G3 Concert Review, Cloverfield Paradox Review, and Science Fiction Movie News

G3 Concert

The G3 project was started by Joe Satriani to bring two other extraordinary guitarists together to play mostly instrumental guitar music on a fun tour. Each iteration of G3 is a different lineup. This year, Dream Theater’s John Petrucci and Def Leppard’s Phil Collen accompanied Joe. As a guitarist, this is a dream tour, especially with two of my favorite guitarists performing.

Phil opened the concert with his new blues band, Sugar Shack. Which surprised me – I didn’t know he had a bluesy streak. Don’t think he forgot the rock, though. This was one rocking blues set! I’ve always thought he was an accomplished guitarist, but not only is he versatile, the man’s got some scary fast fingers. Phil ripped through songs and solos with ease while backed up by the only singer of the evening.

Then came John… I’m a huge fan and possibly biased, but he’s one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Backed by fellow Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini and a bassist, he proceeded to bring the house down with a blistering set of guitar virtuosity. The crowd went berserk! In his own words, he was there to bring the metal. It was mind blowing. He literally humbled an entire room filled with mostly amateur guitarists. If the show had ended with an alien ship taking John back to his home planet, I wouldn’t have been surprised.

Then came Joe… Oozing with coolness and the confidence of a man who has mastered his instrument. Joe is just so much fun to watch. Not only is he an amazing musician but a great front man – he knows how to entertain the crowd. His set contained a lot of songs from his new album which was fine by me as the latest album is incredible. His playing is so effortless. He pulls off runs and fingering that most guitarists would find impossible, but it’s just so easy for him. His guitar is literally a voice that sings every song.

And then came all three… with no disrespect to Phil, watching John and Joe trade licks was phenomenal. They ripped through Highway Star by Deep Purple and Superstition by Stevie Wonder with plenty of time in the middle for riffing and soloing. Judging from the grins of all three men, they were having the time of their life playing together.

I knew I’d enjoy this show but not that I’d love it as much as I did. Truly a guitarists’ dream come true and a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Cloverfield Paradox Review

Due to an energy crisis on Earth, the Cloverfield Station is testing a particle accelerator in space when things go wrong and it opens a portal to another dimension.
Like the last Cloverfield movie, the monsters take a back seat to the people. Most of the story focuses on the crew and their attempt to sort out the strange happenings and get back to their own Earth. It also jumps to the husband of one of the crew members and his attempt to survive whatever is now happening on the ground.
The story is intense. While the film Life was predictable and often just dumb, this one plays it smart and keeps you guessing. The acting is also top-notch.
The special effects are incredible – NetFlix spared no expense. It’s a big-budget movie release and I would’ve paid money to see it in the theater.
Some critics think it’s a weak entry that doesn’t explain anything. I thought it fit nicely with the others (and they are all very different from one another) and added more clues as to where the monsters came from.
My personal theory – all three movies represent different dimensions. The station’s test tore a hole in the fabric of space and time, a dimensional riff possibly even on a quantum mechanics level. All of the films show a different dimension disrupted by monsters and a general breakdown in reality. (That’s my belief until the next movie proves me wrong!)
Streaming on NetFlix, I highly recommend it.

Science Fiction Movie/Show News

JoBlo featured the Justice League Deleted Scene - Superman Black Suit. (You only need to watch the first minute here or on YouTube. ) Justice League hits Digital HD February 13 and Blue-ray March 13.

Recently announced - Stranger Things season three will have eight episodes. They are also giving Will a break. According to SyFyWire:
The other thing fans can look forward to is the show being set a year later. With the time it takes to film a season, and the rate at which kids age, creator Matt Duffer explained the time jump. "It forces the show to evolve and change, because the kids are changing," he told The Hollywood Reporter last year. "It's cool, though. The audience is going to be able to watch these kids come of age every year. The closest example is Harry Potter. Watching those kids and actors grow up in front of the camera was, to me, very powerful."

Second Deadpool trailer (which is very funny!):

Fun bit of trivia from SyFyWire – if you play the first and third Cloverfield movies in sync side-by-side, something wild happens:
In the original Cloverfield, the monster-earthquake that signals the start of all the alien creature chaos occurs at exactly the same moment as Paradox’s system-overloading particle accelerator comes to life, tearing open a dimensional rift that sends the crew of astronauts to an alternate dimension.
It’s a jolting moment with character reactions that precisely line up in each film, and it’s easy to believe that it’s something Paradox’s creators meant to do. But, producer J.J. Abrams confessed to fans in a recent Facebook Live Q&A that — while really cool — the whole thing is nothing more than a “bizarre coincidence.”

Finally, the Teaser Trailer for Venom:

Plus don’t forget – Black Panther comes out February 16!

Fan of Joe, John, Phil, or their bands? Have you watched The Cloverfield Paradox? Enjoy the trailers? And did you enjoy all of the IWSG posts about favorite genres?

Since Monday, February 19 is a holiday, I’ll be offline and not posting. (Check my Twitter for my thoughts on Black Panther or wait until February 26 for a review here.) Enjoy President’s Day weekend and the Winter Olympic games!

And I’m visiting Untethered Realms on Tuesday and discussing the realities of space travel!