Top 20 Original Songs
20. Foster The People, "Helena Beats"
I'm sorry everyone, but I just cannot stand "Pumped Up Kicks." This song is far superior to FTP's megahit.
19. The Sounds, "Something To Die For"
The lead single from the album of the same name, which is the only album this year that I downloaded at midnight on the day of its release.
18. Dum Dum Girls, "Bedroom Eyes"
These indiepop girls are always low key and infectious.
17. Erik Hassle, "Are You Leaving"
I generally do not care for male vocals, especially in modern pop music. This is an exception.
16. Martin Solveig & Dragonette (featuring Idoling), "Big In Japan (Album version)"
No, it's not an Alphaville cover. Just a catchy club track.
15. Moby, "Be The One"
Moby's output has been on a steady decline for a few years now, but every now and then he manages to sound like his old self again.
14. OK Go, "The Greatest Song I Ever Heard"
The single from the soundtrack to Morgan Spurlock's The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.
13. Sleepy Rebels, "Better Day"
This band is so charming, sweet and soft. Which is probably why no one ever notices them (and also why the link is for an iTunes page, because this song is not on Youtube)
Listen to a 90-second sample here.
12. Eleanor Friedberger, "I Won't Fall Apart On You Tonight"
I was never a big fan of The Fiery Furnaces, but their lead singer's solo album this year is fantastic.
11. Lindi Ortega, "All My Friends"
Nick got to meet her. I'm incredibly jealous.
10. Esben And The Witch, "Marching Song"
I love the song too, but the video is AMAZING!
9. Sleepy Rebels, "Beautiful"
And here they are again, the only artists with more than one song in my Top 20.
Listen to a 90-second sample here.
8. Florence + The Machine, "Shake It Out"
What can I say, I like bombastic pop.
7. Kidneythieves, "The Invisible Plan"
While I really liked her solo work, I'm happy that Free Dominguez is back with her old band. Newer industrial pop/rock is pretty terrible, so I'd like to keep as many of the genre's veterans around as possible.
6. Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"
Sure, it may rob its beat from a Madonna song, but since Gaga is Madonna's heir-apparent anyway, I don't see it as a problem.
5. The Joy Formidable, "Whirring"
I've never liked any instance where I've seen them perform this song live, but damn do I love the studio version.
4. Shiny Toy Guns, "The Sun"
Since reteaming with their original singer Carah Faye Charnow, Shiny Toy Guns keep saying a new album is coming. But so far this one song is the only evidence that they've done anything at all.
I also really like the remix they released, which makes the song sound at home in the late-1980's.
3. Balam Acab, "Oh, Why"
This was my go-to song for relaxing this year.
2. Ivy, "The Conversation"
Ivy returned after a 5 year break with one of their strongest albums yet. The songs get better and better as the album progresses, leading to this great closing track.
1. The Raveonettes, "Apparitions"
I listened to no other song as often this year as I did this one. Sparse, kinda haunting, but still catchy. I love it.
Friday, December 30, 2011
2011 Music Roundup, part 1: Covers
Partly stealing the idea from my friend Nick and partly because I did this last year and absolutely love being timely and consistent with my posts, I now present my opinions on the music that came out this past year (and also concur with Nick's opinion that 2011 was a stellar year for music).
Top 10 Cover Songs
10. Sarah Darling, U2's "With or Without You"
A quiet, sweet cover of U2's classic ballad by a talented young country singer I had the pleasure of seeing live this summer (even though I generally don't like country music). Also she's originally from Des Moines and graduated from SE Polk, facts I did not yet know when I became a fan of hers. So that's cool.
9. Amanda Palmer, Nirvana's "Polly"
For the album's 20th anniversary, Spin Magazine commissioned a variety of artists to cover every track of Nirvana's "Nevermind." The result were...mixed, to be polite. But Palmer's version of "Polly" kicks all kinds of ass.
8. Fiona Apple and Jon Brion, Buddy Holly's "Everyday"
Fiona Apple. Buddy Holly. 'Nuff said.
7. Florence + The Machine, Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love"
Released this year as part of a collection of b-sides from the band's 2009 album "Lungs." Like everything she sings, Florence Welch makes this one her own.
6. Beautiful Small Machines, MIA's "Paper Planes"
This is an alternate version of their MIA cover that the band released early to their fans, the regular version of which will be released on an EP in 2012.
5. Ladytron, Death in June's "Little Black Angel"
Included as a new track on their Greatest Hits album, and later released as a single.
4. Lissie, Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance"
I'm a Lady Gaga fan, yet I may actually like Lissie's version of the song better.
3. Dum Dum Girls, The Smiths' "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
I definitely prefer this version to the original. But I also hate The Smiths, so this preference makes more sense.
2. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross featuring Karen O., Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song"
From the soundtrack to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and featured in the movie's trailer, this is exactly the kind of aggressive coolness you'd expect from a Zeppelin/Reznor/Ross/O mash-up.
1. Q Magazine, U2's entire "Achtung Baby"
Like Spin did with Nirvana's milestone album, Q Magazine had a collection of artists pay tribute to every track on U2's "Achtung Baby", with far better results than Spin's effort. So I'm using that as a chance to cheat and post multiple songs under one entry, because I can.
The Killers, "Ultraviolet"
Brandon Flowers was born to cover Bono.
The Fray, "Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World"
I usually hate The Fray, but they sure do a good job with this one.
Jack White, "Love Is Blindness"
It's Jack White, of course this was going to be good.
Top 10 Cover Songs
10. Sarah Darling, U2's "With or Without You"
A quiet, sweet cover of U2's classic ballad by a talented young country singer I had the pleasure of seeing live this summer (even though I generally don't like country music). Also she's originally from Des Moines and graduated from SE Polk, facts I did not yet know when I became a fan of hers. So that's cool.
9. Amanda Palmer, Nirvana's "Polly"
For the album's 20th anniversary, Spin Magazine commissioned a variety of artists to cover every track of Nirvana's "Nevermind." The result were...mixed, to be polite. But Palmer's version of "Polly" kicks all kinds of ass.
8. Fiona Apple and Jon Brion, Buddy Holly's "Everyday"
Fiona Apple. Buddy Holly. 'Nuff said.
7. Florence + The Machine, Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love"
Released this year as part of a collection of b-sides from the band's 2009 album "Lungs." Like everything she sings, Florence Welch makes this one her own.
6. Beautiful Small Machines, MIA's "Paper Planes"
This is an alternate version of their MIA cover that the band released early to their fans, the regular version of which will be released on an EP in 2012.
5. Ladytron, Death in June's "Little Black Angel"
Included as a new track on their Greatest Hits album, and later released as a single.
4. Lissie, Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance"
I'm a Lady Gaga fan, yet I may actually like Lissie's version of the song better.
3. Dum Dum Girls, The Smiths' "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
I definitely prefer this version to the original. But I also hate The Smiths, so this preference makes more sense.
2. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross featuring Karen O., Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song"
From the soundtrack to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and featured in the movie's trailer, this is exactly the kind of aggressive coolness you'd expect from a Zeppelin/Reznor/Ross/O mash-up.
1. Q Magazine, U2's entire "Achtung Baby"
Like Spin did with Nirvana's milestone album, Q Magazine had a collection of artists pay tribute to every track on U2's "Achtung Baby", with far better results than Spin's effort. So I'm using that as a chance to cheat and post multiple songs under one entry, because I can.
The Killers, "Ultraviolet"
Brandon Flowers was born to cover Bono.
The Fray, "Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World"
I usually hate The Fray, but they sure do a good job with this one.
Jack White, "Love Is Blindness"
It's Jack White, of course this was going to be good.
Friday, November 04, 2011
Top 25 Recent Horror Movies You Haven't Seen: The Top 5
5. The Signal (2007)
A story told in three parts by three different writer/directors, The Signal follows three characters trapped in a world gone mad. Phones, TVs and radios have all begun transmitting a signal that, if stared at or listened to for too long, infects the viewer/listener with delusions and homicidal rage. The first "transmission" (as each of the film's acts are titled) concerns a young woman escaping from her abusive husband during the initial outbreak, and the beginning of her journey to meet her secret boyfriend at the train station. The second transmission involves the husband's pursuit of his wife, and provides the viewer with perspective on what it's like to see through the eyes of the infected. The final transmission belongs to the boyfriend, who is also looking for the wife so that he can rescue her. The film is strong overall, but really shines in the middle act which manages to be deeply sinister and darkly hilarious at the same time. The cast is made up of unknowns, but they do a great job with the material. Bonus: the extras on the blu-ray/DVD include three cool short films set in various locations as the signal outbreak begins (a TV news studio, a family on a road trip, and in a Best Buy).
4. Ginger Snaps (2000)
The werewolf-as-metaphor-for-puberty angle hasn't really been used any better than in the intelligent Canadian indie Ginger Snaps. Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle (both best known for this movie, actually) play a pair of Goth sisters in a cookie-cutter suburban neighborhood whose idea of fun includes taking detailed photos of fake suicides and guessing how the popular kids at school are going to die. Both are also late to begin getting their periods (at ages 16 and 15), a fact which their mother (Mimi Rogers, simply amazing in a role as a mom so polite and sincere that it scares the girls more than the werewolf does) takes way too much interest in. But then the older sister, Ginger (Isabelle), is attacked by a werewolf, and her body begins to change. She gets her period, starts craving the popular boys, and hair starts to grow in places where there was no hair before. The younger sister, Bridgette (Perkins), suspects her sister is becoming a werewolf, and seeks assistance from the only other person who saw the werewolf that attacked Ginger: the local drug dealer. The film has a lot of fun playing with the puberty metaphor, especially in a scene with the school nurse that is the comedic highlight of the film. As Ginger's changes begin to intensify, the comedy starts to fade away and gets replaced by some genuine scares. As an indie production, the werewolf effects are not fantastic. But they are decent enough to not be too distracting, and the clever script makes up for the film's budget limitations.
Honorable Mention goes to the first of Ginger Snap's direct-to-DVD sequels, Ginger Snaps: Unleashed. (NOTE: Spoilers for the original film ahead) Unleashed picks up after the original film, and follows Bridgette as she treats herself with doses of Monkshood (aka wolfsbane) to keep from transforming into a werewolf. She is also being haunted by visions of Ginger, who acts as a visualization of Bridgette's conscience. Bridgette accidentally overdoes and ends up in a government rehab facility (I'm sure there's a Canadian healthcare system joke in here somewhere), cut off from her cure. While not as good as the original, Unleashed is still a very clever movie and a worthy follow-up. And extra points for going darker with its content, including a really disturbing supporting character.
The direct-to-DVD prequel, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, can be skipped. While not terrible (it's the best-looking of the three), it is basically just the original Ginger Snaps set a hundred years in the past, but less clever and entirely unnecessary.
3. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
The first film from director Jonathan Levine (The Wackness, 50/50) was shelved before its scheduled 2006 theatrical debut, and has yet to receive any kind of release in the US (it's available as a region-free UK blu-ray, or can easily be torrented if you're into that kind of thing). A perfectly cast, and impossibly gorgeous, Amber Heard (Drive Angry, The Rum Diary) stars as the film's titular character. Mandy is the virginal object of desire for seemingly every guy in school, yet is extremely shy and self-conscious. She grew up an orphan, had few friends, and has only recently blossomed into womanhood. She seems uncertain how to deal with all the attention she's suddenly getting. Hesitantly accepting an invitation to a remote house party, she finds herself with a group of "friends" that she doesn't know very well. In not much of a plot surprise, teens begin to die off at the hands of a killer who is obsessed with Mandy.
It quickly becomes clear why the studios balked at releasing this film. The movie is simply too damn good, which makes it somewhat unmarketable. It's too artfully done to be a true horror movie, but too disturbing and violent to please the art house crowd. It's the rare slasher movie that is well written, well acted, and very well directed. The teenagers are not stereotypes, but fleshed-out characters with all the simultaneous arrogance, self-consciousness, intelligence and naivety that real teenagers have. Also working to the film's advantage is the reveal of the killer during the second act rather than the third. This allows the film to also develop the killer's story and motivations. Which is not to say that there isn't also a disturbing third act twist, of which there are several. Heard does a good job as the audience's quiet cypher, observing those around her and trying to determine whether their intentions with her are friendly or selfish. The rest of the cast is equally good, with Whitney Able (Monsters) giving the film's best performance in the "shallow head cheerleader"-type role and adding several painful layers of insecurity and sadness to what is usually a cliche. Able also gets the movie's best-looking sequence, as she is pursued by a car through a large hayfield. Earlier I said that Rogue was the second best looking movie on this list (after #1). While that is true, I had to put a lot of thought into whether Rogue or Mandy Lane looked better, because Mandy Lane is a beautiful-looking movie. Treat your eyes to this movie, because everything on screen looks amazing.
2. Session 9 (2001)
Brad Anderson's second entry on the list coasts almost exclusively on the intensely-creepy atmosphere of its setting: the real-life Danvers State Hospital, an abandoned, decaying psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts (which throughout history has also been known as State Lunatic Hospital At Danvers, The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and The Danvers State Insane Asylum). The film is ostensibly about a small hazmat team brought in to remove asbestos from the hospital in preparation for the hospital's sale and subsequent renovation. But that's just a setup to get a bunch of guys in white hooded suits to walk around inside a dark, terrifying building (did I mention that they filmed in the real hospital, the one where the pre-frontal labotomy was first developed? I did? Good)(oh, and that the set dressing was 95% made up of real stuff the crew found lying around in the hospital? I didn't? Well now you know.) Anderson milks the location for every scare it's worth, including a nightmare-inducing walk through the dark underground tunnels that connect the various wings of the hospital. There are some plot twists as each of the characters are overcome with either fear, paranoia or plain ol' madness. But again, the building itself is the main character, and it is a truly unsettling place (Fun fact: The hospital was renovated and turned into an apartment complex a few years after the movie was filmed. Then a year later the apartments burned down under what was described as "mysterious circumstances" in the event's official report.)
1. Stake Land (2010)
Have you ever wanted Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life) to make a post-apocalyptic vampire movie? If so, Stake Land is the closest you're likely to get (though Malick does tend to make weird decisions, so you never know for sure). Stake Land follows the enigmatic Mister (Nick Damici, who co-wrote the script with director Jim Mickle) as he leads newly-orphaned Martin (Gossip Girl's Connor Paulo) as they travel across a country that has been destroyed by a vampire plague. They journey upwards through the ruins of America towards the mythical New Eden, a town in Canada rumored to be a safe harbor where humanity is starting over. While technically vampires, the creatures mostly serve the same purpose as zombies. They are an ever-present threat, but the biggest challenge is the day-to-day survival in a world where society has collapsed. Lack of food or shelter is just as dangerous as vampires, and other surviving humans may not have the noblest of intentions either. Mister and Martin pick up a few strays along the way, including a nun (Kelly McGillis, nearly unrecognizable from her Top Gun days) and a pregnant southern belle (modern scream queen Danielle Harris). The movie plays like The Road, as the makeshift family moves from one temporary shelter to the next on their long, slow trek towards hope. Along the way they encounter small communities of survivors, both benevolent and hostile. But the characters never stop for long. This is a movie about constantly journeying onwards.
The film's cinematography is breathtaking. Mickle worked diligently to scout locations that would give his vision of a ruined society an authentic punch. Abandoned factories, collapsed farmhouses, overgrown highways and dead forests do wonders to convey the sense of complete isolation from the living. The gore is vivid when it needs to be, but not excessive. Stake Land is a gorgeous, intelligent, scary and desperate film.
4. Ginger Snaps (2000)
The werewolf-as-metaphor-for-puberty angle hasn't really been used any better than in the intelligent Canadian indie Ginger Snaps. Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle (both best known for this movie, actually) play a pair of Goth sisters in a cookie-cutter suburban neighborhood whose idea of fun includes taking detailed photos of fake suicides and guessing how the popular kids at school are going to die. Both are also late to begin getting their periods (at ages 16 and 15), a fact which their mother (Mimi Rogers, simply amazing in a role as a mom so polite and sincere that it scares the girls more than the werewolf does) takes way too much interest in. But then the older sister, Ginger (Isabelle), is attacked by a werewolf, and her body begins to change. She gets her period, starts craving the popular boys, and hair starts to grow in places where there was no hair before. The younger sister, Bridgette (Perkins), suspects her sister is becoming a werewolf, and seeks assistance from the only other person who saw the werewolf that attacked Ginger: the local drug dealer. The film has a lot of fun playing with the puberty metaphor, especially in a scene with the school nurse that is the comedic highlight of the film. As Ginger's changes begin to intensify, the comedy starts to fade away and gets replaced by some genuine scares. As an indie production, the werewolf effects are not fantastic. But they are decent enough to not be too distracting, and the clever script makes up for the film's budget limitations.
Honorable Mention goes to the first of Ginger Snap's direct-to-DVD sequels, Ginger Snaps: Unleashed. (NOTE: Spoilers for the original film ahead) Unleashed picks up after the original film, and follows Bridgette as she treats herself with doses of Monkshood (aka wolfsbane) to keep from transforming into a werewolf. She is also being haunted by visions of Ginger, who acts as a visualization of Bridgette's conscience. Bridgette accidentally overdoes and ends up in a government rehab facility (I'm sure there's a Canadian healthcare system joke in here somewhere), cut off from her cure. While not as good as the original, Unleashed is still a very clever movie and a worthy follow-up. And extra points for going darker with its content, including a really disturbing supporting character.
The direct-to-DVD prequel, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, can be skipped. While not terrible (it's the best-looking of the three), it is basically just the original Ginger Snaps set a hundred years in the past, but less clever and entirely unnecessary.
3. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
 |
| Pictured: worth killing for. |
 |
| Left: Exhibit A. Right: Exhibit B. |
2. Session 9 (2001)
Brad Anderson's second entry on the list coasts almost exclusively on the intensely-creepy atmosphere of its setting: the real-life Danvers State Hospital, an abandoned, decaying psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts (which throughout history has also been known as State Lunatic Hospital At Danvers, The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and The Danvers State Insane Asylum). The film is ostensibly about a small hazmat team brought in to remove asbestos from the hospital in preparation for the hospital's sale and subsequent renovation. But that's just a setup to get a bunch of guys in white hooded suits to walk around inside a dark, terrifying building (did I mention that they filmed in the real hospital, the one where the pre-frontal labotomy was first developed? I did? Good)(oh, and that the set dressing was 95% made up of real stuff the crew found lying around in the hospital? I didn't? Well now you know.) Anderson milks the location for every scare it's worth, including a nightmare-inducing walk through the dark underground tunnels that connect the various wings of the hospital. There are some plot twists as each of the characters are overcome with either fear, paranoia or plain ol' madness. But again, the building itself is the main character, and it is a truly unsettling place (Fun fact: The hospital was renovated and turned into an apartment complex a few years after the movie was filmed. Then a year later the apartments burned down under what was described as "mysterious circumstances" in the event's official report.)
1. Stake Land (2010)
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| That's exactly how I think Canada actually looks. |
The film's cinematography is breathtaking. Mickle worked diligently to scout locations that would give his vision of a ruined society an authentic punch. Abandoned factories, collapsed farmhouses, overgrown highways and dead forests do wonders to convey the sense of complete isolation from the living. The gore is vivid when it needs to be, but not excessive. Stake Land is a gorgeous, intelligent, scary and desperate film.
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Top 25 Recent Horror Movies You Haven't Seen: 6 to 10
10. Below (2002)
A tense, action-packed thriller about a possibly haunted submarine in WWII. Director David Twohy (Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick), working from a project initially developed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream), finds an interesting balance between the underwater WWII action of U-571 and the weird happenings of a classic haunted house movie. Olivia Williams (Rushmore, The Sixth Sense) stars as a British nurse whose hospital ship has been sunk by a torpedo strike. She is rescued by an America submarine captained by Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek, I, Robot), and quickly befriends crewman Matthew Davies (Blue Crush). When strange events start to occur onboard, Williams and Davies begin to suspect that Greenwood, his imposing first mate Holt McCallany (Fight Club), and mousey boat chief Scott Foley (TV's Felicity and The Unit) are keeping a secret from the rest of the crew. The story's biggest strength is that there are practical explanations for everything strange that occurs (the ship is damaged, the air is becoming dangerously contaminated by hydrogen, and they can't surface because they're being stalked by a German cruiser). But when the number of events start to add up, it becomes harder and harder to see it as a coincidence, even if there are practical explanations. There's also a funny supporting turn by Zach Galifianakis as another crewmember who loves telling ghost stories and refuses to elaborate when he uses big words. The movie makes its point too obvious during a small speech at the end, but otherwise it works well as both a war movie and a haunted house mystery.
9. King of the Ants (2003)
B-movie master Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, Robot Jox, Space Truckers) directs this disturbing psychological thriller about a young man (relative unknown Chris McKenna) who is hired to kill accountant Ron Livingston (Office Space) by Daniel Baldwin (Vampire$) and a shockingly intimidating George Wendt (Norm!). When he goes to collect his payment he is instead locked in a toolshed and tortured for weeks, going somewhat crazy in the process and retreating into fantasies/hallucinations of Livingston's widow (former MTV VJ and b-movie queen Kari Wuhrer). When he finally gets free, he seeks out the mission where Wuhrer works. Not knowing that he killed her husband, Wuhrer nurses McKenna back to health, and he slowly starts to begin a new life with her. But he also still dreams of revenge against Baldwin and Wendt. And it's becoming harder and harder to hide the truth from Wuhrer about who he really is.
Gordon and screenwriter Charlie Higson (who adapted from his own novel) maintain a very delicate balance with their lead character, making him seem sympathetic despite the fact that he murders a man and then moves in with the victim's wife. McKenna's performance is uncomfortably good, playing the character as someone who is trying really hard to fight off his own madness without letting those around him know that he is doing so.
Oh, and the trailer is terrible. It tries to make the film look like standard revenge-thriller stuff. The actual movie is more quiet and subtly disturbing, with only sudden bursts of horrific violence.
8. Rogue (2007)
Greg McLean (Wolf Creek) wrote and directed this incredibly gorgeous giant crocodile movie that's not nearly as stupid as the term "giant crocodile movie" would imply. A sightseeing cruise through the Australian outback is interrupted when a big-ass crocodile gets territorial and sinks the boat, stranding the tourists (including Alias' Michael Vartan and a pre-Alice in Wonderland Mia Wasikowska) on a small island in the middle of a tidal river. The boat's captain (one of my all-time cinematic crushes, Radha Mitchell, in a rare role where she can actually use her real Australian accent) tries to hold the group together. A pre-fame Sam Worthington (you know who he is, he starred in the most successful movie of all time which you, statistically speaking, saw 4 times) is also there as Mitchell's ex-boyfriend who may be the person most capable of getting everyone off the island alive. The real strength of the movie is in how everything is dealt with rationally. The crocodile is not a bloodthirsty monster, just a big wild animal that doesn't want things encroaching on its turf. The humans' plans are well thought out, and the hysterics are kept to a minimum. And I really can't say enough about how good the movie looks. Of all the movies that are on this list, only #1 looks better. Rogue's first act could easily serve double-duty as a commercial for Australia's Department of Tourism.
7. The Films of Christopher Smith
OK, I'm cheating here and shoving 3 movies into one ranking. Christopher Smith is a British writer/director that has been putting out good horror/thrillers for a several years and has yet to achieve breakout success.
In his first film, Creep (2004), a psychotic figure stalks terrified commuter Franka Potente (Run Lola Run, The Bourne Identity) through the underground labyrinth of London's subway system. The film is dark, tense, and relentless. It may not have much depth, but it doesn't let up long enough for you to really notice.
His second film is the slasher comedy Severance (2006), which concerns a group of white-collar corporate employees getting picked off one by one while on a team-building retreat in the woods. There's not much suspense to this one, but it is very funny and features an appropriately gratuitous amount of gore. The film has a decent cult following in the UK, but the US horror fanboys haven't really embraced it yet. They should.
Weirdly, Smith's third movie, Triangle (2009), has lately started to get some attention on sci-fi and horror blogs (and showing up on a few lists of underseen horror movies that the respectable movie blogs always publish around Halloween) despite no one noticing its initial release two years ago. Melissa George (30 Days of Night, The Amityville Horror) stars as a woman out with her friends on a yachting trip in the Bermuda Triangle. When a storm overturns their boat, they drift in the open ocean until they encounter a cruise ship that appears to be abandoned. But the truth is far crazier, and the movie is less of the "haunted ship" variety and closer to an episode of The Twilight Zone, though still with plenty of creeping dread and brutal violence. The movie's central conceit is one that I won't give away, but does lead to the most amazing shot (both in content and in concept) of a pile of corpses that I've ever seen. I felt compelled to include Creep and Severence in this entry, because both are quite good. But if you have to pick just one of Smith's films to watch, pick Triangle.
A quick Honorable Mention goes to Smith's fourth, and most recent, film Black Death (2010). It's not a horror film, but still has some effectively creepy sequences. A monk in the Middle Ages joins a group of knights who are sent by the Catholic church to investigate why a remote village has not suffered even a single death from the bubonic plague. Plus there are rumors that the dead have been returning from the grave. Despite that last line, the movie is actually just a medieval thriller. Sean Bean stars and basically just plays his Games of Thrones character (it's kinda how he plays every role, really).
6. Feast (2005)
The third, and last, movie produced by Project Greenlight, Feast is simultaneously the project's most commercial and daring film. The setup is a classic cliche: group of strangers trapped in a small remote building (a roadside bar, in this instance) and being terrorized by the monsters outside. But Feast is self-aware, and uses any opportunity it can to flip genre conventions on their head. Being a child or the film's Hero in no way guarantee survival. Each character is introduced with a title card that summarizes their character type and gives predictions on their survival, with mostly inaccurate results. The title cards also score the film's biggest laugh with the title card for Jason Mewes (the "Jay" of "Jay and Silent Bob" infamy), in a cameo as himself. The movie goes enjoyably overboard with its special effects and gore (all classic practical effects, too, with only a single CGI effect in the whole film that wouldn't even be noticeable unless you listened to the director's commentary and knew where to look). The film's pace is fast, the viscera is extreme, and the cast of mostly character- and TV- actors is uniformly solid. Judah Friedlander (30 Rock) and Jenny Wade (Fox's underrated and prematurely cancelled cop comedy The Good Guys) give the movie's best comedic performances, while the usually-terrible Krista Allen (8 Emmanuelle movies) makes a surprisingly good badass in the film's latter half.
9. King of the Ants (2003)
Gordon and screenwriter Charlie Higson (who adapted from his own novel) maintain a very delicate balance with their lead character, making him seem sympathetic despite the fact that he murders a man and then moves in with the victim's wife. McKenna's performance is uncomfortably good, playing the character as someone who is trying really hard to fight off his own madness without letting those around him know that he is doing so.
Oh, and the trailer is terrible. It tries to make the film look like standard revenge-thriller stuff. The actual movie is more quiet and subtly disturbing, with only sudden bursts of horrific violence.
8. Rogue (2007)
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| I will take any excuse at all to post a picture of this woman. |
7. The Films of Christopher Smith
OK, I'm cheating here and shoving 3 movies into one ranking. Christopher Smith is a British writer/director that has been putting out good horror/thrillers for a several years and has yet to achieve breakout success.
A quick Honorable Mention goes to Smith's fourth, and most recent, film Black Death (2010). It's not a horror film, but still has some effectively creepy sequences. A monk in the Middle Ages joins a group of knights who are sent by the Catholic church to investigate why a remote village has not suffered even a single death from the bubonic plague. Plus there are rumors that the dead have been returning from the grave. Despite that last line, the movie is actually just a medieval thriller. Sean Bean stars and basically just plays his Games of Thrones character (it's kinda how he plays every role, really).
6. Feast (2005)
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Top 25 Recent Horror Movies You Haven't Seen: 11 to 15
15. Pontypool (2008)
Character actor Stephen McHattie (2012, Watchmen) is outstanding in a rare lead performance as a shock jock trapped inside his radio station as an epidemic breaks out in the outside world. The movie has a lot of ambition, and puts a unique twist on the classic disease/zombie outbreak genre. My biggest gripe is that it tries to be a bit too clever at times, though I definitely prefer when a movie is too ambitious rather than not ambitious at all.
14. Julia's Eyes (2010)
Guillermo del Toro produced this Spanish thriller about a woman who starts going blind while investigating the supposed suicide of her twin sister. While the movie has some deep flaws in its plotting, there are some masterful suspense sequences (including a search through the darkness lit only intermittently by a camera's flashbulb) and good character development. And while I generally consider jump-scares to be the laziest kind of horror filmmaking, the ones in this movie are set up and executed very well.
13. The Horde (2009)
A group of corrupt policeman raid a derelict housing complex in the Paris slums seeking revenge against a powerful drug lord for killing one of their fellow officers. But soon the complex is under siege from hundreds of ravenous zombies and the cops, drug dealers and housing residents must work together to survive. The film is clearly paying homage to John Carpenter's classic Assault on Precinct 13, but makes up for its lack of originality by turning the volume up to 11. The film's pace is frantic, the action sequences are really fun, and the blood is plentiful. Plus it contains possibly the best "one man's last stand against the zombies" sequence I've ever seen (and I've seen a mind-boggling amount of them).
(Ignore the awkward English dubbing in the trailer's dialogue. The actual movie is in French with English subtitles)
12. The Dead (2010)
The Dead may be "horror" in its setup, but not in its execution. The film takes place in a zombie-ravaged West Africa, as a lone US Airforce engineer tries to make it back to safety after his cargo plane crashes. It's really a road movie across a barren land where water is scarce and zombies slowly wander around looking for flesh. The zombies are ignored just as often as they are put down. In fact, the first zombie encountered in the film is left alone and merely side-stepped, as though it were nothing more than an object in the way. Obviously the filmmakers use the movie to make a comment on how America and the United Nations largely ignore Africa's problems, but the point is never so heavy-handed as to become distracting. And it should be noted that the movie looks fantastic, and having sweeping vistas of the African plains in the background of every shot gives the movie a huge sense of scale.
11. YellowBrickRoad (2010)
Ah, this movie.
First, the plot synopsis:
40 years ago the entire population of a small New Hampshire town walked up a local mountain trail and were never heard from again, nor was any evidence of what happened to them ever found. So a small documentary crew gathers and heads up the trail to look for clues to what happened. Things don't end well.
Now the explanation:
The movie is rather divisive. It catches a lot of backlash for posing a bunch of interesting questions and ideas, and not answering or explaining a goddamn one of them. Plus the final scene is just terrible. Like really, really bad. So naturally, this turns a lot of viewers off. But as a story of people pursuing a mystery until it drives every last one of them mad, I found it to be a huge success (except for that last scene. Seriously, fuck that scene). All kinds of weird things happen, and the movie keeps getting creepier and creepier. The film's first act of violence is extremely effective, since it seemingly comes out of nowhere (but is not a jump-scare, just an unexpected act). It works almost like the inverse of horror's "torture porn" sub-genre. Instead of watching people be ripped apart physically, you want them all psychologically crumble.
14. Julia's Eyes (2010)
Guillermo del Toro produced this Spanish thriller about a woman who starts going blind while investigating the supposed suicide of her twin sister. While the movie has some deep flaws in its plotting, there are some masterful suspense sequences (including a search through the darkness lit only intermittently by a camera's flashbulb) and good character development. And while I generally consider jump-scares to be the laziest kind of horror filmmaking, the ones in this movie are set up and executed very well.
13. The Horde (2009)
(Ignore the awkward English dubbing in the trailer's dialogue. The actual movie is in French with English subtitles)
12. The Dead (2010)
The Dead may be "horror" in its setup, but not in its execution. The film takes place in a zombie-ravaged West Africa, as a lone US Airforce engineer tries to make it back to safety after his cargo plane crashes. It's really a road movie across a barren land where water is scarce and zombies slowly wander around looking for flesh. The zombies are ignored just as often as they are put down. In fact, the first zombie encountered in the film is left alone and merely side-stepped, as though it were nothing more than an object in the way. Obviously the filmmakers use the movie to make a comment on how America and the United Nations largely ignore Africa's problems, but the point is never so heavy-handed as to become distracting. And it should be noted that the movie looks fantastic, and having sweeping vistas of the African plains in the background of every shot gives the movie a huge sense of scale.
11. YellowBrickRoad (2010)
First, the plot synopsis:
40 years ago the entire population of a small New Hampshire town walked up a local mountain trail and were never heard from again, nor was any evidence of what happened to them ever found. So a small documentary crew gathers and heads up the trail to look for clues to what happened. Things don't end well.
Now the explanation:
The movie is rather divisive. It catches a lot of backlash for posing a bunch of interesting questions and ideas, and not answering or explaining a goddamn one of them. Plus the final scene is just terrible. Like really, really bad. So naturally, this turns a lot of viewers off. But as a story of people pursuing a mystery until it drives every last one of them mad, I found it to be a huge success (except for that last scene. Seriously, fuck that scene). All kinds of weird things happen, and the movie keeps getting creepier and creepier. The film's first act of violence is extremely effective, since it seemingly comes out of nowhere (but is not a jump-scare, just an unexpected act). It works almost like the inverse of horror's "torture porn" sub-genre. Instead of watching people be ripped apart physically, you want them all psychologically crumble.
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Top 25 Recent Horror Movies You Haven't Seen: 16 to 20
20. Dead End (2003)
Ray Wise (Swamp Thing, Robocop) stars as a man driving his family (including genre favorite Lin Shaye as his wife) to a Christmas dinner at their in-laws' house. He takes a short cut down a side road that seems to go on forever, and from which there appears to be no escape. Plus they are being haunted by the mysterious Woman in White (former Supermodel Amber Smith, still smoking-hot even in ghost form). One by one the family members start to descend into madness, while daughter Alexandra Holden (Sugar and Spice) tries to hold them together. The film's big twist is obvious pretty early on, but it's still a lot of fun to watch the family slowly fall apart. There's an incredibly stupid coda which adds nothing to the previous story, and is best ignored.
19. The Burrowers (2008)
A family in the Civil War-era Midwest goes missing, presumably victims of the local Indians. A small group of men goes looking for them, led by the always-awesome Clancy Brown. They soon discover the family was taken by something much worst than Indians. Unlike most horror films, this one doesn't completely disintegrate in the third act. But it also takes a little while to get going, which knocks it down a few notches.
18. The Woods (2006)
Writer/Director Lucky McKee's follow-up to his cult hit May is set in a 1960's girl's reform school, where Agnus Bruckner (Blood and Chocolate) has been sent by her estranged father Bruce Campbell (don't act like you don't know who he is). The school is overseen by a very ominous Patricia Clarkson, and Bruckner makes a fast enemy in fellow student Rachel Nichols (GI Joe's Scarlett). As can be expected, there are strange occurrences at the school and people seem to be keeping some kind of secret which may or may not be supernatural in nature. The movie keeps the secret well hidden until its somewhat lackluster reveal and most of the school girls are interchangable, but Clarkson can always be counted on for a good performance. While Bruckner makes a decent enough lead, it's Nichols that gives the film's other standout performance as the school's bully who acts tough out of fear and a survival instinct in a place where the weak are preyed upon.
17. The Objective (2008)
I've written about this one before. It maintains a great sense of dread throughout its entire runtime, even if the ending leaves way too many questions unanswered.
16. Splinter (2008)
Shea Wingham (HBO's Boardwalk Empire) carjacks young couple Paulo Costanzo (Road Trip) and Jill Wagner (host of TV's Wipeout), and soon the three of them end up trapped inside a remote gas station by what can best be described as a walking disease. The acting is solid, the creature effects are good, the suspense is tight, and the characters act thoughtfully and logically. There's the expected last-minute effort to make Wingham's character more sympathetic, but otherwise the movie doesn't misstep. It's not original, but it's very well executed.
Ray Wise (Swamp Thing, Robocop) stars as a man driving his family (including genre favorite Lin Shaye as his wife) to a Christmas dinner at their in-laws' house. He takes a short cut down a side road that seems to go on forever, and from which there appears to be no escape. Plus they are being haunted by the mysterious Woman in White (former Supermodel Amber Smith, still smoking-hot even in ghost form). One by one the family members start to descend into madness, while daughter Alexandra Holden (Sugar and Spice) tries to hold them together. The film's big twist is obvious pretty early on, but it's still a lot of fun to watch the family slowly fall apart. There's an incredibly stupid coda which adds nothing to the previous story, and is best ignored.
19. The Burrowers (2008)
A family in the Civil War-era Midwest goes missing, presumably victims of the local Indians. A small group of men goes looking for them, led by the always-awesome Clancy Brown. They soon discover the family was taken by something much worst than Indians. Unlike most horror films, this one doesn't completely disintegrate in the third act. But it also takes a little while to get going, which knocks it down a few notches.
18. The Woods (2006)
Writer/Director Lucky McKee's follow-up to his cult hit May is set in a 1960's girl's reform school, where Agnus Bruckner (Blood and Chocolate) has been sent by her estranged father Bruce Campbell (don't act like you don't know who he is). The school is overseen by a very ominous Patricia Clarkson, and Bruckner makes a fast enemy in fellow student Rachel Nichols (GI Joe's Scarlett). As can be expected, there are strange occurrences at the school and people seem to be keeping some kind of secret which may or may not be supernatural in nature. The movie keeps the secret well hidden until its somewhat lackluster reveal and most of the school girls are interchangable, but Clarkson can always be counted on for a good performance. While Bruckner makes a decent enough lead, it's Nichols that gives the film's other standout performance as the school's bully who acts tough out of fear and a survival instinct in a place where the weak are preyed upon.
17. The Objective (2008)
I've written about this one before. It maintains a great sense of dread throughout its entire runtime, even if the ending leaves way too many questions unanswered.
16. Splinter (2008)
Shea Wingham (HBO's Boardwalk Empire) carjacks young couple Paulo Costanzo (Road Trip) and Jill Wagner (host of TV's Wipeout), and soon the three of them end up trapped inside a remote gas station by what can best be described as a walking disease. The acting is solid, the creature effects are good, the suspense is tight, and the characters act thoughtfully and logically. There's the expected last-minute effort to make Wingham's character more sympathetic, but otherwise the movie doesn't misstep. It's not original, but it's very well executed.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Top 25 Recent Horror Movies You Haven't Seen: 21 to 25
25. Dead Birds (2004)
A group of Confederate soldiers rob a bank and then hide out in a haunted plantation. The movie establishes a good atmosphere of dread, and features some quality scares. It's hampered a bit by ghosts with, at best, inconsistent rules/powers. But the production design is quite good for an independent period film, and the movie's hugely overqualified cast includes Henry Thomas, Patrick Fugit, Isaiah Washington, Mark Boone Junior and Michael Shannon.
24. Vanishing on 7th Street (2010)
The first of two Brad Anderson (The Machinist, Transsiberian) movies that will appear in this list. The shadows have come alive and wiped out most of the world, while a group of survivors (including Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton and John Leguizamo) try to stay in the light for protection. The first hour is incredibly atmospheric and scary, particularly an early scene with Leguizamo when the shadows first attack in a mall's movie theater. Sadly the film sputters out in the end, it's characters suddenly making a series of terrible decisions that go against all logic. But the terrifying first hour is easily enough to earn a place on the list.
23. Outpost (2008)
Ray Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone, HBO's Rome) leads a group of mercenaries who discover an abandoned Nazi bunker that isn't as abandoned as they think. The film's best sequences involve investigating the bunker's labyrinth of underground corridors, with most shots being lit by a single flashlight beam. Once the movie turns into a battle between the mercenaries and Nazi zombie-ghost things (the explanation is a bit hazy)(also that's not really a spoiler, since the setup pretty much guarantees that undead Nazis will show up sooner or later), the movie loses all of its suspense. But the last act does still work as an action movie, so it's not all bad.
22. Carriers (2009)
A post-biological-apocalypse road movie about a quartet of young survivors led by Star Trek's Chris Pine, which also includes Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly), Lou Taylor Pucci (Thumbsucker) and TV's Emily Van Camp (Everwood, Brothers and Sisters, Revenge). A highly contagious disease has decimated the human population and Pine's group is slowly making their way to the west coast in search of safety. During their journey they encounter desperate survivors, crazed doctors, and biohazard agents who try to contain the disease by any means necessary. As the movie grows increasingly hopeless, it becomes a little bit of a slog to watch. But it's suspensefully directed and Pine makes a charismatic lead.
21. Undead (2004)
A fun, fast-paced Aussie zombie/alien/disease action/horror/sci-fi indie movie directed by the Spierig Brothers (the underrated Daybreakers), featuring decent CGI effects that the brothers rendered on their home PC. There are zombies, and aliens, and crazy guns, and spurs, and...y'know what, just watch the trailer. You'll get the idea.
A group of Confederate soldiers rob a bank and then hide out in a haunted plantation. The movie establishes a good atmosphere of dread, and features some quality scares. It's hampered a bit by ghosts with, at best, inconsistent rules/powers. But the production design is quite good for an independent period film, and the movie's hugely overqualified cast includes Henry Thomas, Patrick Fugit, Isaiah Washington, Mark Boone Junior and Michael Shannon.
24. Vanishing on 7th Street (2010)
The first of two Brad Anderson (The Machinist, Transsiberian) movies that will appear in this list. The shadows have come alive and wiped out most of the world, while a group of survivors (including Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton and John Leguizamo) try to stay in the light for protection. The first hour is incredibly atmospheric and scary, particularly an early scene with Leguizamo when the shadows first attack in a mall's movie theater. Sadly the film sputters out in the end, it's characters suddenly making a series of terrible decisions that go against all logic. But the terrifying first hour is easily enough to earn a place on the list.
23. Outpost (2008)
Ray Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone, HBO's Rome) leads a group of mercenaries who discover an abandoned Nazi bunker that isn't as abandoned as they think. The film's best sequences involve investigating the bunker's labyrinth of underground corridors, with most shots being lit by a single flashlight beam. Once the movie turns into a battle between the mercenaries and Nazi zombie-ghost things (the explanation is a bit hazy)(also that's not really a spoiler, since the setup pretty much guarantees that undead Nazis will show up sooner or later), the movie loses all of its suspense. But the last act does still work as an action movie, so it's not all bad.
22. Carriers (2009)
A post-biological-apocalypse road movie about a quartet of young survivors led by Star Trek's Chris Pine, which also includes Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly), Lou Taylor Pucci (Thumbsucker) and TV's Emily Van Camp (Everwood, Brothers and Sisters, Revenge). A highly contagious disease has decimated the human population and Pine's group is slowly making their way to the west coast in search of safety. During their journey they encounter desperate survivors, crazed doctors, and biohazard agents who try to contain the disease by any means necessary. As the movie grows increasingly hopeless, it becomes a little bit of a slog to watch. But it's suspensefully directed and Pine makes a charismatic lead.
21. Undead (2004)
A fun, fast-paced Aussie zombie/alien/disease action/horror/sci-fi indie movie directed by the Spierig Brothers (the underrated Daybreakers), featuring decent CGI effects that the brothers rendered on their home PC. There are zombies, and aliens, and crazy guns, and spurs, and...y'know what, just watch the trailer. You'll get the idea.
Top 25 Recent Horror Movies You Haven'Seen: Intro
The title kinda says it all, really.
This will be a list of 25 horror movies that have been released since the year 2000. The list is made up of independent, foreign, or studio films that received, at best, a limited theatrical release. I'll be posting the list 5 movies at a time, for the next 5 days (starting later today). And because I don't believe in traditional timing, I'll be starting this list on Halloween and moving away, rather than leading up to it. Suck it, conventional thinking!
But before I get started with the list, a couple Honorable Mentions.
Dog Soldiers (2002)
A group of Scottish soldiers find themselves trapped in a remote house, under siege by a pack of werewolves. A very enjoyable hybrid of Predator and Night of the Living Dead, but with werewolves in the place of the alien/zombies. This filmed launched the career of director Neil Marshall (new horror classic The Descent and the batshit crazy Doomsday), but has a bit too large of a cult following for me to include it in my list proper. If you have yet to see this movie, you should pop yourself a big bowl of popcorn and check it out.
May (2002)
Almost made the list, but leans a little bit too far towards indie drama to really be called a "horror" movie. Features an incredible lead performance by indie actress Angela Bettis as the titular character, a social wallflower with a lazy eye and strange interests. She develops a crush on pretentious film student Jeremy Sisto (Clueless, TV's Law & Order), who initially dates her but grows uncomfortable with some of her weird questions and tries to move to greener pastures. She also befriends a ditzy bisexual sorority girl (a never-better Anna Faris), who may or may not have ulterior motives. The movie only really becomes "horror" in its third act, and even then is fairly muted. But as a character study of a disturbed young woman, it is a smashing success.
This will be a list of 25 horror movies that have been released since the year 2000. The list is made up of independent, foreign, or studio films that received, at best, a limited theatrical release. I'll be posting the list 5 movies at a time, for the next 5 days (starting later today). And because I don't believe in traditional timing, I'll be starting this list on Halloween and moving away, rather than leading up to it. Suck it, conventional thinking!
But before I get started with the list, a couple Honorable Mentions.
Dog Soldiers (2002)
A group of Scottish soldiers find themselves trapped in a remote house, under siege by a pack of werewolves. A very enjoyable hybrid of Predator and Night of the Living Dead, but with werewolves in the place of the alien/zombies. This filmed launched the career of director Neil Marshall (new horror classic The Descent and the batshit crazy Doomsday), but has a bit too large of a cult following for me to include it in my list proper. If you have yet to see this movie, you should pop yourself a big bowl of popcorn and check it out.
May (2002)
Almost made the list, but leans a little bit too far towards indie drama to really be called a "horror" movie. Features an incredible lead performance by indie actress Angela Bettis as the titular character, a social wallflower with a lazy eye and strange interests. She develops a crush on pretentious film student Jeremy Sisto (Clueless, TV's Law & Order), who initially dates her but grows uncomfortable with some of her weird questions and tries to move to greener pastures. She also befriends a ditzy bisexual sorority girl (a never-better Anna Faris), who may or may not have ulterior motives. The movie only really becomes "horror" in its third act, and even then is fairly muted. But as a character study of a disturbed young woman, it is a smashing success.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Oscars: 2011 Edition
The Academy Awards are this coming Sunday (list of nominees can be found here). This is my breakdown.
Best Picture
Who Will Win: The King's Speech
America has officially fallen in love with this charming British film, and the Academy sure does love uplifting English period pieces and making populist choices.
Who Should Win: The Social Network
Everything came together perfectly for this film. Great script, director, actors, cinematography, music, editing, sound design, art design, the whole works. Not a weak link in the bunch.
Doesn't Belong: 127 Hours
Every nomination this film received is basically a way to apologize to James Franco because his powerhouse performance is going to have to lose to Colin Firth. Because other than that performance, this film has no value.
Best Actor
Who Will Win: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Everyone knows he will win. Even poor James Franco knows it.
Who Should Win: Colin Firth
Because he was great, that's why.
Doesn't Belong: N/A
Everyone in this category deserved to be here.
Best Actress
Who Will Win: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Like Firth, she's had this one in the bag for months.
Who Should Win: Natalie Portman
Like Firth, because she's great. Though if by some insane miracle the Oscars pull one of their occasional out-of-left-field surprise upsets (without which Americans would still have no clue who Marion Cotillard was) and give the award to Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone, my cheers of joy will be heard from several miles away.
Doesn't Belong: N/A
Also a pretty solid list of nominees.
Best Director
Who Will Win: David Fincher, The Social Network
He took a movie about people sitting around and talking and directed it like a fast-paced thriller. And it worked.
Who Should Win: David Fincher
Seriously, he builds tension while people are sitting on a dorm room couch.
Doesn't Belong: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
There is something to be said about a director who is smart enough to just sit back and let your great cast act out a great script. That level of restraint is rare these days. But that shouldn't get you an Oscar nomination. Fincher and Darren Aronofsky are in this category because they took what was great on the page and made it even better on the screen. Hooper is just riding the wave of King's Speech love.
Best Supporting Actor
Who Will Win: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Sometimes the public confuses hammy overacting with great acting. The Academy does so regularly.
Who Should Win: John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
A quietly intense, modulated performance from a consistently good but usually-overlooked actor.
Doesn't Belong: N/A
Again, hard to fault any of the acting nominees.
Best Supporting Actress
Who Will Win: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
The Academy loves veteran actors making a late-career comeback. And she's definitely a good choice...
Who Should Win: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
...but not the best one. Steinfeld is in the wrong category. She was the lead actor of True Grit, moreso than even Jeff Bridges. But knowing that nothing could stop the Portman juggernaut, the film's producers submitted her for this category instead, citing the film as an ensemble piece. Anyone who has seen True Grit knows differently. She's in every scene, stealing the film out from under veteran actors 3 to 4 times older than her. And as such, she dominates over every other performance in this category. Though while Leo seems like a lock for this one (based on how previous awards have been going this season), Steinfeld does have a toe in the door. After all, the Academy are known for handing awards to pretty people who get all uglied up for a role.
Doesn't Belong: N/A
What else can I say? It's a good year for the acting categories.
Best Original Screenplay
Who Will Win: David Seidler, The King's Speech
Because America is in love with it, and the Academy abides.
Who Should Win: Christopher Nolan, Inception
He took a complex concept and multi-layered (in ways both figurative and literal) story and created something that a mass audience could follow without getting lost.
Doesn't Belong: Mike Leigh, Another Year
The final script was mostly transcribed improvisations done by the actors during rehearsal. This award is not for transcription.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Who Will Win: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
And rightfully so. It's an amazing script.
Who Should Win: Aaron Sorkin
No one expects otherwise.
Doesn't Belong: Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Mr. Franco, the Academy would once again like to apologize. In any other year you'd get the award, but Colin was just so damn good.
Best Cinematography
Who Will Win: Roger Deakins, True Grit
No one can make the old west seem as beautiful as Deakins can.
Who Should Win: Roger Deakins
He's a national treasure.
Doesn't Belong: Jeff Cronenweth, The Social Network
Don't get me wrong, the film looks fantastic. But that's because of Fincher, not Cronenweth. Fincher micromanages every aspect of his films, including cinematography. Cronenweth may have been physically behind the cameras, but he was just doing what his boss told him to do.
The Annual Pixar Award (also commonly known as the Best Animated Feature award)
Who Will Win: Toy Story 3
Here's a hint about how this category will turn out: of the 3 nominees, only one of them was deemed good enough to also be nominated for Best Picture.
Who Should Win: Toy Story 3
See above.
Doesn't Belong: N/A
Kinda hard for a film to not belong when the Academy only allows 3 nominees.
Best Documentary
Who Will Win: Exit Through the Gift Shop
The Academy loves pretentious, self-important art films, and this is as pretentious and self-important as they come. Plus, there are no holocaust documentaries on this list this year.
Who Should Win: Inside Job
Charles Ferguson's last film (No End in Sight) was robbed of the Oscar, and this one will be, too.
Doesn't Belong: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Because in all likelihood it's not actually a documentary, but an art piece created by Banksy.
Best Picture
Who Will Win: The King's Speech
America has officially fallen in love with this charming British film, and the Academy sure does love uplifting English period pieces and making populist choices.
Who Should Win: The Social Network
Everything came together perfectly for this film. Great script, director, actors, cinematography, music, editing, sound design, art design, the whole works. Not a weak link in the bunch.
Doesn't Belong: 127 Hours
Every nomination this film received is basically a way to apologize to James Franco because his powerhouse performance is going to have to lose to Colin Firth. Because other than that performance, this film has no value.
Best Actor
Who Will Win: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Everyone knows he will win. Even poor James Franco knows it.
Who Should Win: Colin Firth
Because he was great, that's why.
Doesn't Belong: N/A
Everyone in this category deserved to be here.
Best Actress
Who Will Win: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Like Firth, she's had this one in the bag for months.
Who Should Win: Natalie Portman
Like Firth, because she's great. Though if by some insane miracle the Oscars pull one of their occasional out-of-left-field surprise upsets (without which Americans would still have no clue who Marion Cotillard was) and give the award to Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone, my cheers of joy will be heard from several miles away.
Doesn't Belong: N/A
Also a pretty solid list of nominees.
 |
| Maybe if she gets the award she'll stop doing crap like No Strings Attached. |
Best Director
Who Will Win: David Fincher, The Social Network
He took a movie about people sitting around and talking and directed it like a fast-paced thriller. And it worked.
Who Should Win: David Fincher
Seriously, he builds tension while people are sitting on a dorm room couch.
Doesn't Belong: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
There is something to be said about a director who is smart enough to just sit back and let your great cast act out a great script. That level of restraint is rare these days. But that shouldn't get you an Oscar nomination. Fincher and Darren Aronofsky are in this category because they took what was great on the page and made it even better on the screen. Hooper is just riding the wave of King's Speech love.
Best Supporting Actor
Who Will Win: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Sometimes the public confuses hammy overacting with great acting. The Academy does so regularly.
Who Should Win: John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
A quietly intense, modulated performance from a consistently good but usually-overlooked actor.
Doesn't Belong: N/A
Again, hard to fault any of the acting nominees.
Best Supporting Actress
Who Will Win: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
The Academy loves veteran actors making a late-career comeback. And she's definitely a good choice...
Who Should Win: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
...but not the best one. Steinfeld is in the wrong category. She was the lead actor of True Grit, moreso than even Jeff Bridges. But knowing that nothing could stop the Portman juggernaut, the film's producers submitted her for this category instead, citing the film as an ensemble piece. Anyone who has seen True Grit knows differently. She's in every scene, stealing the film out from under veteran actors 3 to 4 times older than her. And as such, she dominates over every other performance in this category. Though while Leo seems like a lock for this one (based on how previous awards have been going this season), Steinfeld does have a toe in the door. After all, the Academy are known for handing awards to pretty people who get all uglied up for a role.
 |
| Your move, Academy. |
Doesn't Belong: N/A
What else can I say? It's a good year for the acting categories.
Best Original Screenplay
Who Will Win: David Seidler, The King's Speech
Because America is in love with it, and the Academy abides.
Who Should Win: Christopher Nolan, Inception
He took a complex concept and multi-layered (in ways both figurative and literal) story and created something that a mass audience could follow without getting lost.
Doesn't Belong: Mike Leigh, Another Year
The final script was mostly transcribed improvisations done by the actors during rehearsal. This award is not for transcription.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Who Will Win: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
And rightfully so. It's an amazing script.
Who Should Win: Aaron Sorkin
No one expects otherwise.
Doesn't Belong: Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Mr. Franco, the Academy would once again like to apologize. In any other year you'd get the award, but Colin was just so damn good.
Best Cinematography
Who Will Win: Roger Deakins, True Grit
No one can make the old west seem as beautiful as Deakins can.
Who Should Win: Roger Deakins
He's a national treasure.
Doesn't Belong: Jeff Cronenweth, The Social Network
Don't get me wrong, the film looks fantastic. But that's because of Fincher, not Cronenweth. Fincher micromanages every aspect of his films, including cinematography. Cronenweth may have been physically behind the cameras, but he was just doing what his boss told him to do.
The Annual Pixar Award (also commonly known as the Best Animated Feature award)
Who Will Win: Toy Story 3
Here's a hint about how this category will turn out: of the 3 nominees, only one of them was deemed good enough to also be nominated for Best Picture.
Who Should Win: Toy Story 3
See above.
Doesn't Belong: N/A
Kinda hard for a film to not belong when the Academy only allows 3 nominees.
Best Documentary
Who Will Win: Exit Through the Gift Shop
The Academy loves pretentious, self-important art films, and this is as pretentious and self-important as they come. Plus, there are no holocaust documentaries on this list this year.
Who Should Win: Inside Job
Charles Ferguson's last film (No End in Sight) was robbed of the Oscar, and this one will be, too.
Doesn't Belong: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Because in all likelihood it's not actually a documentary, but an art piece created by Banksy.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Top 5: 80's Horror Movie Rock Songs
The rules for this list were simple:
1. The movie had to be from the 1980's.
2. Horror movie.
3. Rock song.
4. The song had to be written specifically for the movie's soundtrack, ideally referencing the movie's title or plot in the lyrics.
And wow, there were a LOT to choose from. Apologies to The Cramps' "Surfin' Dead" from Return of the Living Dead, which I would have included if I could find a streaming version of it anywhere. But I could not (at least not in the 30 seconds of energy I was willing to devote to the task).
5. Alice Cooper, "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)", from Friday the 13th, Part 6: Jason Lives
4. Dokken, "Dream Warriors", from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors
3. The Dickies, "Killer Klowns", from Killer Klowns From Outer Space
2. The Ramones, "Pet Sematary", from, you guessed it, Pet Sematary
1. AC/DC, "Who Made Who", from Maximum Overdrive
1. The movie had to be from the 1980's.
2. Horror movie.
3. Rock song.
4. The song had to be written specifically for the movie's soundtrack, ideally referencing the movie's title or plot in the lyrics.
And wow, there were a LOT to choose from. Apologies to The Cramps' "Surfin' Dead" from Return of the Living Dead, which I would have included if I could find a streaming version of it anywhere. But I could not (at least not in the 30 seconds of energy I was willing to devote to the task).
5. Alice Cooper, "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)", from Friday the 13th, Part 6: Jason Lives
 |
| Fun Fact: First film in the franchise to gross less than $20 million. |
4. Dokken, "Dream Warriors", from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors
 |
| Fun Fact: Patricia Arquette's film debut. |
3. The Dickies, "Killer Klowns", from Killer Klowns From Outer Space
 |
| Fun Fact: Anyone who had cable in the 80's hates clowns because of this film. |
2. The Ramones, "Pet Sematary", from, you guessed it, Pet Sematary
 |
| Fun Fact: This director's most recent credit is the Tiffany/Debbie Gibson vehicle Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. |
1. AC/DC, "Who Made Who", from Maximum Overdrive
 |
| Fun Fact: To date, the only film directed by Stephen King himself. |
Friday, January 14, 2011
Movie Awards: 2010 Edition
I will post a Top 5 list in the near future. For now here are some random awards I'd like to...well, award.
Best Movie I Was Led To Believe Was Terrible: Robin Hood
Sure, it's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it was entertaining and not a waste of my time. The film's biggest flaw is being called Robin Hood. Since it has almost nothing to do with the classic Robin Hood story, they could have just changed the character names and given it a generic middle ages title without altering the story one bit. Then maybe people wouldn't have been so disappointed.
Runner-Up: MacGruber
It stretches a single joke out for way too long, but it also has a stand-out comedic performance by Val Kilmer and enough clever one-liners to make the viewing experience worthwhile.
Biggest Letdown: Predators
I should never be bored by a film in the Predator franchise. Even AVP-R managed to hold my attention.
Runner-Up: Machete
I enjoy Lindsey Lohan's breasts as much as the next guy, but that's really all this movie has going for it.
Best Remake: Piranha 3D
Piranha 3D delivered on everything that Machete promised. Gore, boobs, humor and overqualified actors who are in on the joke. And the film was intentionally shot too bright, so the natural dimming caused by 3D glasses doesn't hurt the movie's visuals. This was just plain fun.
Runner-up: The Crazies
It may be sacrilege for me to say this, but George Romero's original film wasn't very good. Which makes it even more surprising that Breck Eisner (Michael's son and director of the dreadful Sahara) was able to make it into a really good thriller that holds up for 3/4 of its runtime (and really, horror/thrillers almost always fall apart at the end anyway).
Best Movie From 2009 That I Didn't See Until 2010: Moon
Sam Rockwell gives a powerhouse performance in this small sci-fi drama. Actually, he gives powerhouse performances, plural. And director Duncan Jones (David Bowie's son) make great use out of a limited budget and essentially one set.
Runner-up: Cargo
This Swiss sci-fi thriller was made for less than Moon, and the visual scope of it is simply astounding. It looks like a sixty million dollar movie, yet cost less than five. The story has its issues, but the film has a lot of really cool ideas, decent acting, and tense pacing.
Best Short Film: Sintel
Sintel is the latest short film from the Blender Foundation, a group which uses free open-source 3D animation software and a community of users to produce its CGI animated films. Sintel is their most ambitious project to date, and looks damn good for a movie made by a few thousand amateurs. But beyond the visuals, the story of Sintel is an emotionally devastating one, especially to anyone who has ever had a beloved pet.
Runner-up: Ollie Klublershturf vs. The Nazis
An amusing little short starring some familar faces and written by Lost's Damon Lindelof that centers around a nice family dinner which happens to feature espionage, Nazis, a boy genius, and some time travel. It's quite funny.
Best Movie I Was Led To Believe Was Terrible: Robin Hood
Sure, it's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it was entertaining and not a waste of my time. The film's biggest flaw is being called Robin Hood. Since it has almost nothing to do with the classic Robin Hood story, they could have just changed the character names and given it a generic middle ages title without altering the story one bit. Then maybe people wouldn't have been so disappointed.
Runner-Up: MacGruber
It stretches a single joke out for way too long, but it also has a stand-out comedic performance by Val Kilmer and enough clever one-liners to make the viewing experience worthwhile.
Biggest Letdown: Predators
I should never be bored by a film in the Predator franchise. Even AVP-R managed to hold my attention.
Runner-Up: Machete
I enjoy Lindsey Lohan's breasts as much as the next guy, but that's really all this movie has going for it.
 |
| Nice, but not enough to warrant a theatrical release. |
Best Remake: Piranha 3D
Piranha 3D delivered on everything that Machete promised. Gore, boobs, humor and overqualified actors who are in on the joke. And the film was intentionally shot too bright, so the natural dimming caused by 3D glasses doesn't hurt the movie's visuals. This was just plain fun.
Runner-up: The Crazies
It may be sacrilege for me to say this, but George Romero's original film wasn't very good. Which makes it even more surprising that Breck Eisner (Michael's son and director of the dreadful Sahara) was able to make it into a really good thriller that holds up for 3/4 of its runtime (and really, horror/thrillers almost always fall apart at the end anyway).
 | ||||||
| Also I have an obsession with Radha Mitchell. Even more than with Olivia Wilde. |
Best Movie From 2009 That I Didn't See Until 2010: Moon
Sam Rockwell gives a powerhouse performance in this small sci-fi drama. Actually, he gives powerhouse performances, plural. And director Duncan Jones (David Bowie's son) make great use out of a limited budget and essentially one set.
Runner-up: Cargo
This Swiss sci-fi thriller was made for less than Moon, and the visual scope of it is simply astounding. It looks like a sixty million dollar movie, yet cost less than five. The story has its issues, but the film has a lot of really cool ideas, decent acting, and tense pacing.
Best Short Film: Sintel
Sintel is the latest short film from the Blender Foundation, a group which uses free open-source 3D animation software and a community of users to produce its CGI animated films. Sintel is their most ambitious project to date, and looks damn good for a movie made by a few thousand amateurs. But beyond the visuals, the story of Sintel is an emotionally devastating one, especially to anyone who has ever had a beloved pet.
Runner-up: Ollie Klublershturf vs. The Nazis
An amusing little short starring some familar faces and written by Lost's Damon Lindelof that centers around a nice family dinner which happens to feature espionage, Nazis, a boy genius, and some time travel. It's quite funny.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
2010 Music Roundup
After spending roughly 10 hours on a bus last weekend listening to music, I've decided to do a music list instead of the usual movie stuff. That's all the introduction I'm giving.
My Favorite Songs of 2010
20. Goldfrapp, "Rocket"
A catchy 80's song that just happened to be released 30 years too late.
19. MC Chris, "IG-88's '57 Chevy"
A spiritual successor to Chris' most popular song to date ("Fette's Vette," which has shown up many times on TV and in movies), "IG-88" continues his trend of making catchy songs about Star Wars bounty hunters and their respective modes of personal transportation.
18. The Pipettes, "Call Me"
After swapping out 3 of the original 4 members of the band after their 60's-influenced debut album, the new Pipettes lineup is still just as retro-pop infectious as the old one.
17. The Pretty Reckless, "Just Tonight"
A shameless rock ballad from Gossip Girl actress Taylor Momsen's band is better than it has any right to be. I actually feel kinda bad for liking this.
16. Robyn, "Dancing On My Own"
In a perfect world, Robyn would be outselling Ke$ha and Katy Perry by leaps and bounds. I just don't understand other people.
15. OK Go, "This Too Shall Pass"
The video for this song garnered a lot of (well deserved) attention, but no one was ever really listening to the actual music. It's a good song that was overshadowed by its amazing video.
14. 8mm, "Los Angeles"
I heart 8mm. I heart them so much.
13. Metric, "Eclipse (All Yours)"
Hidden in the giant bucket of cinematic puke that was the 3rd Twilight movie was a surprisingly decent soundtrack, including the perpetually-awesome Metric doing the movie's title track.
12. Brandon Flowers, "Only The Young"
It's a good The Killers song, but without the rest of The Killers.
11. The Birthday Massacre, "Shallow Grave"
Even though I should have grown out of it by now, I still have a soft spot for catchy Goth pop.
10. Robyn, "Cry When You Get Older"
Robyn rules. End of discussion.
9. The Pretty Reckless, "Since You're Gone"
Again, this band shouldn't be as good as it is, but Momsen really knows how to conjure up some good old fashion white trash rock.
8. Duffy, "Well, Well, Well"
Her sophomore album was a giant letdown, but a few good tracks still snuck through. This was the best of them.
7. Jimmy Eat World, "My Best Theory"
When it comes to well-written pop-rock, Jimmy eats World still stands supreme.
6. How To Destroy Angels, "The Space In Between"
Trent Reznor's post-NIN project with Atticus Ross (who also co-created the kick-ass original score for The Social Network) and Mrs. Reznor didn't live up to expectations. In fact, it kinda sucked. But at least the lead track was still really good. And bonus points for a cool music video.
5. Hooverphonic, "The Night Before"
Their first single after splitting with their longtime singer Geike Arnaert in 2008. New vocalist Noémie Wolfs (the band's 4th) fills Arnaert's shoes nicely.
4. Shiny Toy Guns, "Major Tom"
I was hesitant to include a cover song, but they just do such a good job with Peter Schilling's 80's hit that I couldn't help myself. This showed up in a bunch of commercials for Lincoln, who sponsored the song's "official" live music video.
3. Killola, "Cracks In The Armor"
Killola is the balls.
2. 8mm, "Deep Blue You"
They are just so damn good. Plus I'm a sucker for foxy singers with sultry voices.
1. Metric, "Black Sheep"
Metric was all about dominating soundtracks this year. This one comes from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. And it kicks all of the ass. All of it. (In the film, a slightly reworked version of the song is performed with vocals rerecorded by actress Brie Larson. Larson's not bad, but she's no Emily Haines.)
Honorable Mention:
Riki Lindhome, "Places to Rest"
The blond half of musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates, Lindhome generally gets overshadowed by the 1000-watt adorableness of her partner Kate Micucci. But in reality Lindhome has the better voice. And she's cuter. Her solo work is some low-key greatness, like this simple-but-sad little number.
My Favorite Songs of 2010
20. Goldfrapp, "Rocket"
A catchy 80's song that just happened to be released 30 years too late.
19. MC Chris, "IG-88's '57 Chevy"
A spiritual successor to Chris' most popular song to date ("Fette's Vette," which has shown up many times on TV and in movies), "IG-88" continues his trend of making catchy songs about Star Wars bounty hunters and their respective modes of personal transportation.
18. The Pipettes, "Call Me"
After swapping out 3 of the original 4 members of the band after their 60's-influenced debut album, the new Pipettes lineup is still just as retro-pop infectious as the old one.
17. The Pretty Reckless, "Just Tonight"
A shameless rock ballad from Gossip Girl actress Taylor Momsen's band is better than it has any right to be. I actually feel kinda bad for liking this.
16. Robyn, "Dancing On My Own"
In a perfect world, Robyn would be outselling Ke$ha and Katy Perry by leaps and bounds. I just don't understand other people.
 |
| Well, maybe I do kinda understand. |
The video for this song garnered a lot of (well deserved) attention, but no one was ever really listening to the actual music. It's a good song that was overshadowed by its amazing video.
14. 8mm, "Los Angeles"
I heart 8mm. I heart them so much.
13. Metric, "Eclipse (All Yours)"
Hidden in the giant bucket of cinematic puke that was the 3rd Twilight movie was a surprisingly decent soundtrack, including the perpetually-awesome Metric doing the movie's title track.
12. Brandon Flowers, "Only The Young"
It's a good The Killers song, but without the rest of The Killers.
11. The Birthday Massacre, "Shallow Grave"
Even though I should have grown out of it by now, I still have a soft spot for catchy Goth pop.
10. Robyn, "Cry When You Get Older"
Robyn rules. End of discussion.
9. The Pretty Reckless, "Since You're Gone"
Again, this band shouldn't be as good as it is, but Momsen really knows how to conjure up some good old fashion white trash rock.
8. Duffy, "Well, Well, Well"
Her sophomore album was a giant letdown, but a few good tracks still snuck through. This was the best of them.
7. Jimmy Eat World, "My Best Theory"
When it comes to well-written pop-rock, Jimmy eats World still stands supreme.
6. How To Destroy Angels, "The Space In Between"
Trent Reznor's post-NIN project with Atticus Ross (who also co-created the kick-ass original score for The Social Network) and Mrs. Reznor didn't live up to expectations. In fact, it kinda sucked. But at least the lead track was still really good. And bonus points for a cool music video.
 |
| OK Trent, we get it, you have a hot wife. Will you please bring back NIN now? |
Their first single after splitting with their longtime singer Geike Arnaert in 2008. New vocalist Noémie Wolfs (the band's 4th) fills Arnaert's shoes nicely.
4. Shiny Toy Guns, "Major Tom"
I was hesitant to include a cover song, but they just do such a good job with Peter Schilling's 80's hit that I couldn't help myself. This showed up in a bunch of commercials for Lincoln, who sponsored the song's "official" live music video.
3. Killola, "Cracks In The Armor"
Killola is the balls.
2. 8mm, "Deep Blue You"
They are just so damn good. Plus I'm a sucker for foxy singers with sultry voices.
 |
| But really, who isn't? |
Metric was all about dominating soundtracks this year. This one comes from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. And it kicks all of the ass. All of it. (In the film, a slightly reworked version of the song is performed with vocals rerecorded by actress Brie Larson. Larson's not bad, but she's no Emily Haines.)
Honorable Mention:
 |
| Hey Riki, you're so fine. |
The blond half of musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates, Lindhome generally gets overshadowed by the 1000-watt adorableness of her partner Kate Micucci. But in reality Lindhome has the better voice. And she's cuter. Her solo work is some low-key greatness, like this simple-but-sad little number.
 |
| Did I say 1000-watt? I meant 1000000000000-watt. |
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