Metal Movie Sport Food Games

2011 Movie Log

2011-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

001. 01/01/11 - Black Swan (2010) AMC Promenade (B+)
002. 01/01/11 - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010) Blu (B-)
003. 01/02/11 - A Prophet (2009) Blu (B+)
004. 01/03/11 - The American (2010) Blu (B)
005. 01/05/11 - MacGruber (2010) Blu (D)
006. 01/06/11 - Catfish (2010) Blu (B-)
007. 01/07/11 - Spartan (2004) Net (C-)
008. 01/09/11 - I Am Love (2010) Blu (B-)
009. 01/13/11 - Cyrus (2010) Blu (C+)
010. 01/18/11 - Shutter Island (2010) Blu (C+)
011. 01/21/11 - Metropolis (1927) Blu (B+)
012. 01/22/11 - Animal Kingdom (2010) Blu (B)
013. 01/23/11 - The Social Network (2010) Blu (B+)
014. 01/25/11 - I'm Still Here (2010) Blu (D)
015. 01/28/11 - How To Train Your Dragon (2010) Blu (B-)
016. 01/28/11 - Frozen (2010) Blu (D-)
017. 01/29/11 - The Ghost Writer (2010) Blu (B)
018. 01/30/11 - Jack Goes Boating (2010) Blu (C)
019. 02/01/11 - Winter's Bone (2010) DVD (B)
020. 02/02/11 - Whatever Works (2009) Blu (B-)
021. 02/03/11 - The Kids Are All Right (2010) Blu (C)
022. 02/05/11 - Real Genius (1985) SonyHD (B)
023. 02/05/11 - Mother (2009) Blu (B-)
024. 02/07/11 - Predators (2010) Blu (C+)
025. 02/10/11 - Monsters (2010) Blu (C)
026. 02/11/11 - The Tillman Story (2010) Blu (B)
027. 03/06/11 - The Expendables (2010) Blu (D+)
028. 03/06/11 - Never Let Me Go (2010) Blu (B-)
029. 03/09/11 - The Lives Of Others (2006) Blu (B)
030. 03/12/11 - 127 Hours (2010) Blu (B+)
031. 03/14/11 - Megamind (2010) Blu (C-)
032. 03/15/11 - Easy A (2010) Blu (B)
033. 03/16/11 - Faster (2010) Blu (D)
034. 03/18/11 - Night Catches Us (2010) Blu (C-)
035. 03/25/11 - Get Low (2009) Blu (B-)
036. 03/25/11 - Unstoppable (2010) Blu (C)
037. 04/03/11 - The Fighter (2010) Blu (B)
038. 04/12/11 - Inside Job (2010) Blu (B)
039. 04/13/11 - The Secret Of Kells (2009) Blu (C+)
040. 04/16/11 - Hereafter (2010) Blu (D+)
041. 04/16/11 - Tron (1982) Blu (B-)
042. 04/18/11 - Tron Legacy (2010) Blu (B)
043. 04/21/11 - Dune (1984) Blu (D-)
044. 04/22/11 - It's Kind Of A Funny Story (2010) Blu (C)
045. 04/25/11 - I Love You, Phillip Morris (2009) Blu (B)
046. 04/29/11 - Tangled (2010) Blu (B-)
047. 04/30/11 - Middle Men (2010) Blu (D-)
048. 05/04/11 - Fair Game (2010) Blu (C-)
049. 05/08/11 - The King's Speech (2010) Blu (B)
050. 05/10/11 - Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008) Blu (B)
051. 05/13/11 - The Green Hornet (2011) Blu (F)
052. 05/14/11 - Waiting For Superman (2010) Blu (B)
053. 05/15/11 - Paranormal Activity (2009) Blu (B)
054. 05/16/11 - Red (2010) Blu (C)
055. 05/17/11 - The Illusionist (2010) Blu (C)
056. 05/18/11 - The Human Centipede (2009) Blu (B)
057. 05/21/11 - Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) Blu (B-)
058. 05/21/11 - Antichrist (2009) Blu (B)
059. 05/22/11 - Secretariat (2010) Blu (C)
060. 05/24/11 - Please Give (2010) Blu (D)
061. 05/26/11 - Buried (2010) Blu (C)
062. 05/28/11 - The Way Back (2010) Blu (B-)
063. 05/30/11 - Red Riding: In The Year Of Our Lord 1974 (2010) Blu (C)
064. 05/31/11 - Red Riding: In The Year Of Our Lord 1980 (2010) Blu (C+)
065. 06/02/11 - Red Riding: In The Year Of Our Lord 1983 (2010) Blu (C+)
066. 06/04/11 - Machete (2010) Blu (C+)
067. 06/05/11 - The Last Exorcism (2010) Blu (B-)
068. 06/11/11 - True Grit (2010) Blu (A-)
069. 06/12/11 - Rambo (2008) Blu (C+)
070. 06/14/11 - Super 8 (2011) Paramount (B)
071. 06/15/11 - TrollHunter (2011) HDNet (B-)
072. 06/16/11 - Hobo With A Shotgun (2011) HDNet (C-)
073. 06/17/11 - Bridesmaids (2011) Paramount (B)
074. 06/19/11 - Rabbit Hole (2010) Blu (C)
075. 06/23/11 - Thor (2011) AMC Burbank 8 (B-)
076. 06/27/11 - 13 Assassins (2011) HDnet (C+)
077. 06/29/11 - Another Year (2010) Blu (B-)
078. 07/13/11 - Biutiful (2010) Blu (C+)
079. 07/14/11 - Insidious (2010) Blu (C+)
080. 07/16/11 - Blue Valentine (2010) Blu (B-)
081. 07/19/11 - Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone (2001) Blu (B)
082. 07/22/11 - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Paramount (B-)
083. 07/23/11 - Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secerts (2002) Blu (B-)
084. 07/24/11 - Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004) Blu (B)
085. 07/26/11 - Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire (2005) Blu (B+)
086. 07/28/11 - Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix (2007) Blu (B)
087. 07/29/11 - X-Men: First Class (2011) Paramount (B)
088. 07/31/11 - Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince (2009) Blu (B-)
089. 08/01/11 - Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010) Blu (B)
090. 08/02/11 - Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) Mann Chinese (B)
091. 08/05/11 - Source Code (2011) Blu (C)
092. 08/06/11 - Cedar Rapids (2011) Blu (C+)
093. 08/07/11 - Limitless (2011) Blu (B-)
094. 08/10/11 - Four Lions (2010) Blu (B-)
095. 08/29/11 - Rubber (2011) NetflixHD (D)
096. 08/30/11 - I Saw The Devil (2011) NetflixHD (B)
097. 09/05/11 - Black Death (2011) NetflixHD (B-)
098. 09/06/11 - Paul (2011) Blu (C)
099. 09/06/11 - Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1974) HDNet (B)
100. 09/07/11 - Super (2011) Blu (C)
101. 09/09/11 - Repo Man (1984) HDNet (C+)
102. 09/15/11 - A Boy And His Dog (1975) ShoHD (D)
103. 09/16/11 - Big Fan (2009) HBOHD (C)
104. 09/17/11 - Bigger, Stronger, Faster (2009) ShoHD (B-)
105. 09/21/11 - Bad Day At Black Rock (1955) HDNet (B)
106. 09/25/11 - The Cooler (2003) HDNet (C-)
107. 09/26/11 - Southern Comfort (1981) MGMHD (C)
108. 10/09/11 - Hanna (2011) Blu (B-)
109. 10/10/11 - In A Better World (2010) Blu (A-)
110. 10/13/11 - The Enforcer (1976) HDNet (D-)
111. 10/14/11 - Fast Five (2011) Blu (C)
112. 10/15/11 - Meek's Cutoff (2011) Blu (C)
113. 10/16/11 - The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) Blu (B)
114. 10/17/11 - Sucker Punch (2011) Blu (F)
115. 10/18/11 - The Tree Of Life (2011) Blu (B-)
116. 10/19/11 - Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009) Blu (F)
117. 10/19/11 - The Day After (1983) DVD (B-)
118. 10/23/11 - Horrible Bosses (2011) Blu (B)
119. 10/24/11 - Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (2011) Blu (D-)
120. 10/25/11 - Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) Blu (C)
121. 10/27/11 - Terri (2011) Blu (C)
122. 10/28/11 - Exit Through The Gift Shop (2010) Blu (B+)
123. 10/30/11 - Bad Teacher (2011) Blu (F)
124. 11/01/11 - Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 (2008) Blu (B)
125. 11/02/11 - Eastern Promises (2007) Blu (C-)
126. 11/04/11 - The White Material (2010) Blu (C-)
127. 11/06/11 - Rango (2011) Blu (B-)
128. 11/07/11 - Retrepo (2010) Blu (B+)
129. 11/08/11 - The Adjustment Bureau (2011) Blu (C+)
130. 11/10/11 - Attack The Block (2011) Blu (B-)

2010 Movie Log

2010-02-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

001. 01/12/10 - Donnie Darko (2001) HDNet (C+)
002. 01/30/10 - Commando (1985) Blu-ray (B-)
003. 02/02/10 - Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008) DVD (B-)
004. 02/03/10 - Executive Decision (1996) HDNet (C)
005. 02/05/10 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) HDNet (C)
006. 02/08/10 - Bringing Out The Dead (1999) HDNet (C)
007. 02/21/10 - Watchmen: Ultimate Cut (2009) Blu-ray (B)
008. 02/23/10 - Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982) HDNet (B+)
009. 02/26/10 - Up (2009) Blu-ray (A-)
010. 03/01/10 - Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984) HDNet (B)
011. 03/02/10 - Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) HDNet (B+)
012. 03/06/10 - The Godfather (1972) HDNet (A+)
013. 03/10/10 - The Godfather, Part II (1974) HDNet (A)
014. 03/13/10 - The Neverending Story (1984) HDNet (D)
015. 03/19/10 - Rambo III (1988) Blu-ray (C+)
016. 03/20/10 - Sleeping Beauty (1959) DVD (B+)
017. 03/21/10 - Escape From Alcatraz (1979) HDNet (C)
018. 03/22/10 - Hellboy (2004) Blu-ray (C+)
019. 03/23/10 - Moon (2009) Blu-ray (B+)
020. 03/28/10 - Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) Blu-ray (C-)
021. 04/02/10 - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) DVD (A)
022. 04/07/10 - 28 Days Later (2003) DVD (B)
023. 04/08/10 - Innerspace (1987) HDNet (B)
024. 04/10/10 - Green Zone (2010) AMC Rolling Hills (B-)
025. 04/10/10 - Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) AMC Rolling HIlls (C+)
026. 04/11/10 - To Catch A Thief (1955) HDNet (B-)
027. 04/12/10 - 28 Weeks Later (2007) Blu-ray (C)
028. 04/12/10 - 10,000 BC (2008) Blu-ray (C-)
029. 04/15/10 - Ghost World (2001) HDNet (D+)
030. 04/15/10 - Hatchet (2006) StarzHD (D-)
031. 04/16/10 - Kick-Ass (2010) AMC Promenade 16 (B+)
032. 04/17/10 - Fiddler On The Roof (1971) HDNet (A)
033. 04/19/10 - 30 Days of Night (2007) Blu-ray (D-)
034. 04/24/10 - Fantastic Four (2005) Blu-ray (C+)
035. 05/08/10 - Iron Man (2008) Blu-ray (B+)
036. 05/11/10 - Robin Hood (1973) DVD (C-)
037. 05/12/10 - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) Blu-ray (C-)
038. 05/12/10 - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) DVD (C+)
039. 05/13/10 - Iron Man 2 (2010) AMC Promenade 16 (B-)
040. 06/07/10 - Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) Blu-ray (B-)
041. 06/08/10 - The Third Man (1949) Blu-ray (B-)
042. 06/09/10 - 2012 (2009) Blu-ray (C)
043. 06/10/10 - Do The Right Thing (1989) Blu-ray (B+)
044. 06/11/10 - The A-Team (2010) AMC Promenade 16 (C)
045. 06/12/10 - Babies (2010) AMC Broadway (B)
046. 06/14/10 - The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009) Blu-ray (B)
047. 06/15/10 - Heathers (1989) Blu-ray (B+)
048. 06/16/10 - MASH (1970) Blu-ray (B)
049. 06/16/10 - Gran Torino (2008) Blu-ray (B)
050. 06/18/10 - Toy Story 3 (2010) AMC Promenade 16 (B)
051. 06/19/10 - Chariots of Fire (1981) HDNet (C-)
052. 06/21/10 - The Book of Eli (2010) Blu-ray (B)
053. 06/21/10 - Tango & Cash (1989) Blu-ray (D-)
054. 06/22/10 - Collateral (2004) Blu-ray (B)
055. 06/23/10 - Drag Me To Hell (2009) Blu-ray (C+)
056. 06/25/10 - Zombieland (2009) Blu-ray (B)
057. 06/25/10 - The Wolfman (2010) Blu-ray (D-)
058. 06/26/10 - Wonderland (2003) HDNet (C-)
059. 07/08/10 - Prizzi's Honor (1985) HDNet (F)
060. 07/09/10 - Sleeper (1973) MGMHD (B)
061. 07/10/10 - Deep Blue Sea (1999) HDNet (C-)
062. 07/11/10 - The Jacket (2005) HDNet (C-)
063. 07/14/10 - Blue Velvet (1986) HDNet (B+)
064. 07/15/10 - A Perfect World (1993) HDNet (B)
065. 07/17/10 - Red Violin (1998) HDNet (B)
066. 07/17/10 - The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) HDNet (B+)
067. 07/18/10 - Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) MGMHD (B-)
068. 07/19/10 - Dead Poets Society (1989) HDNet (B)
069. 07/22/10 - Some Like It Hot (1959) HDNet (B)
070 07/25/10 - Magnum Force (1973) HDNet (B)
071. 07/27/10 - Thief (1981) ShoHD (B)
072. 07/28/10 - Mississippi Burning (1988) HDNet (C-)
073. 07/29/10 - Tootsie (1982) HDNet (B)
074. 08/02/10 - Strange Brew (1983) HDNet (D)
075. 08/07/10 - Amores Perros (2000) HDNet (B)
076. 08/08/10 - Marty (1955) HDNet (B-)
077. 08/13/10 - Death To Smoochy (2002) HDNet (D-)
078. 08/14/10 - West Side Story (1961) HDNet (B)
079. 10/02/10 - Duck You Sucker! (1971) HDNet (B-)
080. 10/16/10 - Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971) Blu (C)
081. 10/18/10 - Leon (1994) Blu (B)
082. 10/23/10 - (500) Days Of Summer (2009) Blu (B)
083. 11/01/10 - Alexander (2004) Blu (D)
084. 11/15/10 - Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes (1972) Blu (C-)
085. 11/24/10 - The African Queen (1951) Blu (C)
086. 11/25/10 - The Bank Job (2008) Blu (C)
087. 11/28/10 - The Amityville Horror (1979) Blu (C-)
088. 11/30/10 - Be Kind Rewind (2008) Blu (B-)
089. 12/12/10 - Big Fish (2003) Blu (B+)
090. 12/14/10 - 8 1/2 (1963) Blu (B-)
091. 12/15/10 - The Blind Side (2009) Blu (B+)
092. 12/16/10 - Body Of Lies (2008) Blu (C-)
093. 12/17/10 - The Boondock Saints (1999) Blu (F)
094. 12/18/10 - All Good Things (2010) HDNet (B)
095. 12/19/10 - Amadeus (1984) HDNet (B+)
096. 12/20/10 - Centurion (2010) HDNet (C)
097. 12/21/10 - The 400 Blows (1959) Blu (B)
098. 12/22/10 - Inception (2010) Blu (B)
099. 12/23/10 - Capricorn One (1977) ShoHD (C)
100. 12/25/10 - Battle For The Planet Of The Apes (1973) Blu (D-)
101. 12/26/10 - Overnight (2003) DVD (B)
102. 12/27/10 - Wall Street (1987) Blu (B-)
103. 12/29/10 - The Town (2010) Blu (B)
104. 12/30/10 - Logan's Run (1976) Blu (D)
105. 12/31/10 - Greenberg (2010) Blu (B)

2009 Movie Log

2009-01-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

01. 01/05/09 - Frost/Nixon (2008) AMC Promenade 16 (B)
02. 01/06/09 - Slumdog Millionaire (2008) AMC Promenade 16 (B)
03. 01/07/09 - Doubt (2008) AMC Promenade 16 (B)
04. 01/08/09 - The Reader (2008) AMC Promenade 16 (C-)
05. 01/09/09 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) AMC Promenade 16 (C)
06. 01/15/09 - Harsh Times (2005) StarzHD (D)
07. 02/25/09 - Five Easy Pieces (1970) HDNet (B)
08. 03/07/09 - Watchmen (2009) ArcLight Hollywood (B)
09. 03/14/09 - A Mighty Wind (2003) DVD (B+)
10. 03/15/09 - Rounders (1998) StarzHD (C+)
11. 03/18/09 - The Pixar Story (2007) StarzHD (B)
12. 03/21/09 - Back to the Future (1985) StarzHD (A-)
13. 03/25/09 - Back to the Future Part II (1989) StarzHD (B)
14. 03/30/09 - Back to the Future Part III (1990) StarzHD (B+)
15. 04/15/09 - The Kingdom (2007) HD-DVD (C-)
16. 04/17/09 - Into The Wild (2007) HD-DVD (B)
17. 04/22/09 - Persepolis (2007) StarzHD (B)
18. 04/29/09 - The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (2008) DVD (C-)
19. 04/30/09 - Appaloosa (2008) DVD (D+)
20. 05/05/09 - 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (2007) DVD (A-)
21. 05/05/09 - The Constant Gardener (2004) HDNet (C+)
22. 05/06/09 - Frequency (2000) StarzHD (B-)
23. 05/07/09 - The Flight of the Red Balloon (2008) DVD (C)
24. 05/08/09 - Star Trek (2009) AMC Promenade 16 (B)
25. 05/11/09 - Doomsday (2008) Blu-ray (C)
26. 05/12/09 - The Good Shepherd (2006) HD-DVD (C)
27. 05/12/09 - Scent of a Woman (1992) HD-DVD (C-)
28. 05/13/09 - Australia (2008) Blu-ray (B-)
29. 05/14/09 - 21 (2008) Blu-ray (C+)
30. 05/18/09 - Carlito's Way (1993) HD-DVD (B-)
31. 05/18/09 - Cat People (1982) HD-DVD (C-)
32. 05/18/09 - I Am Legend (2007) Blu-ray (C-)
33. 05/19/09 - The Wrestler (2008) Blu-ray (B+)
34. 05/20/09 - Saturday Night Fever (1977) HDNet (B)
35. 05/20/09 - To Live And Die In L.A. (1985) ShowtimeHD (B)
36. 05/21/09 - 25th Hour (2002) Starz HD (B+)
37. 06/01/09 - Assault On Precinct 13 (1976) Blu-ray (B)
38. 06/03/09 - Planet Of The Apes (1968) Blu-ray (B-)
39. 06/04/09 - Let The Right One In (2008) Blu-ray (A-)
40. 06/08/09 - X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) AMC Burbank 8 (D)
41. 06/09/09 - The Brothers Bloom (2009) Laemmle Fallbrook 7 (B-)
42. 06/13/09 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Blu-ray (A-)
43. 06/16/09 - Up (2009) Laemmle Fallbrook 7 (A-)
44. 06/22/09 - Terminator: Salvation (2009) AMC Promenade 16 (D+)
45. 06/30/09 - The Hangover (2009) Laemmle Fallbrook 7 (B)
46. 07/14/09 - Assault On Precinct 13 (2005) HD-DVD (C)
47. 07/14/09 - Tropic Thunder (2008) Blu-ray (B-)
48. 07/17/09 - Quantum Of Solace (2008) Blu-ray (C+)
49. 07/20/09 - Breach (2007) DVD (B)
50. 08/08/09 - The X-Files: Fight The Future (1998) Blu-ray (B)
51. 08/26/09 - Mongol (2007) Blu-ray (C+)
52. 08/29/09 - Apocalypto (2006) DVD (A-)
53. 08/31/09 - The Hurt Locker (2009) ArcLight Hollywood (B+)
54. 09/01/09 - Frenzy (1972) DVD (B+)
55. 09/02/09 - Punisher: War Zone (2008) Blu-ray (D-)
56. 09/07/09 - Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room (2005) HDNet (B)
57. 09/16/09 - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) StarzHD (C)
58. 09/18/09 - The Ruins (2008) StarzHD (D)
59. 09/21/09 - Inglorious Basterds (2009) ArcLight Hollywood (B+)
60. 09/22/09 - District 9 (2009) UA La Canada/Flintridge (B-)
61. 09/30/09 - The Chronicles Of Riddick (2004) HD-DVD (C+)
62. 10/01/09 - The Incredible Hulk (2008) Blu-ray (B-)
63. 10/02/09 - Oldboy (2004) Blu-ray (B)
64. 10/03/09 - The King And I (1956) DVD (B)
65. 10/04/09 - Poltergeist (1982) Blu-ray (B-)
66. 10/07/09 - Legend (1985) HDNet (C)
67. 10/07/09 - The Big Red One (1980) HDNet (B)
68. 10/08/09 - The Aviator (2004) HD-DVD (C)
69. 10/12/09 - Hellraiser (1987) Blu-ray (B)
70. 10/14/09 - Predator (1987) Blu-ray (B)
71. 10/21/09 - Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) HDNet (B-)
72. 10/30/09 - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Blu-ray (A-)
73. 11/04/09 - Halloween (1978) Blu-ray (B)
74. 11/04/09 - Valkyrie (2008) Blu-ray (C)
75. 11/04/09 - First Blood (1982) Blu-ray (A-)
76. 11/05/09 - Dawn Of The Dead (1978) Blu-ray (B)
77. 11/06/09 - Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) Blu-ray (C+)
78. 11/06/09 - The Fog (1980) HDNet (D+)
79. 11/08/09 - An American Werewolf In London (1981) Blu-ray (B)
80. 11/10/09 - Dog Soldiers (2002) Blu-ray (C)
81. 11/11/09 - I, Robot (2004) Blu-ray (C)
82. 11/19/09 - Juno (2007) HBOHD (B)
83. 11/23/09 - Redbelt (2008) StarzHD (C-)
84. 12/27/09 - Raw Deal (1986) HDNet (F)
85. 12/28/09 - Time After Time (1979) HDNet (B)
86. 12/29/09 - Annie Hall (1977) HDNet (B)
87. 12/29/09 - Sherlock Holmes (2009) Laemmle Fallbrook (C+)
88. 12/30/09 - Avatar (2009) AMC Citywalk IMAX 3D (B)
89. 12/31/09 - Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Moive (1995) DVD (B)

2008 Concert Log

2008-06-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

01. 02/19/08 - Iron Maiden (Forum) A
02. 05/14/08 - Metallica/Scars On Broadway (Wiltern) A+
03. 05/16/08 - Metallica/Scars On Broadway/Apocalyptica/Flobots (KFMA Radio Day, Pima County Fairgrounds, Tucson AZ) A-
04. 05/31/08 - Demon Hunter (Glass House) B
05. 07/13/08 - Slipknot/Disturbed/DragonForce/Machine Head/Five Finger Death Punch (Rockstar Mayhem Tour, Devore CA) B+
06. 07/16/08 - Darksun (Whisky) B
07. 08/05/08 - Cavalera Conspiracy (House Of Blues Sunset Strip) B+
08. 10/24/08 - Snot (The Glasshouse) B
09. 11/20/08 - Five Finger Death Punch/In This Moment (B+)
10. 12/12/08 - Metallica/Lamb of God/The Sword (Citizens Bank Arena, Ontario CA) B+
11. 12/17/08 - Metallica/Machine Head/The Sword (Forum) A
12. 12/18/08 - Metallica/Machine Head/The Sword (Forum) B+

Film Review: Casper (1995) C-

2008-02-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 2/1/08
Venue: HDNet

When someone refers to a movie as "eh, just a kid's movie" in a derogatory tone, they're talking about Casper, a loud, special-effects laden comedy aimed at kids that isn't very interested in making a lot of sense or thinking things through.

Based on the famous cartoon show, our story follows lonely Casper, the friendly ghost, as he suffers his three bullying ghost uncles in an abandoned mansion in New England. The property is inherited by a snooty rich bitch (Cathy Moriarty), who believes there to be treasure (yes, treasure) in the mansion's walls, and will stop at nothing to drive the scary ghosts out. She hires ghost 'expert' Dr. Harvey (Bill Pullman. Was he in every movie between 1994-1996?) to help the ghosts 'move on.' Dr. Harvey moves in with his pubescent daughter Kat (a developing Christina Ricci) and while Harvey works on taming the mischievous uncle ghosts, Kat befriends lonesome Casper (well voiced by Malachi Pearson). Of course our intrepid family winds up siding with the ghosts against snooty rich bitch, and conflict ensues. However, the story really stumbles when trying to resolve this conflict, disregarding it's own 'rules' about the ghosts as soon as it can invent them.

While the comedy in Casper falls too broadly to be consistently funny (there's some gross, semi-crude humor, and Dan Akroyd has an embarrassing Ray Stantz Ghostbuster cameo, for goodnessakes), some of the overall adolescent themes of fitting-in and loneliness are well played. And those successful themes make some of the sloppy story points a bit more palpable.

Casper is a movie a kid with less discriminating tastes would eat up. It's outlandish, the sets and effects are great (imagine Who Framed Roger Rabbit? done seven years better), the comedy is big and in-your-face, and really its main characters are kids (Ricci and the Casper the ghost) themselves. As an adult, however, it's impossible to overlook lame humor and shoddy storytelling.

Film Review: The Right Stuff (1983) B-

2008-02-05T21:57:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 2/1/08
Venue: HDNet

Test pilots are the center of 1983's The Right Stuff, director Phillip Kaufman's lengthy exploration of the origins of America's space program. The film follows the professional and private lives of the seven men (and the legendary Chuck Yeager to boot) who were chosen to be America's first astronauts.

The film begins with Yeager (Sam Shepherd) breaking the sound barrier over the Mojave Desert. A few years later, the Soviets initiate the space race with the launch of Sputnik, and Washington sends recruiters (Harry Shearer and a young Jeff Goldblum) to the desert in search of future astronauts.

After rejecting Yeager (Washington was only interested in 'college-educated' pilots), the recruiters snag Air Force pilots Gus Grisson (a grizzly Fred Ward) and cocky Gordon Cooper (Dennis Quaid) to join clean-cut John Glen (Ed Harris) and joker Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn), among others.

The men find themselves poked, prodded, and studied extensively (and ushered around by poorly-dubbed orderly Anthony Munoz of NFL and disgusting sports injury fame) before the final seven are chosen and eventually, one-by-one, launched into space.

This is a sprawling, ambitious film that drips director Kaufman's love of the material, but the narrative is staggeringly off-balance. By dividing our time between our pilots, Yeager's continuing non-space-related flights, and some Washington behind-the-scenes machinations, we never settle on whose story this is supposed to be.

Despite having nothing to do with the space program, our scenes with Yeager's ongoing exploits in breaking speed and altitude records are the thematic heart of the film, expressing the test pilot obsession with pushing the envelope (and hinting at the notion that he was really the pilot with 'the right stuff'). And the Washington scenes would be fine if this were a more straightforward look at the history of our space program. But by trying to balance all three, we don't get a lot of depth with the pilots, the Washington bits feel rushed, and Yeager feels extraneous. There are also several instances of characters saying they're going to do something in lieu of actually seeing them do something, further evidence of extreme story compression.

Even with the overstuffed (even for a three-hour plus runtime) narrative, there are things to enjoy. Ed Harris and Fred Ward are great, and the pilots stories are very honest overall, not shying away from some of their skirt-chasing, chest-thumping, uber-macho ways. The spaceflight scenes themselves are well done, with appropriate weight and drama.

The Right Stuff is a frustrating mess of a movie. I respect the stories represented and the efforts of the filmakers, but there is strength in simplicity, and I wish further effort had been made to streamline the story and keep the audience involved.

Film Review: Reality Bites (1994) C

2008-01-27T21:37:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 1/11/08
Venue: HDNet

Let me just go on record here: I hate Generation X. I hate the whining, the complaining, the blaming of parents, the lazy questioning of authority, the constant references to Schoolhouse Rock, all of it. Born in '77, I fall right on the hazy dividing line between Generations X and Y, meaning I am a man without country. However, growing up and being a teenager in the early 90s meant succumbing to Generation X. The movies (Reality Bites, Singles), the music (Nirvana), the fashion (flannel), and even the unfocused malaise.

Which brings us to 1994's Reality Bites, starring Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Steve Zahn, Ben Stiller (who also directed), and Janeane Garofalo (barf), a group of recent college grads who must find themselves and their purpose in the big bad real world. Ryder plays Lelaina, a free-spirit who's embarrassed by her father's wealth, Hawke is Troy, resident bad boy with no plans in life, only angry philosophical platitudes. And Stiller is the conforming yuppie who has effectively 'sold-out.'

Reality Bites tries to pass itself off as a comedic love story for the 90s, as LeLaina has a flirtatious relationship with the smoldering Troy, but winds up dating Michael (Stiller) for much of the movie. The problem with this are twofold, one, the comedy simply isn't that strong (as if it doesn't go far enough, see Clerks, or hell, even "Beavis & Butt-Head" for fearless Gen-X comedy), and the love story fails because LeLaina is such a enormously passive character. Troy is the only interesting character here, and he vanishes for much of the movie.

Bites does a much better job painting an overall vibe for Gen-X (besides all the normal Gen-X stereotypes, we get a (barfily) promiscous character who's major purpose in the film is to GET TESTED FOR AIDS, and a "Real World"-esque show) than it does telling a story, but even still it falls flat by not going far enough. Maybe worth it just for the trip down memory lane, but otherwise...yawn.

Film Review: Hotel Rwanda (2004) B+

2008-01-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 1/25/08
Venue: Universal HD

Hotel Rwanda tells the true tale of luxury-hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), who takes in over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their bloody struggle with Hutu militias. As the film begins Paul is simply a good family man who is very good at his job, effortlessly catering to the needs of the visiting (and local) rich and powerful. As tension between Hutus and Tutsis rise, Paul sincerely believes things will blow over, he is above such seemingly arbitrary labels (he is Hutu and his wife Tutsi). When a neighbor Tutsi is beaten and taken in by a Hutu militia on suspicion of spying, Paul elects to stay with his family rather than help the man, putting his family first.

Things go to hell quickly as Hutu militias overrun the country, hunting down and brutally exterminating the Tutsis. U.N. Peacekeeper troops drop off dozens, then hundreds of Tutsi refugees at the hotel. Instead of ostensibly saving his own Hutu skin and staying out of things, Paul takes the refugees in, using his connections and influence to ensure their safety. A macabre juxtaposition occurs as violence breaks out throughout the city (with Tutsis slaughtered in the streets, fires everywhere, and constant gunfire), yet its almost business as usual inside the hotel; piano music in the lounge, casual dining, very surreal. Eventually, Western military forces do show up, but only to evacuate the white European and American guests. Practically abandoned, Paul must stand his ground time and time again using his guile and connections to keep the Hutu militias away from the hotel and his 'guests' and family. Interestingly, Paul has enough connections to get out safely with his family, but when faced with the fates of over a thousand people, he continually elects to stay until they are all evacuated.

Don Cheadle gives an extraordinary performance as a man desperately trying to keep it all together in the worst of times, and he's truly what keeps this film together. Nick Nolte is hit-or-miss as a frustrated and ultimately ineffective U.N. commander, he goes from zero to over-acting in 2.6 seconds. And Joaquin Phoenix is also around as an ambitious reporter, who's really only around to spout exposition.

Hotel Rwanda is a very good film, no doubt about it. Between Cheadle's performance and pure strength of the material, there's a lot to like (again, I feel weird saying 'like' in the context of a genocide film). But the story feels only serviceable and straight-forward. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but perhaps the subject matter deserved a little something extra. Still, a powerful testament to events that were (and still are) sadly overlooked by the Western world.

2007 Movie Log Analysis

2008-01-05T23:24:00.000-08:00

Now we're into 2008 it's time to look back and do a little breakdown on the movies I watched in 2007.

192 movies total, 156 (81%) of them films I had never seen before.

Only 8 of them were seen in a theater. That's an all-time low in my adult life.

38 (20%) were viewed on HD-DVD.

40 (21%) were recorded off cable.

104 (54%) were rentals (from either Netflix or Blockbuster Online).

I watched a staggering 45 films (23%) in January.

What does it all mean? Not much except that I'm a big nerd for charting out my movie watching.

2008 Video Game Log

2008-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

01/02/08 - Rock Band (360)
01/04/08 - Super Paper Mario (Wii)
01/04/08 - Rock Band (360)
01/05/08 - Rock Band (360)
01/05/08 - Madden NFL 07 (360)
01/07/08 - Rock Band (360)
01/10/08 - Rock Band (360)
01/12/08 - Rock Band (360)
01/19/08 - Super Paper Mario (Wii)
02/04/08 - Madden NFL 07 (360)
02/08/08 - Madden NFL 07 (360)
02/08/08 - Rock Band (360)
02/12/08 - Madden NFL 07 (360)
02/13/08 - Madden NFL 07 (360)
02/15/08 - Rock Band (360)
02/16/08 - Rock Band (360)

2008 Movie Log

2008-01-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

001. 01/03/08 - Rocky (1976) HDNet (A)
002. 01/03/08 - Rocky II (1979) HDNet (B)
003. 01/04/08 - Rocky III (1982) HDNet (B-)
004. 01/05/08 - A River Runs Through It (1992) HDNet (B)
005. 01/07/08 - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005) HDNet (B)
006. 01/09/08 - Family Plot (1976) HDNet (C)
007. 01/10/08 - Topaz (1969) HDNet (C-)
008. 01/11/08 - Reality Bites (1994) HDNet (C)
009. 01/25/08 - Hotel Rwanda (2004) Universal HD (B+)
010. 02/01/08 - The Right Stuff (1983) HDNet (B-)
011. 02/01/08 - Casper (1995) HDNet (C)
012. 02/02/08 - Robocop (1987) Universal HD (A+)
013. 02/05/08 - Dragonslayer (1981) HDNet (D)
014. 02/06/08 - Point Of No Return (1993) HDNet (D)
015. 02/06/08 - Soylent Green (1973) HDNet (C-)
016. 02/06/08 - Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979) HDNet (B+)
017. 02/07/08 - The Quick And The Dead (1995) HDNet (C)
018. 02/07/08 - The Jerk (1979) Universal HD (B)
019. 02/08/08 - Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) HDNet (B)
020. 02/08/08 - The Fisher King (1991) HDNet (B+)
021. 02/09/08 - The Karate Kid Part II (1986) HDNet (B)
022. 02/12/08 - Dirty Harry (1971) Universal HD (B-)
023. 02/14/08 - The China Syndrome (1979) HDNet (B)
024. 02/18/08 - Run Ronnie Run (2002) HDNet (B-)
025. 02/18/08 - Doom (2005) HD-DVD (C)
026. 02/19/08 - Seabiscuit (2003) HD-DVD (B)
027. 02/20/08 - Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgandy (2004) HD-DVD (B-)
028. 02/21/08 - Hidalgo (2004) HDNet (B+)
029. 02/21/08 - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) HD-DVD (C+)
030. 02/25/08 - Sunshine (2007) DVD (B+)
031. 03/01/08 - Across The Universe (2007) DVD (B)
032. 03/01/08 - Underworld (2003) DVD (C-)
033. 03/02/08 - The Guns Of Navarone (1961) HDNet (C)
034. 03/08/08 - Ghostbusters (1984) HDNet (A+)
035. 03/10/08 - Shoot 'Em Up (2007) DVD (C+)
036. 03/11/08 - 3:10 To Yuma (2007) DVD (B)
037. 03/18/08 - Shooter (2007) HD-DVD (D)
038. 03/19/08 - Zodiac (2007) HD-DVD (A-)
039. 04/01/08 - The King Of Kong (2007) DVD (B)
040. 04/02/08 - Once (2007) DVD (B+)
041. 04/05/08 - Beowulf (2007) HD-DVD (B+)
042. 04/06/08 - American Gangster (2007) HD-DVD (B-)
043. 04/11/08 - Disturbia (2007) HD-DVD (B-)
044. 04/16/08 - The Host (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
045. 04/21/08 - Michael Clayton (2007) HD-DVD (B)
046. 04/23/08 - Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) HDNet (B+)
047. 04/24/08 - The Bourne Identity (2002) HD-DVD (B-)
048. 05/01/08 - Iron Man (2008) ArcLight Hollywood (B+)
049. 05/10/08 - Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) DVD (A+)
050. 05/12/08 - The Bourne Supremacy (2004) HD-DVD (B)
051. 05/12/08 - The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) HD-DVD (B+)
052. 05/18/08 - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984) DVD (B+)
053. 05/22/08 - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008) ArcLight Hollywood (C+)
054. 05/25/08 - The Mist (2007) DVD (C+)
055. 05/26/08 - There Will Be Blood (2007) DVD (C)
056. 05/27/08 - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007) DVD (B-)
057. 06/03/08 - Alpha Dog (2006) HD-DVD (B)
058. 06/09/08 - Speed Racer (2008) Mann Chinese 6 (B-)
059. 06/11/08 - Cloverfield (2008) DVD (A-)
060. 06/12/08 - The TV Set (2006) DVD (B)
061. 06/12/08 - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) HDNet (C)
062. 06/13/08 - Auto Focus (2002) HDNet (B)
063. 06/14/08 - One Crazy Summer (1986) HDNet (C+)
064. 06/16/08 - La Vie En Rose (2007) DVD (B-)
065. 06/17/08 - The Darjeeling Limited (2007) DVD (B-)
066. 06/19/08 - Rocky IV (1985) DVD (B)
067. 06/19/08 - Rocky V (1990) DVD (D-)
068. 06/28/08 - WALL-E (2008) ArcLight Sherman Oaks (A-)
069. 07/10/08 - Rescue Dawn (2006) DVD (B-)
070. 07/10/08 - Ghost Rider (2007) DVD (D-)
071. 07/11/08 - Gone Baby Gone (2007) DVD (A)
072. 07/12/08 - Batman Begins (2005) DVD (B+)
073. 07/12/08 - Batman (1989) DVD (B+)
074. 07/15/08 - Wanted (2008) ArcLight Hollywood (C)
075. 07/17/08 - Pitch Black (2000) HD-DVD (C-)
076. 07/18/08 - The Dark Knight (2008) ArcLight Hollywood (A)
077. 07/21/08 - Rio Bravo (1959) HDNet (B)
078. 07/21/08 - Batman Returns (1992) DVD (B)
079. 07/22/08 - Gallipoli (1981) HDNet (B)
080. 07/26/08 - Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) DVD (A+)
081. 07/28/08 - Mean Streets (1973) HDNet (B)
082. 07/29/08 - Network (1976) HDNet (A-)
083. 08/03/08 - THX 1138 (1971) HDNet (B)
084. 08/26/08 - Deliverance (1972) HDNet (B+)
085. 09/08/08 - Giant (1956) HDNet (B)
086. 09/08/08 - Point Blank (1967) HDNet (C+)
087. 09/17/08 - City Of God (2002) HDNet (A-)
088. 09/17/08 - The Fog Of War (2004) HDNet (B)
089. 09/22/08 - King Arthur (2004) HDNet (C-)
090. 09/23/08 - Cinema Paradiso (1988) HDNet (B+)
091. 09/24/08 - Wait Until Dark (1967) HDNet (B)
092. 09/25/08 - The Color Of Money (1986) HDNet (C+)
093. 10/06/08 - Airport (1970) HDNet (C+)
094. 10/07/08 - The Color Purple (1985) HDNet (B)
095. 10/09/08 - Knocked Up (2007) HD-DVD (C+)
096. 10/09/08 - The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007) HD-DVD (B-)
097. 10/10/08 - Rocky Balboa (2006) DVD (B)
098. 10/13/08 - Charlie Wilson's War (2007) DVD (B)
099. 10/13/08 - In Bruges (2008) DVD (B)
100. 10/14/08 - The French Connection (1971) DVD (B)
101. 10/14/08 - Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone (2001) DVD (B)
102. 10/15/08 - Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets (2002) HD-DVD (B-)
103. 10/20/08 - Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004) HD-DVD (A-)
104. 10/21/08 - Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire (2005) HD-DVD (B+)

Film Review: The Interpreter (2005) C+

2007-12-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 11/05/07
Venue: HD-DVD

I shouldn't like The Interpreter as much as I do. But that's still not to say I like it a whole lot. In fact, it's a fairly mediocre thriller with some decent star power (Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman), a reputable director (Sydney Pollack), and a sweeping international conspiracy. On paper, this film should bore the pants off me, but instead I find it a mild misfire.

Nicole Kidman plays an interpreter at the United Nations in New York who accidentally overhears a plot to assasinate a soon-to-be-visiting African warlord. Sean Penn is the damaged-soul (still getting over the recent death of his wife) Secret Service agent assigned to protect the visiting warlord. He investigates her story but is suspicious when she is less than forthcoming about her own African past. Together they unravel the assasination conspiracy, only to find she's more involved in ways no one (including herself) could've guessed.

There are three major pitfalls that keep The Interpreter from being a legitimately good flick. The first of which is a significant lack of chemistry between its leads. The story (thankfully) doesn't call for them to fall into love, but a certain affection does arise. However, Kidman and Penn keep things pretty chilly throughout, with Penn playing the 'tortured cop' routine too close to the vest. Pitfall Number Two involves a common misstep; not letting the audience know what the protagonist wants. While you can certainly argue that Penn and Kidman are sort of co-main-characters, it's Kidman who we mostly follow in the film's first half. But we the audience are deliberately withheld information about her. We aren't told what she wants, and we aren't privy to the sum of her involvement in the whole affair until much later in the film, which makes it rather hard to be on her side and into the storyline. And for Pitfall Number Three, we've got a case of the 'not-so-high stakes.' Sure an assasination inside the U.N. building would be a Bad Thing, but the screenplay goes to quite a bit of effort to explain that this warlord guy is a bad, genocidal dude. So why should we care if he's killed?

Now after all that, I should've really disliked this film. But there are a few small things that despite all the flaws, kept me interested. The film is beautifully shot, nothing overdone, but simply elegant and confident. I also applaud director Pollack for the overall tone. This is a serious, adult, film, with characters that at least attempt to be three-dimensional. Also, this was the first film ever to be allowed to shoot inside the actual U.N. building, and this does nothing but great assist the authenticity and already strong atmosphere.

With some better star chemistry, some script-level character help, and higher stakes, The Interpreter could've been a first-rate thriller. I know that sounds like it needed a lot of work, but even in such disrepair, it's a lot closer to respectability that many films of its genre.

Film Review: Grindhouse (2007) B-

2007-12-16T18:59:00.000-08:00

Dated Viewed: 10/27/07
Venue: DVD

Grindhouse is certainly a unique creation. Directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have crafted an homage to cheap exploitation B-movies of the 70s and 80s that were shown in dingy theaters called, of all things, grindhouses. Comprised as a double-feature, Grindhouse contains two seperate films; Rodrigeuz's zombie flick Planet Terror, and Tarantino's automotive thriller Death-Proof. Surrounding both films are hilariously tongue-in-cheek fake trailers for other grindhouse-type films, which when coupled with lots of fake film damage (and even a 'missing reel' in Planet Terror) make the whole experience quite authentic.

Now as for the films themselves, Planet Terror works far better Death-Proof does, perhaps because Tarantino is a little too love with dialog. Whereas Terror deals with military zombies infesting and wreaking havoc in Texas, Death-Proof is an episodic look at the young female victims of a serial killer (a serial killer who uses a 'death-proofed' stunt car to kill). Planet Terror has plenty of gunplay, gore, and a first-rate B-movie cast (Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn, Freddy Rodriguez, Rose McGowan...need I go on?); Death-Proof has talking...lots and lots of typical Tarantino dialog. Rambling, seven minute conversations and the like. Now there's no questioning Quentin's skill with the spoken word, but generally his films have a story worthy of his characters' diatribes. Death-Proof? A self-admittedly stab at B-movie filmaking...not so much.

In all, Grindhouse is an admirable exercise and love-letter to the exploitation film, but it's little more than that. Planet Terror succeeds with lots of zombies, plenty of gore, a nifty cast, and some incredibly silly action. Death-Proof, despite some fine stunt work during its two car chases, is over-written and bloated to the point where it stops being fun and starts being a bore. And if there's one thing an exploitation film should never be....it's boring.

Film Review: Superbad (2007) B+

2007-12-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 12/13/07
Venue: DVD

Superbad is pretty simply the best teenage sex-comedy to arrive since 1999's American Pie. Written by childhood chums Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, this tale revolves around two high school virgins (named Seth and Ethan, of course. Played by Jonah Hill and Michael Cera respectively) desperately seeking to smuggle alcohol into a graduation party in the hopes of getting girls drunk enough to have sex with them. Nothing goes as planned and the guys embark on an epic hi-jinks-filled quest to fuel their alcoholic dreams.

On the surface, there's not much to differentiate Superbad from other teen romps. There's vulgarity aplenty, some crude gross-out humor, and heavy alcohol and drug use. What really sets this apart is an honest and natural attention to character. I buy that Seth and Evan are (very co-dependent) best friends with a long history. I buy their quick-witted and hilarious exchanges. A lot of the credit for this goes to Hill and Cera, but much should be given to Rogen and Goldberg. This is so very obviously a labor of love and personal experience that you can't help but admire it.

In addition to the strong work from the leads, Superbad boasts an excellent supporting cast. Christopher Mintz-Plasse nearly steals the movie as fake-ID geek Fogell (aka 'McLovin,' or so it says on his Hawaii(!) driver's license), plus Bill Hader and Rogen himself are amazingly funny as two of the world's worst police officers.

Superbad succeeds not because of the outrageous situations our characters find themselves in, nor is it due to the sheer volume of obscenely funny dialog. Superbad works because its kids are genuine, their relationships are genuine, and their fears, motivations, and eventual growth, are genuine, too.

2007 Video Game Log

2007-11-08T23:59:00.000-08:00

11/07/07 - Crackdown (360)
11/08/07 - Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock (360)
11/11/07 - Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock (360)
11/13/07 - Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (Wii)
11/13/07 - Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock (360)
11/17/07 - NCAA Football 2007 (360)
11/20/07 - Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock (360)
11/21/07 - Rock Band (360)
11/22/07 - NCAA Football 2007 (360)
11/24/07 - NCAA Football 2007 (360)
11/25/07 - NCAA Football 2007 (360)
11/27/07 - Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)
11/28/07 - Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)
11/29/07 - Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)
11/30/07 - NCAA Football 2007 (360)
12/03/07 - Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)
12/05/07 - NCAA Football 2007 (360)
12/07/07 - Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)
12/26/07 - Madden NFL 07 (360)
12/27/07 - Madden NFL 07 (360)
12/27/07 - Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (360)

College Football 2007: Week 3

2007-09-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm lazy ass and didn't write a week two CFB roundup. So what?

USC fans enjoyed a 'perfect' weekend, as the Trojans rolled and the Domers and Bruins were thoroughly embarrassed. The Trojans looked particularly impressive on the ground against the Huskers (did I say 'impressive?' I meant 'ridiculous.' When your fullback can rumble for 50 yards on a dive play from your own three-yard-line, that's ridiculous). Their defense did allow Nebraska QB Sam Keller to throw for more than 300 yards, and I don't care what the online accounts say, that wasn't the second-string secondary in there during garbage time. The Trojan passing game struggled, diminishing John David Booty's already flagging Hesiman campaign, but much of this can be attributed by a still uninspiring receiver corp. Patrick Turner, long expected to become JDB's favorite target this year, made his return to the lineup this week and did...well, exactly what Patrick Turner has done his first two years at USC. Drop passes and refuse to block anybody. If anyone is to become the next Dwayne Jarrett (although I' prefer the next Mike Williams), it'll be the hulking David Ausberry. If USC can run this effectively all year (and did I mentioned they started a true frosh at center? Again, ridiculous), they'll cruise to a BCS bowl. But if someone can exploit the secondary and shut down the Trojans' ground attack...

The Genius Charlie Weis is apparently nothing without his Mr. Perfect (Brady Quinn). Notre Dame couldn't beat Mater Dei H.S. at this point. Duke and the service academies are licking their chops after ND's utter destruction at the hands of (twice-embarrassed) Michigan. Willingham is laughing his ass off right now. And at what point do the Domer faithful turn on the Genius? My guess is next year, but why they're more patient with Weis than with Willingham is a mystery (insert race joke here) to me. Maybe the Genius threatened to eat Paul Hornung's grandkids or something, who knows? Big-time programs don't just go from BCS bowl to toilet bowl in one season without there being something seriously wrong with their recruiting.

UCLA. Oh my, UCLA. I can't say I've been a Karl Dorrell apologist, but up until now I've been willing to give him a fair shake. He seems like a nice guy and has a pleasant even-keel attitude that serves as a nice counterpoint to Pete Carroll's ADD style of coaching. But after getting spanked by a winless Utah team 44-6, I have to say that was the last straw. Dorrell's teams have been plagued by wild inconsistency over the past fours years, and you can attribute that inconsistency to a leadership void on the coaching level. Who's doing the motivating here? Where's the preparation? Maybe this is where Dorrell's NFL training hurts him; he treats the kids like professionals, like adults...well, college kids are immature adults at best, and elite D-1 college athletes...well, let's just say their immaturity is enabled a bit more than average student. Adding to this mediocrity is an over-reliance on the West Coast offense (which simply can and will not work in CFB (see also present-day Nebraska and late-nineties USC), there's too much accuracy required from a college QB, and the roster turnover year-to-year is simply too great for players to gell), a lackluster 'play not to lose' conservative mentality, and QB Ben Olson's lack of noticeable improvement He's still suffers from accuracy issues, locks onto receivers, and holds onto the ball far too long. I know beating USC in 2006 was a big deal (and many a career has been made by even almost beating SC--see Genius in above paragraph), but it's time UCLA fans start asking themselves if the program is any better today than it was in 2002 when they fired Bob Toledo.

Pitt lost to a decent Michigan St. team, but they might have the next Reggie Bush up their sleeve. True freshman RB LeSean McCoy was electric on Saturday, juking defenders and displaying some Bush-like quickness and acceleration. Pitt's not going to have a good year with all the injuries they've suffered, but McCoy is the future.

So when does Auburn coach Tommy Tubberville go back on the hot seat? It's been a few years, but his chair was quite warm after a disappointing 2003 campaign. He rebounded with an undefeated 2004 and successful '05 and '06 seasons. Now Auburn, sans QB JaMarcus Russell, is struggling again, losing to lowly Mississippi State (Croom!) after falling to South Florida last week. With rival Alabama resurgent under Nick Saban, how long before the 'For Sale' signs start cropping up on Tubberville's lawn?

My Top 10:

01. USC
02. LSU
03. Florida
04. Oklahoma
05. Rutgers
06. Ohio St.
07. West Virginia
08. Cal
09. Texas
10. Penn St.

Alright, that's it for now as I attempt to perform roster add/drop CPR to both my fantasy football teams.

College Football 2007: Week 1

2007-09-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

Some quick notes after a big weekend of College Football.

#1 USC looked strong but completely uninterested in their 38-10 win over Idaho. Funny how the Trojans two biggest question marks, WR and RB, were their strengths, with Davis Ausberry and Vidal Hazelton making some nice catches and Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable, and Joe McKnight running pretty well. The defense looked very fast on the edges, but I have a feeling all that overpursuing will make it weak up the middle and vulnerable to misdirection plays. Saturday night also saw the return of the fullback, as Stanley Havili made the start at 2006's cursed (I think the Trojans lost four FBs to injury) position, and was promptly made a primary target by John David Booty. Anyone notice USC quietly added Reggie Bush's #5 jersey to their ring of Heisman-winners at the peristyle end of the Coliseum? Perhaps another sign that the NCAA's investigation of Bush is truly DOA.

The Bruins fared very well in their thrashing of a much-improved Stanford squad. Khalil Bell looked like a man among boys, bouncing off defenders left and right, plus it was nice to get Pornstache (Joe Cowan) back. Ben Olson looked strong, but he looked good in last year's opener, too (against Utah) before turning in a stinker of a performance against Rice, so I'm not quite on the Bruin 'offensive juggernaut' bandwagon just yet.

Washington broke in new redshirt frosh QB Jack Locker against Syracuse, and he looked pretty darn good running the spread offense. The Tim Tebow clone ran strong, threw well, and will be a unique force in the Pac-10 if he can stay healthy.

It's going to be a long season at Notre Dame and Florida St. ND looked downright awful (so awful their games against the service academies are far from sure things this year) against Georgia Tech, and Florida State looked unimpressive (hasn't QB Drew Weatherford been around too long to make bonehead mistakes?) losing to Clemson. Both teams have treacherous schedules that'll have them dwelling near or below .500.

Cal looked incredibly fast against Tennessee, but their defense is still undersized. The USC-Cal matchup at Berkeley should be a trackmeet in November.

And Michigan...well, what can be said that hasn't been said. No D-1A top 25 team had ever lost to a D-1AA team. Not even a #25 ranked WAC team, not even on the road, not even at a neutral site, and especially not in one of the hardest places to win in all of college football. Three days later, and Applachian St.'s win is still unfathomable.

Concert Review: Family Values Tour 2007 (Irvine Meadows) C+

2007-09-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Date of show: 9/2/07
Venue: Irvine Meadows (Verizon Wireless)

The 2007 edition of the Family Values tour stormed its way into Orange County over Labor Day weekend, and I was there, sweating to the oldies with KoRn and the gang.

Five Finger Death Punch (A-)

5FDP appeared on the "Guitar Hero" second stage, shredding through a brief half an hour set to a smallish but rabid crowd. Gone were former set stalwarts "The Way Of The Fist" and (much to my chagrin) "The Devil's Own," replaced with other album tracks like "White Knuckles." The band were tight as always, and frontman Ivan Moody controlled the audience well (which has grown quite impressively since the last time I saw them...that's what happens when your album actually hits stores), firiing a water cannon into the sweaty masses in between songs. After the set, the band pelted the fans with water balloons, a nice touch on a scorching, 100 degree-plus day.

Trivium (B+)

Trivium went on early over on the mainstage, and put together a workmanlike set that opened quickly with "To The Rats." The quartet added some nice surprises (playing "Tread The Floods" into "Rain" actually coaxed a few real-life raindrops to fall), including the thrashily cheesy "Becoming The Dragon." Overall a strong, but altogether too short, set on what frontman Matt Heafy called "the hottest show" they've ever played.

Hellyeah (B) - partial

I only caught about the first two-thirds of Hellyeah's mainstage act, as I rushed over to see 5FDP in their entirety, but what I did see was better than expected. Hellyeah sounded rather tight, which come to think about it, shouldn't have surprised me with the great Vinne Paul on drums. Surprise of the set was a cover of Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy," which sounded an awful lot like Metallica's cover of the same song. Hmmmm.....

Atreyu (D+) - partial

Caught the second half of the Orange County's emo-metal performance, and can someone explain to me how their brand of whiny/screamy metal-lite is so popular with the ladies? Strange. While I did appreciate one guitarist's 80s headband and Dokken T-shirt, I couldn't get over the whining (all sang by the drummer, weird) and an overall weak, underpowered sound.

Evanescence (F)

Amy Lee's Evanescence managed to do something the burning bright sun couldn't, sap the Irvine crowd of their will to live. Droning through a uninspired set comprised mostly of newer (read: crappier) tunes, Lee and her backup band did absolutely nothing to connect with the initially enthusiastic audience. Lee's voice sounded small, and was often overpowered by her band. A cover of The Doors' "People Are Strange" was at least a change in pace, if a bit awkwardly done. Best of all was the performance of the hit "Bring Me To Life," which is known for a strong duet-rap bit with a male singer...when I say "best of all," I mean "what the hell," because the band somehow omitted the coolest part of the song. They couldn't find some dude to do that part? There's like fifty bands playing on this festival, all of them have male singers, you couldn't have gotten one of them to sub in? How about one of your backing band? Lame.

KoRn (C) - partial(?)

Not being a big fan of their last two studio albums, I was afraid, really afraid of what KoRn might pull out setlist-wise. As it was, the setlist wasn't terrible, but it wasn't particularly great, either. It seemed for every 'good' song ("Faget," the opener "Here To Stay," "Beat It Upright," "Dead Bodies Everywhere") there was at least one 'bad' song ("Ass Itch," "Coming Undone") and at least one 'okay' song ("Hold On," a way-too-overextended "Another Brick In The Wall"). For the most part, despite only having three remaining original bandmembers (well, two and a half, how the hell did Fieldy get so damn skinny?!), everything sounded okay, thanks mostly to Jonathan Davis' strong vocals and Joey Jordinson's (Slipknot) drumming. However it is kind of weird seeing KoRn act like Slipknot, what with seven guys running around stage (the band now employs two backup vocal and percussion dudes). What really derailed the set and kept things from gaining any momentum, however, was the one to three minutes of minimalist electronic samples in between songs. No profanity-laced stage banter (well, not much anyways), no quick progressions from one song to the next. Instead, a couple of minutes of blackened stage and weird, non-KoRn sounding electronica in between each and every song. Let's just say that got old very quickly. Semi-bored, I left after "Blind," not really caring if the band came back for an encore, hence the (?) after partial.

What I'm Playing...

2007-08-29T02:10:00.000-07:00

Since 'Games' is actually a part of this blog's title, I figure I should finally start well, you know, actually blogging about them. Every Tuesday I'll have a rundown of what I've been playing in the video game world, and my general impressions.

Madden NFL 07 (360)

Well, my Madden 07 Seattle Seahawk season continues. After going 4-0 during the preseason (and no, I didn't play my starters the entire time), I worked over the Lions in Detroit to open the regular season, then squeaked out a 30-27 victory at home against the surprisingly resilient Cardinals.

Now why the heck am I playing Madden 07, when Madden 08 has just come out? Well, to be honest, I never got around to playing 07 too much, and I really can't justify giving EA more money to replace a game I never played. Yes, I know 07 is glitchy. I actually won a week three game against the Giants, only to have the game freeze with 0:00 left in the fourth quarter. And I know 07 on the 360 actually has less features than previous incarnations (What do you mean I can't edit players?), and yes, the player creation mode is retarded (instead of just inputting that Calvin Johnson is fast using a slider, you now have to run the forty with him, using a NES Track & Field control scheme of finger tapping...let's just say there was an audible gasp of horror (nice touch, btw) from the combine peanut gallery when Mr. Johnson ran a paltry 4.77 thanks to my apparently clumsy thumbs). Still, I never got around to taking the 07 Seahawks to the Super Bowl (and beyond?), that's why I'm sitting here now comptemplating the best way to beat the Giants (ahem, again).

Gradius (NES)

After beating Super Mario last week, my old school tour moved on to Gradius, the grandaddy of shooter games. After getting about halfway through it, I wonder how in the hell anyone ever beat this game without cheat codes or save states? It's impossible, right? There's simply no way it could be done. The damn game is too hard. I'm suddenly remembering why I never beat a lot of NES when I was growing up. It wasn't because I sucked, it was because NES games made up for their graphical simplicity with bone-crushing difficulty.

What I'm Playing...

2007-08-21T11:49:00.001-07:00

Since 'Games' is actually a part of this blog's title, I figure I should finally start well, you know, actually blogging about them. Every Tuesday I'll have a rundown of what I've been playing in the video game world, and my general impressions.

The Godfather: Blackhand Edition (Wii)

I beat this over the past weekend, after logging about 30 hours taking over the mean mafioso streets of New York City. The Godfather is a sandbox game, very much like the Grand Theft Auto series, but built around the first Godfather feature film for its story. Many of the missions are right out of the movie (guess who gets to fly to LA with Robert Duvall and practice equine decapitations!), but a major portion of the game deals with extorting businesses and taking over rackets, all whilst fighting off rival mob families.

To be honest, this would just be an average game on any other console, but the Wii controls allow for some fun melee combat and the free-aim feature really comes in handy during long-distance gunplay.

I'd recommend it for fans of the film and Wii owners jonesing for a GTA-style world.

Madden NFL Football 07 (360)

I picked this up last year when I got my 360 and barely touched it (aside from taking a few online ass-whooping from (thankfully) anonymous 11-year-olds). With football less than three weeks away I felt the urge, so I started a franchise with my beloved Seahawks. Two games into the preseason now, and both have gone into OT. Doesn't the friggin' AI understand the point of preseason? Why is it kicking last second FGs to tie the score? And why is Peyton Manning playing the entire game against me?

Super Mario Bros. (NES)

My retro game of the moment. And no, I don't have an NES anymore. I'm playing this emulated on my Xbox. I of course had this as a kid, but strangely never beat it. I'm trying to rectify that now (thank God for save states!).

Film Review: Transformers (2007) D-

2007-07-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 7/11/07
Venue: DGA

Transformers is a movie for the mentally challenged. Based on a toy line, directed by Michael Bay, and apparently written by unsophisticated chimpanzees, it s a recipe for lameness that comes out of the oven all fresh and warm in it's stupidity.

Now, I must come clean. I loved the Transformers as a kid. The toys, the cartoon series, even the much-maligned animated feature. That was when I was about eight years old and also thought The Goonies was one of the best movies ever made. Needless to say (well, maybe not needless, I hear there's apparently a large population of unwashed thirty-something 'transfans' venturing forth from their parents' basements these days), I no longer wish I was a Goonie, and I realize the Transformers cartoon was a poorly plotted and ill-constructed show.

So it was with zero expectations that I ventured forth to see the 2007 version, hoping Bay could deliver something cool. What I got was an overly convoluted tale of the Transformers arriving on Earth in search of something called the Allspark, a giant cube that can revitalize their machine homeworld of Cybertron. Apparently, only the awkward and unwitting teen Sam Witwicky (Shia Lebeouf) has the secret to the cube's location. The good-guy Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (voice by Peter Cullen, the same dude who iconically voiced the cartoon), seek out Sam to protect him (and all humanity, for that matter) before the evil Decpticons can find him. Of course there's a girl (hottie Megan Fox) along for the ride, and of course the 'Cons catch up with our heroes, leading to giant robot fight after robot fight. Adding to the run time are some lame government sponsored hackers investigated Decepitcons attacks (made even lamer by the fact that we the audience already know more than they do about the Transformers, thank-you opening Optimus Prime narration), a big and useless part for the the Secretary of Defense (a puffy Jon Voight), and a mysterious, X-Files-esque government agency (led by a way over-the-top John Turturro).

The special effects are surprisingly impeccable. The transformations are flawless, with cars, jets, and tanks changing into gigantic, real-looking robots. I didn't see one shot that seemed fake, or less than photo-realistic.

The action scenes, wherein the Autobots and Decepticons do battle (or wherein the 'Cons battle the U.S. military) are extremely visceral (my favorite shot being Optimus Prime running Decepticon-leader Megatron through an office building) if not entirely well-choreographed. Characters (including the giant robots) seem to go missing for stretches of time, and due to over-complicated robot design, it's often hard to tell which robot is which during Bay's patented quick cuts.

But where Transformers really fails is in its characters. Outside of Shia Lebeouf (who really does make the best of some wickedly bad dialog and situations), I don't buy a single character in the film. In fact, they're not even really characters, they're caricatures, all there just to help move the plot along and throw out a lame joke or two (I must mention how funny Transformers tries to be...and how badly and broadly the jokes fall).

The prevailing attitude on this film seems to be "well, this is a dumb idea anyways, so let's make it as stupid as possible." Instead of trying to build something of a believable world (see Independence Day for a somewhat successful example of this), Transformers is more interested in crude humor (I mean, there are two urination jokes and one scene-length masturbation joke, that seems excessive for a movie supposedly geared towards kids, even if it is PG-13) and unmotivated action sequences.

Film Review: Meet Joe Black (1998) D-

2007-06-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/22/07
Venue: HDNet

Sometimes a movie comes along that defies the very meaning of 'motion picture.' A stillborn, inert film that goes nowhere and does nothing. Meet Joe Black is just such a movie.

Death (Brad Pitt) takes human form and pays a visit to mega-rich media mogul William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) and keeps him alive to guide Death around life on Earth. We get to meet Parrish's daughters (Marcia Gay Harden and the chick from Mallrats) and his corporate lackey (Jake Weber). While sampling the details of human life (peanut butter, is apparently a Death-fave), Death discovers love, and falls skull over calcaneus for Mallrats girl (Claire Forlani), much to daddy's dismay.

As usual, there's more to it than that (a lot more, considering a nearly three-hour run-time), but absolutely none of it is interesting in the least. It's surprising that a film about Death is so successful in making Death so boring. He's a blank slate, devoid of anything except Brad Pitt's looks. He's not even quirky, or odd (like Star Trek's Q, learning to be human), he's just, well, weird. So weird that I don't buy Ms. Mallrats falling for him, despite his looking like Brad Pitt.

Also strange is that Parrish never seems to want know anything about how Death operates. How does he get around? Does he have any other special powers? What's it like to be Death? Is anyone else filling in while Death discovers the joys of peanut butter? Nope. The only special thing we see Death do is talk Calypso with some Jamaican lady in a hospital. That's his special skill, talking Rasta.

The main culprit here is a staggering lack of conflict. Death has no agenda, no set timetable, he just wants to check things out. Corporate lackey tries to take the company away from Parrish, Parrish doesn't care too much. Only when Parrish opposes Death's love for his daughter is there any sort of tangible conflict, and by then, we're two-plus hours in and not caring anymore.

In the end, Meet Joe Black just sits there, staring back at the audience, waiting for applause. Didn't you enjoy the slow pacing? The insubstantial character development? The corporate chicanery that no one seemed to care too much about? How about the love story? Girl shagged a Brad Pitt robot, that was good, right? To hell with this movie.

You Have Selected...REGICIDE. If You Know The Name Of The King Or Queen Being Killed...PRESS ONE!

2007-06-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

(Despite 'Sports' being the third word in this blog's title, I realize I've been remiss about posting about sports (not that I haven't been remiss about posting in general lately). So here's my first attempt at doing something of a daily sports post about the previous day's developments.)

Well, you can more or less write off the Cleveland Cavaliers, down 0-3 to Spurs, thanks to a lackluster offensive effort last night (who-hoo, they scored over 70!) and a mysterious no-call on the final play of the game. LeBron James was absolutely, unequivocally fouled by Bruce Bowen just before he took his final 3-pointer (which, like every other futile Cav 3-pointer, clanged off the rim). You'd think that in the final five seconds of a Finals game, the officials might, just might, have their eyes on whoever has the ball? But I guess not, and its sad to see King James not able to get a call that friggin' GraMaMa got back in 1999.

I admit, I'm no Cavs fan, I just strongly dislike the Spurs and their brand of boringly-solid basketball (not to mention their endless Eva cutaways). And as much as I'd like to watch the LeBron put his team on his shoulders and do the unthinkable, I'm fully aware of how much the Cavs suck. They're like a team of younger siblings who try oh-so-hard but simply aren't tall or strong enough to pull it out. Their only hope is to bow out with some dignity, and concentrate on surrounding James with some quality players (not guys who look like Sideshow Bob).

Speaking of Anderson Varejao, anyone notice the Cleveland faithful's horrified gasp when LeBron handed him the ball with ten seconds remaining? Sideshow drove awkwardly to the hoop and threw up an ugly no-look shot that banged off the backboard, but the funny thing is the crowd gasped before Varejao even made a move, like as if to say "oh please God not him! Anyone but him!" Made me laugh.

Film Review: Spider-Man 3 (2007) B

2007-06-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 5/9/07
Venue: DGA

Let me get something off my chest: I hated Spider-Man 2. Well, I didn't hate the whole thing. I actually enjoyed whatever screentime was given to uber villain Doc Ock, but I loathed every frame of hand-wringing, angsty superhero self-questioning that Peter Parker had to endure. I want my superheroes doing super things first, self-analyzing second.

Which leads us to Spider-Man 3, which is a giant mess of intersecting plots, love interests, and bad guys. Spidey must deal with the honest criminal Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church), the alien Venom, and a new Green Goblin (James Franco), while alter-ego Peter Parker has a rival photographer (Topher Grace), ongoing problems with Mary-Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), and a new love interest in Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard).

That's a lot to keep a handle on, even in a lengthy 140 minute running time, and I can't say the film is entirely successful with the juggling act. Neither Sandman's or Venom's storylines feel fully played out, and Gwen Stacy is actually overdevelped in relation to her importance to the overall plot.

Still, there is a lot of action, which solves one of my issues with the last Spidey film. And Peter's ongoing conflict with Harry (the Green Goblin) is nicely done and their showdowns are the best parts of the film. There's also a lot of over-the-top humor with Peter's dip into his dark side (via contact with the evil alien Venom) that works well within the series' slightly lighthearted tone. And did I mention (the mighty) Bruce Campbell is back again and hilariously steals a scene as a snooty French waiter?

Spider-Man 3 is by no means a perfect movie. It's a very flawed summer sequel that, like many sequels before it, tries to cram too much into a single film. But the action set-pieces are well done, the humor is free-flowing, and I'd rather have a film try too much and fail some than do too little and bore me.

Film Review: Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007) B-

2007-05-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 5/27/07
Venue: The Bridge Cinemas

Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End is a mess. But at least it's a watchable, sometimes entertaining mess. If you thought, like I did, that Dead Man's Chest (last summer's first chapter of these filmed-back-to-back sequels) was a tad convoluted in the story department, then you'll certainly find At World's End even more unnecessarily confusing and patched together.

Our heroes begin At World's End in search of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), whose sacrifice at the hands (well, teeth, really) of the beastly Kracken (at Dead Man's Chest's climax) has cost him his life. However, there is an afterlife in these movies, however flimsily explained (and beautifully shot), and that's where Will (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth (Keira Knightly), and the recently-resurrected-himself Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), must travel. Once retrieving Jack from his purgatory and returning to the world of the living, our intrepid company must rally pirates from around the world to fight the dreaded East Indian Trade Company, who now employ Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) himself to do their dirty work.

Confused yet? And I didn't even mention Chow-Yun Fat's pirate lord Sao Fang, nor Calypso the sea goddess, nor the return of Will's misbegotten father, nor Keith Richards' cameo turn as Jack's father, nor the resolution of Davy Jones' stolen heart. My point is there's just way too much going in this film, and very little of it is thought out very well. Mythological angles and rules are brought up only when convenient, characters are often wasted (Sao Fang in particular), or meet a demise unbefitting in relation to their importance.

Still, the special effects are top notch and the action scenes are as breezy as they ever were in these films. The snappy dialog, humorous characterizations, and overall chemistry haven't faltered, either. At times, At World's End is a real joy to watch.

It's very frustrating to see a franchise with so much going for it stumble over a completely overambitious, throw-in-the-kitchen-sink story (which in it's bones, bares a striking resemblence to another second sequel, Return Of The Jedi). I know the mantra with sequels is to make them bigger than their predecessors, but I'll take coherence over size any day.

Film Review: The Last Of The Mohicans (1992) B

2007-05-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

Date viewed: 5/27/07
Venue: DVD

Daniel Day-Lewis plays Hawkeye, an adopted Mohican in the American colonial frontier, who makes his living (along with his adopted father and brother, the real last of the Mohicans) trapping, hunting, and trading with English settlers. When violence befalls their settler friends, the peaceful trio are abruptly swept into the French-Indian War and find themselves escorting the daughters of a British general safely back to their father while fighting and evading other tribes working with the French.

The eldest daughter, Clara (Madeline Stowe), and Hawkeye fall in love during the journey, and Hawkeye vows to find her even after she is captured by the bloodthirsty indian war captain Magua (chillingly protrayed by Wes Studi), who seeks revenge against Clara's father.

Director Michael Mann delivers a real straight-forward, throwback kind of adventure film (and I don't just say throwback because the film is 15 years old). It's definitely not the swashbuckling, smarth-mouthed type of film we've become accustom to over the last twenty-five years or so. Mohicans has a naturally gritty, realistic sensibility that rings true and is a sight for sore eyes in the twenty-first century. Mann keeps the camera wide during battle scenes and does an effective job protraying the scale of the conflict (the French siege of a British fort is an especially appropriate example) while never losing sight of his obligations to character and story.

Lewis imbues Hawkeye with a classic hero's quiet stoicism and unwavering devotion (and as the image implies, he does a lot of devoted running in this picture), and Stowe does well as something a bit more independent and self-sufficient than your run-of-the-mill damsel in distress. That said, their love affair feels abrupt and rushed, like there's a scene missing somewhere. This doesn't surprise me, unconvincing romantic developments are soewhat of a Mann hallmark, see Heat and especially Miami Vice for further evidence.

At the end the day, it's Mann's simplistic approach that carries the film. The climactic sequence is a chase virtually devoid of dialog that manages to be tense, heart-wrenching, and beautiful all at the same time (big assist in this matter, as with the rest of film, is Randy Edelman and Trevor Jones' wonderful score). The elegantly simple visuals tell the story, and tell it better than words ever could. And that's a testament to strong filmaking at its finest.

Film Review: The Science Of Sleep (2006) D

2007-05-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Dated Viewed: 5/30/07
Venue: DVD

Music video director Michael Gondry impressed me with 2004's delightfully weird Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (although many would be quick to attribute that film's qualities to Charlie Kaufman's quirky screenplay). Well, The Science Of Sleep, written by Gondry, is entirely, and unfortunately, his baby.

Stephane (Gael García Bernal) is a half Mexican, half French artist who moves back to France after his father's death to take a job designing calendars. It turns out the gig isn't as creative as it sounds, as Stephane finds himself merely handling text placement and putting up with his bickering co-workers. Stephane escapes his everyday world in his dreams, where we see his fertile imagination at work in the form of his own TV show (with cameras, sets, and props colorfully cobbled together out of everyday items), where Gondry utilizes a great deal of stop-motion animation and imaginative camerawork to supply the fanciful images.

Stephane eventually becomes romantically interested in his neighbor Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and two have several playful adventures fueled by Stephane's creative impulses. But Stephane, due to his mercurial and unpredictable nature, becomes trapped in the dreaded 'friend zone' and struggles with bouts of depression and love-struck anguish.

I'm sure Gondry drew heavily upon his own life to create Stephane and his dilemmas (I'm positive Gondry's dreams, just like Stephane's, inform his strange visual creations), but while people tend to think of themselves as the protagonist in their own personal struggles, that doesn't necessarily translate when your tale has an audience. What I'm trying to say is that Stephane isn't a very strong protagonist, he's indecisive, conflicted, and stop-motion visions aside, not terribly interesting. But I'm sure to Gondry, with whom Stephane probably has a lot in common, he's a facinating and captivating character.

The Science Of Sleep fails because it can't find a way to make Stephane a memorable, engaging, or even sympathetic character, and no matter how you dress up it up, that's a death knell to any film that tackes one's internal strife.

Concert Review: Stone Sour/Lacuna Coil/Shadows Fall (Wiltern) A-

2007-05-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Date Of Show: 04/25/07
Venue: The Wiltern

Shadows Fall (B-)
Lacuna Coil (A-)
Stone Sour (A)

Occasionally in the big city there are two big shows on the same night. Such was the case this evening, with Heaven & Hell headlining a gig at the Forum and Stone Sour's showcase at The Wiltern. In a perfect world, these shows would've been on different dates, but of course, they weren't. I wound up at the Stone Sour gig by the simple virtue of that show being announced and on sale first. However, as Stone Sour's last notes rang out, I realized I had zero regrets with my concert choice.

Shadows Fall was first out of the gate and forced me into a sad realization. I just don't care for their live show. It's taken me seeing them three times to realize, that their songs more or less sound the same. There's not a lot of variation in tone and tempo. Also not helping is their lack of charisma; aside from vocalist Brian Fair, the band doesn't move around too much nor display much personality. It's a shame because I think they're a talented group with some respectable and entertaining albums in their catalog, but they seem to lack a certain "X" factor that would truly set them apart.

Lacuna Coil was next and managed to completely surprise me. I've always enjoyed the two-singer (male/female) Italian metallers, but their sort-of straightforward grooving metal never seemed to grab me enough to love them. Live, however, their sound has a vitality, an urgency that's lost on their records. Add to that a lively (and extremely polite) attitude and personality, and you've got a winning combination.

I'd seen Stone Sour once before about four years ago and thought Corey Taylor had adequately transformed his Slipknot frontman skills into his new, less extreme band. Four years later, I can safely say Taylor is a better frontman, a better performer, with Stone Sour than he ever was with Slipknot. Sporting newly short hair, Taylor led the band through a diverse and well balanced set of material from their two albums with aplbomb and a good-natured sense of humor. Even a short two song (solo!) acoustic set of "Bother" and "Through Glass" (with a little Skynyrd and Johnny Cash(!) jam thrown in) was aces. The rest of the group, anchored by (extremely under used) tour drummer Roy Mayorga, formerly of Soulfy, sounded great and had the female-heavy (I mean lots of chicks, not lots of heavy girls) audience eating it up with enthusiasm.

One final aside: I've complained before about Jaegermeister's shilling at metal shows. Yes, I know they're a sponsor. Yes, I know that by putting up cash for the tour they are justified in promoting their drink during said tour. But come on, a horrible, loud, and unfunny stand-up guy (I won't even call him a comedian) who does nothing but stand up on stage and shill for Jaegermeister between bands. I mean, come on, trying to convince us how much we should thank Jaegermeister for putting together this bill, getting the crowd to to do a "Jaegermeister" chant...like Jaeger is the first sponser EVER to put together a bill. And if I remember correctly, I still paid for the ticket, Jaeger didn't put on a free show. I say, put up your signs, give out your bottle openers, have drink specials, but fucking stop teabagging the fans with your brand and trying to make us goddamned grateful because you sponsor a show we paid to go see.

Concert Review: Killswitch Engage/DragonForce (Wiltern) A-

2007-03-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

Date of show: 03/17/07
DragonForce (B-)
Killswitch Engage (A-)

St. Patrick's Day found me attending Killswitch Engage's "No Fear" (all these corporate sponsored tour names are getting a bit old. I'm surprised there's not a group simply called 'Jaegermeister' by now) tour at the Sunset Strip House Of Blues with openers DragonForce (who I was curious to check out), Chimaira (who I had been unimpressed with before), and He Is Legend (who I wasn't curious to check out).

DragonForce is a strange band, to say the least. Their virtuostic brand of power metal on steriods is a difficult concept for more serious metalheads, but I find their self-admitted cheesiness and amazing twin guitar attack to be silly fun, even if their songs aren't necessarily the most original or entralling. Their live show simply proves they can pull of the complexity and speed of their marathon-length compositions in front of an audience and without the aid of any studio magic. It's quite a sight to see such brazen fretboard speed and skill, but to be honest, it grows old after about two songs. That speaks to a larger problem with DF's material, most of their songs over their three album career are interchangable. They're all fast, they all have intricate soloing and incorporate epic-y vocals. There's not much in the way of personality. They do have a ravenous, Guitar Hero-playing following, who not only know the lyrics by heart, but also often replace raised metal horns with wiggling air guitar fingers during solos. Weird. Anyways, the band is charasmatic enough, I suppose. They honestly look like they're having a good time up there, even if I was bored after song number two. DragonForce is fun...but right now they're not much more than a novelty.

Having seen Killswitch Engage once before, I knew to expect a high energy show with lots of crowd interaction and a charasmatic performance from frontman Howard Jones. This time was no exception. Even with the absence of quirky guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz due to some back problems, the band put together a highly energetic and electric set with replacement guitar work from Patrick Lachman (formerly of Damageplan and Halford). KSE's trademark sing-a-long moments were plentiful, even if material of 2006's As Daylight Dies didn't quite hold up as well as the older material. Highlights included B-side "This Fire Burns," (which I still think may be about jock itch, and is still better than anthing off As Daylight Dies), and the show closer; a cover of Dio's "Holy Diver." Sadly, 95% of the under-30 crowd (which made up about, oh, I don't know, 99.3% of the total attendance) had absolutely no idea what the hell song this was. But I fucking loved it. While DragonForce may have looked like they were having fun, KSE always looks as though they're having a fucking blast. Their sense of humor and good-natured fun just make their already strong set that much better.

Film Review: Borat (2006) B-

2007-03-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 3/12/07
Venue: DVD

So I finally got around to seeing Borat (and no, I refuse to call it by it's lengthy 'official' title) and wound up liking but not loving the controversial mockumentary.

For anyone who doesn't know, Sasha Baron Cohen plays Borat, a fictional Kazakhstani television reporter who films a 'documentary' as he travels the U.S. with his burly producer Azamat (Ken Davitian). Borat is blessed with limited English, an ignorant worldview, and no social graces whatsoever.

Borat the character is very funny. Watching Cohen spew out badly mangled english filled with crazily offensive Kazakhstani ideals (towards women, the mentally challenged, and especially Jews) is akin to watching South Park's Cartman. You laugh because the prejudices on display are a) so pathetically stupid, and b) the person behind the prejudices is so incredibly 'out there' that the satire is inescapable.

The problem I have with Borat is that for the majority of the film, he is dealing with 'real' people. People who've been duped into believing that he and his 'documentary' are real. And yes, some folks say and/or do some wrongheaded, racist, and sexist things when presented with Borat's brand of behavior. Despite these idiots' awareness of the camera, I still feel uncomfortable with these scenes. I don't quite get the joke of setting up idiots to be idiots on camera. It feels cheap and too easy a target.

Not everyone comes off so poorly, in fact, many of the folks Borat comes across I would label as saintly for their patience with his awkward cultural differences. But again, this is an exercise in pushing people to extremes to see how they'll react. Obviously some react better than others.

Something must be said for Cohen's performance as Borat; no matter the circumstances, no matter that a guy on the subway wants to kill him because Borat kissed him, Cohen always remains in character. It's quite a feat considering the myriad of potentially dangerous situations he places himself in.

Borat is at its best when it focuses on Cohen and Davitian, and not necessarily their documentarian 'subjects.' Watching Borat mistake a yard sale for a gypsy encampment or the two of them freaking out over supposedly Jewish bugs makes for big laughs. I wish the film was more about them, rather than also trying to make a larger satirical statement about America.

This is not a film for the easily offended. If you think South Park is even occasionally offensive then you should avoid Borat at all costs. But if you like your satire heavy, and you don't mind watching people goaded into reacting, then I can't help but recommend it for genius performances from Cohen and Davitian.

Beyond that, I do find something troubling with this film (and its success). Borat really feels like the next evolutionary step from MTV's Jackass (which I can't stand, by the way). Much like reality television, we are truly blurring the lines between what is considered 'real' and 'fantasy.' Instead of merely pushing the boundaries of the human body, or of taste in a fictional setting, we are now pushing each other's boundaries, seeing how far we can push one another before something interesting happens. And yes, art should always have the freedom to push boundaries. But I have a problem with this troubling genre. Pushing people's buttons just to get a reaction might provide some worthwhile insight and maybe a quick laugh, but more often than not I'll bet you simply wind up offending, infuriating, and disrespecting a completely innocent person. I get the subversive element to it, much great art is subversive in nature, but I say at least have a target to subvert (Michael Moore seems to have a handle on this), and leave everyone else alone.

Film Review: Mission: Impossible III (2006) B

2007-03-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 11/27/06
Venue: DVD

I hated Mission: Impossible 2. It's one of the worst big-budget summer action flicks ever made. The original M:I film, while not necessarily great, was a serviceable spy thriller. John Woo's 2000 sequel was an exercise in ridiculous over-the-top action and a prime example of Tom Cruise's sizeable ego.

So all that said, I had zero expectation for M:I 3. Even with new director J.J. Abraams' television pedigree (he created the hit spy show Alias), I couldn't muster any enthusiasm.

But guess what? This is actually a pretty darn entertaining film. Abrams ably mixes the action of part two with the spy stuff from the first film, and the result is a pretty satisfying popcorn flick.

Cruise again plays secret agent Ethan Hunt, who in previous installments really wasn't much of a character. Two-dimensional might've been an exaggeration. But here Abrams gives Hunt a little more to go on; a fiancee (Michelle Monaghan) who knows nothing of her beau's dangerous government work. It's not much, but at least it gives Cruise a few scenes that make his character remotely human.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays a nasty international arms dealer who tangles with Hunt and his crew (finally nice to see the M:I team aspect brought back. Cruise was effectively a one man show in M:I 2), and eventually kidnaps the fiancee to get to Hunt. While Hoffman is a fine actor and a decent enough bad guy, he really isn't given too much to do and I was left wanting to see more of his character.

What really shines in this film are the action sequences. For a PG-13 film, they are rather well executed and feature a high volume of pyrotechnics. A highlight is a helicopter chase through a series of windmills at a power station.

All told, M:I III is sort of like the most expensive episode of Alias ever produced. There's some great action and fight scenes, some interesting relationship dynamics, and even some snappy dialog. I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised.

Concert Review: Sacrament Tour (Wiltern) A-

2007-02-26T21:18:00.000-08:00

Date of show: 02/25/07
Machine Head (A)
Trivium (B)
Lamb Of God (incomplete)

Ventured out on Oscar night in Los Angeles to the venerable Wiltern theater to catch Lamb Of God's Sacrament tour. While not terribly excited to see the headliner's brand of 'pure American metal,' I was jazzed to see openers Machine Head and Trivium.

Machine Head went first (after French death metallers Gojira, whom I happily missed) and proceeded to play the most devastatingly heavy five song-set I've ever heard. They opened with the mammoth Clenching The Fists Of Descent. It's not often you see a metal band these days open a show with a ten-minute-long track, let alone the opening ten-minute-long track of their as yet unreleased masterpiece, The Blackening. The veteran group also unveiled another new track, Aesthetics Of Hate, with a solemn spoken introduction by frontman Robb Flynn, explaining the tracks tribute to Dimebag (which elicted a raucous 'Dime-bag, Dime-bag!' chant, which I might've called pandering...if the song itself wasn't about the reaction to Dime's death). Filling out the set were new (Imperium) and old (Old and Davidian) classics that showed the band in top form. I'd be lying if I said the bulk of the audience were giant MH fans (although it was nice to see I'm not the only one who knows the words to the new tracks), but I will say the crowd gave a generally warm reception to the material, old and new. My only nit-picky complaint (well, other than the short set-time) had to with an overly loud rhythm section, oftentimes drowning out the masterful guitarwork of Flynn and fellow axeman Phil Demmel.

Next came Trivium, with their fancy lightshow, over-dramatic intro music, and 80s throwback stylings (white tennies to go with white T-shirt and black jeans, nice touch, Heafy). Not that I dislike Trivium, I've had some fun seeing them twice over the past year. But seeing them immediately following the bludgeoning Machine Head is kinda like watching the best band at a high school talent show go on after Metallica. They're good, but...they're just kids (frontman Matt Heafy turned 21 last month). Trivium put on a spirited eight song set that was a little too weighted towards 2006's The Crusade. Filler tracks Unrependent and To The Rats stalled the engine for a little while until it was time for more material off 2005's more urgent Ascendancy album. I will say this, however; there are a lot of Trivium fans out there, a whole lot. Hearing the ridiculous 'Woah-woah, yeah-yeah' chant from Anthem (We Are The Fire) sung by thousands of fifteen-year-olds just confirms this fact.

Finally, it was time for Lamb Of God. I admit, I was very curious to see what all the fuss is about. LOG is arguably the 'biggest' underground band in metal today, and honestly, I just don't understand. I thought their latest album, 2006's Sacrament, was decent, and by being decent was easily the band's finest achievement. Still, I went into their performance with open eyes, hoping to finally see the light.

Nope. No light. Not even a flicker. LOG suffers live from the same things that hinder the group on their albums: limited, grunting vocals, repetitive and uninspiring riffs, and less-than-spectacular leads. Add to this a bland stage set-up (Trivium's stage and light show were a dozen times better, and can anyone tell me why singer Randy Blythe is still using a corded mic? Is it just to keep his guitar and bass bandmates standing still at the front of the stage while Blythe has free roam of the completely empty space? Because that seems to be what it causes.), and you've got a recipe for boring. But don't tell that to the rest of the audience who were absolutely eating the whole thing up. After three songs, I had had enough and vacated the venue, leaving the cough, enlightened, to enjoy the rest of the set.

Film Review: The Proposition (2006) B

2007-01-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 11/18/06
Venue: DVD

The Proposition is a character-driven, atmospheric western set in the wild, uncivilized Australian outback of the nineteenth century. A lawman (Ray Winstone) captures an outlaw (Guy Pearce-who still looks like someone should throw him a burger or something) and gives him nine days to kill his murderous older brother, or else his younger brother will be executed.

It's a simple tale written by Nick Cave (yeah, the musician Nick Cave), effectively told with strong performances by Winstone, Pearce, and Emily Watson (who plays Winstone's ever-patient wife). The film benefits from the beautifully bleak scenery of the Australian countryside (lots of flies in Australia...lots of flies) which matches the equally gritty and occasionally violent story. Even with the strong cast, Winstrone really sets himself apart as the lawman hellbent on civilizing the Aussie wilds.

The film's not perfect, Pearce's character and his motivations feel a tad underwritten (he spends a good chunk of the film unconscious), and one character's graphic comeuppance (which has been telegraphed the entire film) occurs mostly off screen, which smacks of being anticlimactic.

Despite those faults, The Proposition is worth seeing for its interesting performances and austere setting which easily lends itself to such a downbeat yarn. It's a simpler, grittier kind of character driven western for the twenty-first century.

Film Review: American Dreamz (2006) C

2007-01-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 11/16/06
Venue: DVD

American Dreamz is one of those movies that has one great idea but nothing else to support it. The 'great' idea is what if dunderheaded Dubya ended up on American Idol to share screen time with British snob Simon Cowell. The 'nothing else' consists of making a dull, unfunny farce of American Idol, its contestants, and the American notion of celebrity.

We follow the host of the hit show 'American Dreamz,' Martin Tweed (swarmily played by Hugh Grant) as he searches for contestants while fighting an increasing sense of boredom. Bubbly ambitious all-American girl Sandy Kendoo (Mandy Moore) and Iraqi-transplant-secretly-working-for-Al-Quaeda-but-who-really-wants-to-sing Omer Obeid gain Martin's attention. Meanwhile, lumbering President Staton (Dennis Quaid) is slowly having an awakening about world affairs and how he' just being used by his Cheney-resembling Chief Of Staff (Willem Dafoe). Eventually the prez ends up as a guest judge on the show, just as Al-Quaeda wants Omer to smuggle a bomb in to kill him. Hilarious, right? No, not really.

Well, despite some nice performances by Quaid and Grant, both of whom cheekily emulate their real-life counterparts, American Dreamz falls flat on its face. In the end it's a farce that's not too scathing and has nothing truly indicting to say about any of its subjects. Its content to rely on tepid parody of a show full of self-parody already (William Hung anyone?). Disappointing but harmless.

Film Review: Children Of Men (2006) B-

2007-01-18T13:14:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 11/08/06
Venue: Universal

Children Of Men is the most brilliantly maddening film I have ever seen. Director Alfonso Cuaron has crafted a near masterpiece of pulse-pounding, thought-provoking cinema. However, Children Of Men fumbles the ball inches from the goal line.

The year is 2027, and mankind can no longer reproduce. The world has gone to shit; England exists as a xenophobic fear zone (an obvious, if morbid extrapolation of the world today). Clive Owen plays a middle-aged bureaucrat, Theo, apathetic to the core, who winds up caretaker of a young pregnant black woman, Kee. The first pregnancy anyone has seen in nearly twenty years. Now our bureaucrat must escort Kee and her precious cargo safely out of England and to a mysterious peace group called The Human Project.

There are a few quibbles to be had in the setup. At no time is any possible explanation given for mankind’s sudden infertility. Nor is there even any lip service paid to such things as frozen eggs and cloning. In the end, that’s not what this story is about, but the omission of any sort of dialog regarding the science of man’s dilemma took me out of the film a bit. I mean, I didn’t want it to become an episode of Star Trek, but a few lines of throwaway dialog couldn’t have hurt, could they?

Children Of Men actually evokes two disparate films: V For Vendetta and Saving Private Ryan. The first half’s bleak and paranoid British society evokes V’s totalitarian state, and as Theo guides Kee through England’s dangerously violent war zone-like ghettos (established for the dreadful illegal immigrants, mind you), you can’t help but be reminded of Spielberg’s war epic.

What works so well here is an overall sense of bleakness and pessimism. The world has become a dirty, nasty place. This is reflected in not only the set design, but in the characters as well; they’re worn creatures whose hopes have been replaced with sarcastic fatalism.

However, what really sets Children Of Men apart is tension. This is an incredibly intense and violent film. Every single character is in danger in every single frame of film. There is no relenting, and there is no remorse; any character can be killed without warning at any time. Director Curaon makes masterful use of long, five minute-plus shots in these action sequences to firmly place us in the characters’ world.

Now all that sounds great…but why am I giving Children Of Men a B-? To put it simply, I didn’t like the ending. Not to say it’s anti-climactic, because on paper it’s serviceable, but it’s far too abrupt to work dramatically, especially considering all the hardship our characters have been through. Alfonso Cuaron does such a wonderful job taking us on this arduously rough and heart-wrenching journey that I felt we as viewers deserve something more meaningful to complete the story.

Film Review: The Killer (1989) B

2007-01-14T14:26:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 11/07/06
Venue: DVD

The Killer is arguably the most famous and prolific film ever to emerge from the Hong Kong sub-genre of action films. Directed by the-now-working-in-America John Woo, The Killer, for its time in the late Eighties, was a strong leap forward in visual stylization.

Chow Yun-Fat plays the title character, a ruthless and efficient assassin who accidentally blinds an innocent lounge singer in a botched assassination. Beleaguered by guilt, the killer winds up taking care of and falling in love with the beautiful songstress. In an effort to leave his violent profession, he takes on that-certain-to-equal-trouble final gig that finds him taking on a criminal empire and eventually befriending (like, totally BFF) a determined police investigator.

But the plot isn’t really what’s important about The Killer. What’s important is…well, the killing. And there’s lots of it. Dozens of anonymous minions and henchmen (including a whole group all wearing pink sweatsuits!) die throughout this film in a variety of bloody ways.

Woo moves the camera gracefully through the carnage, and manages to give the violence a certain beauty with overwrought choreography. It’s almost like watching a ballet sometimes.

I can’t say The Killer is as good as it was in 1989. Eighteen years ago, this kind of action was truly revolutionary, something not seen before…nowadays, it’s as common as Paul Giammatti playing a loser. Still worth a look, though.

Film Review: Inside Man (2006) B

2007-01-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 11/06/06
Venue: DVD

Director Spike Lee is best known for controversial filmmaking, but Inside Man proves his worth as a simple, but effective storyteller.

A well-told heist flick, Inside Man stars Denzel Washington as an up and coming NYPD detective brought in to handle a bank robbery/hostage situation. Leading the gang of masked bandits is Clive Owen, whose self-assured performance easily carries the film (an impressive accomplishment considering he wears a mask and sunglasses for the majority of the picture). Lee does a fine job depicting the matching of wits between the police and Owen’s criminals, as well as portraying New York itself as a character.

The only stumbles arise out of a few out-of-place racial disputes (Spike Lee is still…well, Spike Lee, you know) and an overly complicated political subplot with Jodie Foster and Christopher Plummer (whose role is quite funny if you think of him as Mr. Van Trapp) that just get in the way of the Clive/Denzel dynamic.

Overall, Inside Man is a very solid, entertaining film with memorable performances, (almost) airtight logic, and a satisfying resolution.

2007 Concert Log

2007-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

01. 01/06/07 - Five Finger Death Punch (Whisky-A-Go-Go) A-
02. 02/25/07 - Machine Head/Trivium/Lamb Of God (Wiltern) A-
03. 03/17/07 - Killswitch Engage/DragonForce (HOB Sunset Strip) A-
04. 04/25/07 - Stone Sour/Lacuna Coil/Shadows Fall (Wiltern) A-
05. 09/02/07 - 5FDP/Trivium/Hellyeah/Atreyu/Evanescence/KoRn (Irvine Meadows) C+
06. 09/05/07 - Silent Civilian/Kittie (Key Club) B+
07. 09/23/07 - Styx/Foreigner/Def Leppard (Irvine Meadows) B
08. 10/13/08 - Black Tyranny Tour-Machine Head/Arch Enemy/Throwdown/Sancity (Avalon) A-
09. 10/19/07 - Tin Horn (Paladino's) B
10. 10/30/07 - Divine Heresy/3 Inches Of Blood/Shadows Fall/Static-X (Avalon) B
11. 12/15/07 - Soilwork/Killswitch Engage (Long Beach Arena) A-

2007 Movie Log

2007-01-05T00:18:00.000-08:00

001. 01/03/07 - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) HD-DVD (B)
002. 01/03/07 - Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) DVD (B)
003. 01/03/07 - Slither (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
004. 01/04/07 - The Matador (2006) HD-DVD (C)
005. 01/05/07 - You, Me, And Dupree (2006) HD-DVD (D)
006. 01/05/07 - L'Enfant (2006) DVD (B+)
007. 01/07/07 - Snakes On A Plane (2006) DVD (B)
008. 01/08/07 - Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby (2006) DVD (B-)
009. 01/09/07 - The Descent (2006) DVD (A-)
010. 01/10/07 - The Break-Up (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
011. 01/10/07 - Unbreakable (2000) DVD (B-)
012. 01/11/07 - The Village (2004) DVD (B)
013. 01/11/07 - Lady In The Water (2006) HD-DVD (D-)
014. 01/12/07 - The Professionals (1966) DVD (B)
015. 01/12/07 - Valdez Is Coming (1971) DVD (C+)
016. 01/12/07 - The Natural (1984) HDNet (A)
017. 01/12/07 - Little Miss Sunshine (2006) DVD (B+)
018. 01/13/07 - The Illusionist (2006) DVD (B-)
019. 01/15/07 - A Scanner Darkly (2006) DVD (B-)
020. 01/15/07 - Grand Prix (1966) HD-DVD (B-)
021. 01/16/07 - The Lake House (2006) HD-DVD (C+)
022. 01/16/07 - Invincible (2006) DVD (B+)
023. 01/16/07 - The Devil Wears Prada (2006) DVD (B)
024. 01/17/07 - Casino Royale (1967) DVD (F)
025. 01/18/07 - Fort Apache (1948) DVD (B)
026. 01/18/07 - Serpico (1973) HDNet (B)
027. 01/22/07 - Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid (1973) DVD (B-)
028. 01/23/07 - Ride The High Country (1962) DVD (B-)
029. 01/23/07 - Winchester '73 (1950) DVD (B)
030. 01/24/07 - Accepted (2006) HD-DVD (C)
031. 01/24/07 - Waist Deep (2006) HD-DVD (D+)
032. 01/25/07 - The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938) HD-DVD (A-)
033. 01/25/07 - Idiocracy (2006) DVD (B+)
034. 01/25/07 - Running On Empty (1988) HDNet (A-)
035. 01/26/07 - Pan's Labyrinth (2006) AMC Promenade (A-)
036. 01/26/07 - Pale Rider (1985) HDNet (C-)
037. 01/27/07 - Smokin' Aces (2007) Mann Glendale 4 (D+)
038. 01/28/07 - Blue Thunder (1983) HDNet (C-)
039. 01/29/07 - Get Carter (1971) HDNet (B)
040. 01/29/07 - Crank (2006) DVD (D)
041. 01/30/07 - The World's Fastest Indian (2005) HDNet (B+)
042. 01/30/07 - Gridiron Gang (2006) DVD (B+)
043. 01/30/07 - SherryBaby (2006) DVD (B)
044. 01/31/07 - High Noon (1952) DVD (A+)
045. 01/31/07 - The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) DVD (B+)
046. 02/01/07 - Stagecoach (1939) DVD (B-)
047. 02/02/07 - Caddyshack (1980) HDNet (B)
048. 02/03/07 - The Matrix (1999) DVD (A+)
049. 02/05/07 - The Matrix Reloaded (2003) DVD (B+)
050. 02/06/07 - Wolf Creek (2005) HD-DVD (B-)
051. 02/06/07 - The Matrix Revolutions (2003) DVD (B+)
052. 02/07/07 - Field Of Dreams (1989) HD-DVD (A-)
053. 02/07/07 - ATL (2006) HD-DVD (C+)
054. 02/08/07 - The Marine (2006) DVD (D)
055. 02/08/07 - Catch A Fire (2006) DVD (C+)
056. 02/09/07 - My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006) DVD (D)
057. 02/09/07 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) DVD (B)
058. 02/12/07 - Diamonds Are Forever (1971) DVD (B-)
059. 02/13/07 - Live And Let Die (1973) DVD (C-)
060. 02/13/07 - The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) DVD (C)
061. 02/13/07 - The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) DVD (B)
062. 02/15/07 - Moonraker (1979) DVD (C-)
063. 02/16/07 - For You Eyes Only (1981) DVD (C)
064. 02/17/07 - Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) DVD (B+)
065. 02/17/07 - Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) DVD (B+)
066. 02/19/07 - Octopussy (1983) DVD (D)
067. 02/19/07 - Never Say Never Again (1983) DVD (C)
068. 02/20/07 - A View To A Kill (1985) DVD (C-)
069. 02/20/07 - The Living Daylights (1987) DVD (B+)
070. 02/22/07 - Licence To Kill (1989) DVD (B-)
071. 02/23/07 - GoldenEye (1995) DVD (B-)
072. 02/24/07 - For Your Consideration (2006) DVD (B-)
073. 02/24/07 - The Prestige (2006) DVD (A-)
074. 02/28/07 - Babel (2006) DVD (B-)
075. 03/02/07 - Best In Show (2000) DVD (B+)
076. 03/05/07 - 3:10 To Yuma (1957) DVD (B)
077. 03/06/07 - My Darling Clementine (1946) DVD (B-)
078. 03/06/07 - Dragonfly (2002) Universal HD (C+)
079. 03/08/07 - Iron Eagle (1986) HDNet (C)
080. 03/12/07 - Borat (2006) DVD (B-)
081. 03/13/07 - The Shootist (1976) DVD (C-)
082. 03/15/07 - Stranger Than Fiction (2006) DVD (C)
083. 03/15/07 - 300 (2007) AMC Burbank 16 (A-)
084. 03/16/07 - Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) DVD (B)
085. 03/19/07 - The World Is Not Enough (1999) DVD (C+)
086. 03/19/07 - Cache (2005) DVD (B)
087. 03/21/07 - Lucky Number Slevin (2006) HD-DVD (C)
088. 03/21/07 - Die Another Day (2002) DVD (D+)
089. 03/21/07 - Casino Royale (2006) DVD (A-)
090. 03/23/07 - This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006) DVD (B)
091. 03/24/07 - Casino Royale (2006) DVD (A-)
092. 03/26/07 - The Aristocrats (2005) DVD (B)
093. 03/28/07 - The Getaway (1972) HD-DVD (D+)
094. 03/29/07 - Jet Li's Fearless (2006) HD-DVD (C)
095. 04/02/07 - The Devil's Backbone (2001) DVD (B-)
096. 04/03/07 - Drive (1997) DVD (B)
097. 04/05/07 - King Of New York (1990) DVD (B-)
098. 04/08/07 - Brief Encounter (1945) DVD (A-)
099. 04/11/07 - Shortbus (2006) DVD (B-)
100. 04/12/07 - Death Of A President (2006) DVD (B-)
101. 04/22/07 - Equilibrium (2002) DVD (B+)
102. 04/22/07 - Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) DVD (B)
103. 04/28/07 - Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones (2002) DVD (B)
104. 05/02/07 - Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith (2005) DVD (A-)
105. 05/09/07 - Spider-Man (2002) DVD (B)
106. 05/09/07 - Spider-Man 2 (2004) DVD (C+)
107. 05/09/07 - Spider-Man 3 (2007) DGA (B)
108. 05/10/07 - The Last Samurai (2003) HD-DVD (B-)
109. 05/11/07 - Excalibur (1981) HD-DVD (D+)
110. 05/15/07 - United 93 (2006) DVD (A)
111. 05/17/07 - The Fountain (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
112. 05/17/07 - Troy (2004) HD-DVD (C)
113. 05/19/07 - Deja Vu (2006) DVD (D)
114. 05/20/07 - World Trade Center (2006) HD-DVD (C-)
115. 05/21/07 - The Queen (2006) DVD (B+)
116. 05/24/07 - Little Children (2006) DVD (C+)
117. 05/27/07 - Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007) Bridge Cinema (B-)
118. 05/27/07 - The Last Of The Mohicans (1992) DVD (B)
119. 05/30/07 - The Science Of Sleep (2006) DVD (D)
120. 06/01/07 - Cinderella Man (2005) HD-DVD (B-)
121. 06/01/07 - Black Rain (1989) HD-DVD (B)
122. 06/03/07 - Brokeback Mountain (2005) HD-DVD (B-)
123. 06/03/07 - Apocalypto (2006) DVD (A-)
124. 06/04/07 - The Downfall (2004) DVD (B+)
125. 06/05/07 - Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961) HDNet (B+)
126. 06/05/07 - A Passage To India (1984) HDNet (B-)
127. 06/07/07 - All The President's Men (1976) HDNet (A-)
128. 06/08/07 - Everybody's All-American (1988) HDNet (C-)
129. 06/09/07 - Blade Runner (1982) HDNet (B-)
130. 06/10/07 - Witness (1985) HDNet (B+)
131. 06/10/07 - The Frighteners (1996) Universal HD (D)
132. 06/10/07 - The Longest Yard (1974) HDNet (B)
133. 06/11/07 - Seraphim Falls (2007) DVD (C+)
134. 06/13/07 - Running With Scissors (2006) DVD (C+)
135. 06/14/07 - K-PAX (2001) Universal HD (D+)
136. 06/18/07 - Judgment At Nuremberg (1961) HDNet (B)
137. 06/20/07 - Parenthood (1989) HDNet (B)
138. 06/22/07 - Meet Joe Black (1998) HDNet (D-)
139. 07/03/07 - Red River (1948) HDNet (B-)
140. 07/11/07 - Transformers (2007) DGA (D-)
141. 07/13/07 - Ray (2004) HD-DVD (B-)
142. 07/15/07 - Unleashed (2005) HD-DVD (B)
143. 07/19/07 - Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon (2006) DVD (C-)
144. 07/28/07 - The Simpsons Movie (2007) ArcLight (B)
145. 07/31/07 - Q: The Winged Serpent (1982) DVD (C-)
146. 08/01/07 - Nighthawks (1981) DVD (B)
147. 08/02/07 - Four Brothers (2005) HD-DVD (C-)
148. 08/03/07 - Blood Diamond (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
149. 08/04/07 - 300 (2007) HD-DVD (A-)
150. 08/09/07 - Pathfinder (2007) DVD (D)
151. 08/10/07 - Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer (2006) DVD (B)
152. 08/12/07 - Conan The Barbarian (1982) HDNet (C)
153. 08/13/07 - Midnight Express (1978) HDNet (B-)
154. 08/14/07 - Fright Night (1985) HDNet (B-)
155. 08/19/07 - Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967) HDNet (B)
156. 08/20/07 - Mackenna's Gold (1969) TCM (B-)
157. 08/26/07 - The Blues Brothers (1980) HDNet (D)
158. 08/26/07 - The Eiger Sanction (1975) HDNet (D+)
159. 08/29/07 - Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (2002) HDNet (B-)
160. 09/03/07 - Flash Gordon (1980) HDNet (F)
161. 09/09/07 - Timecop (1994) HDNet (C-)
162. 09/28/07 - Layer Cake (2004) HDNet (C+)
163. 09/30/07 - Idiocracy (2006) DVD (B+)
164. 10/01/07 - Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) HD-DVD (B)
165. 10/03/07 - Flags Of Our Fathers (2006) HD-DVD (C)
166. 10/04/07 - Black Snake Moan (2006) HD-DVD (B-)
167. 10/10/07 - 1408 (2007) DVD (C)
168. 10/11/07 - The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) HD-DVD (B)
169. 10/17/07 - The Sting (1973) HD-DVD (C+)
170. 10/20/07 - The Terminator (1984) HDNet (A)
171. 10/27/07 - Grindhouse (2007) DVD (B-)
172. 11/05/07 - The Interpreter (2005) HD-DVD (C+)
173. 11/08/07 - Black Book (2006) DVD (B+)
174. 11/14/07 - Ratatouille (2007) DVD (B)
175. 11/18/07 - Shaun Of The Dead (2004) HD-DVD (B)
176. 11/29/07 - Live Free Or Die Hard (2007) DVD (B-)
177. 12/02/07 - Dazed And Confused (1993) HD-DVD (B-)
178. 12/09/07 - Hot Fuzz (2007) HD-DVD (B+)
179. 12/11/07 - The Manchurian Candidate (1962) DVD (B)
180. 12/12/07 - No Country For Old Men (2007) AMC Burbank (A-)
181. 12/13/07 - Dan In Real Life (2007) AMC Burbank (C-)
182. 12/13/07 - Superbad (2007) DVD (B+)
183. 12/13/07 - The Manchurian Candidate (2004) HD-DVD (D+)
184. 12/15/07 - Necessary Roughness (1991) HDNet (C+)
185. 12/27/07 - Duel (1971) HDNet (B)
186. 12/28/07 - Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974) DVD (C+)
187. 12/28/07 - The Condemned (2007) DVD (D-)
188. 12/29/07 - Blow (2001) HDNet (B)
189. 12/29/07 - Sudden Death (1995) HDNet (B-)
190. 12/30/07 - Black Christmas (1974) HDNet (B)
191. 12/31/07 - History Of The World: Part I (1981) DVD (C)
192. 12/31/07 - Spaceballs (1987) DVD (B)

Film Review: Brick (2006) A

2006-12-22T23:34:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 11/05/06
Venue: DVD

What would you get if you paired old-school film noir plot and dialog with a modern day high school? Well, you’d get Brick, one of the best films of 2006. Writer/director Rian Johnson does a masterful job capturing the style and very essence of film noir all the while placing us in the middle of a high school murder mystery.

We follow Brendan, a sharp hard-nosed loner, as he investigates the death of his ex-girlfriend. His search carries him through the underbelly of high school cliques, and the deeper he digs in this twisting narrative. the more trouble he finds himself in.

Brick is not for the easily distracted filled with smart, swift dialog straight out of classic detective flicks (Brendan is quite literally playing detective here), Brick moves along at a brisk pace, never once stopping to over-explain things.

As a cinephile, it’s such a joy seeing our hard-boiled teenager grind out protection deals with the local authorities (the vice principal), shake out local informants (the Jay and Silent Bob types at the 7-11), encounter femme fatales at a fashionable soiree (a parents-out-of-town party at a rich kid’s house), and form alliances with the local crime boss (the 26 year-old living in his mom’s basement) all to find the truth about his ex-girlfriend’s fate.

Tension, sharp writing, stark imagery, and wonderful performances all combine to make Brick a truly great film. I was worried going into this film that the whole noir at high school angle might only work as a novelty. Something that could fizzle out about the halfway point. But Brick never fizzles; it ups the stakes and pushes forward with gradually increasing freight-train-like momentum.

Film Review: 16 Blocks (2006) C-

2006-12-21T03:42:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 11/01/06
Venue: DVD

16 Blocks is a moderately entertaining cop action drama that has some old-school flair but suffers from some lame characters and a high level of improbability.

Bruce Willis stars as a washed up, alcoholic New York cop (gee, that doesn’t sound a think like John McClane, does it?) who is tasked with the protection of a small-time crook-turned star witness (portrayed by rapper-cum-thespian Mos Def). Willis’ task is simple; he must escort the endangered criminal 16 blocks to a courthouse to give his testimony against a ring of dirty cops.

The first forty-five or so minutes of 16 Block aren’t that bad. You feel a building bond between Willis and Mos Def as they come to believe that no one really wants them to make it to the courthouse alive. Attacked by thugs and later dirty cops (conveniently including Willis’ ex-partner, played by David Morse), the duo strives to stay off the streets and stay alive.

However, the film comes off the rails about halfway through with just too many improbable situations. With scenes likely taken from an unused script for Lethal Weapon 5, our pair manages one impossible escape after another in a clear case of our scribe writing himself into corners. Add to that a disproportionably sappy character resolution, and you’ve got some major problems.

16 Blocks isn’t the worst buddy-cop movie made, it’s just pretty mediocre. Mos Def, who I usually find to be a capable thespian, turns in a character that’s god-awfully simple-minded and borderline retarded sounding. His grating performance coupled with the film’s bigger story problems make it a miss for me.

Film Review: Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939) B

2006-12-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 10/26/06
Venue: DVD

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington was one of those movies I always heard about but never got around to seeing. Well, until now, that is. And while I enjoyed Frank Capra’s film, it just doesn’t quite stand up to the test of time.

Jimmy Stewart is Jefferson Smith, a naïve Boy Scout leader appointed to Congress by a political machine looking for a yes man. Upon discovering the motivations behind his appointment, Smith fights to clear his name and clean up the system.

In relation to more modern films, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington moves at a snail’s pace. Scenes are long and drawn out, and stagey with lots and lots of dialog. It’s also somewhat amazing how many glaring jump cuts are in the picture. But hey, that’s movies from the 1930s for you!

Two things really stood out for me, however. Firstly, Jimmy Stewart’s famous marathon-length filibuster in the third act completely makes the film (as well being one of Stewart’s career-defining moments). His passion, his dogged perseverance is impossible not to root for. Secondly, Claude Rains’ portrayal of a tragically corrupted senator is well played and nicely layered. The combination of the two make an honest plea against political corruption.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this film. It’s not unusual for older films to lose some of their effectiveness over time as styles and tastes evolve, but with an oft-described “classic” such as this I wanted something a little better. That’s not to say there’s nothing worthwhile here, it’s worth watching for Stewart’s final twenty minutes and its strong stand against crooked politcs, but it still falls victim to the sands of time.

Film Review: Thank You For Smoking (2006) B

2006-11-24T00:25:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 10/18/06
Venue: Universal Screening Room

Thank You For Smoking is an equal opportunity offender. This satire follows Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), the tobacco industry’s lead spinmeister, as he travels the country blowing public relations smoke, all the while trying to be a good father to his son. And you know what, he’s really good at both tasks.

The film (based on the novel by Christopher Buckley) works so well because it manages to be smart and funny. Jason Reitman’s (son noted comedy helmer Ivan) direction is best described as light on it’s feet, propelled by Nick’s razor sharp dialog and witty narration. Nick understands the occasional absurdness of his duties, all the while delivering his spin with unquestioned vigor, believing that with a strong argument, one can never be wrong.

Nick’s pro-tobacco travels take him and his son to California to deal with kooky mega-agent Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe), pay off the cancer-ridden Marlboro Man (Sam Elliot), and back to Washington D.C. to fend off a pesky senator (William H. Macy). Nick also manages to get involved with an inquisitive reporter (Katie Holmes).

This is a busy 92 minutes; everything flies by at a nice clip. But I think I’m most impressed by it’s take-no-prisoners approach. The script and characters are very politically incorrect, but there’s no liberal or conservative message. The film plays both sides beautifully and sharply.

I do take issue with a more sinister subplot involving Nick’s kidnapping by the anti-tobacco lobby. It feels truncated compared to the film’s other storylines, and its darker undertones don’t jive with the rest of the picture. Either more resolution or simply dropping it entirely might’ve improved things.

In the end, I enjoyed Thank For You Smoking quite a bit for it’s zany cast of characters and brisk pacing, but I most enjoyed it for Aaron Eckhart’s smarmily charming spin-control. He carries the film with smooth confidence that may be rewarded come award season.

Film Review: The Last King Of Scotland (2006) B

2006-11-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

Date Viewed: 10/17/06
Venue: Universal Screening Room

The Last King Of Scotland is a fictionalized account of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's very brutal and very real rule in the 1970s. While Amin (Forest Whitaker) is the film's focus, we follow Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young Scottish doctor who comes to Africa for adventure and winds up personal physician to a madman.

The story follows young Garrigan, a Scotsman just out of medical school. Looking for adventure and a way to escape his dreadfully boring parents, he heads to Africa to work as sort of a missionary doctor in rural Uganda. He quickly has a chance run-in with the newly-in-power Amin, who offers the gregarious doctor a job as his personal physician.

Garrigan soon finds himself on the inside of Amin's corrupt and murderous government, advising a man who one day is as gentle as a kitten but the rages like a lion the next. As conditions worsen and assassination attempts upon Amin increase, Garrigan realizes he's in too deep and must try to get the hell out of Uganda...that is, if Amin will let him.

While its Garrigan we follow (he's in every scene), this is really Forest Whitaker's film. Amin is one minute warm, charismatic, and charming, the next calculating and intimidating. It's a juicy role to begin with, and Whitaker makes the most of it, delivering his finest performance to date.

The film is stylishly directed by Kevin MacDonald, who was also the mind behind the electric Three Days In September documentary (which covered the Israeli hostage crisis at the '72 Munich Olympics). The documentarian influence is strong will a lot of visceral handheld work throughout the film. Throw in some trippy editing, and the film oozes the Seventies through and through.

My biggest problem with The Last King Of Scotland is also its gutsiest creative choice. Dr. Garrigan is not the most likeable guy on the planet. He's a selfish ass looking for excitement (in all its forms) who thinks with his dick and continually gets into bad situation after bad situation. However he is effectively our main character. He's in every single scene. But after awhile, I started actually rooting for his eventual comeuppance. I realize this is intentional in some ways. Gullibly self-serving and short-sighted, Garrigan is a cipher for the West's colonization and exploitation of Africa.

This is a solid film with anchored by a spectacular, Oscar-worthy performance by Forest Whitaker. The remaining elements succeed in telling a textured, depressing tale. But I just can't unconditionally love a film with such a misguided main character.

ADOP Concert Itinerary

2006-10-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

My good buddy Mike and I (co-hosts of the fabulous Auditory Display Of Power heavy metal podcast) will be attending these shows in the following months.

If you're a fan of ADOP, don't hesitate to come find us and say hello. We always dig meeting new folks. And we'll probably look just as uncool in person as we do in this photo.

02/25/07 - Machine Head/Trivium/Lamb Of God (The Wiltern)
03/17/07 - DragonForce/Killswitch Engage (House Of Blues Sunset Strip)
04/25/07 - Lacuna Coil/Shadows Fall/Stone Sour

Film Review: The Departed (2006) A

2006-10-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 10/11/06
Venue: DGA

The Departed is one helluva Scorsese movie. It's one helluva movie the same way Goodfellas or Casino is a helluva Scorsese movie. A twisting freight train of a crime thriller with exceptional performances, high drama, and filmaking at its finest.

Based on the Hong Kong hit Infernal Affairs, The Departed follows Matt Damon and Leonardo Dicaprio as a pair of undercover men working against each other with Damon as a Boston police detective secretly working for Jack Nicholoson's organized crime outfit and Leo as a good cop in deep cover with Nicholson. The plot thickens as the cops work to bring down the organization and Dicaprio struggles to expose Damon as the police mole.

The pair's stories are tightly intercut and paralleled to great effect. While Damon is the bad guy here, deep characterization and subtle flourishes of guilt make me hesitate in calling him a straight-up villain. Dicaprio gives the performance of his career. Hard boiled, volatile, unstable. It's the first time I've ever seen him and not thought of him as a kid.

Supporting characters threaten to steal the show at every turn. Nicholson is still very Jack in this film, but there's imminent danger and violence brewing behind his eyes that lends him necessary credibility. Martin Sheen is also great as Leo's fatherly police handler. Alec Baldwin is hilarious. And Mark Wahlberg's fiery detective has about a dozen memorable profanity filled lines.

The action is superb, shockingly realistic and graphic. Director Martin Scorsese is in top form, serving up violence peppered with gallows-humor tough-guy laughs. The entire effort is flawlessly edited for maximum effect.

It's not quite perfect, though. A romantic triangle between Leo, Damon, and a police psychiatrist falls just sort of complete believability, and the film's final scenes of resolution drag on a bit longer than needed.

That said, The Departed is easily one of Scorsese's finest films. It's a taunt crime drama with near perfect execution and deep, well-rounded characters. You can't ask for much more than that. Highly recommended.

Film Review: All The King's Men (2006) F

2006-10-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 9/28/06
Venue: DGA

It's always bad news when a studio pushes a film's release back. Whether it be four months, six months, or, in this case, a year, you know something's rotten. Well, All The King's Men, finally seeing the light of day after a year on the shelf, is certainly rotten to the core.

Based on the Robert Penn Warren novel of the same name, the film follows the rise and eventual fall of 1950s Southern politician Willie Stark, a character loosely based on Governor Huey Long of Louisiana. Sean Penn plays the eccentric populist, and Jude Law hangs around as a conflicted advisor. We follow Stark's career from local politics to the Governor's office, watching as he employs blue-collar and us-vs.-the-wealthy rhetoric coupled with vows to clean up government corruption to secure votes.

However, once in office, Stark surrounds himself with less than savory characters and strong-arms political opponents with threats and blackmail. His inevitable fall stems from his unyielding paranoia and a backlash against his aggressive ways.

All that would be fine and good, if it was our sole focus. Instead we spend a good portion of the film with Jude Law, who must deal with his only conflicted politics. With roots in Southern aristocracy, he must reconcile his upbringing with Stark's everyman approach, balancing his family's social and political ties with Stark's aggressive anti-wealthy agenda.

Sound confusing? Well it should, All The King's Men is one mess of a movie. It can't decide who should be the main character, so instead we're ping-ponged back and forth between Penn and Law, neither of whose characters do we truly get to understand. Further complicating matters is a number of muddled political subplots which seem to have no cohesion whatsoever.

However, the biggest flaw here is that the film doesn't know what kind of story it's telling. It doesn't know what it has to say. Is this a cautionary tale? A character study? A rags-to-riches-to-rags story? A tragedy? A social commentary? It's like the filmmakers had no conviction and decided to throw a little of each in to see what sticks. Well, nothing did.

Also exacerbating matters is Steven Zaillian's overcooked, pretentious direction. Every moment of the film is made to feel extraordinarily weighty, an effort that goes wasted when the subject matter is so ridiculously misplayed.

A talented collection of supporting actors are here, however, James Gandolphini, Kate Winslet, and Mark Ruffalo, despite decent efforts, are wasted by the film's misguided bunglings.

All The King's Men suffers from a badly garbled and mis-wired screenplay along with an overdeveloped sense of importance. Couple that with a very over-the-top performance from Sean Penn (who flaps his arms so much in this film you'd think he'd take flight at some point), and you've got a laughingstock of a supposedly 'serious' film.

Film Review: Hollywoodland (2006) B

2006-10-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 9/12/06
Venue: DGA

You know, I never hated Ben Affleck. Sure, I got just as tired of his very public relationship with Jenny from the Block as the next guy, but I never felt Affleck was a talentless hack. I just thought he made some poor choices and wound up in a few less-than-successfull films.

Well, Affleck made the right choice with Hollywoodland, a 1950s private detective story detailing the investigation into the mysterious suicide of television Superman, George Reeves. As Adrien Brody's troubled, self-serving P.I. unearths more details surrounding Reeve's life and subsequent death, we're treated to numerous flashbacks to Reeve's days among the living. Here, Affleck shines as Reeve, giving a nuanced and subtle performance as a charming, driven man, who sees his success as Superman as nothing more than a failure to become a true Hollywood leading man.

As our P.I. widens his investigation, questions emerge; was Reeve's death really a suicide? Did his relationship with a vicious studio-chief's (a frothing Bob Hoskins) wife (the always elegant-but-finally-starting-to-look-her-age Diane Lane) cost him his life? Intrigue abounds as our detective is pressured from all sides to cease his investigation.

The only problem with Affleck's stellar performance is that it outclasses the rest of the film. It's not that Brody's dark sleuthing or family problems (there's a somewhat forgettable subplot concerning the detective's ex-wife and child) are that all-together unwatchable, they just pale in comparison to Affleck's rich characterization. Every moment spent away from George Reeve feels like a moment wasted.

All in all, Hollywoodland is a solid, if uneven film that might've worked better as a George Reeve character study than is does as a detective story. As it stands, it's still a good film and worth watching simply for Affleck's Oscar worthy performance.

Album Review: 9mm Solution - One Shot One Kill (2006) B-

2006-08-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Sounds Like: Coal Chamber, Nonpoint

If 9mm Solution had been around in 1996 or 1997, they would've been a very, very big deal. Their sound is awfully close to that of mid-nineties nu-metal stalwarts Coal Chamber. Chugging, de-tuned groove-type riffs, stucatto vocals mixed with some singing. It's all there.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing, even in 2006. The sound on One Shot, One Kill is tight, and 9mm Solution do vary their style a bit with some uptempo tracks. While there's isn't an abduance of musicality (this is a very 'nu-metal' album after all) here, everything is well played without anything in particular standing out.

Vocals range from a raspy shout to clean singing and some spoken word type stuff. Again, nothing great, but at least there's some variety.

Not a bad release from the Milwaukee group. Nothing spectacular but a nice little slice of metal, 1996 style.

2006 Concert Log

2006-08-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

Much like my movie log, this is just a post where I'll be keeping track of the shows I make it out to.

1. 06/15/06 - Static-X (Key Club) B
2. 07/29/06 - Shadows Fall (Avalon) B
3. 08/12/06 - Sounds Of The Underground - In Flames/Trivium/GWAR (Gibson Amphitheater) B+
4. 10/20/06 - Soilwork/Threat Signal (House Of Blues Sunset Strip) B+
5. 10/21/06 - Iron Maiden/3 Inches Of Blood (Verizon Wireless Irvine Meadows) C-
6. 10/24/06 - Five Finger Death Punch/The Mercy Clinic/Sixstitch/Ankla (Knitting Factory) B
7. 10/28/06 - Trivium (Avalon) A
8. 11/28/06 - Alice In Chains/Hurt (Wiltern) B-
9. 12/19/06 - Guns N' Roses/Sebastian Bach/Helmet (Gibson Amphitheater) A
10.12/20/06 - Silent Civilian/Occam's Razor (Whisky-A-Go-Go) B+

Concert Review: Sounds Of The Underground (Gibson Amphitheater) B+

2006-08-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Date of Show: 8/12/06
Venue: Gibson Amphitheater (Universal City)

I went to this year's Sounds Of The Underground show to basically witness three things: GWAR, Trivium, and In Flames. No more, no less. I couldn't give a rat's ass about Cannibal Corpse, and having seen As I Lay Dying once before, I knew I wouldn't be missing much if I skipped them.

I can count on one hand the number of GWAR songs I actually know. But that's not the point when it comes to GWAR. It's all about the stage show. Gallager-style fluids flung into the audience. Gargantuan costumes. The 'live' murders of world figures (W. and the former pope in this case). Blood, guts, gore, and family fun for all! Well, GWAR did not disappoint. Guided by a strong, straightforward sound, the costumed metallers were highly entertaining, kind of like a heavy metal version of Knott's Scary Farm's "The Hanging" show. You don't go see GWAR for the music, you go for the show.

Trivium was up next and absolutely owned the place while firming up the notion that they might just be the next Metallica. Clad in t-shirts, denim, and some white high-tops, the quartet looked like they could've been playing in 1986. Despite a slightly too-quiet guitar sound, rock solid playing and good stage prescense anchored their set. But for me, what has really made the difference is frontman Matt Heafy's recent switch from screamo vocals to more an angry Hetfield-style yell. It's like night and day. The crowd was ecstatic for anything off 2005's Ascendancy record, which constituted the bulk of the set. Trivium even played a snippet of Master Of Puppets, which further incited an already burgeoning mosh pit. The overall highlight of the set (and the day, for that matter), was the rendition of Detonation, a new song off the yet-to-be-released The Crusade album. Full of melodicism, wild tempo changes, and some epic passages, one can only hope this song is a accurate representation of the new material.

Trivium left the metal throngs hungry for more after only playing five songs (why they were on so early in the day is a mystery to me), and next was Cannibal Corpse, so my friends and I vacated the premise and hung out on the lawn near the amphitheater. The sounds of the nearby Waterworld stunt show (it should be noted Gibson Amphitheater is really still good ol' Universal Amphitheater), albeit brief and intermittant, were more to my liking than the death metal being served up inside.

Finally, the death metal was done and it was time for Swedish metalheads In Flames, who put on a good, not great set. In Flames aren't the most active of groups on stage, but they do have a pretty cool and unique lighting setup that makes up for it. The sound was good, but the setlist relied too heavily upon slower, mid-paced numbers off Soundtrack For Your Escape, which really killed the crowds energy. Also not helping was unusually long dead times between songs. A few more faster tracks off Come Clarity and a tighter song transitions would've helped immensely.

All in all, not a bad day.

Grades: GWAR - B+ / Trivium - A- / In Flames - B

Album Review: DragonForce - Inhuman Rampage (2006) A-

2006-08-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Sounds like: Yngwie Malmsteen, Hammerfall, Journey

How can I describe DragonForce? Well, take a normal 'power' metal band (you know the kind that solo like crazy and sing Dungeons & Dragons-esque lyrics), add 80s guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen's mind (and finger) bending solos, and top it off with a Steve Perry soundalike on vocals. Then accelerate the tempo to ridiculous speed, no ludicrous speed. That's DragonForce...and it's a lot of fun.

If you can handle some cheesiness. If you don't need everything to angry and pissed off all the time. If you can both laugh at and be awed by awesomely wank shredder guitar solos. Then this album is for you.

Most of the songs are long, six, seven minute epics of speed riffs, double bass, impossbily fast solos, and 80s style vocals. The musicianship is top notch, the music itself is ridiculous. But that's really it's charm. DragonForce doesn't take itself seriously and neither should you.

Film Review: Miami Vice (2006) C-

2006-08-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 8/8/06
Venue: DGA

Uber-director Michael Mann ressusication/update of his pastel-laden 1980s cop show is big on style but low on character. Vice cops Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) go deep undercover as defacto DEA agents to bring down an international drug ring. Along the way they kick some occasional ass and exchange serious stares.

The problem with Miami Vice isn't Mann's gritty style (previously seen in Heat and Collateral). I actually feel, style-wise, the film does a fine job of updating the coolness of the 80s TV show to the twenty-first century. Sportjacket/t-shirt combos are out, jump cuts and Audioslave songs are in.

The problem is character, or lack thereof. I dare anyone who's seen the film to come up with two adjectives to describe any of characters in Miami Vice. And you can't use 'serious' and 'focused.' Crockett and Tubbs stare intently at things, attention focused, nearly zero evidence of humanity. In fact, I have a hard time believing these guys are partners. I'm not asking for Lethal Weapon/Bad Boys level buddy cop hijinks, but come on, show us something that proves you have a pulse.

Another stumbling block for the film is Crockett's love affiar with Isabella (Gong Li), the drug rings money (wo)man. Ms Li, who I'm sure is a fine actress when speaking Chinese, is hindered by a strong accent, making her difficult to understand at times. And Farrell, who normally oozes charisma, has amazingly zero chemistry with the lovely Ms. Li. The two stare into each others eyes a lot, and the film tries to play this as an semi-unrequited love when it just reads as shallow physical attraction.

The Isabella affair also wreaks havoc with the film's pacing, yanking us away from the Crockett/Tubbs partnership for huge chunks of time. Crockett literally leaves Tubbs with the druggies (and without a ride, apparently) to go have a three-day Havanna tryst with Isabella. This might be okay if the film was called 'Crockett,' but last I checked, Miami Vice was about partners who were vice cops in Miami.

At this point, why even call this Miami Vice? We're barely in Miami. Crockett and Tubbs are unofficially deputized into the FBI ten minutes in, and Crockett gets much more screen time than Tubbs. Why not just call this something else, rename the characters, and then people like me won't be bitching about Tubbs' lack of screen time.

I've read that Michael Mann wanted to really strip the story of fat for Miami Vice. Unfortunately he went a little too far and stripped a lot of good character meat off as well. I really can't remember the last time I saw a film with such ummemorable characters. Couple that with an uneven story which too heavily weighs on an unconvincing romance, and you've got a very nicely polished turd.

Film Review: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) B

2006-08-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 7/26/06
Venue: DGA

The much ballyhooed and highly anticipated sequel to the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced-mega-blockbuster of 2003 finally arrives and brings with it much mirth and high production value. Is it as good as the original? Not quite. Is it an entertaining bit of summer movie-going fun? Absolutely.

All of our intrepid characters from the first film are back as they are one by one roped into a dangerously quest for Davy Jones' lost treasure. Davy himself is around (played by Bill Nighy) as a cursed captain of a supernatural ship and its aquatically deformed crew (who bear a strong resemblence to heavy metallers GWAR), who of course play the villains to our heroes.

Following traditional sequel law: Dead Man's Chest gives us plenty of what made the first film so successful. Lots of Johnny Depp's wonderfully irreverent (Captain) Jack Sparrow and some amazingly choreographed action sequences.

Also following sequel law: Dead Man's Chest tries to give us more than the original. More action, more plot, more everything. Well, that's all fine and good on paper, but it's just a tad too much in this case. The storyline feels unnecessarily convoluted, and some action setpieces are simply there for no real reason, as if they're just as an excuse to show off. I thought the first film could've been about 20 minutes shorter, this one could easily drop 30+ without sacrificing story.

Another semi-gripe that Dead Man's Chest doesn't really function as its own film, it's a companion piece to next summer's as-yet-untitled sequel. Dead Man's Chest is basically the Matrix Reloaded or Back To The Future Part II of the trilogy.

Again, this is a fun, action-packed flick that doesn't quite have the charm of the original. Close, but no cigar. There's too much story crammed in, and it makes me wonder what could possibly be left for the third film.

Album Review: All That Remains - The Fall Of Ideals (2006) B+

2006-08-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

Sounds Like: Killswitch Engage, A Perfect Murder

Metalcore act All That Remains should really think about changing their name to Killswitch Remains, because their latest record, The Fall Of Ideals, could nearly pass as a release from the multiracial quintet. And that's actually a giant compliment considering All That Remains' last album, This Darkened Heart, was generic metalcore of the worst kind.

But by adding clean, melodic vocals, All That Remains has taken itself out of the realm of screamo (such as As I Lay Dying) and into Killswitch's arena. They even up the ante on KSE with some nifty lead guitar work throughout the album. But this all makes sense once you read the liner notes and find that Killswitch's very own Adam Dutkiewicz (guitars) produced this record. Go figure.

There are some tracks which feature very gutteral, near death metal style vocals, and I'm not too crazy about those despite their technical competence. Still, I was very surprised to like this record as much as I did. It's a strong, if somewhat derivative effort in a crowded field.

Album Review: Slayer - Christ Illusion (2006) B+

2006-08-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Sounds like: Slayer circa 1986-1990

The mighty Slayer return with Christ Illusion, their first album in five years. The album also marks the return of original drummer Dave Lombardo, who hadn't played on a Slayer record since 1990's Seasons In The Abyss.

The result is somewhat of a return to form from the speed metal innovators. While Slayer's non-Lombardo albums weren't bad, they didn't achieve the high levels of controlled insanity that marked Slayer's early career. From opening track Flesh Storm, Christ Illusion takes you back to those early days: insanely fast riffing, intricate bridges, and guitarist Kerry King's patentled 'look ma, no scales!' solos.

In fact, nearly every great moment on this record is great only because it will remind you off something from the Reign In Blood, South Of Heaven, or Seasons In The Abyss albums. Slayer has never been accused of being the most original band out there, but at least their last two records had some sense of evolution to them (even if they weren't that great). That's not to say there's no variation on Christ Illusion. Songs like Catatonic and the much talked-about Jihad (which tells the tale of the 9/11 hijackers from their point of view) vary the tempo, but aren't as memorable as the faster material, such as Cult and Consfearacy.

That said, Christ Illusion is still a very solid album, which is probably a testament more to the classic Slayer style and their skilled playing than it is to anything else. In addition, this record will make one realize how sorely missed Dave Lombardo was. His playing is just as integral to Slayer as is Kerry King's guitar or Tom Araya's raspy scream.

Concert Review: Shadows Fall (Avalon) B

2006-08-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

Date of show: 7/29/06
Venue: Avalon (Hollywood)

I had caught Shadows Fall live at last year's Ozz-Fest and walked away relatively unimpressed. They're not one of those 'high energy' acts that really seem to connect with audiences. Plus they played right at sundown, and I couldn't see a damn thing up on stage.

That said, Shadows Fall was technically impressive, and with a better-than-it-should-be B-side album out in stores (Fallout From The War), I was willing to give them another shot, this time headlining Avalon (which many of you oldsters like me better remember as The Palace).

The Massachusetts metallers took the stage around 9pm following openers Throwdown (who seem to have a disproportionally large following) and Poisonblack, both of whom I deliberately missed thanks to Avalon's many lounges and smoking areas.

The set was comprised mainly of material from Fallout and previous release The War Within. That's a good thing as much of their older material really isn't all that great. The first half of the hourlong set was great and moved along quickly. The second half didn't fare so well with older cuts like A Fire In Babylon (off the very uneven The Art Of Balance record) mucking up the proceedings and killing the crowd's energy.

Speaking of the crowd, it was an unusual mix of older Pantera-lovin' types and younger ninety-pound emo kids. And emo kids seem to think kicking and punching the air constitues moshing. They also have no concept of an actual mosh pit. Can someone explain why these munchkins have beat up invisible foes while not in the pit? The whole point of not being in the pit is...well...not having to pit or deal with randomly flailing arms and legs. Why can't emo kids get that and stay in the pit for their annoyiing little displays of aggression?

Anyways, back to the show. Shadows Fall have a very good live sound, they're not lacking in that department. Songs are tight, the mix competent, everything sounds like it does on the record.

But they do lack a certain charisma that makes great live bands great. There's not that special connection with the audience. They're certainly not terrible, I wouldn't walk out on them if they open for someone else I enjoy, but I don't think I'll be rushing to see them headline again.

Film Review: You Only Live Twice (1967) B-

2006-07-25T23:27:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 7/21/06
Venue: DVD

You Only Live Twice is the final James Bond film to star Sean Connery in the 1960s, and to many people it represents the last of Bond in its purest form. Before anyone else played the part and before the series got a case of the sillies.

Bond again tangles with the uberterrorists in SPECTRE, this time in Japan. The whole endevour is nicely set up, with the Brits elaborately faking Bond's death in Hong Kong, freeing him to investigate the abduction of several U.S. and Russian spacecraft before escalating Cold War tensions can lead to World War III.

The Japanese locales (including a real sumo match!), landscape, and (admittedly) women really help the film stand out from it's nascent Bond bretheren.

However, You Only Live Twice suffers from an absolutely glacial second act. By the end of act one, everyone, you, me, even Bond knows pretty much where SPECTRE is and what they're doing. But it takes us for-ever to actually get up and go after them. Instead we waste a lot of time watching Bond go through a wholly unconvincing attempt to make him look more Japanese (he's basically given Mr. Spock's hair-do). The second's act's only saving grace is a helicopter dogfight with Bond in a tricked-out (thanks, Q) mini-copter.

The final act finally arrives and things pick back up. The face of SPECTRE (the never-before-seen Blofeld) is revealed to be Donald Pleasence, whose appearence would go on to inspire (or basically be copied by) Mike Myers' Dr. Evil. We're also treated to a giant hundreds-of-ninjas-attack-underground-lair climax. There's just something cool about seeing dozens of ninjas onscreen all at once. Although I've got a problem with ninjas wielding pistols and rifles...there's something rather un-ninja about that.

You Only Live Twice is two-thirds of a really good James Bond film. The first and third acts are everything a Bond film should be. There's intrigue, exotic locations, beautiful women, and exciting action. But I just can't get over the grinding halt that is the second act. You Only Live Twice isn't the yawnathon Thunderball is, but its just not quite good enough to be on par with the likes of Goldfinger, From Russia With Love, or even Dr. No.

FIlm Review: Life Of Brian (1979) B-

2006-07-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 7/15/06
Venue: DVD

Life Of Brian is British comedy troupe Monty Pyton's return to the big screen after the immense success of 1975's Monty Python & The Holy Grail. This time, the satirical bunch introduce us to Brian (Graham Chapman), who has the misfortune of being born on the original Christmas and spends the rest of his life (and the film) being mistaken for a messiah.

Absurdity abounds in this parody as Brian must continually deflect the admiration and adoration of misguided Jews while avoiding the wrath of bumbling Romans in ancient Jerusalem. The Montys are here in full force, making light of the origins of Christianity, torture, and even the crucifiction itself.

Admittedly, I'm not a huge British comedy fan (see my review of Holy Grail), but Life Of Bryan does have some inspired moments; such as John Cleese's abundantly daft Roman captain who gives poor Brian a lesson in graffiti grammar, and the exploits of Brian's followers, who take his every step or stumble to be a divine message of some kind.

I enjoyed Life Of Brian, but not too much. It lacks Holy Grails' sense of complete whimsy. Too many scenes run long, dependent on a one-note joke that wears its welcome quicikly. I hesitate to call this a disappointment, but it just can't quite live up to its predecessor. Not that much could.

Self Promotion Time!

2006-07-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

If you haven't checked out my podcast yet...what the hell is wrong with you?!

Just go to The Auditory Display Of Power and copy this link into iTunes to get your dose of metal madness.

What? Are you too uptight and snobby to listen to heavy metal? Get with the program and rock out. I want to see 1987-style headbanging, people.

Album Review: Powerman 5000 - Destroy What You Enjoy (2006) C-

2006-07-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

Sounds like: AFI, Good Charlotte

I admit, I had completely written off Powerman 5000 after two pretty terrible records (Transform and Anyone For Doomsday?). Well, I'm still ready to write them off in terms of creative integrity, but commercially, Destroy What You Enjoy will keep Rob Zombie's little brother (frontman Spider-1) employed for a few more years.

Up to this point, Powerman 5000 inhabited a funky electro-metal niche. Transform was a bit more of a straight-forward, Linkin Park-type record. And now Destroy What You Enjoy takes the band into an entirely new direction: pop-punk.

The songs here might as well be on A Simple Plan record. The songcraft is proficient without being original, just innoculously catchy punk song after another.

There's certainly plenty for modern rock radio to sink their teeth into, and I'm sure Powerman will see a popularity surge. But the band that made such confections as 'When Worlds Collide' and 'Supernova Goes Pop' might as well be dead and buried.

Album Review: Beyond Fear - Beyond Fear (2006) C

2006-07-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

Sounds like: Judas Priest, Halford

Rob Halford soundalike vocalist Tim 'Ripper' Owens, fresh from his work on Iced Earth's 'The Glorious Burden,' returns with a new band with an old sound, Beyond Fear.

If you've heard Owens' Judas Priest albums, then you'll have a pretty good idea what Beyond Fear sounds like. Kind of a classic 80s metal sound updated with modern production.

Songs range from speedy, fast paced shredders to plodding mid-placed rumblers. The faster numbers fare better as the middling tracks have very little to offer in the song-writing department. At least the fast songs are...well, fast.

Ripper sounds like Rob Halford, as usual. There's no breaking of new ground or even an attempt on any level to try anything different. Total middle-of-the-road album.

Album Review: Ankla - Sleep Trails (2006) B

2006-07-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

Sounds like: Puya, Soulfly

You might remember Ramon Ortiz's previous band, Puya, as the heavily latin-influenced purveyors of nu-metal. Well, Ortiz is back with Ankla. Their debut, Sleep Trails, isn't that much of a departure from the Puya material.

Latin beats mixed with nu-metal syncopations is the heart of Ankla's sound. However, there are more than a few metalcore-style breakdowns and a few interesting solos to keep things moving. There are some wild tempo changes and occasional blast beats. Vocals range from gutteral shreiking to clean passages. It's a wild ride.

Overall, it's not a bad record. More varied than Puya, and less reliant upon Latin influences (hey, English lyrics!), a good album if you're looking for a sort of post-modern nu-metal sound that'll keep you on your toes.

Film Review: Thunderball (1966) B-

2006-07-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 7/15/06
Venue: DVD

Thunderball is the fourth James Bond film to hit the silver screen, and unfortunately takes a step backward from the great Goldfinger and From Russia With Love.

Interestingly enough, Thunderball was set to be the first Bond film while in development, but was eventually pushed down the line, leaving Dr. No to come first. That explains the similarities in tone and pacing between Dr. No and Thunderball. There’s very little of Goldfinger's gadgetry or playfulness found here. Thunderball is much more reminiscent of the first two Bond films.

Thunderball’s setup is good one. Evil terrorist group SPECTRE steals two nuclear bombs from the RAF and holds the world hostage (sound familiar? Austin Powers directly parodied this, along with much else from Thunderball, including SPECTRE’s numbering of members (“Number 2,” etc.) and even the villain’s eyepatch!). Of course James Bond is sent to track down the missing bombs, and his investigation leads him to the Bahamas (echoing the tropical Jamaican setting of Dr. No).

But the film really bogs down in the second act as Bond tracks down the bombs via the villainous Largo. There’s really not much intrigue as we the audience already know Largo has the bombs, it’s just a matter of Bond figuring out where they are. And Largo himself is a rather blah entry to the Bond rogue’s gallery. He doesn’t have outlandish flair like Auric Goldfinger, nor is he a physical threat like Red Grant. Largo doesn’t even have the ubercool mysteriousness of Dr. No. He’s just a chubby middle-aged eyepatch guy in a wetsuit.

What few action scenes there are mostly take place underwater in scuba gear. The underwater photography is cool the first time, but gets very tedious very quickly.

Claudine Auger’s turn as Bond girl Domino is a nice one, but her character arc is telegraphed halfway through the first act, and she doesn’t have much to do until the third act.

Released at the height of the 1960s spy craze, Thunderball was the first Bond film to be shot in anamorphic 2.35:1, it’s just too bad it can’t fill the extra space with something more worthwhile.

Film Review: From Russia With Love (1963) A-

2006-07-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 7/14/06
Venue: DVD

In light of the impeding release of Casino Royale this Fall, I've decided to be ultra-geeky and watch (or re-watch in many cases) the available James Bond films in order. I'll be reviewing any I'd hadn't seen before. From Russia With Love is the first of these.

From Russia With Love is the second of the James Bond films, and definitely one of the best. It's a complex spy vs. spy thriller, pitting Sean Connery's Bond against the shadowy SPECTRE organization in efforts to obtain a valuable Russian decryption device.

There are very few of the usual Bond 'gadgets' in this film, and to be honest, that's quite refreshing. Bond must outhink his opponents and relies far more on cunning than any sort of nifty Q-provided gadget. And despite the film's slowish pacing, it's this cerebral element that carries the film.

That's not to say there's no action in From Russia From Love. Stand-out scenes include a gypsy camp shootout which begins with a perfectly mysogynistic girl on girl fight to the death, and a climatic battle with Red Grant (Robert Shaw) on a train.

Grant makes for a particularly satisfying villain; physically imposing but also one step ahead of Bond nearly the entire film. And Daniela Bianchi's Tatiana Romanova is most certainly in the upper echelon of Bond ladies;cooly seductive, but with a strong vulnerable side.

I enjoyed From Russia With Love quite a lot. It makes me wish many of Bond sequels had eschewed their more cartoony nature and stuck with the serious tone found here.

Album Review: Stone Sour - Come What(ever) May (2006) A

2006-07-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

Sounds like: Stone Sour, Slipknot, 90s Metallica

Stone Sour's second release improves upon the already strong framework of their self-titled 2002 debut. The side project of Slipknot members Corey Taylor (vox) and Jim Root (guitar), Stone Sour is straight ahead, no nonsense metal for no-nonsense people.

In some ways Come What(ever) May compares to Metallica's self titled Black Album. While Stone Sour doesn't give us any arena-ready epics, there is a concerted effort to walk the tightrope between forceful heaviness and commercial sensibilities. It's a well-done balancing act. Taylor drops his semi-gutteral Slipknot growls for more traditional singing. The tracks manage to be sufficiently heavy and catchy at the same time. Guitar solos and tight arrangements are plentiful and welcome. There's a good variety of tracks, some fast, some mid-paced, and no matter what do not think that Nickelback-sounding first single "Through Glass" is indicative of the rest of the record. It's a one-off.

I was impresed although not blown away with Stone Sour's debut four years ago. There was a lot of promise there. Come What(ever) May is that promise kept.

Podcast!

2006-07-09T23:50:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of updates the last week or so, but I've been readying my very first official podcast!

Here's the story: back in college at USC, I used to co-host a weekly heavy metal radio show (dubbed 'The Auditory Display Of Power') with my good buddy Mike. Well, Mike and I have kept in touch and finally decided to revive ADOP in podcast form. It's a two hour show showcasing the best new bands and metal classics along with our witty commentary.

Mike and I are going to try and record a show a week, but that might slip to every other week, depending on our schedules. We'll see.

Anyways, here's the The Auditory Display Of Power website.

And here's the direct link to the podcast.

We're trying to get officially listed by itunes, but in the meantine, just manually 'subscribe to podcast' (it's under the 'Advanced' menu in itunes) and copy in the podcast link.

Enjoy!

Film Review: Superman Returns (2006) A

2006-07-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/29/06
Venue: AMC Burbank 16

Superman Returns is not quite a remake (of Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman), not quite a sequel (the events in Donner’s Superman are considered a ‘loose history’), but is simply an brilliantly rousing film that transcends comic-book conventions and updates the Superman mythos into the twenty-first century.

Director Bryan Singer of X-Men fame certainly knows how to cast a film. He brought us the incredible Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and now he brings us Brandon Routh as Superman. Routh’s subtle Chris Reeve impersonation is nearly perfect, but Brandon makes the role his own, a little less boyish perhaps, and a shade darker. Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor is about as obvious a casting choice as you can get, but Spacey eliminates the cheese factor of Gene Hackman’s 1979s Luthor and replaces it with harsh malevolence. Kate Bosworth is good as Lois Lane, certainly a relief from the grating-what-does-Superman-see-in-her Margot Kidder. James Marsden (Cyclops!) is here as well as Lois’ fiancée, and does a nice turn himself.

The story is simple: Superman returns to Earth after a five year absence to discover his love has a child, is engaged to another man, and that she, and the rest of the world, might have just moved right along without him. Oh, and of course Lex Luthor schemes a mad plan to take over the world.

There’s a lot of nit picking that can be done over the mechanics of the plot, especially Luthor’s storyline. And in a lesser film, I would attack these savagely.

However, Singer’s other strength is in his characters. I didn’t notice or care so much about some the of stickier logic points because I was too busy enjoying the plethora of emotive character moments, most of which are more about what is not said than what is said. Singer is a master at portraying real human emotion in a real, human way that no comic-book movie rightfully deserves.

And oh yeah, the kid, I almost forgot. Lois’ child is in quite a lot of the film. Now don’t cringe and run away, moviegoer, this isn’t the kid from the Zorro or Mummy sequels. It’s not Jake Lloyd. Calm down, have faith in Singer. He (thankfully) isn’t saddled with much dialog, but the kid is great, and is utterly believable.

The visuals in Superman Returns are stunning. Undoubtedly the best CG effects I have ever seen, the film leaves other superhero epics in the dust (yeah, Spider-Man, I’m talking to you!). Coupled with this is some truly iconic camera work, this is truly a spectacle.

I grew up loving the original Superman films, and perhaps it’s my nostalgia that carries me upward here. Superman Returns borrows music cues, main title design, Marlon Brando as Jor-El, and even some dialog straight out the 1978 movie. But there’s more to it than that. Superman Returns taps not only into Donner’s film, but also into the Superman myth as a whole for its inspiration. There’s a shot in the film that’s a direct lift from Action Comics #1 (Supes very first ever appearance), for goodness sakes!

Those looking solely for X-Men: The Last Stand-type action will be disappointed by the time and care Singer takes with his characters instead of action set pieces. That’s not to say Superman Returns is devoid of adrenaline (you cannot watch Superman save that 747 and not cheer, you just can’t, it’s that good), but is heavy on the human side. And as with any great myth, that’s always the best side to be on.

Addendum: I finally took C to see this and she had some interesting insight on the film. Superman Returns doens't necessarily do much to make you fall in love with its characters. It's sort of like the dark side Dagobah tree in The Empire Strikes Back. "What's in there?" Luke asks. "Only what you take with you," is Yoda's reply. If you walk into Superman Returns already in love with characters and situations from the Donner films, then you'll walk out in love with the characters in Returns. If you were never that crazy about the Donner characters, then you'll be puzzled upon leaving and wondering why James Marsden is leaps and bounds the film's most identifiable character.

Film Review: North Country (2005) C+

2006-07-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/26/06
Venue: DVD

North County stars Charlize Theron as a single mother who fights sexual harassment at a Minnesota mine in the late 1980s. Based on a real life case, it plays out like a Lifetime movie with a bigger budget and an A-list cast including Woody Harrelson, Frances McDormand, and Sean Bean with a Minnesota(!) accent.

Not discounting the what the real women of North Country endured nearly twenty years ago, the film basically offers a variation on a story we’ve seen, read, or heard many times by now. If this film had come out in 1992, say, or even 1996, it would’ve carried far more relevance than it does now. Again, I’m not suggesting these women’s struggles are unworthy cinematically, I just believe sexual harassment is so firmly embedded in our national consciousness that this movie falls flat because of it.

The film’s structure doesn’t help. There are occasional flash-forward to courtroom scenes sprinkled throughout. You the viewer are always aware that eventually, Charlize is going to court. Hmm, let’s see, the men are sexually harassing her, what could she be going to court about later…hmm. And hmm, the movie is set in 1989, and sexual harassment was a big thing then…wonder who she’s taking to court? Oh, there’s Woody as her attorney, hey wait a minute, what’s the point of the scene where she has to convince him to take the case when we’ve already seen him in court!? And all the later scenes of Charlize trying to round up the signatures of harassed women and their fear of male reprisals are now officially worthless. We know they’re going to court! Where’s the tension?

That’s not to say there’s nothing good here. The cast is very good as a whole (Charlize even sports an appropriately 1989 fem-mullet), and there are some stirring speeches. But the whole procedure is too weighted down by the simple fact that we know happen long before it does.

Film Review: Transamerica (2005) B-

2006-07-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/22/06
Venue: DVD

Transamerica is the much-ballyhooed film that features Desperate Housewife Felicity Huffman playing a pre-op transsexual. It’s a daring role that requires Ms. Huffman to shed any sense of ‘natural’ femininity and play a man desperately trying to be a woman.

But at its heart, Transamerica is a road picture. A week before her final sex-change operation, Bree (Huffman) discovers she (or…uh, I guess he in this case) had fathered a teenage son who hustles on the streets of New York City. Called upon to bail the boy out of jail, Bree drives cross-country to retrieve him at the behest of his/her therapist, who feels this loose end of Bree’s life must be taken care of before any operation can proceed.

The journey back from New York is full of discover as the unlikely pair get to know one another. As good as Felicity Huffman is playing an awkward man/woman, Kevin Zegers is even better as the son with a sweet sense of real-world naiveté coupled with a harsh street edge, a very rich and multilayered character.

My problems with the film begin with Bree. Felicity Huffman is great (as always), but Bree is not a consistently sympathetic character, she frets to the point of annoyance, and most importantly, and it really bothers me she takes so long (more than 2/3rds of the film) to tell her son her true relation to him. That’s…well, that’s chicken.

The film also seems to come to a dead halt about 2/3rds in as the pair, out of money, wind up at Bree’s parents house. Seeing Bree’s twisted family environment is worthwhile and necessary, it just takes too long.

I applaud the filmmakers for telling a story about characters and situations that are so rarely seen in mainstream film. But some irritating character issues and a crawl-like third act prevent me from endorsing this heartily.

Film Review: Proof (2005) C+

2006-06-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/22/06
Venue: DVD

Stage to screen adaptations are always tricky. Live theater’s greatest asset is an actor’s ability to create a performance and a character right before our eyes. We’re often willing to forgive a bland narrative is it’s accompanied by a riveting performance on stage. Film is not always so forgiving. Proof is well…proof of that.

Based on an award-winning stage production and directed by John Madden (sigh, not that John Madden, you football freaks. The guy who did Shakespeare In Love.), Proof stars Gwyneth Paltrow as the caregiver daughter of a recently deceased mad math genius (Anthony Hopkins). She must deal with her anguish over his passing, as well as her own fears of hereditary insanity and a cloyingly overbearing older sister (Hope Davis). Further complicating things is Jake Gyllehaal (who I firmly believe was in every film of 2005), Gwennie’s love interest and father’s former student who hangs around searching father’s hardscrabble journals for any final mathematical breakthrough.

If it doesn’t sound enthralling, don’t blame me. The real crux of the story is Paltrow coming to terms with the choices she’s made (giving up college to take care of father in his final years) and taking control of her life. Paltrow does in fact carry the film with a strong performance.

However, Proof can’t overcome its lofty theatrical origins. Scenes are long with dialog that I’m sure worked on stage, but drag here. The story meanders with no clear direction or sense of unity. What little tension the story eventually provides is ruined because any semi-conscious moviegoer will figure the outcome immediately.

Proof does offer strong performances if you are into that, but otherwise it’s a stuffy theater piece that should’ve stayed under the proscenium.

Film Review: Primer (2004) B

2006-06-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/21/06
Venue: DVD

Primer is best 5,000 dollar movie you’ll ever see. Indie newcomer (well, newcomer in 2004, I’m a little late seeing this) Shane Carruth writes, directs, and stars in the micro-budget sci-fi time travel thriller that is a slick piece of entertainment that will keep you guessing at every turn.

Two young engineers accidentally invent a time machine. Five grand won’t cover a flying DeLorean, but Primer gives us an almost fly-on-the-wall account of the machine’s creation. Scientific knowledge aside, the dialog is so authentically engineer I buy those guys actually build the darn thing. Of course the duo test it out and begin using it modestly for their own means, using future knowledge to buy rising stocks a day or two in the past. Things become more convoluted when the pair is forced to decide to use the machine to save a life.

From there, Primer becomes a tangle of timelines, possibilities, doppelgangers, and deception. There’s some very deft writing and editing going on here, and I must warn this is not a film you’ll be able to completely figure out on first viewing, it requires your full and complete attention.

I’ve always had a soft spot for time travel stories, warts, paradoxes, and all. But it’s so refreshing to see a time travel film that doesn’t treat it as a gimmick and has the cajones to tackle all sorts of paradoxical manifestations without dumbing things down for the audience.

Film Review: End Of The Spear (2006) B-

2006-06-27T00:56:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/21/06
Venue: DVD

End of the Spear, based on a true story, tells the tale of missionary encounters with the primitive and bloodthirsty Waodani natives of South America. Well…maybe it’s also about the Waodani’s encounters with the missionaries. Or…well, you see what I’m getting at, End of the Spear can’t make up its mind whose story it wants to tell.

Mostly set in the 1950s, the film is framed by narration from one of the missionaries’ sons (Chad Allen, who also convincingly plays the father) who has come back to the jungle decades later. The bulk of the film is a flashback to the missionaries’ deadly first contact with Waodani. Ever courageous, the remaining missionaries do not give up and slowly begin to earn the trust of the Waodani in their efforts to teach them Christian morals.

This is an interesting film because it delves so deeply into the lives of the Waodani. We see how they live and the spiritual justification for their murderous ways. Louie Leonardo turns in a stellar performance as Mincayani, the tribe leader struggling to protect the old ways in the face of change. I wanted to see more of Mincayani, it is his eventual transformation that is the heart of the film, but End Of The Spear is too busy telling EVERYONE’S stories.

I know this is a church funded film, but don’t you worry blue-staters, there’s no excessive preaching or proselytizing, it’s not going to violate your freedom of religion or make you repeat the entire Pledge of Allegiance. It’s really just a missed opportunity, for this is an intriguing and eventually moving story about forgiveness and the most Christian value of all: love. Despite an abundance of material ripe for the picking, End of the Spear simply tries to cover too many bases and winds up covering none adequately.

Man, does Oregon suck!

2006-06-23T01:34:00.000-07:00

The University of Oregon Ducks unleashed their new football uniforms for the 2006 season.

Not surprisingly, they are hideous and exist in about a kajillion different variations.

By the way, that awful yellow they wear is called "Lightning." And I think the new numbers are same font as used in the video game Galaga.

If you should come across a Duck student, alumni, parent, or hell, any Oregonian in general, please shake your head in disgust.

And should you run into anyone affiliated with arch-rvial Oregon State, shake them and ask how they can allow this to go on?

ps - sorry for the slowing in blog posts. I've been working on something pretty cool that should be up and online next week...

Album Review: Wolfmother - Wolfmother (2006) B-

2006-06-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

Sounds Like: The White Stripes, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath

Australia's newest export is the power-trio Wolfmother, who really have very little to offer in the innovation department. Unlike homage-rockers-in-arms The Darkness, Wolfmother appear to being playing things straight. Their sound has been described as a throwbackto Led Zepellin and Black Sabbath, althouth I hear a lot more White Stripes than either of those two legends.

This is one of those annoying records that people who aren't into heavy metal will, upon hearing that you are a metalhead, instantly recommend you listen to and chastise you when you don't. Meaning it's good to the undiscriminating, but 'the trues,' as James Hetfield would put it, know better.

The songs (and there are no standouts, so to speak) do harken back to early 70s rock, chunky blues riffs, wailing Plant-meets-Jack White vocals. And yes, you'll think Led Zep more than once, but in reality, I couldn't escape the notion that Wolfmother is really The White Stripes with longer, more progged-out songs, and to be honest, one of the reasons I enjoy The White Stripes is their brevity.

This is a solid if unmemorable and unoriginal effort. Good if you love The White Stripes brand of stripped-down rock or if you really think Deep Purple could've cranked out another album or two before Gillian left. But for the rest of us, we'll stick to the originals.

Film Review: Firewall (2006) B-

2006-06-21T02:29:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/19/06
Venue: DVD

Harrison Ford returns to the big screen to make up for 2003’s atrocious Hollywood Homicide with Firewall, a thriller that also stars Paul Bettany (as the heavy) and Viriginia Madsen (as the wife). I had heard many mediocre things about this film upon its theatrical release, but it’s really not THAT bad.

Set in Seattle(!), Firewall has Ford playing the IT computer security manager for a small regional chain of banks. He’s got a smart, attractive wife, two kids, and an amazing home with stunning views. All this is put in peril when Paul Bettany and his crew of thugs (whose menace varies widely from thug to thug) take the family hostage in exchange for Ford’s help in robbing his own bank.

Despite the technological trappings, this is a very standard thriller, complete with the standard logic lapses and occasional plot holes. Too much of the first half is devoted to ‘computer-tension,’ where traditional action or chase scenes are replaced with people frantically typing on keyboards…will Hollywood ever figure out this is never suspenseful? And this is also the second straight thriller I’ve seen (Derailed being the other) where our villain is European and can switch accents at the drop of a hat. Is this some kind of modern-day American xenophobia at play? Probably not, but its an interesting thought.

Performances are decent, Bettany’s evil enough, Madsen does well with very little to work with, and Ford actually looks interested and coherent, which is a refreshing change these days, although I just can’t buy him talking about servers, hackers, and the like. I somehow don’t think Harrison is setting up wireless networks at home or anything.

The film really seems to get going once Ford has turned the tables and begins to hunt down his tormentors, that’s where I could actually see the Harrison Ford of yore. The 1980s cooler-than-cool Harrison Ford. Despite the film’s many flaws, just seeing that again made everything alright.

Film Review: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) B

2006-06-21T01:56:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/19/06
Venue: DVD

Screenwriter Shane Black returns after a lengthy Hollywood absence with his directorial debut, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, a hilariously sarcastic detective story starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer. If you’ve ever seen Mr. Black’s other filmed works, like Lethal Weapon, The Last Kiss Goodnight, or The Last Boy Scout, then you already know he’s a master of witty, acerbic, fast-paced dialog. And oh my does Kiss Kiss Bang Bang deliver.

Downey, Jr. plays a small-time thug-turned-wannabe actor, who stumbles across an intricate murder scheme while schmoozing in LA. He enlists the reluctant help of Kilmer, a homosexual Hollywood private investigator. And of course, there has to be a girl, Michelle Monaghan playing the cute struggling-actress sister of one of the deceased.

Like any noir detective story, there’s a good deal of narration. But since this is Shane Black voice-over we’re talking about, it’s a very clever, self-aware, and self-referencing stream-of-consciousness. All eminating from Downey, Jr.’s mouth. This movie knows it’s a movie, knows you’re watching, and proceeds to address you, the audience, directly. Downey, Jr.’s delivery is perfect, but at times the self-referencing gets a bit old, like it’s showing off. “Look how clever we’re being,” it seems to say.

While Downey, Jr. is good; Kilmer is great, dispatching line after line with a steady, deadpan delivery. Monaghan holds her own, but she seems a little too young for her character’s age.

There’s some well put-together gunplay and chase scenes, as well, although I wonder why Shane Black has such a hard on for footchases on dark L.A. streets (or for Christmastime in L.A—see Lethal Weapon on both counts).

I quite enjoyed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. It works as a detective story, it works as an action movie, and it works as a dark comedy. The dialog is rapid-fire and entertaining, even if the narration runs its mouth too much. Recommended.

Film Review: Sky High (2005) B+

2006-06-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/16/06
Venue: DVD

What a blast this movie is. I really wasn’t expecting a teeny Disney movie to be very fun, or funny for an adult, but Sky High is a very entertaining and funny family film.

Will Stronghold, son of legendary superheroes The Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston), starts high school at Sky High, a school for superhero kids. Will quickly finds that superhero high is just as clique-ish and angsty as any real world high school.

What works so well here is a very consistent level of humor and respect for the characters. It’s hammy without being too ridiculously campy, like what if John Hughes did a movie about Dr. Xavier’s school in X-Men. The characters and their issues are played straight. Superpowers or not, these are real kids, but I mean, come on, you have to laugh when a kid’s ‘power’ is being able to turn into a guinea pig, or being able to glow, silly stuff like that.

The cast is very strong. Michael Angaranot’s Will is a goodhearted, conflicted everyman. In fact, all the kids here are quite good. I haven’t seen Kurt Russell have this much fun since Big Trouble In Little China. Dave Foley is hilarious as the ‘sidekick instructor.’ And to top it off the mighty Bruce Campbell is here as an overzealous superhero gym teacher.

Of course there is some dramatic action as supervillains take over the school, leaving it up to the kids to save the day. The action is cartoonish, but still dramatic and right on the money thematically.

All in all this is a very fun film, appropriate for all ages, with some laughs, thrills, legitimate teenage angst, and a nice message. If Disney had been putting out this kind of film for the past decade, they wouldn’t need Pixar.

Concert Review: Static-X (Key Club) B

2006-06-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

Date of show: 6/15/06
Venue: Key Club (Hollywood)

I'll admit I wasn't too terribly excited to see Static-X. I had bought a ticket to this show when Silent Civilian were scheduled to open, but with Silent Civilian now on tour with Drowning Pool, I was left with just good ole Wayne Static & friends to entertain me.

Openers were Godhead and Twist The Screw (or was it Turn The Nut? Hammer The Nail? I forget), both of whom I deliberately missed.

Static-X eventually came on, sounded great, and really rocked the place. The last time I saw them was a few years ago supporting 2001's Machine album, and I was honestly pretty bored at that show. But this time I came away very impressed, although they're only band I have ever seen open with a drum solo, a short drum solo, but yes, a drum solo. Weird.

The set was a good mix of new and old, favoring newer material from Start A War and stuff off their first (and easily best) record, Wisconsin Death Trip. It should be noted that there wasn't much off of 2003's Shadow Zone album, the least Static-Xish record they've put out. Really my only knock on the setlist was the inclusion of some interlude-like filler tracks, like "Stem," but the crowd seemed to eat it up during their hourlong set.

Speaking of the crowd, again I felt like the old man of the sea, the ancient mariner. Most of the crowd was under 21, and when M and I talked to some kids about how we had seen Static-X way back in 1998, they looked at us like we had just told them our names were on the Declaration of Independence.

Despite 10+ years going to see bands on the Sunset strip...I had never actually been inside the Key Club. It's got great sound and an impressive light and video setup. Far cooler than any other club in LA. Although I'd advise against excessive drinking, there's way too many darkened staircases to go tumbling down (okay, Dad).

Film Review: The Great Raid (2005) C

2006-06-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/15/06
Venue: DVD

It’s always a shame when a movie based on real-life heroism can’t deliver on the level those heroes deserve. While The Great Raid pays no disservice to the heroes it portrays, it doesn’t do a whole lot to make them interesting.

Based on real WWII raid to liberate American POWs from a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines, the story begins with a lengthy (for a movie) history lesson (utilizing some well edited archival clips) to set things up. From there we intercut the exploits of the POWs, the Rangers plotting the raid, and the Filipino underground movement.

We spent a lot of time getting to know our main characters, but unfortunately, they’re all pretty boring. Whether it be the noble but ill head POW Joseph Fiennes, army Captain James Franco (wooden as always), or American nurse/underground operative Connie Nielson (Lars Ulrich’s beau!), they all suffer from chronic cases of unflappable stoicism. That might work if there were a supporting character or two to keep things fresh, but there’s not. Everyone else here is a vaguely drawn archetype, nothing more.

Also complicating matters and inflating the already lengthy runtime is the all the intercutting. While I’m certain the Filipino underground paid an important role in this war, their importance to this raid is well, underwhelming. It feels the only reason this subplot was included was to simply keep a woman (Connie Nielson) in the film. She does have a mildly unrequited history with the Joseph Fiennes character, but that alone does not justify the screentime.

The final act surprisingly picks up rather well. The actual raid and its aftermath are compelling, exciting, and frankly bloody. It’s actually jolting after being lulled to a boredom-induced trance by the first two acts. And that’s what frustrating about this film. Why couldn’t the effort been made to make the first two acts as compelling as the last? It need not be done with action and violence. Character development and poignancy work just as well.

I realize The Great Raid has its heart in the right place and tries very hard to tell its story with honesty and dignity towards those involved. It’s a great tale of heroism under dire circumstances. And in many ways, it’s a stylistic throwback to older war films like Tora! Tora! Tora! But it’s just so unfortunate that The Great Raid can’t muster any urgency or real humanity until it’s too late.

Film Review: Howl's Moving Castle (2005) B

2006-06-15T02:30:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/14/06
Venue: DVD

I’ve got to start by saying I’m not a fan a Japanimation or anime. I thought so-called masterpieces Akira and Princess Monoke were, well, just alright. But I can safely say I enjoyed, not loved, but thoroughly enjoyed Howl’s Moving Castle.

A corpulent witch turns simple young girl into an old lady who falls in love with a mysteriously self-indulgent and insecure wizard named Howl. Unsurprisingly, Howl might be the only one who can break the witch’s curse.

There’s far more to this fantasy than that, but that’s the clearest way my simple American brain can break it down for you. This is definitely not a traditional three-act story.

The film does have many of the spiritual trappings of other animated Japanese films, but here they’re used symbolically instead of being integral to the story. Not being Japanese,, and not well schooled in Asian spirituality, too many of these elements fail to resonate with me the way they should in other films. I had less of a problem with their use in Howl’s Moving Castle because they’re not essential plot points. That’s not to say I entirely understood all the symbolism, but if nothing else I could appreciate it visually without worrying about losing track of story.

The actual animation is quite good with many stunning vistas and impressive views. Lighting and environments are particularly well done. Character design is just okay, I never once felt like I was seeing something I hadn’t seen somewhere else before.

What really works in this movie is the strength of the characters. They’re deeper and more three-dimensional than I expected. And it must be noted I watched the Japanese language version with English subtitles. I know there’s a perfectly good English dub with Lauren Bacall, Christian Bale and the like, but I always prefer native language and subtitles, too much can get lost in translation and performance.

Howl’s Moving Castle draws you in slowly, first with scenic beauty, then with impressive characterizations. To top it off there’s a certain charm in the way the story sort of meanders and takes it’s time. This is a unique film and worth checking out.

Film Review: The Brothers Grimm (2005) D+

2006-06-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed - 6/12/06
Venue - DVD

There’s an old lady in The Brothers Grimm who has only one line and repeats it often. It really resonates with the film. “Cursed!” An apt summary of this Terry Gilliam helmed disappointment that’s got some clever ideas, but doesn’t know what to do with them.

Matt Damon and Heath Ledger play the famous Grimm brothers in their pre-fairy tale writing days. They make their living in nineteenth century Germany as con artists, fooling feeble villagers into believing they’re being haunted and in need of the brothers’ paranormal elimination services (which is what EPA man Walter Peck suspected the Ghostbusters of all along). The brothers exorcise the pesky spirit, the village rejoices, and the brothers get paid.

Things go awry when they finally encounter a village with some real paranormal activity. Then it’s up to the bumbling pair to save the day for once.

Speaking of Ghostbusters, Damon and Ledger play the brothers as clever buffoons, and the script tries for a lot of humor with the pair and their schemes. Unlike Ghostbusters, none of it is very funny and due to their greedy motives, the pair aren’t the most likable fellows on screen. That’s a big problem here, there’s seemingly no one to really like.

Also not working are attempts to be scary. There’s some dark imagery here and some gruesome creatures/bugs/etc., but the cg special FX are horrible, the worst I’ve seen in a major studio release in ages. Utterly distracting, poorly done, and not frightening.

There is some merit in the concept behind all this, that the Grimm brothers were paranormal investigators of some kind in their time. But the film can’t make up its mind if it wants to be scary or funny, and in the process winds up being neither.

The Brothers Grimm was shelved for quite a long time (a year or more) by Miramax before it finally saw a release, and there were reports director Terry Gilliam clashed with the Weinsteins over creative control. It shows. There’s a lack of creative unity storywise, and the bad cg is emblematic of a joyless, ‘let’s get this thing over with’ attitude.

Metal Roundup 6/12/06 - Sepul-frauds?

2006-06-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

Big metal news of the day was drummer Igor Cavalera officially quitting Sepultura after sitting out the past few months to spend time with his wife and baby.

Now that means there are zero Cavaleras (Igor founded the band with brother Max) and zero original members left in Sepultura. Not that I was really into anything of the stuff released post-Max (although this year's Dante XXI wasn't bad), but at least I didn't question the bands continued existence, which I now do. Talk about a group having zero credibility. Does this mean Igor reuintes with Max in Soulfly? We can only hope.

Alter Bridge played some new songs live recently, and someone was kind enough to bootleg and post them here. If you haven't checked out Alter Bridge, I highly recommend you should. They're Creed (stay with me here) with a new singer (who's got some impressive range and is uninterested in painting himself as a Christ-like figure) and better songs.

Here's my metal youtube finding of the day: Metallica performing a new song in Berlin last week. The song has no title but is quite good, it gives me a St. Anger meets ...And Justice For All vibe. The guitar solo is back!

Restaurant Review: Fleming's (San Diego) B+

2006-06-13T05:17:00.000-07:00

Flemings Steak House
380 K St.
San Diego, CA 92101

Date Dined: 6/10/06

C and I went down to San Diego for a little weekend away and dined at Flemings Steak House, located on the southern tip of the famed Gaslamp district.

Flemings is actually a small chain of steak houses/wine bars, there’s even one here in the San Fernando valley, although I imagine that due to location, that one attracts a much older crowd than this southern counterpart.

We started with a bottle of Stone Street cabernet (2002) and not feeling very adventurous, ordered the calamari as an appetizer. The calamari was excellent, not the over fried variety one would usually endure, but nicely seasoned with no need for any cocktail sauce.

C had the ribeye cooked medium rare and I had the 12 oz. filet mignon medium. For sides, we ordered the mushrooms and the Flemings Potatoes (sort of a very cheesy au gratin potato). The sides were excellent and well portioned for two, unusual for a steakhouse.

C’s ribeye was great, perfectly cooked, but my filet was lacking. A filet should be very, very tender and this was uneven, tough in spots.

Too full from our meal we skipped dessert.

Service was top-notch, and décor was nice, but I have to knock Flemings down a peg for the uneven filet (I know, I know, laugh all you want about uncle moneybags here crying about his filet mignon), even if the rest of our food was quite good.

Film Review: The Last Shot (2004) C+

2006-06-09T00:02:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/8/06
Venue: DVD

The Last Shot has a lot of good, funny ideas and a great A-list cast, so why has no one heard of this flick? Despite some favorable notes from critics (Ebert & Roeper especially), the film was given a limited theatrical run in major cities only and has since been forgotten by the movie-public despite starring Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Toni Collette, Ray Liotta, Tony Shalhoub, and Calista Flockhart. Well, the problem is that for every funny bit that made it into the film, there’s at least one un-funny bit to go with it.

Writer/director Jeff Nathanson’s comedy (based on real events!) centers on a FBI sting operation targeting mobsters behind the Teamsters Union. Since the Teamsters work with the movie industry, the FBI taps agent Joe Devine (Baldwin) to set up a fake film production. For authenticity, he buys a struggling LA writer/director Steven Schats’ (Broderick) sappy script and offers the unwitting dreamer the director’s chair. Who would say no? The joke’s on the director, however, as the Feds force drastic changes of location (Rhode Island instead of Arizona) to serve their mob-busting needs.

The humor works when it’s about Hollywood. Riffs on struggling actors, celebrity pets, mobsters wanting to finance movies, etc. are well written and genuinely funny despite not being wholly original.

Character-driven humor doesn’t fare so well. Things feel uneven, some characters seem to disappear without any resolution, and others are under-or-overwritten. Steven Schats has a rather large subplot involving his brother that is completely extraneous, and worse, not that funny. That said, the performances, Broderick especially, are very good. It just feels like a re-write is in order.

The Last Shot is a moderately funny movie that simply missteps. Too often the film will introduce a fertile comedic angle, only to abandon it prematurely in favor of something far less funny. It’s a shame because this had potential.

Top 10 Films By Year

2006-06-08T03:33:00.000-07:00

Just my top ten film lists for this decade. These will obviously evolve as I see more films.

2011
01. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (A-)
02. X-Men: First Class (B)
03. Bridesmaids (B)
04. I Saw The Devil (B)
05. Super 8 (B)
06. Horrible Bosses (B)
07. The Lincoln Laywer (B)
07. Captain America: The First Avenger (B-)
08. Thor (B-)
09. The Tree Of Life (B-)
10. Trollhunter (B-)

2010
01. The Social Network (B+)
02. Kick-Ass (B+)
03. Black Swan (B+)
04. 127 Hours (B+)
05. Winter's Bone (B)
06. Toy Story 3 (B)
07. The Town (B)
08. The American (B)
09. Animal Kingdom (B)
10. The Fighter (B)

2009
01. Up (A-)
02. Inglorious Basterds (B+)
03. Moon (B+)
04. The Hurt Locker (B+)
05. A Prophet (B+)
06. The Blind Side (B+)
07. Star Trek (B)
08. Watchmen (B)
09. Avatar (B)
10. Zombieland (B)

2008
01. The Dark Knight (A)
02. WALL-E (A-)
03. Let The Right One In (A-)
04. Cloverfield (A-)
05. The Wrestler (B+)
06. Iron Man (B+)
07. In Bruges (B)
08. Doubt (B)
09. Slumdog Millionaire (B)
10. Frost/Nixon (B)

2007
01. Gone Baby Gone (A)
02. No Country For Old Men (A-)
03. Zodiac (A-)
04. 300 (A-)
05. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (A-)
06. Superbad (B+)
07 Once (B+)
08. Hot Fuzz (B+)
09. Sunshine (B+)
10. Beowulf (B+)

2006
01. Superman Returns (A)
02. The Departed (A)
03. United 93 (A)
04. Brick (A)
05. V For Vendetta (A-)
06. Casino Royale (A-)
07. The Prestige (A-)
08. Apocalypto (A-)
09. The Descent (A-)
10. Pan's Labyrinth (A-)

2005
01. Sin City (A)
02. King Kong (A)
03. Match Point (A)
04. Walk The Line (A)
05. Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith (A-)
06. Hustle & Flow (A-)
07. Wallace & Gromit in The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (A-)
08. Munich (B+)
09. Good Night, & Good Luck (B+)
10. Sky High (B+)

2004
01. Finding Neverland (A+)
02. Million Dollar Baby (A)
03. Friday Night Lights (A-)
04. The Incredibles (A-)
05. Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster (A-)
06. The Passion Of The Christ (A-)
07. Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban (A-)
08. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (B+)
09. Shaun Of The Dead (B)
10. Kill Bill Vol. 2 (B)

2003
01. Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (A+)
02. X-Men 2: X-Men United (A+)
03. American Splendor (A-)
04. Finding Nemo (A-)
05. Pirates Of The Caribbean (B+)
06. A Mighty Wind (B)
07. Daredevil (B)
08. Intolerable Cruelty (B)
09. Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (B)
10. The Matrix Reloaded (B)

2002
01. Signs (A)
02. Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (A-)
03. Catch Me If You Can (A-)
04. Far From Heaven (A-)
05. City Of God (A-)
06. The Pianist (A-)
07. Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones (A-)
08. Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets (A-)
09. Panic Room (B+)
10. Chicago (B)

2001
01. Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (A+)
02. The Man Who Wasn’t There (A+)
03. Monsters, Inc. (A)
04. Thirteen Days (A)
05. Moulin Rouge! (A-)
06. Ocean’s 11 (A-)
07. In The Bedroom (A-)
08. Zoolander (A-)
09. Hedwig And The Angry Inch (B+)
10. Bridget Jones’s Diary (B)

2000
01. X-Men (A)
02. Traffic (A-)
03. Memento (A-)
04. Wonder Boys (A-)
05. Love And Basketball (A-)
06. Quills (A-)
07. Best In Show (B+)
08. Gladiator (B+)
09. O Brother Where Art Thou (B+)
10. Requiem For A Dream (B+)

Film Review: Aeon Flux (2005) D

2006-06-08T02:36:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/7/06
Venue: DVD

Aeon Flux tries so hard to be cool. Based on the animated series that was shown as a series of stylish vignettes on MTV’s Liquid Television in the early 1990s, Aeon Flux is one of those ‘lets put a hot actress in a tight outfit and have her kickass’ movies. The problem isn’t Charlize Theron’s hotness, the problem is there’s no ass-kicking or coolness of any sort.

Set in a semi-utopian future world, title character Aeon Flux (Theron) fights for a shadowy rebel organization whose goal is the upheaval of their society’s totalitarian government. However, Aeon uncovers a secret that could unravel their entire existence.

There’s a lot over-stylized unbelievable martial arts fighting thrown in with even more silly and underwhelming gunplay. Theron doesn’t quite look comfortable in the fights, and since there’s a PG-13 rating to maintain, there’s nothing too graphic (or well-shot, for that matter). And apparently, guns are weaker in the future, because if you get shot, you’ll feel the effects (basically you grimacing) for exactly two shots. After that, you’ll be unaffected for the rest of the film .

Production design is decent, but the camera moves around too much to ever get much of a feel from it. Every set-piece or art department creation intended to have a cool factor just come off lame and mildly retarded.

The characters are consistently underwritten (um, why is Frances McDormind is this movie?). The script is instead saddled with difficult exposition and too many lame action sequences that do very little if anything to advance story.

There’s not much more to say. This is a lame movie with a lame story and lame action. For trying so desperately hard to be cool, Aeon Flux discovers that you can’t try and be cool, you just are, or you aren’t.

Film Review: Capote (2005) B+

2006-06-07T00:56:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/6/06
Venue: DVD

The first time I heard Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s annoying little ‘Capote voice,’ I was immediately turned off to this biopic of the famous author. However, something funny happened. I got used to it. I didn’t feel the involuntary urge to slug Capote anymore. What caused this reversal? Well, Hoffman’s performance isn’t just about a funny voice or accent, it the way he walks, the way he turns his head, the way he sits. It’s all encompassing.

We follow Capote and good friend Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) to rural Kansas to investigate a ghastly quadruple homicide for a New Yorker piece. The pair immense themselves in the locals’ grief and Capote charms his way around, collecting information. Eventually, the murderers are arrested, and Capote manages to get access to them, as well.

The tale continues on, spanning several years as Capote’s magazine piece expands into his legendary tome, In Cold Blood. Along the way, he schmoozes and charms to gain more access, more information, from the killers. With this comes conflicted guilt, Capote knows he’s used people for his own ends.

It’s an interesting character study, focusing intently on a sequence of events in Capote’s life that would change him forever rather than going for a more traditional ‘life story.’ Doing it this way allows added depth and weight for the supporting characters and their stories.

Much credit must be given to director Bennett Miller for guiding the story with efficient and simple grace. And Hoffman really earned his Academy Award. Capote is not the most sympathetic character put to film, but Hoffman anchors our attention with a complex and riveting performance.

Album Review: Tool - 10,000 Days (2006) B

2006-06-06T01:43:00.000-07:00

Sounds Like: Tool

I like Tool. I really do. But they've never been one of my favorite bands. They have a lot of great songs. They also put out a lot of filler, too.

10,000 Days really isn't that much different from their last record, 2001's Lateralus. Well, okay, 10,000 Days is a bit more focused, there's a little less filler here. But musically, you could make a mixtape of Lateralus and this and not notice what songs go with which album.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Tool for me, with some notable exceptions from Undertow and Aenima, is mostly background music type-stuff, and this record really doesn't change that.

Still a good listen and recommended.

Album Review: Hurt - Vol. 1 (2006) B-

2006-06-06T01:30:00.000-07:00

Sounds Like: Tool, Staind

The debut album from the mysterious band Hurt is hard to categorize. The only way I can think to describe it is to take a Tool record and remove all the more whacked-out progressive parts.

What you end up with is a haunting album with slithering melodies and quietly smoldering vocals. First single "Rapture" is a great song, but the remainder of the album doesn't do much to distinguish itself. Tracks flow from one to the other without too much variety. There are some vaguely Christian overtones. Just look at the song titles, "House Carpenter," the aforementioned "Rapture," etc.

Oh, and strangely enough, I have no idea what these guys look like. The video for "Rapture" is animated, and there are no photos in the album's liner notes.

That said, this is decent background-music type stuff. It's not outstanding, but it's piqued my curiousity.

Album Review: Godsmack - IV (2006) C+

2006-06-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

Sounds Like: 90s Metallica

Turn on any commerical heavy metal radio station during the day and you'll hear Godsmack at least once an hour, maybe more. Practically as much as you'll hear Metallica. Why is that?

Godsmack are safe, innocuous. They don't do too much to offend, but they don't offer anything to get too excited about, either. Their creatively titled fourth album is further evidence of that fact.

Speaking of creativity...look at the track titles:

Living In Sin (Bon Jovi used this title)
Bleeding Me (Metallica used this title)
Hollow (Pantera used this title)
No Rest For The Wicked (that's an Ozzy album title)
Shine Down (there's a hard rock band similiar to Godsmack called this)
Voodoo Too (sequel to Godsmack's Voodoo)

Draw your own conclusions...

Not as heavy as 2003's Faceless, the songs here are a little more commerical in nature. Not much stands out. The first single "Speak" and "Mama" are the strongest tracks, but overall, it's really not a change from the Godsmack formula.

They might be radio friendly, but I just can't get that excited about them.

Film Review: A History of Violence (2005) B-

2006-06-06T00:09:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/5/06
Venue: DVD

I really, really, really wanted to like A History of Violence, David Cronenberg’s(!) adaptation of the graphic novel(!) of the same name. It had Viggo Mortensen, an Oscar nominated William Hurt (supporting actor), and was on many critics top ten lists for 2005.

The story is a simple one. Small town average joe Tom Stall (Viggo) has a loving wife, two kids, and owns a nice little diner in rural Indiana. He’s thrust into the spotlight when two murdering thugs attempt to rob the diner and Tom coldly kills them in self-defense. The heroic story makes waves and is picked up by the national media, Tom’s face is plastered on the news. Shady figures from Tom’s buried past see the reports and track Tom down…

There’s obviously more too it than that, but I’m not going to give it away here. I will say there are several graphically violent scenes throughout the film. These are extraordinarily vivid and effective. It’s the stuff in between the violence that bugs me.

First of all, there is some hokey dialog. I suppose that’s to be somewhat expected from a comic adaptation, but there’s no men in tights running amidst cg landscapes, so my patience for hokiness is diminished.

There are also some character inconsistencies that just take me right out of the film. Maria Bello is saddled with an underwritten wife character. There’s a racy, spontaneous sex scene that’s right out of Cronenberg’s Crash, and completely wrong for these characters. And I guess showing up in one scene and speaking with long, long pauses is all it takes to nab an Oscar nom, as William Hurt proves. Someone should alert Shatner

I don’t dislike A History of Violence. The tension and dramatic build, especially in the first two acts, is very effective. The violence is well done and joltingly real. But I just get a feeling this movie is…undercooked. The pieces are all here, the characters just need a little more work.

Trail of tears ends at my gym

2006-06-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

I'd been meaning to post about this for awhile, but ESPN.com beat me to it with this article.

Basically, former Gonzaga basketball star Adam Morrison is doing his pre-NBA draft training here in LA. And he's doing it at my gym. Now I don't like Morrison's game. He's a great player, but plays kinda like John Stockton. Pesky, hard, gets in guys' faces. Annoying. But, it seems off the court, he's a pretty normal, likable kid.

So I've seen him just about everyday for the last month, hanging out with various near-anonymous NBA-types (okay, I never saw Devean George at the gym) and practicing under UCLA's Don MacLean (who has a pretty sweet ride-at least, I'm assuming a blue sports car with UCLA stickers, a Bruins personalized plate, and a UCLA alumni license plate holder that I never spotted before is his). I also saw current USC guard Nick Young there one day, no word on if MacLean the Bruin ran him off.

Usually I spot Adam and co. around lunchtime in the gym's little cafe area, flaunting the 'no wet clothes in the cafe' rule and talking shop. Surprinsgly, I don't think anyone recognizes him. He is pretty hard to miss, but only once have I seen anyone else talking to his table. And that was a couple of old guys (which is 95% of my gym's daytime demographic) who I now realize probably recognized MacLean.

Strange too, is that I've seen him hanging out in the lounge after practice, like he's waiting for a ride. It's got to be weird to already being worth a good deal of money (endorsements), about to worth a whole lot of money (contract), and still be waiting on rides.

And I've thought about shaking his hand and wishing him luck in the draft, but now that the article reveals his love of Metallica, I think I'll definitely have to say hello.

Film Review: The New World (2005) B

2006-06-05T01:23:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/2/06
Venue: DVD

Director Terrence Malick loves grass. Not the kind you smoke, but the unmanicured kind you wade through in wild, overgrown fields. Next time you watch one of his films, count how many times he cuts to grass. I'm betting it's at least a dozen.

There's lots of grass in The New World, Malick's telling of the oft-told Pocahontas/John Smith colonial love story. The grass symbolizes many things; the freedom of the new world, the gentle, untamed spirit of Native Americans, and most importantly, the nature of love itself.

Colin Farrell plays Smith, who comes to America to establish the Jamestown colony. Things are harsh for the colonists, and Smith communes with the 'naturals' to better learn their intentions towards the white man and to learn how to survive in their new home. Smith is enraptured by the playful, innocent Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher).

The two enjoy many simple, playful, mostly silent, (and extremely chaste) romantic scenes together before the colonists and naturals go to war. Smith is ordered on an expedition and Pocahontas, cast out as a traitor, must live with the colonists.

From this point forward, this is Q'Orianka Kilcher's film. Before, we dealt with Smith's anguish over a love-that-could-never-be, but now it's up to her to carry onward an austere tale of an outsider and her unrequited love.

The performances are strong all-around, but only once Kilcher becomes our sole focus does the film feel fully realized. This is her story, and Q'Orianka Kilcher (born in 1990, btw...how's that for historical age accuracy?) makes it happen. She's a treat to watch.

The New World utilizes visual metaphor and some well-placed inner-voice narration to convey not only the story, but the subtext as well. Not for those craving a popcorn flick, but an open mind will be rewarded.

There's a scene in England late in the film amidst a sea of well-manicured and landscaped grounds, a direct contrast to the wilderness seen in the new world. Not much is said between the two characters in that scene, but the grass behind them betrays their feelings. Touches like that make the The New World a fine piece of cinema.

Film Review: Flightplan (2005) F

2006-06-05T01:11:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 6/1/06
Venue: DVD

If there can be a movie called Snakes On A Plane then I’m certain this Jodie Foster vehicle should’ve been dubbed Crazy Lady On A Plane, because that’s Flightplan in a nutshell. Or maybe it should be called Crazy Lady On A Plane Full Of Laughably Unbelievable Plotholes (That You Could Fly A Plane Through). Yeah, I think that works a lot better.

Jodie Foster plays a propulsion engineer who’s just lost her husband to a horrible accident and is bringing his body back home to the States. Accompanying her is her very frightened six-year-old daughter. A few hours into the flight, Foster awakens from a nap to discover the daughter missing and no one on board having even the slightest memory or record of the girl ever being on board.

The rest of the film is mostly spent with Foster (who is strangely beginning to look more and more like Michael Jackson…or maybe it’s the other way around?) desperately running around the plane searching for her daughter or desperately trying to convince the crew that’s she’s not crazy. Peter Skaargsard, who I swear must be related to John Malkovich, is also around as the world’s most forgiving air marshal.

Problemic story points arise as soon as the girl goes missing. Um,, why is Jodie allowed to run around the cabin unchecked? Um, why is the crew letting her talk back to them? Um, why didn’t the air marshal incapacitate her when she bangs on the cockpit door? Oh, it’s because her daughter’s missing. Oh, then it’s okay to endanger the passengers, no sweat, my bad.

Things get worse as the plot thickens. I won’t give anything away, but there’s some seriously sloppy, made-for-cable-esque storytelling at work. The whole thing winds up being so far-fetched I actually wonder if anyone read the script before setting out to make this turd.

Jodie gives a decent, if one-note, performance. Skaarsgard, much like the film, is wholly unbelievable. The little girl, who really doesn’t have much to do, is annoying. And Sean Bean and Erika Christiansen are here to collect paychecks.

This isn’t quite a so-bad-it’s-good movie, but I admit, I sometimes get a certain sadistic thrill watching a bad film. It’s a nice little reminder that crap is crap and I haven’t gotten soft.

Album Review: Shadows Fall - Fallout From The War (2006) A-

2006-06-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

Sounds Like: Testament

Shadows Fall, after the immense success of 2004's The War Within, is leaving indie Century Media records for the major label confines of Atlantic. The do however, owe CM one more record. So when word got out Shadows Fall were releasing Fallout From The War, a collection of rarities, newly recorded versions of older songs, and covers, I immediately expected this to be a throwaway exercise at worst, (Anthrax's) Attack Of The Killer B's at best.

But instead, Fallout From The War is a fantastic record, an excellent addendum to The War Within. There's not a weak track here, even a Dangerous Toys cover holds up well. The new/old songs and rarities roar with thrash metal life and are definitely not the filler one might expect. The band puts it's own stamp on the covers, you'd be hard-pressed to guess they're covers (Dangerous Toys aside). Production, as expected, is excellent.

An impressive effort and a nice way to keep the masses satisfied while Shadows Fall works on becoming the next big thing.

Film Review: The Da Vinci Code (2006) C-

2006-06-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 5/31/06
Venue: DGA

The Da Vinci Code is easily the most talked about book of the last three years. So of course it’s a no-brainer that it be made into a major Ron Howard-helmed Hollywood production. The questions are: can a very talky, semi-clunky page-turner be turned into summer movie-going fare? Can the script make sense of the immense amount art history present in the book and make it entertaining to watch on screen? Can Ron Howard make the cardboard cutout characters three-dimensional? The answer to all of these is: not really.

The plot concerns symbologist professor Langdon (Tom Hanks) and policewoman Sophie’s (Audrey Tautou) as they unravel the mystery behind the murder of her estranged grandfather, who happens to be the Louvre’s senior curator. The pair discovers granpapa left behind a series of riddles, clues, and anagrams as a means to protect a dangerous secret. Meanwhile Langdon and Sophie are being hunted by not only a relentless French detective (Jean Reno), but also granpapa’s killer (poor Paul Bettany in albino make-up).

That’s about all I can go into without thoroughly ruining the plot. Well, eventually, Langdon and Sophie meet up with Sir Teabing (Ian McKellen), a historian who clues us all in on just what this powerful secret is. But beyond that, I’m going spoiler free.

When I read the book I knew it would be a challenge to bring to the screen. There’s a lot of expository dialog and backstory. The film tries to make all this interesting with flashbacks. The character driven flashbacks seem to work better (despite being visually unoriginal) and less jarring than the ‘historical’ ones (flashing back to medieval London to explain some historical fact, for example), but they’re all problematic.

The characters in the book are very two-dimensional as they are just facilitators for the plot. The film at least attempts to give them some additional motivation. However, this is actually counterproductive as it simply makes matters more convoluted than they already are.

Speaking of altering the characters, Langdon is presented as more of a skeptic here in the film than he is in the book. It’s an obvious ploy to placate those who have rallied and protested against the book, and it feels forced and not consistent with his background.

To me, the heart of the story is the secret itself. It’s an explosive piece of information. The secret sets the stakes and sparks our imagination. A problem in both film and book is that the secret is revealed smack dab in the middle of the story. We blow our load halfway through, and everything afterwards pales in comparison. If the reveal was later, suspense could be held up until that point, building as the answer draws near. You could even reveal it sooner, say the end of the first act. Then, at least, you’d know what was at stake the rest of the way.

It’s funny but I keep harkening back to the Nic Cage flick, National Treasure, another treasure-hunting secret conspiracy caper. It’s silly, but it was entertaining and fun. That’s what The Da Vinci Code should’ve tried to emulate. Sure the stakes are higher, but in essence, they’re telling the same story. But instead we’re treated to a talk-fest that’s so unsure of it’s talking it feels the need to flashback indiscriminately. And where's Clint Howard (Ron's actor brother) in all this? Isn't he in all of Ron's films? Outrage!

Hollywood likes to rush these bestseller adaptations out the door to cash in. The Da Vinci Code simply follows the book too closely, and could’ve really used a few years in development hell to iron out the kinks and find an entertaining way to divulge it’s secrets.

Film Review: Hustle & Flow (2005) A-

2006-06-02T02:45:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 5/31/06
Venue: DVD

Ah yes, Hustle & Flow. I had a blast with this Terrance Howard vehicle, featuring him as a pimp with a dream to become a rap artist. It’s really just a basic ‘follow your dreams’ story, but setting it against the harsh life of Memphis pimp makes Eminem’s little movie look like SpongeBob Squarepants (hey, and I liked 8-Mile).

Terrance Howard absolutely owns the role of D. Jay, our pimp of the hour. He’s menacing when he has to be, but also surprising deep and sympathetic, more in touch with himself and his mid-life crisis than one would expect from, well, a pimp. Disappointed with his life’s pursuits, a serendipitous run in with old classmate and current sound recordist Key (Anthony Anderson), rekindles D. Jay’s musical fire. And with the help of white-boy sequencer Shelby (DJ Qualls), the trio set out to record a demo.

Electricity is the in air as D. Jay and the fellas lay down tracks. Anchored by a great soundtrack (featuring Academy Award winning Three 6 Mafia), the writing/recording of the demo is heart-poundingly inspirational stuff. Organic, real. I felt like I was in the room creating music with those cats.

The film’s final act deals with D. Jay’s attempt to get his demo into the hands of hometown rapper made good Skinny Black (Luda-I’mthebestthingaboutCrash-cris). And what’s a pimp if not a salesman? I won’t spoil how and what goes down, but I walked away satisfied.

Writer/director/John Singleton-protégé Craig Brewer deserves a lot of credit. Sure this is a simple story we’ve all seen dozens of times over, but by taking it to the streets and keeping a gritty integrity throughout, it feels sincere, from the heart. There’s no Spielberg moments or Hollywood glitz awaiting our dreamers, it’s all about keeping it real.

Film Review: Jarhead (2005) C

2006-06-02T01:57:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 5/31/06
Venue: DVD

Sometimes I see a film that’s based on a novel and say, “gee, the movie was just okay, but now I really want to read the book.” The Sam Mendes (American Beauty) directed Jarhead makes me say just that. Based on the autographical tome of the same name, Jarhead follows the exploits of marine private (‘Jarhead’ is slang for marine) Swafford (Jake Gyllenhal) from boot camp through Desert Storm.

Highly existential in nature (Swafford carries around a worn copy of Camus’ The Stranger, for goodnessakes), the story operates as sort of a tone poem with Swafford is an atypical main character, warm and thoughtful one minute, immature and mentally unstable the next. There is much reflection on the strangeness of the Desert Storm conflict; months spent training in the desert, hardly any shots fired, the hellish visage of oil fires (which really are quite well done, kudos to the FX team). The odd monotony and isolation of it nearly drives Swafford and his fellow Marines mad.

There’s a lot of interesting cultural references and reflexivity throughout the film. The Marines watch Apocalypse Now and cheer lustily during the Flight of the Valkryes scene. A chopper flies over men in Iraq playing an old song by The Doors as Swafford remarks “that’s Vietnam music! We need our own music!” And there is quite an impressive about of period (1989-1990) music in the film. There’s even a reference to the old Nintendo game Metroid that is thematically right on the money. I mean, how cool is that!? An existential NES reference!

The problem with Jarhead is that despite heady aspirations, the piece has a ‘been there, done that’ feel to it. We’ve seen men go mad from war plenty of times before in other films (even Swafford and the other Marines of Jarhead, children of the seventies and eighties, have seen it countless times over on film and TV) We’ve also seen the oblique strangeness of war in other films. The films supporting characters (even Jamie Foxx, who’s quite good as Swafford’s Staff Sgt.) are well played, but can’t offer anything new to these near-stereotypes. And Swafford, a truly existential character, is neither likable nor deplorable, he simply is.

I admire Jarhead for what it tries to accomplish. But for an existential film to work, there’s has to be some originality with story, setting, or supporting cast. There must be something to draw the viewer in and hold interest because an existential main character is by definition incapable of engaging the audience in the manner of a traditional protagonist. And that’s ultimately where Jarhead the film fails. I have a strong feeling, however, that Jarhead the book manages to overcome this obstacle.

Film Review: Wallace & Gromit in The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005) A-

2006-05-31T02:22:00.000-07:00

Date Viewed: 5/30/06
Venue: DVD

I always loved the Wallace & Gromit shorts that were released years ago. Dry, witty humor with a lot of well-done slapstick through in. Oh, and, glorious claymation. I was disappointed when W&G creator Nick Park made his first feature film about chickens (Chicken Run, a very good film, btw) instead of our intrepid duo, but now we’ve finally got Wallace & Gromit in The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit. It’s really a charming, perfectly put-together movie that feels right in line with those original, Academy Award winning shorts.

This time out, Wallace & Gromit are in the pest control business, dealing mostly with garden-destroying rabbits. However, when Wallace attempt to brainwash rabbits (in order to curb their veggie-desires) goes awry, the Were-Rabbit is created, and our pair spend the film desperately trying to capture the beast before the big harvest festival. But since this is a comedy, there are plenty of spills, splats, eye rolls, and Rube Goldberg devices along the way. And I must say, Gromit, without speaking a word, is the unequivocally the most emotive animated performer I have ever seen. If comedy is all about the reaction shot, then Gromit (well, Nick Park and associates), and his ever-expressive brow, is a master comedian.

Truly a film for all ages, kids will dig the claymation, physical comedy, and cute character design, while adults will enjoy the subtle humor throughout. Highly recommended.