Here are five trailers I like. You should watch them. The End.
1. This Means War
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2. Machine Gun Preacher
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3. Coriolanus
Shakespeare, losers.
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4. Shame
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5. Albert Hobbs
The bad news, my job sucks to the point that I literally had to quit for my mental well-being. The good news, only six more shifts until I am free of Java Bean forever. October 22nd. To help me make it through, I have compiled this list of awesome stuff that is coming during my final days of work, and immediately afterward. There is goodness coming (and hopefully that goodness will soon include a new job, but we’ll see).
1. Friday, October 14th. Also known as, Tomorrow!!: Our new iPhones arrive in the mail.
I know, I know… these phones are only a new 4 and not the iPhone 5. I know that if you have an iPhone 4, many are saying to just wait it out. Well, Emily and I don’t have iPhone 4’s, or iPhone 3G S’s, but instead have iPhone 3G’s. Oooooooooold school iPhones. Over 3 years old, which is ancient in smart phone years. We are so excited to have phones that work again! It’ll be hard not to keep using it while I’m at work Saturday.
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2. Saturday, October 15th: Sounders Game
We get to go to the Seattle Sounders game on Saturday. The feel will probably be a bit different with the larger crowd, since they are opening up all the seating. Still, this is as much fun as you can have at a sporting event.
Seattle ’til I Die, bitches.
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3. Sunday, October 16: The Walking Dead returns.
The first season started off so strong, and then moved into a hit or miss sort of field. Early accounts are that the new season starts off strong as well, but then Darabont left so who knows what the season holds. Either way, I know for damned sure I’ll be tuned in this Sunday.
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4. Tuesday, October 18th: Batman: Arkham City arrives in the mail.
Batman: Arkham Asylum was so amazing. To use the vernacular of my youth, that game was dope! I can honestly say, without any hyperbole whatsoever, that I have never been this excited for the release of a video game before. Ever. To be Batman again, this time with added villains and allies. Oh, yes. Things will be looking up in the world of Bruce Way… I mean Scott Small.
Pre-order HERE
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5. Monday, October 24th: Tom Waits – Bad As Me
Tom Waits has a new album coming out October 24th.
Tom Waits. Has a new album. Coming. O.ut. Oct.o.ber 2.4.th.
Tom! Waits!
And the heavens opened up, and God said, “I love you, Charlie Brown.”
Get the single HERE
This was actually supposed to be a part of five things, but I got so carried away that it got its own post, instead. God, I missed stream of consciousness writing! Awaaaaay we go.
Drive was featured on trailer park a ways back. You can check that out if you haven’t. Fair warning, it’s really spoiler heavy. It’s HERE.
The film’s director, Nicolas Winding Refn, is making quite a name for himself in the world of violent and artistic indie films. This was actually the first of his film’s that I’ve seen, which is odd, because I’ve wanted to see every one of his films (Bronson, Valhalla Rising, Pusher) based on trailers. I’ve got to get my head in the game.
This movie bothered me, but in the best possible way. I couldn’t escape the story, and I’ve wanted to watch it again ever since seeing it. It is a quiet, troubling, tragic, disturbingly violent film that also hints toward a message of imperfect hope.
You don’t have to read this blog very often to know I really enjoy subtle, quiet, understated performances in film. I’m not talking about realism, in the sense of mumblecore, where people try and speak like regular people and not actors. Don’t get me wrong, I like mumblecore. Yet, what I really love is when actors can deliver a ‘less is more’ performance that is full of meaning and emotion, but without over the top drama. It takes a combination of talented actors and strong direction and editing. This film has it in spades. So much is communicated between Ryan Gosling and Carrie Mulligan without any dialogue, or in some scenes, very limited dialogue. I can’t go into more detail without spoilers, but one of the more important scenes in their relationship literally has no words at all. Yet, it was so clear exactly what was happening, what each character was thinking, what the inevitable outcome would be. Let’s talk about this once you’ve seen it, if you see it. Obviously, after saying all that, it is clear I feel that the bulk of the performances in this film are spectacular.
This film offered a very specific take on that sort of less is more storytelling, accentuating that stillness with unspeakable interpersonal violence. I know all violence is interpersonal; I mean it in this context to say that it is all small acts of violence in a one to one situation, as opposed to say, war or genocide. Anyway, unspeakable violence, carried out by people continuing to deliver quiet, understated performances. The result is that the violence is all the more arresting and troubling, and the characters display the deep rage that would be necessary for this sort of violence to be possible. There is no maniacal laughter, no firing a gun in the air and going “Ahhhh!”, no one-liner after killing someone. This is a story of violent men, communicating in the only tragic way they know how, without the punches of that tragedy pulled.
I suppose it could actually be said that this is a film of juxtapositions. Sweetness and violence, love and rage, innocence and depravity. These things are all placed next to each other in the film in ways that are inescapable. Each element that is juxtaposed is thrown into starker contrast by how well Refn quietly sets them next to each other. There is never a point where we as the audience don’t know what’s coming, and yet that adds to the weight of each scene.
And yes, with all that juxtaposition, they do have a scene of slow, sweet, sad music juxtaposed against tension and oncoming violence at one point in the film. It is a moment in film that clearly always teeters between ‘staple’ and ‘cliché’. In this case, I think it works as a staple, because of how perfectly executed it is. For one, it isn’t working as a glorification or stylization of violence. Instead, for me, it offered a sadness and surreality to the tension of the scene. While it also shows you the heart of the film when you listen to the lyrics of the Riz Ortolani penned score (because Refn joined Tarantino in taking old Ortolani music and using it in his film),
/ oh my love, look and see the sun rising from the river / nature’s miracle once more will light the world / but this light is not for those men, still lost in an old black shadow / won’t you help me to believe that they will see a day, a brighter day, when all the shadow’s will fade away /
That is such a beautiful use of, and response to, violence in storytelling. All the violence in this film costs something. This is a post-modern action film that never lets you enjoy the violence on a simple cathartic level. It holds violence in a way that shows that violence always destroys the perpetrator along with the victim. The sunlight of the story is blackened by these men lost in an old black shadow, yet we are left holding onto hope for something more.
The soundtrack is one of my favorites. Refn was so meticulous in picking songs that played behind the story lyrically. I’m also not sure why he chose to go with a electro synth-pop vibe, and retro aesthetic for much of the film’s visuals, but I love it. As I also love all those slow motion scenes that use music and facial queues to carry the emotional arc of the film. Oh, and speaking of faces, some faces are just more kissable than others, and for my money, Carrie Mulligan has the most kissable face in movies today. Wee-ow!
I can’t leave this movie alone.
Hmm, maybe I can find someone to suffer through this with me over the next week.
I’ve been away for so long. It’s been one thing after another, the final blow of which has been feeling terrible for a few days. Finally, I think I am starting to turn the corner into being healthy, but that might go out the window tomorrow when I have to be at work at 5:30am. I need to throw myself back into writing again, and it seems the best way to do that is with the easy-peasy world of RtM.
I have so much I’ve wanted to throw up on Roused, but just haven’t been able to. If I can find the time and stay healthy, I think I’ll do a few days in a row with five things posts. So much goodness to share.
First, to make things even easier on myself, music you should be listening to, if you aren’t already:
The sophomore solo album from the lady who was once the female voice on all of Damien Rice’s albums. We got to see her live last week at The Tractor, and even though I had to sit in the back because I didn’t have the energy to stand, she was still delightful.
And, in case you want to see her perform for real, instead of pretending while people cover her in paint.
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2. The Kills – Blood Pressures
I got to this one a little late, I know. I really like this album!
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Still in my first ten listens to this one, so its early. So far, superb.
Here she is performing “Graveyards.”
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4. Fitz and the Tantrums – Pickin’ Up The Pieces
I should have listened to Fitz and the Tantrums far sooner. They were talked up quite a bit last year on KEXP, but they just got lost in the shuffle as another band I really need to check out eventually. Well, eventually came, and I’m so happy it did. Please, friends, release another album soon!
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5. Liam Finn concert
So, this isn’t exactly in line with the rest of the post, and it means I’ll have to wait a while to share my love of the new Wilco album and my favorite movie soundtrack since Tron: Legacy. The Liam Finn show I got to see at The Tractor was so great. He’s a little manic kiwi rock god. So much energy and charisma, but in a down-to-earth, common way.
The crowd’s favorite part was always when he would get on drums, in addition to his brother, who played drums for the touring band, and they would double team the rhythm. So great. One of the best concerts I’ve been to, in a genuinely surprising way. I expected it to be a good show, not an amazing show.
Then there was the fact that, as those of you who follow me on Facebook already know, Eddie Vedder showed up for the encore to perform with Liam. There were only like 100-150 people there, so being able to enjoy the surprise visit of one of Seattle’s favorite sons at a divy little rock bar was pretty exciting.
If Liam Finn comes to your town anytime soon, be sure to check him out. It’ll be pretty cheap, but awesome! Do yourself a favor. Go.
Alright, you’re going to have to forgive typos and such, because I’ve been awake for a very long time at this point. Sooo long. I just need to write briefly about a man named Marques Toliver. He entered my life tonight at the Liam Finn show I went to (which I will blog about Sunday). Maybe you already know who he is, my lovely, wildly intelligent friend Hilary already knew who he was, so perhaps I’m the last to the party. And he has been around for a few years now, ever since Kyp Malone saw him playing a subway platform in Brooklyn and got the same feeling I got at the Liam Finn show.
However, I don’t think I am the last one to the party, because the general feel before the show was that people there for Liam Finn had no idea who Marques Toliver was.
Anyway, there was a time, several years ago, when I went to see David Bazan live. It was the last show at the old Crocodile Cafe (a legendary Seattle music venue) before they closed it, which was before someone saved it and redid the inside and made it preeetty awesome. Before David played, he had two local opening acts. There was a guy from a local band who played first. The band wasn’t there, it was just the lead singer and a guitar playing stripped down versions of songs that would eventually be on the band’s album, months later, when it was finally released. Before the end of the first song, the atmosphere in the room changed. The whole crowd was drawn forward, the normal opening act chatter abruptly ended, and we all hung on every note, as Robin Pecknold performed the songs that would make up the first Fleet Foxes album. Hearing him perform, I knew that eventually everyone was going to know this guy’s music. It wasn’t long before they were indie darlings taking the world by storm.
Until tonight, that was the only time I’ve ever felt that strongly about an act so quickly. Being absolutely certain that this was something new, and that people were going to respond to it. Marques Toliver made me feel that way again, at The Tractor Tavern in Ballard.
He got up on stage, all skinny and quiet, and started playing with a violin and a looping machine. I thought, ‘Hey, just like Andrew Bird.’ Then, when he was done checking levels, he started his first song. That’s when his voice came in, and I thought, ‘Holy shit, it’s actually like Andrew Bird and John Legend had a sexy, singing baby, and through some form of time travel, he is now all grown up.’ (No, really, that’s exactly what went through my head, I think weird shit like that all the time.) He was amazing. The crowd fell in love quickly, and he even got a real encore.
He combines poetic lyrics, Kid Cudi/hipster style, classically trained violin prowess, and a velvety soulful voice. You should remember his name. Here are some videos I implore you to watch. There will be a quiz. (Also, if you’re attracted to men, try to keep your brain from exploding at his sheer sexiness).
First, some thoughts I was having the other day. Television received the well-placed ire of the educated for some time. At best, it was a guilty pleasure people used to unwind in small doses, as well as the most convenient way to watch sports. At worst, it was a time sucking hole into which people through their hopes of a better life. The chance of seeing a well told story on tv was so slim for most of its history. There were certainly flashes of brilliance, like Seinfeld and The West Wing. There were shows that were too good to stay on the air, like Arrested Development and Firefly. And there was HBO, which has always been head and shoulders above anything else as far as original programming is concerned. Yet, for the last decade or so, things have been changing. People are trying to create truly great content for television, to the point that now television has become an artistically viable medium. What the what?
This point was really hammered home for me when I realized that so many legitimate and well respected actors are moving to television, and not just television, but network television. Television used to be an elephant graveyard, where once great -or at least, once popular- talents went to die. Gena Davis and Christian Slater tried to make the network tv thing work towards the end, and when even that didn’t work it was clear they were finished forever. Then the talent pool started improving, with Alec Baldwin heading to 30 Rock. He hadn’t had a hit movie in some time, so it was certainly in his best interest to become a big fish in the small network pond, but the man is a fantastic comedic actor, and he is one of the few parts that 30 Rock simply wouldn’t work without. His success there seems to have at least something to do with more actors making the move to the small screen.
Still, Ken Jeong heading to Community as a permanent cast member right around the time his star was rising its fastest? Zooey Deschanel taking her own sitcom? Will Ferrell volunteering to do a short stint on The Office? Maria Bello doing a procedural cop show? Christina Ricci joining Pan Am? Amber Heard on The Playboy Club? Adam Scott joining the cast of Parks and Rec right around the time in his career that most actors are leaving TV behind to seem more legitimate? Something is different. Actors would always head over to TV for a guest appearance to win an Emmy or two, show up on Law & Order or Friends for an ep. to collect some awards and acclaim and move on, but now actors are attaching to shows permanently. TV doesn’t have the stigma it once had.
Anyway, I’m not going anywhere with that. I should, but my brain isn’t working too well these days.
I just figured I would share that before heading into the five shows I’m most excited to see back this fall.
1. Community
It’s possibly my favorite comedy on television. I can’t wait to see what sorts of homages and references this season brings! We already got Abed calling their fake version of Doctor Who the greatest show he’s ever seen. Also, taking an already amazing show and adding John Goodman and Omar (I really hope they have him whistle “A Hunting We Will Go/The Farmer in the Dell” at some point this season) from The Wire. Ummm, yes please.
2. Parks and Rec
A show that just keeps getting better as it ages. Just the first few minutes of Ron Swanson in this year’s season opener was funnier than most shows are in their entire existence. On with season four!
3. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
So far, Fat Mac has been just as hilarious as I’d hoped he would be. The first episode was better than any from last year, as was episode dos. Looks like Sunny is back up to their old standard. Hallelujah.
4. 30 Rock
Another season that’s sure to have me Lizzing (laughing till I whiz) and Jacking (jumping up and down in excitement until I yack) all year.
5. Castle
I know, I know. I just can’t help myself, I’m in love with the cast and characters of this show.
“I saw well why the gods do not speak to us openly, nor let us answer. Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble that we think we mean? How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?”
– Orual, Till We Have Faces
If there had been any lingering doubt or uncertainty about Neil Gaiman being my favorite living author before, this book put all that to rest. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Neil Gaiman writes the stories that I wish all stories could be. I don’t mean that I wish all stories were the same genre, or tone, or style, or whatever. I mean that I wish all stories could find the perfect balance of Gaiman’s stories, which are rich, beautiful, and full to the brim with subtext, with flashes and glimmers of something beyond the the wildly entertaining stories he tells.
Among other things, Gaiman’s works are about story, storytelling, humanity, the mystery of the divine, and our need for more than the mundane and the mediocre to be truly alive. Yet, he never uses simple one to one relationships that tip his hand. You can’t read Gaiman and say: Well, I’d have to say that Gaiman is definitely… an athiest, or a Christian, or a new ager, or whatever. Instead, he uses myths and stories that humans have told for centuries as subtext, which leads toward a greater depth and beauty in his already superb writing.
No book does this more than Anansi Boys
Rooted in the oldest stories known to man, stories growing from Africa into tales that even exist in various forms in Americana, Anansi Boys is about the ways that we are shaped by the stories we tell and the stories we believe, by the songs we sing and the words we dream up, and by the risks we take the and things we love.
Also, it’s entirely possible that after reading this book, you’ll think twice the next time you’re about to kill a spider.
Really though, go read some Neil Gaiman as soon as you can.
(artwork via@Jessbie)
Childish Gambino will soon release the first of his albums you actually have to pay for. The first single is available now.
