Weekend Video: Aretha Franklin - "Sweet Sixteen/Freeway of Love" Live on Fallon

If you don't like Aretha Franklin;s music then there is something very, very wrong with you. Her new album Aretha: A Woman Falling out of Love is being released on May 2nd. She performed her new single "Sweet Sixteen" and part of the classic "Freeway of Love" on Fallon last night. It's pretty awesome.

Steve Earle: I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive (2011)

Steve Earle's 14th album is hardly a happy affair but it is a strong work from an Americana legend. Teaming with producer T, Bone Burnett, Earle brings us 11 songs of loss, pain and ultimately redemption. The opening "Waitin' on the Sky" and the country jam of "Little Emperor" get the album started with a bang and make it easy to overlook the darkness of the lyrics. It's not nearly to do so as the album goes on with a large majority of the songs being bare mid-tempo acoustic numbers that back Earle's stories of lives gone wrong. "I am a Wanderer," "The Lonely are Free" and "Every Part of Me" are all tales of isolation and loneliness. The Earle and Allison Moorer (Earle's Wife) duet, "Heaven or Hell," is technically a love song but I don't foresee it being played at too many weddings. Hope is present on the closing horn accentuated "This City" -- originally recorded for the excellent HBO show Treme) -- and it's tribute to the human spirit is a fine way to close the album. As usual with his productions, Burnett brings a lot of reverb, echo and and a empty sound to the production. Usually I'm a big fan of this style but aside from the murder ballad "Molly-O" and the minimalist blues of "Meet Me in the Alleyway," it doesn't always fit Earle's songs as well as the numerous other great artists Burnett has worked with. It's a pretty minor drawback but a drawback nonetheless. Obviously picking out minor production quarrels is a sign of a strong peice of work and I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive" is another fine Steve Earle album in a career full of them. Just don't play it at party's.

Rating: 4

Track Listing:

1. "Waitin' on the Sky" (3:29)
2. "Little Emperor" (2:58)
3. "The Gulf of Mexico" (4:15)
4. "Molly-O" (3:21)
5. "God is God" (4:00)
6. "Meet Me in the Alleyway" (4:26)
7. "Every Part of Me" (2:51)
8. "Lonely are the Free" (3:21)
9. "Heaven of Hell" (3:26)
10. "I am a Wanderer" (2:53)
11. "This City" (2:45)

Friday Video: Titus Andronicus - "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future"

Titus Andronicus is a kick ass band from New Jersey. They are proud to be from there. Their new video for "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future" is the second from their latest album, the excellent The Monitor. Another fact about this video is that it was directed by Tom Scharpling. That will mean something to at least a few of my friends.

Mike Watt: Hyphenated-Man (2010)

Mike Watt's 3rd "punk opera" is a bit different than his last two in that there is no cohesive narrative told throughout the album. Rather it's a collection of 30 songs, all with hyphenated titles and inspired by the works of both 15th and 16th century artist Hieronymus Bosch and Watt's first band, the legendary Minutemen. Individually the songs don't always work that well but as was the case with most Minutemen albums, the whole is greater than the individual pieces alone. It's almost impossible to keep the tracks separate from each other -- the longest song is 2:04 -- as they bleed together from start to finish in a rush of numerous styles of rock. The tracks run the range from pure punk to more eclectic styles such as funk, spoken word, jazz, blues, folk and who knows what else. Watt holds them all together with his vocal style that consists mostly of talking, grunting and whispering but never lacks for emotion or style. Watt's backing band, The Missingmen (guitarist Tom Watson and drummer Raul Morales) provides outstanding support throughout all of Hyphenated-Man. They're phenomenal instrumentalists, capable of playing numerous styles both fast and slow and of course Watt is one of the greatest and most original bass players in history. Lyrically, Hyphenated-Man doesn't offer too much insight into the head of Mike Watt but it is a very enjoyable listen and will surely be the best punk opera released this year.

Rating: 4

Track Listing:

1. Arrow-Pierced-Egg-Man (1:19)
2. Beak-Holding-Letter-Man (1:35)
3. Hammering-Castle-Bird-Man (1:50)
4. Bird-In-The-Helmet-Man (1:26)
5. Belly-Stabbed-Man (1:15)
6. Stuffed-In-The-Drum-Man (1:21)
7. Baby-Cradling-Tree-Man (1:22)
8. Hollowed-Out-Man (2:04)
9. Finger-Pointing-Man (1:47)
10. Own-Horn-Blowing-Man (1:37)
11. Fryingpan-Man (1:44)
12. Head-And-Feet-Only-Man (1:44)
13. Shield-Shouldered-Man (1:21)
14. Cherry-Head-Lover-Man (1:48)
15. Pinned-To-The-Table-Man (1:34)
16. Mouse-Headed-Man (1:17)
17. Antlered-Man (1:40)
18. Confused-Parts-Man (1:18)
19. Bell-Rung-Man (1:30)
20. Boot-Wearing-Fish-Man (1:32)
21. Thistle-Headed-Man (1:38)
22. Funnel-Capped-Man (1:42)
23. Blowing-It-Out-Both-Ends-Man (1:50)
24. Jug-Footed-Man (1:38)
25. Lute-And-Dagger-Man (1:23)
26. Mockery-Robed-Man (1:27)
27. Hill-Man (1:40)
28. Hell-Building-Man (1:15)
29. Man-Shitting-Man (1:48)
30. Wheel-Bound-Man (2:04)

The Woman in the Window (1944)

Let me just start by saying that Edward G. Robinson was awesome. If there's a movie with him in it on the TV, I will watch it. Such is the case with The Woman in the Window which I had never seen but was pleasantly surprised by. This early film noir is the story of a middle aged professor (Robinson) who becomes enamored with a woman who's photo he see's in a store window (hence the title). It's a story of murder, cover-ups and double crosses that feature great work from not only Robinson but also Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea. Combine the performance's with director Fritz Lang's (Metropolis, M) excellent use of odd camera angles and shadows and The Woman in the Window is a pretty fantastic noir. The only downside is the terribly stupid ending that was obviously tacked on to make the film work under the strict production codes of the time. This ending does keep the film from being a perfect film but for the better part of an hour and a half, it certainly is.

Rating: 4.5

Coup de Torchon (1981)

French director Bertrand Tavernier adapted Jim Thompson's pulp novel, Pop. 1280 into this dark comedy about a small town lawman who starts killing the people who get in his way. Constable Lucien Cordier is completely a ineffective constable in a small 1930's French West African town who is regarded as a fool by the towns crooks, his bosses and his wife. Cordier isn't even good at taking bribes and has never actually arrested anyone. As the film moves on it is clear that there is much more going on in Cordier's head than what there appears to be on the surface and what emerges is an excellent character study and a lesson in too much power gone wrong. Coup de Torchon is a bit uneven but is still well worth seeing for Phillipe Noiret's portrayal of Cordier alone. Some of the comedy is too broad and if the film is meant to be chilling, it fails to ever do so but the nihilistic spirit of Thompson's work is ever present.

Rating: 4

Tuesday Video: X-Ray Spex - "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!"

X-Ray Spex lead singer Poly Styrene died of Cancer at the age of 53 last night. If you've never heard X-Ray Spex before you can get a glimpse of their awesomeness in this video of them singing their best known song, "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!"

R.I.P. Poly.

The Naked City (1948)

The Naked City is billed as a film noir but aside from a small amount of that genre's use of shadowing, it's really much more of a straight police procedural. The are no movie stars in The Naked City and the shots of 1940's New York and the excellent cinematography are the highlights of the film. The plot is a pretty simple whodunit that features a couple of red herrings but is nothing unsurprising or overwhelming. There's also a constant voice over that is very distracting at first and just doesn't seem to fit. The Naked Citys a solid film but far from a classic of the genre.

Rating: 3.5

Monday Video: Flogging Molly - "Don't Shut 'Em Down"

Flogging Molly's new album, Speed of Darkness is coming out on May 31st. "Don't Shut 'Em Down" is the first single from said album. Here is the video for said single. The sound is a little different and I suspect there will be some backlash from longtime fans over the less folky and more electric and straight rock sound. It was bound to happen.

Taxi Driver: Blu-ray (1976)

I don't really have a favorite movie. I do have a list of a bunch that are in the running and Taxi Driver is certainly a contender. It's not often that all the focal points of a film come together in perfect synergy but Taxi Driver is one of those times. Paul Schrader's screenplay, Scorcese's direction, Bernard Hermann's score, and the actors performances are all perfectly captured of film and the result is dark, mesmerizing, and yes beautiful.

If you've never seen Taxi Driver, it's basically the story of isolated loser and cabbie, Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro). Bickle has no friends, a bad case of insomnia, a hatred of what he perceives as "scum" and all the time in the world to dwell on these factors. Bickle's story is simultaneously a tragedy, a black, black comedy, a statement on the media and 70's culture and ultimately, a totally engrossing film experience.

So much of the credit for Taxi Driver's ability to hold up so well 35 years later has to go to Schrader and Scorsese. The themes of isolation and disgust at the world are pretty universal and are captured in both the screenplay and the dreamlike quality of film itself. DeNiro gives perhaps the finest performance of his career (in a career filled with at least 5 life changing roles) as Bickle. He plays naive, angry, frustrated and emotionally needy as well as anyone in film history and he is the complete center of the film. The supporting cast is just as excellent and another reason Taxi Driver will forever stand the test of time. Jodie Foster is fantastic as the child prostitute who will become Bickle's obsession (his obsession to save her from her life and not sexual). Harvey Keitel is both goofy and menacing as her pimp. Cybill Sheppherd does more than just look beautiful as a early potential (doomed to fail) love interest. Peter Boyle and Albert Brooks also mange to hold their own as the seemingly (and incorrectly so) wise veteran cabbie Wizard and Albert Brooks -- in his first dramatic role -- holds his own as both comic relief and a impediment for Bickle's success with Sheppherd.

It would be easy to go on and on about the virtues of Taxi Driver but anyone who's a fan of the film will know all this already and really this should be about whether or not the blu-ray is worth upgrading to. The answer is a resounding, YES!! One of the biggest dangers of releasing a film like Taxi Driver on blu-ray is that the temptation to clean it up and erase a lot of what makes the film work is huge. It would be easy to erase grain, scrub out too much of the dirt and end up with a waxy, bright look that would totally destroy the feel of the film. Thankfully none of those things have happened here. The movie still looks as dirty, grimy and ugly (in a very good way) as ever. The blu-ray does bring out a level of detail never before seen and the color scheme is much more full and strong. This is all done while staying true to the source material. In short the film has never looked better. The audio track isn't quite the upgrade that the video is but the lossless soundtrack is still quite impressive for a dialoueg based film from the 70's. Surround usage is mostly active in establishing atmosphere but in the few action scenes they come alive. Same thing with the films low end. It's never real strong but has just enough oomph to give certain scenes an extra boost. Dialogue is always clear and fully understandable as well.

Taxi Driver is one of the greatest films of all time. Period. The blu-ray looks and sounds great while still being true to the source material. There are a lot of interesting bonus features to keep fans busy for hours. I haven't talked about the packaging but it's really cool looking and has some sweet still photos included. It also costs about $12.99 pretty much everywhere. There is absolutely no reason for everyone to not own this. It's fantastic.

Ratings:

Movie: 5
Blu-ray: 5

Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers: Unida Cantina

After a few albums of playing around with (and having varying degrees of success) varying styles including reggae and pure pop, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers have returned to their Southwestern rock roots with Unida Cantina. While this return to the style of their best work is welcome, there's a certain generic feeling to almost all the tracks on Unida Cantina that makes the album wholly enjoyable upon listening but also lacks that certain intangible something that makes a song or album stick with you for days. To be fair, Clyne's work dating back to the Refreshments has always had a universal, everyman quality but Roger has always been able to transcend that with either his spirit or lyrics and sense of humor. There's just not as much a sense of that on Unida Cantina. Tracks like "Love is the Road," "Go With the Flow" and "Small World" could seemingly be written by almost any songwriter and lack the original voice that Roger has demonstrated in the past. If it seems like I didn't like the album, that's not true. Even the songs I have issues with are enjoyable on the surface and a number of tracks (The horn accented opener "All Over the Radio," the Mexicano ballad "Marie," the power pop of "Just Got High" and the mid-tempo jangle of the closing "Play On") are fantastic. I just wish the whole album was up to those standards. Unida Cantina is far from a disaster but it doesn't measure up with Clyne's best work either.

Rating: 3

Track Listing:

1. "All Over the Radio (3:14)
2. "Heaven on a Paper Plate: (3:43)
3. "Dinero" (3:44)
4. "Love is the Road" (4:14)
5. "Go With the Flow" (3:37)
6. "Marie" (3:57)
7. "Empty Highway" (3:52)
8. "Small World" (3:56)
9. "Unida Cantina" (1:18)
10. "Just Got High" (3:37)
11. "Today Belongs to the Light" (4:37)
12. "Paper Airplanes" (3:42)
13. "Play On" (3:22)

Thursday Video: Beastie Boys - "Make Some Noise

The new Beastie Boys album, Hot Sauce Committee, Part 2 will be released on May 3rd. They band recently released the celebrity cameo packed video for the first single "Make Some Noise" a.k.a. Fight For Your Right Revisited. Here is that video.

Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise - Free Music Videos - Top Songs

If you want to get real adventurous you can head over to the Audio Perv who has a recording of the long form (20 minutes) video that aired uncensored on Comedy Central late last night. It's got even more celebrity madness and the ending is pretty ridiculous (well the whole things pretty ridiculous but whatever).

A Year In My Ipod: 1978 (part 2)

In the spirit of the "Allmusic Loves" and the AV Club's "My Favorite Music Year" comes the Shaft Went to Africa rip off "A year in my Ipod." Originally this was just going to be a summary of what was on my ipod sorted by any given year but it became much more. I did a lot of research for this and opened myself up to a lot of stuff had never listened to before. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do this again in the near future and ideally make this a monthly column.


As I was writing what was to originally be a 1 part column about the music of 1978, I realized that doing it in one post would probably be unreadable due to it's massive length. Here's the second part: My top 25 (technically 26) albums of 1978. If you missed part 1 you can find it here.

A Year In My Ipod: 1978 (part 1)

In the spirit of the "Allmusic Loves" and the AV Club's "My Favorite Music Year" comes the Shaft Went to Africa rip off "A year in my Ipod." Originally this was just going to be a summary of what was on my ipod sorted by any given year but it became much more. I did a lot of research for this and opened myself up to a lot of stuff had never listened to before. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do this again in the near future and ideally make this a monthly column.

1978 is probably the greatest year ever. Not because it's my favorite year in music history but because it's the year my parents found it fit to bring me into this world. Due to this being the year of my birth I thought it would be the perfect place to start with what will hopefully become a regular column. While 1978 isn't my favorite year in music history, it's arguably the deepest. In doing research for this (i.e. listening to music from this year), I found there to be at least 40 albums I really, really enjoy and music from 1978 currently occupies roughly 3 gig's worth of Ipod space.

1978 found a wide variety of music fighting for relevance. The punk explosion was in full force (specifically in Britain) while in America, the roots of the early 80's Hardcore movement were starting to emerge along with the rising mainstream popularity of new wave and on both sides of the ocean the earliest albums that would come to later be classified as post-punk were released. While a lot of what I listen to focuses on more underground forms of music, the mainstream was well represented by some excellent classic rock albums,  the continuing popularity of disco and the final stages of the outlaw country movement. There's also enough guitar theatrics to keep fans of metal and hard rock satisfied for a while. On top of all that, Funk, Soul, R&B and Reggae groups were all experimenting more and more which would lead to the emergence of hip-hop only a year later.

There are sooooo many worthwhile albums to talk about that were released in 1978 that I'm sure I missed more than one (again the depth of quality records released this year is truly astounding). Due to the immense amount of great music from 1978 this entry will be done in 2 parts. After the jump are some fine examples of the depth and scope of music 1978 had to offer, separated into some rather generic categories. The top 25 will be posted tomorrow.

Winter Kills (1979)

Winter Kills is an often overlooked, cult classic, black comedy conspiracy movie. The plot is a thinly veiled take on the JFK assassination and what may happen 19 years after that day. With a cast that includes Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Eli Wallach, Anthony Perkins, Toshiro Mifune, Sterling Hayden and Elizabeth Taylor in varying supporting roles and cameo's there more than enough star power to keep viewers interested even when the plot becomes completely convoluted and confusing. Huston in particular is fantastic as the patriarch of the family with more than a few secrets to hide. As noted the plot is a lot to take in with varying twists and turns and more dark secrets that is really necessary. It is pretty funny and I'm guessing a second viewing will make it easier to understand exactly what's going on. I'll be re-visiting it in the near future, there's something intoxicating about Winter Kills.

Rating: 4

Hereafter (2010)

If there's a message or something to be learned from Hereafter, I officially have no idea what it is. One would think a movie written by Peter Morgan (Last King of Scotland, Frost/Nixon), directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Matt Damon would at least manage to either say something important or be somewhat exciting. Hereafter doesn't really seem to do either one. This is one of those movies that has three separate plot lines that are obviously going to tie together somehow and manages to lose any semblance of surprise because of it. While there are some good things at play -- the acting is excellent and Eastwood's direction gives us some very nice visual flourishes -- the overall film is just a drag. It's not that I'm opposed to movies with a slower pace but still there has to be something there to sustain interest for over two hours. It could be a well established tone, some fantastic characterizations or even just some moments that really work but unfortunately Hereafter has little of any of those things. The movie just ends up being a snoozefest and that's not something I would ever expect from the people involved in this production.

Rating: 2

Monday Video: Superchunk: "Crossed Wires"

Alcoholism is no joke. Especially when it affects pets. They can be real assholes after too much partying. Superchunk's new video for "Crossed Wires" is a thoughtful examination of what can happen when a house cat gets let loose into the high stakes world of booze and drugs.

The Incredibles: Blu-ray (2004)

It comes down to this, if you don't like The Incredibles, there is probably something wrong with you. It's a fantastic mix of beautiful animation, superhero movie spoof, family drama, coming of age story and a thrilling action flick. I won't say this is my favorite Pixar movie but it's right up there on the list.

I'm not going to waste anybody's time (especially my own) by summarizing the plot of the film but writer/director Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, Ratatouille) created a perfect blend of all the styles listed above that is simultaneously smart, funny, touching and true to life (except ya know, for the superhero stuff). The voice cast is excellent. Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee and Sam Jackson are all perfect for their respective roles with Nelson in particular giving fantastic voice work as a man torn between his love for his family and his desire to relive the glory years. There's not enough good things to say about this film. At almost two hours in length, it does seem to be a little long for an animated film on paper but it certainly doesn't feel that way when watching it.

As with every Pixar blu-ray release to date, The Incredibles is an absolutely perfect transfer. It seems that most new release movies and recent big budget animated films are barely worth reviewing in regards to their blu-ray quality. They're all demo worthy. The Incredibles features a beautiful visual look and a stunning audio track. It's a five star transfer all the way.

The Incredibles is another in a long line of great Pixar films that have received great blu-ray releases. The film is almost perfect and the blu-ray quality certainly is. This is a must own blu-ray.

Ratings:

Movie: 5
Blu-ray: 5

Friday Video: Queens of the Stone Age - "If Only" Live on Conan

The first self titled Queens of the Stone Age album is getting the remastered with bonus tracks treatment and being rereleased on May 17th. It's been out of print for quite some time so this is pretty cool news for anyone who hasn't been able to find it. They played "If Only" on Conan last night. It's from that album. Thanks to The Audio Perv.

Foo Fighters Wasting Light (2011)

Foo Fighters have long been one of my favorite mainstream rock bands but I honestly can't remember more than a couple songs off their last album without listening to it. Thankfully I don't think that will be a problem with Wasting Light. Billed as a back to basics album that was recorded directly to analog in Dave Grohl's garage, The Foo Fighters have welcomed back original member Pat Smear into the fold. That gives them 3 guitar players, the perfect amount for maximum rock. Nirvana bassist Krist Novolesic plays on the ballad "I Should Have Known" and ex Husker Du and Sugar legend Bob Mould adds vocals to the mid-tempo rock of "Dear Rosemary."

All that is well and good but would mean nothing if the songs weren't up to par. Thankfully they are. I've always preferred it when Grohl acknowledges his pop roots and the hooks on tracks like the lead single "Rope," "Arlandia," Back & Forth" and "A Matter of Time" are fantastic. The power ballad "These Days" is one of the best slower songs Foo Fighters have ever recorded and Grohl's time in Queens of the Stone Age is fully evident on the balls out rock of "White Limo." "Walk" is an epic sounding closer that plays a great album out with a great track. Most Foo albums suffer from a handful of tracks that don't have lasting appeal. It's only been a few days but I don't see that being an issue this time around

Wasting Light may be the bands best album since The Color and the Shape or it could fall into the same category as One By One which has a lot of great songs but isn't a completely memorable album start to finish. I tend to think it's the former but only time will tell. One thing's for sure, Wasting Light is one of the best hard rock albums of the year so far and will likely be considered such at the end of the year as well.

Rating: 4.5

Track Listing:

1. "Bridge Burning" (4:47)
2. "Rope" (4:19)
3. "Dear Rosemary" (4:27)
4. "White Limo" (3:23)
5. "Arlandria" (4:28)
6. "These Days" (4:59)
7. "Back & Forth" (3:52)
8. "A Matter of Time" (4:56)
9. "Miss the Misery" (4:34)
10. "I Should Have Known" (4:16)
11. "Walk" (4:16)

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit: Here We Rest (2011)

Hopefully someday we will be able to discuss Jason Isbell's music without referring to his time in the Drive-By Truckers. Today is not that day. Here We Rest is Isbell's 3rd solo album since leaving the seminal southern rock group and it's another great slab of soulish southern county rock. With support from his crack backing band, The 400 Unit, Isbell explores the world of people down on their luck and struggling to get by but infuses everything with beautifully simple melodies that relay a strong sense of hope. From the opening acoustic beauty of "Alabama Pines" to the old school country of the closing "Tour of Duty," Here We Rest plays around in a bunch of different styles that all form a seamless album. "Go It Alone" is the closest thing to hard rock presented here while "Never Cloud Believe" rolls along on a honky tonk barroom beat. "Heart on a String" is full of soul and has a great funky rhythm. In a album full of great songs it takes a lot to stand out but that's exactly what happens with "Codeine." It's fiddle based country is guaranteed to get stuck in your head for days and you'll be all the happier for it. With every solo album he releases it becomes more and more obvious that Isbell made the right choice when he went solo. Here We Rest is his best work yet and every bit the equal of his former band. I promise they won't get mentioned next time around, he's earned that right.

Rating: 4.5

Track Listing:

1. "Alabama Pines" (3:49)
2. "Go It Alone" (4:28)
3. "We've Met" (3:08)
4. "Codeine" (5:37)
5. "Stopping By" (4:10)
6. "Daisy Mae" (2:54)
7. "The Ballad of Nobeard" (0:27)
8. "Never Could Believe" (4:06)
9. "Heart on a String" (3:49)
10. "Save it for Sunday" (3:50)
11. "Tour of Duty" (3:26)

Night Moves (1975)

The 70's were a golden age for ultra-pessimistic neo-noir. From Chinatown to Taxi Driver with a large number of others in between, there is no better time in film history for dark and complex crime films. Night Moves isn't one of the most well known films from this genre and it doesn't reach the heights of the best of the genre but it's a rock solid film anchored by Gene Hackman's fantastic performance. When Hackman's ex-football player turned private eye gets involved in returning a run a way teenage to her actress mother he gets involved in much more than he bargains for. Director Arthur Penn (Bonnie & Clyde) balances the mystery aspects along with strong character development -- Hackman's wife is having an affair -- with a tone that never waivers into feel good territory. Add in fine supporting performances (featuring a young Melanie Griffith and James Woods) and Night Moves is an excellent and often overlooked entry in 70's cinema.

Rating: 4

Rififi (1955)

Blacklisted American director Jules Dassen, found new success in France with the fantastic crime noir Rififi. Taking it's cues from The Asphalt Jungle and serving as a direct influence on a number of films (including Le Cercle Rogue) Rififi is a dark, intricate look at a robbery and the affects it has on the men involved. The most well known sequence is the half hour heist scene that occupies the middle portion of the film. Dassen filmed the whole thing without sound and displaying a level of intricacy that inspired numerous copycat heists in reality. Those copycat's, along with the level of violence on display during the films second half, got Rififi banned in more than one country. The years have been kind to the film as well. It feels as fresh today as I suspect it did in the 50's and it's influence on heist movies is incalculable.

Rating: 5

Tuesday Video: Foo Fighters - "Walk" on SNL

Today is the day that the new Foo Fighters album, Wasting Light is released here in the U.S.A.!! The band played a couple songs on Saturday Night Live last weekend and here is the second one, "Walk." At the time of writing this I've only heard the 2 songs they played but I'm pretty pumped for this record. Special thanks to the Audio Perv for the links.

Tron Legacy: Blu-ray (2010)

I won't lie, I've only seen the original Tron once in my life and I hardly remember anything about it other than not being overly impressed. The good new is you don't really need to have seen the original to understand Tron Legacy. The movies likely not going to make complete sense to anyone anyway and it's probably better off that you just shut up and enjoy the ride. The whole point of the movie seems to be a to wow the viewer into submission with a visual style that is both hyperactive and incredibly impressive. I could go into a long list of things that are lacking in this movie but really there's not point. Even with Jeff Bridges in the cast, anyone expecting high quality acting, character depth, sensible plotting or emotional attachment should really check their expectations at the door. The movie sets out to provide pure entertainment and in that regard it largely succeeds.

As expected the blu-ray quality is perfection. Imagine a perfect looking and sounding disc and that's what you get here. There's really not much to say, as a A/V experience Tron Legacy on blu-ray is as good as it gets. I foresee many many demo's of Tron LEeacy in people's homes and retail stores for quite a long time.

It's hard to criticize Tron Legacy the movie sets out to be a great experience and it accomplishes just that. Sure there are a lot of shortcoming in the plot, acting and depth departments but I doubt too many people will care while they're watching it all play out.

Ratings:

Movie: 3.5
Blu-ray: 5

Ranking the Films: The Sidney Lumet Version

The world lost a great director Saturday morning when Sydney Lumet passed away from Lymphoma at age 86. While he never won an Oscar for any of his work (aside from a honorary career achievement award) he made no less than 5 stone cold classic films and over 50 total in his career. While I only have had the privilege of seeing 8 of those films, almost all of them are sitting in my personal dvd/blu-ray collection. Consider this ranking of those 8 as my tribute to a great artist. R.I.P. Sidney.

8. Find Me Guilty (2006)

I honestly have no recollection of watching this film and if my Netflix account hadn't told me I watched it when it came out on video I wouldn't have included it here. I gave it 3 stars at the time so I must not have hated it but it obviously didn't make any sort of impression on me either.

7. Fail-Safe (1964)

This cold war apocalypse film came out right after Dr. Strangelove and even though it boasts a fantastic cast (highlighted by Henry Fonda and Walter Matthau) it's nowhere near the level of Kubrick's masterpiece. It's still a good film that was (and is still) hurt by the timing of it's release.

6. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Lumet's late career highlight is a high quality look at inept criminals and the trouble they get themselves into. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney and Marissa Tomei are all fantastic. The story is engrossing and the ending is unrelenting. It may not reach the heights of the best of Lumet's work but as the last film he ever helmed, it's a worthy exit point.

5. The Verdict (1982)

Lumet was always known for his work with actors and The Verdict is no exception. Paul Newman absolutely owns as an alcoholic ambulance chaser who fights to overcome his own demons and do the right thing. The Verdictis a fine film and one that would place higher on the list if not for the depth of quality in Lumet's filmography.

4. Serpico (1973)

At this point it's nearly impossible to distinguish between what's left on the list. Serpico is so fantastic that it seems like a shame to rank it fourth but here we are. Pacino is great as one of the only honest cops in the NYPD and it's indictment of society and corruption still resonates today.

3. Network (1976)

It's absolutely amazing how relevant Network is in today's era of 24 hour news channels, infotainment and ridiculous sensationalism. Paddy Chayefsky's script is full of insight and dark humor that Lumet brings to life with excitement and a twisted sense of joy. Peter Finch's "mad as hell" speech is one of the most famous rants in movie history and the rest of cast (Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall, William Holden, Ned Beatty, Beatrice Straight) achieves perfection. Watch it today and think about what likely goes on being the scenes at Fox News and MSNBC. It's uncanny.

2. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Lumet's first feature film remains one of the finest courtroom drama's ever made and a terrific showcase of fortitude, integrity and one man's willingness to stand up for what he believes in. The cast (Henry Fonda, Jack Warden, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, Jack Krugman) is as good as it gets and Lumet add's a visual style that is simple, effective and perfect for the film. Speaking of perfect, that's about the best way to describe 12 Angry Men.

1. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Quite simply, Dog Day Afternoon is one of my 25 favorite movies. There's not much more to say. It's amazing on so many levels. It works great as a character study, heist film, a look at homosexual/trans gender roles, an examination of fame and it's inevitable 15 minutes of run time. It only gets better with multiple viewings and will remain a staple of my film rotation.

Monday Video: Foo Fighters - "Rope" on SNL

The Foo Fighters have long been one of my favorite mainstream rock bands. Even though I haven't loved their last few albums like I do their first couple, Dave Grohl and company are still better than 99% of what else gets played on modern rock radio. Their new album, Wasting Light, releases on Tuesday and the band played Saturday Night Live over the weekend to promote it. "Rope" is the first single off that album and if it's any indication, Wasting Light is gonna kick some ass. Special thanks to the Audio Perv for the link.

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle is one of the earliest movies to focus on the day to day dealings of criminals and is heavily influential in both the worlds of film noir and heist flicks. Don't get confused though, The Asphalt Jungle is more than just an influential relic. It's full of genuinely exciting moments and performances. Aside from Sterling Hayden and a young Marilyn Monroe (in a small but important role) the cast isn't well known to day but deliver fine character performances that at some points are a little dated. If some of the acting doesn't necessarily stand the test of time, the plot holds up remarkably well 60 years later. The robbery sequence is both thrilling and tension filled and the aftermath is hard edged and unforgiving. Film noir fans need to see The Asphalt Jungle.

Rating: 4.5

The Asphalt Jungle

Top 10 Albums of the First 1/4 of the Year.

There's been a lot of real good music released in the first 3 months of 2011. Here's a quick ranking of my ten favorites so far. These are not based on any initial ratings I gave these albums but on how I feel about them currently.

10. North Mississippi All Stars - Keys To the Kingdom: A fine tribute to Jim Dickinson and a solid album of blues based roots rock.

9. The Strokes - Angles: It's not the masterpiece I was hoping for but there's a lot of enjoyable stuff present on the Strokes long awaited return.

8. Lucinda Williams - Blessed: Lucinda rocks a little harder and looser than in the past and the results are quite fulfilling.

7. Gregg Allman - Old Country Blues - One of the Allman Brothers singer's best solo albums, Gregg is in fine voice throughout.

6. Social Distortion - Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes: This is the long running punk bands most Stones influenced album and features a nice mix of classic Social D and some new wrinkles.

5. R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now: It's safe to say that R.E.M.'s comeback is complete. Collapse Into Now is a fine collage of all sides of the band.

4. Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - Scandalous: The best party record of the year so far.

3. Screeching Weasel - First World Manifesto: Yeah Ben Weasel can be a giant asshole and the band has already broken up (again) but I can't help it. I love this record.

2. Drive-By Truckers - Go Go Boots: Going from hard rock to soul is not something a lot of bands could pull off effectively. The Truckers are one of those bands and Go GO Boots is awesome.

1. The Decemberists - The King is Dead: I have never been into this band at all but I just can't stop listening to The King is Dead. It may ape early R.E.M. but at least it's a gorilla and not one of those monkeys that throw their poop at the zoo.

All Good Things (2010)

I'll keep this short; if you'd like to watch a frustrating murder mystery with a couple good performances, naked Kirsten Dunst, non meme Ryan Gosling (who is also in drag for a while, if that's your thing) and develop an empty feeling afterwards, then by all means watch All Good Things. It's not that the film is bad but it could have been so much more. Director Andrew Jarecki (Capturing the Friedman's) tries so hard to keep everything ambiguous that the movie suffers and fails to satisfy as either a mystery or a character study. There's a lot of talented people involved here and they say All Good Things must end but I wish this movie had never started.

Rating: 2.5