Judge Dredd Returns in 3D

Judge Dredd is a fictional character whose comic strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running, having been featured there since its second issue in 1977. Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner. Dredd and his fellow Judges are empowered to arrest, sentence, and even execute criminals on the spot. The character was created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra, and Pat Mills. Dredd returns Friday in an all new reboot in 3D.

Dredd is amongst the UK's best known home-grown comic characters. So great is the character's name recognition that his name is sometimes invoked over similar issues to those explored by the comic series, such as the police state, authoritarianism, and the rule of law. Dredd was named the Seventh Greatest Comic Character by the British magazine Empire. In 2011, IGN ranked him 35th in the Top 100 Comic Book Heroes.

For those unfamiliar with the plot, characters and casting of Dredd: "DREDD takes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot – if necessary. Dredd’s latest challenge is Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), the matriarch of a gang that sells a reality-altering drug known as SLO-MO to the residents of Mega City One. With the help of a young trainee (Olivia Thirlby), Dredd must venture into some of the city’s worst places to dispense his ruthless brand of justice.

Screenrant's Kofi Outlaw interviewed Dredd's creator John Wagner on his views of the new Dredd film as well as the 1996 version with Sylvester Stallone.

"The Judge Dredd reboot film Dredd has had a few question marks hanging over it. With news of behind-the-scenes troubles, a modest budget, and a cast of actors who are hardly household names (though their star meters are rising), this film is far from being a guaranteed hit – let alone a worthwhile attempt to correct the mistakes of the 1995 Judge Dredd film starring Sylvester Stallone.

Adding to the concern over Dredd is the fact that we haven’t seen any sort of footage yet - even though the film has been in post-production for months now. The few things we have seen include storyboards and a few set pics - but honestly, they don’t do much to tell us about the tone, style, or overall quality of Dredd. Considering what the intentions are with this film, being able to get a sense of how it compares to its predecessor – or how it relates to the source material – is really everything.

Judge Dredd creator John Wagner stepped out for a rare interview with Hero Complex recently, and had a few points of praise for the reboot, as well as some reserved criticism of the Stallone film, and how this new version differs from the ’90s version.

Starting with how Wagner views the original film:

JW: My views haven’t changed, though apart from my initial viewing I haven’t seen the film since it came out. They told the wrong story — it didn’t have that much to do with Dredd the character as we know him. I don’t think Stallone was a bad Dredd, though it would have been better and lent him more cred if he hadn’t revealed his face. He was just Dredd in the wrong story. I envy their budget, though. Some of the CGI was very good, and the re-creations of the Angel Gang and the robot. The robot actually came from a Pat Mills story and didn’t belong in Dredd, but it looked good. If the plot had revolved around characters like them the film would have been more successful.

Regarding some of the more promising things Wagner sees in the reboot:

JW: The plot is about Dredd and his world. It’s impossible to cover every aspect of the character and his city – perhaps that was one of the failings of the first film; they tried to do too much and ended up with not a lot. “Dredd” homes in on the essential job of judging – instant justice in a violent future city. I like the actors, they’re well cast and they handled their parts well. Olivia Thirlby is perfect as Anderson, the young psi judge. She gives the character a touching vulnerability. Karl Urban will not remove his helmet and will not kiss his costar.

It’s encouraging to hear the creator of the character praising this new approach to putting Judge Dredd on the big screen. However, I think it’s safe to say that most of us won’t be swayed until we see some actual footage that proves director Pete Travis (Vantage Point) has captured the dark and gritty tone of the early 2000 A.D. comics – that Karl Urban is convincingly badass as Dredd – and that the approach of having a protagonist whose face we never see, and who has no love interest to speak of, is one that works as well in a movie as it has on the page…"

Dredd will be in theaters on September 21, 2012.

The Jeffrey Chin Trio and Margo LeDuc Comes to the Cadillac

This Friday's "Concerts at the Cadillac" series sees the return of pianist Jeffrey Chin and his trio, with bassist Myron Dove and drummer Billy Johnson. Joining Chin and his trio is the renown vocalist Margo LeDuc. This concert also marks the passing of the Cadillac's founder Leroy Looper a year ago, and where Chin gave one of his most memorable performances.

Chin has been playing piano since the age of six, when he began his formal musical training in classical piano under the tutlelage of Julia McCaslin and Samuel Rodetsky. During that time, he won numerous scholarships and awards, performing regularly in many open competitions and recitals. After eight years of private lessons, his interests began to blossom; he branched out and taught himself to play many other styles and types of music, including what would eventually turn out to be his passion...jazz. Chin currently owns and runs his own recording studio, production company, music publishing company and independent record label.

LeDuc has been performing for over 20 years, supporting artists such as Michael McDonald, Deniece Williams, Jeffrey Osborne, Brenda Russell and The Gap Band. Le Duc also performs session work for artists such as international performer Sharon Cuneta and hip-hop performer Baby Bash. She has also opened for Jay Leno in Las Vegas.

"Outside of the barrage of nightclub gigs and casuals that most cats do while they're coming up," writes Chin, "My first real gig came the summer after I graduated from high school. We played four consecutive sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden with Luther Vandross, Chic and Larry Graham. Since the opening moment of that first show, there has really never been any doubt as to what I wanted to do with the rest of my life..."

The Jeffrey Chin Trio with Margo LeDuc
Cadillac Hotel 380 Eddy Street
Friday, September 14, at 12:30 p.m.
Admission is free.

Jack DeJohnette's Trio Comes to Yoshi's

If you haven't had a chance to catch drummer Jack DeJohnette's incredible trio, featuring virtuoso pianist Chick Corea and bassist Stanley Clarke, you'll have to settle for the 10:00 pm shows Friday and Saturday night at Yoshi's on Fillmore. All of the 8:00 pm shows have been sold out, and rightly so. Born in Chicago in 1942, DeJohnette is widely regarded as one of jazz music's greatest drummers. Part of a four night "birthday celebration", the 70 year old DeJohnette has been delighting audiences on this tour and has shown no signs of slowing down.

Jack DeJohnette has collaborated with most major figures in jazz history.  Some of the great talents he has worked with are John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Sun Ra, Jackie McLean, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Keith Jarrett, Chet Baker, George Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Ron Carter, Lee Morgan, Charles Lloyd, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter and Eddie Harris.

DeJohnette's drumming, though originally influenced by masters including Max Roach, Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Art Taylor, Rashied Ali, Paul Motian, Tony Williams, and Andrew Cyrelle, has long drawn from sources beyond “jazz.”  More than thirty years ago, he was already describing his work as “multi-directional music.”

“As a child I listened to all kinds of music and I never put them into categories. I had formal lessons on piano and listened to opera, country and western music, rhythm and blues, jazz, swing, whatever.  To me, it was all music and great.  I've kept that integrated feeling about music, all types of music, and just carried it with me.  I've maintained that belief and feeling in spite of the ongoing trend to try and compartmentalize people and music.”

Jack’s wide-ranging style, capable of playing in any idiom while still maintaining a well-defined voice keeps him in constant demand as a drummer, bandleader, and as a sideman. 

On January 10, 2012 Jack was honored as a recipient of a 2012 NEA Jazz Master Award for his lifetime achievement.  He has been recognized for his extraordinary contribution to advancing the jazz art form and for serving as a mentor for a new generation of young aspiring jazz musicians.

THE JACK DEJOHNETTE TRIO feat. Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke
Yoshi's San Francisco on Fillmore
Sep 05-Sep 8, 2012
FRI. 8pm $50 SOLD OUT /
10pm $50 (limited tickets remain)
SAT. 8pm $60 SOLD OUT /
10pm $60 (limited tickets remain)