Zombieland Review

I just had the privilege of catching a sneak preview of Shaun of the Dead 2...I mean, Zombieland. This is the US' answer to the Brit Zomedy, several years later, and answer we did. It is perhaps not as smart, but every bit as ridiculous fun. This is all the crazy splat fest the trailers claimed and more. Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland) plays one of the last known survivors of some sort of apocalypse. He is a frail, phobic geek whose survival has been dependent on how closely he follows his "list" of apocalyptic rules. This list becomes a running joke throughout the film and is used to great comedic effect. While traveling through the wasteland he meets a gun-toting redneck played perfectly by Woody Harrelson. Harrelson loves to kill zombies and, using everything from heavy artillery to lawn tools, he proves to be damn good at it. This unlikely team then adds two con artist sisters along the way to complete their dysfunctional family.

Like Shaun, between each gross out violent set piece is relational core, a humanity that runs throughout, that is just enough to make us care about each character's plight, without bogging down the story. Its loud, bloody, shocking, hysterical, campy and just plain stupid fun. Watch out for the rumored cameo that is pure comedic gold, and sneak a twinkie into the theater, because trust me, you'll want one when its over.

Recommended

The Informant Review

This movie will not make much money. Its not hilarious, it's uncomfortable, and Matt Damon is fat. But this film will make you think...think twice about lying. While billed as a comedy, this film is more cautionary tale, with a side of quirkiness (Damon's little side notes about polar bears and indoor pools are pretty great). Matt Damon has never been more impressive, transforming himself from a chiseled fighting machine, in the Bourne films, to a chubby naive compulsive liar. The word that comes to mind the most when reflecting on this story is FRUSTRATING! Don't get me wrong it's a great little film all around, but watching this man spiral his life into oblivion is not fun. On the other side of things, The Informant has a lot to say about corporate politics. Its a telling look at what goes on behind closed meeting room doors and the power of the bottom line.

Recommended

Solomon Kane

The summer movie season is over, but there is still much more cinema to be had! Solomon Kane stars James Purefoy (from The Philanthropist) as the sword wielding hero, whom apparently Van Helsing ripped off. Comes from the 1928 Robert E. Howard novel (Conan author) about a wandering anti-hero trying to make amends for his violent past by living out a life of peace. Now we all know that won't last don't we?

Autolux Show

I had the privilege of traveling to DC to check out one of my favorite bands live at The Black Cat. That band would be the infamous Autolux. As you can tell from previous posts I'm not really into lengthy posts/reviews so here are some quick thoughts from the show followed by some crappy iphone pics.

This was definitely a complete show. All of the groups represented were really great in their own right and the first band, Mini Mansions, was no exception. They played for like 15 people, but rocked out like they were playing for 1500. They have their own brand of pop music that reminds me of a mix between Spoon and Field Music. Pitch perfect vocal harmony's float over piano, bass, sometimes guitar and an interesting stand-up drum setup. Fun music, great opener.

http://www.myspace.com/minimansionsmusic

The second act, Sleepy Sun, came out to chuckles from the crowd due to their obvious 70's era cloning. The lead singer in particular had the large collared, patterned button up shirt, with long curly hair and a burly mustache. He looked like he was straight out of Will Ferril's Anchorman, and I think our expectations for their music hit rock bottom at that point. Boy did this 5 piece prove us wrong! They were 70's, but they rocked! They played some of the tightest hard hitting psychedelic rock I have ever heard. The vocals were split between Mr. 70's and a cute as a button little girl who had big beautiful pipes. They just had an amazing time on stage and their energy, including some of the greatest goofy dance moves by cutie-pie girl, bled into the crowd. Memorable.

http://www.myspace.com/sleepysun

By now it was a full house and it was time to wait for an unbearably long time for Autolux to grace the stage. When they finally did they proved to be everything you expect from these wall of sound-new sonic youth-gazers. They definitely knew that Carla Azar is a draw on her own placing her dead center in full view, with the other two on opposite corners of the stage. While Autolux's LP's are perfect, they don't quite capture the fuzzy, pounding, just pure loudness of their live performance. The guitars were layered into oblivion, and the bass so dirty that your ears want to run and hide. I can say enough good things about Carla's drumming expertise. Some of the most creative back beats I've ever heard, and man does she play hard. They did unveil a few new tunes, and let me say that if those few songs are any indication of what awaits me when their new LP drops, I'm going to crap my pants.

http://www.myspace.com/autolux