Deep Red: (1975)

Deep Red is generally considered -- along with Suspiria -- to be the best work of Italian horror filmmaker Dario Argento. I've only seen three of his films (the aforementioned Suspiria and his debut The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, which I barely remember) and I won't be in a hurry to see many more. It's not that Deep Red is bad, in fact it's fantastic a good chunk of the time. Whenever Argento focuses on violence and mystery, Deep Red is a lot of fun. It's never actually frightening but there's plenty of style and some very inventive murder sequences that make the film worth seeing. Whether it's stabbings, boilings or car accidents, Argento presents death with a darkly beautiful precision. It's easy to see why he's such a huge influence on the slasher genre and specifically the early films of John Carpenter. The problem with Deep Red is that those moments take up about a half hour of the films two hour run time. The rest of the movie drags and drags. There are no intriguing characters or deep messages to involve the viewer without that violence. Deep Red is a important film in horror history (and the violent scenes earn an "A") but I'm guessing only the most hardcore of Argento fans will stick up for the movie as a whole being a classic.

Rating: 3

Across the Pacific: (1942)

As a general rule, it's hard to go wrong with a Humphrey Bogart movie. As a more specific rule it really hard to go wrong with a Bogart movie when it's directed by John Huston. Though Across the Pacific doesn't come close to the stature of their finest work together (The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen), it's an enjoyable enough spy flick. Bogart and co-stars Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet give typical solid performances and the movie moves along at a brisk pace. There's nothing too fancy here and as noted it's not a fantastic film but fans of Bogart shouldn't miss Across the Pacific.

Rating: 3.5

Army of Shadows: (1969)

It is amazing to think that a movie as fantastic as Army of Shadows could possibly go unreleased in the United States for almost forty years but that's exactly what happened. The film was critically shunned upon release in France due to it's (falsely) perceived celebration of Charles de Gaulle. That critical shunning led to American art-house theaters not bothering to show it. Thankfully it underwent a critical re-evaluation on the mid-90's and finally found it's way to U.S. theaters in 2006.

Army of Shadows is a story about members of the French Resistance during World War II. The characters struggle with the tough decisions they have to make, while simultaneously being in constant fear for their lives at the hands of German soldiers.

Army of Shadows is a dark look at ordinary people who do extraordinary things. The characters in Army of Shadows act valiantly and are meant to be admired but the film takes a very unromantic look at the resistance in general. There are no beautiful hero's to come save the day, just a bunch of normal people who know what they must do. These people are afraid to die but also willing to do so for the greater good. Mortality is a giant theme in Army of Shadows, the specter of death is looming around every corner. In Nazi occupied France, it's not a matter of if you will die, it's a matter of when. While that description may make Army of Shadows sound like a drag, it most certainly is not. There's a genuine sense of urgency and tension that keeps the film moving along very quickly. Army of Shadows may run for almost two and half hours but it feels like much, much less than that.

Writer/director Jean-Pierre Melville (who's other films I haven't seen but will have to in the very near future) brings a staunch realism to Army of Shadows. Aside from the sometimes painfully realistic lengths the characters must go through, Melville infuses the picture with an overbearing color scheme that sets the mood and tone of the film perfectly. That color scheme is very important to the overall feel of Army of Shadows. The film is a hauntingly beautiful portrayal of war torn Europe. The full range of dark blues, gray's and black's on display come close to overpowering the viewer in despair but never quite do so.

Although it's far from happy, Army of Shadows is one of the best films I have seen in a quite a while. The characters are fully formed and very intriguing, Melville's direction is superb and the story itself is fascinating. The fact that this film had to wait nearly forty years to be released in the U.S. is a travesty. If I would have known what I was missing I would have watched it a long time ago.

Rating: 5

Get Low: Blu-ray (2009)

Get Low is the type of film that major film studios just don't make anymore. It's a quirky character study that relies on a strong cast and workmanlike direction to succeed rather than flashy set-pieces and bombast. While the film will not go down in history as a masterpiece, it is a fine showing for the still relevant talents of Robert Duvall and Bill Murray's subtle comedy.

Felix Bush (Duvall) has lived life as a hermit in Tennessee for almost 40 years. The people in the nearby town are all familiar with him but the only thing they really know about Felix are based on the outlandish tales that have told about him for years. A couple of personal realizations strike Felix and he decides to give himself a living funeral. Enlisting the help of the local funeral home owner and worker (Murray and Lucas Black) Felix sets out to bring people together to tell his story and let the townspeople tell him theirs.

Get Low is almost entirely dependent on Robert Duvall's lead performance and he more than delivers. He's equally adept at playing a stodgy old recluse and at eventually opening the character up to more emotional revelations. Murray is great as serio-comic relief and the rest of the cast (Black, Sissy Spacek, Bill Cobbs) are up to the task as well. While Get Low is a small scale film, it's themes are far from simple. The movie touches on redemption, love, suffering and forgiveness in a very affective and heart warming way.

The blu-ray features a strong audio/video transfer but Get Low isn't the type of movie to really showcase your blu-ray player. The distinct visual look director Aaron Schneider brings to the movie features a healthy dose of brown and gray colors and the transfer represents them perfectly. Being far from a big-sale film the overall look is a bit subdued and not very flashy but it does fit the movie perfectly and the transfer represents that. Likewise Get Low is an almost entirely dialogue driven affair with a healthy sprinkling of Appalachain music. The audio track is again solid but nothing fancy.

I really enjoyed Get Low. It's got a great cast, a interesting story and a fantastic lead performance from Duvall. It's themes of love, redemption and forgiveness are universal and it should appeal to anyone who likes quirky small scale dramas.

Ratings:

Movie: 4
Blu-ray: 4

Lebanon: Blu-ray (2009)

While there have been hundreds of first hand accounts of war mad into films over the years, very few feel as personal as Lebanon. Writer/director Samuel Maoz has been carrying around memories of his experiences in the 1982 Lebanon War and finally found the perfect outlet to release them.

Lebanon is a very small scale film that takes place entirely in the confines of a tank. There are four young Lebanese Solders inside, all with varying degrees of combat experience and differing personalities. The physical and emotional toll that their war experience takes on them is both harrowing and profound.

While the ground the Lebanon covers is nothing new, the skill and heart it covers it with more than makes for any shared experiences with past films. The four main actors and the few others who play supporting roles all nail their performances. There's a wide range of emotions that each character goes through and the actors all ring true. It's easy to tell that Moaz has a personal relationship with his film. The characters are fully developed people and there's obviously a lot of care that went into them. While the characters are the main draw of Lebanon, the technical skill that comes with filming entirely inside a tank is impressive as well. The sense of claustrophobia is ever present and only adds to the unusual circumstances and the character reactions.

The blu ray features a fantastic transfer. While there's not all that much going on visually since every scene is either a shot of inside the tank or through the gunsight, what is shown comes across very well in high def. The color scheme is basically just greens and blacks but there is no crushing going on and detail is excellent. The audio track is about as good as it gets. There are numerous battle scened depicted in Lebanon and since you can't visually see what is going on it's very important for the audio to give you the idea of what it's like in the tank. Surround usage, directionality and low end are all fantastic and dialogue is never lost in the shuffle. The quieter scenes use are just as good, the creaks and moans of the tank add a lot of atmosphere to the experience. This is the kind of small scale movie a good audio track can really make or break and thankfully it only adds to the experience in Lebanon.

I haven't seen too many war films that have this level of personal touch. Living with memories of things that happened while serving your country (no matter what country it is) can be a painful experience. Lebanon not only works as a release for Moez, it's a fantastic character study of men placed in an unusual circumstance and their reactions to those events. Anyone who is a fan of war films that work on a human level more than just as a bombastic visual experience are highly encouraged to rent Lebanon.

Ratings:

Movie: 4.5
Blu-ray: 4.5

She Done Him Wrong (1933)

She Done Him Wrong is best known as Mae West's first starring role and one of Cary Gran't earliest movies. While at the time West was a sex symbol and pushed the limits of what you could say in movies and stage, this movie really hasn't aged all that well. The plot is a paper thin look at a fast-talking, double-crossing, woman who uses her sexuality to get what she wants. The one liners West spouts off were incredibly suggestive for 1933 but in this day and age don't come off as anything more than quaint. Grant is billed pretty high and while his character is important to the story he really only gets about 15 minutes of screen time. She Done Him Wrong is short enough (66 minutes) to not be waste of time but is really only necessary viewing for fans of Mae West or Cary Grant.

Rating: 3

Wednesday Video: Bull Moose Jackson - "Big Ten Inch"

Last night I was extremely frustrated with America's current political system (even more so than usual) and started researching defunct political parties to restart. After narrowing it down to a select few based solely on name (Anti-Masonic, Farmer-Labor) I settled on reviving the famed Bull Moose Party. I'm not overly interested in what the party stood for in 1912 but I am interested in having an awesome theme song. The obvious artist to represent my new party is none other than semi-obscure 40's blues/r&b artist Bull Moose Jackson. He has many fine songs to choose from but in the end I have decided on "Big Ten Inch" as the new Bull Moose Party's official theme song. Aerosmith covered it on their famous blues covers album Honkin' on Bobo so hopefully I can get a Steven Tyler endorsement as well. Anyway we will offically be the party of the double entendre as you will quickly realize by listening to Bull Moose sing. Now to reestablish the Rough Riders....

Huey Lewis & the News: Sports (1983)

Huey Lewis & the News are my favorite 80's mainstream act. Admittedly I very much dislike 90% of all 80's mainstream acts so there's not a lot to choose from but Huey's band of glossed up bar rock gets me every time. There is obviously no better Huey album than Sports either. First off you have that cover photo. It's a perfect distillation of all the goodness that awaits the listener from the first moment they pop in their cassette tape, cd or play it on their ipod. The band is just hanging out in a bar playing pool and huey looks like he just got off work and is ready to kick back some brews.

While the cover is pretty legendary (especially in my twitter circle of friends) a good album cover means nothing if the music doesn't deliver and fortunately for us it does. With five hit singles -- of which four are immediately recognizable today -- there are no shortage of classic Huey jams here. "The Heart of Rock and Roll," "I Want a New Drug" and "Walking on a Thin Line" are great rockers, while "Heart and Soul" and "If This Is It" show off the bands pop side with fantastic results. Even the album tracks are strong. "Bad is Bad" is a nice doo-wop number and "Finally Found a Home" and "You Crack Me Up" are much more than just up-tempo filler. The closing Hank Williams cover, "Honkey Tonk Blues" feels a little bit out of place here and would fit better on a pure bar band album but it is by no means a bad song. The production is really clean and radio ready but never overshadows the fact that, stripped down, these songs would still be highly enjoyable.

When it comes to 80's music, I could leave almost all of it in the virtual garbage can and not miss a thing but please don't take away my Sports. It's the best album Huey Lewis and the News have ever made and even if it's a pure 80's document, it's one of the best ever made.

P.S. SPORTS!! and NSFW by way of Patrick Bateman


Rating: 5

Track Listing:

1. "The Heart of Rock & Roll" (5:03)
2. "Heart and Soul" (4:13)
3. "Bad is Bad" (3:48)
4. "I Want a New Drug" (4:46)
5. "Walking on a Thin Line" (5:11)
6. "Finally Found a Home" (3:43)
7. "If This Is It" (3:54)
8. "You Crack Me Up" (3:42)
9. "Honky Tonk Blues" (3:26)

Fair Game (2010)

I was only vaguely familiar with the story of Valerie Plame, a former covert CIA agent who was outed to the media after her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, publicly criticized the reasoning behind the Iraq War. It's an interesting story but not one that makes an overly thrilling movie experience.

Fair Game is another in a long line of Hollywood political movies and even though it was billed as a thriller, Fair Game is really a character study. There are thriller elements throughout the film but they are never actually thrilling. The best part of the movie comes from the work of Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. Both give very convincing performances as a couple on differing sides of the political game (one very public and one very private) but each with a lot to lose. The two have a very good chemistry together and seeing their reactions to what is happening around them is the best part of Fair Game.

While the character portions of the film work very well, director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Swingers) struggles to keep tension at a consistent high. There's just no real payoff to any of the plot developments and the depiction of various Bush administration wrongdoings has been done before and done better. There is never any real sense of danger associated with the film even though the characters should theoretically have a lot to lose.

Even with the lack of tension and thrills, Fair Game is far from a bad movie. The story of Valerie Plame itself is worth knowing and though I'm sure the film takes liberty's, it's still a decent enough way to spend a couple hours.

Rating: 3.5

Ranking the Oscar Nominees (and other Oscar related predictions)

It's almost Oscar time again, the one group of awards I actually care about. Last year I did a post ranking the best picture nominees but since I already did a favorite movie of the year post for 2010 and most of the ten nominees for Best Picture are already included, there's no point in rehashing it again. This years Oscar post will have to be something different. By "something different," I obviously mean do what a million other people do and predict the winners. I have seen every movie that is up for a major award (acting, directing, best picture) with the exception of Biutiful and Waste Land. I didn't predict the awards for screenplays, editing, cinematography, art direction, sound design, etc. because it would be total guesswork. Here then lies who I think will win and who I would vote for in the major acting and directing categories, as well as my rank of the ten Best Picture nominees in order of what I think their chances of winning are.

A Night at the Opera: (1935)

The Marx Brothers are my favorite old school comedy team. Whether it's Groucho spouting one-liners, Harpo's silent physical shtick or Chico's fast-talking, faux-Italian con games, they're films are almost always good for a lot of laughs. A Night At the Opera is generally considered one of their finest works and even though it's not my personal favorite of their films (I prefer Duck Soup and Monkey Business) it's got some of their best material. In particular the scene in which the Brothers pack 15 people into a tiny hotel room is timeless comedy. The downside of Night at the Opera is the romance storyline. Anytime a Marx Brother isn't on screen their movies drag significantly and Night at the Opera features far too many of those moments. They're certainly not enough to hold the movie back from being a classic but Night at the Opera does feature some rough spots that other Marx Brothers movies don't.

Rating: 4.5

The Lady Eve: (1941)

The Lady Eve isn't my first or favorite foray into the films of Preston Sturges but it is a pretty good one. Even though the film is hardly believable -- Henry Fonda playing a clueless geek is a stretch and most of the plot twists require a giant suspension of disbelief -- it's still a lot of fun to see Barbra Stanwyck play sexy and tough. The Lady Eve is also one of the earliest and best examples of gender inversion in film. The women is the tough con-artist and the man is the sap but even that notion gets played with throughout the film. The Lady Eve features a lot more depth of both character and plot than most slapstick comedies and Sturges was in full command as both writer and director. The movies complete unbelievability does prevent it from being an all time classic but there are far worse ways to spend an hour and a half while snowed in on a Sunday.

Rating: 4

Monday Video: Heuy Lewis and the News: "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz"

No matter what my roommate says, Huey Lewis & the News were/are/always will be awesome. I had never heard their second album Picture This in it's entirety before this weekend. Closing that fine record (which includes the hits "Workin' For a Livin'" and "Do You Believe In Love") is this doo-wop cover of a 1957 song by The Hollywood Flames. One quick Youtube search revealed this fine video of the boys performing it American Bandstand style. Dueling saxophones are awesome.

Out of Sight: Blu-ray (1998)

Out of Sight is one of my all time 25 favorite movies. It's a fantastic blend of crime drama, romance, comedy and a has tone that fits the source novel by Elmore Leonard (my favorite author) perfectly. Everything from the Scott Frank Screenplay to Stephen Soderbergh's direction to the pitch perfect cast came together amazingly well during the making of Out of Sight. It may not have been a huge box office success but it did establish Soderbergh's ability to make a successful mainstream movie. It also brought George Clooney's movie star credentials to the fray as well as representing Jennifer Lopez's best work (by far).

Jack Foley (George Clooney) is a very prolific bank robber serving time after getting busted on a robbery gone wrong. During an escape from prison he "kidnaps" female Federal Marshall, Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez). The two have an obvious physical and emotional chemistry but their chosen professions make acting on that chemistry next to impossible. There's a lot more to the movie than that but revealing more would take all the fun away from first time viewers.

The most obvious reason Out of Sight works so well is the amazing cast. At this point in his career, Clooney was still best known for his role on E.R. and for being a terrible Batman. This was the film that proved he was capable of playing a cool, sexy and suave male lead with the best of them. While it's really easy to make fun of Jennifer Lopez now, back in 1998 she was viewed as one of the brightest young actresses in Hollywood. Karen Sisco is not an easy role to play and Lopez displays a great blend of sex appeal and toughness. As great as the two leads are, it's the supporting cast that puts the movie over the top. Don Cheadle is awesome as the primary antagonist, Ving Rhames is rock solid as Foley's partner, Albert Brooks is barely recognizable as a patsy and Steve Zahn's comic relief is impeccable. There are numerous other recognizable actors that show up in smaller parts (Luis Guzman, Katherine Keener, Isiah Washington, Dennis Farina, Michael Keaton) that only add to the fun and make the cast of Out of Sight one of the best of the last 20 years.

While the cast is the obvious highlight, it's Soderbergh's direction that gives the film it's shape. He uses a lot of different tricks to convey the mood and tone the script requires to work so well. Flashbacks, freeze-frames, jump cuts, a non linear story line and various lens filters are all used to perfection. There's a lot of different tones, styles and storylines to juggle here and without a strong director, Out of Sight could easily have been a giant mess. Lots of credit has to go the Scott Frank as well. Elmore Leonard novels are infamously hard to successfully adapt to the screen and between Out of Sight and Get Shorty, Frank proved extremely capable of doing so.

The blu-ray is a pretty big upgrade from the standard dvd. Color is a very important aspect of Out of Sight and the transfer really brings those colors out. The bright blown out scenes in Florida really pop and are a great contrast between the blue tinted, washed out look that occurs when the setting moves to Detroit. Detail is good for a catalog title but isn't overly strong. Some of the casts faces seem a bit waxy as well and I suspect there was a little more DNR used than I would like to see. It's still a very good video image that should appeal to fans and newcomers alike. The audio track is very good as well. Out of Sight is a largely dialogue driven affair and that comes through loud and clear. The jazzy soundtrack is well represented and on the occasions when the film moves into action territory, the track presents strong surround usage, good directionality and just enough low end.

Out of Sight is easily one of the best movies of the 90's. It's got everything that movie lovers should want in spades. There is no reason to not pick up the blu-ray of this film. It's pretty cheap (and only available at Best Buy until March 1st) and needs to be in everyones film collection (yes I'm a bit biased).

Ratings

Movie: 5
Blu-ray 4

Chixdiggit!: Safeways Here We Come (2011)

Chixdiggit! are the best Canadian bubblegum punk band who sporadically release records about girls (take that Gob!). Even though it's been six years since the band released an album of all new material, what we get here is this seven song e.p. Safeways Here We Come. Nothing has changed in that time, the band still plays loud guitar pop with simple, catchy melodies and a large dose of gang vocals. Chixdiggit! may not stray from the formula but they do that formula very well. After six years, I wouldn't think releasing a full length album would be that hard for the band but Safeways Here We Come is a very enjoyable stopgap.

Rating: 3

Track Listing:

1. "Miso Ramen" (3:20)
2. "Sweedish Rat" (3:02)
3. "Since You Got a Dog" (1:40)
4. "Found Love" (2:08)
5. "Hot 'N' Horny" (0:45)
6. "I Hate Basketball" (2:43)
7. "I Hope Things Will Turn Around" (3:05)

Friday Video: The Pogues - "If I Should Fall From Grace With God"

The Pogues are awesome. That is all.

Blue Valentine: (2010)

Blue Valentine is the second to last Oscar nominated movie -- at least for the major awards -- that I had yet to see (Buitiful would be the last). It's an excellent and honest look at a crumbling marriage and the type of art-house film that is probably accessible enough for a mainstream audience as well. That accessibility is tested at numerous times throughout the film. Blue valentine is by no means an easy film to watch. Using flashbacks to contrast the joys of a new relationship with the utter pain if a collapsing one, writer/director Derek Cianfrance presents both a powerful and well made film. Stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are simply fantastic. Both give performances that are raw, uninhibited and fearless. The range both display in their craft is well worth all the critical praise they've received and are the main reasons to see the film. I will fully admit that not everyone is going to enjoy Blue Valentine, it's far from a feel good movie and people looking for escapism and straight entertainment value will want to look elsewhere. This normally isn't the type of movie I love and it wouldn't place in the top ten of my favorite movies from 2010 but it is a powerful (and depressing) film that is sure to elicit a emotional reaction from everyone.

Rating: 4

Thursday Video: Drive-By Truckers: "We Got Love" - Live on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

I promise this is my last Drive-By Truckers related post for at least a week but I had to link video of them supporting Go-Go Boots on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Tuesday night. "Everybody Needs Love" is one of two Eddie Hinton covers on the Go-Go Boots and is a fantastic showcase for DBT's abilities as soul musicians.

Almost Famous: The Bootleg Cut: Blu-ray (2000)

Although Cameron Crowe has been involved with many fine films in his career (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Jerry Maguire, Say Anything), he has never made a better one than Almost Famous. To be fair, a film about a teenage kid who gets to go out on the road with a band and writes a story about them for Rolling Stone is going to greatly appeal to a guy who writes about music for fun but Almost Famous is one of the best movies of the 2000's. This Bootleg cut is about 44 minutes longer than the theatrical version and I wish this blu-ray included both versions -- a lot of the extra footage is very good but unnecessary for either the story or the characters -- but it's certainly better than not having it on the format (not including imports).

While the main plot of the story is simply, "kid gets job as reporter, follows a band on the road, has adventures," Almost Famous works on multiple levels. The film is a great coming of age story, an honest look at romance, a character study and most importantly to me, a celebration of what music -- specifically rock and roll -- can do for people and what it means to truly love it.

The characters are all well written, fully flawed, people brought to life by a great cast. Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, Jason Lee and Kate Hudson have never come close to being this good in a movie since and fantastic actors like Francis McDermott and Phillip Seymour Hoffman give their usual terrific performances. The movie is alternatingly funny and touching and always honest. Maybe it's because it's based on Crowe's real life experiences but Almost Famous does what a lot of movie strive for and not many achieve, creating a world that feels real and giving us people that live in it the way people live in real life. It certainly helps to have a love affair with rock and roll but Almost Famous should appeal to everyone else just the same based on these qualities.

The blu-ray (available only at Best Buy) quality is solid but not overly fantastic. Detail is lacking in a lot of spots but the color scheme is strong, grain appears natural and overall it works. The same can be said of the audio track. Aside from the few concert sequences and the music soundtrack, Almost Famous is entirely dialogue based. There are never any issues understanding what the actors are saying and the music sounds great. There's just not a whole lot of sonically impressive stuff to work with here.

While the bootleg cut of Almost Famous is a little superfluous, it's still one of the best movies of the last decade or so. It's also one of the finest movies about rock and roll ever made. I can't recommend this film high enough, even if the blu-ray is not quite up to the standards the movie deserves, it's still a film that should be in every movie (and music) lovers collection.

Ratings:

Movie: 4.5
Blu-ray: 3.5

The Red Shoes: (1948)

I think it's safe to say that without The Red Shoes there would be no Black Swan. Director team Michael Powell and Emeric Fassburger based the movie on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale of the same name. While the movie is about ballet on the surface, it's really about emotional attachment, obsession and artistic dedication. The story and performances are all of extremely high quality. There's an abundance of passion in the three lead actors work and that combined with the beautiful use of Technicolor and fantastic cinematography make The Red Shoes one of the most well regarded British films of all time. The movie holds up extremely well over 60 years later and is highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5

Black Narcissus: (1947)

While the idea of a movie about Nuns opening a school and hospital in the Himalayan Mountains didn't sound all that interesting to me, Black Narcissus proved me wrong. Famed British director team Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger adapted this psychological drama from a Rumer Godden novel and the results are generally very good. Black Narcissus is an extremely beautiful film that makes great use of paintings to portray the mountain background very realistically. The cast delivers some great performances throughout as the characters deal with isolation, repressed sexuality and a sense of failure. The film is definitely a slow burn and some of the subplots haven't aged very well but when everything finally comes together and erupts at the end, it works wonderfully.

Rating: 4

Wednesday Video: They Might Be Giants: "Birdhouse in Your Soul"

No real reason here. This is just one of the greatest songs ever made.

Drive-By Truckers: Go-Go Boots (2011)

The Drive-By Truckers have always had a strong connection to the music of Muscle Shoals Albama. Most of the members are originally from that area and frontman Patterson Hood's father was a session bassist at FAME Studios and a founder of the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Although these connections have always been apparent, the band had never created a full blown country-soul album until the release of Go-Go Boots.

Recorded at the same time as last years rocking The Big To-Do, Go-Go Boots is a much more restrained album. There are no loud guitars and few raging solo's to be found here. What DBT has done this time is create an album that is unlike anything they've done before, while managing to maintaining their sound. Hood delivers another set of fantastic story-songs dealing with murder ("The Fireplace Poker," "Go-Go Boots"), fuck-ups ("Used To Be a Cop"), firearms ("Ray's Automatic Weapon") and dysfunctional families ("The Thanksgiving Filter"). He also manages to write one of his sweetest songs ever ("I Do Believe") and also one of his most soulful and beautiful as well ("Mercy Buckets"). Guitarist Mike Cooley is in country mode here and his three contributions ("Pulaski," "The Weakest Man" and "Cartoon Gold" - my favorite of the three) are all winners. Bassist Shonna Tucker get's two chances (three if you get the vinyl version) to show off her naturally soulful voice. "Dancin' Ricky" and the cover of Eddie Hinton's "Where's Eddie" are great fits. It's worth noting that DBT had never included covers on any of their studio albums until the two Hinton covers on Go-Go Boots. Both "Where's Eddie" and the Hood sung "Everybody Needs Love" are amazing soul songs and I'm thankful that DBT has included them here. I only knew of Hinton's work as a session player but soon I will have to check out his solo stuff too.

The music on Go-Go Boots is a far cry from the hard rock DBT became famous for but it really shows how great and versatile this band is. The give and take between the 3 guitarists (Hood, Cooley and John Neff), the rhythm section (Tucker and Drummer Brad Morgan) and Keyboardist Jay Gonzalez is outstanding. Each member gets a chance to shine and they play off each other remarkably well. There's still great guitar work here it's just a little more subdued than usual (although "Used To Be A Cop" and "Mercy Buckets" have extended guitar workouts in them).

Even though Go-Go Boots is a very different album for DBT, it's pretty fantastic. The album showcases a different -- and awesome -- side of one of the best bands in the world. I have a feeling that, in time, this will go down as one of the best albums the Truckers have ever made. For now, it will have to be considered a frontrunner for my favorite album of the year even though it's only February.


Rating: 4.5

Track Listing:

1. "I Do Believe" (3:33)
2. "Go-Go Boots" (5:38)
3. "Dancin' Ricky" (3:28)
4. "Cartoon Gold" (3:16)
5. "Ray's Automatic Weapon" (4:28)
6. "Everybody Needs Love" (4:38)
7. "Assholes" (4:41)
8. "The Weakest Man" (3:22)
9. "Used To Be A Cop" (7:06)
10. "The Fireplace Poker" (8:17)
11. "Where's Eddie" (3:04)
12. "The Thanksgiving Filter" (5:37)
13. "Pulaski" (4:27)
14. "Mercy Buckets" (5:25)
15. "I Hear You Hummin" (Vinyl only)

Red Hill: Blu-ray (2010)

I was going to write this review about 5 days ago and I got lazy and didn't. I knew I had some good stuff to put down and now I've forgotten it all. That means this will be short and sweet.

Red Hill is a highly enjoyable Australian western. You should watch it. It's really good entertainment. Jason from True Blood (who I had no idea was an Aussie) is in it. The villain doesn't speak a word the entire film and with his half burnt face he imposes a pretty menacing figure. The plot is a pretty standard revenge tale with a few twists and turns and most of the characters aren't really developed much (if at all) but those flaws are easily overlooked. Red Hill features some great visuals, the acting is passable and overall it's just a good time.

The blu-ray is very good as well. The picture quality isn't reference grade but for a low budget film it is excellent. The audio track is full of surround usage, proper dialogue placement and strong low end.

Red Hill isn't a overly original western or do much that hasn't been done before but it's a really good movie nonetheless. Don't let the fact that I half-assed this review make you think it's not worth your time because it most certainly is.

Ratings

Movie: 4/5
Blu-ray: 4.5/5

Monday Video: Post Grammy Version - Lady Antebellum Ripped off Alan Parsons?

I watched the Grammy awards show for the first time in years last night. As Lady Antebellum was winning all kinds of awards for their song "Need You Now," it was brought to my attention (by this blogger and pop music lover) that the song of the year bears a striking resemblance to the Alan Parsons Project "Eye in the Sky." I am not a big fan of the Parsons and even less a fan of Lady Antebellum but the similarities are certainly there. I'm sure there are legions of Parsons fans crying foul over this and there are a few interesting mash-up videos on Youtube. Here is one of them, judge for yourself.

Weekend Video: The Black Keys - "Howlin' For You"

I don't usually post on the weekends but this was too good to pass up. The Black Keys new video for "Howlin' For You" off last years Brothers is a fake trailer for a Kill Bill meets Desperado revenge flick with a pretty interesting cast. It's easily Todd Bridges best work in ages.

Dogtooth: 2009

Dogtooth is a pretty tough film for me to review. This Greek drama -- also billed as a black comedy but I didn't laugh once -- is extremely admirable in what (I think) it's trying to do but is just not the type of film that's going to appeal to a lot of people (myself included).

The film is a portrait of a very messed up family. The father (none of the family members are given names) and mother raise their two daughters and one son (all of which are in their late teens or early twenties) in a fenced off area and large house. The children have never been allowed outside the property walls and are told stories of another son who left the walls before he was ready and has since been basically disowned. The children are told they will be allowed outside the walls as soon as they lose a "dogtooth." The father is the only member of the family who can freely leave the compound and does so to go a factory he ownes. The only outside person allowed in is a female security guard at the father's factory who is brought in to fulfill the son's sexual needs.

There are a lot of really good things about Dogtooth (it is nominated for a Best Foreign Film Award at this years Oscars after all). Director Yorgos Lanthimos films the movie in a pseudo documentary style that is visually hazy, suggesting the whole thing may just be a nightmarish fantasy. The actors all read their lines in a very staccato and unnatural style that is obviously intentional and adds to the dreamlike state of the film. The movie also poses some interesting questions about what kind of effect extreme overprotection of children will have on them.

The biggest thing that prevents me from embracing Dogtooth is that it's a very cold film. I'm sure it's all intentional but there are no characters to cheer for or identify with and it felt like I was watching something a student would see in an advanced psychology class. People should also be warned that the movie is not shy about depicting sex fairly graphically and without a hint of romance. Violence occurs suddenly and is in some cases brutal. In short, it's not a film for the faint of heart or for someone looking solely for entertainment value.

Dogtooth is a film I greatly appreciated -- it succeeds in it's intentions and the technical aspects are fantastic -- but I didn't really like it either. It's worth seeing since it does pose some interesting dilemmas about the over protection of children (home schooling maybe?) but it is not a film that is easy to embrace.

Rating: 3.5/5

Never Give a Sucker an Even Break: 1941

My dad is a huge W.C. Fields fan so I saw a lot of his work when I was growing up but I never actually watched one of his feature films as an adult until now. I'm not sure Never Give a Sucker an Even Break is a great first place to start to get the true essence of why Fields was so popular back in the day but it's a pretty funny flick and pretty far out there for 1941. Fields plays himself pitching a surreal script to a studio exec who can't comprehend what he's reading. The script's scenes play out on screen as the exec reads it, giving way to Fields usual assortment of one-liners and sight gags. It's obvious that Fields (who wrote the screenplay) is commenting on his personal experiences with trying to get his brand of comedy made in the very structured studio system of the time. At only 70 minutes, Never Give a Sucker an Even Break is pretty short and Fields was not in great physical shape at this point in his career but it's still a very enjoyable flick and predates the "meta" film explosion by at least 50 years.

Rating: 4/5

Friday Video: Thank You DBT Version - "3 Dimes Down"

This blog got by far it's most hits in a day yesterday thanks to the Drive By Truckers who retweeted this post bringing many DBT fans here. I've posted a lot about them in the past and will continue to do so in the near future so why not go into full propaganda mode and make todays video a DBT song. The Truckers don't do happy all that often and "3 Dimes Down" is one of the better happy songs they have. It's from Brighter Than Creation's Dark and has some great Cooley lyrics. I'm not exactly sure what they mean but they have something to do with an old Tom T. Hall song. Anyway the song rocks and this is one of the better sounding live videos of it I could find.

Ranking the Albums: Drive-By Truckers Version

I've learned everything I know about the South from listening to Drive-By Truckers. They're one of the best straight up rock and roll bands in the business today and their music is both a glorification and a refutation of southern mythology and culture. Frontman Patterson Hood has long written about "the duality of the Southern thing" and a lot of their songs could easily be made into short films. He's the most prolific writer in the group and generally writes straight forward story-songs with descriptive lyrics that form perfect visuals and are the basis of the albums. Guitarist Mike Cooley is the other original member still on board and his contributions are more vague but they end up being the funniest (but not in an obvious way) tracks and are usually my favorite songs on each DBT album. The rest of the band has gone through numerous lineup changes but they seem to have settled on drummer Brad Morgan (since 1999), bassist Shonna Tucker (2003), guitarist John Neff (off and on throughout their history but permanent since 2007) and keyboardist Jay Gonzalez (2008). I still miss Jason Isbell's (2001 - 2007) presence in the band but his solo work is excellent and the Truckers music hasn't suffered much if at all since his departure.

The Truckers have established themselves as a versatile band that should be taken much more seriously than their name suggests. They're capable of playing anything from loud three guitar rock to pure classic country with with some soul thrown in for good measure. All these styles (and more) are done with a great mix of exuberance, attitude and professionalism and the bands love of all types of music is very apparent. With the release of their newest album, Go-Go Boots, on Tuesday, February 15, this is the perfect time to look at their career thus far. All of their albums have their good points and this will attempt to sort out the best from the lesser best. I knew going in what the number one album would be and what the bottom of the list would look like but distinguishing between the middle albums is next to impossible.

For the sake of this post I didn't include either of their live albums (1999's Alabama Ass Whoopin', 2009's Live From Austin, TX) or the 2009 rarities compilation The Fine Print: A Collection of Odds and Rarities.

Thursday Video: North Mississippi Allstars - "Jellyrollin' All Over Heaven"

I'm taking the easy way out again with today's video and posting one I linked yesterday. "Jellyrollin' All Over Heaven" is the closing track from the North Mississippi Allstars new album, Keys to the Kingdom, and is a great example of their sound. It's a real simple video consisting only of the band playing in the studio which is fitting for the song and for the album as a whole.

Middle Men: Blu-ray (2010)

Even though it has a cast full of well known actors (Luke Wilson, James Caan, Giovanni Ribisi, Kelsey Grammer, Kevin Pollack, Terry Crews), Middle Men flew under the radar when it was released to theaters in August and subsequently bombed at the box office. While it's not a great movie in any sense, Middle Men is a ok film that deserves to find a new audience on home video.

The story centers on Jack Harris (Wilson), a straight-arrow family man with a gift for negotiation who in 1995 built up the first online billing service to deal exclusively with adult entertainment. He gets some help from a couple of guys who have a love of porn but no actual business sense (Ribisi and Gabriel Macht), a shady lawyer (Caan), and the Russian Mob. Although the money is very good, there are a lot of outside influences at play in the world of high dollar pornography and not everything goes according to plan.

There's a lot to like about Middle Men. The story is interesting and can swing from very comical to very dark and dangerous in a moments notice without feeling too awkward (though the comedy side does work better than the heavy dramatic stuff). The cast turns in some pretty good performances as well. Wilson has played the everyman role very well throughout his career and his work here gives the movie a grounded center that is needed with Ribisi and Caan (who is one of the weak spots) specifically, playing over the top characters.

While there are a lot of positives in Middle Men, it is by no means a great film. There's a lot going on and a large number of side plots that director George Gallo has a hard time balancing. Too often Gallo will try to get overly fancy with his direction and editing instead of focusing on the story. The movie has an muddled feeling to a lot of it and it hinders the enjoyment of what could be a good film.

The blu-ray features a good but not great quality transfer. Even though it wasn't a high budget film, Middle Men has a strong visual style that transfers well to high definition. Colors are bright, detail is consistent but not stellar and the overall picture quality is solid. The audio track is a mix of heavy dialogue, a few action orientated scenes and a wide mix of pop songs. There's not a whole lot of surround sound and low end needed but when they are used, they are used well.

Despite some weak spots the good generally outweighs the bad in Middle Men and it is probably deserving of a rental. I doubt too many people will suffer greatly by not seeing it but anyone who does won't feel as though they've wasted their time either. For a movie that's so throughly average, that's about as good as it's going to get.


Ratings:

Movie: 3
Blu-ray: 4

North Mississippi Allstars: Keys to the Kingdom (2011)

Death is a very prominent presence on The North Mississippi Allstars 6th studio album, Keys to the Kingdom. It's fitting since two thirds of the band (singer/guitarist Luther Dickinson and Drummer Cody Dickinson) lost their father when musician/producer Jim Dickinson -- who played with both Dylan and the Stones as well as producing The Replacements Pleased to Meet Me and Big Star's Third -- died in 2009. Rather than the normal look at personal mortality that a close death usually inspires, Keys to the Kingdom is a celebration of life and a tribute to a man who was not afraid of death and had accepted his place in the world.

Rather than delve into modern rock as they have had a tendency to do on previous albums, NMAS keep it simple on Keys to the Kingdom. Most of the album is just the band playing bluesy roots music, dominated by Luthers slide guitar and vocals. Luther is one of the more underrated guitar players out there. He's gotten more exposure since joining The Black Crowes but NMAS is where his true skills are shown off. There aren't many fancy solos on Keys to the Kingdom but sometimes less is more and that's exactly the case here. Luther's vocal range is very limited but he has greatly improved his ability to express emotion with his voice. "How I Wish My Train Would Come," "Hear the Hills," Ain't No Grave" and "Jellyrollin' All Over Heaven" are all heartfelt tributes to a man who lived life to the fullest and will continue to do so in the afterlife. "Jumpercable Blues" and "The Meeting" (featuring Mavis Staples) show that the rock side of the band hasn't disappeared and that they're not afraid to incorporate soul into their music either. The only lesser track is their cover of "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again" but it's a decent attempt at reworking a tricky classic.

Armed with touching and heartfelt subject matter, Keys to the Kingdom is the North Mississippi Allstars most consistent album to date. Death doesn't always have to be a bad thing if the timing is right and the Dickinson's really grasp this. I'm sure Jim would be very proud of his sons tribute to him.

Rating: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. "This A' Way" (4:17)
2. "Jumpercable Blues" (3:25)
3. "The Meeting" (4:10)
4. "How I Wish My Train Would Come" (3:52)
5. "Hear the Hills" (6:56)
6. "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again" (3:17)
7. "Let It Roll" (3:23)
8. "Ain't No Grave" (3:47)
9. "Ol' Cannonball" (3:16)
10. "New Orleans Walkin' Dead" (2:32)
11. "Ain't None O' Mine" (4:09)
12. "Jellyrollin' All Over Heaven" (4:42)

Wednesday Video: David Lowery - "Raise 'Em Up On Honey"

I linked this video in a previous review of David Lowey's solo debut The Palace Guards but I'm gonna give it it's own entry here for no good reason. I seem to like hillbilly songs about people who are afraid of the Gov't so "Raise 'Em Up ON Honey" appeals to me. There's nothing fancy about the video but if there was it would seem way out of place. Good times and good dancing.

David Lowery: The Palace Guards (2011)

For a man who's spent almost 30 years making smart-ass music with two different bands (Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker, which are well documented in the excellent 300 songs blog), David Lowery's solo debut, The Palace Guards, is pretty serious stuff. Humor does pop up here and there throughout the album but it's nowhere near as consistent as his past work. The title tracks story of terrible "superheros" who work hard to "bring the bacon home" and "keep the little piggies safe in their straw homes" is both funny and weirdly sweet. When Lowery sings about "all those Spanish Myspace girls" in "Baby All Those Girls Meant Nothing To Me" (the closest thing to a rock song on the album) it's something you'd expect to hear in Cracker's repertoire. The hillbilly two-step "Raise 'Em Up On Honey" warns of "bible thumpers" and suggests giving children "weapons trainin" for when the "DEA comes snoopin" but the humor really stops there.

A majority of The Palace Guards is a reflective look at life, love and dreams. While most of the music would fit right in with either Camper or Cracker (mostly Camper) the lyrics are much more personal. A lot of songs are ballads that feature horns and strings in the background but it's Lowery's voice and lyrics that are front and center.

Like any good solo album The Palace Guards is different than what Lowery has released with his bands but still maintains a degree of familiarity. With only 9 songs, it's a little short and I wish there was one real rocker present but fans of Lowery's music will want to pick a copy of The Palace Guards up.

Rating: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. "Raise 'Em Up On Honey" (4:28)
2. "The Palace Guards" (3:40)
3. "Deep Oblivion" (5:35)
4. "Ah, You Left Me" (3:47)
5. "Baby, All Those Girls Meant Nothing To Me" (4:08)
6. "I Sold the Arabs the Moon" (4:04)
7. "Marigold" (5:30)
8. "Big Life" (4:26)
9. "Submarine" (3:48)

Silent Movie: (1976)

Mel Brooks' spoof/homage of the slapstick movies of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton is a fun romp through silent movie cliches but isn't very memorable. Most of the humor isn't as crude as the normal Brooks style and it's a pretty sweet and loving look at silent films. True to it's name, there is only one spoken word uttered the entire film (and it's by the most famous mime in the world). Brooks and co-stars Dom Deluise, Sid Caesar and Marty Feldman display a natural affinity for slapstick but there aren't many huge laughs to be had. Even though Silent Movie is full of big name cameos (Burt Reynolds, Paul Newman, Liza Minnelli, Marcel Marceau, James Caan and Anne Bancroft all appear as themselves), it doesn't make a lasting impression but is enjoyable enough to spend an hour and a half watching.

Rating: 3/5

Tuesday Video: Warren Zevon - "Play it all Night Long"

No real reason behind posting this. Warren's one of those artists I've gotten into the older I've grown. "Play it all Night Long" is a sweet song and this the only performance I can find of it on the webz. "There ain't much to country living. Sweat, Piss, Jizz and Blood."

They Call Me Mr. Tibbs (1970)

They Call Me Mr. Tibbs is the sequel to the the Academy Award winning film In the Heat of the Night. While star Sidney Poitier returns as detective Virgil Tibbs, the movie is nowhere near as good as it's predecessor. Even though the movie predates the blaxploitation explosion by a few years, it's style is very similar to those films. The biggest problem lies in the core plot. While Poitier is good and the supporting cast features some excellent actors (Martin Landau, Ed Asner), there just isn't enough story to keep a viewer interested for almost two hours. The side plots are even less interesting and what's left is an overlong and fairly boring detective tale. If you've never seen In the Heat of the Night, I highly recommend doing so but getting into it's sequels is not worth the time.

Rating: 2/5

Monday Video: The Black Eyed Peas: Fallin' Up"

As we probably all know, the Black Eyed Peas "performed" during the Super Bowl halftime show (along with special guests, Slash!? and Usher). By all accounts it was pretty brutal. The Peas looked like a crappy hip-hop version of Devo covering Daft Punk. Luckily the bar I was at was loud enough to drown out a good portion of the sound but I heard enough to know it wasn't very good. Anyway just to remind (or show for the first time) people that the Black Eyed Peas weren't always this bad (or popular so they got that $$$ going for them I suppose) here is their first music video for "Fallin' Up" from 1998's Behind the Front.

Me First and the Gimme Gimme's: Go Down Under (2011)

Me First and the Gimme Gimme's are the greatest punk rock supergroup cover band on earth, so any time they release new music it's fantastic. While every album they've released has had a theme, Go Down Under is the first one to focus on songs from one specific continent. In this case Australia. It's only 5 songs long but it's better than nothing. Making an Air Supply song ("I'm All Out of Love") sound tough isn't an easy feat to pull off and the Gimme's version is the highlight of the album. The rest of songs are all very good though I'm not familiar enough with Oliva Newton John or The Easybeats to really get into these versions. If you've heard Me First and the Gimme Gimme's before, there's nothing on Go Down Under that's any different but it's still a lot of fun and a nice hold over util their next full length album.

Rating:3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. "Never Tear Us Apart" - INXS (2:05)
2. "I'm All Out Of Love" - Air Supply (2:55)
3. "Friday On My Mind" - The Easybeats (2:29)
4. "Have You Never Been Mellow" - Olivia Newton John (2:31)
5. "I've Done Everything For You" - Rick Springfield (2:05)

Let Me In: Blu-Ray (2010)

When it was first announced that there would be an American remake of the 2008 Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In, my reaction was mixed. There's really no need to redo a film that is as good as Let the Right One In but if remaking it means a bigger audience and more people finding the original (and maybe the book both films are based on), that's a very good thing. The simple fact is that there's a large number of Americans who are either hesitant or simply refuse to see a film with subtitles. Ultimately the only thing that really matters is if Let Me In is good enough to stand on it's own and in that regard it most certainly does.

If you're not a familiar with the plot, it involves a skinny, friendless and constantly bullied 12 year old boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Road) who develops a friendship with the new girl next door (Chloe Moretz, Kick-Ass). The girl is not what she appears to be on the surface and their newfound friendship has strange results for everyone.

Let Me In is not your typical horror movie. There are definitely violent moments but they are few and far between. Most of the film is spent on exploring the children's friendship and establishing the proper mood. It's pace is a bit slower than most horror movies as well but the attention paid to successfully creating the right tone more than makes up for a lack of constant scares and bloodshed. The cast and their performances are another major highlight. While the adults in the film (Elias Koteas, Richard Jenkins) are excellent in supporting roles, the movie lives and dies with it's child leads. Both Smit-McPhee and Moretz are more than up for the challenge and their chemistry together is one of the main reasons Let Me In works as well as it does.

The only negative thing about Let Me In is that it's so very similar to Let the Right One In. Ive only seen the Swedish version one time so I'm sure there are many subtle differences between the two but on the surface they're practically the same film. While this isn't a bad thing at all for anyone who is new to the story, for fans of Let the Right One In there just isn't much new on display.

The video transfer is pretty soft but I'm fully confident that's how it's supposed to look. There's not a whole lot going on for colors either. The muted look of the film is perfect for establishing the proper atmosphere but it doesn't make for an overwhelmingly impressive high-def video. The Audio track is pretty similar. There's a lot less going on sonically than most horror films but dialogue is always strong and when the track does require some heavy lifting, it's more than up for the task. Let Me In may not be a demo worthy blu-ray but it's transfer fits the film perfectly.

If Let Me In weren't so similar to Let the Right One In it would probably earn a perfect score. It's a fantastic tale of childhood innocence disrupted and is as sweet as it is scary. It's too bad that it is so similar to the Swedish film. It's still well worth seeing no matter how many times you've seen the original film and newcomers to the story should check it out immediately. I had The Crazies as my favorite horror movie of 2010 but Let Me In tops it. Highly recommended, even if it isn't exactly necessary.

Ratings:

Movie: 4/5
Blu-ray 4/5