All Access Arts & Living

Bonnaroo Day 4: Sunday

2009-06-15T23:36:00.003-04:00

Rumors
With Sunday came the anticipation for a large finale. With Phish closing out the weekend, as well as an appearance by The Dead's Warren Haynes with Gov't Mule speculation ran wild that with the slew of guest appearances, a Grateful Dead and Phish union would be in order.

Dillinger Escape Plan
The New Jersey hardcore band, which had joined Nine Inch Nails on stage the previous night opened up a slew of metal performances for the day, which would later include Shadows Fall and Coheed & Cambria gracing the same stage. Despite playing earlier the band riled the crowd to mosh pit levels, standing aloft on boxes while hammering the crowd with rapid time shifts and belligerent screaming. While the group provided the crowd with a spastic energy, the lead singer even diving into the crowd, most of the group's songs over time proved indistinguishable though they imparted some useful knowledge including the universal truism "it's never too early to rock for roll."

Citizen Cope
While Todd Snider was entertaining the tent crowd with stories of his own psychedelic transformation and missed football practices, Citizen Cope kept a large audience rapt with his simple R&B influenced brand of rock. His soulful voice seldom missed a note as he went from soothing wailing to middle-eastern chanting. Citizen Cope proved the right fit for the slow Sunday atmosphere, with many lounging on the lawn, tired from the weekend's whirlwind of events.

Okkervil River
Opening up with "Plus Ones" off 2007's "The Stage Names" Okkervil River showcased a set constituting mostly older material. The Austin, Texas indie act's frontman, Will Shef strained his vocal chords to the max belting out his intricate lyrics over danceable trumpets, while frequently acting apologetic for the band's soft songs. Though the crowd did not seem to mind as it only grew with time, no doubt incited by the group's tight live reproductions and witty song introductions like "this song is about jumping off a bridge."

Andrew Bird
Elsewhere Andrew Bird whistled his way through a tight set complete with a showcasing of his clear singing, and violin virtuoso-ship. Backed by swirling gramophones Bird was determined to provide an old-time feeling to his set, which was capable of both breathtaking quiet and mounting soundscapes.

Snoop Dogg
Free from the burden of being the only hip-hop emcee whose legend has been marred by his recent reality show status, Snoop Dogg seemed at ease, if a few minutes late to his main stage evening set. Opening with strong song selections including "The Next Episode," "Gin 'N Juice," and Akon hit "I Wanna F*ck You," Snoop made many shout-outs to the ladies and proved adept at working the crowd. At times using anything to get a reaction including shout outs to fellow rapper Tupac Shukur and even turning the crowd on itself with a mini east coast, west coast chant battle. Eventually Snoop was joined on stage by Erykah Badu, fresh from her set on the stage earlier, the two collaborating on a few tunes however it was not the last collaboration of the day.

Phish
It seems few attendees left Sunday night, as most were intent on seeing the reunited Phish for a second time in three days. Armed with their signature light show and wild crowd which brought everything from beach balls to inflatable octopuses, Phish jammed out for an extended time on songs like "Tweezer" and "Gotta Jibboo." Phish proved a satisfying live act, with all four members showcasing their jamming abilities, evening welcoming Bruce Springsteen onstage to showcase his own. The Boss fronted Phish through a series of classics including "Mustang Sally" and "Glory Days." And while this might not have been the super collaboration many Phish fans and deadheads had been hoping for, there's always next year.

Bonnaroo Day 3: Saturday

2009-06-15T22:16:00.011-04:00

Caption
Wilco rock Bonnaroo's main stage with a rousing rendition of A Ghost Is Born era staple, "Handshake Drugs"

BON IVER
By Saturday afternoon the sun had begun to spill its unforgiving heat upon the masses, the extreme temperatures causing set difficulties and delays, as even those seeking shelter underneath the shaded tents found little relief. Opening with fan favorite "Skinny Love," Bon Iver provided a strong show from an unlikely cast. Lead singer Justin Vernon hulked over his guitar bellowing out notes with pinpoint accuracy with his backing group providing a steady dose of rippling accents. The group rattled off songs from their debut album "For Emma, Forever Ago," as well as tracks from their new Blood Bank EP. This included some set highlights like a blistering full band version of "Blood Bank" and a stark solo performance of "Beach Baby" following by an unaccompanied Vernon who dedicated the track to "dreams of making out on the beach."

Gov't Mule
Formed in the wake of the Allman Bros. early 90's reunion, Government Mule has quickly become a festival staple due in part to prominent lead guitarist Warren Haynes. Haynes who plays guitar with the Allmans as well as the The Dead took his six-string prowess to the evening crowd with heavy, shrieking guitar solos to rival among the best of the weekend. Gov't Mule tried early to integrate the crowd with a chorus of "hell yeahs," a move that was successful at drawing wanderers into their circle of blues heavy grooves and guitar showmanship defined by their stomping version of "Don't Step on the Grass, Sam."

Of Montreal
Anticipation was high outside the tent for Of Montreal with the young indie group drawing many away from the main stage attraction Wilco. However Kevin Barnes and company were plagued by set problems in the sweltering tent, prompting the show to begin later than expected.

Jenny Lewis
Flanked by a modest collection of towel layers and chair sitters, Lewis with her bell clear voice sounding over the speakers, charmed the small audience with tales of run-ins with the law, barroom fist-fights and those troubled boys up to no good. The Rilo Kiley lead singer excelled in the small setting with her backing band providing impressively layered acoustics which integrating cowbells and back-up vocals into the mix. The set even Included a surprise back-up performance from Elvis Costello in what was yet another in the seeming never-ending string of unannounced collaboration this week on her song "Carpetbaggers."

Wilco
Playing under a bright blue afternoon sky, Wilco lead off with new single "Wilco, The Song" off the groups latest effort "Wilco, The Album." Jeff Tweedy spanned the range of his career, integrating newer material "Bull Black Nova," "Side with the Seeds" with a renewed emphasis on "A Ghost is Born" era tracks like "Company in the Back," and "Handshake Drugs" coming early and leading the band to their highest levels. Guitarist Nels Cline provided the guitar hero spark on the later songs rippling off tearing solos from his heavily chipped black guitar. Hardly stopping to banter with the crowd lead singer and principal songwriter Jeff Tweedy, clad in all black, offered up "it's good to be back" as the group's only sentiments to those gathered, many of whom were awaiting Bruce Springsteen's headlining set.

Mars Volta
Coming out to a what could only be described as a distorted Sergio Leonne soundtrack, the Mars Volta descended onto the stage with the outright intentions of baffling the crowd. After stumbling through "Goliath," lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zaxlava quipped "I just wrote it, I don't have to remember it, do I?" Powering through the minor guff, the Mars Volta settled down into a heavily psychedelic set marked prominently by Omar Rodriquez Lopez's unique guitar showmanship which dominated the band's mammoth soundscapes. Despite a new release on the way, Mars Volta integrated old favorites like "Drunkship of Lanterns" into a largely free form set that featured jams as well as three new songs off the group's forthcoming album, Octahedron. The band faltered a bit in the middle, with their meandering jams quickly running out of tricks, though even at their weakest, singer Bixler-Zaxlava proved an entertaining frontman with his wild mane of black hair and penchant for odd song introductions like "this song owes me $40." However in all likelihood the Mars Volta's sonic assault proved enough to cement Volta as a premium live act, ensuring that if his songs are still defaulting on their loans he will still be able to make the bills.

The Decemberists
The Decemberists played their new album, "The Hazards of Love" to a sizeable crowd at one of the side tents, providing a soothing melodic distraction to those not enamored by the spiraling insanity of the Mars Volta. However while most of the band's material is down tempo they proved capable of stadium sized riffs on new album tracks like "The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid," which found lead singer Colin Meloy and guitarist Chris Funk trading shrieking guitar lines. The Decemberists were dressed for the occasion despite the heat, as all were well-dressed enough for a formal evening dinner. After airing out the new album The Decemberists came out firing with stronger singles "The Crane Wife 3" and "O Valencia!" off of their major label debut, The Crane Wife.

Bruce Springsteen
Headliners Bruce Springsteen & the E Street band played unopposed to a capacity crowd breaking out new songs, "Radio Nowhere," classics "Born to Run" and odd requests from fans, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" over a three and a half hour set. Bruce addressed the crowd often, thanking Bonnaroo for the invite to what he dubbed their "second ever festival appearance." On stage the infamous band performed without new Tonight Show drummer Max Weinburg but came complete with numerous guitar players, and back-up singers (10 in all) thickening the sound for the football sized area (not that this is new for the band). The Boss was loose and loud playing sounds with an impressive stamina that would but most bands to shame. Grooving his way through "10th Avenue Freeze Out," the Boss performed some impressively phallic microphone tricks as well as stop on a dime song transitions. Overall, the Boss that kept audience involved, even inviting one lucky fan to dance on stage in an homage to his former video vixen Courtney Cox during the finale "Dancing in the Dark." All in all, the Boss left the screaming for more even after the marathon set and the group's final bows.

Nine Inch Nails
In what lead singer Trent Reznor dubbed the band's "last U.S. show ever," the twenty plus year old industrial act performed to a sizeable crowd at the Which Stage, the venue's second largest stage. Over cascading white smoke, lasers and raining glow sticks Nine Inch Nails' showcased their knack for off-kilter rhythms and shrieking guitars in songs like recent single "Discipline." Though the set was far from a greatest hits occasion, featuring cuts from their recent all instrumental release Ghosts (I-IV) as a sharp and startling cover of David Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans." As a live act, the band's darker material lightened proving less dense and more upbeat in the live setting.

MGMT
Across the way at a smaller tent, MGMT drew an equally large crowd at one of the venue's smaller tents with some standing on shoulders and rafters to get a closer look. The band's second appearance in two such years was a significant departure for the growing band as they showed a willingness to breakaway from their traditional keyboard heavy pop sound. MGMT showcased new material from their latest recording sessions which was met with largely mixed results. The new material was not the only thing that sounded out of place as even old songs were reworked to be more guitar and band oriented. Back tracks like "Pieces of What" and "Weekend Wars" benefitted from the re-tooling process, however the groups big singles "Time to Pretend" and "Kids" proved harder to replicate under the new format. The set lasted over an hour and proved that the group, which had until this point created their music in studio with two principal members, has made the decision to be taken seriously as a traditional band. Still, while their live act improved over last years uneven set, MGMT showed they have chosen a path with a difficult road ahead.

Bonnaroo Day 2: Friday

2009-06-13T13:46:00.008-04:00

Caption
The Decemberists' Colin Meloy and Jenny Conlee talk backstage by Steven Smith of Fuse's "Steven's Untitled Rock Show"

RUMORS
Friday brought much needed relief in the form of bright skies and high temperatures as a slew of big stars descended on the fields of Manchester, Tennessee. With the new day a new set of rumors emerged, The Superjam, a Bonnaroo staple that brings together diverse artists for a free form jam had yet to be scheduled and as of Saturday morning was revealed to be canceled for the 2009 year. However Jimmy Buffet has been confirmed via Facebook to be joining a group of musicians the star discovered in Africa, ILO & The Coral Reefer AllStars, for an early Saturday session, sure to be getting campers up bright and early. As for the biggest rumor, Big Hassle Media would neither confirm nor deny that the living remnants of the Grateful Dead are here amongst the never-ending sea of tents. In response to the query from the press, Ken Weinstein a Big Hassle Media spokesman would only offer the statement that “the Dead are with us always.”

Dirty Projectors
Following Katzenjammer, Dirty Projectors took the stage at That Tent early Friday afternoon, the band was a part of a David Byrne curated lineup that included folk songstress Ani DiFranco and the pop savvy Santigold. The Dirty Projectors rocked the small tent quickly warping from drum-heavy freak-outs to funky pop mixes that found both of the bands female vocalists trading impressive notes. The band kept tent-goers on their toes and saved the best surprise for last, an impromptu performance with Mr. Talking Head himself. David Byrne modestly joined the band for their last track, choosing instead to accent the track with backing vocals rather than over shadow the talented young band.

Animal Collective
Leading off with “My Girls” and “Summertime Clothes” off the group’s latest album Merriweather Post Pavillion, Animal Collective were the first highly anticipated set of the day drawing a sizeable crowd with their unique blend of mixing the art of the turntable into the traditional band format. Draped by fluorescent lights that were all but impotent in the daytime, the group’s music suffered from the brightness and scale of the outdoor setting. Though it was something that the band were able to eventually overcome as they pulled out an assortment of musical tricks including mixing live drums and guitar into songs like “Lion in a Coma” and “Brother Sport.”

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Despite the mixed reception to the New York band’s latest album, “It’s Blitz!” the Yeah Yeah Yeahs came out to a tumultuous applause, particularly for lead singer Karen O who dominated the stage with her wild woman persona. With an even mix of old favorites “Cheated Hearts” and new material, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs kept things tight and fast, the new material benefitting from the atmosphere and energy of the set. The trio was joined on stage by a keyboard player who added accents to old and new songs while Karen O pranced around the stage garbed in a leopard skin tights and a vivid blue parka. Karen O. proved adept at able to turn violent screams into soothing “la la las” with the force of a whirlwind, eventually breaking down on stage, pulling her hair erratically and demonstrating her ability to hold a microphone without hands. “Zero” and “Gold Lion” brought the set its highest levels as guitarist Nick Zinner proved an equally enamoring stage presence as the charismatic front woman. Indeed the real strength of the band was the maximization of the details, with simple chord changes producing song-altering shockwaves. The group stumbled toward the end with Zinner’s guitar succumbing to the heat, forcing the group to play their smash first single “Maps” acoustic for the crowd. Overall, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs proved an odd fit for the mid-afternoon heat, cracking smiles, working the crowd and proving despite their black attire and trashcan tunes, that they can be a surprisingly fun and engaging attraction even to casual fans.

Al Green
Around evening time, soul legend Al Green brought his groove to the main stage playing songs from his latest Grammy-nominated album “Lay it Down” amongst old classics. Green proved an adept showman, letting his signature yelp leap through the speakers backed by a gospel quire and steady back-up band that brought more than just old fans to the main stage.

TV on the Radio
Festivalgoers flocked to the late evening set by Brooklyn’s TV on the Radio. Fresh off their latest album, the commercial success “Dear Science,” the group led off with slow jam “Love Dog.” Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe’s high energy yelp was in full force as he pogoed around stage often trading vocals with bassist Gerard Smith, a prominent fixture on the set due to his dense thicket of hair and bright yellow overalls. However despite running through stellar versions of new album tracks like “Crying,” “Halfway Home,” most of the new songs proved too slow for the eager crowd. Thus the band was forced to integrate old stand bys like “Dirtywhirl,” and “Wolf Like Me” early into the set. Overall, the quintet played impressively but failed at integrating the crowd at the same level as the stage’s previous residents, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Beastie Boys
Hip-hop legends the Beastie Boys came out swinging with renditions of classics tracks “No Sleep til Brooklyn,” “Sabotage” and “Remote Control.” On the later tracks the emcees brought out fellow NY rapper Nas for a brief collaboration. However both acts were left proving their live prowess for a crowd that was largely there anticipating the first of Phish’s two shows. Despite working against the current, the Beastie Boys played a diverse set that featured the trio grabbing instruments and jamming through tunes from their recent album “The Mix-Up,” even dipping into punk rock tunes that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a Black Flag album. Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock backed by the speedy hands of DJ Mix Master Mike kept things loose and up-tempo extending songs and dipping into freestyles with the group declaring “this is not a tape or an I-Pod, this is real, live music.”

David Byrne
Elsewhere the alternative to the Beastie Boys was former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. Byrne placated the festival crowd with the entire second half of his set dedicated to material from his former band including a stirring rendition of “Burning Down the House.” Byrne, clad in an all white wardrobe was flanked by a group of similarly dressed back-up dancers providing visuals to go along with the music, the bodies even forming human waves during “Once in a Lifetime.” Byrne also dipped into more recent material from his latest Brian Eno produced album “Everything that Happens will Happen Today” before leaving the stage with enough time for the eager throngs of people to depart for the day’s main attraction, Phish.

Phish
See Sunday Review.

Public Enemy
Playing their entire album “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,” Public Enemy provided a full force show for all the “real hip-hop heads” looking to find an alternative to Phish. Flava Flav and Chuck D traded verses on stage flanked by their classic logo and a few others clad in military camouflage. Flava Flav was hard to miss on stage draped in an orange t-shirt with yellow shades and his signature clock and Viking helmet. In a humorous back stage moment, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog traded barbs with the VH1 star, quipping that Flava Flav wears a clock so he can “keep track of how far he’s set back the civil rights movement. On stage Flava Flav brought the humor if unintentionally, as he was unable to recall the album’s release date needing a reminder that it was released in 1988, not 1987. On stage though Public Enemy proved they are a powerful live act, with backing guitarists and bassists that were equal in talent to those of their rock counterparts. Public Enemy powered through the classic album with DJ Lord mixing behind them, and if they were unable to recall the album’s date or had difficulty communicating just exactly what they wanted to change about the “prison industrial complex,” none of which affected their music that seldom missed a beat.

Bonnaroo 2009: Thursday Day 1

2009-06-12T09:57:00.005-04:00

Caption
Cloudy skies and rain cast a shadow over the festival's first day

If the first night was highlighted mostly by sporadic weather, Thursday night's attractions were met with similarly uneven results. The forecast ranging from bands that generated the high voltage of Tennessee lightning to ones that barely generated the excitement of a passing shower. Despite Kanye West's infamous set problems last year, hip-hop regenerated in full force Thursday night with high-energy shows from festival newcomers, MURS and People Under the Stairs.

Both emcees were successful at integrating the crowd early and succeeded at keeping the drenched festival-goers dancing through the storm, each with their own individual styles. While MURS played mostly with hip-hop's commercially successful bass thud and soul-beat model, he was able to breath fresh life into the medium with his spitfire verses and solid beats succeeding on his promise that he would offer a, "fun approach to hip-hop." Despite that, the rapper born under the ironic name Nick Carter and who's alter-ego is slang for "Making Underground Raw Sh*t," offered surprising versatility with songs that discussed everything from his full-mane of dreadlocks to the nation's economic crisis.

Conversely People Under the Stairs provided a style that would be fitting coming out of a boom box, with DJ scratching provided live by the group. The One and Double K, the principal members of the group, traded verses often conversationally dipping into freestyles often and drawing in the crowd with tunes dedicated to their troubled home city. While People Under the Stairs were largely unknown to the crowd, they quickly won fans with their wit and showmanship, even asking coyly when the crowd stumbled through a sing-a-long, "what you guys didn't buy that record?"

The night's rock acts provided most of the uneven moments, with the biggest pressure of the night falling squarely on the shoulders of Cambridge, Massachusetts natives Passion Pit. The group generated a heavy buzz throughout the scatted campground and drew what was surely the largest crowd of the night. The five-piece band talked a big game with lead singer Michael Angelakos stirring up the crowd like the ring leader of the circus. Draped by their lighting personnel in the soothing tones of pink and purple, the group's sound was similarly limited by an equally bland musical palette. The song's off their debut album "Manners" sounded full live however they failed to incite the large crowd in the same ways as last year's This Tent headliners, Vampire Weekend and MGMT, a point of note as Passion Pit's sound seems a likely adaptation of Vampire Weekend's drum-heavy beats and MGMT's catchy keyboard flourishes. Varying from slow soulful keyboard infused pop tunes, to more uptempo synth-driven pop tunes, Passion Pit often sounded like they were going through the motions, robotically trodding over musical group that has recently been mostly colonized.

White Rabbits, who graced the same stage before the torrential rain fell also saw a sizable crowd and similar mixed results. The Brooklyn, New York natives have received high praise from England's premier music magazine NME, no doubt for their sound's heavy drawing from UK bands like The Specials and Arctic Monkeys. In spite of lofty comparisons the band fought against the sizable evening crowd drawing applause and maintaining interest at what was still one of the day's earlier shows.

Elsewhere The Low Anthem slowed things down at That Tent with a more mellow evening set. The Providence area band's members formed a virtual musical carousel, switching instruments and tones often. The group's members pulled duties on instruments as diverse as upright basses and violins while handing off vocal duties on song's like "This God Damn House" which they dedicated lovingly to a former band member. The Low Anthem kept things simple, sticking to lyrics that used simple imagery to craft songs about drinking, debauchery and wild and simple rhythms to craft tunes that ranged from keyboard laced acoustic downers to uptempo blues ditties like "Cigarettes and Whiskey."

Overall Thursday night's bands did little but whet the appetite and expectations for Friday's main event which offers up a lineup with acts as diverse as David Byrne, The Beastie Boys, and the main attraction Phish.

Camera Obscura announces North American tour

2009-04-15T23:56:00.003-04:00

Scottish gems of Camera Obscura are back in business with the release of their new album, ‘My Maudlin Career’ and an intense American tour underway. After the band finishes its rounds promoting the new material in Europe, the band will kick of their spring tour in Nashville and continue to play all over the country until late June. Check out the list of tour dates below to see if Camera Obscura is coming to razzle dazzle a town near you!

Get in on NPR’s ‘Exclusive First Listen’ of the band’s new album before it hits shelves on the 21st of this month.

Camera Obscura 2009 Spring Tour Dates:
5/27 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge 
5/28 Newport, KY Southgate House
 5/29 Chicago, IL Metro  
5/30 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
 6/01 Denver, CO Bluebird 
6/02 Salt Lake City, UTUrban Lounge 
6/04 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom 
6/05 Vancouver, BC Commodore 
6/06 Seattle, WA Showbox
 6/08 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
 6/09 Pomona, CA Glasshouse
 6/11 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre  
6/13 Mexico City Lunario  
6/15 Austin, TX Antones
 6/16 Dallas, TX The Loft  
6/18 Birmingham, AL Bottletree  
6/19 Atlanta, GAVariety Playhouse  
6/20 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle  
6/21 Washington, DC 930 Club 
6/22Philadelphia, PA T L A
 6/24New York, NY Webster Hall
 6/25 Boston, MA Somerville Theatre 
6/26Montreal, QUE La Tulipe 
6/27 Toronto, ON Lee's Palace
 6/29Columbus, OH Wexner Center Ohio State University
 6/30 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls

Cannabis Reform Coalition Hosts Battle of the Bands

2009-03-30T16:31:00.003-04:00

This Saturday the Cannabis reform coalition hosted its annual Battle of the Bands with the grand prize of an opening slot at one Amherst's biggest area events, Extravaganja. The event was held in the auditorium at the Mercy House at began at 6PM when opening act and event MCs Solo Sexx took the main stage to stir up the growing crowd. The group, comprised of two UMass students Julia Sherratt and Heather McCormick who described their act as "a big middle finger to a consumerist, male-driven circle jerk of a hip hop game." The ostentatious duo sported some outrageous outfits including lime green pants and silver jackets while running through songs like "Balle Funk" and "Nursery Grime." Mixing their spit-fire flow with hilarious choruses like the repeated "white people dancing"over thumbing techno beat, served to get people dancing before the start of the show.

Next up was another eclectic local act, Grex. The elaborate collective included acoustic guitarists, bongo players and violinists in a sound mash-up that sounded reminiscent to a less cohesive and more downbeat version to Gogol Bordello's outrageous gypsy punk. Even if the group's sound strayed far from this characterization they certainly looked the part, with most of the band perched indian style on-stage sporting dreadlocks and thrift store tights. The group meandered in and out of control for a bit often spiraling into chanting and drumming that felt meandering and lacked a specific focus. However when the group found its way it proved itself capable of dredging up a head-turning groove.

By now a more than sizable crowd had gathered at the event with many dropping 5 dollars for the "suggested donations" which were then denoted with an accompanying sign bearing the slogan, "strictly enforced." The event was well paced allowing enough time for the crowd to catch some of the lovely summer air between sets, which were filled periodically by local guitarist Damon Reeves who played some impromptu covers.

Next up was one of the highlights of the evening, the eventual winners of the competition Hampshire College's jazz-funk outift, The Bubonic Souls. Easily the largest band of the evening the Souls had not only the standard band combination of guitar, drums and bass but also came equipped with a horn section comprised of a flute player and saxophonist. If the band's sound wasn't enough to turn heads, then the bands sultry lead singer was. However she was not merely eye candy for the band but split time playing lead guitar and taking lead vocal duties on some of the groups songs. Tight, energetic and highly danceable, the band were an easy pick for as one of the leaders out of the gate even despite some of their more lounge act leanings.

The Handsome Truants followed suit, either disproving their name or perhaps proving it by avoiding other obligations. Despite having a tough opening act to follow the group quickly took the stage and whipped the crowd up to its previous frenzy. Consisting of 6 members the collective also includes three UMass grad students who comprised the guitar and drum sections of the band. However by far the most interesting aspect of the band was its enigmatic lead singer who crooned like old-time soul artists over the group's contemporary take on old school rock 'n roll. The songs road hard on their well composed drum beats which gave the crowd a chance to jump up and down and enjoy themselves.

Later acts included the events other winners, local funk outfit Shokazoba and heavy metal rockers Outer Stylie.

Girlyman play like girly men

2009-03-29T15:38:00.001-04:00

The trio of Girlyman put on a show for a packed Iron Horse Friday evening, but it was a real snoozer. If you don't know anything about the band, they are less talented version of Nickel Creek. Girlyman had all the tools in the box to create some commendable harmonies they have recorded on previous albums, but Nate's flat notes were a hinderance to the performance.

Girlyman didn't have any opening acts - this was most likely due to the fact that they enjoyed their stage time far too much. The band told lame jokes about their lives as recording artists. Ty, the percussionist in Girlyman asked the crowd, "Has anybody here ever recorded an album?...I suggest you try it." It was just annoying to listen to them ramble about their lives as musicians.

The band tested out some new material - one of the new songs they played was "Easy Bake Oven." It sounded like everything else they played. They brought a good collection of strings with them, but I didn't stay long enough to hear them play them.

This Week's DVDs To See

2009-03-06T04:32:00.003-05:00

It’s the wee hours of the morning and I just got home from seeing the midnight, or should I say all-night, release of “Watchmen.” If you get chance, definitely go check it out. Just try to ignore the fact that Snyder's interpretation of Nixon has a striking resemblance to Rocky Dennis, and that the movie is nearly three hours long. The movie was made for the big screen, so go see it at some point while it's in theaters.

But, I digress. The only substantial DVD release this week is “Australia,” the extremely long epic staring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. Turns out that the only thing epic about it is how badly it bombed in the box office. I’d stay away from this one if you want your money’s worth. You’ll end up dozing off just like you would watching the Game Show Network all day for free.

One respectable action movie that is worth checking out is “Body of Lies” with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. It was actually the #1 rental of the week. I reviewed it, and essentially said that it's not too bad. It’s without question only for those who have a strong stomach, and like a lot of action. It has a pretty involved plot line, so you’ll have to be in the mood to sit down and actually pay attention to it.

If you’re looking for something funny, you have a few solid options in “Zach and Miri Make a Porno” and “Sex Drive.” “Zach and Miri,” if you couldn’t tell by the title, has quite a few umm… visuals that might be a bit much to watch with a new boyfriend or girlfriend or parent. Otherwise, it’s another funny Seth Rogan movie that’s a must see if you’re a fan. “Sex Drive” did pretty poorly in the box office and hasn’t gotten a lot of publicity, but wasn’t received terribly by critics. The consensus of critics on Rottentomatoes.com said that the movie had “some hilarious moments and is well made for a raunchy teen film…” Sounds funny, looks funny, and could prove to be a surprising good rental.

If you’re looking for an older movie to see, how about “Mystic River.” With Sean Penn just recently receiving his second Best Actor Oscar for his work in “Milk,” you should remind yourself of his last award winning performance in a completely polar opposite role. “Mystic River” with it’s all star cast (Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney) is one of the best films of our generation. It touches on so many emotions that it’s nearly impossible to sit still for a moment.

See: “Body of Lies,” “Zach and Miri,” “Sex Drive,” “Mystic River”

Avoid: “Australia"

Dad on a Rampage: "Taken"

2009-02-12T07:54:00.010-05:00

Ladies, when vacationing in Paris this summer, there are a few basic things one ought to know in order to prevent any mishaps from occurring.

Tip one: After exiting the plane, proceed directly to the next available cab at your disposal. Try not to stop, or take pictures, or flirt with charming strangers that you meet along the way.

Tip two: If you must flirt, try not to let said charming strangers know that you’re travelling the countryside by your lonesome.

And tip three: Under no circumstances, whatsoever, should you allow said charming strangers to follow you to your fancy new digs in the city and get your apartment number. I know it’s tempting, but trust me. It could potentially lead to something dangerous.

Of course, if your dad happens to be a former CIA operative cooling his heels back in Los Angeles, none of these rules really apply to you. In the event that you break them, get abducted, and get sold into an international sex ring that specializes in addicting its girls to heroin before sending them out to work the streets, you’re still okay. Your dad will be around to save you.

Or so one hopes, anyway.

Liam Neeson, he of the flinty glares and stoic disposition, proves hell hath no fury like a father scorned in the new action thriller, “Taken.”

Neeson stars as Bryan Mills, a retired CIA man whose life has simmered down considerably since his days as a self-described “preventer.” By the time we catch up with Mr. Mills, he’s already deeply entrenched in the daily grind of normal life. He gets up, pulls the occasional concert security detail, and paces his apartment, waiting anxiously for his 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) to return his phone calls.

The downside of being a jet-setting secret service man for so many years is that he missed out on her childhood. Now hoping to make up for lost time, he’s moved to Los Angeles, where she currently resides with her mother (a frosty Famke Janssen) and rich stepfather (Xander Berkeley).

But alas, for all his good intentions, nothing seems to give. He buys her a spanking new karaoke set (the kind she probably wanted back when she was 10), and her new dad buys her a pony. He gets her lessons with an exclusive vocal coach, and she announces that she’s about to go on all-expenses paid trip around Europe, starting in grand ole Paris.

Talk about tough breaks. But unbeknownst to Mills, his luck is about to change.

When Kim and a friend (Katie Cassidy) are taken captive in Paris by a group of Albanian sex ring wranglers, it falls on Mills to track down their whereabouts. He may not be able to buy his little girl a pony, but he sure can kick the snot out of any eastern European punks who get in his way.

Because it’s February, it may be easy to mistake “Taken” for another of those freezer-burned throwaways typical of Hollywood around this time. Big mistake. While it isn’t exactly high art, “Taken” is a far better film than the company it keeps.

Foremost, “Taken” seems to master the basic recipe for action movie success, engaging with just the right amount of pulp to offset its other, more brutal tones. And after all, what’s a good action movie without a side of pulp?

Director Pierre Morel (“District B13”) wields a swift hand over the film’s action sequences. The scenes are smartly staged and cleaned edited - enviable attributes in today’s action world.

“Taken” was filmed largely on French soil, and this has a trickle-down effect on the film at large. Producer Luc Besson helps endow “Taken” with the elements of cinema du look – a school of cinema thought to emerge in France in the 1980s that placed emphasis on glossy spectacles over storytelling. In America, we’d call that the Michael Bay school of thought.

Besson is an avowed follower of cinema du look. His past credits include “Subway” (that’s the high end part) and the “Transporter” series (the decidedly low end). Somewhere, actor Jason Statham is shaking his fists in the air, angry at being left out of this most recent endeavor.

Along with Robert Mark Kamen, Besson helped write the script for “Taken.” While occasionally guilty of a few missteps, such as moralizing – for instance, Kim, virtuous and true, is dealt a kind fate in the sex ring while her skanky pal winds up in the worst of circumstances – the script is largely by-the-numbers. A few taut scenes, such as the abduction of the girls, excel based on the merits of the film’s cast.

However, once you get a look at Kim’s intended, ah, beau – a rotund, bulbous-headed sheik with a taste for virginal young beauties – you get the sense that the script is not without a sense of humor.

Above and away, Neeson is the star of the show. Whether posing as a corrupt cop haggling with gangsters over his price cut, or as a John haggling with a hooker over the services included in her fee, his steely intensity never wavers. He fights, he snarls, he shoots up innocent civilians to get his point across in the middle of heated confrontations; he’s Dirty Harry Callahan with a larger mission to see through.

As he anticipates the moves of his enemies and coolly tortures those he gets in his clutches, one thing seems clear. If this is what retired CIA operatives are capable of, one shudders to think what Mr. Mills was like in the prime of his career.

-Shayna M.

Lil Wayne Rocks Out

2009-02-11T11:40:00.005-05:00

Well we all knew Lil Wayne loved his guitar. Turns out he loves rock music, too. Enough to make his follow-up to the Grammy winning Tha Carter III, "The Rebirth" (out April 7th) a full-on rock disc. Reportedly the disc was produced with such heavyweights and Dr. Dre and Timbaland and for those who can't wait until April to hear this bizarre musical turn from one of music's biggest acts, the prospective first single, "Prom Queen" is still on Youtube.

The song has earned mixed reviews from hip-hop sites like Urban review who say, "Prom Queen is very hard rock material. There is almost no aspect of hip-hop on it except for Lil' Wayne, and he ruins that with a little vo-co use."

to hear it for yourself,

Lil Wayne- "Prom Queen" The Rebirth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL6Jssl1cno

2009 Grammy Showdown

2009-02-08T17:48:00.006-05:00

The Arts & Living Section Presents
Pete Rizzo & Ian Nelson
GRAMMY SHOWDOWN

After attempting to levy predictions by himself, Pete Rizzo sought out noted music expert and his fellow podcasting colleague Arts & Living Asst. Editor Ian Nelson.

The following are their predictions for the 2009 Grammy's derived after the two arts aficionados long hours of tough debating, for the much coveted arts bragging rights.

Among the wide field of nominees include Coldplay, Lil Wayne, Robert Plant & Allison Krauss competing for the gold statues.

Stay tuned for the follow-up podcast to the Grammy's where the chips shall be counted and the true winner shall be discerned.

Record of the Year
Pete M.I.A: PAPER PLANES
Ian Coldplay: VIVA LA VIDA

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Pete Colplay: VIVA LA VIDA
Ian Lil Wayne: The Carter III

SONG OF THE YEAR
Pete Sara Barielles: Love Song
Ian Coldplay: Viva La Vida

BEST NEW ARTIST
Pete Jonas Brothers
Ian Jonas Brothers

BEST FEMAL POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Pete Adele: "Chasing Pavements"
Ian Kay Perry "I Kissed a Girl"

MALE POP VOCAL
Pete John Mayer “Say”
Ian Paul McCartney "That was Me"

Best Pop Duo or GROUP
Pete Gnarls Barkley "Going On"
Ian Colplay "Viva La Vida

Best Pop Collaboration
Pete Robert Plant "Raising Sand"
Ian Madonna "4 Minutes"

Best Pop Vocal Performance
Pete The Eagles "Long Road from Eden"
Ian Duffy "Rockferry"

Best Dance Recording
Pete Rihanna "Disturbia"
Ian Hot Chip "Ready for the Floor"

Best Dance Album
Pete Daft Punk Alive 2007
Ian Robyn Robyn

Best Solo Rock Performance
Pete Bruce Springsteen "Girls in their Summer Clothes"
Ian Eddie Vedder "Rise"

Best Rock DUO or GROUP Performance

Pete Radiohead "House of Cards"
Ian Radiohead "House of Cards"

BEST HARD ROCK ALBUM

Pete Motley Crue Saints of Los Angeles
Ian Disturbed Inside the Fire

Best Metal Performance

Pete Metallica "My Apocalypse"
Ian Metallica "My Apocalypse"

Best Rock Instrumental
Pete NIN "Ghosts 1-34"
Ian ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA "Peaches en Regalia"

Best Rock Song
Pete Death Cab for Cutie "I Will Possess Your Heart"
Ian Coldplay "Violet Hill"

Best Rock Album
Pete Kings of Leon "Only By the Night"
Ian Coldplay "Viva La Vida"

Best Alternative Album

Pete Radiohead In Rainbows
Ian Radiohead In Rainbows

Best R&B Album

Pete Boys II Men
Ian Al Green

Best Rap Solo Performance
Pete Snoop Dogg "Sexual Eruption"
Ian Lil Wayne "A Mili"

Best Performance by Rap Duo
Pete Jay Z (Swagga Like Us)
Ian Big Boi (Royal Flush)

Best Rap Sung
Pete- Green Light (John Legend & Andre 3000)
Ian- American Boy (Estelle w. Kanye)

Best Rap Song
Pete Lil Wayne "Lollipop"
Ian Lil Wayne "Lollipop"

Best Rap Album
Pete Jay-Z "American Gangster"
IAN LIL WAYNE "Tha Carter III"

TIEBREAKER
Best Tropical Latin Album
Pete- Jose Feliciano Senor Bachata
IAN- Cuba: Un viage musical

GRAMMYS PREDICTIONS

2009-02-05T13:21:00.004-05:00

With no more football left to turn to after the big game, one can always find solace in this weekend's replacement, The Grammys. This Sunday, February 8th the biggest names in music will all compete for miniature golden statues handed out by an anonymous panel of secretive old men with poor music taste.

Grammy bashing aside, this years event at least promises some big name live acts. Among them highly similar rock acts (U2, Radiohead, Coldplay), living legends (BB King, Buddy Guy, Paul McCartney) as well as a host of country stars (Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney) tween acts The Jonas Brothers and Grammy lapdogs Dave Grohl and John Mayer.

To make things more interesting, MIA recently announced that she will be playing live at the Grammys on the due date of her baby, as reported by NME. Which presumably then sent advertisers salivating over the prospect of the event spiraling into a televised live birth to shake up ratings.

So as for the Grammy Predictions, each day this week I will be levying picks for the winners for four categories, so here goes.

BEST NEW ARTIST
Adele
Duffy
The Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan

Prediction: How could this not go to the Jonas Brothers? It follows the old rule of he who performs for the grammys gets showered by awards.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Alison Krauss & Robert Plant, Raising Sand
Coldplay, Viva La Vida
Ne-Yo, Year Of The Gentleman
Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
Radiohead, In Rainbows

Prediction: This should go to Radiohead, but my guess is you'll see their terrible second rate imitators Coldplay walk home with the gold for their bland, all-encompassing everyman-ness. What you think they're gonna let Lil Wayne walk out with a trophy? Not on your life.

BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Beck, Modern Guilt
Death Cab For Cutie, Narrow Stairs
Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple
My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges
Radiohead, In Rainbows

If Radiohead doesnt get best album, they get this one. I personally love all these records (even DCFC's wasn't bad). Fingers crossed for MMJ and Gnarls Barkley.

BEST COUNTRY COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
Kenny Chesney & George Strait, "Shiftwork"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Killing The Blues"
George Strait & Patty Loveless, "House Of Cash"
Sugarland, Jake Owen, & Little Big Town, "Life In A Northern Town"
Trisha Yearwood & Keith Urban, "Let The Wind Chase You"

I'm not going to pretend I know anything about country. So I'll use my gut feeling, served GWB well right?
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, the titan of hard rock doing folk songs with a bluegrass goddess? That's what wins Grammys.

tune in tomorrow for more first rate predictions. I love to say I told you so.

The Wrestler at Amherst Cinema

2009-01-24T15:49:00.004-05:00

If anyone has seen any awards show or heard any movie buzz it has had to include the buzz about "The Wrestler" and Mickey Rourke's performance.

The movie is shot mostly on a hand-held camera, following behind Rourke who gives a marvelous performance that involves using his whole body and emotional spectrum being beaten and pummeled to a pulp. It isn't just the staples that break Rourke's ribs, it is also the heartbreak and loneliness that he must endure. His daughter hates him. He is locked out of his trailer on many nights and is played for his money by another actor, a stripper.

The performances in the film are what makes actors and actresses so rich. Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood shine in this downbeat film. Both are looking for different things from their father and must both realize that his career has determined just who he is. they have to see that to understand him, no matter how much it hurts.

The Oscar nods here are worthy. Except Aronofsky probably deserves one for his direction.

Keep your eyes out for this one. Check it out (if you can take a good amount of blood and violence. Remember most wrestling is fake) at Amherst Cinema.

Awards Wrap-Up from the Boston Globe

2009-01-23T14:53:00.003-05:00

Ty Burr and Wesley Morris are two beloved critics by us here at the Collegian (Shayna and Myself especially). They had done an Oscar video a few weeks ago about who will get snubbed and forgotten when the time comes for the predictions. It is interesting to look back on it. They just did a peice (Burr juust got back from Sundance in time to shoot a video for their Take 2 series) about the picks. It is intersting to look back on what they said and what happened with the predictions.

Snubs, maybe:

Here is their recap:

Oscar Nominations Have Been Announced!

2009-01-22T16:05:00.005-05:00

Today was the big day for the Motion Picture world. Some huge nominations for "Benjamin Button" (13) and "Slumdog Millionaire" (10). The most enjoyable news is the nomination for Richard Jenkins (Best Acotr) for "The Visitor" (a little seen film that deserves to be seen by just about everyone).

Here's a link to the New York Times very own Oscar watch guy The Carpetbagger. he is pretty funny and has some great stuff online.

Video Announcement from Boston.com:

Full List Here of the Nominations:

81st Oscar Nominations

Best motion picture of the year
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers*
“Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers*
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined*
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Achievement in directing*
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard*
“Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant*
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry*
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)*
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)*
Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)*
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)*
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)*
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)*
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)*
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)*
Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)*
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)*
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)*
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)*
Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)*
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)*
Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)*
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)* Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Original screenplay
*“Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt*
“Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh*
“In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh*
“Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black*
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Adapted screenplay
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
“Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Best animated feature film of the year
“Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard*
“Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Best documentary feature
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath*
“Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser*
“The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy*
“Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn* “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best foreign language film of the year*
“The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany*
“The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France*
“Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan* “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria*
“Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Those would be the basic awards. Check out awardsdaily.com for a full list.

A Revolution in Acting

2009-01-13T18:40:00.003-05:00

After Kate Winslets recent victories at the Golden globes (best supporting actress for "The Reader" and best actress for "Revolutionary Road") I thought I should write up a short review of "Revolutionary Road."

Let me start off by saying this: the movie is all about the acting. The acting is pitch-perfect (I love that term). DiCaprio and Winslet show what they're made of. Winslet uses her internal struggles, her eyes and her body language like no other actress has in a film so deeply routed in an era when that was how a woman spoke. While DiCaprio is more forward, direct and brutally honest with his words. It is how the relationship is meant to be. Winslet is stuck in her mind and body wondering how to escape, while DiCaprio shows us, brings us into the world of the fledgling husband.

Then there is Michael Shannon. He is the conscious in the film. he speaks his mind. He speaks the truth, and tells the audience that what they are feeling is okay, we should feel that way too. He is also a troubled man, but is this trouble what makes him so trustworthy and understanding. his lack of compassion is refreshing here. Shannon even out shines Winslet on the screen and overshadows the film with uncomfortable and unnerving laughs from the older generations in the theatre. They know, the audience, that what he is saying is true but is it necessary? Could these two make it through life with the unhappy 50's marriage because society dictates that, if it weren't for his presence?

I should get the to story. It is simple: two lovers get involved and have great aspirations. they never fulfill these aspirations but rather get stuck in the times. they have two children, buy a house in the 'burbs, and don't live happily ever after. Wife challenges husband, husband challenges wife, and all falls apart. You know it won't work from the get-go. So don't tell me I'm giving anything away.

The film moves seamlessly. Mendes uses theatrical direction and feel for the film. shooting it in close to sequential order, allowing the characters and actors to develop alongside one another. This gives the film an authentic feeling. It also gives the actors a chance to build their characters and work up for the big fights. Mendes, most widely known for "American Beauty" has suburban America in his pocket at this point. He knows the colors that resonate to the eye of suburbia. He has the lawns down, the trimmed hedges, bushes and flowers. The reds and whites stand out. The cars shine, and the kids play in sprinklers and have doll houses. He knows just what a living room situation is and the boring dialogue that goes with it. He is a master of this place, and he knows it and shows it.

The film is superb. The only warning I have is this: it is not a great "date movie" unless you really want to test. It shows the uncomfortable side to a relationship, the places none of us want to go. But the movie is not one to see alone either. It needs to be discussed after.

I can't wait to pick up Yates's novel (the movie is based on his so-called masterpiece) either.

The Curious Case

2008-12-26T19:33:00.004-05:00

To say "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is the year's best film is too high of a compliment (it is getting a few of those), but the film is surely one of the best of the year. With David Fincher's direction the film moves through one man's story with ease, grace and a much needed omnipresent feel.

The audience is allowed a once in a lifetime opportunity to read from Mr. Button's very own journal and life-story through the voice of a dying woman's daughter's voice. Katrina thumps outside the window, always on the edge of land and the destruction that the audience knows will follow.

It is Eric Roth's best idea in the script, outside of moving the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald from Baltimore to New Orleans. The introduction to the characters through a journal, and to see the dying lover of Benjamin at a ripe old age gives the audience a mistaken hope that youth will rule the film as it is a flashback. But the audience is left to see for themselves how this unbelievable story of a man who ages in reverse for their own eyes, having to wait for the youthful eyes of Brad Pitt, and the energetic movements of a younger man.

What Mr. Pitt brings to the role is a great smile, look, energy and emotional eyes (his eyes are placed on each body that Benjamin must suffer through). The problem with t he film is that Mr. Pitt is so well-known that waiting for the years to pass, Benjamin to age into a more youthful self, and to get to Mr. Pitt's own sculpture to grace the curious man feels like ages. It is hard for an audience to anticipate his arrival, and to understand the way the human mind progresses because the body is moving in a reverse direction, wouldn't the mind move this way as well? Not if is it a blank slate, so to see the mind evolve is very unique here. It is in fact the whole story.

The story of how we love, why we love, and how we all meet our death is the central message here, no matter how we get there.

I'll leave it to you, the audience to discover how Cate Blanchett and Mr. Pitt work on-screen, and how their love is established. But I will say this: it works, no matter how odd it really is.

The reason it all works is because of David Fincher's direction. His fly on the wall approach works here. Keeping the camera from showing the emotions of the actors Fincher allows the actors to create the mood. His CGI proles is something to marvel at as well (he was an effects man back in the past before getting his shot to direct). The movie is dark, it seems to take place at night more often than not (night-life is more interesting isn't it?) but this movie is one of Mr. Fincher's easier movies on the eyes. He stays in the shadows but lights them, and avoids frenetic cuts, or too gruesome of images.

One grievance against Mr. Roth and Mr. Fincher I do have is the Hummingbird. Forced symbolism is one of the things that movies should avoid. Let the audience discover things for themselves, don't feed it to them. The American public and moviegoers of the world should be treated as intellects, otherwise they get lazy.

So get out there this Holiday season and see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Slumdog Millionaire."

I am on my way to see "Slumdog" again and I hope my impressions can only be strengthened.

But for now I hope to still see "Doubt," "The Wrestler," and a few others that are opening.

Here is a trailer for "Ben Button"

The kids of Journalism 393F have taken over...

2008-12-12T15:25:00.009-05:00

Some films must be seen – they’re almost too unbelievable to disregard or to ignore. Some, like those of the “Showgirls” variety, are mere flashes in the poor taste pan. Poor, yes, but they’re the stuff of laughs, not of legend. Such films may air in perpetuity on cable, softened up for public consumption by network executives leery of their content, but tempted to show them, nonetheless. Other poor taste films cannot be softened. They straddle the line between camp and smut, and sometimes, these films don’t just shock. They push the barrier of what is acceptable on screen. They raise questions about censorship, and they represent a shift in the way an audience reacts to cinema.

“Female Trouble” is one such film. If Baltimore-based director John Waters had an opus, it’d probably be the 1972 film, “Pink Flamingos,” not this 1974 follow-up. In the realm of offensive, unwatchable films, you really can’t sink any lower than “Pink Flamingos.” The film stars drag actor Divine as the filthiest person in the world. The film picks up as two contenders (Mink Stole and David Lochary) vie for her throne. Waters assaults the screen with non-stop, gross-out shocks. “Pink Flamingos” features a mother (Edith Massey) with an unusual taste for eggs, a son (Danny Mills) with an unusual fetish for chickens, and concludes with one infamous scene with a dog.

The intent in “Female Trouble” is to repulse – not totally dissimilar to Waters’ intentions with “Pink Flamingos.” What seperates the two by more than years is that “Female Trouble” actually yields to a narrative. The film centers on the tale of Baltimore teen Dawn Davenport (Divine). All Dawn wants for Christmas is a pair of bright red cha-cha heels. She begs and pleads, nagging after her meek-natured parents incessantly. Finally, the fateful morning arrives. Dawn tears through the myriad Christmas presents meant for her, but alas, no cha-cha shoes are to be found. Livid, Dawn stomps all over the idyllic Christmas setting, tearing down the tree and decrying the terrible injustice done to her by her own parents.

“Female Trouble” then traces Dawn’s descent into madness. She runs away and catches a ride with a man, played by Divine out of drag. They have sex and soon after she gets pregnant. To make ends meet, she starts waitressing and stripping, before becoming a crook. A rivalry with a neighbor – an older woman (also Edith Massey) who struts around outside clad in a black leather bondage jumpsuit - brings tension. Dawn pushes it all aside during her frequent trips to the hair salon. There she meets her future husband (Michael Potter), who can’t help but encourage her rapidly aging daughter to join in a threesome with them. After a tragic attack leaves Dawn’s face mottled and deformed, she becomes convinced that crime is beauty, and embarks on a mad killing spree, during which no one in her life is safe.

“Female Trouble” feels a bit like an explanation. It explains, in loose terms, the mantra of Waters during the early 1970s. Divine was a muse for Waters during this period. Some critics, as well as some die-hard fans of Waters prior to his mainstream success with 1988’s “Hairspray,” have claimed that the director lost his edge after Divine passed away during the same year. In the final scene Divine, now fully adorned in the ghoulish make-up of “Pink Flamingos,” cries out to the audience and makes a speech about crime and art. In the end, she unleashes a hail of gunfire on the rapt audience, which has watched as she murdered her own daughter.

Waters’ early films seem to lack the goofy sense of humor that characterizes some of the better “schlock” films to come out of the same period. They seem more acid-laced and vitriolic than a camp film would usually warrant. Waters and his cast do seem angry – irrevocably, unconditionally enraged about something, but the focus of that contempt goes unnamed. “Female Trouble” was reportedly inspired by Charles “Tex” Watson, a member of the Manson Family, and complicit in the slayings of Sharon Tate and several others.

Ultimately, I can’t say that I enjoy “Female Trouble” much, or that I enjoy any John Waters film for that matter. Even with his more conventional films, like “Hairspray” or “Serial Mom,” Waters never comes across as an especially gifted filmmaker. His fame has persisted over the years not by his talent, but by his infamy. As a shock-smut director, he has yet to square off against any legitimate rivals, and perhaps there’s something to be said for that. In the confines of a normal narrative, Waters seems to drown, no matter how shallow that narrative may be. Waters’ early films are inexplicably offensive, and some would be content to banish him to obscurity. But his films represent a shift in the way violence was depicted on screen.

In “Female Trouble,” that shift is paraded, but less gruesomely than in “Pink Flamingos.” Nearly 35 years later, the film still hasn’t lost its edge. For that reason, I hesitantly recommend “Female Trouble.”

-SM.

Clint Eastwood: As good as they get

2008-12-12T13:36:00.003-05:00

With "Gran Torino" opening to some great reviews, Eastwood winning a major acting award for the film already, I thought it was fair to post an interview that the New York Times did with him. He is a true American actor and hero of cinema. Look at his body of work, there is a lot, and ther eare some of the greatest gems in American Cinema to date.

Here's the Article

Here is the Film's trailer in case you were wondering what the movie is about:

Golden Globe Nominations Announced

2008-12-11T23:37:00.002-05:00

Today was the day that the grand ol' Golden Globe nominations get announced.
Another one of those glitz and glamour showcases for the rich to shine. But in all fairness we watch the rich, pay for them to be rich, to entertain and then be rewarded for entertaining us. It is something for actors, writers, directors and everyone else involved in a moie to strive for: an awrd for their hard work.

With that let's toss out the nominations.

Best Motion Picture - Drama:
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"The Reader"
"Revolutionary Road"
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama:
Leonardo DiCaprio, "Revolutionary Road"
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama:
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
Kristen Scott Thomas, "I've Loved You So Long"
Kate Winslet, "Revolutionary Road"

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy:
"Burn After Reading"
"Happy-Go-Lucky"
"In Bruges"
"Mamma Mia!"
"Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy:
Javier Bardem "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Colin Farrell, "In Bruges"
James Franco, "Pineapple Express"
Brendan Gleeson, "In Bruges"
Dustin Hoffman, "Last Chance Harvey"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy:
Rebecca Hall, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Frances McDormand, "Burn After Reading"
Meryl Streep, "Mamma Mia!"
Emma Thompson, "Last Chance Harvey"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:
Tom Cruise, "Tropic Thunder"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Ralph Fiennes, "The Duchess"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

Best Animated Feature:
"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"WALL-E"

Best Foreign Language Film:
"The Baader Meinhof Complex" (Germany)
"Everlasting Moments" (Sweden/Denmark)
"Gomorrah" (Italy)
"I've Loved You So Long" (France)
"Waltz with Bashir" (Israel)

Best Director - Motion Picture:
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Sam Mendes, "Revolutionary Road"

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture:
Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"
David Hare, "The Reader"
Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"
Eric Roth, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"

Best Original Score - Motion Picture:
Alexandre Desplat, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Clint Eastwood, "Changeling"
James Newton Howard, "Defiance"
A.R. Rahman, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Hans Zimmer, "Frost/Nixon"

Best Original Song - Motion Picture:
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E"
"Gran Torino" from "Gran Torino"
"I Thought I Lost You" from "Bolt"
"Once in a Lifetime" from "Cadillac Records"
"The Wrestler" from "The Wrestler"

I must disagree with Shayna, it happens

2008-12-07T15:21:00.006-05:00

Shayna Murphy reviewed Danny Boyle's new film "Slumdog Millionaire" earlier this week. And I must disagree with her "B" rating. Now I know our rating system is flawed (which one isn't?) and it is completely subjective. But I must give Boyle's new film an "A" on our rector scale.

The film breaks so many conventions of the common love story. Yes, all the cliches are there. But what Boyle does with them is what separates this film apart from others in recent years. He uses the conventions as a back-drop for the slums of India and the story of a man in search of love, while trying to survive the dangers of being a homeless boy walking the streets of the city of Mumbai.

He must survive gangsters, his own brother, tourists, police and rioters. Jamal Malik makes it out alive. He makes it out with only minor scars, until his love Latika is introduced.

When Latika comes into the story, being introduced as the unknown "Third Musketeer," the movie moves from survival to love and what humans will go through to live life with another person.

The movie moves its narrative through the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Jamal grinds his way through the questions to the grand prize of 20 million Rupees. The scummy host cannot believe that a "slumdog" is answering the questions, and not cheating.

He in turn has Jamal tortured after a taping of the show to find his own answers.

Jamal has a simple answer for his torturers: he lived all the questions and answers. That is the narrative. Simple. We jump back and forth from game show to life.

But what Boyle does with the narrative is genuine. He uses the camera as another story-teller, never using it as another fly on the way. The chase sequences are marvelous. Like in "28 Days Later" and other Boyle films, he uses shadows, close-ups, light and pitch-perfect music to score the chases making them more alive than a real chase.

What Boyle does to convey the heat and the cramped spaces of Mumbia and the slums of India i highlighting yellow and white through filters. Making the colors more permanent, giving the eyes something to focus on and feel.

The use of subtitles is one special thing that Boyle does in the film. He gives a new look into how we see a foreign film, and how we read subtitles. The few subtitles used are never placed off the screen, but rather they are in the picture, placed gently inside open space in each shot. This stylization doesn't allow the viewer to ever look away from the action. It is a small thing to rave about, but it does enhance the film's experience.

Go see "Slumdog Millionaire." December 12 at Amherst Cinema. And check out Ty Burr's Review. Here is a Q & A with the star Dev Patel. And another with Mr. Boyle himself.

Weekend DVD Rental

2008-12-05T13:17:00.001-05:00

The underbelly of cities has been told many times before. Whether it is in Polanski’s masterpiece “Chinatown,” or Danny Boyle’s adaptation of “Trainspotting,” the underworlds of society have been explored, opened to the public eye and seen in almost perfect lights. So what could “City of God” bring new to the table?

The movie is based on the novel by Paulo Lins. It is not a direct account of his life, but a fictionalization of his life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro.

The movie takes on the life decisions that must be made by a young boy in the impoverished area of the city. Join a gang, become a free-spirit, drug addict or run free and follow your dreams. Rocket’s (played by Alexandre Rodrigues) dream is to become a photographer. He wants to expose the world to his beautiful images, but also to what he ahs grown up seeing. He wants to tell stories with pictures. To do this he must play by the rules of where he lives.

As if growing up poor is not enough of a hampering for a young boy, then add on that his best friends, brother, and acquaintances all become involved in the gang life of the city to his trials and tribulations. He must fight off gang leaders who once were friends. He must survive the battles in the streets at night and during the day time. He must succeed in keeping his distance from the war that fights around him.

The film moves through time with great pace, remarkable characters—vile and beautiful. The editing by Daniel Rezende (“The Motorcycle Diaries”) is superb. Using modern technology to jump cut without it feeling forced but still needed. The movie’s frames have a sense of fulfillment, and purpose as each one seamlessly slides into the next.

To go with the editing is the cinematography by Cesar Charlone (“The Constant Gardner”) who uses the camera in remarkable ways. Framing each shot inside the city making it feel vast and expansive, as if it is the whole word, nothing is outside. But at the same time he creates a feeling like this world is closing in, breaking down the walls, and that soon it will crush the characters unless they break free. The cinematographer is one of those underappreciated positions on a film crew, but here Charlone’s contribution is felt. He along with Rezende create the fast paced world the movie moves in.

Direction for the film is nothing but superb. Fernando Meirelles (“The Constant Gardner,” “Blindness”) creates an image, and indistinguishable characters. He moves the film in directions that seem impossible to pull off. Much f the film rings with gunshots, but they don’t feel out of place. He helps frame the characters in their places, and gives each character a heart, not matter how black it may have become. He doesn’t shy away from the violence, he grabs hold of it and lets it tell the true story. There is no aggrandizing here. No lies.

This is filmmaking at its best. The tracking shots, long takes, and emotional camera bring to mind P.T. Anderson and Kubrick, with some Scorsese thrown in there too. Meirelles keeps the pace of the film and by the end your body is emotionally drained, your heart is weeping, and your eyes are blinking, but still seeing flashes of gun shots across eyelids.

The language barrier is broken in the film. Portuguese with English subtitles, always a throw-off for many crowds. Who wants to read subtitles when the action is going on? Well that barrier is broken here. A true sign that “City of God” is a great foreign film. Whenever language feels natural, as if it were rolling from your native tongue rather than that of the characters is the goal for a successful film across borders.

Many Americans see the struggle that goes into reading subtitles, instead of seeking out the feeling that the native words have over the meaning of the written ones at the bottom of the screen. Lying is what dubbing does. It breaks the feel of a film, but if a films subtitles only wash away and become a part of the dialogue then you have something special. Meirelles, Braulio Mantovani (writer of the screenplay) and the actors create this feeling. It is an authentic feeling in an authentic movie.

“City of God” is not one to miss.

memoir details past affair

2008-12-01T08:48:00.006-05:00

J.D. Salinger had poor judgment with women, or such was my belief after reading Joyce Maynard’s 1999 memoir, “At Home in the World.”

A professor in one of my Journalism classes ranted about the memoir last week, which is what prompted me to check it out. He could barely conceal his dislike for Ms. Maynard, whom he described as the kind of woman likely to pause in mid-sentence and ask, “Enough about me. What do you think about me?” After reading “At Home in the World,” that seemed like a fairly generous way of describing her.

“At Home” chronicles Maynard’s affair and subsequent break up with Salinger. She was 18 at the time, and he was 53. The relationship endured for ten months. Much of their time together was spent holed up in Salinger’s home in Cornish, New Hampshire.

Salinger’s living habits factor heavily into the memoir. Maynard details quirky things, like how he adhered to a strict diet of frozen lamb burgers and sunflower seeds. Smoked salmon was a treasured splurge for the duo. Ms. Maynard recounts one instance where she and Salinger, frustrated with having to take trips into the city to buy said prized salmon, resolved to smoke it themselves. She watched on as he struggled to dip salmon into their fireplace. It came out coated in a thick blanket of soot. Although gross, they ate it anyway.

These asides were the most interesting thing about the memoir, which I admittedly thumbed through. “At Home in the World” also tells of Ms. Maynard’s life post-Salinger - of her marriage, divorce, children, and eventual success with “To Die For,” a novel inspired by the real-life case of Pamela Smart.

But her memoir is really anchored on one big mystery. Why did she get dumped by J.D. Salinger? Was it because J.D - or Jerry, as she intimately refers to him as throughout her memoir - simply tired of her as she aged? Was it because she needled him too much for a baby, even though they never once had sex?

Ms. Maynard doesn’t have a clue. But it seems pretty obvious why he tossed her out. Her world-weary account of growing up in the 60s caught Salinger’s attention from afar. He professed to have found in her a kindred spirit, or landsman, as he says in a letter. But as he spent time with her, he seemed to notice a few things.

Namely, how eager she was for fame and accolades. She described the world in a frustrated (Caulfield-esque?) fashion, but it wasn’t genuine. Far from being weary, she seemed to hunger for all the things she had disparaged of in her article.

She also grew intrusive, actually giving out his private phone number to publishers. When her parents broke up, they started calling the house frequently, asking for his relationship advice. It got to be too much for the guy. He broke it off while they were vacationing together in Florida. And according to her memoir, Ms. Maynard spent much of the 70s moping around because of it.

She ultimately comes across as a woman scorned, but hardly avenged, in her memoir’s token climax. She confronts him a quarter century later, demanding explanations. Of course, this seems like something her publisher put her up to (your memoir needs a juicy ending!), and Salinger sees right through it.

“Are you writing a book?” he asks when she arrives at his doorstep. She skirts the question and demands he answer her own. Instead, he gives her a sound verbal lashing, the kind he probably should have given her years ago. He accuses her of squandering her career, of writing trash and gossip. He claims she always had an inflated sense her own abilities and that he knew she would never amount to much, anyway.

And then he calls her out for trying to exploit their relationship.

To her credit, “At Home in the World” could have been worse. Her accounts of Salinger having lots of movie nights and attending all his son’s sports games seem tame by tell-all standards. But was it in poor taste to break her silence after all these years? Certainly. Having a relationship with someone of such magnitude mandates a code of silence which Ms. Maynard breeched in writing her memoir.

But Salinger was asking for it. Revered literary figure has affair with teenager? It’s no surprise she wrote about it. The only surprise is that it took her 25 years to do it.

-SM.

Boston Theatres This Weekend...Coming to Amherst

2008-11-25T22:39:00.000-05:00

Ty Burr and Wesley Morris rarely disagree like they do here about the new Danny Boyle Film "Slumdog Millionaire." It is getting rave reviews across the country and talk of Oscars is heavy.

Here is there weekly "Take 2" on the film:

This Thanksgiving "Milk" is opening and that is being called a "masterpiece" across the board. Here is what Morris has to say about it.

A.O Scott of the New York Times says this about Milk.

This is Ebert's take.

And finally good ol' Mick LaSalle of San Francisco who has a unique take on films, and an honest approach to writing.

And the Trailer:

Some other releases, not getting such great reviews: Australia, Transport 3, and Four Christmases.

Have a Great Turkey Day...

The Wrestler Trailer Finally Online

2008-11-21T01:22:00.000-05:00

Variety has posted the trailer for the new Darren Aronofsky film "The Wrestler."
Mickey Rourke is getting praise from almost every critic and won over a lot of hearts at some major festivals.

Check it out: