As most of you know I have been awaiting the new Autolux album entitled "Transit, Transit" like my younger self looked forward to playing duck hunt on a new Nintendo game system while trying to sleep on Christmas Eve. The latest news, as reported on their myspace page, is that they are working out the business end of the deal and that it will potentially come out soon after the new year. While this is probably meaningless and they'll still release the album whenever they want, I'll take any news as good news at this point. They have also put a new instrumental song up (not associated with "Transit, Transit"), you can listen here.
There has been much talk recently about the prospect of Will Smith and Steven Spielberg teaming up to do a remake of the Korean classic "OldBoy". While I think no matter who acts and directs this film, there will be die hard "OldBoy" fans out there groaning (including myself), I think there is legitimacy to the fear of this teaming. Personally I think Spielberg could handle this, but with Will Smith involved it will most definitely go from a stylish, yet gritty dark revenge story, to a slick, flashy commercial piece, with Will Smith crackin' the occasional hip joke.
The most recent news is that Will Smith has reportedly said that the film will not be a direct remake of the Korean film, but an interpretation of the manga the Korean film was based on. Apparently the Korean film added a lot of the more unsavory elements that made us squirm through the final third. Personally while the Korean film is still a masterpiece as far as style, acting, pacing, and crawl out of your skin surprise ending, I'm all for doing without the gag inducing reveal (which makes it a hard one to justify repeat viewings). But the reality is that, while this news may calm some angry fans who scoff at someone remaking their beloved film, it still will produce the same result. Seriously Will Smith, I would be delighted if you would prove me wrong. Here's the trailer to the original:
This Baltimore band has taken me probably longer then any other to process. When I first heard their debut a few years back I immediately connected with their post-rock influenced sort of experimental/art rock sound, but then the vocals came in. James Johnson's sort of howling talk/singing is not pretty, and I hated it at first, but it can be if you let it, quite moving. There is a raw emotional intensity that exudes out of this group that not many can imitate. Their new album entitled "(k)no(w)here" was created as a companion piece to visual artist Charles Long's installation at this year's Whitney Biennial. I don't know who that is or what that means really, but I plan to find out. The album aside from being one long progression, where each song flows into the next, is basically more of the same. But when you already have a sonic styling that is so uniquely yours, consistently stretching the boundaries of music, why change it? They are truly a band you can't really describe, you just have to listen:
***another blogger pointed me to this video of the Charles Long installation, would have been a great show***
Let me start by saying I am not liberal or conservative, and I am just as skeptical as anyone of Michael Moore and his tactics. I'm sure that just like any good documentarian he was able to spin some of the stories that were told in this film to fit his agenda. But I will also say that there are too many facts presented here to ignore, and by the end of his film I felt quite ashamed to be an American. I am the first to admit that in my country, money is definitely King, and power is used to fatten pockets rather than meet the needs of the community. Our healthcare system is so morally bankrupt and it will stay that way as long as conservatives, the working class and the uneducated continue to be manipulated by fear-mongering (Socialism is evil!!!), political heavyweights, who are members of congress one day and paid employees of Healthcare companies the next.
As for the film Moore does a great job making such a despairing subject as watch-able and, dare I say, fun to watch as possible. Taking a bunch of 9/11 rescue workers who had, in America, either been refused health care, or were practically in the poor house because of its costs, to Guantanamo Bay was a stunt that really drove home his point. The soundtrack was also very effective and fitting, hilarious one moment, tear-jerking the next.
One thing that hit me hard was the fact that in Great Britain, where they have free universal healthcare, there are incentives in place where doctors are monetarily rewarded for how well they do their job (all the way down to how many patients they get to stop smoking). In America it is just the opposite, our physicians are rewarded by Healthcare providers for how much money they save them AKA refusing treatment, which often ends in death/murder. Listen everybody, why can we provide socialist services in America like free fire fighting, police, libraries, schools, postal, but not free healthcare? Don't be so close minded that you miss out on this film. Here's the trailer:
So there are reports on the net that director Gore Verbinski, of Pirates of the Caribbean fame, is set to direct the remake of Korean monster flick "The Host". Well, he'll get the monster action right, thats for sure, but not much else I fear. One of the things that made the Korean blockbuster so good, was the dis functional family coming together to bring back their daughter from the grips of a giant sea creature. Emotional depth has never been Gore's strong suit, so in my opinion this will be another brilliant Hollywood spectacle that nobody cares about. The last thing we need is another "Godzilla" with Matthew B. on our hands. If you haven't seen "The Host" go rent the DVD now, here's the trailer:
***CORRECTION---I've found out recently that Gore Verbinski will only produce the remake, while Fredrik Bond, who has previously done Nike commercials will direct. Well, the previous article still applies only things are slightly more bleak.***
Ummm...a turkish sci-fi comedy with dinosaurs and giant insects!!???...and its a sequel????? Ya well as weird as that sounds "Arog" is a sort of Mel Brooks type comedy, that I don't know a lot about, but the trailer looks like a lot of fun. It seems like it has great production values, and from what I've read the first film, "Gora", was apparently also very good, so I'll have to track it down before this one comes out. Sorry there are no subtitles in the trailer, but you'll get the idea:
I know this movie is out on DVD now, but I just thought I would give it my own personal stamp of approval. If there is anything this movie has an unlimited supply of is heart. It is about a wildly imaginative young boy who lives an extremely sheltered life, as a result of his cultish religious upbringing. Everything changes for him when he meets the misunderstood school bully and is shown a bootleg copy of Rambo. With he new found adrenaline pumping, he and his new friend, embark on a journey to make their own Rambo film, all the while trying to keep it a secret from his family. As word gets around to the coolest kid in school (a french exchange student) it becomes a bigger production and harder to keep under wraps. It is layered film about friendship, love, family and growing up, with enough quirky moments to satisfy any Napoleon Dynamite fan. Here's a trailer:
I was able to locate a copy of first time French director Julien Leclerq’s sci-fi actioner Chrysalis recently. While its not the best sci-fi film I have ever seen, its one of the best I've seen recently. There is much to love in its deliberate pacing, cold noir atmosphere, and superbly staged action/fight sequences. And why wouldn't the fight scenes please me when they have Alain Figlarz of "Brotherhood of the Wolf" and the Bourne films behind them? I won't say much, but the film is about a hardcore detective David Hoffman who is obsessed with catching Dimitri Nicolov who killed his wife and partner in front of him, and in a parallel storyline, a teenage girl named Manon, who is recovering from being badly injured in a car wreck. I don't think it ruins anything to say that these two character's lives will intertwine, the interesting thing is how. While the plot suffers a little in place of style, it is clear that Julien Leclerq can direct with the best of them and I look forward to his next project, a real terrorist story called "Air France Flight 8969" (also with Alain Figlarz). Check out the trailer:
"The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore" was the title of the band's last post-rock opus, which definitely caught the attention of many sigur ros, mogwai lovers like myself. A little while back I was told by a friend to check out a new song that they had posted on their myspace page called "This Place". Apparently they are very close to releasing their new album which will be called "It Doesn't Matter" and if "This Place" is any indication its gonna be one to look out for. If for no other reason you should listen to "This Place" because it is first time Saxon Shore has added vocals to the mix, which are beautifully voiced by someone named Caroline (don't know her last name as of now). As far as I know this may be the only song on the album to include a singer, but I for one hope its not the last. Listen here
If you remember the band Elliot, then you remember the wonderfully complex 90's rock rhythms of their record "False Cathedrals", which for me is one of those timeless gems that I have listened to constantly, well after the band called it quits. The vocals, which are both harsh and hauntingly beautiful, were provided by Chris Higdon, the creative centerpiece for the group. Ever since they left the scene in the early 00's I've been secretly hoping they would resurface in one form or another, and I am excited to announce that Chris now has a new band called Frontier(s). The group is only in the beginning stages, but has some very nice demo tracks on the net. While the group seems to be more straight forward hard rock then Elliot, there are hints of the same genius, and that is more than enough for me. I couldn't find any music to embed, but here's their myspace.
This is another film in the Six Shooter Film Series (same series that is host to "Let the Right One In") that seems to take a genre and rethink it. This time they tackle the super-hero genre. Michael Rappaport, who I've liked ever since Higher Learning (forget that TV series he was in), plays Les a mild mannered comic book geek who begins to acquire special "abilities" after taking an experimental anti-depressant. Soon he is out in the world fighting the bad guys, including the pharmacutical company that created the drug. Looking forward to this quirky little film:
I going to start by saying I have not looked forward to a film this much in a long time. "Let the Right One In" is getting rave reviews on the festival circuit, despite the fact that its a vampire film. Yep...a vampire film, a very different take on the vampire mythos apparently as it is a coming of age story between a bullied 12 year old and his new friend, a female vampire named Eli, who is also 12 years old. It is supposed to be a slow burner that is as moving as it is unsettling. It is a Swedish film, and yes eventually it will probably be horribly remade in English, but do yourself a favor, use that elementary school education to read some subtitles and see the original. Hopefully it will get a wider release stateside soon. See for yourself (you should probably be 13 and up for this):
If you are anything like me and your inner geek starts drooling when you see a beautiful sci-fi shot like the one above then you might want to keep your eye on the upcoming film "Hunter Prey". Other than the juicy images, this film has an interesting name attached to it. Sandy Collera is the man behind the beautifully done fan short "Batman: Dead End" which apparently really made heads turn at the 2003 Comic-Con. I'll let you decide for yourself if this is exciting news or not after you watch this:
Anyways we all know that there are at least 30 bad science fiction films for every good one made, but if you love something enough you never give up on it. Kinda like being a Redskins fan. Here's an Interview with Collera about the film.
This is just a reminder that Autolux is awesome and that they still have a new album that is supposed to come out whenever they feel like releasing it (COME ON!!) In case anyone doesn't know buy now here is a stream their brand new song "Audience No 2", which they have up for free download on their website. Autolux, I just want to say that I am ready to add you to my top 10 favorite bands of all time, but I can't do that until you release at least two consecutively stellar albums. Usually, my minimum is 3 albums, but if you release Transit, Transit sooner rather than later and its at least as fantastic as Future Perfect was, I'm willing to make an exception.
Deerhunter is my latest discovery in my love affair with shoegaze influenced rock. Actually I'm not sure if you can call it a discovery if I found out about them on pitchfork, but I'll allow myself to feel the sweet satisfaction of uncovering freshly squeezed semi-new music anyways. Deerhunter is a grower, their ambient rhythms sort sink beneath your consciousness and make you feel safe and warm, then they come in with a decidedly punk aesthetic that will wake you up and have your head bobbing and adrenaline pumping before you realize your cookie's are burning. Basically the more you listen, the more they control your brain and bodily functions. Each song on their new Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. double album opus has a decidedly different feel, while maintaining a cohesiveness that not many bands came claim. The lead singer and Deerhunter brainchild, Bradford Cox, spent much of his life indoors battling Marfan Syndrome, and it was during this time that he cultivated his love for music. He's quoted as saying that the two albums are meant to be experienced as FALL/WINTER pieces. Here's a new video of their song "Microcastle" (be patient it starts out with Bradford's beautifully dreamy vocals and then rocks out):
