Valentino: The Last Emperor (Madman)

Chickenfoot Get Your Buzz On – Live (Universal/Liberation):

Like most things Sammy Hagar-related, the genesis of Chickenfoot can be traced back to tequila. The story goes that Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Michael Anthony (ex-Van Halen) were jamming at one of Hagar’s bars, Cabo Wabo, in Mexico. Hagar runs a thriving business empire of themed bars and in the last few years sold a majority interest in his Cabo Wabo branded tequila to the same liquor company that makes Campari, Wild Turkey and Cinzano. There’s nothing more rock than a Campari on rocks, as the famous saying doesn’t go.

After joining the crumpled rockers on stage, Hagar figured his incisive business acumen was again spot on and figured all they needed was another ‘80s throwback to complete the gory picture. And that’s how Joe Satriani – the man with the second hairiest forearms in showbiz – came to find himself in one of the loopiest and least exciting supergroups ever to make a quick buck. Get Your Buzz On – Live is essentially a meat and potatoes run-through of Chickenfoot’s self-titled debut album. Now as much as the band members would like to think otherwise, Chickenfoot, the album, is not Hall Of Famer material. It sounds like a leaden, plodding, joyless hard rock romp through the collected back catalogues of each member – but without the wicked humour of vintage Van Halen (to be fair the Hagar-fronted Halen weren’t that funny), the deft pop-funk of the Peppers or the dazzling virtuosity of Surfing with the Alien. The hour long doco yields far greater rewards – Hagar proving himself to be an utter bore by getting in the face of Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), yelling and screaming at his own non-jokes; Chad Smith’s excruciatingly fallow attempts at vox-pop humour and Nigel Tufnell/Christopher Guest bringing the lols like the seasoned pro he is.

2 out of 5

It’s Complicated (Universal):

This is not a particularly complicated film. The formulaic It’s Complicated, written and directed by Nancy Meyers, is a romantic comedy of the love-triangle variety.

Jane (the ever-charming Meryl Streep) is finally settling into divorced life, ten years after separating with her ex-husband Jake (the surprisingly attractive Alec Baldwin), who is now re-married to a woman the age of their eldest child. But during one drunken night, the sometime significant others do the hanky-panky, and so begins their secret affair. The third point in the triangle is Adam (Steve “Was He Born With White Hair?” Martin), Jane’s architect and potential love interest. Torn between two paunchy paramours, Jane proves that hard life decisions and love aren’t just for the young.

Unfortunately, three characters does not equal three personalities. Alec Baldwin is probably the most interesting of the bunch, and that’s because he plays an unrepentant, egotistical horn dog. Luckily all three actors have developed senses of comic timing, and manage to work the sometimes sickly sweet script to their advantage.

Although It’s Complicated has been praised for its portrayal of women who fall into the 50-is-the-new-40 age bracket (oh my god! They have emotions! More importantly, they have sexual desire!), for anyone who isn’t an ageist, sexist chauvinist, this will not seem like an exceptionally edgy concept – and certainly not enough to carry an entire film.

The DVD extras include an audio commentary on the film from Nancy Meyers plus a producer or two, plus a ‘making of’ featurette that mostly involves clips of the cast talking about how much they all admire and respect one another. Yawn.

Passably amusing, somewhat charming, and perfectly inoffensive – the phrases ‘entirely adequate’ and ‘mediocre at best’ spring to mind, though I’m torn between the two. Now that’s a complicated decision.

2 ½ out of 5