The above quote is proof that 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of those films that appears to be one thing, yet is something completely entirely. When HAL 9000 says this line, we know that the movie is much more than just a Science Fiction film. It's a treatise on the nature of things. The film is about ideas. The film is a moving piece of philosophy and art. It's a mind numbing film to watch, and one that is ultimately not for everyone. Saying that doesn't mean "oh, you don't get it." It's more saying "an intense art piece doesn't make for the best or most entertaining time." That being said, both on a technical level and on a sub-textual level, 2001 is one of the greatest films in Cinema history.
My first viewing of this was shortly after the original AFI 100 years - 100 Films list came out. It was ranked #22 (although the revised list has it at #15) and knowing a little about it and all the parodies of the film, I decided to rent it and check it out. I watched it in total darkness in my parents living room and was hypnotized. It's a movie that is hypnotic. The way it's shot is brilliant. It was unlike anything I have seen. For a movie that came out in 1968, it is utterly Earth shattering. It's ahead of it's time in so many different ways. The movie presupposes Artificial Intelligence in an age where computers weren't in every household. Even though the year 2001 has passed, the film doesn't look dated. Although the technology is of a different universe, it still holds up. The special effects look better than anything CGI and that is the biggest feat of the film. It's a movie of gargantuan proportions both in scope, ambition and aesthetic. I've never been able to catch a big screen showing of 2001. This angers me a bit as this movie DEMANDS large screen glory. When I get my big screen HD TV in the next coming weeks, this will most definitely be one of the first movies I see.
2001 was the first movie that made me consider following and loving the works of a single director. It wasn't long after my viewing of 2001 that Stanley Kubrick would pass away before the final edits were done on Eyes Wide Shut. My interest in directors exploded with Kubrick being my personal favorite. Regardless of that, it still led me to see more movies with scope and depth rather than just sheer entertainment. No longer was I trying to see movies like the craptastical Godzilla or even shittier franchise movies like Batman and Robin. I was inspired to watch the movies of Peter Weir, Alfred Hitchcock and many more. Kubrick remained my favorite. His films area ll extremely amazing to watch. A Clockwork Orange, The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut are all stunning pieces of filmmaking.
Sometimes wonderment and awe is all that I need to make a movie amazing. Seeing the images Kubrick constructs in 2001: A Space Odyssey is his hallmark of achieving this. Yeah, the movie is quiet, but a movie about images to tell a story is going to be. It's the piercing image of the monolith that evokes it's meaning of a dark overshadowing presence. It's the images and quietude of space that shows mans loneliness in the world. The jump cut from the first tool to spacecraft conveys a lot of words about man kinds pathway and possible future. I still stand by this being Kubrick's finest moment and one of the best films of all time.
1. Cinema Paradiso (1988) dr. Giuseppe Tornatore 2. Rushmore (1998) dr. Wes Anderson 3. Jurassic Park (1993) dr. Steven Speilberg 4. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) dr. Frank Capra 5. Trust (1990) dr. Hal Hartley 6. Donnie Darko (2001) dr. Richard Kelly 7. On The Waterfront (1954) dr. Elia Kazan 8. Monty Python & The Holy Grail (1975) dr. Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam 9. Do The Right Thing (1989) dr. Spike Lee 10. Stop Making Sense (1984) dr. Johnathan Demme 11. Trekkies (1997) dr. Roger Nygard 12. Fight Club (1999) dr. David Fincher 13. The Sting (1973) dr. George Roy Hill 14. Ghost Busters (1984) dr. Ivan Reitman 15. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) dr. Rob Reiner 16. Better Off Dead (1984) dr. "Savage" Steve Holland 17. Robin Hood (1973) dr. Wolfgang Reitherman 18. Mad Max (1979) dr. George Miller 19. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) dr. Milos Forman 20. Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade (1989) Steven Speilberg 21. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) dr. Stanley Kubrick
Last year, before one of the worst movies of the year, I saw a teaser trailer for what looked to be one of the best movies of the year. The trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button looked sumptuous. A tale of a man aging backwards through some of America's most interesting time periods. I then sat through Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull being disappointed left and right and constantly thinking "I can't wait for Benjamin Button." Attached to the movie were two of my favorite figures in cinema today: David Fincher and Cate Blanchett. One of my favorite directors and my favorite actress together? Recipe for success. Or so I thought. Sadly, on Christmas Day, my family packed it up and went out to check out the movie and I was nothing short of greatly disappointed. Benjamin Button was the victim of Concept over Character, and when a movie is titled for it's lead character and that character fails to make you care about him, the film ultimately fails.
As most people know, the story is about Benjamin Button who was born on the day that WWI ended and was born an old man. His infant body is tattered and old with arthritis, near blindness and all the conditions man expects is waiting for him in the autumn of his life. He is left on the doorstep of an old folks home. The caretaker there, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson.) From then on, we see a digital old man version of Brad Pitt looking somewhere between himself and Golem slowly get younger. He watches as his friends pass on and as his loved ones age while he grows younger. He lives through World War II, travels the world as a tugboat ship hand and encounters various people in his life, all of which are far and away more interesting than he is. The only constant in his life is his love for the inconsistent Daisy (Cate Blanchett in a waste of talent.) Her character is infuriatingly bratty and treats Benjamin sometimes very well and other times extremely terribly yet he keeps coming back for her.
First major problem was that the story is constantly interrupted to due the narration. It is being told through Daisy's daughter reading Benjamin's diary. Jarring cut backs to New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina [rolls eyes] where Daisy is on her death bed [the bed that eats ]. Every time this happens, the action of the story is totally flattened. I understand that this is the device they used to tell the story, but it's ultimately headache inducing.
Second problem was that when you have a concept as high as this one, you are likely to lose out on character substance. Sadly, Brad Pitt plays Benjamin Button as a boring, doe-eyed simpleton who has about as much personality as a duck. As much as I would blame Brad Pitt, an actor who can either be dazzling (i.e.- Fight Club, Snatch) or brooding (i.e. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.) I actually would like to blame him for an unconvincing performance but the fact of the matter is he was given next to nothing to work with. His best moments were when he was acting as the Old Body/Little Boy version of Benjamin. He was good at awestruck naivete while being next to crippled by his old man body. But once he started to get older, he had no rebellious spirit or enjoyable character traits. Just a younger body and a weird aloofness about him. The character was so uncompelling that it made the movie drag.
I blame this on the final problem I had with the film: the writing. Where Benjamin Button goes wrong is the writing. Rather than focus on all the small things environmentally that were changing and just Benjamin's physical changes, why wasn't there a focus on those effects on his personality? Why make the character completely flat? Daisy also suffers from massive inconsistency of character. She changes almost too much from time to time. She doesn't even have any attributes that make her attractive minus being gorgeous. If Benjamin was really drawn to her (and vice verca) shouldn't it have been because of something non-physical since in a realistic world, a young, 20 something wouldn't fall for a man who looks like he is 70 something. It just is too much of a stretch. And if the movie is going to trudge for almost three hours, please give them more than just an environmental distance. Make the characters personalities veer in different directions or something. The writer, Eric Roth, also penned Forrest Gump and the similarities are endlessly present. For me, that really holds the movie back. Too much time is given to Old Body/Young Benjamin and not enough in between.
Where Benjamin Button really shines is in the supporting roles. Benjamin's adoptive mother Queenie is a light hearted and wonderfully loving character, who sees beyond his deformity to love and accept Benjamin as her own. Benjamin's biological father, played by Jason Flemyng, is an interesting character, even if his trade is annoyingly cutesy (he makes Buttons.) Jared Harris plays Capt. Mike, the tugboat captain that takes Benjamin under his wing, is great comic relief but, as my sister pointed out, is a funnier version of Lt. Dan from Gump. The best part of the entire film was Tilda Swinton as the woman that Benjamin first fell in love with. Their small time together was the only parts of the movie that really transcended past the conceptual road block and into interesting character developments.
Beyond this, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a beautiful film to watch. Fincher's direction is gorgeous. Cinematography, costumes and make-up are all phenomenal. But when that's the case, you lose a lot on the end of what would have made this a truly brilliant film concept: characters. It's strange to think that this is a Fincher film. From Se7en to Fight Club to Zodiac, this film just sticks out like a dull, but swollen thumb. Although it will be up for various awards this very piss poor Oscar season, you will see it win some tech awards and that is it. Curiously disappointing.
Back around 1990, McDonald's would sell VHS tapes. Why, I'm not quite sure, but I remember them doing so. I remember seeing commercials for them and at one point, on sale was Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade. I was too young at that point to see it in the theater, but had seen Raiders of the Lost Ark on TV a bunch and had a new hero in Indiana. My sister and I talked my dad into buying the VHS and thus an all time favorite was born. Although Raiders remains the best of the movies, with it's old-school style of set-piece action scenes and all over the world adventuring, something about Last Crusade will always remain my favorite. What makes it different and better is the relationship between father and son. It has sentiment and comedy without being overtly cheesy (that was left to the crap sentiment and overly flat and boring failed attempt to recharge the franchise in Crystal Skull.)
Adventure films were always my favorite as a kid. What young kid didn't want to be James Bond or Indiana Jones or Batman growing up? The ability to travel the world, get into life & death situations, yet ultimately be able to get out of them, meet awesome people, find romance and ride off into the sunset? Who didn't want to fight a tank when they were a kid?
Or punch a Nazi in the face and throw him out of a Zeppelin?
The options of adventure are endless. There are boat chases, running amongst sewer rats, going through dungeons and chambers to find the Grail, flying planes, landing them...well, as best as one can or just destroying things using God's creatures. Even getting Hitler's autograph! Last Crusade has it all.
The most important thing for me about Last Crusade is the relationship between father and son. Not only is it a great vehicle for a lot of the action and suspense in the movie, but it has some of the best back and forth dialogue of the series. The chemistry between Sean Connery and Harrison Ford is perfect. They are at times silly and sometimes serious. Their relationship is the anchor to the movie giving it a little more feeling and connection then the other films in the Indiana Jones series.
The history may be completely far fetched, but learning about things like Grail lore through film and seeing Indiana learn by exploring was definitely intriguing to me. It made me want to learn about history even if that meant I wanted to be like Indiana Jones and travel the world and fight bad guys at the same time. Of course, none of that would ever happen, but it's a good thing that a movie like this could inspire me to learn more about history and make it seem interesting to a kid. For that, Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade is very important in the movies of my life.
1. Cinema Paradiso (1988) dr. Giuseppe Tornatore 2. Rushmore (1998) dr. Wes Anderson 3. Jurassic Park (1993) dr. Steven Speilberg 4. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) dr. Frank Capra 5. Trust (1990) dr. Hal Hartley 6. Donnie Darko (2001) dr. Richard Kelly 7. On The Waterfront (1954) dr. Elia Kazan 8. Monty Python & The Holy Grail (1975) dr. Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam 9. Do The Right Thing (1989) dr. Spike Lee 10. Stop Making Sense (1984) dr. Johnathan Demme 11. Trekkies (1997) dr. Roger Nygard 12. Fight Club (1999) dr. David Fincher 13. The Sting (1973) dr. George Roy Hill 14. Ghost Busters (1984) dr. Ivan Reitman 15. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) dr. Rob Reiner 16. Better Off Dead (1984) dr. "Savage" Steve Holland 17. Robin Hood (1973) dr. Wolfgang Reitherman 18. Mad Max (1979) dr. George Miller 19. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) dr. Milos Forman 20. Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade (1989) Steven Speilberg
Up Next: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) dr. Stanley Kubrick
New Year's Eve, back in the days of yesteryear, used to be a time for family movie marathons. We'd stay up late and watch some classics and some contemporary movies to prepare ourselves for a new year and for the New Year's Day Twilight Zone marathon. One year, I can't remember when, we watched the classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and forever had I been in love with it. Instantaneous love. A perfect movie from start to finish. Every character, every performance and every last second is just utter brilliance. I had this very poster on my wall for many many years and still would, if it weren't completely destroyed and chewed up from moving from my parents house to my first apartment, back to the parents house and to my second apartment and now, somewhere in a pile of posters.
The single thing that makes Cuckoo's Nest so perfect is the acting. It's 100% on the actors and the ensemble cast is nothing short of perfect. From Jack Nicholson's flawless performance of Randolph P. McMurphy to ScatmanCrothers bit part as the nightwatchmen Turkle to Louise Fletcher as the blisteringly harsh Nurse Ratched and the litany of amazing actors as the rest of the hospitalized "nuts", not one part is weaker than the other. They all play off of each other and it creates an amazing atmosphere that is authentic. Here is one emotionally charged scene that forever stays as one of my all time favorite movie moments.
McMurphy's resolve to get out of jail and be sent to the hospital is very interesting. Thinking he might be better off in such a facility proves to not be true. Although he has more freedom, this proves to make matters worse for his lust for life. This ends up being a futile attempt at some freedom as ultimately, he ends up worse off than he was in prison. The atmosphere is sometimes whimsical, but mostly hostile leaving McMurphysusceptible to more folly and more threats to his well being. Is he crazy? Is he not? Should he be in prison or in an institution? Who knows for sure. We just know that the journey he embarks on is one of the best to watch.
What it boils down to is that I can only think of five movies that have consistently been enjoyable to watch and rewatch. Most of these have landed in the Top 5 spot of my all time favorite movies list, but not many movies can boast this ability. It's also one of those movies that I wish I was able to see on the big screen. Something about older films that just need to be watched on the big screen versus a TV. If you see any screenings of this movie, let me know where it is.
Acting, acting, acting. Yet another movie that made me want to be an actor. This scene is one of those ones that made me want to be one:
Jack Nicholson was my favorite actor when I was a kid. The Joker in the original Batman movie put him there, but Cuckoo's Nest would solidify this. It sent me on a search for all things Jack. He was an idol of sorts. I can't say that there are many actors that I go out of my way to see all of their movies. Maybe five (Bogart, Hoffman - Dustin & Phillip Seymour, Bale & Nicholson.)
All in all, Cuckoo's Nest has been a definite driving force in my life. It's a movie that never ceases to amaze me in it's greatness. It's yet another classic that I will pass along to people I meet if they haven't seen it and to a family that maybe someday I will formulate.
1. Cinema Paradiso (1988) dr. Giuseppe Tornatore 2. Rushmore (1998) dr. Wes Anderson 3. Jurassic Park (1993) dr. Steven Speilberg 4. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) dr. Frank Capra 5. Trust (1990) dr. Hal Hartley 6. Donnie Darko (2001) dr. Richard Kelly 7. On The Waterfront (1954) dr. Elia Kazan 8. Monty Python & The Holy Grail (1975) dr. Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam 9. Do The Right Thing (1989) dr. Spike Lee 10. Stop Making Sense (1984) dr. Johnathan Demme 11. Trekkies (1997) dr. Roger Nygard 12. Fight Club (1999) dr. David Fincher 13. The Sting (1973) dr. George Roy Hill 14. Ghost Busters (1984) dr. Ivan Reitman 15. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) dr. Rob Reiner 16. Better Off Dead (1984) dr. "Savage" Steve Holland 17. Robin Hood (1973) dr. Wolfgang Reitherman 18. Mad Max (1979) dr. George Miller 19. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) dr. Milos Forman
17 years. A long long time to write, record and edit an album. A very long time. Axl Rose, as we now know, has finally finished his magnum opus, Chinese Democracy. Many a Dr. Pepper was drank and many people would listen to the album. I attempted to listen to it several times, but alas, it is just too.... terrible to even sit through it one time. Here are my thoughts on the album.
My best comparison to Guns N Roses' long awaited record is to that of an old friend.
Remember that kid you were friends with 17 years ago? You hung out and played Mortal Kombat in the basement. He was always Scorpion, you were always Sub-Zero. You were both really immature and knew what you liked. You liked things epic in size. You liked songs that were anthems for your youthful rebellion. You liked those Hostess Orange Cupcakes and Double Gulps from 711. You liked things bombastic and outlandish. Your favorite pro-wrestler was Ric Flair. Things were fine and dandy. That kid moved away to another school and you always wanted to keep in touch, but you were young and there was no way of really keeping ties tight. You slowly forgot about this kid, but you knew somewhere deep inside, you wish you knew how he was doing. 17 years have passed and he contacts you via Facebook. You have utterly nothing in common with him, yet your excitement for rehashin nostalgia with your old friend is so strong that you have to meet up with him. You meet up at a bar and he's bloated in size from what you last remember. He's still a bit frantic, probably hoped up on pills. He seems razor sharp in style from the crease in his pants to the slick of his hair. Everything is neatly put in its place, yet nothing seems to jive about his personality. He's not the kid you remember, but this strange adult sized version trying to be something he isn't. It's arrogant and obnoxious and you just can't get over the fact that someone has changed so drastically. What were you to expect after 17 years of life? That's longer than you have both been alive?
And that, my friends, is what Chinese Democracy is to me. Guns N Roses was an awesome cock-rock, Sunset Strip decadence laden musical bridge between hair metal and grunge. Appetite for Destruction is a fantastic record filled with raw power and emotion. A blend of Iggy Pop swagger and bluesy-metal guitar fury, Guns N Roses showed a shift from the pop laden hair metal of Poison or Twisted Sister to what would come next via bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. Remember how awesome that was? Even the more bombastic Use Your Illusion double album has the same flair that Appetite had. Now comes Chinese Democracy, the most unnecessary album of the year, filled with strangely alien songs. The problem is there is about 6 different LEAD guitar players. Mix those egos with that of Axl Rose and everyone is fighting for your attention. The production is so manufactured and processed that it's about as fun to listen to as a Katy Perry track. In fact, Katy Perry tracks are more enjoyable than Chinese Democracy. To break it down track by track would end in futility as I can't even begin to say how hard it is to hear these songs without laughing or dry heaving.
Needless to say, Chinese Democracy is a big let down. Hanging out with the Guns N Roses of today is very awkward. You are best reliving your best moments of the past than trying to make new contact. It leads to nothing but disappointment.
Here are 30 of the best songs I have heard this year. Love em or hate em, they got rotation in my ears and stood above the rest. My Last.FM playlist is currently rocking all 30 tracks. Some you can stream, some were unavailable. Regardless, check them out!
30. The Black Angels - "Doves" - I've just become acquainted with this track, but it's got me hypnotized. The drum beat, the guitar splashes between repeating chords and in-and-out shakiness and the reverb laden vocals induce a nostalgic rock feeling. Utterly enrapturing.
29. School of Seven Bells - "Face to Face on High Places" - The twins from On!Air!Library! and Benjamin Curtis, formerly of Secret Machines, grouped up for a beautiful shoegaze track that is dreamy and ethereal.
28. Crystal Castles - "Courtship Dating" - One of the coolest tracks of the year. the 8-Bit swirls will get you dancing and get your brain pulsating. The bleeps and bloops will dig deep into your skull and swirl inside your cranium. The synthetic sounds will pierce your ears and you will beg for more.
27. Saviours - "Mystichasm" - Apparently when Rick Rubin told Metallica to record "Master of Puppets" again, the memo go to SoCal metal heads Saviours instead of Lars and James. Here we get a blisteringly fantastic metal song that hearkens back to the 80's era of heavy metal. This is how it's done, Metallica.
26. Death Cab for Cutie - "Bixby Canyon Bridge" - For some reason, I could not ever fully get into Plans. This opening track from Narrow Stairs has some great rocking guitars and is easily one of my favorite tracks from Death Cab since Transatlanticism.
25. The Raveonettes - "Aly, Walk With Me" - A song that demands to be listened at full blast, the Dutch Duo pound their listener into submission. It will have you seeing sparks as the feedback builds in all it's beauty.
24. Torche - "Grenades" - A band know for their sludgy thunder rock wrote one of the best hard rock songs that could have easily launched them into popularity. It won't be getting much rotation on modern rock radio, but my word is this song leaps and bounds more awesome than the stuff a lot of rock bands are churning out these days.
23. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" - With the swagger of Iggy Pop & Mick Jagger, Lazarus comes back from the dead in an amazingly campy, yet pointed track care of the Cave and the Bad Seeds. The titular track to a fantastic album. It's catchy as hell.
22. Islands - "Creeper" - Home invasion has never wanted me to get on the dance floor. But that's why Islands are a cut above the rest. The fantastically simple guitar line is punctuated by a basic drum beat and a super catchy guitar hook. The strings and woodwinds that come into action definitely give the track some more depth.
21. M83 - "Kim & Jessie" - Dreamier than any dream I've had, "Kim & Jessie" have a secret world that this track brings me to. It rises your ears above it all and creates a great atmosphere that is sumptuous and haunting.
20. Portishead - "The Rip" - Almost as long of a wait as the latest garbage from Guns N Roses came the 11-year wait for the next Portishead record. This psych pop song of dream turned nightmare is enrapturing and has one of the coolest mid song changes I've ever heard. From a simple guitar plucking into a pulsating synth arpeggio, the direction the song takes the listener is perfection.
19. Ratatat - "Shempi" - I expect this song to be playing on a futuristic merry-go-round. One that has mirror balls spinning, strobe lights pulsating and has you riding the wings of strange future beings. It's a perfect dance track that has as many interesting nuances as any other song in Ratatat's library.
18. David Byrne & Brian Eno - "Everything That Happens" - Electric gospel. That is how Byrne and Eno describe it. The track is a religious experience in itself. No percussion. Just beautiful melodies, harmonies and some of Byrne's greatest lyrics.
17. M83 - "We Own The Sky" - A trance like beat gives way to dream pop vocals. M83 has channeled some of the best elements of 80's pop music on their latest record, unlike most bands that stick to new wave cliches. This is the material of 4AD Records. It sounds nostalgic and relevant all at once.
16. Lemons Are Louder Than Rocks - "Keep My Bag" - A whimsical little campfire sing-a-long by Philly area freak folkers. It's not as much a song that will change the face of music as much as a song that will change the expression on my face.
15. The Mars Volta - "Goliath" - Easily one of Mars Volta's best tracks, "Goliath" is nothing short of huge. Bombastic guitar solos, cacophonous drumming at light speed and laser pitched vocals lead to one of the years best epics.
14. Electric Six - "We Were WitchyWitchy White Women" - A single riff repeated and pummeled into the listeners mind has lead to one of the catchiest E6 songs since "Dance Epidemic." Nothing short of absurd, this track is constantly ready to reel out of control due to Dick Valentine's lyrics, but the riff keeps the track in order punctuated by strangerhythm and a wicked awesome outro guitar solo.
13. The Jet Age - "Maybe Love's a Transmission" - A posthumous love song from across the ocean is an interesting idea. A spirit yearning for the one he loves after he gives his life for an idea. It helps that the song just flat out rocks. A very refreshing tune.
12. Ladyhawke - "Magic" - This is what Katy Perry should sound like. This is what The Killers should sound like. Pure, unadulterated pop. Just wait as Ladyhawke is going to explode. This tune just reeks of New Order and in the best possible ways.
11. Black Mountain - "Queens Will Play" - Amber Webber brings a haunting vocal performance over a spooky, otherworldly drone of guitars and mellotron organs. The build up is nothing short of spectacular. This song builds a great atmosphere.
10. The Sword - "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" - Pummeling riffage sent down from on high plows through at full force. This is proof that great metal epics don't need to be 7 minutes long, a note Metallica needed to heed during the Death Magnetic sessions. Hell, even Lars Ulrich said this was his favorite album of the year. Also wins dumbest song title of the year. That doesn't detract from how kick ass it is.
9. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "Midnight Man" - Hypnotic is a word I've used for many tracks this year. This track is definitely one of those tracks that creates a soundscape and leaves the listener in a haze of musical beauty. The flurry of guitar and organ sounds amid a droning bass and catchy percussion section is recipe for addiction.
8. Secret Machines - "The Walls Are Starting to Crack" - One of Secret Machines most outstandingly grandiose tracks, this hearkens back to Pink Floyd a la Meddle. Unlike the last album where songs were more lyric centric, the newly reformed Machines have restated their sound with epic beauty. The mid-way wave of sound comes as a jarring psychedelic turn that quickly reforms back into the songs main riff.
7. Danava - "Where Beauty & Terror Dance" - Definitely one of the most played tracks of the year and one of the best live songs I've heard, Danava came back with their second full length chock full of great prog-glam. If the bulk of the song sounds pretty standard, wait for the outro that will catapult you into the stars.
6. TV On The Radio - "Crying" - For me, the most memorable track from TV On the Radio yet, this funkadelic anthem comes with soaring Prince-like vocals and definitely dark lyrics. The music is dancey, the horns that come in punctuate the sound well and the progression of sounds that come in and out keep it one of the most refreshing songs of the year.
5. The Raveonettes - "Dead Sound" - When played at loudest volume, this song shows it's true colors. I see how that sounds absurd as a song doesn't really show any visuals, but the utter haze that washes over in the nuances of feedback and melodies produced by Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo makes it a cinematic song.
4. Portishead - "Machine Gun"- Maybe the most memorable song of the year and one of the most literal titles ever. This song pierces your ear drums, shatters your senses and will leave you exhausted. Only the melody behind the vocals and the last 40 seconds of synthy additions try to cut through the menacing industrialized drum beat. Harrowing yet gorgeous.
3. David Byrne & Brian Eno - "Strange Overtones" - In stark contrast to "Machine Gun", Byrne & Eno created one of the most beautifully melodic pop songs of the year. It bounces with life and with hope. Even though "these beats are twenty years old" they sound fresh and new. When two mad geniuses buckle down and bring something so simplistic yet awesome, it's a real surprise. Not what I was expecting from their return after years of non-collaboration.
2. Black Mountain - "Tyrants" - Epic Win. Nothing short of awesome. From it's opening pummeling guitars and drums to the swirling synths and mellotrons, to the dual vocals harmonizing and taking leads here and there, this track will remain one of my all time favorites.
1. Beck - "Chemtrails" - Here's the scoop. Beck is easily one of my all time favorite artists. Top 3 easy. Has been for ages. He has tons of recorded songs, whether bootleged, b-sides or other rarities. I have easily 400 different Beck songs. This song is his best yet. It took me a while to admit it, but this stands a top the rest. The start of the track is a beautifully ambient melody backed by Beck's falsetto vocals. This picks up for the chorus where a lightning fast rhythm section reminiscent of The Who breaks through the piano and synthyambiance. The vocals stay falsetto, only to drop for certain lines. The drums and bass back off for the verse again and again break through at full force with some of the most impressive drumming and bass action on any Beck track. The track whirls and swirls and slwoly fades out just to fade back in "HelterSkelter" style to unleash a furious guitar rush and come to an abrupt halt. Lyrically, Beck brings some of his darkest imagery. Staring at an ocean filled with dead bodies isn't quite the sloppy, slack lyrics most people expect of Beck. Instead it's a harrowing vision of pollution and death. Something straight out of a Cormac McCarthy novel. It's a visceral view of the world shrouded by ambiance then chaos. If you strip the song down to it's non-rhythm elements, it's a very simple track. It is a lasting song and definitely the best track of 2008.
Everyone should have one movie they religiously watch. Not for any particular reason, but a go to movie is very important. A movie that is sheer entertainment or just puts you into a better frame of mind because you love it so much. I have a friend whose religious movie was Purple Rain. For me, my religious movie is Mad Max. It has been since I was a pre-teen. It has everything you could want. Campy humor, breath-taking car chases and crashes, a young, dreamy Mel Gibson and one of the best and freakiest movie villains of all time. It's quotable, it's visually stunning and it's post-apocalyptic without being over the top unrealistic. Why does a tale of a cop who loses everything to a band of thugs and exacts revenge on those so great? I can't really explain it. I guess a religious movie is just like believing in a higher power. You just have faith, you beleive, you practice and you get satisfaction from that. Although I don't worship Mad Max, it's a sort of ritualistic thing for me. So much so that I have the film on my person at all times (via iPod.) Strange, I know. But I think everyone should have a movie like this. If you are reading this, what would your movie be?
I first saw this movie on TV ages ago. It was actually a Mad Max marathon. I think it was on the Sci-Fi channel when the Sci-Fi channel housed episodes of Quantum Leapand played The Twilight Zone more than just on New Year's Day (the best TV marathon ever.) I watched all three movies, but it was the original that really stood out. When you go back and watch The Road Warrior or Beyond Thunderdome, you will see how dated and absurd they look. Something about the low budget nature of Mad Max makes it timeless. The 70's muscle cars, the old motor bikes, the costumes that look thrown together from scraps of clothing and the overall barrenness of the Australian outback calls for the perfect scorched Earth that would probably happen given whatever crisis reels human civilization to it's next dark age. The opening of the film takes you to this place in one of cinemas finest car chases.
Something is glorious about Mel Gibson's younger acting prowess. Rather than being his usual latter year suave self, Mel brings a brooding naivette to Max Rockatansky. Some may say it's because he is a young and inexperienced actor, but to me it's not the case. To me it's a young actor showing his chops and his ability. Rather than overact with the rage that comes in the films final third, he brings a calcualted demeanor. One that broods, thinks ahead and knows exactly what kind of revenge he is going to pull, even if he gets injured in the wake of it. A stunning performance. This final scene where Max exacts his revenge on Johnny Boy still frightens me.
Now onto the Toecutter. The Toecutter is one of the greatest movie villains of all time. Before there was Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector and before there was Heath Ledger as The Joker, Hugh Keays-Byrne brings a wild animalistic craze to the Toecutter. He leads a pack of bikers, who act more like wild dogs, and although he is smart and knows exactly how to terrorize the people of a burnt out Australia, he himself acts upon instincts. I doubt it was an influence on Ledger as The Joker, but their characters are very similar. They have quirky gaits, interesting mannerisms that freak out those who get in their way and they are ultra nihilistic.
I fear that Mad Max is a forgotten film. I make it my cult movie in a sense for this reason. If you are reading this and are saying either "NO, I haven't seen this film" or saying "I can't really see what is so great about this film," go out there and rent it or check your local listings. Fans of straight action films will enjoy it as it's from a time where stunts were stunts and not CGI. It has a bit of romance, plus Mel in his prime is a hunk. It's funny in a way with the strange lingo and good comic releif care of The Goose. But most of all, it's a classic that deserves recognition. In fact, I'm about due on my viewing of Mad Max for the month.
1. Cinema Paradiso (1988) dr. Giuseppe Tornatore 2. Rushmore (1998) dr. Wes Anderson 3. Jurassic Park (1993) dr. Steven Speilberg 4. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) dr. Frank Capra 5. Trust (1990) dr. Hal Hartley 6. Donnie Darko (2001) dr. Richard Kelly 7. On The Waterfront (1954) dr. Elia Kazan 8. Monty Python & The Holy Grail (1975) dr. Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam 9. Do The Right Thing (1989) dr. Spike Lee 10. Stop Making Sense (1984) dr. Johnathan Demme 11. Trekkies (1997) dr. Roger Nygard 12. Fight Club (1999) dr. David Fincher 13. The Sting (1973) dr. George Roy Hill 14. Ghost Busters (1984) dr. Ivan Reitman 15. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) dr. Rob Reiner 16. Better Off Dead (1984) dr. "Savage" Steve Holland 17. Robin Hood (1973) dr. Wolfgang Reitherman 18. Mad Max (1979) dr. George Miller
Up Next: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) dr. Milos Forman
Taking a quick break from the 25 Films, 25 Years blogging to bring to you my list of the best albums of 2008. The year is not over yet, but I feel that there will be nothing else of the caliber until 2009 or right before this year ends. Since I'm antsy and have a solid list, I present to you the 10 best albums of 2008 in all their glory.
10. M83 - Saturdays = Youth - What a treat! Dream-pop at it's best. M83 adds their usual ethereal sound to make a 4AD style album reveling in the sound of the 80s. Lathered in spacey fuzz and synthy goodness, the tracks lift you up into an atmosphere that warms your bones. "You Appearing" is a perfect album opener and blends perfectly into the next track "Kim & Jessie" with seamless fusion. They say that they are honoring their favorite time period in music (the 80s) yet this is nothing short of futuristic music. Simply delightful. Channeling the Cocetau Twins or This Mortal Coil was a perfect maneuver for M83. This album is a beautiful late night car record. Although it is hypnotic, there is nothing more graceful then driving down the highway late at night and seeing stars in the sky with the beautiful collection of melodies M83 has assembled here. Maybe it's the track "Highway of Endless Dreams" that makes me say this, but hey, whatever. It still is a perfect companion piece.
Key Track: "We Own the Sky" - The beat, the droning synths and the vocals send the listener into a happy and warm trance.
9. Electric Six - Flashy - I'm not gonna lie when I say I am completely untrustworthy when it comes to my love of Electric Six. Although I was somewhat disappointed with their past two records, I still love them more than I should. What it boils down to with Electric Six is that they are pure fun. However, I will admit that Flashy is a certain return to form for E6. The guitars take over and the amount of sheer rock power shines through. "Formula 409" and "Graphic Designer" are proof positive E6 can still churn out rock hits while a song like "Face Cuts" or "Making Progress" shows a little more maturing in sound and depth, but still staying immature. The album is rollicking and never flounders. Valentine's lyrical schizophrenia continues and with face paced intensity.
Key Track: "We Were WitchyWitchy White Women" - Alliteration aside, this song pounds a catchy riff over and over again with some of Valentine's most feverish and ridiculous lyrical passages.
8. The Jet Age - What Did You Do During The War, Daddy? - The surprise album of the year, The Jet Age bring also one of the most interesting concept albums of the year. Hailing from Maryland and mixing the sounds of The Who and Dinosaur Jr., The Jet Age unleash a fast paced garage sound on their second full length record. What Did You Do During the War, Daddy? is a loose rock opera centered around a jaded middle-aged family man who after his government and the death of his American dream, turns to be an American suicide bomber. The songs aren't 100% beat you over the head with this idea and are much more introspective giving this album many sides to it. The face paced riffage on "O, Calender" and the posthumous love song "Maybe Love's a Transmission" are fantastic rock songs. Nothing slows down on this album except for the reprise of "Ladies, Don't Cry Tonight" that closes the record. Maybe it's a sign of the times that such a frantic political record comes out, but it's nice to hear it without it being slanted into any one direction, either left or right. Wise decision, mates. You just made an album that has lasting power!
Key Track: "I Said 'Alright'" - Finally giving in, our rock protagonist gets fed up with his government's b-s and gets ready via a rollicking rocker.
7. Beck - Modern Guilt - Beck's last effort, The Information, was legitimately the most disappointing album of his career. It was filled with too many songs that could have been left on the cutting room floor and when it boiled down to it, you would have had a very small album. The Information EP may have been a better idea. Modern Guilt must have been a reaction to that as at only a little over 30 minutes, it's 10 perfect tracks that never get old. They are also very simplistic, save the frantic drum and bass track "Replica." If Midnite Vultures was Beck's funk album and One Foot in the Grave his delta blues record, Modern Guilt is his psych pop record. "Gamma Ray" sounds like a beach party song of the 60's, the titular track is a Zombies-esque rocker and "Soul of a Man" hearkens to the Yardbirds. It's all over by the time you are ready for more, but I think that's the charm of it. Short and to the point. As I mentioned in my write up of it after it came out, quality over quantity. Kudos, Beck.
Key Track: "Chemtrails" - This is easily Beck's finest outing musically, lyrically and frantically. Best song of the year.
6. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! - After his outing with garage rockers Grinderman, Nick Cave returned to his Bad Seeds and has given us another awesome collection of rock songs about the underbelly of society. The titular character is risen in the middle of New York City and is sucked in by all the evils there. "He was never asked to be raised from the grave" as Cave croons over howling distortion and a funky organ riff. "We Call Upon the Author" to Explain" is a raucous rant with a very interesting distortion laden bass breakdown. Cave mellows it down on "Hold On to Yourself" and acts as troubadour on "More News From Nowhere." As my year of learning the ways of Cave comes near the end, this album is easily one of the best of his latter year albums that I have heard.
Key Track: "Midnight Man" - It's ethereal sounds and longing lyrics is one of the more hauntingly beautiful tracks of the year.
5. Portishead- Third - A return, but not to form. Eleven years from their self-titled second album, the aptly named Third brings the melancholy back but with a new twist. Rather than samples and trip-hop infused ballads, the members of Portishead strap on instruments and bend the sounds these instruments have with a technical fervor that is utterly beautiful. The vocals are sublime, the music is spaced out and harrowing and the variety is a plenty. Much like how Sonic Youth has aged for the better, Portishead moves on the same path. Take what you've learned and expound upon it. The opener "Silence" is nothing short of a noisily beautiful track with a double percussion line that is the pulse and strings that cut through the beat. It's a very simple track with one continuous riff, but it's one that sets the scene with razor precision. "Machine Gun" batters the listener into submission while "Nylon Smile" lulls you into a false sense of security with it's hypnotic tones and siren song vocals. I always enjoyed Portishead, but not to the extent this album makes me feel.
Key Track: "The Rip" - A trippy ballad of love that slowly changes at the halfway point into a pulsating masterpiece.
4. Danava - Unonou - These guys were sent here from outer space. But unlike the aliens in The Day the Earth Stood Still, they don't not want to destroy us. They want to show us what they have done with the transmissions of King Crimson and T.Rex sounded like after years of travelling through space to reach their humble planet. Prog Glam in all it's granduer is here via Danava. The Portland, Oregon rockers on their second full length bring a heaping helping of rock to the table. They give the finger to the indie elitists who have deemed the only cool retro rock comes from the influence of the 80s. I beg to differ. Epic tracks like "Down From A Cloud, Up From the Ground" pound and shift gears through it's 8 minutes. Dusty Sparkles wails above the fuzz and frenzy. At first glance it sounds like any 70s metal track with typical manuevers, but it constantly changes and surprises with noisy synthesizers and wailing feedback. Just when you think it's over, the guitars take over again in a break neck frenzy. "The Emerald Snow of Sleep" blooms like a wild flower with it's mind-game synth sequence, moves into a droning drum beat and ends with a guitar hook and a horn section. The titular track is Danava at their most prog since "By The Mark" off of their self-titled debut. To me, it's all a refreshing breath of air amidst a lot of other indie bands emulating the same new wave sound. It takes some to look further back for inspiration and when executed properly, an interesting array of tracks arise. Also, one of the best live acts you'll see.
Key Track: "Where Beauty and Terror Dance" - The flagship track of Danava's output to date, it is structured to perfection and has the spaciest outro you'll hear all year.
3. The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust - The Danish duo have consistently been at the top of my Best Albums list since their first full length, Chaing Gang of Love. As a matter of fact, they may have topped the charts the year their debut came out. Critics say they don't change their sound much, but I beg to differ. Elements stay the same, such as their kinky lyrics and their two part harmonies, but each album has an identity in it's own. The first album was an experiment in key. Pretty in Black was an homage to the 50's and 60's with it's Spector style production and reach form bubble-gum pop songs to surf guitars to genre jumping. Lust Lust Lust is pure shoegazing noise craft. "Aly, Walk With Me" is proof of this with it's hypnotic drum beat and bass riff. When it blasts into it's tidal wave of guitar noise, it's a sinful sound. One that is painful and utterly captivating. The album follows this formula throughout. "Lust" is a loud lullaby love song. "You Want the Candy" is a pounding pop rocker with more sexual innuendo packed into it then a horny English major. "Blush" is a pining anthem that should end a film someday. It's cinematic soundscape is nothing short of awesome. The Raveonettes are a band that deserves your full attention. They should be huge, but their sound is something way too unique for the mainstream. For the benefit of their fans, we don't mind that you don't get it. We are fine with seeing them play at tiny venues in our beloved cities and recognizing our friends after shows. It's a treat to have a connection to a band of such caliber.
Key Track: "Dead Sound" - Let this song damage your ears. Listen to it as loud as you can on really amazing headphones and you will feel the warming power of it's glow. Breathtaking.
2. David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today - After years of not working together, two of music's most intelligent and out there musicians got together again to make an album. In 1981, they came together for the breakthrough brilliance of My Life In The Bush of Ghosts. It was avante garde world music for a culture that didn't exsist. In 2008, they came together for Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. It's probably their most shocking album yet as it is nothing short of pop music perfection. It isn't anything mind shatteringly unique, but the straightforward nature of the album is what gives it it's edge. The opening acoustic guitar riff of "Home" proves this to the listener. You aren't in store for anything but break neck honesty. The titular track is a beautiful gospel hymn showing the beauty of the world in all things, be it a "perfect freeway" or watching your "neighbor's car explode." The melody will lift you up above it all and allow you to observe life in it's simple glory. The age of the two men shows through their many jabs at themselves. "Life is Long" and "The River" shows the men looking through old eyes at a long life of fruitful goodness, yet still yearning and searching for more. Only two tracks venture into strange soundscapes. "Poor Boy" and "I Feel My Stuff" have weird beats and strange vocal expressions care of Byrne. These tracks help mix up the album up and keep it exciting, but the honesty on the rest of the album is where the record truly shines.
Key Track: Most addictive song of 2008. I may have to make a fan video for this song. I can't get enough of it's simple beauty.
1. Black Mountain - In The Future - As I said in my half way through the year in review year in review, I didn't think that Black Mountain would be dethroned. My assumption was right. Although I don't listen to this nearly as much as I did the first half of the year, I still believe that this record has touched me in a strange, mystical way. It may be that this is a band with raw talent on all ends of the spectrum. A group that works together to create such a phenomenal sound. It could also be that I can see these guys at tiny venues when the music should be filling the air of giant stadiums. It may be because I should have grown up in a time where this music would be at home, but boy am I grateful that I grew up now and was able to witness this music now. From start to finish, In The Future is sheer power. "Stormy High" is a maelstrom of rock grandiosity. "Angels" is a more straightforward rocker. "Tyrants" is nothing short of a sprawling epic that has more shifts and turns than any single song should, but it pulls it off in a coherent beauty. "Wucan" has a riff handed down from the heavens and "Nightwalks" closes with a wondrous dirge. If anything at all, In the Future proves that the album is not a dead form of art. Bands write songs for the iTunes generation. You can buy one song and be happy. Black Mountain forces you to enjoy their record as a cohesive album filled with a signature sound and an impressive range of soudns and unique voices. Not just because their are two different voices, but because a song like "Evil Ways", with its boogie psych organ, and "Stay Free", a campfire sing-a-long, can coexist with relevance. This is why Black Mountain top this very list. It's an album that demands to be listened to as an album. It engulfs mind and body when played. It takes the listener on a journey. It does what a great album should do to it's listener: it'll move you.
Key Track: "Queens Will Play" - It was hard picking one key track, but the vocal performance of Amber Webber, the subdued band playing an eerie riff and a swelling rock-out at the end are a recipe for awesome.
Some sad omissions to this top ten list:
Secret Machines - As much as it is an awesome selection of songs, I just haven't been able to devote much time to the record. And for that, it makes me feel that it can't crack the top 10. I will admit that "The Walls Are Starting to Crack" is in the top 5 best tracks of the year.
School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms - Off shoot of the above band is really good. But it also suffers from the "I listen to it enough, but not enough to get into it."
Ratatat - LP3 - Awesome mood music and background music. More of the same, which is good, but nothing mind altering.
TV On the Radio - Nate Adams said it best. "Crying" would also make my best songs of 2008 list.
Torche - Meanderthal - God it's good, but it's better live.
Biggest disappointments of 2008:
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash - Every time I tried to listen to this straight through, I failed. Too much wankery that lead to nothing emotionally catching. Maybe on song that is good, but I was pretty upset with this one.
Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping - I think I just need to come to the realization that I only like about 6 songs by Of Montreal and won't like anything else they've done. This album is prue garbage.
Nine Inch Nails - The Slip - Trent, yer starting to slip. Ghosts I - IV was pretty cool though.
Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy - Hilariously bad. I keep trying to finish listening to it straight through but I just can't. Yucko.
Most Overrated Album of 2008:
Vampire Weekend - Can my most overrated album of the year still be good? Yeah. That's how overrated they are! It's decent pop music, but it is nothing short of ordinary. The amount of buzz I heard about this band was insane.
Best Live Act:
5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds @ The Electric Factory 4. Secret Machines @ The North Star Bar 3. David Byrne @ The Tower 2. Black Mountain @ Johnny Brenda's
I'm saving the top slot of Neil Young & Wilco which I presuppose will be nothing short of the greatest concert event of my life time to this point.
That is all. Discuss. Throw tomatoes. Sing praise. Enjoy.
It would be a terrible terrible shame if I did not include at least one Disney film on this list. There are many greats from many eras. I could have gone with Fantasia, easily one of the most avant-garde Disney films mixing Classical music and visual prowess. I could have gone with The Lion King mixing amazing music, lyrics and the best of the latter years animation. However, I must go with a childhood favorite and still my favorite Disney film to this day: Robin Hood. It's a classic tale that has been told many times, whether it be Errol Flynn, Cary Elwes or a cartoon fox. A simple tale of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor with swashbuckling action, goofy side characters and a relatively straight-forward love story, what kid wouldn't love this movie? Not to mention this is one of the groovy, trippy 70's Disney movies. Lord knows the strangest and wackiest Disney films came out in the 60's and 70's. Needless to say, what self respecting American doesn't have fond memories of a Disney Movie?
There isn't much for me to really write about here. It's all whimsical, fairy-tale magic. And even boys can enjoy that from time to time. I keep this one breif. Apologies for not digging deep into the soul of my 8-year-old self, but it's a period where everything needs to be fun. Robin Hood is just that. Oh and I would always get scared when the castle starts burning. Scared and sad.
1. Cinema Paradiso (1988) dr. Giuseppe Tornatore 2. Rushmore (1998) dr. Wes Anderson 3. Jurassic Park (1993) dr. Steven Speilberg 4. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) dr. Frank Capra 5. Trust (1990) dr. Hal Hartley 6. Donnie Darko (2001) dr. Richard Kelly 7. On The Waterfront (1954) dr. Elia Kazan 8. Monty Python & The Holy Grail (1975) dr. Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam 9. Do The Right Thing (1989) dr. Spike Lee 10. Stop Making Sense (1984) dr. Johnathan Demme 11. Trekkies (1997) dr. Roger Nygard 12. Fight Club (1999) dr. David Fincher 13. The Sting (1973) dr. George Roy Hill 14. Ghost Busters (1984) dr. Ivan Reitman 15. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) dr. Rob Reiner 16. Better Off Dead (1984) dr. "Savage" Steve Holland 17. Robin Hood (1973) dr. Wolfgang Reitherman
above quote is proof that 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of those films that appears to be one thing, yet is something completely entirely. When HAL 9000 says this line, we know that the movie is much more than just a Science Fiction film. It's a treatise on the nature of things. The film is about ideas. The film is a moving piece of philosophy and art. It's a mind numbing film to watch, and one that is ultimately not for everyone. Saying that doesn't mean "oh, you don't get it." It's more saying "an intense art piece doesn't make for the best or most entertaining time." That being said, both on a technical level and on a sub-textual level, 2001 is one of the greatest films in Cinema history.
