Michael Cavacini

An award-winning arts and culture blog.

26 Apr 2019

Audible Review: John Lithgow’s Stories by Heart

I love stories in all forms, from books to movies to TV shows to video games to music. Stories bring us together, move us, and can inspire self-reflection. Several years back, I discovered how audiobooks can make a good story great by having a deft narrator breathe it to life. John Lithgow is one such narrator. His iconic voice has served him well in a variety of roles, including the narrator of his autobiography entitled Drama, which I bought through Audible and thoroughly enjoyed. With this in mind, I was eager to listen to Stories By Heart, an Audible Original that’s part of the Audible Theater collection of audiobooks.

Posted in Books, Review and tagged Audible, Audiobook, drama, John Lithgow, Michael Cavacini, Review, Stories By Heart | Leave a comment

15 Apr 2019

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My Epic Week At The Accountability Crib

Last week I was in Atlanta for a legal marketing conference, which was great. I attended the conference all three days, including numerous panels and networking activities. I also made time before and after the conference to enjoy myself, including a KISS concert, working out at the DPP Yoga Performance Center, and staying at Diamond Dallas Page’s Accountability Crib. Best of all, Jake “The Snake” Roberts was my roommate.

31 Mar 2019

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Philly’s Final KISS

KISS performed its final concert ever in Philadelphia on March 29, 2019. I was there, along with my wife, and it was a blast! Even though I’ve seen KISS live many times, including on three KISS Kruises, I’ve never seen them in the Wells Fargo Center. It was awesome seeing them in a large arena, filled with face-painted fans of all ages. Even better, the band left all access passes for us, something I’ve never had, which meant we could walk almost anywhere we wanted in the building, including backstage, without restriction.

27 Mar 2019

The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs – March 29 On Shudder

This Saturday I’m meeting Joe Bob Briggs at the New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival. A day prior, March 29, his new weekly series debuts on Shudder: The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs. For those that are unfamiliar with it, Shudder is a premium streaming video service owned and operated by AMC, serving fans of horror, thrillers, and supernatural movies and TV shows. I think it’s a wonderful service that is overflowing with excellent content that I’m constantly backlogged on. Having thoroughly enjoyed Joe Bob’s standalone Shudder specials over the past several months, I look forward to his weekly Friday night double-features. Below are more details on this show and a trailer. Enjoy!

Posted in Horror, Movies, News and tagged AMC, Double-Feature, Horror, Joe Bob Briggs, Michael Cavacini, Movies, Shudder, The Last Drive-In | Leave a comment

15 Mar 2019

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Book Review: SNES Omnibus Volume 2

As I’ve previously stated, the Super Nintendo is my all-time favorite video game system. Last year, author Brett Weiss released The SNES Omnibus: Volume 1 and I said how it was “an excellent tribute to an iconic system and video game library.” The same holds true for its sequel, which is coming out very soon. The SNES Omnibus: Volume 2 covers games N through Z, along with various essays about different aspects of the Super Nintendo, such as The Super Game Boy and The Super Scope 6. If you’re a video game fan, love Nintendo or simply want to take a deep dive into the golden age of 16-bit gaming, The SNES Omnibus: Volume 2 is a must-buy. It’s an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

15 Mar 2019

Melissa Manchester: A Night of Music to Benefit Lulu’s Rescue

Melissa Manchester, Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter known for countless hits, is performing a concert on April 27 at New Hope Winery to benefit Lulu’s Rescue, an all-breed, inclusive dog rescue with 501c3 non-profit status with a mission to end the daily killing of thousands of adoptable dogs in the U.S. and to break the cycle of homelessness through spay/neuter outreach, humane education, and rescue efforts. All tickets include a meet and greet with Melissa after the show, so you should absolutely go as she’s a phenomenal performer and an immensely kind individual you have to meet. Better yet, you’ll be saving dogs’ lives by going to this concert and supporting this great cause. You can buy your tickets here.

Posted in Music, News and tagged Animal Rescue, Benefit, concert, Lulu's Rescue, Melissa Manchester, Michael Cavacini, music, New Hope Winery | Leave a comment

12 Mar 2019

Meeting Meat Loaf

Last Saturday I met Meat Loaf. No, not the dinner entree. The iconic singer who won a Grammy for “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” and sold more than 80 million albums throughout his diverse and prolific career. The first step was getting a professional photo with Meat (that’s the name he likes to go by), which you can see above. I came up with my outfit the day of the event and I think it turned out great. Thankfully, my hair was behaving too. As for the photo itself, it’s perfect and everything I hoped it would be. But let’s get into what it was like to meet Meat.

05 Mar 2019

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Movie Review: 350 Days

There have been numerous documentaries about professional wrestling over the years, including ones produced by WWE about its superstars, legends, factions, and historic moments. In addition to these highly enjoyable, polished pieces, there are gritty, reality-based pro wrestling documentaries that are more focused on providing the viewer with an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the legends they grew up watching on TV. The Resurrection of Jake the Snake, an excellent character study and inspirational story about how the power of believing in yourself can transcend addiction, was firmly created in this style. 350 Days, coming out April 2, is the newest addition to this style of storytelling, and it’s an intriguing, enlightening, educational, and, most importantly, satisfying, documentary that everyone should see.

01 Mar 2019

Book Review: WWE Greatest Rivalries

WWE Greatest Rivalries is the newest hardback book from DK and it’s available March 5. This 200-page tome is dedicated to all of the timeless superstars, epic battles and bitter feuds from the classic, attitude and modern eras of WWE. Below is my video review of this new book.

Posted in Books, Pro Wrestling, Review and tagged Book, DK, DK Publishing, Greatest Rivalries, John Cena, Michael Cavacini, Review, The Rock, Vince McMahon, WCW, WWE, WWE Greatest Rivalries | Leave a comment

20 Feb 2019

Book Review: 27 by Gene Simmons

Boring. That’s not a word typically associated with Gene Simmons. Unfortunately, it’s the best one to describe his new book, 27: The Legend and Mythology of the 27 Club. I went into this book wanting to enjoy it, as I have with his other literary work. However, I just couldn’t get into this one and found it to be dry compared to the charismatic and compelling style found in his other books.