.open-bks.com, www.reelroyreviews.com, and www.amazon.com). Click images below to read …

Ann Arbor Current

Ann Arbor Current

EPSON MFP imageThanks to Maureen Paraventi for this review on Amazon: “Frequently hilarious, always thoughtful, these reviews were entertaining even when I disagreed with them. (Note to author: Skyfall was NOT a good Bond movie.) I don’t know how Roy Sexton makes the time to see as many movies as he does, but I’m glad he shares his opinions of them with the world, via this book. He includes a host of movies released over the past few years and even revisits some classics. Very well written. Highly recommended for movie lovers.”

Movie fun at AMC Livonia

Movie fun at AMC Livonia

Also, appreciation to Mary Shaull for this entry on Amazon: “I love Roy’s Reel Reviews! He tells it like we wish we could. He expresses himself so cleverly and knowledgeably. I don’t always agree with him, but I always enjoy and delight in his reviews.”

(I’m sensing a theme of occasional disagreement with my little missives here! 🙂 )

Movie fun at AMC Livonia

Movie fun at AMC Livonia

 

To celebrate the book’s launch, two Southeast Michigan booksellers are holding author events in April. Common Language in Ann Arbor (317 Braun Ct.) will host a mixer on Thursday, April 10 at 7 pm. I will be signing books, and theatre colleagues from The Penny Seats (including Rachel Murphy, Lyn Weber, Rebecca Biber, Nick Oliverio, and Barbara Bruno among others) will offer interpretive readings of some of my wilder essays. Light refreshments will be provided.

Movie fun at AMC Livonia

Movie fun at AMC Livonia

Then, Bookbound, also in Ann Arbor (1729 Plymouth Road), will hold a book-signing/Q&A on Saturday, April 26 at 3 pm. Accompanied by local musician and teacher Rebecca Biber, I will sing a few of my favorite movie themes (the ones with words, that is).

___________________

Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! Please check out this coverage from BroadwayWorld of upcoming book launch events. In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan; by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan; and by Memory Lane Gift Shop in Columbia City, Indiana. Bookbound and Memory Lane both also have copies of Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series.

 

Reel Roy Reviews featured in Ann Arbor Life Magazine

Ann Arbor Life coverage of book full_Page_1

The above article (click to view) about Reel Roy Reviews just appeared in Ann Arbor Life Magazine. Thanks to Jennifer Linn-Hartley for her coverage, to Kelly Huddleston for her contribution, and to Dawn Kaczmar and Tony Simler for the photos.

To celebrate the book’s launch, two Southeast Michigan booksellers are holding author events in April. Common Language in Ann Arbor (317 Braun Ct.) will host a mixer on Thursday, April 10 at 7 pm. I will be signing books, and theatre colleagues from The Penny Seats (including Rachel Murphy, Lyn Weber, Rebecca Biber, Nick Oliverio, and Barbara Bruno among others) will offer interpretive readings of some of my wilder essays. Light refreshments will be provided.

Then, Bookbound, also in Ann Arbor (1729 Plymouth Road), will hold a book-signing/Q&A on Saturday, April 26 at 3 pm. Accompanied by local musician and teacher Rebecca Biber, I will sing a few of my favorite movie themes (the ones with words, that is).

Ann Arbor Life coverage of book full_Page_2 Ann Arbor Life coverage of book full_Page_3

___________________

Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! Please check out this coverage from BroadwayWorld of upcoming book launch events. In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan; by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan; and by Memory Lane Gift Shop in Columbia City, Indiana. Bookbound and Memory Lane both also have copies of Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series.

 

Can’t get no respect: Robin Thicke at Detroit’s Fox Theatre

IMG_0614

Unfortunately for Robin Thicke, the son of Hollywood b-listers Alan Thicke and Gloria Loring, he is often seen as the poor man’s Justin Timberlake. He is actually as talented if not more so than JT. But none of us will ever know that, for he has been labeled a skeezy player by most of the major media.

I have enjoyed his music for about 10 or more years now, since he first came on the scene with his Fifth of Beethoven knock-off “When I Get You Alone” still rocking his dreadlocks and a skateboard. Since that time, he has graduated to three-piece suits and a full orchestra backing him up, though for us old fans in the group, he still plays that original hit … sans skateboard.

[Photo by Author]

I saw him at the Fox Theatre  in Detroit, and he was a fantastic throwback to an earlier, Motown-infused era. He proved himself a marvelous multi-hyphenate musician, and he graciously acknowledged his backup band much earlier in the set than anyone I have ever seen, including digital placards of every musician who supported him. It was the epitome of a “jam session” – a notion which usually leaves me cold, but his sheer joy sold it all.

Yes, he ended the show with the uber-popular “Blurred Lines “– a song that apparently has both Camille Paglia and Gloria Steinem in apoplexy. I’m not sure it’s any more offensive than anything else on the radio these days and it’s infinitely more catchy … Marvin Gaye’s family’s lawsuit notwithstanding.

Let me add, though, that I find the video problematic myself. I am not an apologist for Mr. Thicke. I don’t know if “Blurred Lines” director Diane Martel was co-opting the insane imagery of hip-hop videos to make a satirical statement, to be provocative, or to be exploitative. I have been unclear from my first viewing of it. And some days I think Thicke shot himself in the proverbial foot with this clip. Yet, he also had a hit song because of it, as he had bubbled under for over a decade with few people paying attention to his musical talent.

I suspect he feels this conflict too since the live show had very little of that dubious (gross? misogynistic?) iconography, save the occasional Bond girl silhouette on a rear projection screen. It is a sad indictment of our culture that these kind of stunts are required to get anyone to pay attention. A Faustian bargain to be sure.

IMG_0619The live show was an absolute delight, filled with exceptional craft and an infectious love for Detroit. Thicke, who seems to hail from somewhere left of Malibu, knows his audience and definitely can work a crowd, cannily including covers of hits from Michael Jackson and Al Green. He proved himself an exceptional presence, while lacking a bit of Timberlake’s joie de vivre. Regardless, he held the audience enrapt for a lean and efficient 90 minute set. His opening act, DJ Cassidy offered a wonderful range of current and vintage disco and R&B that meshed nicely with Thicke’s set.

While most of the world has decided they don’t like Robin Thicke for some inexplicable reason, his talent is unimpeachable. If he swaggers his way to a venue near you, I urge you to give his show a shot. He is very talented Hollywood progeny who deserves more respect than he tends to get.

___________________

Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! Please check out this coverage from BroadwayWorld of upcoming book launch events! In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan; by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan; and by Memory Lane Gift Shop in Columbia City, Indiana. Bookbound and Memory Lane both also have copies of Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series.

Dewey! Decimal! System! Book makes its debut at the Saline District Library

photo 1Reel Roy Reviews is in the Dewey Decimal System! (Kids, if you don’t know what that means, ask your parents…)

Check out these photos of the book on the shelf at the Saline District Library – thanks to the library for their support!photo 2

And you can always order your own copy by clicking the book cover … over there … up … to the right – there you go!

Save the date! A couple of upcoming book launch events in Southeast Michigan …

photo 4photo 3First up, Common Language in Ann Arbor will host a mixer on Thursday, April 10 at 7 pm.

Then, my pals Megan and Peter at Bookbound, also in Ann Arbor, have scheduled a book-signing/Q&A for Saturday, April 26 at 3 pm.

In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan; by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan; and by Memory Lane Gift Shop in Columbia City, Indiana. Bookbound and Memory Lane both also have copies of Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series.

Around the world with Reel Roy Reviews – plus, save the date for upcoming book events

Fun in the sun with Reel Roy Reviews

Fun in the sun with Reel Roy Reviews

As folks start itching for some springtime fun, Reel Roy Reviews, Vol. 1: Keepin’ It Real is beginning to see the world! Jeff Weisserman emailed photos from beautiful Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic where his wife Barbie is celebrating her birthday with friends. Jeff writes, “Chillin’ by the pool … The Dominican debut of Roy Sexton‘s book …”

Barbie’s dear friend Beth Kennedy (click Beth’s name to read her marvelous blog!) is well into the tome by the look of things as her sun-loving pals cheer her on. (Beth is holding the book in the photo above.)

Rusty Miskovich and Susie Duncan Sexton present Tari her birthday gift

Rusty Miskovich and Susie Duncan Sexton present Tari her birthday gift

In less tropical climes, wonderful Tari Joyce celebrated a very special birthday as well, in this case at the North Side Grille  in Columbia City, Indiana. Susie Duncan Sexton presented Tari with her own copy of Reel Roy Reviews as a gift.

Surrounded by friends, Tari was treated to a lovely evening. Tari notes, “Thanks, Susie, for making my birthday so nice! What great friends I have! Amazing … It was grand!!! Fun was had by all!”

Tari surrounded by her fun-loving pals

Tari surrounded by her fun-loving pals

Save the date! A couple of upcoming book launch events in Southeast Michigan …

First up, Common Language in Ann Arbor will host a mixer on Thursday, April 10 at 7 pm. I will be there signing books, but, even better, some of my theatre friends from The Penny Seats will offer interpretive readings of some of my zanier essays. Yes, there will be crudités … and wine!

Reel Roy Reviews soaks up some rays in Punta Cana

Reel Roy Reviews soaks up some rays in Punta Cana

Then, my pals Megan and Peter at Bookbound, also in Ann Arbor, have scheduled a book-signing/Q&A for Saturday, April 26 at 3 pm. And who knows? There may even be a show tune or two! Their shop is a relatively new addition to the Ann Arbor book scene, and they have such a wonderful spirit of supporting new authors. Check them out!

___________________

Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan; by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan; and by Memory Lane Gift Shop in Columbia City, Indiana. Bookbound and Memory Lane both also have copies of Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series.

More coverage of Reel Roy Reviews, Vol. 1!

Thanks to Washtenaw County Legal News for this coverage of the release of Reel Roy Reviews, Vol. 1! Here’s an excerpt …

Roy Sexton’s first book “Reel Roy Reviews, Vol. 1: Keepin’ It Real” is set for release on the Open Books imprint February 28. Sexton, a resident of Saline/Ann Arbor, launched his entertainment blog of the same name (www.reelroyreviews.com) on Independence Day in 2012 and, nearly two years later, is a published author.

“Reel Roy Reviews, Vol. 1: Keepin’ It Real” is a compilation of essays composed in tribute to (and sometimes frustration with) the art-form known as “cinema” —with a few theatre, music, and concert analyses thrown in for good measure.

If you have trouble reading the scanned version below, click here.

Washtenaw Legal News

Washtenaw Legal News

___________________

Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound in Ann Arbor, Michigan; by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan; and by Memory Lane Gift Shop in Columbia City, Indiana. Bookbound and Memory Lane both also have copies of Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series.

3 … 2 … 1 …. Blast Off! That’s Entertainment!

From my wonderful publisher Open Books

Happy Release Day to Roy Sexton, author of ReelRoyReviews: VOL. 1: KEEPIN’ IT REAL!, a book of film, music, and theatre reviews, coming to a bookstore near you!

Please note that, in addition to online ordering, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound in Ann Arbor, Michigan; by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan; and by Memory Lane Gift Shop in Columbia City, Indiana. Bookbound and Memory Lane both also have copies of Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series.

About Roy’s work, author Susie Duncan Sexton (and Roy’s mom!) writes, “Well, Roy blogs fabulously via his ‘Reel Roy Reviews’ … his rapidly expanding collection of fair and honest and loving critiques; each one shines, as gems always do! Reel Roy’s brilliant, witty, reverent love letters — laced with gentle candor — entice me to leave the house, the sole purpose being to either confirm his evaluations or argue with his appraisals the very next time he visits.”

Roy notes, “One of my earliest memories is going to the movies – perhaps Robin and Marian with Audrey Hepburn and Sean Connery. I would have been four at the time, and I remember zilch about the film itself other than it contained a lot of British accents and rolling green hills and some anachronistic hair-dos. I haven’t seen it since, but I do recall being comforted by the dark stillness of the theatre itself, transfixed by the colorful flickering and the larger-than-life images and sounds. I suppose I fell in love with the visceral aspects of movie-going then and found my way to appreciate film’s more complex narrative pleasures as I grew older.”

Learn more about REEL ROY REVIEWS, VOL 1: KEEPIN’ IT REAL by Roy Sexton at http://www.open-bks.com/library/moderns/reel-roy-reviews/about-book.html. Book can also be ordered at Amazon here.

P.S. Thanks again to Colin McCallister and The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel for this coverage – print version of the article is below…

News Sentinel Coverage

News Sentinel CoverageNews Sentinel Coverage