Ever since the trailer for the film X-men Apocalypse released back in December, we've been talking about how the character Quicksilver (played by Evan Peters) is seen wearing a vintage Moving Pictures t-shirt (the film is set in 1983). The movie released over Memorial Day weekend and the t-shirt isn't the only Rush reference in the film. When Quicksilver is introduced towards the beginning of the movie, he's shown in his parent's basement (where he lives) and both a Rush Signals poster and a Moving Pictures poster can be seen on the wall as shown in this image (it's blurry, but you can make out the posters on the left). There's also a neat reference right at the end of the film where Quicksilver is wearing a cast on his leg and I Luv Rush is written on it.
A couple of months ago Clockwork Angels/Clockwork Lives author Kevin J. Anderson along with co-editor John McFetridge released an anthology of Rush-themed stories titled 2113: Stories Inspired by the Music of Rush. Publishers Weekly posted a short review of the book earlier this week and had this to say:
... most of the tales amassed by editors/authors Anderson and McFetridge fall within the realm of speculative fiction; David Farland's "Players" and Tim Lasiuta's "Hollywood Dreams of Death" eschew the fantastical, but are (perhaps ironically) the weakest pieces. Greg van Eekhout's geekily wonderful "On the Fringes of the Fractal" is a standout, a dystopian take on a suburb where two friends and their genetically-modified Dalmatian, Miss Spotty Pants, seek to reclaim their individuality. Michael Z. Williamson's "The Digital Kid" and Brad R. Torgerson's "Spirits with Visions" are loving tributes to scientific passion and curiosity, while McFetridge's own "Random Access Memory" is a Philip K. Dick-ian consideration of memory versus reality. Although it's a shame the lyrics that inspired each story weren't included. , this fine collection should have appeal beyond Rush fans.
You can purchase your copy of 2113 for Kindle, Audible, or get the paperback edition here.
Speaking of Kevin J. Anderson, last month an entry for a 2017 movie based on Anderson and Neil Peart's Clockwork Angels novel appeared on imdb.com. The entry began making the rounds on social media last week, and caused quite a stir among Rush fans. Unfortunately it doesn't look legitimate as Kevin J. Anderson himself has called the entry, "completely bogus and unauthorized". Thanks to John at Cygnus-X1.net for the heads up.
Last month Geddy Lee was spotted at a performance of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton. Andres Forero plays the drums in the musical and a recent interview with him mentions Geddy attending the show and gushing about the drum sound:
"I said that was ironic," Forero says, "because Permanent Waves made me want to write music."...
Rush being played at sporting events is certainly not an uncommon occurrence these days, but it's usually one of the band's more popular songs like Tom Sawyer, Limelight or The Spirit of Radio. However, during the Stanly Cup Finals in San Jose this past Saturday night they played a good chunk of the Rush classic Xanadu towards the end of the 3rd period with the score tied at 2 (thanks Paul G).
Last month Rush fans Ryan Howard and Brent Sellow started a new Rush and prog-rock themed podcast called Digital Men. They've posted 6 episodes to date, the latest of which is an interview with Rush discoverer Donna Halper. You can check out that episode and catch up on all the others at digitalmen.podbean.com.
ToneDeaf.com posted their list of 9 Vocal-less Songs That Will Leave You Speechless earlier today and Rush's YYZ made the list:
... What starts as a basic rock track led by driving riffs and tight rhythms becomes a three-way duel for technical supremacy fought by each member on their respective instruments. After drummer Neil Peart and bassist Geddy Lee have three turns each at strutting their stuff between he melody, guitarist Alex Lifeson unleashes a rapturous guitar solo reminiscent of a snake charmer's Pungi, by when you've had your mind thoroughly blown by the skill of these three men.
Ready Player One is the critically-acclaimed, 2011 sci-fi book from author, self-described seventies/eighties protonerd and Rush fan Ernest Cline. Ready Player One makes several references to '80s pop culture, with particular attention to cult films, classic arcade video games and music. The book contains several references to Rush including a particularly significant reference to the band's 2112 album. Last year we learned that legendary director Steven Spielberg had been tapped to direct the film, with comic book movie writer Zak Penn working with Cline on the script. Earlier this year it was announced that the lead role in the film will be played by 20-year-old American actor Tye Sheridan, best known for his roles in The Tree of Life (2011), Mud (2012) and the just-released filmed X-Men: Apocalypse where he plays the role of a young Cyclops. Today we learned that legendary composer John Williams will be scoring the film, which might prove very interesting (an orchestral version of 2112 perhaps1?) if they are able to use any Rush music in the movie.
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!
