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2009-11-07T23:06:00.001-08:00

Longer Trailer...Awesome.

Ramona Falls - Intuit

2009-11-07T23:05:00.000-08:00

If you haven't listened to the band Menomena, do it now. Their lead singer, Brent Knopf, has put out a pretty outstanding album on his own. Here is the first video for the song 'I say fever'.

Ramona Falls "I Say Fever" from Barsuk Records on Vimeo.

Where the Wild Things Are - Review

2009-10-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

I originally felt apprehensive about Spike Jonze' adaptation of the infamous Where the Wild Things Are children's book. With super hip stores like Urban Outfitters merchandising for the film and a soundtrack by Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs lead singer Karen O, this movie just seemed to be working too hard to build its indie cred. Having seen Being John Malkovich and a few of Jonze' music videos, I knew that he was something special, but it wasn't until I read recently about Jonze journey into the industry and his fight with the studio to keep his vision in tact that I felt confident that this could be great.

Now having seen it, I can say two things about this film...it is in fact great, but it shouldn't make any money. I would love nothing more than for WTWTA to become one of the most successful children's films ever, one that people of all ages are drawn to because of how masterfully it mirrors the passion and power of love to bind people together through the mess that is life, family, relationships. This I fear will not be the case, as the masses typically like their films to provide a way to escape their reality, to hide from the mess for two hours...and that goes double for a kids film, which technically this is. Not only that, but we like our films to have a story that builds to a nice tidy simple feel-good ending where someone learns a valuable lesson or falls in love with the right person. This film, while hinting at these things, is much more about the journey rather than the destination. Jonze' vision is dark, scary, full of raw humanity, and I highly recommend it...even if you don't shop at Urban Outfitters.

Frequently Asked Questions about Time Travel - Review

2009-10-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

Frequently Asked Questions about Time Travel is a sort of under the radar film about 3 British losers, Ray, Toby and Pete who, while downing a few pints at the pub, get caught up in a dizzying time jumping fiasco. Right about now you are either immediately surfing imdb to find out everything you can about this film, or you are angrily clicking 'back' on your browser wondering how you ended up reading this stupid blog in the first place. If you are in the former group, you are in for a treat.

It's touting itself as 'Dr. Who' meets 'Shaun of the Dead', and thats not far from the truth. It is smart, funny and has some twists you won't see coming. The three main characters, while not nearly in the same league as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, handle their roles well and you find yourself rooting for them against your better judgement. In a weird cameo/love interest is American Anna Faris, from all those Scary Movie films and more recently Observe and Report.

I'm not going to even try to relay the plot to you, because, as in all films that deal in time travel, my brain hurts just thinking about all the what happened, which lead to a thousand what ifs. I will say that all that time travel messiness is done convincingly and not once did things get so unbelievable that I disconnected from the story completely.

I will leave you with the ridiculous first few lines from the film and you can decide for yourself whether this is your cup of tea:

"Time travel. It'll turn your brain into spaghetti if you let it. Best not to think about it. Best just to get on with the job in hand. Which is destroying the enemy before they're even born and have a chance to threaten us. We're expecting any resistance to be light, because the ancestors of our enemies have yet to evolve any thumbs... or indeed spines. But that does not change the fact that they may one day evolve into a species that may pose a threat to us. And for that reason, we are going to rain down a fiery death upon them that will turn the surface of their planet into a radioactive desert! Because we are the planetary peace corps! And that is what we do! Now, are you nappy-wearing motherfuckers ready to lock and load, and *get it on*?"

Recommended

Where the Wild Things Are - everything you didn't think you wanted to know

2009-10-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article in the New York Times magazine about how Spike Jonze got into the business, its an inspiring story about a guy bursting with creativity filming whatever he thinks is interesting and word spread. Previously directing guerilla skate videos, to music videos, to anti-hollywood films like Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, he now is doing his first big budget treat in Where the Wild Things Are. Here's a beast of a video (38min.) from the BBC that gives you an idea of what kind of person we are dealing with in Spike Jonze. Well worth it.

Big money means big pressure from the studio to create something that can be easily digested by a mass audience. Jonze was given a longer leash then most, because of his "indie" cred, but when the studio demanded a rough cut of the film they were scared (as were some children in pre-screenings) by what they saw. A fight ensued where Jonze almost left the film, but after conceding to make extremely minor changes (basically adding one scene and taking away another) the film is now complete and set to be released next week. Here Jonze talks about Where the Wild Things Are, his concept for the film, working with Dave Eggers and more.

This is some behind the scenes footage of Maurice Sendak, the illustrator and author of the original children's book, talking about his story vs Jonze vision.

Where the Wild Things Are - Featurette Maurice Sendak
by ohmygore

In case you don't know who Dave Eggers is, he is a writer/publisher who is very similar to Jonze in the book world. He has written work such as his memoir A Heart Breaking Work of Staggering Genius and a traveling story about frustrating generosity in You Shall Know our Velocity. He has founded his own independent publishing company called McSweeney's. He is also known for his non-profit work, which has resulted in funding tours that included musical artists such as Death Cab for Cutie and Sufjan Stevens. Here, he and Jonze, are faced with the difficult task of interpreting the scarce dialogue and artwork of the WTWTA children's book into a full-length screenplay, which has been released as the novel The Wild Things. Hear his thoughts in this video interview.

Here is an interview with WTWTA production designer K.K. Barrett. Barrett has worked with some of the hottest directors around (including Sophia Coppola, and Michel Gondry) to help bring their films to life. Here he talks about his history and WTWTA's unique vision.

A friend of mine, who has a child of his own, told me he had a feeling this might be the first great children's film since The Neverending Story. He just might be right.

Official HD trailer for the film.

Toy Story 3

2009-10-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Just discovered the new Toy Story 3 Trailer that is circulating. I don't know anybody who wouldn't excited about this one

The Invention of Lying: Review

2009-10-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

I think Ricky Gervais is hilarious. I am a huge sucker for awkward humour and Gervais is the king of this brand of comedy. Let me also go on record as saying that the British Office is much, much smarter than its more brash westernized version...and I still like that one. I'm glad that Hollywood is finally taking notice of his genius and giving him the opportunity to put his talent on the big screen. It's just too bad that his latest just isn't very good. While Ghost Town was a pretty great twist on the romantic comedy genre, Lying just feels like its trying too hard. Don't get me wrong, anything Gervais is involved with will be a cut above your average puff piece, but considering what he is capable of, I couldn't leave the theater anything but slightly disappointed.

The story itself sounds like the perfect premise for Gervais to do his thing. It centers around a world where lying doesn't exist and everyone says what they think all the time. (which honestly gets annoying about half way through the movie...just because people don't know how to lie, doesn't mean they would automatically tell people that they've always hated them etc.) This is the case until Gervais' character discovers the advantages of lying, especially lying to a world that will believe anything you say. This works well as Gervais lies his way to a fortune, and discovers religion by "lying" to his mother about the afterlife, but its when the movie turns its focus to angst laden romance that things get...ordinary. Garner is decent as the innocent, but straight talking love interest, but all this sapp takes the bite out of the original premise.

Still Gervais' style of self depricating humour does elevate this film from bad to decent. I'd really hate to see something like this handled by anyone else, but then again Gervais is capable of much more.

Rent It.

Zombieland Review

2009-09-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

I just had the privilege of catching a sneak preview of Shaun of the Dead 2...I mean, Zombieland. This is the US' answer to the Brit Zomedy, several years later, and answer we did. It is perhaps not as smart, but every bit as ridiculous fun. This is all the crazy splat fest the trailers claimed and more. Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland) plays one of the last known survivors of some sort of apocalypse. He is a frail, phobic geek whose survival has been dependent on how closely he follows his "list" of apocalyptic rules. This list becomes a running joke throughout the film and is used to great comedic effect. While traveling through the wasteland he meets a gun-toting redneck played perfectly by Woody Harrelson. Harrelson loves to kill zombies and, using everything from heavy artillery to lawn tools, he proves to be damn good at it. This unlikely team then adds two con artist sisters along the way to complete their dysfunctional family.

Like Shaun, between each gross out violent set piece is relational core, a humanity that runs throughout, that is just enough to make us care about each character's plight, without bogging down the story. Its loud, bloody, shocking, hysterical, campy and just plain stupid fun. Watch out for the rumored cameo that is pure comedic gold, and sneak a twinkie into the theater, because trust me, you'll want one when its over.

Recommended

The Informant Review

2009-09-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

This movie will not make much money. Its not hilarious, it's uncomfortable, and Matt Damon is fat. But this film will make you think...think twice about lying. While billed as a comedy, this film is more cautionary tale, with a side of quirkiness (Damon's little side notes about polar bears and indoor pools are pretty great). Matt Damon has never been more impressive, transforming himself from a chiseled fighting machine, in the Bourne films, to a chubby naive compulsive liar. The word that comes to mind the most when reflecting on this story is FRUSTRATING! Don't get me wrong it's a great little film all around, but watching this man spiral his life into oblivion is not fun. On the other side of things, The Informant has a lot to say about corporate politics. Its a telling look at what goes on behind closed meeting room doors and the power of the bottom line.

Recommended

Solomon Kane

2009-09-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

The summer movie season is over, but there is still much more cinema to be had! Solomon Kane stars James Purefoy (from The Philanthropist) as the sword wielding hero, whom apparently Van Helsing ripped off. Comes from the 1928 Robert E. Howard novel (Conan author) about a wandering anti-hero trying to make amends for his violent past by living out a life of peace. Now we all know that won't last don't we?

Autolux Show

2009-09-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of traveling to DC to check out one of my favorite bands live at The Black Cat. That band would be the infamous Autolux. As you can tell from previous posts I'm not really into lengthy posts/reviews so here are some quick thoughts from the show followed by some crappy iphone pics.

This was definitely a complete show. All of the groups represented were really great in their own right and the first band, Mini Mansions, was no exception. They played for like 15 people, but rocked out like they were playing for 1500. They have their own brand of pop music that reminds me of a mix between Spoon and Field Music. Pitch perfect vocal harmony's float over piano, bass, sometimes guitar and an interesting stand-up drum setup. Fun music, great opener.

http://www.myspace.com/minimansionsmusic

The second act, Sleepy Sun, came out to chuckles from the crowd due to their obvious 70's era cloning. The lead singer in particular had the large collared, patterned button up shirt, with long curly hair and a burly mustache. He looked like he was straight out of Will Ferril's Anchorman, and I think our expectations for their music hit rock bottom at that point. Boy did this 5 piece prove us wrong! They were 70's, but they rocked! They played some of the tightest hard hitting psychedelic rock I have ever heard. The vocals were split between Mr. 70's and a cute as a button little girl who had big beautiful pipes. They just had an amazing time on stage and their energy, including some of the greatest goofy dance moves by cutie-pie girl, bled into the crowd. Memorable.

http://www.myspace.com/sleepysun

By now it was a full house and it was time to wait for an unbearably long time for Autolux to grace the stage. When they finally did they proved to be everything you expect from these wall of sound-new sonic youth-gazers. They definitely knew that Carla Azar is a draw on her own placing her dead center in full view, with the other two on opposite corners of the stage. While Autolux's LP's are perfect, they don't quite capture the fuzzy, pounding, just pure loudness of their live performance. The guitars were layered into oblivion, and the bass so dirty that your ears want to run and hide. I can say enough good things about Carla's drumming expertise. Some of the most creative back beats I've ever heard, and man does she play hard. They did unveil a few new tunes, and let me say that if those few songs are any indication of what awaits me when their new LP drops, I'm going to crap my pants.

http://www.myspace.com/autolux

Assault Girls

2009-08-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

I have never seen Ghost in the Shell amazingly enough. I'm not really into anime, but I have seen the director of Ghost in the Shell's film Avalon, which was a unique blend of anime styling set in the physical world. Mamuro Oshii's second venture into live action is Assault girls, which looks to take things up a notch.

Kim Ji-Woon

2009-08-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

You probably don't know that name, but you should. He is not only my favorite asian director, but he is about to break into the international spotlight. Films like The Quiet Family, A Tale of Two Sisters, and A Bittersweet Life have showcased Kim's unique talent. He has done it all, comedy, horror, noir, action, even an Asian western in the form of the recent The Good, The Bad and The Weird. He has basically never put out a film that I did not enjoy immensely and I don't expect that to change for his remake of Claude Sautet’s 1971 heist classic Max et les Ferrailleurs (to be titled Max and the Junkmen). There is talk that Kim has his eye on Clive Owen and Sienna Miller to star. If you've seen his action-noir masterpiece A Bittersweet Life than you should be very excited at the possibilities. Here is a taste:

Inception

2009-08-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Inception is Christopher Nolan's next masterpiece (I hope). After Dark Knight, who could expect less? The trailer for this, Leo Decaprio starring, dark-fi, mind freakout will leave you with more questions than answers, but it looks like a wild ride.

The Wolfman

2009-08-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

Wolfman looks to be a return to the classic monster movies of yesteryear. All the B-movie roots are there, but then we have some fine acting pedigree. Starring Benicio Del Toro as the man fighting the beast within, and Anthony Hopkins this could be the lycanthrope film you've been waiting for.

Gentlemen Broncos

2009-08-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

Count me in as excited about this new film by Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess. Jemaine Clement, of Flight of the Conchords fame, plays Ronald Chevalier, a washed up fantasy novelist who steals a young boy's novel and claims it as his own. Starring too many familiar comedy faces (including Sam Rockwell) in this to list, Gentlemen Broncos looks nothing if not a lot of fun-anuss.

Mew - No more stories Are told today I'm sorry They washed away No more stories The world is grey I'm tired Let's wash away

2009-08-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

There will always be a soft spot in my heart for these Danish prog rockers. Mew's new album, No more stories Are told today I'm sorry They washed away No more stories The world is grey I'm tired Let's wash away (my fingers are sweating now), takes a more dreamy approach without losing their complex prog pop sensibilities. Being a huge fan of dream-pop and shoe-gaze, I welcome this stylistic growth with open arms. Listen below.

No more stories Are told today...

Avatar Trailer

2009-08-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone has already seen this, but this is the first official trailer of James Cameron's newest epic Avatar. Boasting the newest in CGI and 3D technologies this labor of love certainly look spectacular, but will it have a story to match? James Cameron definitely has a good track record so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt...i guess.

Dear Readers...

2009-08-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well I've debated this since I started this blogging adventure and finally decided to add the "followers" gadget to my blog in an attempt to allow people another way to stay connected. This is not a blog with high aspirations, just an outlet for me to share stuff that I like with other people, and its exciting to think that I could potentially connect with someone across the global who has the same dysfunctional interests that I do. The beauty of this gadget is that you can connect to each other as well. So anyways it's to the right if you want to use it, and thanks for reading. (and you can still use twitter, facebook, digg etc. links if you prefer)

District 9 Review

2009-08-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is not an easy film to review, but here is my disjointed perspective anyways:

You can't write about this film and not infuse your review with the politics involved so here we go. I would have to praise the film for bringing a form of political realism to the table. We live in a world where politics and issues are far from Left or Right, Black and White, or Good or Bad...no matter how hard we try to present them that way. The people presented on both sides of this story are never clearly shown as the good aliens vs the bad military regime. The main character himself shows a certain conflicted, and at times purely selfish, morality, and the director Blomkamp is able to effectively have us be disgusted with him at parts in the film and root for him at others. The aliens obviously have their problems as well, infected with their own dose of degenerate behavior, and a seeming disinterest in integrating themselves in this new culture they find themselves in. Yes they are clearly marginalized by the government and local community, but they also marginalize themselves. I find this realistically muddied take on things to be refreshing, and feel that every time I watch this film it will reveal a new layer.

On the other side of the camera, I was impressed that Blomkamp and crew were able take us from mockumentary to documentary to thrilling action film seamlessly. This was clearly a stylistic decision, not an inability to sustain a single format, which is a common complaint. I was even more AMAZED by the CG work involved. I can't imagine the amount of time and effort it took to insert these creatures into each seen. I never once felt like I wasn't watching an organic living thing on screen. Avatar now has something to live up to. Each of these elements add up to an richly conceived alternate reality that provides an firm foundation for everything else presented in the film.

The bottom line is that this movie single handedly saves this summer for me. There has been far more disappointments (Wolverine, Terminator, Transformers, GI Joe etc...) than rewards (Star Trek, Drag Me to Hell), but this summer will now be remembered as the summer when District 9 showed what (Sci-fi) cinema is capable of.

Here's the Distric 9 panel discussion at Comic Con '09 with Blomkamp, Peter Jackson etc. (Jackson even talks about the Hobbit and HALO a little):

Faunts - Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.

2009-08-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

Great nugaze band flexes their electro-muscles on this new album and beautiful dark-pop ensues.

Feel.Love.Thinking.Of. - Faunt...

Tron Legacy

2009-08-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine there being any way they could match the hype on this one. Especially since the original was so groundbreaking. On the other hand this trailer does look promising...

The Vampire's Assistant

2009-08-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Vampires and John C. Reilly. Not sure what to think about this one, but it could be quirky fun. Fans of the book's ultra-dark and violent story-line are squirming at the trailer's kid-friendly comedic side. Here's hoping their just not showing all their cards in order to lure the general public.

Seth Rogen + Megan Fox = hilarious moment!

2009-07-31T18:12:00.000-07:00

Even big stars like Seth Rogen have embarrassingly awkward High School moments. Seth is on Jimmy Kimmel talking about a little incident he had involving one Megan Fox on the show previously...and Jimmy is happy enough to replay the footage for him!

Engineers - Three Fact Fader

2009-07-29T19:57:00.001-07:00

This new album has been 5 years in the making for these nugazers. Mixed by Ken Thomas of M83 and Sigur Ros fame, this album is highly recommended (by me).

Engineers in the studio finishing the album