Rock and Reel

40 Least Favorite Movies of the Decade

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:36:42 -0600

Okay, so there are plenty of worse movies from the past 10 years missing from this list. This probably has to do with the fact that I’ve become very selective in what I watch, and I tend to stay away from movies I know I’ll hate: Transformers, Ghost Rider, etc. The following are the stinkers I happened to catch, with 1 being my least favorite.

1. August Rush (2007): The story is preposterous, the chemistry between Russell and Meyers is nonexistent, and the music is not even remotely interesting (a problem for a movie about music).

2. Paper Heart (2009): Charlyne Yi is completely unlikeable, and the amateurish paper figures are indicative of the quality of the film as a whole. One critic said it best when he/she said it felt like an overlong YouTube video.

3. The Day After Tomorrow (2004): This didactic message movie is an absolute disaster — a lot of wasted talent here.

4. The Phantom of the Opera (2004): An absolute bore, completely forgettable — how can songs this good seem so bad?

5. Catch and Release (2006): Couldn’t have ALL the characters just died?

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007): Three painful hours without any sense of adventure — just many, many answered questions (For example, why did I see this opening night? Why is Calypso so freaking huge? How can a Keith Richards cameo be disappointing? Isn’t just one Captain Jack Sparrow bad enough?)

7. Twilight (2008): There is a point where this ceases to even have camp value. The teenage brooding is simply excruciating.

8. Cats & Dogs (2001): Children deserve better.

9. Cheaper by the Dozen (2003): Makes you wonder who starred in this movie, and where the actual Steve Martin really is…

10. Shrek 2 (2004): A thong makes an appearance in this hey-that’s-clever-put-that-in-the-script sequel, a failed attempt to cater to both older and younger audiences

11. Remember the Titans (2000): This movie looks at race in a didactically simplistic way.

12. The Princess Diaries (2001): Anne Hathaway is actually quite talented, and it’s a shame she had to start off in this unfunny comedy that feels more like a made-for-TV production.

13. A Walk to Remember (2002): “Son, I’m a cardiologist!” A movie about a dying loved one shouldn’t be laughable.

14. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003): For a movie that tries extra hard to make Angelina Jolie look sexy, she is a completely undesirable heroine. Most video games have more energy than this dull movie.

15. Stomp the Yard (2007): Probably worse than some of the movies higher on the list, but at least this one is sometimes entertainingly bad. Every moment is predictable in this extended music video.

16. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002): This movie successfully discredited one of the all-time great movie franchises with cheesy scenes of romance and an unfortunate revision of Yoda.

17. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000): Jim Carrey is sometimes hysterically maniacal, and other times he tries way too hard…

18. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006): Just way too much going on, and one of the worst endings of the decade…

19. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007): Drenched in blood, this gothic tale is messy and takes itself far too seriously.

20. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000): All I remember about this movie is that I didn’t laugh at all when I watched it.

21. Rush Hour 2 (2001): A completely unnecessary sequel that is inferior to its already mediocre predecessor

22. Saved! (2004): We need a mainstream movie to intelligently attack contemporary Christian institutions, but this movie shies away from the issues and resorts to being just another teen drama.

23. Tropic Thunder (2008): Absolutely hysterical for the first five minutes, but the rest of the movie becomes an overblown production with too much action and not enough laughs.

24. Quantum of Solace (2008): This blur of an experience barely felt like a movie. This unfocused follow-up to the absolutely fantastic Casino Royale was probably the decade’s biggest disappointment.

25. Madagascar (2005): Um, I guess the penguins were cute?

26. Lilo and Stitch (2002): This bastardization of Elvis and Hawaiian culture probably does not upset me as much as the undying love people had for this mediocre piece of animation.

27. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005): Tim Burton really needs to stop making movies. He seems more concerned with being weird than being remotely cinematic or human.

28. Away We Go (2009): This movie is far too angry to be funny, too pathetic to ever be sorrowful.

29. Mamma Mia! (2008): This sad excuse for a musical made ABBA songs unlistenable — how is that even possible?

30. Jurassic Part III (2001): I’ll admit, I liked the first sequel, but there’s really only so much a person could take. Surprised Spielberg was not involved with this disaster…

31. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003): The Disneyland ride is more thrilling that this lifeless adventure.

32. Hard Ball (2001): I really don’t want Keanu Reeves to teach me anything about race. However, this sentimental garbage brought me to tears when I was 12.

33. Clerks II (2006): Like every other Kevin Smith, this looks awful and feels more like a bunch of jokes Smith came up with some buddies on a Saturday afternoon.

34. 1408 (2007): A horror movie that fails to evoke any sense of atmosphere, or even be scary

35. Happy Feet (2006): I’m probably just biased because of the really bizarre ending with the live-action people and the environmental message, but I simply thought this was just boring.

36. Slumdog Millionaire (2008): The contrived construction and unbelievable happy ending make this one of the worst Best Picture winners since Dances with Wolves.

37. Shrek (2001): It takes great pleasure in making fun of Disney, yet it plays into all the same clichés.

38. Garden State (2004): Zach Braff’s love letter to himself is misanthropic, yet it tries so hard to win us over with its forced cleverness and hip soundtrack.

39. Little Miss Sunshine (2006): All of the characters of the movie are completely unlikeable, and the movie really spirals into oblivion after the grandfather’s death.

40. Crash (2004): Despite its powerful moments, this Best Picture winner about race in LA reinforces stereotypes rather than confront or inform audiences.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:33:48 -0600

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009)

Artists I've Seen Live Ranked (Updated)

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:19:18 -0600

Wilco (June 25, 2009 at the Wiltern)
U2 (April 1, 2005 at the Arrowhead Pond)
The Hold Steady (July 30, 2008 at the Avalon)
Wilco (February 15, 2008 at the Riviera Theatre)
Pixies (November 20, 2009 at the Aragon Ballroom)
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (August 24, 2002 at the Forum)
Sonic Youth (July 20, 2007 at the Greek Theatre)
Elvis Costello & the Sugarcanes (August 18, 2009 at the Greek Theatre)
The Hives (September 30, 2007 at the Metro)
Radiohead (August 24, 2008 at the Hollywood Bowl)
Metallica (January 27, 2009 at Allstate Arena)
The Police (May 10, 2008 at Allstate Arena)
Bob Dylan (September 6, 2008 at Qualcomm)
Bob Dylan (September 3, 2008 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium)
Neil Young and Crazy Horse (July 23, 2003 at the Greek Theatre)
Belle and Sebastian with the L.A. Philharmonic (July 6, 2006 at the Hollywood Bowl)
Morrissey (April 4, 2009 at the Aragon Ballroom)
Paul Westerberg (February 26, 2005 at the House of Blues in Anaheim)
Bob Dylan (October 19, 2001 at the Staples Center)
Elvis Costello & the Imposters* (May 10, 2008 at Allstate Arena)
Death Cab for Cutie (June 23, 2008 at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live)
Gang of Four (July 20, 2008 at the Gibson Amphitheatre)
The Decemberists (May 30, 2009 at Northwestern University)
Broken Social Scene (May 31, 2008 at Northwestern University)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (May 31, 2008 at Northwestern University)
The Jesus and Mary Chain (July 20, 2008 at the Gibson Amphitheatre)
Andrew Bird (April 9, 2009 at the Civil Opera House)
Andrew Bird* (July 7, 2007 at the Hollywood Bowl)
The Shins (January 26, 2007 at Amoeba Music in Hollywood)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists* (October 17, 2008 at the Riviera Theatre)
Cold War Kids (March 27, 2009 at the Orpheum Theatre)
Blitzen Trapper (July 20, 2008 at the Gibson Amphitheatre)
John Mayer (July 27, 2008 at the Verizon Amphitheater)
Train* (July 18, 2008 at the Pacific Amphitheatre)
Okkervil River* (June 26, 2009 at the Wiltern)
Death Cab for Cutie (October 11, 2008 at the Riviera Theatre)
Common# (May 31, 2008 at Northwestern University)
The Shins*# (July 6, 2006 at the Hollywood Bowl)
Modest Mouse (December 2, 2007 at the Congress Theatre)
Man Man* (December 2, 2007 at the Congress Theatre)
Julian Plenti (November 21, 2009 at the Metro)
Keane (May 11, 2007 at the Gibson Amphitheatre)
The Decemberists with the L.A. Philharmonic (July 7, 2007 at the Hollywood Bowl)
Broken Social Scene (November 3, 2007 at the Metro)
Against Me! (October 17, 2008 at the Riviera Theatre)
Lucinda Williams* (July 23, 2003 at the Greek Theatre)
Haley Bonar* (April 9, 2009 at the Civil Opera House)
Britney Spears (April 28, 2009 at Allstate Arena)
Redd Kross* (July 20, 2007 at the Greek Theatre)
I’m In You* (November 21, 2009 at the Metro)
Rogue Wave* (June 23, 2008 at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live)
The Courteeners* (April 4, 2009 at the Aragon Ballroom)
Mute Math (July 20, 2008 at the Gibson Amphitheatre)
The Loved Ones* (July 30, 3008 at the Avalon)
M83# (July 20, 2008 at the Gibson Amphitheatre)
Colbie Caillat*# (July 27, 2008 at the Verizon Amphitheater)
The Pussycat Dolls* (April 28, 2009 at Allstate Arena)
The Wallflowers (July 18, 2008 at the Pacific Amphitheatre)
Liars* (August 24, 2008 at the Hollywood Bowl)
Crystal Antlers* (March 27, 2009 at the Orpheum Theatre)
Kings of Leon* (April 1, 2005 at the Arrowhead Pond)
Band of Horses* (July 7, 2007 at the Hollywood Bowl)
Arthur & Yu* (November 4, 2007 at the Metro)
De Novo Dahl# (July 20, 2008 at the Gibson Amphitheatre)
No Age*(November 20, 2009 at the Aragon Ballroom)
So Many Dynamos* (October 11, 2008 at the Riviera Theatre)
Third Eye Blind (May 31, 2008 at Northwestern University)
Brand New# (July 20, 2008 at the Gibson Amphitheatre)
Machine Head* (January 27, 2009 at Allstate Arena)
Future of the Left* (October 17, 2008 at the Riviera Theatre)
Rocco DeLuca and the Burden* (May 11, 2007 at the Gibson Amphitheatre)

* = Opening Act
# = Missed Part of Set

Pixies at the Aragon Ballroom

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:55:00 -0600

Opening Act: No Age

Dancing The Manta Ray
Weird At My School
Bailey’s Walk
Manta Ray
Debaser
Tame
Wave of Mutilation
I Bleed
Here Comes Your Man
Dead
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Mr. Grieves
Crackity Jones
La La Love You
No. 13 Baby
There Goes My Gun
Hey
Silver
Gouge Away

Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)
Into the White

Isla De Encanta
Nimrod’s Son
U-Mass
Velouria

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Werner Herzog, 2009)

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:02:00 -0600

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Werner Herzog, 2009)

World Series of Cinema: 1939 vs. 1999

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:41:29 -0600

World Series of Cinema: 1939 vs. 1999

Where the Wild Things Are (Spike Jonze, 2009)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:40:14 -0600

Where the Wild Things Are (Spike Jonze, 2009)

My 50 Favorite Albums of the Decade

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:57:00 -0500

Well, because Pitchfork’s doing it…

Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
The Hold Steady- Boys and Girls In America (2006)
Arcade Fire- Funeral (2004)
Radiohead- Kid A (2000)
OutKast- Stankonia (2000)
Jay-Z- The Blueprint (2001)
Eminem- The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
Ryan Adams- Heartbreaker (2000)
The Streets- Original Pirate Material (2002)
The Avalanches- Since I Left You (2000)
Bob Dylan- Love and Theft (2001)
The Hold Steady- Separation Sunday (2005)
The Strokes- Is This It (2001)
Jay-Z- The Black Album (2003)
Eminem- The Eminem Show (2002)
Ghostface Killah- Fishscale (2006)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever to Tell (2003)
The White Stripes- White Blood Cells (2001)
Trashcan Sinatras- Weightlifting (2004)
Radiohead- Hail to the Thief (2003)
The Hold Steady- Stay Positive (2008)
U2- All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
Dinosaur Jr.- Beyond (2007)
Spoon- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007)
The Flaming Lips- Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
Pedro the Lion- Control (2002)
Death Cab for Cutie- Transatlanticism (2003)
Paul Westerberg- Stereo (2002)
Tom Waits- Blood Money (2002)
Kanye West- Late Registration (2005)
The White Stripes- Elephant (2003)
Beck- Sea Change (2002)
Kanye West- The College Dropout (2004)
Bruce Springsteen- The Rising (2001)
Sonic Youth- Rather Ripped (2006)
The Hives- Veni Vidi Vicious (2000)
Lil Wayne- Tha Carter III (2008)
Belle and Sebastian- Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003)
Iron and Wine- Our Endless Numbered Days (2004)
Broken Social Scene- You Forgot It In People (2002)
Franz Ferdinand- You Could Have It So Much Better (2005)
Sufjan Stevens- Illinois (2005)
Brian Wilson- Smile (2004)
System of a Down- Toxicity (2001)
Nelly Furtado- Whoa, Nelly! (2000)
The Shins- Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
Interpol- Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists- The Tyranny of Distance (2001)
Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
Sonic Youth- Murray Street (2002)

Movies I Watched This Summer (2009 Edition)

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:04:00 -0500

The Lady Vanishes (Alfred Hitchcock, 1938)
Band of Outsiders (Jean-Luc Godard, 1964)
Stranger Than Paradise (Jim Jarmusch, 1984)
Late Spring (Yasujiro Ozu, 1949)
The Big Lebowski (Joel Coen, 1998)
Belle de Jour (Luis Bunuel, 1967)
Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton, 1924)
The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman, 1957)
Bigger Than Life (Nicholas Ray, 1956)
Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick, 1999)
Blood Simple (Joel Coen, 1984)
Still Walking (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2009)
Shadows (John Cassavetes, 1959)
Brazil (Terry Gilliam, 1985)
Up (Pete Doctor, 2009)
Laura (Otto Preminger, 1944)
Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, 1984)
The Exterminating Angel (Luis Bunuel, 1962)
Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick, 1978)
MASH (Robert Altman, 1970)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Bunuel, 1972)
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1943)
My Life to Live (Jean-Luc Godard, 1962)
The Thin Red Line (Terrence Malick, 1998)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Mike Nichols, 1966)
Down By Law (Jim Jarmusch, 1986)
The Last Temptation of Christ (Martin Scorsese, 1988)
Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987)
The Earrings of Madame De… (Max Ophuls, 1953)
Hoop Dreams (Steve James, 1994)
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Hayao Miyazaki, 1984)
The River (Jean Renoir, 1951)
Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog, 1982)
Dawn of the Dead (George A. Romero, 1978)
Salesman (Albert Maysles, David Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin, 1968)
Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009)
Rushmore (Wes Anderson, 1998)
The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
WALL-E (Andrew Stanton, 2009)
Howl’s Moving Castle (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (John Hughes, 1987)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Deliverance (John Boorman, 1972)
The Breakfast Club (John Hughes, 1985)
The Manchurian Candidate (John Frankenheimer, 1962)
The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi, 1982)
A Fish Called Wanda (Charles Chrichton, 1988)
Sideways (Alexander Payne, 2004)
Burden of Dreams (Les Blank, 1982)
Roger & Me (Michael Moore, 1989)
Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
After the Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1936)
Old Joy (Kelly Reichardt, 2006)
Point Blank (John Boorman, 1967)
Sophie’s Choice (Alan J. Pakula, 1982)
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (John Hughes, 1986)
Stardust Memories (Woody Allen, 1980)
Pink Flamingos (John Waters, 1972)
Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
Dumbo (Ben Sharpsteen, 1941)
The Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1934)
Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009)
Army of Darkness (Sam Raimi, 1992)
Drag Me To Hell (Sam Raimi, 2009)
Trainspotting (Danny Boyle, 1996)
(500) Days of Summer (Marc Webb, 2009)
Spartacus (Stanley Kubrick, 1960)
It Might Get Loud (Davis Guggenheim, 2009)
Election (Alexander Payne, 1999)
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (Martin Scorsese, 2005)
District 9 (Neill Blomkamp, 2009)
Bruno (Larry Charles, 2009)
Whatever Works (Woody Allen, 2009)
Public Enemies (Michael Mann, 2009)
Cars (John Lasseter, 2006)
Sixteen Candles (John Hughes, 1984)
Caddyshack (Harold Ramis, 1980)
The New World (Terrence Malick, 2005)
Gojira (Ishiro Honda, 1954)
Batman (Tim Burton, 1989)
The Count of Monte Cristo (Kevin Reynolds, 2002)
Happy Together (Wong Kar-Wai, 1997)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (David Yates, 2009)
Tetro (Francis Ford Coppola, 2009)
Away We Go (Sam Mendes, 2009)
Stomp the Yard (Sylvain White, 2007)
Paper Heart (Nicholas Jasenovec, 2009)

Disney Movies I've Seen Ranked

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:35:00 -0500

Here is a list of the movies I’ve seen that are considered “Walt Disney Animated Classics,” ranked by personal preference. The most popular ones I still need to see are Lady and the Tramp and The Aristocats.

Pinocchio (1940)
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Bambi (1942)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Dumbo (1941)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Aladdin (1992)
Robin Hood (1973)
The Jungle Book (1967)
Peter Pan (1953)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Cinderella (1950)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Fantasia (1940)
The Lion King (1994)
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
Mulan (1998)
Tarzan (1999)
The Sword in the Stone (1963)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Hercules (1990)
The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
Pocahontas (1995)
Oliver & Company (1988)
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

My 100 Favorite Songs of All Time

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:31:00 -0500

Because I felt like it? Did this kind of quickly, so it’s not exact, but you get the picture.

Pulp- Common People
Bruce Springsteen- Thunder Road
The Who- Baba O’Riley
Sam Cooke- A Change Is Gonna Come
Ella Fitzgerald- Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered
The Replacements- Left of the Dial
Rod Stewart- Every Picture Tells a Story
The Clash- Train in Vain (Stand By Me)
Jackson Browne- Late for the Sky
Bob Dylan- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
Ray Charles- You Don’t Know Me
Neil Young- Like a Hurricane
The Beatles- Tomorrow Never Knows
Public Enemy- Fight the Power
The Rolling Stones- Tumbling Dice
R.E.M.- At My Most Beautiful
The Byrds- You’re Still On My Mind
Elvis Costello- I Want You
Beastie Boys- So What’cha Want
The Hold Steady- Constructive Summer
Wilco- Via Chicago
Radiohead- There There
U2- Wake Up Dead Man
Elton John- Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
OutKast- B.O.B.
Roy Orbison- Crying
The Velvet Underground- Sister Ray
Aretha Franklin- A Change is Gonna Come
Derek and the Dominos- Bell Bottom Blues
The Animals- Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
Faces- Ooh La La
The Temptations- I Wish It Would Rain
Elvis Presley- Suspicious Minds
Rage Against the Machine- Sleep Now In the Fire
Tom Waits- Martha
The Ronettes- Be My Baby
Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven
The Zombies- This Will Be Our Year
Teenage Fanclub- The Concept
The Four Tops- Without the One You Love (Life’s Not Worthwhile)
Death Cab for Cutie- Title and Registration
Ben Folds- Fred Jones Part 2
Simon and Garfunkel- So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright
Stevie Wonder- Living for the City
The Jesus and Mary Chain- Just Like Honey
Beck- Lost Cause
Ryan Adams- Oh My Sweet Carolina
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five- The Message
The Police- Born in the 50’s
Talking Heads- Once in a Lifetime
David Bowie- Young Americans
The Jimi Hendrix Experience- Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Michael Jackson- Beat It
The Stooges- Search and Destroy
New Order- Blue Monday
My Blood Valentine- Sometimes
Paul Westerberg- Only Lie Worth Telling
Chuck Berry- Maybellene
Buffalo Springfield- On the Way Home
Sex Pistols- Anarchy in the U.K.
Pavement- Gold Soundz
The Beach Boys- You Still Believe In Me
Broken Social Scene- 7/4 (Shoreline)
Van Morrison- Caravan
Funkadelic- Maggot Brain
Curtis Mayfield- So In Love
Al Green- Call Me (Come Back Home)
Black Sabbath- War Pigs
The Band- Stage Fright
Metallica- One
AC/DC- Hells Bells
Arcade Fire- Rebellion (Lies)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Rich
Rufus Wainwright- One Man Guy
XTC- Dear God
Nas featuring 2Pac- Thugz Mansion (N.Y.)
MC5- Kick Out the Jams
Jay-Z featuring Eminem- Renegade
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- From Her To Eternity
Cream- White Room
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young- Our House
N.W.A.- Straight Outta Compton
Kanye West featuring Jay-Z- Diamonds from the Sierra Leon (Remix)
John Lennon- Oh Yoko!
The Kinks- Waterloo Sunset
Etta James- Trust In Me
Gordon Lightfoot- If You Could Read My Mind
Johnny Cash- A Boy Named Sue
Belle and Sebastian- I’m a Cuckoo
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band- Moonlight on Vermont
ABBA- Waterloo
The Flaming Lips- Fight Test
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles- The Tears of a Clown
Fugees- Ready or Not
Marvin Gaye- Let’s Get It On
Weezer- Tired of Sex
Blondie- Dreaming
Judas Priest- Breaking the Law
Lil’ Wayne featuring T-Pain- Got Money
Motorhead- Ace of Spades

Self Portrait: The Albums of Bob Dylan

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:14:00 -0500

Originally written August 17, 2009

Rock critics and fans proclaim that Bob Dylan is the greatest rock songwriter of all time as if it were undisputable fact. As much as I love his work, I’m not sure if I agree. Songwriting is more than just the words, and Costello, Springsteen and Waits have always been more musically dynamic. Even still, I’m apprehensive to call Dylan rock’s greatest poet because of the genius that is Leonard Cohen.

Dylan is, however, our most influential songwriter, and his body of work exhibits an impeccable understanding of the interplay between lyrics and music. He has written about salvation, heartache and revolution, stirring our emotions with his words the same way the Beatles or Miles Davis did with their music.

For a while, Dylan was my absolute favorite rock and roll artist, so I embarked on a mission to collect all of Dylan’s albums on vinyl and/or CD, avoiding duplicates of the albums my brother owns. Below, I have ranked all of his studio albums.

Now, few will argue with my top four choices. They are Dylan’s classic albums. After that, however, it gets a bit controversial. Street Legal above the first three Dylan albums? I believe the folk albums have some of his best songs, but their power has faded with time. On the other hand, Street Legal is an overlooked gem with playful music and songs with brilliant imagery (e.g. “Changing of the Guards”).

To be honest, I don’t think any Dylan album is truly awful. Now don’t get me wrong, Knocked Out Loaded is one of the least imaginative albums by a truly great artist ever released, but it features the 11-minute epic “Brownsville Girl,” one of the best songs of his career. Even the universally-hated Self Portrait and Dylan have a sort of rustic beauty to them. Many theorize those albums were meant as attacks on the record industry and adoring fans. Well, in that case, I find them to be two of the most underrated and enjoyable jokes in rock music.

Blood on the Tracks (1975)
Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
Blonde on Blonde (1966)
Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
Love and Theft (2001)
The Basement Tapes (1975)
Nashville Skyline (1969)
The Times They Are A-Changin’ (1964)
Street Legal (1978)
Oh Mercy (1989)
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)
Modern Times (1996)
Time Out of Mind (1997)
Desire (1976)
John Wesley Harding (1967)
New Morning (1970)
Infidels (1983)
Shot of Love (1981)
Empire Burlesque (1985)
Dylan (1973)
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
Bob Dylan (1962)
World Gone Wrong (1993)
Down in the Groove (1988)
Under the Red Sky (1990)
Saved (1980)
Planet Waves (1974)
Slow Training Coming (1979)
Together Through Life (2009)
Self Portrait (1970)
Knocked Out Loaded (1986)
Good As I Been To You (1992)

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009)

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:10:00 -0500

I have never really been able to make up my mind about Quentin Tarantino. When I first saw Pulp Fiction, it was one of the most exhilarating experiences I had ever had up until that point. It was always safe to assume it would land a place on a list of my top 20 favorites. From Reservoir Dogs to Death Proof, his films were all very enjoyable for me the first time I saw them.

However, at a certain point, I grew disinterested and branded him overrated. His films lacked good characters and an understanding of the world outside of movies. The cultural allusions were fun, but they were often cheap or out of place. Yes, the extended conversation among the female protagonists in Death Proof was fascinating the first time around, but most of us would not willingly sit through it again.

Thankfully, Inglourious Basterds is the breath of fresh air I needed from Quentin Tarantino. The elements that made Tarantino’s movies unique are all here but without the setback that made his films cute and contrived. The characters are talking like real people, but we’re no longer wasting time on McDonalds or Pretty in Pink. The conversational pacing feels like it has a genuine sense of purpose for the first time, perhaps best on display in the opening scene in which a Nazi officer questions a family patriarch suspected of hiding a Jewish family. The meticulous attention to detail heightens the great tension in this scene and many like it.

There is also the music. The soundtracks of past Tarantino’s films have received much acclaim, but the music was often a distraction rather than a true complement to what was going on. “Let’s Stay Together”? Chuck Berry? That was all fun, but he really could have just given us all mixtapes. The music in his latest, mostly borrowed from Spaghetti Westerns, contributes to the epic nature of the film, particularly the violent scenes featuring the Inglourious Basterds themselves.

Perhaps most notably, the film features the two best performances ever in a Tarantino film, largely because Tarantino gave the two talented actors fascinating characters to work with. Christoph Waltz plays Hans Landa, an infamous Nazi officer nicknamed the Jew Hunter. Waltz, who won the award for Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival, impeccably balances the terror of his character and the joy with which he carries out his duties for the Third Reich. Waltz delivers Tarantino’s witty dialogue with such grace and elegance that we are pulled in by the attractiveness of his evilness. His role necessitated his being able to speak English, French, German and, mostly hilariously, Italian, and he speaks all of them with the same confidence that characterizes his performance.

And then there is Melanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus, a French-Jewish woman whose family was slaughtered by German soldiers. Laurent’s performance is characterized by true depth with a sense of pain bubbling under the graceful surface. Uma Thurman’s Bride in Kill Bill was impressive but not the great female role it was often considered to be. The women in Tarantino’s movies have until now mostly been caricatures, either strong (the Bride) or weak (Butch’s girlfriend in Pulp Fiction) without any sort of complexity. Laurent’s Shosanna is a powerful character not because Tarantino has given a woman physical strength or prowess but because she embraces her convictions with grace in the midst of soldiers who would shoot her if they knew her true identity.

Inglourious Basterds is an epic that truly pushes the envelope. Violence was often unseen or too fake to be taken seriously in Tarantino’s previous films, but here the camera does not shy away. There are some pretty graphic scenes in which Tarantino’s teenage male sensibilities come into play, but seem to work for some reason. Yes, they’re still comical, and they’re still supposed to satisfy a lust for blood in audiences. After all, it is pretty damn cool to see Eli Roth as the Bear Jew, bashing in the head of a Nazi officer with a baseball bat. However, there is a greater sense of honesty in the way violence is handled in this film compared to the past films of Tarantino.

In the film, Shosanna plans to use her cinema to massacre a great number of Nazi. Tarantino is relaying to us the power of the cinema with this metaphor, but he has also reminded us the power of the movies with this beautiful epic of a movie. This is one of those movies that must be seen in a movie theater to be fully appreciated because of great filmmaking: the editing, directing and cinematography. The images manipulate our emotions, going from making us laugh or cringe to stirring within us a sense of sorrow. The film has one of the greatest closing lines since Joe E. Brown uttered “Nobody’s Perfect,” and Tarantino reassures us that he is, in fact, capable of making a masterpiece.

Favorite Animated Movies Of All Time (Updated)

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:40:00 -0500

Up (2009)
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Pinocchio (1940)
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Bambi (1942)
Wall-E (2009)
Monster’s Inc. (2001)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Ratatouille (2007)
Toy Story (1995)
Spirited Away (2001)
Finding Nemo (2003)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Simpsons Movie (2007)

Exclusions:

Snow White and Fantasia are relics of the past.
The Lion King is massively overrated - Hamlet for Dummies.
The Incredibles is fascist.
Unfortunately, I haven’t seen Dumbo, The Iron Giant, Waking Life, and the list goes on.

With the Beatles: My 100 Favorite Fab Four Recordings

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:04:00 -0500

It’s no secret that I love the Beatles’ music to an unhealthy degree. I cannot wait to buy the remastered mono CDs, even if the box set is going to cost me a large chunk of change for music I already have. The 21st century has left many of us jaded, unable to find the overlap between popular music and great music. The Beatles, however, were the most popular band of their time, and they are undoubtedly the best band of all time. Their appeal is universal, transcending age and the other factors that lead music to create tension and debate. Just about all of us agree that there music was revolutionary and, quite simply, fun to listen to.

In honor of the upcoming release of the remastered albums and the Beatles edition of the video game Rock Band, I have compiled a revised list of my 100 Beatles songs. Now, I have taken on the same task in the past, but their music is so diverse and vibrant that there is always room for rediscovery and shifts in taste. In a deleted scene from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Uma Thurman proclaims that there are two types of people: Beatles people and Elvis people. These days, I think just about everyone is a Beatles person. It simply depends on what era of their music appeals to a person most. Are you a “Yesterday” person, or do you prefer overlooked experimental gems like “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey”? The answer probably depends on your mood. With this list, #100 is almost as essential as #1.

For those of you reading this on Facebook, please post your favorite Beatles song. I’m curious what y’all have to say.

Tomorrow Never Knows
She Loves You
A Day in the Life
This Boy
Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey
I’m So Tired
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Something
Let It Be
Happiness is a Warm Gun
In My Life
Nowhere Man
You Won’t See Me
Please Mister Postman
Girl
Your Mother Should Know
And Your Bird Can Sing
Rocky Raccoon
Golden Slumbers
Here Comes the Sun
She’s Leaving Home
Helter Skelter
Oh! Darling
Don’t Let Me Down
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
Revolution
Hey Jude
Yesterday
Help!
A Hard Day’s Night
It Won’t Be Long
If I Fell
Rain
Two of Us
Eleanor Rigby
Octopus’s Garden
Penny Lane
Because
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Across the Universe
Strawberry Fields Forever
Twist and Shout
Misery
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Yes It Is
Julia
For No One
Good Day Sunshine
Dear Prudence
Michelle
You Really Got a Hold On Me
Hold Me Tight
I’m Only Sleeping
I Will
Yer Blues
Getting Better
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
I Am the Walrus
Blackbird
The Fool on the Hill
She Said She Said
Taxman
All My Loving
Tell Me Why
All I’ve Got to Do
I Saw Her Standing There
Run For Your Life
Magical Mystery Tour
All You Need Is Love
Here, There and Everywhere
I Should Have Known Better
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Birthday
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Anna (Go to Him)
I’ll Follow the Sun
I Feel Fine
What Goes On
Act Naturally
No Reply
I’m a Loser
When I’m Sixty-Four
And I Love Her
I’m Looking Through You
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Come Together
Ticket to Ride
Paperback Writer
Drive My Car
I’ve Just Seen a Face
Can’t Buy Me Love
Hello, Goodbye
Day Tripper
You Like Me Too Much
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
Got to Get You Into My Life
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Mother Nature’s Son
The Ballad of John and Yoko
Think For Yourself

My 100 Favorite Songs of the Decade

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:31:00 -0500

For a while, I was successfully resisting the urge to post my obligatory end-of-decade lists before the end of the year, but Pitchfork’s Top 500 Tracks list has given me the excuse to post at least one of my lists early. Here are my 100 favorite songs from 2000 to 2009, limited to one song per album.

This list was interesting to put together for me because, for the most part, I listen to either 1960s songwriters or 1980s American Alternative. However, this is the music that was released during my years in middle school, high school and college, giving the songs a more personal significance. I have a distinct memory of hearing “Icky Thump” by the White Stripes when it first came out and thinking it was the greatest single of the decade. Its stature in my mind has dropped considerably since, but then again, I guess #27 isn’t that bad.

Yes, there are some dinosaurs like U2, Springsteen and Dylan, but there is also some indie music, depending on your definition of “indie.” (Wilco? Pedro the Lion?) A list like this would also be incomplete without pop treasures like “Umbrella” and “Toxic.” Those two songs along with the best songs of Beyonce are far more interesting than the majority of Coldplay or Kings of Leon’s output.

Perhaps the most significant artist missing from the list is TV on the Radio, and that is not because I dislike their music. There is simply no single track that happens to stand out in my mind. I’m sure there are other obvious exclusions, but that is likely out of ignorance of most contemporary music more than anything else. For example, I haven’t had the chance to really listen to the Roots or Animal Collective. However, the lack of Arctic Monkeys and the Killers is completely intentional. Simply put, they aren’t very good.

And now, the list that goes to show the uncomfortable inconsistency of my taste in contemporary music.

The Hold Steady- Constructive Summer
Radiohead- There There
OutKast- B.O.B.
Arcade Fire- Rebellion (Lies)
U2- Beautiful Day
Jay-Z featuring Eminem- Renegade
Wilco- I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Death Cab for Cutie- Title and Registration
Ben Folds- Fred Jones Part 2
Ryan Adams- Oh My Sweet Carolina
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Rich
Broken Social Scene- 7/4 (Shoreline)
The Hold Steady- Your Little Hoodrat Friends
Kanye West featuring Jay-Z- Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix)
U2- City of Blinding Lights
The Trash Can Sinatras- Leave Me Alone
OutKast- Morris Brown
The Hold Steady- You Can Make Him Like You
Sufjan Stevens- Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois
Immortal Technique- Dance With the Devil
Annie- Heartbeat
Radiohead- Idioteque
Paul Westerberg- Only Lie Worth Telling
Bruce Springsteen- American Skin (41 Shots)
Beck- Lost Cause
Lil’ Wayne featuring T-Pain- Got Money
The White Stripes- Icky Thump
Morrissey- Something Is Squeezing My Skull
Josh Ritter- The Temptation of Adam
R. Kelly- Ignition (Remix)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Get Ready for Love
Nas featuring 2Pac- Thugz Mansion (N.Y.)
Dinosaur Jr.- We’re Not Alone
Kanye West- Stronger
Death Cab for Cutie- Bixby Canyon Bridge
Sonic Youth- Incinerate
Queens of the Stone Age- No One Knows
Eminem- Lose Yourself
Electric Six- Danger! High Voltage
Ghostface Killah featuring Ne-Yo- Back Like That
Belle and Sebastian- I’m a Cuckoo
Fountains of Wayne- Mexican Wine
Ryan Adams- Firecracker
Lily Allen- Everything’s Just Wonderful
Radiohead- Knives Out
System of a Down- Prison Song
Bob Dylan- Mississippi
Nelly Furtado- I’m Like a Bird
The Flaming Lips- Fight Test
Eminem- Kill You
Interpol- Obstacle 1
Rihanna featuring Jay-Z- Umbrella
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros- Streetcore
R.E.M.- Imitation of Life
Weezer- Photograph
Art Brut- Emily Kane
Wilco- Impossible Germany
The White Stripes- The Hardest Button to Button
Jay-Z- Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Franz Ferdinand- Do You Want to
Morrissey- Irish Blood, English Heart
Wilco- At Least That’s What You Said
The White Stripes- Blue Orchid
Spoon- You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
Neil Young- Let’s Impeach the President
Weezer- Pardon Me
Tom Waits- Metropolitan Glide
Neil Young & Crazy Horse- Bandit
Basement Jaxx- Good Luck
Bright Eyes- Bowl of Oranges
Tom Waits- Coney Island Baby
The Mars Volta- Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)
Green Day- Jesus of Suburbia
Damien Rice- The Blower’s Daughter
Franz Ferdinand- Take Me Out
Kanye West- Through the Wire
OutKast- Hey Ya!
The Strokes- Hard to Explain
The Hives- Main Offender
Basement Jaxx- Where’s Your Head At
Bob Dylan- Things Have Changed
Weezer- Keep Fishin’
The Walkmen- We’ve Been Had
Broken Social Scene- KC Accidental
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists- Biomusicology
Pedro the Lion- Options
Bruce Springsteen- My City of Ruins
Joseph Arthur- You’re So True
The Streets- Stay Positive
Johnny Cash- Hurt
Beyonce- Irreplaceable
Junior Senior- Move Your Feet
Rufus Wainwright- One Man Guy
Britney Spears- Toxic
Modest Mouse- Dashboard
Leona Lewis- Bleeding Love
Against Me!- Thrash Unreal
Jens Lekman- Night Falls Over Kortedala
Justin Timberlake- My Love
The Vines- Homesick

Jim Jarmusch: The Coolest Director of All Time?

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:51:00 -0500

Few directors are capable of matching the brilliance, artistic restraint, and the genuine style of Jim Jarmusch. Independent film has become so dominated by pretention and cuteness, so many films admittedly entertaining but ultimately empty. But Jarmusch can do it all — his films often resonate with the quiet beauty of an Ozu film, yet they also understand the rawness of rock and roll: Elvis, Tom Waits, Neil Young. His characters often experience profound moments of searching, lost in confusion and boredom, but Jarmusch can also make us laugh harder than the best comedians. All this is effortless because he is one of the few living geniuses in film today. Admittedly, some might say his films too slow or his characters and plot turns too bizarre. Well, to those who deny his genius, as Stranger Than Paradise’s Eva would say, “He’s a wild man, so bug off.”

The cliché goes “if (name of director) had only made (name of movie), he/she would still be worthy of being considered one of the greats.” Sometimes a cliché is the best way to express the truth. If Jarmusch had only made Stranger Than Paradise, he would deserve a spot in film history. It forever changed the landscape of independent film, revealing the capability of low-budget filmmaking. It is hilariously, about two guys and a girl and not much else. The characters chat about TV dinners, they go watch kung fu movies, and they bet on dog races. Each shot fades to black, and every single scene is given attention and care in this minimalist masterpiece. It seems comedic independent filmmakers are so concerned about being quirky these days, but they work against the nature of their medium by focusing so strongly on the written word. Jarmusch has a unique sense of humor, but he is first and foremost concerned with his imagery.

The characters of Stranger Than Paradise sway to the chugging beat of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell On You.” Jarmusch’s brilliant sense of music is perhaps most apparent in Dead Man, his violent post-modern Western with an even more violent score by Neil Young. I’ve always said that if there was the sound for a bleeding soul, it would be Neil Young’s electric guitar. This is never more apparent than on the haunting score for what is probably the last great Western. Jarmusch explores myths of the West with Johnny Depp in one of his very few great performances as an accountant-turned-killer. Jarmusch melds music and images so well, the two inseparable. Young’s contribution to the film is incalculable, but the film’s greatness is ultimately the result of Jarmusch’s impeccable taste for aesthetic, both musical and cinematic.

Jarmusch also explored ghosts and myths in his film Mystery Train, though in a much more playful way. Instead of focusing on the ghosts of the West, he was interested in the ghost of Elvis. He uses three stories to show the impact of Elvis Presley on a particular night in Memphis. A Japanese couple makes a pilgrimage to the city of Elvis (and Carl Perkins), a woman is stuck in Memphis before going home to Italy with her husband’s coffin, and Johnny, played by Joe Strummer, gets brother-in-law Steve Buscemi in a nasty spot with his drunken behavior. With either direct or indirect presence of the in each story, Mystery Train is evidence that Jarmusch understands the music icon’s place in our society. Elvis is truly presented here as an enigma that lingers long after the physical death of Elvis Aaron Presley.

Then there’s Down by Law, which I watched for the first time today. John Lurie, Tom Waits, and Roberto Benigni are stuck in a prison cell together. Need I say more? The premise in and of itself is deserving of an award. Lurie and Waits are characters straight out of a gritty noir, both flawed but innocent of the crimes they were sentenced for. At first, Lurie and Waits despise each other, absurd in how seriously they take themselves. However, everything is shaken up when Benigni arrives. He’s the only man who’s truly guilty, but he’s also the only one who seems like a decent person, an Italian who writes down clever English sayings in his little notepad. The film explores the relationships of the three men in a way that allows Jarmusch to defy conventions of film noir, prison break films and dark comedy. Set in New Orleans, the film always has a great sense of its setting: the dirty streets of Louisiana, a cramped prison cell or seemingly endless swamp. Jarmusch has a way with his actors, and this film shows how naturally the characters interact in his films, even if under the most absurd circumstances.

I honestly cannot do the man justice with what I have to say. His films are a joy to watch, and they are great artistic statements that say so much about society, film, music and legend. I hear his latest film was an atrocity. If he’s lost it, we might be in trouble. Wes Anderson’s charm is wearing off, Quentin Tarantino has nothing original to offer, the Coen Brothers are too unpredictable and David Lynch’s movies are often too confusing for most of us. I doubt we’ll find any artists with the same integrity and passion as Jim Jarmusch.

Top 10 Songs Of Each Hall of Fame Inductee Class: 1986-Present

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:00:48 -0500

I started this list project a while back, but I thought it was too tedious. I finally decided to go back and finish what I started. I tried to limit myself to one song per album, though I had to violate that rule on a few occasions. Take 1998 for example. You know you’re in trouble when the Eagles are the third best artist in the bunch. (What mediocrity…) Also, tried to spread the love by including as many of a year’s inductees as possible. With 1988, my entire top 10 would realistically be made up of only Beatles songs, but I couldn’t leave Diana Ross and the Supremes out in the cold. I do not have a problem, however, excluding undeserving garbage like Bob Seger and Aerosmith, overpraised imitations of the Stones and Zeppelin. Some years are dominated by one or two artists, including 2009 in which I felt Metallica was the strongest act, Run-DMC a close second. The inclusion of multiple songs speaks only to their greatness relative to their inductee class (or my ignorance of the music of the other artists in some cases) and not necessarily their overall place in the rock cannon.

1986
1.    Sam Cooke- A Change is Gonna Come
2.    Ray Charles- You Don’t Know Me
3.    Elvis Presley- Suspicious Minds
4.    Chuck Berry- Maybellene
5.    Sam Cooke- Frankie and Johnny
6.    Ray Charles- Georgia On My Mind
7.    James Brown- Try Me
8.    The Everly Brothers- Brand New Heartache
9.    Fats Domino- Walking to New Orleans
10.    Buddy Holly- It’s So Easy

1987
1.    Aretha Franklin- A Change is Gonna Come
2.    Marvin Gaye- Let’s Get it On
3.    Roy Orbison- Crying
4.    Aretha Franklin- Oh Me Oh My (I’m a Fool For You Baby)
5.    Bo Diddley- Hey Bo Diddley
6.    Smokey Robinson and the Miracles- The Tears of a Clown
7.    Roy Orbison- In Dreams
8.    Marvin Gaye- What’s Going On
9.    Muddy Waters- I Can’t Be Satisfied
10.    B.B. King- How Blue Can You Get? (Live in Cook County Jail)

1988
1.    The Beatles- Tomorrow Never Knows
2.    The Beatles- She Loves You
3.    The Beatles- A Day in the Life
4.    The Beatles- This Boy
5.    Bob Dylan- Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You (Live 1975)
6.    Bob Dylan- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
7.    Bob Dylan- You’re a Big Girl Now
8.    The Beach Boys- You Still Believe In Me
9.    Bob Dylan- Queen Jane Approximately
10.    The Supremes- Where Did Our Love Go

1989
1.    The Rolling Stones- Tumbling Dice
2.    The Rolling Stones- Sympathy for the Devil
3.    Stevie Wonder- Living for the City
4.    The Temptations- I Wish It Would It Rain
5.    The Rolling Stones- Paint It Black
6.    Stevie Wonder- I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
7.    Otis Redding- Try a Little Tenderness
8.    The Temptations- My Girl
9.    Otis Redding- The Glory of Love
10.    Dion- Runaround Sue

1990
1.    The Who- Baba O’Riley
2.    The Four Tops- Without the One You Love (Life’s Not Worthwhile)
3.    Simon and Garfunkel- So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright
4.    The Kinks- Waterloo Sunset
5.    The Platters- Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
6.    The Who- Heaven and Hell (Live at Leeds)
7.    The Four Seasons- Let’s Hang On
8.    Simon and Garfunkel- America
9.    The Who- I Can’t Explain
10.    The Kinks- Celluloid Heroes

1991
1.    The Byrds- You’re Still On My Mind
2.    The Byrds- I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better
3.    Wilson Pickett- Hey Jude
4.    The Impressions- People Get Ready
5.    The Byrds- Ballad of Easy Rider
6.    The Byrds- Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)
7.    Wilson Pickett- Land of 1000 Dances
8.    The Impressions- It’s All Right
9.    The Byrds- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
10.    Ike and Tina Turner- Save the Last Dance For Me

1992
1.    The Jimi Hendrix Experience- Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
2.    The Jimi Hendrix Experience- Little Wing
3.    Johnny Cash- A Boy Named Sue
4.    Johnny Cash- Folsom Prison Blues
5.    The Jimi Hendrix Experience- Jimi Hendrix- Purple Haze
6.    Johnny Cash- Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart (At Folsom Prison)
7.    The Isley Brothers- It’s Your Thing
8.    Johnny Cash- Hurt
9.    Booker T. and the M.G.’s- Green Onions
10.    The Yardbirds- Shapes of Things

1993
1.    Etta James- Trust In Me
2.    Cream- White Room
3.    Sly and the Family Stone- If You Want Me to Stay
4.    Creedence Clearwater Revival- Who’ll Stop The Rain
5.    Van Morrison- Caravan
6.    Ruth Brown- Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean
7.    Sly and the Family Stone- Family Affair
8.    Cream- Strange Brew
9.    The Doors- Touch Me
10.    Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers- Who Do Fools Fall in Love

1994
1.    Rod Stewart- Every Picture Tells a Story
2.    Elton John- Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
3.    Rod Stewart- Mama You Been On My Mind
4.    The Band- Stage Fright
5.    The Animals- Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
6.    John Lennon- Oh Yoko!
7.    Bob Marley- Natural Mystic
8.    The Band- Up On Cripple Creek
9.    Grateful Dead- Box of Rain
10.    Elton John- Someone Saved My Life Tonight

1995
1.    Neil Young- Like a Hurricane
2.    Neil Young- Tell Me Why
3.    Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven
4.    Frank Zappa- Hungry Freaks, Daddy
5.    Al Green- Call Me (Come Back Home)
6.    Led Zeppelin- Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
7.    Neil Young- Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
8.    Janis Joplin- Mercedes Benz
9.    Al Green- Let’s Stay Together
10.    Martha Reeves and the Vandellas- Dancing in the Street

1996
1.    The Velvet Underground- Sister Ray
2.    David Bowie- Young Americans
3.    The Velvet Underground- Venus in Furs
4.    Pink Floyd- Shine On You Crazy Diamond
5.    Pink Floyd- Comfortably Numb
6.    Pink Floyd- Time
7.    Gladys Knight & the Pips- Might Train to Georgia
8.    The Shirelles- Will You Love Me Tomorrow
9.    Jefferson Airplane- Somebody to Love
10.    David Bowie- Sound and Vision

1997
1.    Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young- Our House
2.    Bee Gees- How Deep Is Your Love
3.    Funkadelic- Maggot Brain
4.    Joni Mitchell- A Case of You
5.    Crosby, Stills & Nash- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
6.    Buffalo Springfield- On the Way Home
7.    Parliament- Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)
8.    Funkadelic- One Nation Under a Groove
9.    The Jackson 5- I Want You Back
10.    Joni Mitchell- Big Yellow Taxi

1998
1.    Fleetwood Mac- Dreams
2.    Fleetwood Mac- You Make Loving Fun
3.    Santana- Soul Sacrifice
4.    Fleetwood Mac- Landslide
5.    Santana- Black Magic Woman
6.    The Eagles- Desperado
7.    The Eagles- Hotel California
8.    The Mama’s and the Papa’s- California Dreamin’
9.    The Eagles- Lyin’ Eyes
10.    Gene Vincent- Be-Bop-A-Lula

1999
1.    Bruce Springsteen- Thunder Road
2.    Bruce Springsteen- Bobby Jean
3.    Bruce Springsteen- No Surrender (Live 1984)
4.    Bruce Springsteen- The River
5.    Curtis Mayfield- So In Love
6.    Bruce Springsteen- Highway Patrolman
7.    Dusty Springfield- I Only Want To Be With You
8.    Del Shannon- Runaway
9.    Paul McCartney & Wings- Band On the Run
10.    Billy Joel- Just the Way You Are

2000
1.    Eric Clapton- Bell Bottom Blues (Derek and The Dominos)
2.    The Lovin’ Spoonful- Daydream
3.    Bonnie Raitt- Nick of Time
4.    The Lovin’ Spoonful- Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?
5.    James Taylor- Fire and Rain
6.    The Lovin’ Spoonful- You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice
7.    The Moonglows- Sincerely
8.    Eric Clapton- Tears in Heaven
9.    James Taylor- You’ve Got a Friend
10.    Earth, Wind & Fire- Shining Star

2001
1.    Michael Jackson- Beat It
2.    Michael Jackson- Rock With You
3.    Queen- Bohemian Rhapsody
4.    The Flamingos- I Only Have Eyes For You
5.    Michael Jackson- Black Or White
6.    Paul Simon- Slip Slidin’ Away
7.    Steely Dan- Do It Again
8.    Paul Simon- Kodachrome
9.    Michael Jackson- Man in the Mirror
10.    Ritchie Valens- La Bamba

2002
1.    Talking Heads- Once in a Lifetime
2.    Talking Heads- Burning Down the House
3.    Talking Heads- The Big Country
4.    Ramones- Beat on the Brat
5.    Ramones- Sheena is a Punk Rocker
6.    Talking Heads- Psycho Killer
7.    Ramones- Baby I Love You
8.    Isaac Hayes- Walk On By
9.    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- American Girl
10.    Gene Pitney- Every Breath I Take

2003
1.    Elvis Costello- I Want You
2.    Elvis Costello- Alison
3.    The Police- Born in the 50’s
4.    Elvis Costello- No Action
5.    The Clash- Train in Vain (Stand by Me)
6.    AC/DC- Hells Bells
7.    The Righteous Brothers- You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’
8.    The Clash- Tommy Gun
9.    Elvis Costello- Man Out Of Time
10.    The Police- Wrapped Around Your Finger

2004
1.    Jackson Browne- Late for the Sky
2.    Jackson Browne- These Days
3.    George Harrison- Wah-Wah
4.    Prince- Sign ‘O’ the Times
5.    Jackson Browne- The Pretender
6.    Prince- When You Were Mine
7.    Prince- Let’s Go Crazy
8.    The Dells- Oh What a Night
9.    Jackson Browne- Doctor My Eyes
10.    Prince- Little Red Corvette

2005
1.    U2- Wake Up Dead Man
2.    U2- Where the Streets Have No Name
3.    U2- City of Blinding Lights
4.    U2- Beautiful Day
5.    U2- Acrobat
6.    U2- Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
7.    The Pretenders- Kid
8.    Percy Sledge- When a Man Loves a Woman
9.    The O’Jays- Love Train
10.    The Pretenders- Don’t Get Me Wrong

2006
1.    Sex Pistols- Anarchy in the U.K.
2.    Miles Davis- So What
3.    Miles Davis- Moon Dreams
4.    Black Sabbath- War Pigs
5.    Miles Davis- Generique
6.    Black Sabbath- Black Sabbath
7.    Blondie- Dreaming
8.    Blondie- X Offender
9.    Black Sabbath- Children of the Grave
10.    Lynyrd Skynyrd- Free Bird

2007
1.    R.E.M.- At My Most Beautiful
2.    R.E.M.- (Don’t Go Back To Rockville)
3.    Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five- The Message
4.    R.E.M.- Radio Free Europe
5.    The Ronettes- Be My Baby
6.    Patti Smith- Free Money
7.    R.E.M.- It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
8.    R.E.M.- Nightswimming
9.    Van Halen- Eruption
10.    R.E.M.- Losing My Religion

2008
1.    Leonard Cohen- Who By Fire
2.    Leonard Cohen- Hallelujah
3.    Leonard Cohen- The Stranger Song
4.    Leonard Cohen- Bird on a Wire
5.    The Dave Clark Five- Glad All Over
6.    Leonard Cohen- Don’t Go Home With Your Hard-On
7.    Leonard Cohen- There Is a War
8.    Leonard Cohen- Suzanne
9.    Madonna- Like a Prayer
10.    Madonna- Like a Virgin

2009
1.    Metallica- One
2.    Run-DMC- It’s Tricky
3.    Metallica- Fade to Black
4.    Metallica- Seek & Destroy
5.    Metallica- Master of Puppets
6.    Jeff Beck- Spanish Boots
7.    Run-DMC- Hard Times
8.    Jeff Beck- Shapes of Things
9.    Run-DMC- King of Rock
10.    Metallica- Sad But True

Bigger Than Life (Nicholas Ray, 1956)

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:41:00 -0500

A man and his wife live together in 1950s suburban America with their young boy. Man has unfortunate disease. Man takes medication to feel better. Man becomes addicted to medication and has psychotic reactions. Man tries to kill his loving family.

For some reason, the audience at the LACMA last week somehow found a film in which events take place to be funny. Perhaps they thought the acting or the writing were campy or dated. It seems they found director Nicholas Ray’s ingenious portrait of a schoolteacher gone mad to be a hilarious romp instead of a highly disturbing look under the surface of suburban order. Actor and producer James Mason plays the central character in one of the most complex screen performances of all time. The movie was considered to be ahead of its time when it was released, and maybe the reaction of the audience indicates that it still is ahead of its time. People today still cannot handle the reality of psychosis as depicted so hauntingly in this film, manifesting itself in immature laughter.

With the 1986 film Blue Velvet, director David Lynch gave us a portrait of suburban America with the story of Jeffrey Beaumont, a young man who finds himself face-to-face with the maniacal villain Frank Booth. The eerie subtext of the film is well-summarized by Frank’s simple proclamation to Jeffrey: “You’re like me.” James Mason in Bigger Than Life embodies this suburban contradiction, the coexistence of good and evil. He exudes such warmth as a schoolteacher at the beginning of the film, excusing a student and wishing him happy holidays after the poor boy struggled to name just one Great Lake. Then he becomes a monster, convinced “childhood is a congenital disease, and the purpose of education is to cure it.” This twisted philosophy of his comes through in the way he preaches to the parents of his students and the way he starves his own son until he is able to solve a math problem.

I can say without a doubt that Bigger Than Life has among the greatest lighting and photography I have ever seen in a film. With the shattered reflections and darkened stairwells, the household is not a place of suburban comfort but a suffocating prison for the wife and son, played with such beautiful innocence by Barbara Rush and Christopher Olsen. At times, the beautiful color photography reminds us this is set against the artificially plastic suburban spaces we have come to know from the television programs from the time, yet in one scene in particular, the living room becomes a cell where young Olsen is dwarfed by the gigantic shadow of his over-medicated father.

Nicholas Ray also demonstrates once again that he was far ahead of his time when it came to examining the role of women in relation to the men they love. In another Ray masterpiece In a Lonely Place, Humphrey Bogart plays a Hollywood screenwriter with a short temper. Gloria Grahame is the woman who looks past his violent ways, refusing to listen to the accusations that Bogart is a murderer. She submits to his love, even when her life may or may not be in danger. Similarly, Rush in Bigger Than Life submits to a man, but here in the context of a traditional American family. Even though she and her son are suffering as a result of Mason’s medically-induced temper and unbearable arrogance, Rush goes on convinced she must blindly do whatever her husband says. The men in Ray’s films are mad and controlling while the women are victims of the prescribed roles of the times, struggling to break free to safety. Ray is daring in confronting the social order, handling these issues with such complexity.

The laughter of the audience in the theatre last week did not necessarily mean everyone missed the complexity of the film. I am definitely not saying there is absolutely no dark humor to be found in the outrageous statements made by Mason throughout the film, and perhaps there was something I simply missed. However, the laughter makes me worry whether or not they realize how mental illness and medical side effects can hurt individuals and those around them. If they are blind to the themes of this impeccably-crafted film, then I weep for our society.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (David Yates, 2009)

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:31:00 -0500

Note: I have not read the book upon which this film is based, so I am incapable of comparing the source material and the film adaptation with specifics.

I would like to say first of all that I don’t hate this movie. In fact, I walked out of the theater satisfied for the most part. However, little of it has stayed with me, even half an hour after I got in the car to go home. It is a bit difficult for me to put my finger on what exactly it is that troubles me so much about this film and so many of the other Harry Potter movies. There is so much to enjoy, yet there is such emptiness. I figured Order of the Phoenix was a step in a different direction, a tight production that was as concerned with making a good movie as presenting the source material. However, it was a deviating film in a series that is, for the most part, lacking in true inspiration and passion. The Half-Blood Prince appears to me a product of corporate greed, and most of its flaws stem from the consequent obligations.

There are unforgettable images in this film. After all, there are few scenes more haunting than the candles in the Hogwarts hall being snuffed out at the climax, Bellatrix joyfully strolling down the tables and kicking the plates and silverware. (The horror of any sequence involving the Death Eaters makes me scratch my head as to why the MPAA rated this film PG.) The Harry Potter films are no doubt full of visually impressive set pieces. However, the different scenes do not always come together in the end as a cohesive whole. It feels as if the special effects are empty, perhaps because too many details of the source material were left out.

The romantic subplots surprisingly did not water down the most recent film as they did in the often horrifically beautiful Goblet of Fire. The different relationships give a sense of context to the characters and remind us they are essentially high school students. They are not merely chess pieces on a board, moving to the beat of the drum determined by them years ago by J.K. Rowling. It is in these sequences that we see the characters experience things like jealousy, heartache and pain. It is also apparent what a long ways these actors have come, understanding their characteristics yet offering a sense of depth.

What really brings the film down is the sense of obligation that holds it back, or rather what got it made in the first place. Let’s face the truth: the sense of wonder has worn off a bit. There is less of a sense of warmth in these characters. Yes, Hermione is excited upon hearing about Harry Potter’s arrival, yet her reaction seems forced and obligatory. Their friendship means less to us then it has in any of the other films, and although I understand this film is about Harry and Dumbledore more than anything else, the relationships amongst these young characters are so crucial. We are so wrapped up in the plot points that we forgot the characters and the magical world they live in are what stole our hearts in the first place. As someone who has not read the book, it seems they have reenacted the story but not necessarily brought it to life.

This is the only film in the series that felt like its running time, yet I felt like there more that needed to be done with the movie. Is that an absurd paradox? Not really. It all comes back to the corporate greed. Out of an obligation to finish the series and with the knowledge that these films will make money regardless of whether or not they are as great as Order of the Phoenix, the producers don’t ever have to worry that perhaps Rowling’s sprawling cannot be adapted without more serious care if at all. The memories with Tom Riddle, the climax and even the performances are proof that they had the time and energy to make something truly great. But as long as the general public (myself included) sucks on the corporate teat, those with the resources don’t have to think harder about what they are producing.