"The Descendants" Review

Long time no type I guess. Sorry to all the loyal readers out there but I've been pretty busy with school lately. It's crunch time so there have been essays due and tests to study for and that won't be letting up for another week or so. Over my Thanksgiving break I managed to schedule in something I actually wanted to do. Sunday night, before getting back to the grind, Turbo and I went and saw The Descendants. It's a new film by Sideways director, Alexander Payne, starring George Clooney. The story is set in Hawaii where Matt King (Clooney) has been burdened with the responsibility of caring for his children alone after his wife is in a boating accident and falls into a coma. In the movie the doctors reveal that she won't be waking up and King has to start informing his family and friends, while guiding his children through the challenges that come with such a tragedy. In addition to this, he finds his wife was cheating on him (it's in the trailer so I don't think that's a spoiler) and he takes it upon himself to find out as much as he can about his wife's lover.

Alexander Payne said in a recent interview that he finds the setting of a story to be just as important as the story itself. The fact that The Descendants takes place in Hawaii means a lot. For one, it means we get plenty of shots of the beautiful archipelago. The King family are the descendants of King Kamehameha himself. In the film, Matt and his cousins are trying to decide what to do with all of their land. Matt, being the sole trustee, has final say on what is to be done with the land. Matt King's independent wealth along with his connections take us from island to island to see the crystal clear beaches, miles of sandy coastline, and green jungles and grasses (jungles and grasses that his cousins propose they sell to hotel builders). The setting also means we get a look at a life that many of us probably don't consider. If someone tells you they're from Salt Lake City or Seattle, you probably just assume it's shitty there like it is wherever you live. But if someone says they're from Hawaii, we get this idea of some amazing exotic life where everyone's kicking back 24/7. The movie immediately attacks this notion and never lets up. They've got all the same problems over there as we do here in the mainland. They need lawyers and real estate agents. They have in-laws who hate them and annoying neighbors. The only difference is that they can usually count on the weather being nice. The score in the film is another huge factor in allowing the setting to come to life. Hawaiian music is heard all over the place. At the end of the credits we couldn't even pronounce the names of the majority of pieces. I'm just glad no one who spoke traditional Hawaiian was there to hear us butchering their language.

Matt's big surface problem throughout the movie is that he doesn't know how to deal with his two daughters, Scottie (10-years-old) and Alexandra (17). He refers to himself as the "backup" parent in the movie. When Scottie is first introduced, she's in trouble for showing her classmates disturbing pictures of her comatose mother in school. Alex is away at a private school originally and when Matt and Scottie go to pick her up on a whim, she's out golfing drunk with a friend. It suffices to say, there's a lot on Matt's plate as he begins the "single parent" era of his life. The characters allude to a dark past for Alex but she seems to be a bit more on the ball now. Matt counts on her to accompany him to break the bad news to their relatives. She's also his main support system in finding out that his wife was unfaithful to him. Shailene Woodley (pictured above) is spectacular as Alexandra. I don't watch a lot of The Secret Life of the American Teenager so I had never heard of her before but she really impressed me. I wouldn't be surprised if she got some recognition from the Academy; at least for a supporting role. Judy Greer (Arrested Development, Archer) and Matthew Lillard (Scream, Scooby-Doo) contribute solid performances. Honestly, everyone does a great job pulling together for believable interactions. It's so easy to rely on someone like George Clooney to carry a film but Payne allowed him to work without the entire project living or dying by his presence. This was, without a doubt, the right way to go.

Sharp dialogue, dense characters, genuine laughs, and some heartfelt exchanges are all wrapped up into one intriguing narrative. The execution is perfect even if no one aspect or scene jumps out as absolutely fantastic or completely unexpected. I don't think you can go wrong with spending your cash on The Descendants. If you're looking for something to watch this holiday season that isn't geared towards children, I suggest you look this up. I'm giving The Descendants 5 Dancing Hula Dolls. Chyeah!

Audio, Video, Disco Review

lot has happened to me musically since 2007 when Justice's first album, †, was released. For one, I didn't listen to Justice. I didn't listen to much of anything to be honest outside of hip-hop and R&B. In 2009 I was introduced to Daft Punk and later on, Justice. House quickly became one of my favorite genres and † set the bar for what I was looking for in all electronic music. Two years later, Justice has finally released their sophomore record, Audio, Video, Disco and this is my review.

The album starts with a track called "Horsepower." As it's name suggests, this piece gets the album going strong. It hits you with the dirty sound you've come to love and expect from Justice and lifts the spirits for this album to be more of the same from this group. In some cases, that would be a bad thing. However, when it comes to Justice, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has just been craving more from them. The next track is the first single from AVD entitled "Civilization." Justice introduces some vocals this time but the formula is still pretty much the same. By the time you get into "Ohio" you kinda get the sense that this is a more watered down version of Justice. If this is your first time getting into House music or just this band, you might find this easier to attach to. Of course, I'm always an advocate of diving right into a group's best or first so I'd still recommend †. I have to admit though, I love "Canon." It reminds me of Human After All era Daft Punk the way it repeats the same riffs over and over until you care about them.

By the time "On'n'On" finished, I realized how much I prefer the vocals on †. The childlike sounds of "D.A.N.C.E." and whatever you wanna call Uffie in "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy" have been replaced with the airy, high-pitched male vocals that are so popular these days. "Parade" starts with some strong base but never really goes anywhere. It'll certainly attract the dance fans though. By "Newlands," I was thinking to myself "hey, this is really different?" I didn't even realize it but the direction on AVD is just completely different. It sounds a little more rock-influenced. Pitchfork claims it's prog-rock influenced and I guess I can hear it but I didn't pick that up for myself. They get paid for this shit though, right? I'm doin' this for the love of you people. Anyway, back on topic. "Helix" is kinda what I expected this whole album to sound like. It's still more conventional dance music but it has a Justice tinge. I dig it, and that's as good of a compliment it'll get. AVD finishes with a title track. This was also released as a single so anyone who cares has probably already formed opinions about it. I prefer closing tracks to be a surprise when I first listen to an album but hey, who cares what I want? I'm just a potential customer. My opinions on this song pretty much summarize the whole project. I like it, I don't love it. Will I listen to it again? Definitely. If Justice wants to tour around here I'll definitely try to get into the show. To be honest, I expected to be disappointed but I'm really not. Audio, Video, Disco is a solid album and it shows Justice isn't just some fad who made some mediocre music that crowds attached to. They're serious and I'm fully expecting to be impressed by whatever they release next.

I'm giving Audio, Video, Disco a 1985 White Lamborghini Countach. Just one of 'em though. Chyeah!

Common Post. Trust me on this one.

I'm pretty sure everyone knows who Common is by now. Rapper, actor, activist, and generally cool guy, Common is someone I'd look up to if I was trying to get famous. Common has been gaining respect in the rap game since 1992. His last album, 2008's Universal Mind Control was a disappointment. His upcoming album, The Dreamer, The Believer, on the other hand is shaping up to be one of the best rap albums of the year in this writer's opinion. I posted the first single, "Ghetto Dreams," recently and the second single continues to deliver satisfying, conventional hip-hop. Blue Sky features classic Common vocals. In a rap world ruled by metaphors and double entendres in every line, Common takes it back to the 90s (again) with a more straight forward style of rhyming. The production is flawless and No I.D. is to thank for that. Listen for yourself. I'll be waiting patiently for it to get the radio play it deserves.

In addition to a new album, I learned last night that Common is going to be one of the stars in the upcoming AMC series, Hell on Wheels. The title refers to the world surrounding the building of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s. Common is playing a recently freed slave in the series and has been giving 2nd to top billing, not bad. I'm a little weary of his acting talents. He hasn't really had all that much responsibility as an actor in anything that turned out good. That's not to say he ruined anything though, Just Wright was probably screwed from the get go. I guess when the series premieres on November 6th, we'll have a good indication of his acting chops. TV acting isn't as demanding as film acting so he should be alright. Here's the trailer to the show in case you're interested.

The farthest off of Common's known projects is his collaborative album with equally-skilled rapper, Nas. Apparently after "Ghetto Dreams" the two decided to record a full LP that they're calling Nas.Com. Get it? I don't see any reason that album shouldn't be absolutely fantastic. Whenever it comes to light (currently scheduled for some time in 2012), I'm sure it will put all of these pop-minded, radio friendly rappers to shame.

That's all I wanted to say. November could be the month where Common becomes a household name. I've been a fan of his since Be in 2005. He's worked with some of the greats in the entertainment industry from J. Dilla to Ridley Scott. He's earned the love his new show and album may very well get him. This post is just me saying good luck & fingers crossed. Chyeah!

Some Assembly Required

That tagline was the worst part of the first Avengers trailer. You know, the one that you saw after watching all of the credits for Captain America. Today Marvel released the newest trailer for the fast approaching comic-movie epic. Before I say anything else, here's the link: As you can see, this movie looks fucking awesome. I'm going to go ahead and give it the "most entertaining movie of the year: 2012" award. As good as Batman and Spider-Man might be, neither of them can match the amount of fan service this movie is going to have. Just watching the trailer makes all of my hopes about what this movie can be come alive. This might sound odd but I hope this movie turns out to be like 2 and half hours long. That way they can take their time building it up and letting things happen, not throwing a bunch of whatnot together. Hey, if Transformers can make a billion dollars off a movie that long, I don't see any reason to avoid it. My favorite parts of the trailer include any scene with Iron Man (in armor, not just Stark) and the ending where they show of some Mark Ruffalo Hulk. I'm interested in seeing what he brings to the role. I'd like to see more Hawkeye in a future trailer. I don't know if movies do Character Trailers like games do but they'd be great for this movie. They could even use old footage for the characters that have it. I just want substantial amounts of Hawkeye. I don't really have anything else to say. It was just a trailer after all. But yeah, explosions, Loki, what looked to be some Cap vs. Thor, Nick Fury finally getting his hands dirty, RDJ being funny, Scarlett Johannson being hot. These are the things we have to look forward to. Just imagine all the things we haven't seen yet. May can't come soon enough. Chyeah!

Michael

Giving you reasons to buy a PS3 is totally in line with all that I stand for, so here I am to share a new ad. It's entitled Michael. Long Live Play.




Those of you who already own a Sony console should get a kick out of it too. Some of your favorite characters are to be found if you look hard enough. Chyeahck it out.

63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, I am disappoint.

The Emmys happened yesterday and I missed them because I was watching football. If I weren't watching football, I would have been annoyed watching all of my favorite shows and actors get overshadowed for awards. So thank you Fox for interrupting Animation Domination to have Jane Lynch stomp on my hopes.

The disappointment goes back to last week when it was revealed that Adventure Time lost to some Disney thing for the Short-Form Animation award. That's two nominations and two losses in two years. I have confidence that they'll get what they've earned eventually. The only high point comes in the form of Mad Men winning it's 4th consecutive Outstanding Drama Series award. I'm kinda surprised Breaking Bad didn't get the nomination considering it's praise. I guess Boardwalk Empire just swooped in and took it's spot. While I'm excited that Mad Men is getting recognition, I was hoping this would be the year that Jon Hamm got his own personal Emmy for his portrayal of Don Draper. As a matter of fact, not one of the Mad Men actors walked away with their own Emmy last night. I guess the academy just thinks they work best as a team. Maybe next year.

I'll admit that I don't watch many of the shows nominated so maybe the performances that are winning truly are streets ahead of my favorites. That being said, I simply cannot stand for the atrocities going on in the Comedy department. Glee has an Emmy nomination. I've watched 1 full episode of Glee. Not only is the singing annoying, but the acting leaves much to be desired. If you didn't get my "streets ahead" reference, I would have preferred a nomination for Community. More than that though, Louie deserves the nomination! Actually, Louie deserves the win. He did get nominated for acting in the show, writing on the show, and for his stand-up, Hilarious, but he lost for all of those. I'm pretty much shocked. I'm going to let it slide because they were reviewing the first season. If the show isn't given a nomination Outstanding Comedy Series next year, there will be hell to pay. Just as a side note to this, Jim Parsons does a good job in The Big Bang Theory, but I don't think he's consecutive Emmy good.

Other various Emmy disappointments include (try not to take these too seriously):

• The Cleveland Show getting a nomination. What?
• iCarly losing it's award. What?
• The continued existence of Reality Show awards.
• Modern Family (good show) getting 5 awards (not that good).

That's all I've got to say about that. Next year I predict wins for Louie, Adventure Time, Mad Men, Wilfred, some mini-series I won't see, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and Louie. You can quote me on that. Chyeah!

Drive Review

This is one of those instances where it's a good idea to watch a movie based on reviews. Actually, that's usually a good idea if you like good movies. What I mean is, I didn't know much about Drive before the last few weeks. I knew Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan were in it. I knew driving was involved. And I knew the director, Nicolas Winding Refn, was a foreign guy with whom's work I'd not been acquainted (I'd heard of Bronson but haven't seen it). About last week the reviews started coming in and they were great. Not like The Social Network good or anything but it was obvious that this was something I needed to see. Pslightly Psycho and I set it up and now it's been watched. I have to say, it did not disappoint.

I haven't been paying attention to the advertisements for this movie but I can assure you that they're deceiving. Drive runs like what I'd assume a 20 lap NASCAR race would go. The first 15 laps would be significant. Not necessarily exciting (depending on whether or not you like NASCAR), but important. Everything takes it's time getting into position for the big finish. We meet the characters, understand the relationships, and are treated to the beauty of Los Angeles along the way. In the last 5 laps, shit gets serious. Now we've got the passing and the crashing, or rather, chases and gunfights. Neither one is overdone. They're really only used to contribute to the seriousness of the matters at hand. If you were expecting some Shoot 'Em Up-esque car fighting movie, you're going to be surprised. Drive is stylish and serious.

Ryan Gosling plays the nameless Driver. As his name suggests, driving is what he does best. He's a wheelman with a guarantee that he can make any getaway as long as you give him a five minute window. The opening scene treats us with a bit of his skill. He daylights as a Hollywood stunt driver and mechanic. These, of course, would be the jobs he tells people about, but I saw them as secondary to his midnight crusades. Driver's only friend is Shannon (Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston). He helps Driver with the stunts and is trying to borrow enough money to get Driver in his very own stock car. In the film, Driver takes notice of his neighbor, Irene (Mulligan). Romance blossoms after he helps her and her son, Benicio, out of a jam. Gosling's Driver is a man of very few words so we're left with their facial expressions and body language to demonstrate the chemistry. Usually when you see a quiet character in a love story, it comes off as awkward, but the emotion between these two felt authentic. That comes to a halt when Irene's husband, Standard, is released from jail. He's not a bad guy, but he owes money to a few. When Standard's pursuers threaten Irene & Benicio, Driver decides to contribute his talents to help the family.

Things start getting messy from here in more ways than one. Suddenly, Drive ramps up the intensity and comes out of nowhere with some good old fashioned gore. There's red corn syrup everywhere. The graphic nature of these scenes is a drastic contrast to the first half of the movie but it's all so well done that nothing really seemed out of place. Speaking of well done, the cinematography is perfect. The camera does a great job capturing everything from emotions to bloodshed without ever getting dull. Another high point was the soundtrack. I'm not great with genres but it rooted in electronic, possibly trance. Regardless of the genre, I know I'm going to spend a decent bit of time tracking down the tracks from the film and adding them to my personal music collection. The pacing can be compared to that of Taxi Driver, with a slow build of everything coming together before a heart-pounding final act. And of course, there are a few other obvious comparisons I could make. I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see a really good film in theaters. It doesn't quite feel like a "Best Picture" nominee but I wouldn't be surprised. It might be the best movie I've seen in theaters this year (excluding whatever Tree of Life will go down in history as).

Something Mad Different!

Hopefully these won't be "something different" soon. This is Mr. Hands and Turbo doing a podcast. It's more worthy of a listen than anything else you could possibly be listening to. Turn off your shitty Lil Wayne album (no offense Killer) and listen to the link I'm about to post. You'll laugh and you'll probably learn something.

  Podcast Episode #1 by ACDCfreak50

I don't know what else to say. This is what CHYEAH! is about in it's purest form. I'm not going to sleep for the next half hour (it's 1:30 right now) because of this and I'm mad tired. Alright, enjoy. Seriously. Enjoy this.

Chyeah.

American Oldboy gets real.

We've been hearing about this American remake of the 2003 Korean film, Oldboy, for a while now. For a while it was rumored to star Will Smith with Steven Spielberg as the director. If you've seen Oldboy, or know what it's about, you're were probably confused about this. I'm not here to speak ill of either of these gentlemen. Personally I think they're some of the best at what they do even if popular opinion is beginning to sway from this opinion. What makes this combo questionable for this particular project is their tendency towards films with mass appeal. Not that they're not capable of producing deep non-blockbusters, but these are guys with names that immediately skyrocket a movie to #1 in the box office. That being said, Oldboy is a film that is going to have some trouble connecting with an American audience. It would be more than interesting to see Spielberg & Smith try, but I'm glad they're not.

Now the burden of Americanizing a modern foreign classic falls on the shoulders of Spike Lee. I, admittedly, haven't seen many Spike Lee movies. I plan on changing that in the near future. From what I know of his work, he's got some talent. Usually his work deals with race relations in America though, so I'm somewhat worried about how qualified he is to take on a project completely out of his zone. For a while I thought he'd just twist the movie into something dealing more with race. I fully expected a black actor to be chosen as the lead role. However, it was just announced that Josh Brolin will be the star. Even though I'm not looking forward to the movie, I think Brolin's a good choice. He's got the chops and I can see him in the role.

So far his Brolin's casting is the shining light of this remake. I wish we'd stop this trend of remaking foreign films that aren't even old. How about letting people who care to see those movies seek them out and read some subtitles? Hopefully this is more of a trend and not an indication that no one has any ideas in Hollywood. Whatever the case, I'm just hoping that Oldboy's good name isn't completely trashed with this remake. I recommend checking out the Korean version if you get a chance. I don't want to spoil but if you do watch it, you'll understand my apprehension. This post was kinda random but I'm anxious to see how this pans out and I'm bored so yeah... I mean, Chyeah!

Rod-Man Honors: Mad Men

It's been a month or so since I finished all of the Mad Men that exists. Recently I've been going into withdrawals. I crave the drama of advertising in the 1960s in an unhealthy way. For all you uncultured folks out there, Mad Men is a series on AMC that's commonly revered as one of the greatest shows on television. Only other AMC shows and movie channels (HBO, Showtime) match it's level of brilliance. The details, the twists, the direction, it's all so perfect.

Sadly, due to AMC's stupidity, the fifth season of the critically acclaimed series has been pushed back into 2012. At least 2012 is shaping up to be one of the best years the entertainment industry has ever seen. Well, according to me it is. The season opener is reportedly being directed by the show's star, Jon Hamm. If you don't watch the show you might have seen him in The Town as officer Adam Frowley, the cop who stayed on Affleck's back 'til the end. You may have also seen him in Bridesmaids where he plays Ted, Wiig's casual lover. He does an outstanding job as creative director, Donald Draper, in the series. Draper is a man shrouded in mystery. As the series progresses and Don Draper's past is revealed, Hamm succeeds in making a seemingly untouchable figure look more and more vulnerable. I'll be surprised if Ham & Cheese doesn't grab an Emmy in the near future. However, the show is called Mad Men and not Mad Man. The efforts of the cast has led to the show's winning of two SAG awards for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series." They, along with the crew of directors and writers have earned 6 Primetime Emmys, including "Outstanding Drama Series" for three years running.

I, like millions of others, am patiently waiting for the premiere of Season 5. I've never been more sure that something I'm anticipating will be stellar and completely worth my excitement. There's really nothing else to say. If you haven't been watching Mad Men, you've got some time to catch up before the series starts back up. Look out for AMC to show a marathon or something. As a matter of fact, they're showing every episode in the series in order in 3 hour blocks at 6 in the morning. I don't recommend waking up that early (even though this is worth it) so I recommend finding some alternative method of catching up. That's it for now. Writing this helped me fill a void in my life so thanks for reading. I'll probably post something else soon. I like blogging in spurts. 'Til then, Chyeah!

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Review

This is my review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Don't forget to read TheKillerCliche's review of Watch the Throne right after you're done. You can just keep scrolling down. Actually, just scroll down forever and read everything we've ever posted. chyeah.

Alright, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I'm only just realizing how stupid long that title is. That being said, the title might be the only thing wrong with this movie. The story follows the life of Caesar, a chimpanzee born with extraordinary intelligence thanks to a serum given to his mother and passed down to him genetically. The serum was developed by James Franco's character, Will Rodman. I swear, all us Rod-Mans are geniuses. Anyway, he was trying to create a cure for Alzheimer's to use on his father. He found that not only did it cure him, but improved his mind's capabilities in similar ways that it did the chimp. In case you couldn't guess from the fact that this is a prequel/reboot to Planet of the Apes, the serum is given to some other Apes and they... well they rise. Eventually, they'll probably take over the planet.

The performances from the human characters were good but what really stands out is the performance of Andy Serkis as Caesar. Never have I felt so much emotion from a digitally created character. Pixar wishes they could animate something as genuinely moving as Caesar in his darker moments. He pretty much carries the movie so it was important that he feel authentic and the Mo-Cap guys nailed it. They really gave us a sense that he was too smart to be treated as a chimp, that he was as human as any of us. At times, it was kind of scary. At others, it was awesome. I'll leave it at that.

I've never heard of director Rupert Wyatt but I wouldn't be surprised to see him get more work. I hope he gets a shot at doing the next movie as well. My brother remarked that the marketing didn't really sell this movie as a summer blockbuster. Honestly, if you didn't go to the movies much and see the trailers over and over again, you might not have known too much about this at all. Rise has pretty much everything you could possibly want from a summer movie though. The action is some of the best I've seen all year. I won't spoil but I will say this, don't fuck with gorillas. It's funny without being corny or unnecessary like certain Michael Bay-directed movies this year. It's plenty dramatic too thanks to Franco. He doesn't lose an arm in this one but he does lose a friend. Close enough. Lastly, I can guarantee that at one point your jaw will drop to the ground. What more can you ask for? Nothing. The answer is nothing. Now go see it.

I'm giving Rise of the Planet of the Apes a rating of 6 Marvel Apes. Step your game up, Avengers. Chyeah!

M83. You best get ready.

What you see above is the cover art to a new song by my favorite band, M83. M83 is the brainchild of Anthony Gonzalez. I'm talking about the French electronic/shoegaze musician, not the Indianapolis Colts wide receiver. Anyway, the new song is called Midnight City and it's pretty good. M83 fans will notice that it seems to borrow the pop feel that Gonzalez experimented with in Saturdays = Youth with more of the type of build he had on Before the Dawn Heals Us or Dead Cities. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the late sax solo featured here. For the people who don't know M83, check out the song and see if you like it.

Midnight City by M83

Gonzalez has stated that he's going for a more "epic" feel for his upcoming album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. It's supposed to be out this October. If Midnight City is any indication, I'm sure I'm going to love it. Judging by the reactions I'm reading on the song's last.fm page, fellow fans are on their way to musical bliss when the album drops. Or should I say "albums." Hurry Up has been confirmed as a double album so that means twice as much M83 as we thought we were gonna get. As of right now, it's my most anticipated album of the fall. Chyeah!

The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra

It's been a little over a year since M. Night took the name The Last Airbender and stomped all over it with that mess of "movie" supposedly based on Nickelodeon's hit animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Now the original creators are taking their name back with their spin-off miniseries, The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra. You might notice that this title doesn't make much sense because Korra isn't an airbender so she can't be the last one. Honestly, I think they just want to return the reputation of the title that Shyamalan destroyed.

I think I posted about this before but as an update, it's been 70 years since the events of the original series. As you can see, technology has advanced pretty significantly under Aang. I guess when you have people who can shape skyscrapers in a matter of seconds with earth (and metal) bending, you can throw buildings up pretty quickly. Korra is the new avatar now and so far she looks pretty badass. She's obviously quite different from Aang, a welcome change for this new series. You may have also noticed a shady looking character at the end of the trailer. I've read that his name is Oman and he's the leader of The Equalists, an anti-bending group. I can't wait to see how their struggle unfolds. The show is supposed to come out next year so just file it next to The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man, and the THE END OF THE WORLD, as stuff you're waiting to see in 2012.

That's it for this post. Check back soon for a dual review of Captain America from me and TheKillerCliche. CHYEAH!

TRAAAAIIILEEEEERRRRRSSSSS!

Hey everyone, this week has marked the release of a few new trailers. Comic-Con is right around the corner so studios like Columbia & Warner Bros. have decided to reveal teasers for their 2012 superhero summer blockbusters. Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises have finally opened themselves up for some initial speculation. So, let us speculate.



You might notice that this trailer is pretty serious. Peter's parents barely get a mention in the 2002 Spider-Man and I just realized I have no idea what exactly happened to them. Even though we won't get the whole story, it's nice to know that Webb's at least thinking about these things. He's also sticking to source material when it comes to old girlfriends (Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy) and WEB SHOOTERS! Hey, if he thinks he can pull it off, more power to him. My only fear after this trailer is that, because it's so serious, we won't see the wise-cracking Spider-Man that he is in the comics. So far it looks like Webb successfully turned Spider-Man into an indie drama... then dumps a superhero movie on top of it. I'm not sure what the budget of this movie is but up until the science labs and spider powers, it doesn't look very high. That's a good thing though because it means however much money they do have will go to good use. As Nolan has shown us in the past, when it comes to special effects, less is more.



Speaking of Nolan! Even though this trailer uses a lot of old footage, it's still pretty exciting. Maybe you don't remember but the first teaser for The Dark Knight had no footage at all. So that being said... BE GRATEFUL! Nolan doesn't have to give us anything. If there was never any footage of this movie, you'd still be there opening day. I know I would be. Anyway, we do get a good look at Bane in the trailer. They decided to ditch the full face mask in favor of a creepy looking claw-like mouth guard strapped to his face. Like everything else Nolan does, it works. Sadly we don't get a look at anyone from the Inception reunion or Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. My favorite part in the trailer is easily the end. I can't explain it but the way it's shot is nerve-racking and even a little scary. Maybe this is where Bane breaks the Bat? I can't be sure of that but I'm absolutely positive that I won't be disappointed in this movie.

Are there really still movies coming out this year? They need to hurry up so I can watch these 2012 movies. Apparently The Avengers trailer leaked but I won't watch it until it's official. This is more than enough to wet my whistle before Comic-Con, Captain America, and Cowboys & Aliens in the coming weeks. That's it for now errbody. Chyeah!

The Tree of Life Review... sorta.

The Tree of Life isn't really the sort of movie I can review. Usually when I sit down to write a review, I think about an aspect of a movie that needs critiquing, and give my opinion on how that particular movie did. How was the plot? How was the acting? the direction? etc etc. I could do that for this movie but it simply wouldn't help. The acting was fantastic, sure, but that was pretty much a given. The direction and cinematography were beautiful. Malick knows how to make a visually stunning film, that's for sure. The plot is interesting. There aren't all that many outstanding events as much as there is a significant portion of the life of young Jack O'Brien which shows us his relationship with his family; most importantly, his father.

Before we ever get to see any of this, we are treated to Terrence Malick's interpretation of the formation of the universe. The only thing that came before it was the news of a dead son for the O'Briens and a look at Sean Penn's character at his day job in the city. To be honest, I was both confused and angry while watching the evolution scene. We knew almost nothing at this point and then we were tossed into this odd, seemingly unrelated segment. Once it's over, the movie becomes more traditional. From what I've gathered, Malick included the segment to give the viewer a specific scope to view the movie through. You might say he wanted us to compare the formation of the universe with the raising of a family. There's another theory that Malick wanted us to see just how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things. Personally I think he could have gone a different way if that's what he was trying to do but this isn't the kind of movie with a "right answer." I'm more fond of the idea that he wants us to find parallels because it's more fun. We see struggles between a father and son that (to me) mimic that of dinosaurs we saw before it. I say that there are no right answers and give points on my opinion because this movie is very Kubrick-esque in it's "message." I couldn't stop comparing it to 2001: A Space Odyssey in my head the whole time I was watching it. I've only seen one other Terrence Malick picture. In The Thin Red Line his message is much clearer. Or should I say, it's easier to interpret something from it. The Tree of Life hints at a lot but doesn't tell you anything. In addition to 2001, I couldn't stop thinking the word "pretentious" either. I don't know if I still feel that way but this is the first time I've ever thought that word while watching a movie so it probably holds true somewhere in my mind.

I did enjoy watching The Tree of Life (by the 2nd half) and I want to see it again. I feel I need to see it again. Maybe it's bullshit and I'm attaching to it because I think it's supposed to good. That may very well be true. There's a chance that this movie is nonsense because it's trying so hard to be deep. However, I think there's an equal chance that this is a grand achievement in storytelling on film. This movie makes me wish I were smarter so I could decipher between the two. What can't be denied is that Terrence Malick succeeded in creating something new and different. He's made something that I can't call bad just because I don't really know what it is. He's made me question what "good" is in a way I haven't thought about since I began getting interested in film. No score this time. Just Chyeah!

Finally Famous: The Album: The Review

I HATE THIS ALBUM COVER. But that's beside the point...


Kanye West's GOOD Music label has recently been officially accepted into the Def Jam family. The first release under the label after this new partnership is that of Kanye's protégé, Big Sean. Finally Famous is something like Big Sean's version of The College Dropout. He tells his story, backs himself with industry talent, and most importantly, makes something that's going to ensure that he'll be back for another album in the future and quite possibly be a Big name in the industry for a long time.

Maybe I shouldn't compare Finally Famous to College Dropout. I don't want you thinking it's THAT good. It's not changing the game or anything. Sean also has the disadvantage of not being a producer. Obviously when you compose the music to a project you're going to provide the vocals for, you have more control over the overall product. Sean touches on a lot of topics but there aren't a lot of obvious, meaningful themes throughout the entire CD. I would say the album suffers from Sean not being that great of a rapper, but he's streets ahead of a lot of his young competition. He's still somewhat incosistent but the featured artists do manage to shine from start to finish. Pharell, John Legend, Kanye, and Lupe all back Sean in his 12-track story. Dwele and Pusha T can also be found as featured artists on some of the bonus tracks. You'll also find artists like Wiz Khalifa, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, and The-Dream if you're into that sort of thing. Honestly, that's what Finally Famous is all about. It's an album straight from Sean for hip-hop fans of every sort. In the past I've thought of Sean's verses as lazy but now I see that his flow is just really laid back. That's fine but I wish he'd get really angry every once in a while. He does the whole "fuck you" thing like most rappers but I feel like it's coming from a place where he doesn't care about his haters. I want to hear him hate his haters for a second.

Def Jam wants Big Sean to do for hip-hop what Beyonce's done for R&B. Now I'm honestly not exactly sure what that means. If I had to guess, I'd say they want him to have hit after hit after manufactured billboard hit. They want us to get completely sick of seeing and hearing Big Sean. They want us to get tired of him but not hate him, just really not want to hear him ever. I doubt that's what they mean though. They probably just want him to get huge. I'm not sure Finally Famous is going to propel him to that level of popularity but it proves that he can make music the masses will want to listen to. I'm just glad he can do this without becoming a clone of what's been successful for other rappers.

If you've got dreams of being famous, your theme song might be somewhere on Finally Famous. If you're not one of those people, you should still check it out for something to bob your head to. A few of the lines might actually catch you by surprise and you'll probably like something you hear. I'm giving this album 10 Jesus Pieces. CHYEAH!

Song of the Moment (7/6/11)

Today's Song of the Moment is the first single from Common's upcoming album The Dreamer, The Believer. It's called "Ghetto Dreams" and it features Nas. Yes, Nas and Common on the same track. The song has a real 90s feel. No I.D. is the producer so credit goes to him for a sick beat, complete with old school dj scratches. Nas sings the hook and contributes the last verse. These guys are real rappers and this is a real rap song. Even their flows and lyrics sound like something you'd hear in the 90s. For something that sounds like it could be 15-years old, I'm happy to say this track is as fresh as fresh could be.

Common - Ghetto Dreams feat NAS by Nasir Jones

Bon Iver Review

Last week, the second Bon Iver album was released. This one is self titled for good reason. With For Emma, Forever Ago, a story was being told. The music was a reflection of Justin Vernon's retreat to solitude due to sickness, both physically and emotionally. It was a cold, lonely collection of songs. This time around, Justin and the band have cranked up the volume and put a spin on their sound to make a much more grandiose sophmore album.

Since his debut, Justin Vernon has been all over the music industry. He made a few appearances on Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and was one of the big members of indie supergroup, Gayngs. The group's musical growth is obvious from the very first song, "Perth." I found this song to be almost post-rockesque with it's loud-quiet-dynamics. The guitars and drums were also reminiscent of something you might hear from Mogwai.  From start to finish, we're given grander instrumentation. That difference makes Bon Iver a less "folky" project. It's closer to what you might expect from more traditional indie or even indie rock.

Influences for this album seem to reach across multiple genres and decades. The sounds combine to create an album that's obviously indie without being generic. My only real issue with it is the vocals. While I love Vernon's voice, it's hard to understand what he's saying. Usually I wouldn't care all that much but if his lyrics are nearly as meaningful here as they are on For Emma, then they're completely worth paying attention to. I think it's obvious that Bon Iver is an improvement, musically, but I can't say yet if I like it better. For Emma, Forever Ago was raw emotion unlike most things I've ever heard. Bon Iver is a real album. Regardless of my feelings towards it, it proves that this band is not a one hit wonder. They are not destined to be defined by the hit success of their first album. Expect these guys to be around for a while, leading the way in the indie scene.

Favorite track: Perth. Check it out here.

Don't buy these!

Good evening everyone. I wanted to release this post as a plea to you, a plea to not screw things up for us. You see, there are some ballin' Super Mario converses coming out soon. How soon, I'm not sure. I believe someone said August. Now, Turbo plans on getting them and if he doesn't, then I'm going to get them myself. If I find myself with some money, I might just get the pair he doesn't get. Either way, this will only work for us if you people stay away. These sneakers will certainly be limited edition. If you buy all of them, there will be no more for us. I hope we're clear on this. I'll post pictures of the shoes so you know which ones not to buy.

DON'T BUY THESE

AND DEFINITELY DON'T BUY THESE

Thanks. If you want, you can buy the ones that are supposed to come out in July. As a matter of fact, I encourage it. Here's a link to those. LINK. Enjoy, and remember, this counts as us calling dibs. It's well documented so there's gonna be a problem if any of you people buy these. A'ight, see you around then. Chyeah!

Super 8 Review

I'm about to write some reviews. This first one is for Super 8. After I saw it on the Saturday after it's release, I chilled out most of Sunday before being kidnapped and not returned home until Tuesday night. Then I started working and haven't felt like doing this. I still don't really feel like it but it needs to be done. I'll probably go quickly.

The new J.J. Abrams movie, Super 8, is in some ways similar to the 2008 mysterious monster flick, Cloverfield,  that he produced. Based on trailers alone, it would seem that both of them are movies about some terrible and unstoppable creature wreaking havoc on humans. To some extent, Super 8 is just that. However, Abrams is behind the camera this time and it's nowhere near as shaky. That goes both literally and figuratively. Not only is the filming done more traditionally for Super 8, but the movie is generally more solid. A lot of people were upset with Cloverfield's lack of information but Super 8 doesn't experience that problem. Everything is eventually explained. It's not the most amazing tale or anything that's going to keep you guessing the whole movie, but it moves the plot along just fine.

Super 8 is about more than just a monster though. What really makes the movie, in my eyes, are the cast of characters consisting heavily of children. In Super 8, the kids are trying to make a zombie movie for a film festival. They're filming near the train tracks when the train crashes, derails, and basically explodes. It's at this point that the monster is released and shit starts to go down. It soon becomes apparent that there's a lot that we don't know about the incident. The rest of the movie explains exactly what's going on, all the while developing the relationships of these children to each other, their parents, and the incident. The movie unfolds predictably in some parts (the intimate "boy-girl" relationship parts) and somewhat interestingly in others (mostly with the monster). I've got no real complaints when it comes to the plot. The only one I could think of would spoil it for you and I've already come to terms with why it's no big deal.

The performances were a high point. I actually liked the kids more than the adults in the movie. Their relationships with each other were fleshed out and meaningful. The kids who weren't supposed to be important just weren't, so I never got the chance to hate them, which is good. Much of their dialogue consisted of things like "shut up" and just saying "shit" when something was going wrong. I actually loved that about this movie. It seemed more realistic than the kids being all clever like they had writers or something. I'd tell you the actors but I don't know them and you wouldn't care. I think the biggest "name" in the movie is Elle Fanning and that's just because she's Dakota's little sister. Using unknowns works for this movie because none of the actors have to be all that fantastic to keep things moving.

I know what you're all wondering though. "What was the monster? Was it an alien? Was it a Transformer? Was it ET?" Well I'm not going to tell you. I'm not going to tell you because I expect you to see this eventually. I will say that the monster was pretty frightening. It's visceral and agile and terrifying in all the ways you'll want it to be. It look pretty good too, nice effects and CG and all that good stuff. I've really got no complaints. I didn't fall in love with this movie or anything but I can't say I regret paying for it. I love comic book superhero movies but it's refreshing to see a big summer blockbuster that's not based on 50-year-old stories.

I rate this movie... INFINITE THUMBS UP.

That could go on forever. Chyeah!