June is coming to a close, and that means 2010 is half-way over. Cinematically, we have seen a lot of bizarre movies, both good and bad, come to our local cineplex. Though I'll wait until next January to make my official Top 10 lists, I wanted to highlight the highs and lows of this year. So in no particular order, we have...
"Shutter Island" HIGH!
While "Harry Potter" fans bitch loudly about how much the movies have bastardized the books, "Shutter Island" comes on top as being almost a word-for-word, scene-by-scene adaptation of Dennis Lehane's psychological thriller to a frightening reality, thanks to another Martin Scorsese-Leonardo DiCaprio collaboration. Even after reading the book and knowing what would happen, the ending still came as a shock. Now THAT'S good filmmaking.
"Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" LOW!
How appropriate to go from the best literary adaptation of the year to the worst. By the time I had seen Chris Columbus's attempt to strike gold a third time with a popular kids' book series, I had read the first three books in Rick Riordan's series, which, the way I see it, is twice the series "Harry Potter" ever was. The problem is that the books were perfect the way they were, and Columbus, the great book slayer himself, decided to over-Hollywoodize "The Lightning Thief", murdering any chance of any of the remaining 4 books from becoming the movies they could have been.
"Cop Out" HIGH!
Upon hearing about this film, seeing that Kevin Smith was attached to it, I was in. Even if he didn't write the film, I was still in. And I was not disappointed. While "She's Out of My League" was calling itself this year's "The Hangover", "Cop Out" (originally called "A Couple of Dicks") actually WAS this year's "The Hangover". Clever humor and acerbic wit makes for tear-jerking laughter that doesn't stop. Add in one of the coolest cop shoot-outs in a film since "L.A. Confidential", and you have a film that's wildly funny as it is stylish and slick.
"Disney's Alice in Wonderland (2010)" HIGH!
Okay. It's Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, reimagining one of the literary world's most timeless pieces to a dark, beautiful light. How the hell was I not supposed to love this film? Even after 3 viewings in the theater, I was brought to tears every time by its stunning union of first-class acting, mind-blowing visual effects, and razor-sharp writing. So far, this is possibly the best movie to come out all year.
"The Ghost Writer" LOW!
Just because your mainstream critics like it doesn't mean it's good. Roman Polanski's latest foray in the psychological thriller genre was neither thrilling, nor particularly psychological. In 27 years of cinema-going, this is only the second film I've ever walked out on. Sure, it's possible the film could've gotten better after I walked out. But, seeing that I was falling asleep in the first 30 minutes of the film, tell me why I should give a shit? If Pierce Brosnan and Ewan MacGreggor couldn't make this film watchable, nothing could.
"Hot Tub Time Machine" HIGH!
The best title for a film since "Snakes on a Plane", John Cusack-produced "Hot Tub Time Machine" blends 80s satire, twisted humor, sadistic pratfalls, and mind-bending logic involving time travel in this year's guilty pleasure which, blending what we loved about "The Hangover" with what we loved about "Back to the Future", won't make you feel THAT guilty.
"How To Train Your Dragon" HIGH!
Two words: Fuck Pixar! This film has it all! The humor, the action, the heart. Not to mention the cast! Blending young blood Hollywood (Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse) with the Hollywood established (Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Kristen Wiig) and making a film that's sentimental and edge-of-your-seat intense without being too heart-felt or heavy-handed, like last year's "Up". Bravo, Dreamworks!
"Iron Man 2" HIGH!
Anyone who knows me, even for the briefest of times, knows I'm a comic book freak (maybe it's the glasses...or the fact I own a Spider-Man tee shirt). But how could I not love the sequel that finally gave the comic book fan respect, something only "Sin City" had before? And yes, Robert Downey, Jr. was awesome, and Don Cheadle makes us almost forget about Terrance Howard completely. But the true stars are Jon Favreau, our fearless director, for extending his Happy Hogan character from the background to
a full-fledged character, and Sam Rockwell for giving Tony Stark his Lex Luthor.
"Robin Hood" LOW!
Leave it to Ridley Scott to fuck up a perfectly good legend. Though the story was already perfectly written, Russell Crowe the perfect Robin Hood, Cate Blanchett the perfect Marion, and Mark Strong the perfect villain, extreme changes to the legend and pseudo-political awareness makes this arrow miss the target by a wide margin.
At a glance, here are the rest of the movies I've seen this far...
"Kick-Ass" HIGH!
"Date Night" HIGH!
"The Losers" HIGH!
"A Nightmare on Elm Street" HIGH!
"Furry Vengence" LOW!
"Death at a Funeral (201)" HIGH!
"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" HIGH!
"MacGruber" HIGH!
"Get Him To The Greek" HIGH!
"Splice" LOW!
"Knight and Day" HIGH!
And there you have it for the first half of 2010! So far, only a handful of truly remarkable films, but fear not. The second half seems to promise a lot better films, like "Inception".
Stay tuned my friends in film, my cinematic soulmates. The best has yet to come.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Movie Review: "Knight And Day"
Looking back at my trailers journal (yes, I keep a trailers journal...I told you I was a geek), two of the trailers I saw the most this year (often times together) were "Killers" and "Knight And Day". What's funny about this is the two movies seem oddly similar. A beautiful, all-smiles blonde woman being wooed by a hunky brown-haired gentleman who turns out works for some unnamed government agency, giving our hunky piece of eye candy a licence to kill.
Now, let's face it. "Killers" looked like shit. I can't recall the last time either Katherine Heigel or Ashton Kutcher made a film worth watching since it's become more than apparent that neither Heigel nor Kutcher can act. Just like the reasons I've been hesitant and apprehensive about seeing such franchises like "Star Wars", "The Fast and the Furious" and "Step Up", I don't care how "pretty" the cast is or how "magnificant" the special effects and/or choreography is. If the acting is crap and the writing is mediocre, you will not see my ass in the theater.
With "Knight And Day", everything seemed to click in the right places. Great cast, great writing, great director, great plot. Everything.
From the first moments of the film, where you see Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) biding his time at the airport looking for that "special someone", you can hear the wheels turning. What is he looking for? Why is he at the airport to begin with? These questions are answered (or at least differed for the time being) by the entrance of June Havens (Cameron Diaz), a plucky mechanic's daughter bringing miscellaneous car parts home to finish a pet project of hers. And, in typical romantic comedy fashion, Roy and June bump into each other (twice) and wind up on the same flight together. What happens next is a series of bizarre occurrences involving several dead passengers, 2 dead pilots, and a plane crash. Much bigger than what I can imagine "Killers" started out with.
What really sets "Knight And Day" truly apart from "Killers" is one question: What is real? June is soon approached by two agents (Viola Davis and Peter Sarsgaard), telling June that Roy went "rogue" after developing a dissociative disorder, believing that the elaborate story Roy told her is actually real. But June is watching the events unfurl, causing her to wonder if they really are or not. Much like the last Cruise and Diaz, 2001's "Vanilla Sky", nothing is ever clear as to what is really going on, leaving the question in tact until the final moments of the movie. Isn't it always better when the filmmakers have enough respect for the audience to do that?
Director James Mangold ("3:10 To Yuma", "Identity", "Walk The Line"), who also co-wrote the film), understands what makes a good movie, and knew exactly how to make the film both comedic and intense -- more than likely because he's had extensive experience in both fields.
What really made this movie for me was Tom Cruise's ability to mask his thoughts, making it damn near impossible to figure out what Roy Miller is going to do next. You don't know whether he's going to kill everyone in the room using nothing but a single clip or if he just wants pie. And damn that signature Tom Cruise smile, which has 30 different meanings all at once, making Roy more of an enigma. He's not just hunky...he's dangerous.
And let's not forget to mention Cameron Diaz. For the first time since her debut in "The Mask", Diaz plays it "straight", playing perfectly off of Cruise, making them this summer's best comedic duo thus far, only slightly behind Russell Brand and Jonah Hill in "Get Him To The Greek". Unlike her last comedic performance in 2008's "What Happens In Vegas" (which, almost serendipitously featured Ashton Kutcher), instead of tyring to one-up her costar, Diaz works with Cruise to make the dialogue snappy and the jokes fluid.
FINAL VERDICT: The perfect marriage between "Kate and Leopold" and "The Bourne Identity", "Knight and Day" is funny and intense, psychological and stunning. Where others focus on cast, this film focuses on plot -- a rarity among comedies these days. Much less action comedies. Much MUCH less than romantic action comedies. When comparing it to "Killers", it's like...well, you get the idea.
Now, let's face it. "Killers" looked like shit. I can't recall the last time either Katherine Heigel or Ashton Kutcher made a film worth watching since it's become more than apparent that neither Heigel nor Kutcher can act. Just like the reasons I've been hesitant and apprehensive about seeing such franchises like "Star Wars", "The Fast and the Furious" and "Step Up", I don't care how "pretty" the cast is or how "magnificant" the special effects and/or choreography is. If the acting is crap and the writing is mediocre, you will not see my ass in the theater.
With "Knight And Day", everything seemed to click in the right places. Great cast, great writing, great director, great plot. Everything.
From the first moments of the film, where you see Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) biding his time at the airport looking for that "special someone", you can hear the wheels turning. What is he looking for? Why is he at the airport to begin with? These questions are answered (or at least differed for the time being) by the entrance of June Havens (Cameron Diaz), a plucky mechanic's daughter bringing miscellaneous car parts home to finish a pet project of hers. And, in typical romantic comedy fashion, Roy and June bump into each other (twice) and wind up on the same flight together. What happens next is a series of bizarre occurrences involving several dead passengers, 2 dead pilots, and a plane crash. Much bigger than what I can imagine "Killers" started out with.
What really sets "Knight And Day" truly apart from "Killers" is one question: What is real? June is soon approached by two agents (Viola Davis and Peter Sarsgaard), telling June that Roy went "rogue" after developing a dissociative disorder, believing that the elaborate story Roy told her is actually real. But June is watching the events unfurl, causing her to wonder if they really are or not. Much like the last Cruise and Diaz, 2001's "Vanilla Sky", nothing is ever clear as to what is really going on, leaving the question in tact until the final moments of the movie. Isn't it always better when the filmmakers have enough respect for the audience to do that?
Director James Mangold ("3:10 To Yuma", "Identity", "Walk The Line"), who also co-wrote the film), understands what makes a good movie, and knew exactly how to make the film both comedic and intense -- more than likely because he's had extensive experience in both fields.
What really made this movie for me was Tom Cruise's ability to mask his thoughts, making it damn near impossible to figure out what Roy Miller is going to do next. You don't know whether he's going to kill everyone in the room using nothing but a single clip or if he just wants pie. And damn that signature Tom Cruise smile, which has 30 different meanings all at once, making Roy more of an enigma. He's not just hunky...he's dangerous.
And let's not forget to mention Cameron Diaz. For the first time since her debut in "The Mask", Diaz plays it "straight", playing perfectly off of Cruise, making them this summer's best comedic duo thus far, only slightly behind Russell Brand and Jonah Hill in "Get Him To The Greek". Unlike her last comedic performance in 2008's "What Happens In Vegas" (which, almost serendipitously featured Ashton Kutcher), instead of tyring to one-up her costar, Diaz works with Cruise to make the dialogue snappy and the jokes fluid.
FINAL VERDICT: The perfect marriage between "Kate and Leopold" and "The Bourne Identity", "Knight and Day" is funny and intense, psychological and stunning. Where others focus on cast, this film focuses on plot -- a rarity among comedies these days. Much less action comedies. Much MUCH less than romantic action comedies. When comparing it to "Killers", it's like...well, you get the idea.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Soapbox Commentary: Pixar's New Trend
Before you start bitching about what could be construed as an anti-Pixar post, let me say one thing: I love Pixar movies. With the exceptions of "Cars" and "A Bug's Life", I have found all of Pixar's movies to be spectacular in all their own rites, and deserve at least most of the accolades that they have received.
That being said, let me warn you of this:
Though I usually take a very anti-spoiler stance on my posts and pages, to illustrate my point of this post, I will be revealing plot points and even endings to many Pixar movies (NOT TOY STORY 3!!!! I haven't seen it yet). So, if you haven't seen any of their movies in their entirety, and don't wish to have the endings spoiled, do NOT read this blog entry further.
THAT being said, on with the show...
Since the original "Toy Story", Pixar has given their audience new experiences through cinema that no other animation company has really done -- both through visual effects and storyline combined. Though fierce competition has appeared in Dreamworks Animation, Pixar always finds a way to up the ante, and come up on top.
This we can all agree on, I'm sure.
However, I feel that there is a new trend with Pixar that needs to stop, if not now, very soon. The trend? Intentionally making their audiences (specifically their adult audiences) depressed -- often to the point of tears. Yes I am speaking from personal experience, but I know I am not the only one who has noticed this.
I first noticed it with "Toy Story 2", specifically with the Jessie flashback sequence where you see her getting left behind by her college-bound owner. Is this life? Yes. As adults, we know the time to grow up means often abandoning things we loved as kids simply because we can't keep everything. But, come on Pixar. Do you have to make us feel guilty over it? Is it our fault that we can't take everything with us when we move out? Do you really have to remind us about all the great memories we had as kids playing with our favorite toys, only to be faced with the heartbreak of having to give them away at some point in our adult lives? It was heart-breaking the first time. It's agonizing to watch it again.
For the longest time after, this theme didn't reappear. Sure, "Monsters Inc" had its moments between Sully and Boo towards the end that was a little tear-inducing but nothing serious. Not like, say, "Finding Nemo". Here's where the trend really becomes prevalent. What appeared, on the surface, to be a wonderful tale of a man looking for his missing son in the vast world around him became something darker in the first moments of the film.
Here we see Marlin and his wife, in love in their newly acquired home with their 50 or so eggs ready to be spawned. In comes Mister Barracuda. Mister Barracuda is a blood-thirsty asshole who wants to eat the eggs. And, of course, being a mother, Marlin's wife dashes for the eggs, getting (presumably) devoured along with all but one of the eggs. Marlin, after being rendered unconscious during the attack, finds the last egg after all his other children and wife were killed, and begins to cry. How the hell are we not supposed to cry with him? Now Marlin's agoraphobia has justification, and we're just supposed to find this shit funny for the remaining 2 hours? Really?
The real embodiment of this new trend is recent Oscar winner (or, in my opinion, robber) "Up". What the hell, people? Sure, we know that Carl Fredrickson is a widower going into the film. But do we really need to see all the reasons why he is? How he and his wife keep postponing the trip they yearned to take together because life keeps getting in the way? How he and his wife couldn't have kids of their own? How his wife died before they could take the trip together? How he needs to make his house into a giant hot air balloon to escape getting put into a nursing home? And how his ticket to living his life instead of mourning it was at his fingertips the entire fucking time? And do we REALLY need to add in the storyline of poor Russell not having a father in his life to all this other heart ache? We're really supposed to endure all this and call it entertainment in the end? This is REALLY better than "Coraline" and "9"? I think not.
Okay. I know fantasy seems to be better when tempered with reality. I get it. It's what made "Wall-E", "The Incredibles", and "Ratatouille", not to mention current surprise box office sensation "How To Train Your Dragon", so endearing and wondrous. But the other thing that connects all these movies together is that they didn't go out of their way to make their audiences cry. Not like "Up" or "Finding Nemo". Those who know me know full well I cried at the end of "Wall-E". Hard. So hard I was shaking for close to an hour after the movie was over, even while waiting for "Wanted" to start up, trying to "man up" before anyone saw me crying before it started.
If I'm hesitant to see "Toy Story 3" for any reason, it's because they're revisiting the whole going off to college bit again we saw in "Toy Story 2" eleven years prior. And, no, I haven't seen the movie yet, but here's something that may be covered in the film just by watching the trailer. Andy, as a college-bound adult, says (I may not have the exact quote here, so don't shoot me) "I can't leave without Woody and Buzz! They're classic!" Well that's great, Andy. You can't live without the two stars of the movie. What about the rest of the gang? Are they so forgettable? Just because you have a checking account doesn't mean you can't play with Hammy anymore. And what about Rex and Slinky-Dog? They're just meat to you now that you're older? If you haven't seen the movie yet, be prepared with a box of tissues and have your therapist on speed dial, because I can almost guarantee this issue may have to be addressed. Not to mention the other "misfit toys" that are left to rot in Lord of the Flies daycare hell they're relegated to when being abandoned by their owners.
If Pixar wants to stay relevant in the years to come with all audiences and not just salty old critics, they need to ditch the idea that making audiences cry and/or feel like shit is the mark of good film-making and stick to what has worked with all their other films, and what Dreamworks is already starting to realize: making their audiences cry unintentionally is so much more powerful than going out of their way to do it. Less Lifetime Original, more timeless classic.
But once again, I am only one man, and this is my opinion.
That being said, let me warn you of this:
Though I usually take a very anti-spoiler stance on my posts and pages, to illustrate my point of this post, I will be revealing plot points and even endings to many Pixar movies (NOT TOY STORY 3!!!! I haven't seen it yet). So, if you haven't seen any of their movies in their entirety, and don't wish to have the endings spoiled, do NOT read this blog entry further.
THAT being said, on with the show...
Since the original "Toy Story", Pixar has given their audience new experiences through cinema that no other animation company has really done -- both through visual effects and storyline combined. Though fierce competition has appeared in Dreamworks Animation, Pixar always finds a way to up the ante, and come up on top.
This we can all agree on, I'm sure.
However, I feel that there is a new trend with Pixar that needs to stop, if not now, very soon. The trend? Intentionally making their audiences (specifically their adult audiences) depressed -- often to the point of tears. Yes I am speaking from personal experience, but I know I am not the only one who has noticed this.
I first noticed it with "Toy Story 2", specifically with the Jessie flashback sequence where you see her getting left behind by her college-bound owner. Is this life? Yes. As adults, we know the time to grow up means often abandoning things we loved as kids simply because we can't keep everything. But, come on Pixar. Do you have to make us feel guilty over it? Is it our fault that we can't take everything with us when we move out? Do you really have to remind us about all the great memories we had as kids playing with our favorite toys, only to be faced with the heartbreak of having to give them away at some point in our adult lives? It was heart-breaking the first time. It's agonizing to watch it again.
For the longest time after, this theme didn't reappear. Sure, "Monsters Inc" had its moments between Sully and Boo towards the end that was a little tear-inducing but nothing serious. Not like, say, "Finding Nemo". Here's where the trend really becomes prevalent. What appeared, on the surface, to be a wonderful tale of a man looking for his missing son in the vast world around him became something darker in the first moments of the film.
Here we see Marlin and his wife, in love in their newly acquired home with their 50 or so eggs ready to be spawned. In comes Mister Barracuda. Mister Barracuda is a blood-thirsty asshole who wants to eat the eggs. And, of course, being a mother, Marlin's wife dashes for the eggs, getting (presumably) devoured along with all but one of the eggs. Marlin, after being rendered unconscious during the attack, finds the last egg after all his other children and wife were killed, and begins to cry. How the hell are we not supposed to cry with him? Now Marlin's agoraphobia has justification, and we're just supposed to find this shit funny for the remaining 2 hours? Really?
The real embodiment of this new trend is recent Oscar winner (or, in my opinion, robber) "Up". What the hell, people? Sure, we know that Carl Fredrickson is a widower going into the film. But do we really need to see all the reasons why he is? How he and his wife keep postponing the trip they yearned to take together because life keeps getting in the way? How he and his wife couldn't have kids of their own? How his wife died before they could take the trip together? How he needs to make his house into a giant hot air balloon to escape getting put into a nursing home? And how his ticket to living his life instead of mourning it was at his fingertips the entire fucking time? And do we REALLY need to add in the storyline of poor Russell not having a father in his life to all this other heart ache? We're really supposed to endure all this and call it entertainment in the end? This is REALLY better than "Coraline" and "9"? I think not.
Okay. I know fantasy seems to be better when tempered with reality. I get it. It's what made "Wall-E", "The Incredibles", and "Ratatouille", not to mention current surprise box office sensation "How To Train Your Dragon", so endearing and wondrous. But the other thing that connects all these movies together is that they didn't go out of their way to make their audiences cry. Not like "Up" or "Finding Nemo". Those who know me know full well I cried at the end of "Wall-E". Hard. So hard I was shaking for close to an hour after the movie was over, even while waiting for "Wanted" to start up, trying to "man up" before anyone saw me crying before it started.
If I'm hesitant to see "Toy Story 3" for any reason, it's because they're revisiting the whole going off to college bit again we saw in "Toy Story 2" eleven years prior. And, no, I haven't seen the movie yet, but here's something that may be covered in the film just by watching the trailer. Andy, as a college-bound adult, says (I may not have the exact quote here, so don't shoot me) "I can't leave without Woody and Buzz! They're classic!" Well that's great, Andy. You can't live without the two stars of the movie. What about the rest of the gang? Are they so forgettable? Just because you have a checking account doesn't mean you can't play with Hammy anymore. And what about Rex and Slinky-Dog? They're just meat to you now that you're older? If you haven't seen the movie yet, be prepared with a box of tissues and have your therapist on speed dial, because I can almost guarantee this issue may have to be addressed. Not to mention the other "misfit toys" that are left to rot in Lord of the Flies daycare hell they're relegated to when being abandoned by their owners.
If Pixar wants to stay relevant in the years to come with all audiences and not just salty old critics, they need to ditch the idea that making audiences cry and/or feel like shit is the mark of good film-making and stick to what has worked with all their other films, and what Dreamworks is already starting to realize: making their audiences cry unintentionally is so much more powerful than going out of their way to do it. Less Lifetime Original, more timeless classic.
But once again, I am only one man, and this is my opinion.
Soapbox Commentary: A Little Something For Your Ear-Hole...
Okay, so I don't normally do music blogs. This isn't called "Will and the Movies and Everything Else That He Feels He Has A Say In" after all. Why? Because (a) it's primarily about movies and (b) who would remember that URL? That's right. No one.
But I've been wanting to do this editorial for some time, and feel that, as an avid music lover as well as a movie lover, I owe it to my fellow man to introduce those who are less fortunate than I to these artists that have enriched my music world so heavily these last few years, and feel everyone needs to check these artists out in the very near future.
Biffy Clyro
Think Dave Grohl fronting Jethro Tull, getting rid of the flute player, and adding full choirs and orchestras to the mix...and cranking that shit to 11. You basically have Biffy Clyro.
Originating from Scottland, Biffy Clyro has released 5 albums, 23 singles, and one greatest hits album...and are now FINALLY getting some airtime in the States. Their album "Puzzle" was released in the US through Roadrunner Records (responsible for Nickelback, Slipknot, The Dresdan Dolls, etc) and sadly got no publicity, causing their new and slicker album "Only Revolutions" to be available in the UK and through digital download. But whether you're listening to the driving beats of the orhestra-and-choir heavy hitter "Living's A Problem 'Cause Everything Dies" or the Jackson Browne-like "Bubbles", it's hard to not give these guys their due. And when you hear their Ben Folds-infused rocker "Mountains", I dare you not to go looking for more.
Psychostick
Normally I wouldn't feature a comedy band in something like this, but there's something fresh about Psychostick. Ever wondered if comedy and heavy metal could fuse in harmony without Jack Black's dirty hands being apart of it? Look no further than Arizona-bred Psychostick.
Armed with both clever, witty, avante-garde humor and musical chops that would give Metallica a run for its money, Psychostick combines surrealistic humor and heavy metal passion to fuse music that you can headbang to while laughing at it. Whatever comes to mind, they will sing about it. The lead singer needs to take a shower...and sings about it in "Shower". Craving a taco? The song "Do You Want A Taco?" indulges you. Nothing in your refrigerator because of your lack of money? Psychostick feels your pain with "The Hunger Within". Psychostick has two albums out currently.
What's that? What to hear a band take themselves seriously while rocking your socks off? They do that too! Their side project Evacuate Chicago features 3 of the 5 members doing just that.
Deaf Pedestrians
Anyone who frequently watched "Beauty and the Geek" (all 8 of you) may have heard a little ditty called "Hail To The Geek", which was played on the show. You may not have known that it was Texas rockers Deaf Pedestrians who sang it.
Deaf Pedestrians have only 3 albums out currently, but have endured a complete metamorphosis in that short a time span. Their first two albums "Deaf Pedestrians" and "...And Other Distractions" were not very different. Literally. In fact, "...And Other Distractions" features 8 of the original 13 tracks from their eponymous first album. Cry foul? Go ahead. Many bands have done this in the past, and no one bitched then.
While the songs off these two albums were good, hard-rocking, and enjoyable (from the stalker boyfriend anthem "Jerry Girl" to the slick metal of "Listen Up"), it's their current album "We're All Gonna Die" that's the eye-opener. Leaving virtually all their old styles and hooks behind, Deaf Pedestrians grew up, ditching their bad-boy geekness for dark-humored cynicism fit for Starbucks drinkers if the Starbucks drinkers would stop listening to Death Cab For Cutie. Sure, it starts out hard enough with the driving bass-line of "Tick", but when it gets to the insect love ballad "Mrs. Mantis", the heartbreaking tale of numbness in "Dharma Morraine's Automatic Armor" and the what-the-fuck-are-they-trying-to-say-ness of "The Flight of the Boomer Lemmings", it's hard to think of these guys as the same band, much less compare them to any band you've ever heard before.
The Bollox
What happens when you give an Arizona punk band frontman a ticket to Ireland and tour of all the pubs? You get The Bollox, of course!
The brainchild of Authority Zero's Jason DeVore (if you haven't heard of Authority Zero, look them up too), The Bollox is best described simply as Celtic punk rock. Their eponymous debut album (that's right folks, only one album thus far) starts off with a jam session (entitled "Shenanigans") featuring a violin, acoustic guitar, accordion, and a spoon-player. That's right, I said spoon player. As soon as you think all punk cred has gone out the window, you get the intro to "The Brothers, The Bollox", a driving punk song about drinking, fighting, and breaking shit. What could be more Irish than that? Then you have "Mary Riley", a narrative song about a love-lorn man who will do anything to be with the woman he loves, is poignantly romantic...if you, of course can get passed the part where he murders seven men.
But the real jem is hardcore punk drinking song "Tura'Lu", which is infectious and driving to the point you can see Irish stock workers riverdancing with the Warped Tour crowd. If that's not unity, I don't know what is.
But once again, I am only one man, and this is my opinion.
But I've been wanting to do this editorial for some time, and feel that, as an avid music lover as well as a movie lover, I owe it to my fellow man to introduce those who are less fortunate than I to these artists that have enriched my music world so heavily these last few years, and feel everyone needs to check these artists out in the very near future.
Biffy Clyro
Think Dave Grohl fronting Jethro Tull, getting rid of the flute player, and adding full choirs and orchestras to the mix...and cranking that shit to 11. You basically have Biffy Clyro.
Originating from Scottland, Biffy Clyro has released 5 albums, 23 singles, and one greatest hits album...and are now FINALLY getting some airtime in the States. Their album "Puzzle" was released in the US through Roadrunner Records (responsible for Nickelback, Slipknot, The Dresdan Dolls, etc) and sadly got no publicity, causing their new and slicker album "Only Revolutions" to be available in the UK and through digital download. But whether you're listening to the driving beats of the orhestra-and-choir heavy hitter "Living's A Problem 'Cause Everything Dies" or the Jackson Browne-like "Bubbles", it's hard to not give these guys their due. And when you hear their Ben Folds-infused rocker "Mountains", I dare you not to go looking for more.
Psychostick
Normally I wouldn't feature a comedy band in something like this, but there's something fresh about Psychostick. Ever wondered if comedy and heavy metal could fuse in harmony without Jack Black's dirty hands being apart of it? Look no further than Arizona-bred Psychostick.
Armed with both clever, witty, avante-garde humor and musical chops that would give Metallica a run for its money, Psychostick combines surrealistic humor and heavy metal passion to fuse music that you can headbang to while laughing at it. Whatever comes to mind, they will sing about it. The lead singer needs to take a shower...and sings about it in "Shower". Craving a taco? The song "Do You Want A Taco?" indulges you. Nothing in your refrigerator because of your lack of money? Psychostick feels your pain with "The Hunger Within". Psychostick has two albums out currently.
What's that? What to hear a band take themselves seriously while rocking your socks off? They do that too! Their side project Evacuate Chicago features 3 of the 5 members doing just that.
Deaf Pedestrians
Anyone who frequently watched "Beauty and the Geek" (all 8 of you) may have heard a little ditty called "Hail To The Geek", which was played on the show. You may not have known that it was Texas rockers Deaf Pedestrians who sang it.
Deaf Pedestrians have only 3 albums out currently, but have endured a complete metamorphosis in that short a time span. Their first two albums "Deaf Pedestrians" and "...And Other Distractions" were not very different. Literally. In fact, "...And Other Distractions" features 8 of the original 13 tracks from their eponymous first album. Cry foul? Go ahead. Many bands have done this in the past, and no one bitched then.
While the songs off these two albums were good, hard-rocking, and enjoyable (from the stalker boyfriend anthem "Jerry Girl" to the slick metal of "Listen Up"), it's their current album "We're All Gonna Die" that's the eye-opener. Leaving virtually all their old styles and hooks behind, Deaf Pedestrians grew up, ditching their bad-boy geekness for dark-humored cynicism fit for Starbucks drinkers if the Starbucks drinkers would stop listening to Death Cab For Cutie. Sure, it starts out hard enough with the driving bass-line of "Tick", but when it gets to the insect love ballad "Mrs. Mantis", the heartbreaking tale of numbness in "Dharma Morraine's Automatic Armor" and the what-the-fuck-are-they-trying-to-say-ness of "The Flight of the Boomer Lemmings", it's hard to think of these guys as the same band, much less compare them to any band you've ever heard before.
The Bollox
What happens when you give an Arizona punk band frontman a ticket to Ireland and tour of all the pubs? You get The Bollox, of course!
The brainchild of Authority Zero's Jason DeVore (if you haven't heard of Authority Zero, look them up too), The Bollox is best described simply as Celtic punk rock. Their eponymous debut album (that's right folks, only one album thus far) starts off with a jam session (entitled "Shenanigans") featuring a violin, acoustic guitar, accordion, and a spoon-player. That's right, I said spoon player. As soon as you think all punk cred has gone out the window, you get the intro to "The Brothers, The Bollox", a driving punk song about drinking, fighting, and breaking shit. What could be more Irish than that? Then you have "Mary Riley", a narrative song about a love-lorn man who will do anything to be with the woman he loves, is poignantly romantic...if you, of course can get passed the part where he murders seven men.
But the real jem is hardcore punk drinking song "Tura'Lu", which is infectious and driving to the point you can see Irish stock workers riverdancing with the Warped Tour crowd. If that's not unity, I don't know what is.
But once again, I am only one man, and this is my opinion.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Got Screenplay?
If you're a screenwriter or know someone who is, then join the SCRIPTOID Challenge! This is the inaugural year for SCRIPTOID, and submissions are being taken now.
For more information, here are the links...
http://www.scriptoidchallenge.com
Follow on Twitter at @andreaalbin and @scriptoidonline
or
For those of you who are on my Facebook page, look up Andrea Albin, and request her on Facebook. There are perks to doing so, but I will let Andrea fill you in on that.
Happy screenwriting and good luck to you all!
For more information, here are the links...
http://www.scriptoidchallenge.com
Follow on Twitter at @andreaalbin and @scriptoidonline
or
For those of you who are on my Facebook page, look up Andrea Albin, and request her on Facebook. There are perks to doing so, but I will let Andrea fill you in on that.
Happy screenwriting and good luck to you all!
And so it begins...
This is Will.
Will likes movies. Will has many DVDs and Blu-Rays in his collection. Will has a film school degree. Will has a couple meager credits on IMDB. Will has written many a screenplay.
Will thinks this entitles him to post his opinions online...and he's probably wrong, but he's going to do it anyway.
Who is Will? I am.
Yes, it is true. For all those who know me, I used to post all of my film reviews, "Soapbox Commentaries" and shameless self-promoting blogs on Myspace. That account is dead (I should know...I killed it). And now...I found blogspot.
Am I going to be the same angry asshole who posted long-winded tirades about the people I hate like some of the self-labelled movie critics on your favorite movie sites? No. I've grown up a lot, and, though the soapbox commentaries will still exist here, they will be better written, and expressed better.
Am I still going to shamelessly promote myself? Well, okay I'll do that. But it will only happen when I have something real to talk about. And I will now be helping some of my friends promote different film-related activities as well, so I can look like less of a tool.
Hopefully you will like the new format I've chosen, and frequent my little corner of cyberspace. See you at the movies!
Will likes movies. Will has many DVDs and Blu-Rays in his collection. Will has a film school degree. Will has a couple meager credits on IMDB. Will has written many a screenplay.
Will thinks this entitles him to post his opinions online...and he's probably wrong, but he's going to do it anyway.
Who is Will? I am.
Yes, it is true. For all those who know me, I used to post all of my film reviews, "Soapbox Commentaries" and shameless self-promoting blogs on Myspace. That account is dead (I should know...I killed it). And now...I found blogspot.
Am I going to be the same angry asshole who posted long-winded tirades about the people I hate like some of the self-labelled movie critics on your favorite movie sites? No. I've grown up a lot, and, though the soapbox commentaries will still exist here, they will be better written, and expressed better.
Am I still going to shamelessly promote myself? Well, okay I'll do that. But it will only happen when I have something real to talk about. And I will now be helping some of my friends promote different film-related activities as well, so I can look like less of a tool.
Hopefully you will like the new format I've chosen, and frequent my little corner of cyberspace. See you at the movies!
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