The Power Pop Movie

 What is Power Pop? End the debate and just donate to The Power Pop Movie! The film will hit the circuits in 2020. Stay in the know here.



Interviews already in the can:

• 20/20 (Ron Flynt)
• The Andersons! (Derrick Anderson, Robbie Rist)
• The Archies (Ron Dante)
• Argent (Rod Argent)
• Baby Lemonade (Jim Laspesa, Mike Randle, Rusty Squeezebox)
• Badfinger (Joey Molland)
• The Balancing Act (Willie Aron)
• Ballzy Tomorrow (Robbie Rist)
• The Bangles (Derrick Anderson, Debbi Peterson, Vicki Peterson)
• Barnes & Barnes (Bill Mumy)
• The Barracudas (Robin Wills, Chris Wilson)
• The Baseball Project (Mike Mills)
• The Bayonets (Brian Ray)
• The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson Band (Tony Asher, Scott Bennett, Jeffrey Foskett, Probyn Gregory)
• The Beat (Paul Collins)
• Big Big Train (Dave Gregory)
• Big Hello (Brad Elvis)
• Big Star / Big Star’s Third (Mitch Easter, Mike Mills, Jody Stephens, Ken Stringfellow)
• Blondie (Clem Burke)
• Blue Ash (Frank Secich)
• Blue Cartoon (Lee Elliott, Dave Loren)
• Bob Cowsill Band (Jim Laspesa)
• The Buckinghams (Carl Giammarese)
• Burning Sensations (Morley Bartnoff)
• Cheap Trick (Bun E. Carlos)
• The Choir (Jim Bonfanti)
• Choo Choo Train (Ric Menck)
• The Click Five (Joseph Guese, Ethan Mentzer, Ben Romans)
• Continental Drifters (Peter Holsapple, Vicki Peterson)
• Cosmo Topper (Morley Bartnoff)
• Cotton Mather (Robert Harrison)
• The Cuff Links (Ron Dante)
• Cyrus Erie (Eric Carmen)
• The Davenports (Scott Klass)
• Dave Davies band (Derrick Anderson, David Jenkins, Jim Laspesa)
• The dB’s (Peter Holsapple)
• Deadbeat Poets (Frank Secich)
• Dirty Diamond (Fernando Perdomo)
• Double Naught Spies (Rick Hromadka)
• Dramarama (Morley Bartnoff, Chris Carter)
• Dreaming in Stereo (Fernando Perdomo)
• The Dwight Twilley Band (Dwight Twilley)
• Ednaswap (Rusty Anderson)
• Eels (Probyn Gregory)
• The Elvis Brothers (Brad Elvis)
• Elvyn (Joel Beerman, Ryan Beerman, Jeremy Knibbs)
• The Empty Hearts (Clem Burke, Elliot Easton)
• Enuff Z’Nuff (Chip Z’Nuff)
• The Everly Set (Sean Altman)
• The Explorers Club (Wyatt Funderburk)
• Falling Wallendas (Scott Bennett)
• Fastball (Miles Zuniga)
• Figures on a Beach (Anthony Kaczynski)
• Fireking (Anthony Kaczynski)
• Flamin’ Groovies (Cyril Jordan, Chris Wilson)
• The Flashcubes (Tommy Allen, Paul Armstrong, Gary Frenay)
• The Floor Models (Steve Simels)
• Fountains of Wayne (Chris Collingwood, Jody Porter, Adam Schlesinger)
• A Fragile Tomorrow (Brendan, Dominic, and Sean Kelly)
• Future Clouds and Radar (Robert Harrison)
• Gigolo Aunts (David Gibbs, Stephen Hurley)
• The Gravelberrys (Paul Myers)
• The Grays (Jason Falkner)
• Green Jello (Jim Laspesa)
• The Grip Weeds (Kristin Pinell Reil, Kurt Reil, Rick Reil)
• The Handcuffs (Brad Elvis)
• The Hudson Brothers (Mark Hudson)
• Imperial Drag (Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.)
• International Swingers (Clem Burke)
• Jellyfish (Jason Falkner, Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.)
• The Jets (Mike Isenberg)
• Jewmongous (Sean Altman)
• John Powhida International Airport (John Powhida)
• Kaliyo (Andrea Perry)
• The Kennedys (Maura Kennedy, Pete Kennedy)
• Klaatu (Terry Draper, John Woloschuk)
• The Knack (Berton Averre, Prescott Niles)
• Kurt Baker Band/Combo (Kurt Baker)
• L.E.O. (Bleu)
• The Leopards (Ross Inden, Dennis Pash)
• Let’s Active (Mitch Easter)
• Linus of Hollywood (Linus Dotson)
• Lisa Mychols 3 (Lisa Mychols)
• The Major Labels (Bleu, Ducky Carlisle)
• Maple Mars (Rick Hromadka)
• Martin Luther Lennon (Anthony Douglas Perkins)
• The Masticators (Lisa Mychols)
• Material Issue (Ted Ansani, Mike Zelenko)
• The Merry-Go-Round (Emitt Rhodes)
• The Merrymakers (David Myhr)
• Ming Tea (Matthew Sweat)
• The Moog Cookbook (Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.)
• The Motion (David Jenkins)
• The Muffs (Ronnie Barnett, Jim Laspesa, Kim Shattuck)
• Mystery Pop (Willie Aron)
• Nazz (Todd Rundgren)
• The Nerves (Peter Case, Paul Collins)
• The New Mendicants (Norman Blake)
• The New Pornographers (Joseph Seiders)
• The Nines (Steve Eggers)
• Nushu (Lisa Mychols)
• Off Broadway (Cliff Johnson)
• The Paley Brothers (Andy Paley, Jonathan Paley)
• The Pandoras (Kim Shattuck)
• The Paul and John (Paul Myers)
• Paul McCartney’s band (Brian Ray)
• The Pengwins (Lannie Flowers, Wade Johnson, Alan Petsche, Delbert Raines, Danny Wilkerson)
• Pezband (Mimi Betinis, Cliff Johnson)
• The Pills (Corin Ashley)
• The Plimsouls (Clem Burke, Peter Case)
• Pop 4 (Andrea Perry)
• Popdudes (John Borack)
• The Posies (Ken Stringfellow)
• Powder (Alec Palao)
• Pugwash (Thomas Walsh)
• The Pursuit of Happiness (Moe Berg)
• The Quick (Danny Benair)
• Raspberries (Jim Bonfanti, Eric Carmen, Scott McCarl)
• Ray Paul & RPM (Ray Paul)
• The Records (John Wicks)
• The Red Button (Seth Swirsky)
• Reggie Knighton Band (Brian Ray)
• REM (Mike Mills)
• Rockapella (Sean Altman)
• The Romantics (Brad Elvis)
• The Rooks (Kristin Pinell Reil)
• Rooney (Taylor Locke)
• The Rubinoos (Jon Rubin)
• Ruby Free (Rick Hromadka)
• The Rudds (John Powhida)
• Rusty Anderson Afternoon (Rusty Anderson)
• Screams (Brad Elvis)
• Secret Powers (Ryan Maynes)
• Second Saturday (Wyatt Funderburk)
• Shoes (Gary Klebe, Jeff Murphy, John Murphy)
• The Skies Of America (Rob Bonfiglio)
• Sloan (Jay Ferguson, Chris Murphy)
• Smash (Tony Valenziano)
• The Smithereens (Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken)Sneetches (Alec Palao)
• sparkle*jets U.K. (Michael Simmons)
• Sparks (Earle Mankey)
• The Stand (Tony Valenziano)
• Stew & The Negro Problem (Morley Bartnoff, Probyn Gregory)
• The Stingrays (John Ferriter)
• Stiv Bators Band (Frank Secich)
• The Super Fuzz (Fernando Perdomo)
• Susanna Hoffs band (Jim Laspesa)
• Taylor Locke and the Roughs (Taylor Locke, Chris Price)
• The Tearaways (John Ferriter)
• Teenage Fanclub (Norman Blake)
• Teenage Head (Dave Rave)
• The Thorns (Matthew Sweet)
• Those Pretty Wrongs (Jody Stephens)
• The Three O’Clock (Danny Benair, Jason Falkner)
• Tin Spirits (Dave Gregory)
• Tinted Windows (Bun E. Carlos, Adam Schlesinger)
• The Toms (Tom Marolda)
• Transcendence (Fernando Perdomo)
• Translator (Steve Barton)
• Tsar (Jeff Whalen)
• TV Eyes (Jason Falkner, Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.)
• The Ultra Suede (Tony Valenziano)
• Utopia (Todd Rundgren)
• Velvet Crush (Ric Menck)
• Wanderlust (Rob Bonfiglio)
• Wild Honey Orchestra (Willie Aron, David Jenkins)
• The Wind (Lane Steinberg)
• Wondermints (Probyn Gregory)
• XTC (Dave Gregory)
• Yorktown Lads (Michael Simmons)
• The Zombies (Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Chris White)

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Women and girls have to fight in many subtle as well as overt ways to own and take ownership of their own bodies. I'm hoping this film tackles a few of those (uncomfortable to discuss or difficult to vocalize) issues.  At a time when women find themselves in fear of losing or already not having rights over their own fucking bodies,  this film deserves a chance.



NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS
Focus Features
Release Date: March 13, 2020

Written and Directed by: Eliza Hittman
Starring: Talia Ryder, Sidney Flanigan, Théodore Pellerin, Ryan Eggold, Sharon Van Etten

Written and directed by Eliza Hittman, the film is an intimate portrayal of two teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania. Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) and her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) embark across state lines to New York City on a fraught journey of friendship, bravery and compassion.

Promising Young Woman

This one looks twisted and interesting and has me written all over it. Full disclosure, I've not yet received a screener.  Based on the trailer and what I've read,  it might be comparable to, but far more extreme than Hard Candy.*  Some people think  Hard Candy was already extreme.  I'm not one of those people.  So bring it on - I'm here for it.


PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
Focus Features
Release Date: April 17, 2020
Written and Directed by: Emerald Fennell
Produced by: Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara, Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Connie Britton, Adam Brody, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, Max Greenfield, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chris Lowell, Sam Richardson, Molly Shannon, Clancy Brown

From visionary director Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) comes a delicious new take on revenge. Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman ... until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future.  But nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be: she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night.  Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past in this thrilling and wildly entertaining story.  


*If you haven't yet seen Hard Candy I recommend it.  It was polarizing upon release in 2005.  Almost the entire film consists of interactions between co-stars Ellen page and Patrick Wilson who play a 14 year old girl and 32 year old man respectively. The pair chat online then meet in real life. I'll leave it there and don't go googling.