Some movies from the last week or so...

I may expand upon this in the near future...though motivation is in short supply :)

The Brave One - I really wanted to hate this movie from when I first saw a preview for it a few months ago. Alas, Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview with A Vampire) has crafted a nice little piece of suspense/drama here. Jodi Foster is once again on her A-game and not surprisingly Terrence Howard matches her. The movie is not political in nature but will raise some thoughts in your head about guns and the power one perceives by having one. I'll leave it at that. A-

Eastern Promises - I can't complain about this latest effort from David Cronenberg. Though I think he spoiled me a bit with A History of Violence. I don't agree with Richard Roeper much, but he said something to the effect that he really wanted to love this movie but just liked it a lot. I believe his also mentioned that there was a final gear that he thought it was going to hit but never did. I concur. What exactly it is that is misses from this to make me love it, I'm not exactly sure. But there is something. That being said, the performances all-around are superb and Viggo Mortenson is continuing to show why he is one of the better actors around and not just King Aragorn. B+

The Invasion - I know the critics and audiences alike hated this for the most part. It was in and out of the first-run theatres about as quick as anything this year. And yeah, it is basically "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" done for the 3rd or 4th time. But you know what? It was okay. For real. Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig are convincing enough, while Jackson Bond holds his own as her grade-school son. Some mistakes though exist. The excellent Jeffrey Wright (Broken Flowers, Syriana) is given basically nothing to do. And the body snatchers themselves? Uh...kinda boring. B-

Knocked Up (for the 3rd time in the theatre) - A

In the Valley of Elah - I'm sure people will piss and moan from both sides of the political spectrum about this film. It will probably be viewed as not vehement or anti-war enough by the left the lefties and of course your standard die-hard conservatives will point to Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon, call it a day, and not even bother. Thankfully most critics have seen through this and praised it as they rightly should. Tommy Lee Jones carries on his quiet devastation from The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada and gives an equal if not, better performance of a man whose war veteran son has gone missing while on furlough. Susan Sarandon actually isn't in the film for long but plays the grieving mother beautifully, without going overboard into histrionics. Charlize Theron is solid and dependable as the detective who takes the case in the small town bordering the base where Jones' son was stationed. Director Paul Haggis (Crash) dials things back a bit and let things smolder quietly and gradually as they should. And what is this? Is that Jason Patric I see? After being virtually non-existent since his excellent turn in Narc 5 years ago, Patric also does a nice job as the military base's investigative lead. Solid all-around, devastating, and thought-provoking, its all here in one of the year's best. A

The Kingdom - B

Anyone seen whats in theatres this week?

Sweet Jesus. This could possibly be the worst release week I've seen all year. Good Luck Chuck, Resident Evil: Extinction, and Sydney White. Wow.

Brett...What Have You Done?

I know that punk labels don't exist for indie-coolness. That's for Paste Magazine and the like. I know that I have supported, in one fashion or another, Epitaph and its subsidiaries(Anti/Hellcat) for close to 15 years. From Bad Religion to Rancid to The Weakerthans to Tom Waits (among many others). I have purchased cds, purchased downloads and purchased t-shirts, merchandise, etc.

Brett Gurewitz, I do not understand why you decided to leave emusic http://17dots.com/2007/09/13/an-epitaph-for-epitaph/#more-1043. You have not, as far as I can tell, given any official response. This has only caused further fury among your previously loyal customer base. Perhaps those who are more inclined toward purchasing only from the Anti catalog will view itunes as a somewhat viable option, as indie-hipsters tend to be willing to pay more than the average punk fan (believe me, I've seen it at music stores, not of the chain variety, and of course bookstores). I do not view this as a viable option. As a listening and organizing tool, I think itunes is just fine. I own two ipods. However, I have yet to purchase a song, let alone an album, from itunes, nor do I plan to in the future. As do many others.

The used cd route that emusic has suggested, is a bit naive I think. Sure, occasionally you can find used cds through Amazon for $3, and I'm sure that Amazon does some very fine business through it. However, what has been forgotten is the obligatory $2-3 shipping fee to go along with the always constant mystery of who you are buying it from, unless of course you have shopped from them before. Still Brett, if this option is pursued, your artists do not see a god damn dime. You tell me how that is good for business. If you honestly think that this decision is going to benefit your artists, then please, tell us how in an official response. Thanks. Dude.

Big, Dumb, Fun At The Theatre...Once Again

I remember somebody mentioning to me how "Snakes on a Plane" was their guilty pleasure at the theatre last year. I mean, I'm all for the guilty pleasure and those who know me also know that I am bound to see anything at the theatre. Truth of the matter is though, that "Crank" (with Jason Statham of Transporter fame) made Snakes look like the pile of shit that it was. It was quite dumb, and action-laden, and had all sorts of implausabilities, but you never felt you being taken advantage of. It was simply there to enjoy and laugh it.

"Shoot 'Em Up" was a lot like that. Though I'll admit I may be somewhat impartial due to the fact that the two leading men in the movie are Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti, two of the better actors working the screen today. The basics being that a women, about to give birth, is being chased by...well..."bad" guys. Owen's character, "Mr. Smith", happens to be sitting at the bus stop in the shitty part of town as this happens in front of him. For apparently no real reason, he takes off and goes after the women, delivers the baby, and in the process manages to knock off all of the men chasing her. He does though lose the mother in the process.

If anyone saw "Children of Men" (which you should if you haven't), it is once again Owen's job to "save this baby" for reasons that he can't truly explain with his prostitute-friend, Donna, who becomes some sort of a "motherly" figure, esecially thanks to the fact that is still...er..."producing" after losing her own child. Thankfully it never gets sentimental and what proceeds is basically 80 minutes of, well, shoot 'em up fun. The jokes are cheesy without making you feel dumber for hearing them. And Paul Giamatti is beautifully over-the-top as an ex-FBI profiler gone...er...bad (i.e. deliciously evil). Like I said, if you take it simply for what it is you will have a lot of fun. 'Cause Oscar is not going to come calling here any time soon.

So...What Has Changed?

Here we are again. On the 6th anniversary of 9/11. A horrific day for sure in this country. I wonder though, what has changed since then. We are once again completely immersed in materialism and greed. Not that it took long to go back in that direction after our few months when we were reeking of "do-goodocity" was over. I don't pretend that either party has any answers for what is wrong, cause they don't. Nor do I ever pretend that what happened to us was justified by the extremists. The arrogance that they do speak of? It is indeed there. I fear that there will not be a done when we simply decide to live with less. Sure, some of us will and have. But the majority will continue to buy-in to whatever is being sold without thinking about the true cost to them and those around. Ignorance is indeed bliss.

"A people that values its privileges over its principles soon loses both"
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"With God On Our Side" - Bob Dylan

Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-AmericanWar
had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.

I've learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.

But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.

In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.

The VMA's: Another Night of Musical Supremacy

No, I don't currently have cable. But I have read enough about the MTV Awards last night that tell me nothing much has changed in the MTV land. I guess it also tells me that even though MTV doesn't show videos anymore (besides something like 3-5am and TRL - they still have that right?) that its still all the same people watching it. Well, actually I guess its not. Cause apparently the ratings are down and they thought it might be a good idea to bring a paunch-bearing Britney in to open the show with some damn fine lip-syncing.

I guess the question is does anybody still give a shit about Britney Spears whether she was fat or not? I mean, she wasn't really faaaaaat, just definitely not thin. Well, beyond that, its what is being presented to us as true artists. Apparently there were truly "credible" artists whose performances in their "suites" at the hotel it was hosted were cut off. I mean, I'll give you Kanye (though his head apparently has swelled to about the size of Minnesota), but JT and Fiddy, Foo Fighters and Fall Out Boy? I mean I think Courtney Love is insane but...okay, she is. But I don't know what to call Dave Grohl anymore. I can't believe this is the same guy that was in Nirvana and made the incredible "The Colour and the Shape". And as far as FOB courting to the "punk" crowd? Please. I know a few of you have tattoos and that Pete wears lots of eyeliner (and hell, even Andy Hurley used to play in a straight-edge hardcore band)...but you guys are nothing but preening, pretentious douchebags.

What it comes down to I guess, is that MTV simply does not trust the public enough to simply put good artists out in front of them and let them perform. Its all about tricks and gimmicks. How many collaborations can we line up? Surely the audience doesn't want to watch anyone perform by themselves...cause...that would be like a concert? Oh shit! Not that. I'm not even going to address the "awards" they handed out. But, then again MTV hasn't really been interested in music for many years. I guess MTV2 still does Headbangers Ball and the odd indie-spotlight, but even that station is no longer about music. The title of the blog says that the radio is broken, obviously the television is too when it comes to music.

Movies from that "Worst Weekend of the Year"

They say that Labor Day weekend is generally the worst weekend for movies of the year, i.e. worst for the box-office, which is all that matters to some people. I could tell you that seeing Rob Zombie's re-worked "Halloween" and James Wan's "Death Sentence" made for a great weekend.

Well, not exactly. Zombie's effort...is well, messy. It's not that it is so God-awful that you want to laugh at it or have it made nearly enjoyable from the sheer inanity. Nor is it good to the point where you aren't constantly referring to the original from 30 years ago. But honestly, with how good the original was, did you ever think that would happen? Didn't think so. The backstory, for the first 40 minutes or so, is the best part. The performances are believable enough, as long as Deag Faerch keeps his mouth shut trying to play the young Michael Myers. And Zombie's wife actually does an admirable job of playing mom. But its far from anything to rave about and because it takes up so much time, you are left with trying to tidy everything up in an hour. I assure you this is not Zombie's specialty. It's predictable and by-the-numbers, going for gore as opposed to suspense. Remember how much blood you actually saw in the original. Yep, pretty close to zip. Grade: C

As for James Wan's "Death Sentence", I can't really use the word enjoy when describing it. And its not that its cause its an awful movie. It's just difficult. And brutal. Pretty much what you would expect for the man behind the lens of the Saw series. I've read some things that a couple people have written about it (that haven't seen it)...always makes me laugh. And yes, it is fantastical and a bit over-the-top. But in the end I keep coming back to the question of how would I respond if my child was killed in front of me? Anyone who simply passes it off as "I would just let God handle it and try to move on" I think is being a bit naive. Would I go out and start what is basically a war with a gang. Probably not. But would I want revenge? I can't lie and say no. And neither should you. Grade: B-

Just some thoughts...

So I am back here in blogger-ville. Guess I thought I'd give this a try again. Not sure why. Maybe just needed an outlet. Anyway...like it says, just some thoughts about music, movies, sports, life. Pretty muchly.