Weezer

Weezer

It's a risk to go against what's popular and "cool", especially for musicians. For example, it's quite easy to go with a trend just to sell a few million albums. People will eat it up at first, but then it'll be forgotten after some time. Weezer has defied that way of doing things with their latest self titled album called Weezer. Known for creating catchy rock tunes that have lyrics dripping with sarcasm, they continue that likeable quality on this release. A perfect example is on the popular hit Pork and Beans where they sing, "I'm a do the things that I want to do/I ain't got a thing to prove to you." It's hard to get that chorus out of your head after hearing it a few times. In fact, after giving the album a few listens, it really grows on you. Certain songs could pop in your head at any given moment, and it'll be damn hard to get them out. The songs Troublemaker, Dreamin', and Thought I Knew are a few that I find swirling in my head quite frequently. After hearing Weezer's music since the 90's, I think this is a more enjoyable collection of songs compared to some of their older stuff. It shows that they are definitely not ready to quit just yet, and they can even make singing a song called Pork and Beans look cool.

Be Kind Rewind (DVD)

Be Kind Rewind

There's something about Jack Black that annoys the hell out of me. Then again, that's what he does best. He’s climbed his way up the Hollywood ladder by being an ass. His latest film on DVD is Be Kind Rewind. Jack still plays a dumbass here, and this time he is partnered with Mos Def. Together they play two buffoons from Passaic, NJ that wind up remaking classic films after Jack Black inadvertently erases a video store’s inventory of VHS tapes. The problem is that this store is where Mos Def works. So to keep business at the store from collapsing, the two men get to work and re-create the films that were erased. In an amateur attempt to do such films as Ghostbusters, Rush Hour 2, and Driving Miss Daisy, they wind up becoming local celebrities as the people become huge fans of these videos that they refer to as “Sweded”. Be Kind Rewind is a very funny movie that takes an unexpected turn into becoming sentimental. But it’s not the gushy kind of sentimentality. Later in the movie they show a picture of a community working together to help a video store in trouble. There is some great acting in this film that also includes Danny Glover and Mia Farrow, and some other actors I’m not familiar with. Out of the entire cast, I would have to say Jack Black and Mos Def stole the show with their performances of the town outcasts that become local celebrities. Overall, this is a smart comedy done by writer/director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).

Be Kind Rewind is out now on DVD.

Batman: The Killing Joke

In The Killing Joke, Batman’s most famous villain commits a crime unlike anything he’s done before. Picture this: The Joker rings the bell at Commissioner Gordon’s home and shoots his daughter, paralyzing her. He then kidnaps the Commissioner, takes him to an abandoned theme park, strips him naked and forces him to ride a roller coaster while being shown some disturbing images of his injured daughter. Yes, this episode called The Killing Joke is unlike any “joke” that Batman has had to face. In fact, from hearing all the buzz on the upcoming Dark Knight film and how twisted the Joker is in it, this book is a great intro to how psychotic Batman’s nemesis really is. This is not just a silly old clown who does bad things. We’re talking about a first-class lunatic, and he’s trying to push Commissioner Gordon to insanity as well. The Joker is really the main character here, since most of the story is centered on him and what drove him to become the criminal he is now. It also shows that even though both The Joker and Batman have had traumatic events happen in life, it’s the choices they make that separates them. This year, DC Comics put out a deluxe hardcover version of this dark story which Tim Burton claims is “the first comic he ever loved”.

Life After People

It seems like every generation has their own version of what the end of the world would look like. The History Channel released a special on DVD called Life After People, and it's a very intriguing look at this eerie scenario. To assist them, they sought advice from experts in engineering, botany, ecology, biology, geology, climatology, and archeology. These experts help paint a picture of what exactly would happen to nature if humans disappeared. It's pretty fascinating to see how nature would thrive without us. With cutting edge visual effects, this video takes you on an Earth with a total population of 0. If you were ever curious to see how Earth would look like without us, then this DVD is a great tour guide.

The Offspring - Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace

The Offspring
Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace

A long break did these guys good. If you haven't heard, The Offspring is back with a new album. The same band that brought us hits like Self Esteem and Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) in the 90's put out a faster and louder sound with "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace". To be honest, I had no idea they were still around. Well, this latest effort turned out to be a damn good rock album that delivers a wake-up call to anyone who thought The Offspring was asleep. This is one that you can just put on and let it play. No need for skipping tracks here. Overall, "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace" shows a great example of a band who knows how to make a comeback, loud and clear.

Numb (DVD)

Numb

I've always thought that Matthew Perry had the best movies out of the Friends cast. Even though it seems like he plays the same character in most of his films, his movies are always enjoyable. Most of the time, they are the perfect comedies to watch while snuggling up with a date. His most recent film titled Numb was released in May on DVD. This time, his neurosis is on spotlight as he plays Hudson Milbank, a man who's convinced that he's losing his mind. Hudson suffers from depersonalization disorder. What is that, you might ask? Here is a brief definition I found:

Depersonalization Disorder (DPD) is a disorder in which the sufferer is affected by persistent or recurrent feelings of depersonalization and/or derealization. The symptoms include a sense of automation, going through the motions of life but not experiencing it, feeling as though one is in a movie, feeling as though one is in a dream, feeling a disconnection from one's body, out-of-body experience, a detachment from one's body, environment and difficulty relating oneself to reality. For all, it is a rather disturbing illness, since many feel that indeed, they are living in a "dream".

That describes Hudson's character perfectly in the film. As he seeks help through a series of doctors, he finds that most are no help, and some are even as messed up as he is! He really finds that out when he starts sleeping with Dr. Blaine (Mary Steenburgen). But I’m getting way ahead of myself. Before that fling he has with Dr. Blaine, he dates the girl of his dreams. This girl named Sara seems like just what he needs to take his mind off of his disorder. However, their relationship gets rocky later on, especially when Hudson’s issues get in the way. You must stick with the film all the way through to see if he eventually works it out with Sara, or winds up losing the girl he really loves.

There is some real funny dialogue in this film, mostly coming from Matthew Perry’s character. I think he was exactly the right person to portray a guy suffering from this disorder. Amidst all the comedy, Numb takes seriously the pain and frustration that a lot of people with disorders like this go through. If you have ever felt like an outsider most of the time, or dealt with any type of issues like this, you’d probably relate to Hudson. There aren’t many films that can make you laugh while watching someone deal with issues just like the great “As Good As It Gets” did. But after watching Numb, I think it was able to pull off being another great comedy that takes itself seriously at the same time.

The Art Of Speed Racer

The Art Of Speed Racer

If you enjoyed the Wachowski brothers' version of Speed Racer, there’s a book out titled The Art Of Speed Racer. This book contains pages of the art that created the psychedelic world of colors that was in the film. I really enjoyed the film and the trippy effects it had, so this book is a great part of my ongoing collection. Along with the pages of art from the film, the book also contains the complete screenplay. If you missed any dialogue from the film, or want to reenact some scenes by yourself, they're all in here. It would have been better if they included more pages of the art since most up the book is taken up by the screenplay. But overall, the book is a nice companion to the film.