SAWDUST
The Killers
From the moment I first heard the opening note of the song Mr. Brightside, it brought out something in me I haven't felt in a while. I immediately got hooked on The Killers' sound. After devouring the songs on Hot Fuss, and it's follow up Sam's Town, I got excited upon hearing the news that Sawdust was being released. Sawdust is technically "a compilation of rerecorded B-sides, rarities, covers and remixes". It's in the raw tracks like these where you see how good this band is. Take Shadowplay for example. This is a cover of the original song by Joy Electric. Even though it's a cover, The Killers add their own touch of class to make it one of the best hits of the year. I remember having a conversation with someone who said they are going too commercial. This latest album should crush any ideas of them going that route. Either way you look at it, this is a generous catalog of songs by The Killers for their fans. And on the inside cover of the CD, it's the fans that they dedicate this album to.
It's not a new concept that movies speak truth to us on a hidden level. Some are so blatant, others more subtle. I can't decide after watching The Invasion which point it's trying to get across. There's a couple different ways you can take the message that this film sends out. A few noticeable themes to me were exchanging human will and emotion for peace and conformity, the decline of human emotion due to an over-medicated society, and the dangers of when a group feels it's their job to "fix" people and make them just as they are. (I'm also wondering if there's a hidden connection between Nicole Kidman in the lead role as a woman refusing to become one of the infected, and Tom Cruise's mission to recruit people to Scientology. Makes me wonder.)
So, about the film. An alien substance finds it's way to earth courtesy of a space shuttle that explodes while returning to earth. This alien goo, when touched (or ingested) enters your blood stream and literally sucks any human emotion out of you while sleeping. In other words, you're not yourself anymore. You have now become one of the infected, one of "them". Sound familiar? That's because this is a modern take on the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In The Invasion, the virus starts in Washington DC, and spreads from there. Since it was filmed in DC, it's interesting to see the nation's capitol as a backdrop for this terror that's sweeping humanity. The only hope lies with psychiatrist Carol Bennell (Kidman) and her son, who happens to be immune to the alien virus. Upon finding out that the population has become infected and are trying to get her, a wild chase goes on with her running away from them everywhere from city neighborhoods to the underground DC Metro system. When realizing that her son is in danger after being taken away by her ex-husband, who is also infected, she races against time to save him, as well as herself. Nicole carries the film by portraying the paranoid yet heroic mom very realistically. As hopeless as it is trying to escape a society infected by an alien virus, it sure makes for a thrilling experience watching it on film. Some remakes of films usually come off as half-assed attempts at cashing in on a franchise. The Invasion doesn't do that at all. It will shock you, keep you holding your breath, and make you think.
Carnival Vol. II : Memoirs Of An Immigrant
Wyclef Jean
Today is real gloomy here in NJ. As I look out my window, all I see is dark gray skies and rain pouring down. But it's all good, because I'm having a party. Well, not a real party. I'm playing Wyclef Jean's latest album Carnival Vol. II : Memoirs Of An Immigrant, which sure as hell feels like I'm having one. If you remember Wyclef from the days with the Fugees, you'll remember the eclectic style he brought to their form of music. After their break-up, he branched out as a solo artist and showed his diverse influences. Doing everything from singing reggae style to playing his own instruments, he proved he was much more than your ordinary rapper. That talent was displayed on hits like Gone 'Til November, which still remains a classic to this day.
Now we are presented with Carnival Vol. II : Memoirs Of An Immigrant. Wyclef, never afraid to do collaborations with other artists, even those outside the realm of hip-hop, does so proudly here. A perfect example is on the slamming track Riot, where he brings in guest Serj Tankian (System Of A Down). Along with that, there's more cameos by artists like Mary J Blije, Paul Simon, Norah Jones, and will.i.am. In typical Wyclef fashion, the songs range from mellow and thought provoking to loud and energetic.
Like I said, this album is a party, courtesy of Wyclef Jean.
After starting out as a huge Simpson’s fan in the early 90’s, I eventually gave up following the show around 1994. Nothing against it, just different changes in life provided less time for me to keep up with TV. Fast forward to 2008 where we now have The Simpsons Movie on DVD. I must say, after watching it I realized what I've been missing all this time. I remembered what it was about this show that had me hooked, even as far back as their guest appearances on Fox's Tracy Ullman Show. I had a good time laughing my ass off watching this film poke fun of everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger, to fundamentalist Christians, and extreme environmentalists. Chances are you might even find something about yourself to laugh about in this film. So what’s different between the movie and the regular show on TV? Nothing really, except for the fact that there’s more they can get away with on the film than on regular TV. Things like Homer and Marge about to get it on in the bedroom, or Bart’s infamous nude skateboarding scene. Other than that, this is about 90 minutes worth of the brilliant comedy that made the show famous.
And before anyone gets a chance to bash it, saying it's only an extended TV episode, the writers already beat you to the punch. In the intro to the film, Homer, while watching Itchy and Scratchy in the theater says, "I can't believe we're paying to see something we can see on TV for free! If you ask me, everyone in this theater is a big sucker!"
Oh! I can't forget to mention the debut of Spider-pig (AKA Harry Plopper), whose presence adds more laughs to this already hilarious film.
Another Sound Is Dying
Dub Trio
Yesterday, an album was released. The name of the band? Dub Trio. Who are they? A band from Brooklyn. Is it an album worth checking out? Absolutely. Why? Well I thought you'd never ask.
It seems these days that everyone is trying to do something "different". In fact there's so many people trying to make music that sounds "different", that it has become the norm. So what's been deemed as "normal" in the past is really what's "different" now. You following along? Good. So anyway, about Dub Trio. Defying conventional rules on how a typical album should be, these guys really jam to create mind-bending sounds. And man, they could jam! They do it by throwing different musical styles in a blender and cranking it on high until the shit starts flying everywhere. As the title says "Another Sound Is Dying". And before rebirth, there has to be some sort of death. Well what "dies" with this band is music that's predictable. And what gets "resurrected" is a sonic experiment that'll blow your mind.
Note to JJ Abrams: Make more movies, QUICK!
As the credits rolled after watching Cloverfield in the theater, I was thinking, "Why aren't more movies made like this??" And I'm not focusing so much on the realistic camcorder style of filming (although that did play a major part), but the fact that the answers weren't spoon fed to you. In fact, you're still left with a bunch of unanswered questions after the film ends. But you know what? That's what made it great for me! The only thing you can do for the unanswered questions is to visit in your mind any subtle clues the film may have provided. And as much as I tried to bring back anything to form an answer, I couldn't. Whether it was about the monster's origin, or any other detail, nothing was provided easily. And that's cool. In my humble opinion, I think we've been too easily satisfied with formulaic stories that are wrapped up nice and tidy at the end. And there is a place for those types of films. But they seem to have been the majority for a while. Films like this and 28 Days Later leave you with a grim, realistic feeling, even days after watching. It's the type of story that you wind up thinking, "If something like that ever happened, we're fucked."
With something like this, you confront an extreme type of fear. Unrealistic? Yes. But facing this kind of fear can actually do some good. I'll end with a quote by J.J. Abrams:
“We live in a time of great fear. Having a movie that is about something as outlandish as a massive creature attacking your city allows people to process and experience that fear in a way that is incredibly entertaining and incredibly safe. I want to have that experience myself – to go to a movie that’s about something larger-than-life and hyper-real, and ‘Cloverfield’ certainly is.”
I just got done reading through Vampire Hunter D Volume 1. I have to admit, I am continually amazed at the quality of art that's put out by the Japanese. Unless you've been living in a cave, you've probably noticed the Anime craze that has swept Western culture. And with good reason it has. Anime has strecthed the limits in how far you can go in creating good animation. Now I am not a die hard Anime fan, but I have a great appreciation for it. When Anime first started making waves in American entertainment, there were two titles that made an impression on me. They were Ninja Scroll and Vampire Hunter D. Vampire Hunter D really satisfied my appetite for a good vampire story, along with it's cutting edge animation. Now, DMP (Digital Manga Publishing) has released Volume 1 in it's book version of this amazing story. The mysterious figure known as "D" comes alive in this book, just as he did when he kicked vampire ass in the show. Along with the great line of vampire hunters we have been introduced to in books and films, this messianic character "D" comes to redeem a group of people oppressed of savage vampires. And with the detailed illustration and engaging story in this book, "D" takes us on a wild journey through this classic vampire story.
Now the wait is on for Volume 2...
