New Year...New Tunes

Just wanted to squeeze in a few new tunes before review #175, which will be........Avatar!

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

I was vaguely familiar with this band when I saw this song turn up on a "Top 10 Best Songs of 2009" list...then another...and another. So, I had to hear what the fuss was about. The song features gorgeous harmonies over lilting piano and lurches along in a way that reminds me of Wolf Parade or maybe Modest Mouse mixed with the Beach Boys during their "Good Vibrations" era. Check it out below.



Animal Collective - Brother Sport

Along similar lines is the music of Animal Collective, one of the most original bands of the past decade. They have been very active recently releasing either an LP or an EP every year for the past 5 years or so. "Brother Sport" is my favorite song off their most recent full album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. It's rhythmic nature represents the most accessible side of Animal Collective's catalog, and a great jumping off point for exploring their sound. If you like "Brother Sport", there plenty more where that came from, but proceed with caution because some of the band's music is so experimental that it will only appeal to a very small audience.



Okkervil River - Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe

Okkervil River is a much more straightforward rock band than either of the previously referenced bands. The lead singer's yelps are slightly reminiscent of The Cure's Robert Smith, but with a stronger rhythm section backing him.

Movie 174: Angels & Demons

Angels & Demons (2009) by Ron Howard
starring Tom Hanks & Ewan McGregor



In a nutshell: Dan Brown's style of information-heavy fiction doesn't translate well to the screen. Too much time has to be spent dropping obscure names with mildly adequate explanations and the characters barely get developed as a result.

Quick synopsis: Before he tracked down the long lost bloodline of Christ, symbologist Robert Langdon helps the Catholic church get to the bottom of a plot organized by a long-hidden threat, aiming to bring it to its knees.

Content: I have to believe that with Dan Brown's mega-best-selling easy-reading books as source material, there were good movies to be made from The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, but Ron Howard's films were not the great films that might have been. They are very average movies with very questionable casting that move far too fast for the twists and turns to have any impact.

During the peak of the Da Vinci Code's popularity, I felt no shame in enjoying Dan Brown's contributions to literature. But I have witnessed a small backlash against Mr. Brown when people began to realize that he writes at a 6th grade level and repeatedly uses a certain cheap trick to create suspense - 2 page chapters with a cliffhanger at the end of each one. Nevertheless, these facts have not turned me against Brown's books, but have merely shifted them into the "guilty pleasures" section of my library (which incidentally just added Brown's new book, The Lost Symbol).

But the odd thing about Brown's Robert Langdon series (Da Vinci Code, Angel & Demons, Lost Symbol) is that while Langdon is the lead and the novels are undoubtedly interesting, Langdon himself is not interesting. He mostly serves as the source of the obscure facts required to move the story forward. He hardly even has a discernible personality. And when the character was written for the screen, there was no time to extrapolate on the little basis given by the books because of the minutes devoted to necessary information, twists and turns required to keep the story intact.

Perhaps certain actors could have taken character development upon themselves in interpreting Langdon, but Tom Hanks doesn't pull it off. At least he got rid of his laughable hairdo from The Da Vinci Code, but he is equally as bland. Ewan McGregor plays a pivotal character, but I think he is an overrated actor. I don't remember liking him in anything except Trainspotting through the years. I generally like Stellan Skarsgard (of Good Will Hunting fame), who plays a commander in the Swiss Guard, but I am slowly realizing that his campy appearances have turned into a sort of novelty for me. I get excited in a way only comparable to the momentary excitement I feel when Christopher McDonald (the immortal Shooter McGavin) inevitably pops up in what seems like every B movie. The female lead (I don't even know who she was) was completely nondescript.

Brown slick little cliffhanger trick does not translate to the screen either. A film that jumped around as much as his books, would probably have been worse than Ron Howard's finished products.

It is possible for films that fly through at a breakneck pace to work. See Snatch for verification. The characters in that movie are even fairly well developed. And then there is one other film that serves as concrete evidence that Angels & Demons (and Da Vinci Code) could have been done better - National Treasure - because it is the exact same type of adventure plot. So what is it that makes National Treasure immensely more enjoyable than either Brown adaptation? The single characteristic that jumps out is HUMOR. Angels & Demons was COMPLETELY devoid of even a hint of humor. But again, there were probably no spare minutes in the film's already lengthy run time for that. National Treasure was also not burdened by any source material and was created specifically for the screen. Adaptations are always trickier and Howard's attempts at adapting Brown haven't clicked, for whatever reason.

I don't mean to give the impression that Angels & Demons is a bad movie - it is not. It is worth watching once and is not offensive in any way, but it's not memorable or rewatchable. When dealing with such far-fetched stories supposedly set in present-day reality, a little humor makes it much easier to suspend disbelief, perhaps because the characters seem to be in on the joke as well. I think that to make Brown's books into GOOD movies, more ADAPTING was necessary, and less faithfulness to the original material.

Rolling rankings:
1. Inglourious Basterds (#168)
2. Where The Wild Things Are (#169)
3. Jackie Brown (#173)
4. Adventureland (#170)
5. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (#172)
6. Duplicity (#167)
7. Battle Royale (#165)
8. Into the Wild (#166)
9. Angels & Demons (#174)
10. The American Nightmare (#171)

Movie 173: Jackie Brown

Jackie Brown (1997) by Quentin Tarantino
starring Pam Grier, Robert Forster, Samuel L. Jackson and Robert DeNiro



In a nutshell: Possibly the least seen of Tarantino's movies is undeserving of that distinction...although all of his movies are undeserving of that distinction because they are all good

Quick synopsis: An airline stewardess trying to earn a few extra bucks on the side winds up in the middle of an ATF investigation into arms dealing and befriends a local bail bondsman who helps her navigate her ordeal.

Content: Of all of Quentin Tarantino's films, Jackie Brown is perhaps the least recognizable as his work. There is fantastic dialog, but none of the self-conscious pop culture chatter that is omnipresent in Reservoir Dogs. There is a scene that is replayed 3 times from 3 different POV's but the film is generally presented in order, unlike Pulp Fiction. Jackie Brown is alarmingly straightforward for QT movie and proves that if all the frills and fancy filmmaking techniques are stripped away, the man is still a talented writer and storyteller.

In Jackie Brown, he takes an Elmore Leonard novel called Rum Punch and turns it into a homage to the "blaxploitation" films of the 70's. As if there was any doubt that this is what he was up to, he even casts one of the biggest blaxploitation stars, Pam Grier, as the titular character. Although she gets mixed up in a semi-complicated crime caper featuring Sam Jackson and Robert DeNiro, the heart of the film revolves around her relationship with a man who is otherwise very ordinary. Max Cherry is a simple man - a bail bondsman who goes about his somewhat dangerous job with a quiet power. He has been doing it for decades and isn't an intimidating or physically imposing person, yet he clearly isn't intimidated by the scumbags and criminals who march into his office with wads of cash needing a bail bond. In one of the films most memorable moments, he matter-of-factly describes to Jackie how he broke into the house of a man he needed to bring in and waited there with a gun in the darkness. He is played expertly by Robert Forster who deserved the Oscar nom that he received and in many ways reminds me of Margie Gunderson from the Coen Brothers' award-winner, Fargo.

Max's relationship with Jackie is subtle. I wouldn't say he lights up when meets her, but he lights up as much as Max Cherry can. He remains deadpan, but he can't help but offer her a drink. He is taken by the beauty of an older woman, and QT does a fantastic job of portraying her as such. Although I have to give as much credit to Pam Grier as well. Jackie Brown is another deep character who is cold and harsh when she needs to be, but thoughtful, insecure and introspective at other times, especially when with Max. Even though she hasn't been a complete innocent, we still sympathize with her because she is so human.

In the other half of the movie, characters have less depth but are still not cookie-cutter stereotypes. Samuel L. Jackson plays Ordell Robbie in one of his better jobs. He is a cold-hearted SOB who looks out for himself and no one else. He isn't stupid, but he also isn't as smart as he thinks he is either. He fancies himself a big-time player when he really isn't. And for all his talk, all he has managed to accomplish is to put himself on the ATF's radar. He is, for the most part, just a criminal who's mouth is writing checks that his ass can't cash. Nevertheless he is dangerous and a guy who will kill you if you give him a reason. But, like Max, he has a soft spot for Jackie. This is never more obvious then when he gets extremely defensive when describing Jackie's plight to Max.

Robert DeNiro's character is strangely useless. He is barely even used to move the plot forward. His performance is also the weakest among the major roles, but it's not enough to harm the movie. Michael Keaton is one of the ATF agents and he is spot on as someone who is way too into "being a cop" as one of the characters describes him.

Jackie Brown is all about the characters. The caper is interesting, but is secondary. The ending, which I won't reveal, is fantastic and leaves the door open for a little story extrapolation even though I am guessing that things kind of return to the way they were when all is said and done.

So...watch Jackie Brown, even if you are not normally a QT fan. It is easily his most accessible movie to the type of moviegoers who don't get off on Sam Jackson and John Travolta talking about a Royale with cheese or Kill Bill's theatrical spurting blood.

Rolling rankings:
1. Inglourious Basterds (#168)
2. Where The Wild Things Are (#169)
3. Jackie Brown (#173)
4. Adventureland (#170)
5. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (#172)
6. Duplicity (#167)
7. Battle Royale (#165)
8. Into the Wild (#166)
9. I Love You, Man (#164)
10. The American Nightmare (#171)

Movie 172: Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008) by Sacha Gervasi
featuring Anvil (aka Lips and Robb Reiner)



In a nutshell: A very entertaining portrait of a few guys who have been rolling with the punches for a very long time but still have their eyes on the prize. It will make you feel guilty for ever giving up on any dream

Quick synopsis: Many of Anvil's peers and proteges went on to massive worldwide stardom while Anvil toiled in obscurity for 2 decades. Anything that can go wrong often does as they pick themselves up for yet another attempt at breaking through.

Content: If you have heard of this movie, you have probably heard the band and their antics compared to fictional bumbling rockers, Spinal Tap. And everything you've heard would be true. The parallels are eerie, from meddling girlfriends to empty arenas and faulty management. The Story of Anvil is a sad but uplifting story about two guys with a dream. It's sad because they still haven't achieved their dream of rock stardom as they enter their 50's, but it is uplifting because they simply don't know how to give up on it, no matter how they cruelly they are treated by the world. We are talking about guys that work demolition, drive food delivery trucks and live paycheck-to-paycheck in order to record their next album.

Although the other band members have rotated throughout the years, Anvil is based around its lead singer/guitarist nicknamed "Lips" and its drummer, Robb Reiner. These guys have a complex relationship that is more intricate than many marriages. One is emotionally explosive while the other who is often the target of the outbursts has pretty much developed a dependency on his leader to help him achieve his dream. They suffer setback after setback mixed in with just enough hope to keep them going when combined with unabashed love for heavy metal.

You will feel for these guys as things don't go their way and you get furious alongside them when they get stiffed in Prague. But then they are juxtaposed against their siblings who seem to be successful, upstanding citizens and the comparison is startling. But the film never judges these guys. At times I question how much the events depicted are being edited to make the rollercoaster that is Anvil seem more extreme, but for the most part Anvil is an extremely candid look at a few aging guys with a dream who wears their emotions on their sleeves and are completely unaffected by the fact that there is a camera following them.

I wanted these guys to succeed in the worst way, even though I know it would probably lead to disaster if they did. Anvil seem destined to be tragic heroes of one kind or another and I will be interested to see how the profile boost given to them by this film affects them. I would recommend this documentary to anyone, whether a fan of metal or not.

The film reaches its high point at the very end. It's an emotionally powerful, if simple moment, not just because of what happens, but because of Lips' reaction. Seeing how important something so insignificant to the rest of us was to him brought a small tear to my eye as his eyes welled up and even if only for one show, his lifetime of work had been justified.

Rolling rankings:
1. Inglourious Basterds (#168)
2. Where The Wild Things Are (#169)
3. Adventureland (#170)
4. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (#172)
5. Duplicity (#167)
6. Battle Royale (#165)
7. Into the Wild (#166)
8. Interview With The Vampire (#163)
9. I Love You, Man (#164)
10. The American Nightmare (#171)