Blowup: 1966

Blowup was famed Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni's first English speaking film, easily his biggest international hit and is considered one of the finest art-house films of all time and certainly the 60's. It inspired such fine films as Francis Ford Collpola's The Conversation and Brian De Palma's Blow Out. It was with these expectations in mind that I was expecting to be blown away. Whether it was due to my current mood, my exposure to the other films it inspired or my heightened expectations, I was not. Blowup is still a fine film and well worth anyone's time but It didn't strike me as a masterpiece. There are a lot of good things to be found in this study of memory, boredom and the fleeting joys of physical pleasure and while those themes (as well as a couple rather risqué sexual scenes) are welcome, the actual murder mystery was only partially satisfying. I have a feeling that a second viewing will greatly improve my take on Blowup but for now I can't give it an outstanding recommendation.

Rating: 3.5

Nick Lowe: Labour of Lust (1979)

The music industry is funny. The fact that an album as fantastic Nick Lowe's Labour of Lust could be out of print for over 20 years is absolutely astonishing. Lowe is one of the most important figures in late 70's British punk and pub rock as both a performer (solo and with the fantastic Rockpile, who play on Labour of Lust) and a producer (Elvis Costello, The Damned) and this is one of his two almost perfect solo albums. Labour of Lust isn't the spastic jukebox perfection of pop stylings that 1978's Jesus of Cool is but it is nearly as good in a more streamlined way.

Opening with one of the finest guitar pop songs ever recorded ("Cruel to be Kind"), the album never strays too far from the "amphetamine fueled Chuck Berry" rock of Rockpile but it's hardly tied to any specific genre either. The styles rang from new wave ("Big Kick, Plain Scrape") to raging rock ("Born Fighter" which features a harmonica solo from Sir Huey Lewis), acoustic balladry ("You Make Me," "Endless Grey Ribbon") and country rock ("Without Love") and all are all done with skill, joy and a true sense of fun. "American Squirm," Skin Deep," "Dose of You" and Love so Fine" are all rockers in the vein of "Cruel to be Kind" and highly enjoyable album tracks. In fact there is nothing resembling a lesser track to be found anywhere on Labour of Lust and that combination of consistency and quality is what makes the album a classic.

After such a long wait for it to be reissued, it would be easy to ignore Labour of Lust but that would be a giant mistake. It's one of the better albums to come out of England in the late 70's (and there are so many phenomenal albums that fit that classification that this is no small praise) and is the second in a string of 3 classic albums Lowe would be involved in as a performer -- between Jesus of Cool and Rockpile's Second's of Pleasure. Any fan of guitar pop, pub rock or just a great music should get their hands on this ASAP.

Rating: 5

Thursday Video: The Strokes - "Taken for a Fool" Live on Letterman

The Strokes played Letterman last night.
They played "Taken for a Fool"
It's one of the best songs from their new album.
That album is called Angles.
Here is the Video.

Wednesday Video: The Gaslight Anthem - "Bring it On" Live on Kimmel

What was a lot of freezing rain has turned into a late March snowstorm here in the Twin Cities. I wish I could say it was welcome but it most certainly is not. What is welcome though, is The Gaslight Anthem (one of my favorite bands) playing "Bring it On" (my favorite song from their album American Slang) on Jimmy Kimmel last night. Here it is courtesy of The Audio Perv (who if you don't follow on Twitter, you should here).

The Strokes: Angles (2011)

It's been five years since the Strokes released the ambitious but largely forgettable First Impressions of Earth. During that time most of the band members released solo albums and talked about how much they wanted to release a new Strokes record. Finally that new record is here and if Angles isn't nearly as revolutionary as their debut, Is This It?, it's a fine album and their best one since.

Early reports had pegged as Angles as a "return to basics" and while that's not entirely true there are a number of tracks that are basic guitar rock. Lead single "Under Cover of Darkness" is just a straight up fantastic Strokes song. It's driving rhythm, great melody and sense of joy make it Angles's highlight. The other straight forward rock songs "Taken for a Fool, and "Gratisfaction" aren't at that level but they are great songs nonetheless. The staccato guitar of "Machu Picchu" is a great way to kick off the album and the synthy closer, "Life is Simple in the Moonlight" is a fine lead out. "Two Kinds of Happiness" is an enjoyable new-wave that could easily be mistaken for a Cars song if it wasn't for the hyper active drum breakdowns. On the downside, the albums more experimental tracks don't always work so well. The droning "You're So Right" features a short kick-ass guitar solo but lacks a melody. "Games" is far too electronic based to be truly effective and the lone ballad "Call Me Back" is just plain boring.

Angles isn't a groundbreaking album by any means and after such a long wait it's tempting to call it a let down but the high points are as good as any in the Strokes post Is This It? catalog. Even with a few songs that will be consistent "skips," there's far too much good music here to avoid picking Angles up.

Rating: 4

Track Listing:

1. "Machu Picchu" (3:30)
2. "Under Cover of Darkness" (3:56)
3. "Two Kinds of Happiness" (3:42)
4. "You're So Right" (2:34)
5. "Taken For a Fool" (3:23)
6. "Games" (3:52)
7. "Call Me Back" (3:02)
8. "Gratisfacation" (2:59)
9. "Metaboliam" (3:01)
10. "Life is Simple in the Moonlight" (4:15)

Blast of Silence (1961)

Blast of Silence is a short (77 minutes), violent and rock solid noir. It has to be one of the first films to truly lay out the day to day doings of a contract killer while still maintaining a sense of urgency throughout. The voiceover sounds a bit like an old cartoon but works very well in the confines of the picture. The violent scenes are a brief and graphic for a movie from 1961. The main character is humanized pretty well by the "romantic" subplot and even if the supporting characters don't get much to do, they still come off as real people and not as completely stock characters. Blast of Silence certainly ends in a blast and is highly recommended for fans of tough and realistic noir's.

Rating: 4

Monday Video: Merle Haggard - "Workin' Man's Blues"

Now that I've actually worked a couple days in the last year, I can post this song without seeming like an asshole. Thanks Merle for nailing exactly how I feel right now (though only temporarily).

Smoking Popes: This is Only a Test (2011)

The Smoking Popes have been making Morrisey and Sinatra influenced pop-punk off and on for 20 years now. During this time a large percentage of their songs have been largely from the view of a broken hearted teenager but they've never made a full blown concept album until now. This is a Test is a 10 song cycle written from the point of view of a soon to graduate high school senior and if that seems odd coming from a group whose members are all closing in on 40 years old, the oddness dissolves almost instantly. There's no specific story, just an underlying theme of not knowing what the future holds and being both excited and nervous for what will come. Aside from "Excuse Me, Coach" (which may or may not have been recorded entirely on a casio keyboard) and the string laden closer "Letter To Emily" the Popes don't stray much from the tight, ultra-melodic pop-punk the band excels at and that's a very good thing. Try listening to "Wish We Were," "Punk Band" or "I've Got Mono" and not sing along. It's impossible.

Rating: 3.5

Track Listing:

1. "Wish We Were" (2:40)
2. "How Dangerous" (3:25)
3. "This is Only a Test" (3:39)
4. "College" (4:19)
5. "Punk Band" (2:46)
6. "Freaking Out" (3:41)
7. "Diary of a Teen Tragedy" (4:03)
8. "Excuse Me, Coach" (4:43)
9. "I've Got Mono" (3:27)
10. "Letter To Emily" (4:21)

This Is Only a TestThis Is Only a Test

Sweet Smell of Success: Blu-ray (1957)

I've been sitting on this review for over a week now trying to find a way to convey how great the Sweet Smell of Success is. I finally decided that the best way is to just keep this short and let the film speak for itself. It's a fantastic tale of morality and power and the things that can happen when you sacrifice the former for the latter.

Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) is a press agent who has had his clients blacklisted in ultra-powerful J.J. Hunsecker's (Burt Lancaster) newspaper column. Hunsecker's sister (Susan Harrison) is dating a musician (Martin Milner) that Hunsecker thinks is beneath her and Falco is put in charge of breaking them up. Until he does so, Hunsecker will not talk about Falco's clients which is a serious financial drain in the the ultra competitive New York scene.

Sweet Smell of Success is largely known for it's rapid fire dialogue and for good reason. It's snappy, inventive, stylized and a whole lot of fun to listen to. Curtis was known for exclusively playing easy nice guy roles and Sidney Falco is not a nice guy. In fact there is hardly a nice guy to be found in Sweet Smell of Success. Falco is conniving and willing to do almost anything for money. Hunsecker is portrayed as the evil overlord of New York, willing to crush anyone who goes against him. The rapport between Curtis and Lancaster is phenomenal and the stuff of movie legend. Harrison and Milner manage to hold their own against the two heavyweights. Harrison is sweet and vulnerable but far from innocent and Milner is the voice reason and represents a moral center that everyone else lacks. Director Alexander Mackendrick shoots the movie in a effective noir style. The use of shadows and lighting is fantastic and the hustle and bustle of New York is fully captured From the busy streets to the jazz clubs of the 1950's, the city itself is an effective character.

As usual with Criterion titles, the film has gone through an extensive restoration process and the results are fantastic. Black levels are extremely important to Sweet Smell of Success and they are represented beautifully. They are deep when they need to be deep, gray when they need to be gray and there is no crushing anywhere to be seen. Detail is excellent as well. The ridges in Lancaster's face are apparent and while they may not be overly flattering to the actor, they add a lot to the character. The audio is presented in a straight mono track that is clean and always understandable. For a film that's almost entirely dialogue driven, that's a very good thing.

Sweet Snell if Success is a treat to watch and even just to listen to. Curtis and Lancaster are great, the visuals are only outdone by the dialogue and it's morality tale remains relevant to this day. My plans to keep this short fell apart while writing and I could have gone on for much longer, this film is that good. As with almost every Criterion disc ever released, the blu-ray is top of the line. If you've never seen Sweet Smell of Success there is no better time than now.

Ratings:

Movie: 5
Blu-ray: 4.5

The Fighter: Blu-ray (2010)

I had The Fighter fourth on my list of the best movies of 2010 and after watching it again, I think that's still about right. It's a fantastic movie film that in a lot of other years would have likely been number one but 2010 was a strong year for films. The story is gripping and triumphant, the acting is absolutely phenomenal (Christain Bale and Melissa Leo won Oscars while Amy Adams easily could have, Mark Wahlberg is steady and gives the film it's grounding) and David O Russel's direction is straight forward and rock solid. I have a few small nitpicks but they're hardly worth getting into and none of them bothered me at all the second time through. I'm not going to go much deeper since I assume anyone who reads this has either already seen it, or is going to very soon. It's just a fantastic film.

The blu-ray presentation of The Fighter is a great representation of the theatrical experience without being a knock your socks off home theater experience. The transfer shows great detail, proper color scheme and consistent grain. It looks almost exactly like I remember it from the theater  and that's really all one can ask for in a blu-ray. The Audio track is largely dialogue driven and that dialogue comes through loud and clear. When the soundscape does open up in the boxing scenes and for the soundtrack, it does so with great clarity and just enough oomph to keep the viewer satisfied.

If you saw The Fighter in theaters and loved it, there's no reason not to pick up the blu-ray. It was just as good the second time watching it and I suspect replay value for this film will remain high. If you haven't seen The Fighter, what is wrong with you?

Ratings:

Movie: 5
Blu-ray: 4.5

St. Paddy's Day Video: The Pogues - "Fiesta"

Happy St. Patrick's day! I imagine the streets of downtown St. Paul will look a lot like this today but ya know, not really.

Screeching Weasel: First World Manifesto (2011)

It's been 11 years since Screeching Weasel put out a new studio album. That's a long time for any band and if anyone doubted that Ben Wesel didn't have a great album left in them, I wouldn't have blamed them. They would also have been terribly wrong. First World Manifesto is not only one of the most enjoyable pop-punk albums I've heard in years, it's the bands best since 1993's Anthem For a New Tomorrow

Everything about First World Manifesto is fantastic. The production (by All-American Reject, Mike Kennerty) is clean and hard hitting with touches of background organ supplementing the bands Ramones inspired punk. Even without longtime guitarist Jughead, the new reincarnation of the band features a load of sharp and tight playing. Ben's voice is in fine form as well. He's not an overly gifted singer but is able to pull off both snotty and sweet as good as anyone in punk. Whether he's railing against the scene ("Follow Your Leaders" and "Little Big Man"), America ("Come and See the Violence Inherent in the System"), or singing about the realities adult life ("Beginingless Vacation" "Fortune Cookie") and relationships ("Dry is the Desert," "Bite Marks") he sounds inspired and rejuvenated. There's a fine mix of styles present as well, ranging from the hard hitting "Totem Pole" to the pure pop of "Fortune Cookie." Guitarist and backup vocalist Dan Vapid has always been my favorite part of any Screeching Weasel release so it's great to hear his backup vocals take prominence in "Three Lonely Days," "Friday Night Nation" and "Baby Talk." My only minor complaint is that he doesn't seem to be as heavily involved in all the tracks but it's not overly noticeable while the album is playing. Ben also enlists a couple of his old-school (is that the right term for early 90's punk bands?) friends to help out on a couple tracks. "Frankengirl" sounds like something the Mr. T Experience would come up with, so having Dr. Frank sing a verse seems natural and if you're gonna have some "bom bom bom" backing vocals, there's nobody better to sing them than Joe Queer.

I could go on and on about how much I love First World Manifesto but it would be best for people to rush out and buy a copy. There aren't too many bands playing this style of direct, straight-forward, pop-punk these days and nobody does it better. Screeching Weasel is back and they're as good as ever. I can't imagine this not placing very high on my end of the year best of list.

Rating: 4.5

Track Listing:

1. "Follow Your Leaders" (2:07)
2. "Frankengirl" (1:50)
3. "Beginingless Vacation" (2:20)
4. "Dry is the Desert" (2:45)
5. "Totem Pole" (2:04)
6. "Creepy Crawl" (2:03)
7. "Three Lonely Days" (2:44)
8. "Friday Night Nation" (2:07)
9. "All Over Town" (2:31)
10. "Fortune Cookie" (2:14)
11. "Baby Talk" (2:18)
12. "Come and See the Violence Inherent in the System" (2:03)
13. "Bite Marks" (1:30)
14. "Little Big Man" (2:41)

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears: Scandalous (2011)

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears sure know how to throw a party in compact disc (or mp3 or vinyl) form. A 7 piece band that is equally adept at guitar rock, soul and funk and fronted by a man who shrieks like James Brown in a fistfight with Iggy Pop, with Scandalous the Honeybears manage to improve upon their excellent debut, 2009's Tell 'Em What Your Name Is. It's a little tough to hear what Joe is singing about most of the time (a lot of it is sex) but his voice works best when thought of as another instrument. On that level it fits right in with the overall raw and tough sound the band produces. Horn fueled rave ups like ""Livin' in the Jungle," "Booty City," "Black Snake" and "Mustang Ranch" are balanced with the more soulful "I'm Gonna Leave You" and "She's So Scandalous." "You Been Lyin" uses the considerable skills of The Relatives to achieve an awesome blend of funky gospel, doo-wop rock. Even slow blues gets thrown into the melting pot of styles with Lewis showing off his inner Robert Johnson during "Messin." Scandalous proves that Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears are not a band to be ignored. They're an eclectic and original sounding group that really knows how to rock. Fantastic stuff.

Rating: 4.5

Track Listing:

1. "Livin' in the Jungle" (3:22)
2. "I'm Gonna Leave You" (3:51)
3. "Booty City" (2:41)
4. "Black Snake" (3:03)
5. "She's So Scandalous" (4:35)
6. "Messin" (2:26)
7. "Mustang Ranch" (3:41)
8. "You Been Lyin" (3:31)
9. "Ballad of Jimmy Tanks" (3:24)
10. "Since I Met My Baby" (4:15)
11. "Jesus Took My Hand" (3:57)

New York Dolls: Dancing Backward in High Heels (2011)

Ever since the New York Dolls reunited in 2004, original members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain have used a revolving door of supporting musicians to bring their band of glam and blues influenced hard rock to the people. While the revolving door remains, Dancing Backward in High Heels finds the band abandoning hard rock almost entirely and focusing on the groups early influences like 60's girl groups and Phil Spector's wall of sound production. The result is noble but slightly disappointing. There are some great tracks present throughout Dancing Backward in High Heels but the production is muddled and messy. The power behind songs like "I'm So Fabulous," "Round and Round She Goes" and "Talk To Me Baby" is still evident but it's hamstrung by the deluded affects. Slower songs like the tender "You Don't Have to Cry" and the reggae tinged "Baby, Tell Me What I'm On" and "End of Summer" work better and when the band re-records "Funky but Chic," an old Johansen solo number, the Dolls sound as alive and vibrant as they did in 1972. Dancing in High Heels is certainly not a bad album but it does qualify as a relatively minor one.

Rating: 3.5

Track Listing:

1. "Fool For You Baby" (2:38)
2. "Streetcake" (3:19)
3. "Fabulous Rant" (0:26)
4. "I'm So Fabulous" (2:26)
5. "Talk To Me Baby" (3:03)
6. "Kids Like You" (3:52)
7. "Round and Round She Goes" (3:47)
8. "You Don't Have to Cry" (3:04)
9. "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" (2:24)
10. "Baby, Tell Me What I'm On" (3:57)
11. "Funky but Chic" (4:02)
12. "End of Summer" (4:18)

Dancing Backward in High Heels

Unstoppable: Blu-ray (2010)

See train, see train run, run train run. That's pretty much the gist of Unstoppable. I'd love to tell you that the movie is an allegory for the financial crisis or a deep exploration of corporate greed and it's affects on the common man. It'd be great to say that the characters are wholly developed people who's emotions and plights you will live and die with. All those things have their place in a deep and serious film. Unstoppable is not that film. What it is, is a highly entertaining movie about a fast moving, unmanned train and our everyman hero's attempts to stop it.

I won't lie, I rather enjoyed Unstoppable. Director Tony Scott is not known for high art films but the man knows how to direct an action sequence. His mix of fast-cuts, faux documentary shots and hyper camera movements can be overbearing at times but in the context of a runaway train movie, they work great. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine are likable actors and that likability is another key to the success of the film. It's not as if the roles they're playing are overly challenging -- and I suspect that Denzel in particular could play this role in his sleep -- and without the characters being overly developed it's important to have actors that the audience is pre-disposed to caring for. Likewise the supporting cast is full of recognizable actors (Rosario Dawson, Ethan Suplee, Kevin Corrigan, Kevin Dunn) who really aren't given much to do except stand around and watch the train in action. Talking about these types of things seems a bit superfluous (just like using superfluous in a movie review!) as really the train is the star and its acting is tremendous.

Unstoppable seems to be tailor made for blu-ray. Scott's overblown visual style generally works very well in high-def and this is no exception. The stylized color's pop, detail is excellent and the films grain structure is always present but never overbearing. It looks fantastic. The audio track is equally impressive. The LFE is in full force almost constantly. My house shook plenty and the dog got freaked out on multiple occasions (always a good sign of a high end audio track). Surround sound is also in a constant state of usage with superb directionality and high fidelity. Dialogue is never buried and always clear. The whole blu-ray package is fantastic.

Assuming someone is not expecting high art when attempting to view Unstoppable, I can't imagine anyone coming away disappointed. It's a fun popcorn film with acceptable acting, stylized direction a really fast train and a kick-ass blu-ray presentation. Really there's not too much more to say.

Ratings:

Movie: 3.5
Blu-ray: 5

Memento: Blu-ray (10th Anniversary Edition) (2000)

If I were to ever make a list of my 25 favorite movies, there is no doubt that Memento would be on it. This is one of the movies that showed me there was more than just Hollywood blockbusters out there and opened my eyes to a whole new world of film exploration that I'm still obsessed with finding. It's hard to believe that it's been ten years already but here we are. I've watched Memento multiple times over the years and while it's rewatchability would seem to be a giant question mark, it has never been an issue for me. I still get lost into the hazy world of Leonard Shelby and look for new clues that director Christopher Nolan has scattered throughout the film. I won't get into the storyline as I assume everyone has either already seen Memento or probably has no interest in doing so. The important thing is answering if the new blu-ray version is worth the upgrade from DVD for existing fans of the film.

Memento has already been released on blu-ray once before and while I did not ever see that disc, I have read in numerous places the quality was no better than a good dvd upconvert. Thankfully this 10th anniversary edition gives a blu-ray presentation that is worthy of the film. The films color sequences are a full of life, with detail being excellent and colors being crisp and lifelike. The black and white sequences are a little more intentionally stylized but again detail is excellent and while they're a little softer than the best quality transfers, a lot of that has to do with how Nolan shot them. The audio track is top notch as well. Dialogue is always well balanced and understandable. Gunshots carry some serious low end heft. Surround usage isn't constant but there is a lot of good atmosphere going on and when they do come alive, it is with superb directionality.

Even after multiple viewings and many other fantastic films, Memento remains my personal favorite from Christopher Nolan. It's a genius work of writing, direction, editing and acting. The 10th anniversary blu-ray is spectacular and fitting of the film itself. This one is well worth a double dip.


Ratings:

Movie: 5
Blu-ray: 4.5

Rise Against: Endgame (2011)

There will never be a Rise Against album better than 2003's Revolution Per Minute. It's just not going to happen. They're simply not the same band anymore. Call it maturity, call it selling out (though I do not subscribe to this line of thinking of at all), call it whatever you want. As a giant fan of that album part of me wants Rise Against to simply recreate it over and over again but I'd probably find something to complain about then too. The point is that as both a fan and a wanna-be critic it's hard to not compare what a band is currently doing to what they've done before. That way of looking at things will be problematic and after the third or fourth listen to Endgame it occurred to me that taken on it's own merits, it is a better than average Rise Against album.

There's still plenty of anger to be found in Rise Against's music but most of it now lies solely in Tim Mcllrath's lyrics. Most of the music is still fast and aggressive but in a much more subdued way. The one two opening punch of "Architects" and "Help is on the Way" is a fantastic way to start off the album. They both have excellent melodies, some nice guitar work and are the highlights of Endgame. The rest of the tracks all get by on the same blend of melody, passion and tempo changes. There's a nice mix of differing speeds presented but eventually the tracks do bleed together quite a bit. The album does flow well but with every song being at least three and a half minutes long and almost always following the same fast-slow-fast pattern, there's a sameness to everything. Only the mid-tempo and jangle of "Wait For Me" really distinguishes itself amongst the later tracks. It's not like that's a new complaint for a punk band and that approach can work very well for a punk(ish) album in small doses but 45 minutes is overkill.

Endgame is a pretty good album. It's certainly better than 2008's Appeal to Reason and even if it doesn't reach the heights that Rise Against set early in their career, it's still a welcome addition to the bands catalog. For as much as I've harped on the negatives, the positives do outweigh them and Endgame is a good example of mainstream melodic hardcore done right.

Rating: 3.5

Bob Dylan: Oh Mercy (1989)

As I noted in my Bob Dylan album rankings, I consider Oh Mercy to be Dylan's most underrated album. As a general statement, the 80's were not overly kind to Dylan as he released numerous terrible albums in the decade but Oh Mercy closed it out on a definite high note.

Oh Mercy is an extremely ballad heavy album. After the rocking opener "Political World" and the swampy "Everything is Broken" there are no up-tempo songs to be found. While that lack of balance could possibly be hindrance, in the hands of Dylan and producer Daniel Lanois it isn't. "Ring Them Bells," "Most of the Time" and "What Good am I?" feature some of the most beautiful melodies of Dylan's career. The whole middle of the album is really as simply beautiful as Dylan would or could ever be. "Disease of Conceit" and "Shooting Star" bring the album to a close with a couple more high quality tracks.

I used to find Lanois' atmospheric and sometimes cluttered production to be a distraction that hadn't aged well but I've come around to it. Most of these songs would be fantastic even if it was just Dylan and either a guitar or piano on the tracks but Lanois' production gives them that extra little something special and ties the album together very well.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention three outtakes that would be originally recorded during the Oh Mercy sessions but were left off for various reasons. They would all surface either on subsequent albums or on The Bootleg Series comps but including "Dignity," "Born in Time" and especially the fantastic "Series of Dreams" would have put Oh Mercy into the upper echelon of Dylan's catalog. As it stands Oh Mercy isn't one of the greatest or most important albums of Dylan's career but it is a highly enjoyable and severely underrated one.

Rating: 4.5

Track Listing:

1. "Political World" (3:49)
2. "Where Teardrops Fall" (2:33)
3. "Everything is Broken" (3:15)
4. "Ring Them Bells" (3:01)
5. "Man in the Long Black Coat" (4:35)
6. "Most of the Time" (5:04)
7. "What Good am I?" (4:45)
8. "Disease of Conceit" (3:44)
9. "What Was it You Wanted" (5:03)
10. "Shooting Star" (3:13)

Lucinda Williams: Blessed (2011)

Lucinda Williams is one of those artists I do not listen to on a regular basis and then every time I do, I wonder why I don't. She's quite simply one of the worlds greatest living songwriters. Her southern drawl may not be for everyone but it's very effective in communicating emotion through song.

Blessed finds Lucinda expanding on her normal Americana sound with heavier guitars and a looser feel than normal. After the opening kiss-off to a former lover, "Buttercup," the album opens up quite a bit with the ballad "I Don't Know Where You Are" and the mid tempo "Copenhagen" and Both songs make great use of Don Was' atmospheric production. The bluesy shuffle of "Born To Be Loved" and the closing waltz of "Kiss Like Your Kiss" are both different from anything she's done before while still maintaining her distinct style. "Seeing Black" and "Convince Me" are a couple of the most straight-forward rock songs on any of Lucinda's albums.

Lucinda's lyrics are always deeply personal and moving and Blessed is no exception. Lucinda is a master of using repetion in her lyrics to be affective but not overbearingly so. It's a fine line to walk and she does it as well as anyone. Her familiar themes of lost love are present throughout but they are countered by "Blessed" and "Sweet Love" which seem to find her settling into a happy place in her love life (probably due to her recent marriage). "Soldier's Song is a touching first person story of a father lost to war. The album is full of moving stories that complement the music very nicely.

Blessed is another very strong album from Lucinda Williams. There are enough new textures to differ it from her past catalog and old and new fans alike should find plenty to enjoy here. I really need to spend more time with this record in the future as opposed to loving and then forgetting about it.

Rating: 4.5

Track Listing:

1. "Buttercup" (3:51)
2. "I Don't Know How You're Living" (5:00)
3. "Copenhagen" (4:31)
4. "Born to be Loved" (4:38)
5. "Seeing Black" (5:14)
6. "Soldier's Song" (6:09)
7. "Blessed" (5:49)
8. "Sweet Love" (3:33)
9. "Ugly Truth" (4:22)
10. "Convince Me" (5:46)
11. "Awakening" (6:25)
12. "Kiss Like Your Kiss" (3:51)

Faster: Blu-ray (2010)

First things first, the main characters in Faster are named "Driver," "Cop" and "Killer." I would guess just by that piece of information you will know if Faster is the type of movie you will enjoy.

The minute Driver (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) gets out of prison after a ten year sentence, he's off and running to get revenge on the people who led to his imprisonment. Along the way way he is tracked by Cop (Billy Bob Thornton) and Killer (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) for various reasons.

Faster is about what I expected it too be. There are some good car chase scene's, some violent gun fights and a bunch of overacting. There's a higher emphasis placed on character development and more twists in the screenplay than I expected but it's not like either one is done with a lot of quality or surprises.

It's nice to see The Rock doing adult action roles again after his recent foray into children's entertainment. The guy is obviously not a superbly gifted actor but he does have a commanding screen presence that is best used in roles exactly like what he plays here. Thornton is fine as the drug addicted Cop but really it's a fairly straight forward role and it seems like his fake hair does more acting than he does. The rest of the cast (Jackson-Cohen, Carla Gugino, Tom Berenger, Mike Epps, Moon Bloodgood, Maggie Grace) all deliver performances that don't add too much to the film but they don't take anything away from it either.

As for the blu-ray quality, lets just say it's a new release action film. The movie looks and sounds fantastic. There's not too much to say, it's a fantastic and demo worthy presentation.

Faster is a pretty good action film but is far from a must see film. The Rock's return to adult entertainment is the highlight of the film and it's better than a lot of recent action movies. The blu-ray features a fantastic transfer and people who are more inclined to like this type of film than I am should not hesitate to pick up a copy for at least a rental.

Ratings

Movie: 3
Blu-ray: 5

Monday Video: The Clash: "Career Opportunities"

It's been a long time since I had a job, way, way too long. That time will end this afternoon as I get my first temp gig. It's only for a week and a half but hey, I can't be expected to become a permanent contributing member of society overnight right?

EDIT: I wrote that last night only to find out this morning that my temp gig has been postponed for at least a day. Makes the song even more relevant.

Anyway, in honor of my ongoing job search here's The Clash (possibly my favorite band of all time) singing "Career Opportunities." I wish I could find some video of them playing this earlier in their career but this will have to do.

Le Samourai (1972)

I didn't think it was possible for anyone to be a cooler bad guy than Alain Delon in Le Circle Rogue until I watched Delon in the earlier Juan-Pierre Melville film Le Samourai. His contract killer Jef (not a typo) Costello adheres to a strict code of conduct involving a minimalist lifestyle, staying calm in the face of adversity and kicking some serious ass when need be. Melville again directs with a calm and steady style that is simultaneously flashy and straight forward. Both John Woo's Hard Boiled and Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai owe a ton to Le Samourai in both style and plotting. Delon is the epitome of cool and Melville again delivers an almost perfect film.

Rating: 5

Charade (1963)

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn give fine performances in what was once called "the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made." That's a pretty good description as anyone watching Charade without knowing better would likely think this was made by the master himself. Combining comedy, romance and suspense into a film isn't easy but Charade pulls it off pretty effectively. The excellent supporting cast (Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy) adds a lot to the film but really this is about Grant and Hepburn. Even with their 25 age difference, the two have excellent chemistry and are able to convey a very convincing and winning couple. The screenplay is full of twists and turns and features some excellent banter between the two leads. Charade is ultimately a bit too predictable and easy but it's a good old fashioned spy thriller nonetheless.

Rating: 4

Thursday Video: Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney - "Say Say Say"

I had never seen this video before today. That is all.

It's Kind of a Funny Story: Blu-ray (2010)

Kind of funny is about right. It's also kind of heartwarming, kind of poignant, kind of insightful, kind of annoying and a lot of mediocre.

When 16 year old Craig Gilner (Keir Gilchrist) checks himself into a mental hospital for being depressed and suicidal, he thinks it's only gonna be for a few hours. Turns out he's stuck there for at least a week and in that time he's probably going to learn a lot about life from the other patients and maybe will come to appreciate the things he has rather than focusing on the things he doesn't.

Writer/directors Anna Bolden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson) adapted It's Kind of a Funny Story from the Ned Vizzini novel of the same name and as noted, the results are decidedly mixed. Gilchrist is a likable enough guy and when the movie focuses on lighthearted fun with "crazy" people he's up to the task but he also lacks to dramatic chops to pull off the heavier material that the script requires. The supporting cast is talented (Emma Roberts, Jim Gaffigan, Lauren Graham, Jeremy Davies) but apart from Zach Galifanakis they aren't given too much to do. Even though he's most associated with his wacky character from The Hangover, Galifanakis is a talented dramatic actor and he gives the best performance in the film, he's funny and touching and if the rest of the movie was up to his level it would be fantastic.

The blu-ray is solid but this is not the type of movie that's overly impressive on a technical level. The video transfer fits the film well but apart from some fantasy sequences, there's just nothing visually impressive about a movie that takes place almost entirely in a mental hospital. Likewise the audio track is practically all dialogue. Apart from a few scenes when the soundtrack takes over, there's just not much to do.

It's Kind of a Funny Story is kind of a hard movie to hate. It's heart is in the right place and there are some great moments scattered throughout. Unfortunately those moments never add up into a completely winning film. I'd say it's worth a rental to see Galifanakis' talents on display in a more subtle manner but it's not much more than that.

Ratings:

Movie: 3
Blu-ray: 3.5

The Next Three Days: Blu-ray (2010)

What would you do if your wife was arrested for murder, had overwhelming evidence against her and even though you truly believed she was innocent, it looked like she was spending her life in prison? Would you try to break her out? Accept the fact that the justice system is flawed? Get yourself a hottie mistress? These are the questions asked (albeit very superficially) in Paul Haggis' The Next Three Days.

Fist the good; there are a lot of talented people involved in The Next Three Days. Haggis (Crash, In the Valley of Elah) is a very good writer and a good director who shows that he can make an action scene pop here. Russell Crowe and Elisabeth Banks both give strong performances and the supporting cast has a lot of familiar and talented faces that briefly pop up throughout the film (Liam Neeson, Brian Dennehy, Olivia Wilde, Daniel Stern, Kevin Corrigan, RZA). The movie starts out asking some important questions and gives us some very strong characterizations. Crowe's descent into criminality and a willingness to do whatever it takes to get his wife out of jail is intriguing.

Now the bad; while the first half of the movie features that strong character work, it ultimately descends into generic action-thriller territory. Suspension of disbelief is a giant plus to have when watching The Next Three Days. There are quite simply numerous highly implausible situations that constantly stack on top of each other. There's also the issue of runtime. 132 minutes is just too long to sustain the tension required for the film to work really well without a strong character focus in the second half. The Next Three Days really could have been both a strong character piece and a sweet action film but it settles for a good but not great version of each.

As expected of a new release film the blu-ray quality is excellent. Visuals are very strong, with a great amount of detail, excellent black levels, and a consistent color scheme. There are no complaints with the The Next Three Days video quality. Likewise the audio track is top notch. Dialogue is always balanced, surround usage is constant but not overwhelmingly so and there's enough low end to shake the walls when the movie calls for it.

There's a lot to like about The Next Three Days. The cast is great and the action sequences are engrossing. Ultimately the film fails to deliver on the character aspects that are so promising in the first half of the movie and there's a lot of implausibility in the story. The Next Three Days is surely good enough for a rental but with the talent involved in the film, it's a slight disappointment.

Ratings:

Movie: 3.5
Blu-ray: 4.5

R.E.M.: Collapse Into Now (2011)

Based on the opening guitar cords Collapse Into Now's lead off track "Discoverer" it would appear R.E.M. are picking up where 2008's Accelerate left off. The song is the type of pounding, anthemic rocker the band has done so well over the years. It's a fantastic way to kick off the album and if the rest of the tracks don't quite live up to the promise of "Discoverer," it's not because the album is lacking in quality tunes. There is no shortage of of guitar rock present throughout Collapse Into Now. "All the Best," "Mine Smell Like Honey," are all great straight forward rockers. "That Someone is You" is almost a punk track and even though Peaches would seem to be a very odd guest, her appearance on the loud, dumb fun of "Alligator, Aviator, Autopilot, Antimatter" works really well.

While the rock is certainly still on display, Collapse Into Now is a much more varied album than it's predecessor. Peter Buck brings back the mandolin on a bunch of acoustic based tracks. "Uberlin" is the most "Losing My Religion" like song the band has recorded since Out of Time, while "Oh My Heart," "It Happened Today" and "Every Day is Your To Win" feature beautiful harmonies between Stipe and Mike Mills.

It's hard to know if in time, Collapse Into Now is going to go down as a great R.E.M. album or just a solid one. The band appears to be re-committed to displaying a nice mix of styles and Collapse Into Now is a conscious attempt to present a mix of their classic sounds. The album is highly enjoyable from start to finish but I suspect it won't one that I'm still listening to a few years down the road.

Rating: 4

Track Listing:

1. "Discoverer" (3:31)
2. "All the Best" (2:48)
3. "Uberlin" (4:15)
4. "Oh My Heart" (3:21)
5. "It Happened Today" (3:49)
6. "Every Day is Yours To Win" (3:26)
7. "Mine Smell Like Honey" (3:13)
8. "Walk it Back" (3:24)
9. "Alligator, Aviator, Autopilot, Animator (2:45)
10. "That Someone is You" (1:44)
11. "Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I" (3:03)
12. "Blue" (5:46)

La Grande Illusion (Grand Illusion): (1937)

Orson Welles once said that La Grande Illusion is one of the films he would take with him "on th ark." I'm not one to argue with Mr. Welles (mostly because he's dead and it would be pointless) but it's easy to see why he loved this film so much.

Set in a WW1 prisoner of war camp (or camps to be completely accurate, La Grande Illusion is one of the first prison break films. While there are no elaborate escape attempts or big action set pieces on display, the film does deal with issues (class, race, duty, futility of war, the (lack of) worthiness of the band Styx - so that one's not real but Styx really sucks and it's always worth mentioning) that are as relevant today as they were in 1937. Ultimately writer/director Jean Renoir attempts to show that even though we all have major differences, we all do have enough similarities to make war unnecessary and nothing more than a grand illusion. If that message is perhaps a bit naive and utopian, it's still a worthwhile attitude to have toward your fellow man.

Despite some minor aging flaws -- one character in particular is beyond annoying but was likely considered humorous at the time -- La Grande Illusion is a fine anti-war film, a great showcase for Renoir's abilities and well deserved of it's place in history.

Rating: 4.5

Dropkick Murphy's: Going Out in Style (2011)

I'm not exactly sure at what point the Dropkick Murphy's became a fairly mainstream band (probably sometime around 2003's Blackout) but they've been one for a while. It doesn't take much work to hear their high energy celtic punk rock about working class citizens (while charging $30 for tickets now?) blaring out of every half assed Irish bar in your town. This ultimately means the chances of some drunk dude who thinks punk rock is all about getting fucked up and fighting will look your way have gone up about about a million percent since then. That's not the fault of the DKM's since people have been misinterpreting music for as long as music has existed but it does put a damper on a band I used to love.

It's with that in mind that I was not overly excited about listening to the Murphy's new album, Going out in Style. I knew that it would sound almost exactly like the last few albums and contain almost the exact same subject matter. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed Going Out in Style the first time through. Musically the band hasn't expanded all that much but they are so very good at what they do, musical expansion would probably be disastrous anyway. I'll take the loud guitars, gang vocals and a healthy dose of bagpipes and mandolin over some new artistic statement any day. Add in some great guest vocalists (Bruce Springsteen, Fat Mike, Chris Cheney from The Living End and actor Lenny Clarke) and Going Out in style would appear to be another solid if expected effort from the band.

If the first listen leaves a good impression, then the album only grows stronger with repeated listens. You see Going Out in Style is a concept album about fictional immigrant Cornelius Larkin and his story adds more depth to Going Out in Style than any previous DKM album. The band has always told personal stories of immigrants and their lives but those stories never been as focused as they are here. The emotional depth of Going Out in Style makes it more than just a normal DKM album. It's a highly recommended album specifically for previous fans of the band but also for anyone looking for some strong storytelling to subdue the drunk wanna-be tough guy who's staring you down at the pub.

Rating: 4

Track Listing:

1. "Hang 'Em High" (3:59)
2. "Going Out in Style" (4:09)
3. "The Hardest Mile" (3:26)
4. "Cruel" (4:22)
5. "Memorial Day" (2:59)
6. "Climbing a Chair to a Bed" (3:00)
7. "Broken Hymns" (5:03)
8. "Deeds Not Words" (3:41)
9. "Take 'Em Down" (2:11)
10. "Sunday Hardcore Matinee" (2:43)
11. "1953" (4:14)
12. "Peg O' My Heart" (2:21)
13. "The Irish Rover" (3:39)

The Mechanic (1972)

Before Jason Statham killed a bunch of people on film, hell before Death Wish, veteran tough guy actor, mustache extraordinaire, and eventual killing machine, Charles Bronson, teamed up with director Michael Winner to bring the world The Mechanic. As with most mid-70's Bronson flicks, the plot is secondary to how many people Bronson kills and how cool he is when he kills them. In that regard The Mechanic is excellent. There's an unusual amount of restraint present throughout The Mechanic and in particular the opening 15 minutes which contain no dialogue. Soon enough Bronson will be teaching the ropes of contract killing to that guy from Airwolf (unfortunately Winner did not cast Ernest Borgnine in the mentee role) and things will blow up with a much higher frequency but the opening of the movie is a tense and interesting sequence. Bronson is very Bronsonesque throughout the film, spouting off one-liners, riding motorcycles, shooting large weapons and grooming his mustache. Without him The Mechanic would in all likelihood be terrible but Bronson's presence is enough to vault the movie into the realm of "good enough time waster." It also affirmatively answers the age old question; "If Bronson's hair covers his eyes, can he still use binoculars effectively?"

Rating: 3.5

Special Bronson Rating: 4.5

Weekend Video: The Strokes - "Under Cover of Darkness"

This has been out for around a week now but for some reason I never posted it. Anyway here is the new video for the Strokes "Under Cover of Darkness" from the album Angles which releases on March 22. It's pretty Strokey.

Hope and Glory (1987)

I don't know what it is about Hope and Glory that I just couldn't into. This film about a child's view of London being bombed during WWII is acceleratingly funny, touching, and frightening. By all accounts it is a wonderful film, except mine. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Hope and Glory but it never blew me away or completely drew me in. It's been a few days and I'm having trouble recalling experiencing any sort of emotional reaction from a film that's obviously meant to elicit one. Director John Boorman has made some great films in his life (particularly Point Blank and Deliverance and I guess Zardoz if only for the freak factor) and Hope and Glory is his most personal. I actually feel bad that I didn't like it more than I did.

Rating: 3

The Heartbreak Kid: (1972)

The original Heartbreak Kid is a much different movie than it's 2007 Farrely Brothers remake. The plots are very similar but rather than the constant (and very hit or miss) gross-out humor the Farrely's slapped on the screen, the 1972 version is an early flagbearer in the awkward type of humor that would be done to perfection in TV shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and the British Office. Charles Grodin plays a schmucky, Jewish, dick about as good as anyone and Cybill Sheppherd is perfect as his beautiful, bitchy, WASP dream woman. Jeannie Berlin and Eddie Albert both earned Academy Award nominations for their roles as Grodin's discarded new wife and Sheppherds hard-ass father. There ultimately are a few too many similarities to The Graduate (especially the ending) but I greatly prefer the original to the remake.

Rating: 4

Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle): (1970)

Sparks fly when a newly escaped prisoner hitches a ride with a recently paroled thief! Once they convince a alcoholic ex-cop to go in a bank job with them, you won't know what will happen!

If that description sounds utterly generic, it's because the main story of Le Cercle Rogue is something that has been done in hundreds of movies over time. What sets the film apart and into the realm of classic French cinema, is the execution by writer/director Juan-Pierre Melville. His confident and straightforward style is perfect for this simple story. Le Circle Rogue is a meticulously paced film that never approaches becoming boring or tedious. In particular the climactic half hour heist scene is a thing of beauty. Dialogue is nowhere to be heard in that time frame and sound effects are at a bare minimum as well. The lack of sound plays perfectly, it's impossible to take your eye off the screen while the heist is going down. The four lead actors are all great, with Alain Delon giving an especially great "cool thief" performance. Before seeing Army of Shadows last week, I had never seen a Melville film. After watching that and Le Circle Rogue (and a soon to be viewed Le Samourai), it's safe to say he's fast becoming my favorite of all the great French directors.

Rating: 4.5

Une Femme est une Femme (A Woman is a Woman): (1961)

A lot of Jean-Luc Godard's early films could easily be considered deconstructions of well established film genres and A Woman is a Woman -- or Une Femme est une Femme for this blogs heavy contingent of French readers -- is no exception. This tribute to American Musicals gets by on the performance of the beautiful Anna Karina and Godard's skillful direction. Music pops in and out during and between dialogue like a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Jump cuts, breaking the fourth wall, inside jokes and a beautiful usage of color highlight the great technical aspects of the film. Unfortunately the plot (Karina wants a baby. Her boyfriend doesn't. She threatens to sleep with his best friend to have one) is paper thin and the characters aren't very strongly written or developed. There's a lot to admire about A Woman is a Woman but there really isn't all that much to love. It's not a minor film in Godard's impressive and influential career, but it's definitely not a major one either.

Rating: 3.5

Homicide: (1991)

There's some pretty heavy themes at play in David Mamet's 1991 thriller, Homicide. Racism, anti-semitism, religious awakening and professional commitment are all either touched on or shoved down the viewers throat under the guise of a conspiracy fueled crime story. Joe Mantegna and William H. Macy are rock solid as detectives working on catching a cop-killer while trying to solve the murder of an elderly Jewish woman. The movie looks fantastic thanks to cinematographer Roger Deakins and (as with every Mamet film) the heavily stylized dialogue is an absolute treat. The plotting is quite unconventional and isn't fully satisfying but Homicide is a unique and interesting film.

Rating: 4