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19
Apr
2010

Comedy Club Metal – Johnny Dick Project & Zero Split!

Friday April 16th 2010
10:30pm – Jokers Comedy Club on Spring Garden Rd.

Review – Isaac Thompson
Photos/Video – Tiffany Naugler

Jokers Comedy Club on Spring Garden has decided that folk might appreciate their laughs spiked with a little hard rock and heavy metal, so on Friday April 16th , Halifax was treated to Jay Malone (Nova Scotia’s comedy champ) followed by the double-barrelled-buckshot-stylings of Johnny Dick Project and Zero Split.

Now, since we were only asked to cover the music portion of the night, Tiffany and I didn’t catch Mr. Malone’s act. I did, however, hear first-hand accounts of people laughing until their asses fell off (which no doubt will result in some lengthy and painful reconstruction surgery).

Johnny Dick Project was the first band of the night to be unleashed and those of you familiar with the Halifax rock scene may recognize JDP’s lead singer Heather Doran from the band Halcyon. She is a magnetic front-woman with a low, raspy voice forged by the gods of 90s rock. The music backing Doran is an eclectic mix of blues, grunge and heavy metal. Heather’s deep soulful vocals are backed up by the two guitar players (Rick Ferris and John Macdougal) who provide straight ahead rock harmonies and guttural speed metal screams. The strange vocal mix works best during the climactic peaks of their heavier tunes.

Drummer Ian Kean was able to switch from a typical rock 4/4 timing to a speed-metal, double-bass pitter-patter quite nicely. Bass player Kirk Shane was a blast to watch, dancing around the stage in an energetic seizure-hop that was comparable to the universal “I have to pee really badly” dance. I liked his enthusiasm. I always enjoy rock shows more when the band members lose themselves in the songs with a total lack of self-consciousness. That sort of euphoria is as contagious as a yawn (or the clap).

VIDEO:

After a short breather, Zero Split was released from their cage like the mighty Rancor. You Star Wars fans may remember that the Rancor is described as “a walking collection of fangs and claws, with no thought other than to kill and eat.”, which is as pretty good description of Zero Split as well.

I’ve seen Zero Split a ton of times back when they were known as Janus and I’ve always enjoyed their music. It was great to see these guys back in action. Their songs reference some of the best bands heavy metal has to offer. I hear everything from Tool and the Deftones to Pantera and Slayer in their music. They aren’t afraid to switch up styles within any given song giving them an epic feel you don’t find often in local clubs.

Zero Split’s vocalist, who goes by the handle of Hemo, is fantastic. I was in total awe of his elastic vocal abilities. His voice can come off as soaring and beautiful, almost classical sounding, and at other times he’s screaming like a werewolf baying at the moon. Hemo is an extremely fun front-man to watch. His onstage persona is trance-like. He meditatively slithers around as he delivers one seemingly effortless mind-blowing vocal line after another.

VIDEO:

It was a short night of rock & roll but it got the job done. Both bands had a lot to offer and were great examples of how diverse the Halifax music scene is. Like I said, euphoria is contagious and it’s good to know there are so many bands in town eager to spread the disease.

_____________________

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Shoot us a message!
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Tags: halifax, isaac thompson, Johnny Dick Project, Jokers, live music, noisography, tiffany naugler, Zero Split
Posted in Music, Photography, Reviews, Video

18
Apr
2010

Colossal Update!

3 Comments

an excuse to put my ugly mug at the top of the site by Jason Wilson

Well hello there. The last couple months have seen what some might have expected to be the end of Unfiltered Smoke. This is not exactly the case. Isaac and myself have not at all lost interest but as in with other endeavours life has gotten in the way. I don’t think I need to get into the particulars but we have been working on finishing up our novel we have been writing for over a year together, which has become first priority.

Second, we stopped getting submissions. I do have another photo series from Nick Lamont and that will go up tomorrow or even later tonight but other than that it all stopped at once. Now I’m not blaming anyone, what I expect was that people saw the site was no longer active and thus decided it wouldn’t be in their best interest to submit. We are always open to submissions even if (or perhaps especially) if we appear MIA.

I could have likely updated the site daily or at least regularly with my own pontifications on the world of art but the idea that brought this site to fruition to begin with was that it would be a collective. If it’s only myself or Isaac and I, then it’s nothing more than another blog. While we have blog-like elements I like to think we draw from a slew of media that elevate it above the typical diary-like writings of so many blogs out there. Of course it is so difficult to classify as Deadspin is a sports blog but brings in actual news stories and is more of a comedy routine in most of the posts. It’s opinion based but not in a rambling manner.

At any rate, the internet is a tough nut to crack and yet I still believe we can make this site a success. I’m not talking in financial terms because I certainly am not making money. But I believe we can successfully promote the arts, be it music, writing, drawing, painting, photography or ideas in general. This update has been a long time coming and should have happened before the turn of April.

Brief Criterion Conquest:

Amarcord (1974)
Directed by Federico Fellini

A comedy…in fascist Italy? Well that’s basically what Amarcord is, or it’s at least a very whimsical depiction of what life in Italy during WW2 might have been like. It was loosely based on Fellini’s own experiences as a youngster and shows how adolescence and sexual awakening is difficult in any country. That sort of development doesn’t simply stop because a war is on or someone happens to be brought up on the opposing side. He brought a decidedly human perspective to the fascist reign of Mussolini.

It’s like a carnival and features many dream sequences that further the idea that many people of the time may have ignored that the war was going on or recognized it but tried to distance it by going on with their lives. Otherwise, what could you do? Of course, there are moments of weight that include an interrogation of the main boy’s father who is suspected of working against the government. This corresponds with a political rally where characters you’ve grown fond of show their undying support for Mussolini who history has proven was one of the worst tyrants imaginable…or at least that’s what the history books tell us. Perhaps for these people at least in Italy it wasn’t so bad. The film allows the viewer to imagine a different perspective or an alternate view of the war. It doesn’t mean you have to all of a sudden pump your fist in support of Mussolini, far from it. I’m rambling…it’s been a couple months since I actually watched it. Either way it is a fantastic film that everyone should give a watch. Then you’ll know what I mean…or you’ll think I’m insane or way off base with my interpretation. Such is the folly of criticism.

Army of Shadows (1969)
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville

On an opposite, perhaps more traditional take on the Second World War, Melville’s dark and depressing tale of underground rebels fighting against the Nazi’s is possibly one of my now favourite movies set in war times. It doesn’t rely on a ton of bells and whistles and instead focuses entirely on the quiet nature before and after violence. The choice these people had was to fight back through espionage or die in camps. Unfortunately, betrayal was not as uncommon as the resistance hoped for as some members saw an opportunity to help their family by providing information.

Guilt, paranoia, desperation and desire to be free are all powerful themes and when mixed together the way Melville does here is incredible. I’ve seen his film Le Samourai and was blown away, especially when I found out it was a huge influence on Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog.

I skipped down the list by a long shot and I figure any time I add another it will not be in chronological order. Just saying.

So yes, we will have periodic updates that are certainly more regular than they have been the last little while. Please send new submissions if you like, we will put them up. Thank you for your readership!

Tags: Amarcord, army of shadows, critirion, jason wilson, update, we're back!
Posted in Reviews, Site News

07
Mar
2010

Kestrels, Ocean Towers, Baketones & The Voice of Russia – Gus’ Pub March 5th 2010

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a collaborative article from Unfiltered Smoke and Noisography (formerly Post-Rock Love Affair)

Review – Isaac Thompson (Guest writing for Noisography.com)
Video – Daniel Nightingale & Tiffany Naugler
Photos – Tiffany Naugler

Halifax has always been home to a diverse group of musicians. In this city there are artists of all types delivering tunes in any style you please. The show I attended last night (March 5th 2010) at Gus’ pub was indicative of just that. The four bands that played (the Voice of Russia, the Baketones, Ocean Towers and Kestrels) all sounded completely different from each other, but it wasn’t awkward or disjointed it really gave the night a well rounded, eclectic feel.

Kestrels!
http://www.myspace.com/kestrelskestrels
Ocean Towers!
http://www.myspace.com/oceantowers
Voice of Russia!
http://www.myspace.com/thevoiceofrussia
Baketones!
http://www.myspace.com/thebaketones

The night opened with the debut of Voice of Russia. The first thing I noticed about them, besides their massively complicated looking setup of effects pedals, was how much stage presence they had for a new band. The Voice of Russia owned the stage during their set, especially when their songs would build to fever pitch climaxes. Their sound took me by surprise too. The songs were ethereal sounding yet very danceable. They made good use of trippy delay effects on the vocals, giving their sound an unearthly quality that was unlike anything I’ve ever heard preformed at Gus’ Pub. I look forward to hearing more from these guys.

Next up were the Baketones who barrelled through a set of down and dirty rock and roll. They were by far the showiest band of the night and their set was nothing short of electric. Their first song, an explosive cover of the Yardbird’s “Train Kept A-Rollin”, was a perfect introduction to what followed. Their sound was like a cross between the Who, the Mc5 and a package of firecrackers.

The Baketones’ keyboard player, Rob Corrigan, blew me away. He strutted onstage dressed in coveralls with an old plastic keyboard strapped to him like a guitar. The Energy on the stage was unbelievable, especially for so early in the night, and Mr. Corrigan performed like a man possessed. During their last song, Rob began bashing his keyboard with his fists, sending keys and various bits of plastic flying in the air. Not content with merely disabling the keyboard, he flung it off the stage and it landed in the middle of the dance floor. Its impact sent plastic debris in all directions like a Fisher Price hand grenade. While the band pounded out the last sustained chords of the song one of the waiters approached Rob with what I thought was a broom, turns out it was a baseball bat. Rob used the bat to bash the ever-loving shit out what was left of his keyboard and then handed the bat off to audience members to finish the job. It was really, really badass.

After a bit of a delay due to a busted amp we were treated to Ocean Towers, who again sent the night in totally different direction. Ocean Towers were pure unabashed stoner rock and I loved them for it. They slowed it way down and cranked it way up delivering Sabbath style grooves you could get lost in for hours. It was a nice departure. Their songs barrelled along like a road trip in the desert. The band was tight and played well off of each other. Their set came at just the right point in the night for me. It was nice to take a breather after seeing the destructive bombast of the previous band.

The last band of the night was Kestrels. They brought a 90s shoe gazer style to the proceedings. Their music managed to be both laid-back and energetic. They had sweet pop melodies lurking beneath a wall of effects laden guitar in the vein of My Bloody Valentine. The song writing in Kestrels was solid, they had some really nice hooks and they played their set with spitfire jubilance. Kestrel’s set was short and sweet, nicely capping of one of the most musically diverse evenings at the pub I’ve ever experienced.

Tags: baketones, halifax, isaac thompson, kestrels, local music., ocean towers, the voice of russia, tiffany naugler
Posted in Music, Photography, Reviews, Video

16
Feb
2010

The Great Sabatini

2 Comments

a collaborative article from Unfiltered Smoke and Post-Rock Love Affair

Preface by Isaac Thompson:

In the interest of expanding horizons and becoming major-league ass-kickers, we’ve decided to try something new. We’ve teamed up with Tiffany Naugler and Daniel Nightingale from the incendiary music blog Post-Rock Love Affair to document The Great Sabatini as they touch down in Halifax, N.S. on their east coast tour in support of their newest record: Sad Parade Of Yesterdays.

we met up with Steve (drums, vocals) and Sean (guitar, vocals) Sabatini before the show and they were kind enough to let me interview them. Tiffany recorded the conversation and it’s posted below.

They were really cool chaps, even after I retardedly flubbed their band name during the interview ( I referred to them as “the Great Santini”, which is not a kick ass metal band from Montreal but rather a Robert Duvall movie. That’s pretty dumb of me I know, but I will say this: if Robert Duvall did have a metal band, they would be best damn metal band in town!). The Great Sabatini, however, are a most excellent metal band from Montreal and their new record completely owns.

Sad Parade Of Yesterdays is a massive slab of heavy grooves and ear-blasting energy. The record sounds crisp and polished while maintaining an unhinged rawness. It contains some startling combinations of styles. The heavy metal barrage often gives way to trippy explorations and moments of beauty. There is a running monologue throughout the record containing some really interesting snippets about man, nature and machines. The record also boasts some very creative song titles (my personal favourite being Rosemary’s Abortion).

What follows is taken from post-rockloveaffair.blogspot.com

many thanks to Tiff, Dan, The Great Sabatini and Robert Duvall.

post-rock love affair:

As mentioned in our last post, PRLoveAffair worked with Isaac Thompson, from Unfiltered Smoke, to bring you an exclusive interview with the guys from The Great Sabatini.
We met outside of Gus’ Pub, in the cold, and had a little chit chat while the opening bands set up and did some sound checking…

After the interview, we all piled into Gus’ for one of the loudest and most energtic shows I have seen at that bar for a LONG time!

The night opened up with Cicada, from Halifax. They certainly had an interesting setup, with a hand drum and a pretty full looking drum set (I counted at least 5 cymbals and 3 toms, if not more), plus guitar and bass. They were definitely of the modern metal variety, and the first half of their set did sound a little generic – over technical, as some bands are prone to – too many scales and textbook drum patterns with a lack of melody.

But the second half of the set actually improved, with the band at one point actually pulling out something that sounded like a standard chord progression from an AC/DC song. A good contrast before plunging back into heavier territory. All 3 members at the front of the stage provided vocals of varying styles, which was nice to hear after too many one note, one scream lead vocalists. Over all the crowd dug them and they put on an energetic set.

Video:

Next up was Fistfight, another Halifax staple. These guys have been around for a while and really know there stuff. They clearly came from the same territory as Cicada, but they were able to stretch the sound a little further – the riffs were clearer and catchier, with more defined chords and melodies. Their lead singer really worked the crowd (and the growing mosh pit) and had a really wide range of vocal technique – sometimes deep, deep growls, and sometimes higher pitched screams that really worked well adding texture to the music. Clearly the vocals are not just an after thought to the music.

Their sound was definitely unique and it was a good to hear a heavy band with their own identity, instead of a copy of copy. Over all the progression of bands made sense, as Fist Fight pumped up the crowd for the Great Sabatini, who would prove to take the typical metal sound and expand it even further.

Video:

After another short change over (metal bands never seem to be able to share gear), Montreal’s The Great Sabatini took the stage. The crowd was still pretty pumped up from the previous bands, and the Great Sabatini didn’t let the energy down. Once again the band started from a very much standard metal origin, but branched out even further. The music had a good range of tempos, starting from stoner/doom slow to a good Iron Maiden/Metallica speed, which is pretty much the top range for me for metal. The breakdowns and song structures clearly showed that these guys had a huge range of influences, from Tool to Neurosis – heavy, thrashy metal riffs with deep screams would transition to ethereal, washing post-rock guitars; dissonant distortion blast beats would switch up into chunky rock beats, and there was even the tiniest hint of dub and progressive rock floating around.

Once again multiple members handled vocals with a pretty decent range – not as far as Fist Fights singers but everything worked. Only screaming with no singing might seem to work against a band who incorporate metal with rock and experimental components, but in this case it worked – heavy riffs warranted heavy vocals, and spacier breakdowns held their own thanks to tight instrumental work from two guitars and bass.

Over all all three bands kept the crowd majorly riled up: there were at least 3 stage dives – with at least one ending up face first on the floor, oops – and one or two crowd surfs, and no one went home disappointed. The Great Sabatini continue on with shows in Trenton, Moncton, and PEI.

Video:

Check out all the bands on MySpace:
The Great Sabatini – http://www.myspace.com/thegreatsabatini
Fistfight – http://www.myspace.com/fistfight666
Cicada - http://www.myspace.com/cicadacorps

_____________________

Interview – Isaac Thompson
Video – Tiffany Naugler
Video Edits - Daniel Nightingale
Photos – Tiffany Naugler
Show Review – Daniel Nightingale

Posted in Music, Photography, Reviews, Video

07
Feb
2010

Criterion Conquest: The Lady Vanishes

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by Jason Wilson

The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder
Based on the story “The Wheel Spins” by Ethel Lina White
Starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas, Dame May Whitty, Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford.

If anyone becomes a film buff, or even casual enthusiast of cinema, it is impossible to ignore Alfred Hitchcock. It is easy, however, to look past much of his work because of titles like Psycho, Rear Window, North by Northwest, The Birds and Vertigo. Those five films were the ones I immediately thought of when I heard his name. They are linked to his icon’s stature and some of his earlier films, particularly those he made in England before emigrating to the United States, get lost in the shuffle.

Obviously, film historians have plowed through his earlier work but not everyone has the time, resources or gumption to do that. Luckily, Criterion has made a few of his less mainstream films available, though some are now out of print. The Lady Vanishes was actually re-released in a two-disc set a couple years ago and is still readily available now. It seems that out of the gate, Criterion was more interested in the movie as a stand-alone and neglected the special features until re-releases down the road. Seven Samurai got the upgrade and a nearly bare-bones edition of The Lady Vanishes did as well.

The following review will contain some spoilers, so read on with caution.

The opening sequence in the film introduces two lads named Caldicott and Charters. They are proper, slightly snooty and massive cricket fans. Ostensibly, they seem to be the protagonists of the film, only their shenanigans serve as a light introduction to their surroundings. They are holed up in a hotel waiting, along with all the other patrons, for a delayed train to London. Caldicott and Charters pop up now and again and serve mostly as a bumbling comic relief, though the movie is never all that bleak to begin with. There is an air of whimsy about it perpetuated largely by leading man Michael Redgrave.

Redgrave (father of actresses Vanessa and Lynn) plays Gilbert, a musicologist full of smarm and wit. He is handsome but his charms are less defined than his snide and selfish attitude. For the early scenes, Gilbert is more of a pest than either a protagonist or antagonist, though it is obvious from the first scene he shares with Margaret Lockwood’s Iris that he will be her knight in shining armour by the end of it. Maybe it wasn’t so predictable at the time of release, but 70 years later plot conventions have a tendency to be repetitive so even though it is a precursor to many similar films, I saw it later. This is not a complaint. I’d rather twists occur naturally instead of being forced (M. Night Shyamalan since Signs for instance) and at least Gilbert’s ascension to protector and co-conspirator comes across as organic and believable. To have it happen any other way would not have made sense.

Which brings us to Iris. Iris complains about music being too loud in the room above her at the hotel and Gilbert gets kicked out of his room only to forcibly shack up in her room when he figures out who ratted on him. She relents under pressure and he gets his room back. She, naturally, hates him and his boorish behaviour. The next day, awaiting the train, Iris takes a potted plant off the noggin. It was pushed from a window above her by an unknown person. Iris befriends an old lady by the name of Miss Froy who helps her to her spot on the train. They converse, have tea and Iris has a nap. She awakes to discover Miss Froy is gone and no one in her carriage or on the rest of the train seems to have any knowledge of the older lady. Did the plant cause her to hallucinate or is there a conspiracy afoot?

Obviously it’s a conspiracy. Hitchcock plays with the possibility that she may have dreamed it all and that Iris is in fact concussed but the clues slowly mount until the players are in place and the audience knows who is on which side. And here comes a spoiler! The doctor, whom Gilbert and Iris had confided in (you can always trust a doctor!) is the primary conspirator on the train who abducted Miss Froy. He is accompanied by a woman dressed as a nun. This is the point of contention I have with the film along with the fact that Miss Froy was a spy…well who suspects the elderly, I guess. The nun, on a dime, turns on the doctor and other cohorts to help Gilbert and Iris save Miss Froy (this is still before the climax of the film). Her motivation seems to be that she didn’t sign on to be an accomplice to murder. It seems too convenient and more of a plot contrivance than a true development of character. While the relationship between Gilbert and Iris develops organically, the nun is barely more than a cardboard cutout.

Then again, the specifics about why Miss Froy was captured, what the doctor wants, the political motivations, are all intentionally vague, glossed over or left out altogether. The why is unimportant as Iris herself is mostly ignorant to the reasons but is simply trying to save her new friend regardless of the situation. So the audience is left in the dark much like the protagonist and is left to enjoy the banter and tension without thinking too hard. It’s a fluffy film with a darker subtext of political oppression. The Lady Vanishes is an enjoyable effort but lacks the gravitas and intensity that made Hitchcock’s later work so powerful and impressive. It’s still worth a watch because it is very entertaining and has some amusing characters, though others are underused and just there (though the judge avoiding public scorn is punished for his cowardice, so he does have purpose).

Among the special features is a featurette narrated by Hitchcock scholar Leonard Leff. He goes in depth about the making of the film and the distinction of calling Hitchcock a thrill maker. Hitchcock apparently was seldom regarded as an artist in those days and received little funding or respect despite his films being financially successful. Leff provides some fascinating information, but his delivery is fairly bland.

He says the movie was filmed almost entirely on a 90-foot set acting as the train. Hitchcock used the same carriage chambers over and over again and otherwise used miniatures and models for outside shots, especially noticeable in the opening sequence at the hotel.

Leff also acknowledges much of what I considered shortcomings and while knowing a lot of the misinformation or lack of information entirely was on purpose, it doesn’t exactly improve my thoughts on those aspects. While Hitchcock might not have wanted to dwell on the minutia of the details, I would have liked to have known why these people were thrust into such a dire string of events. The Lady Vanishes is still exceptionally entertaining and if you enjoy Caldicott and Charters, you are treated to a feature length movie with them at the center called Crook’s Tour. It had never been released on home video until the Criterion two-disc of the Lady Vanishes.

Rounding it out is a commentary track from film historian Bruce Eder, a couple new essays and excerpts from a radio interview between Hitchcock and filmmaker Francois Truffaut (whose 400 Blows is coming up soon in the Criterion Conquest!).

I encourage you to check out The Lady Vanishes unless you hate old films for some irrational reason. “Eww, black and white!” Otherwise it’s worth a glance just to see Hitchcock in action years before his biggest films cemented him as the icon of suspense he is to this day.

Next up on the Criterion Conquest: Federico Fellini’s Amarcord

Tags: alfred hitchcock, criterion, criterion collection, criterion conquest, entertainment, film, filmmaking, jason wilson, lady vanishes, movies
Posted in Reviews

26
Jan
2010

Criterion Conquest: Seven Samurai

1 Comment

by Jason Wilson

Seven Samurai (1954)
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni
Starring Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba, Daisuke Kato, Minoru Chiaki, Isao Kimura, Seiji Miyaguchi and Toshiro Mifune.

It took me a long time to fully immerse myself in foreign films. I was all about the Hollywood system and watched the Oscars every year like a good little boy and accepted that they were pretty much spot on (though I never agreed with Dances With Wolves over Goodfellas or Titanic over L.A. Confidential). I can’t say for sure but I don’t think it was until university where I decided to dabble with foreign language films. High school was my discovery phase of film in general. I started with the newer stuff and slowly took in the Godfather films and older Spielberg stuff like Jaws and even some Kubrick and Hitchcock.

*A quick note: Access was always a problem. I lived in rural New Brunswick and foreign films weren’t at the ready until the last couple years. Even now classic foreign movies like anything by Kurosawa are hard to come by in my hometown.*

After a couple film classes here and there, my appreciation for global cinema started to breathe. I had started watching old Westerns by Sergio Leone like Fistful of Dollars and learned it was based on Yojimbo, another Kurosawa movie. Through my reading I came to learn The Magnificent Seven was not an original story but one based on Seven Samurai. Luckily, living in Fredericton, I was able to find a rental copy and it blew me away.

Cut to several years later and I’ve seen a fair chunk of Kurosawa’s filmography but had yet to revisit the one that got me started. I’m an obsessive and tend to re-watch movies multiple times, especially the ones I love and even some I hate (I’ve seen Daredevil three times). I figured I could definitely stand to watch Seven Samurai again.

It’s a sprawling epic that embarrasses pretty much any of its kind released today. It’s a deep character study with intensity and wild action and swordplay. It’s three and a half hours long but the time is used economically and not a minute is wasted. Each of the seven ronin are fully developed and maintain their own identity, none of them are one-dimensional characters and none are used as mere window dressing. Even the supposed secondary characters like the farmers they are hired to protect are presented with depth and dignity unseen in many epics of today (I will give credit to Braveheart in this regard though, Gibson and company had a colourful cast of people in that flick).

The story in a nutshell is a group of bandits are discovered to be plotting a raid on a village of farmers once their barley harvest is ready. The farmers decide, at the behest of an elder, to hire samurai to protect the village. Kanbei (played by the fantastic Takashi Shimura) is the first one recruited. He’s an aging samurai without a master expecting to live out the rest of his days as a vagabond. Out of a sense of duty to morality he takes on the farmer’s cause even though he knows he may die and they cannot pay him. He slowly recruits others and the seven of them journey to the village to prepare for the onslaught.

It follows a formula of the lone wolf hero (multiplied by seven) or gun for hire but focuses on the human elements of the story. But it’s not treated as above the action. Instead the characters, the story, the action and the themes are all treated as equal and thus the film is one of the most well rounded and thoughtful action films ever committed to film. Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune) could easily be considered the comic relief but in the same breath he could be considered the most tragic character among the samurai. His past his slowly revealed as the movie progresses; there are hints and guesses by other characters until he has two specific breaking points where he reveals his lineage and history.

It’s incredible because in many stories like this a love story will seem completely out of place but Kurosawa even gets that right. The farmers don’t trust the samurai even though they rely on them for their salvation. The farmers force their daughters to cut their hair and dress like boys so they will not fall into the romantic trap of the village protectors. Of course this has to be visited again later on and it addresses the disparity between social classes and the idea that love between two people regardless of their status is a beautiful thing. Kurosawa and his co-writers Hashimoto and Oguni put together a complex yet simple to understand story that works on every aspect of humanity. It lives up to the hype because it takes itself seriously with a sense of whimsy.

The three-disc edition released by the Criterion Collection is one of the best DVDs ever released. While the special features may seem minimal despite the three discs, it makes up for it with the quality of each. There are two feature-length commentaries (neither of which I was able to listen to…I must purchase this DVD). One by five film scholars and the other by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck.

There are two 50-minute documentaries; one on the making of the film itself and another on the impact of samurai cinema and traditions and how Kurosawa was influenced. There’s also a two-hour long interview with Kurosawa himself from 1993 (he died in 1998) with filmmaker Nagisa Oshima covering most of the films of his career and his early life as well. If you purchase the DVD you’ll also get a booklet of essays on the film. By the end you’ll know all you need to know so you can brag to all your friends about your expertise on the samurai genre. The Seven Samurai set provides an intimate look at Kurosawa and what many consider his masterpiece (take imdb with a grain of salt but this film rests at #15 on their top 250 of all time).

It’s a humanistic movie with amazing action and intensity. It doesn’t feel like its runtime, if anything it feels like it should be longer. That’s not to say Kurosawa left anything out, he didn’t, but by the end the audience is so attached to the goings on that more of the story would be welcome. Instead we can revisit it over and over again. I gladly will…if for no other reason than I should see it more times than I’ve seen Daredevil.

Next on the Criterion Conquest: Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes

Tags: akira kurosawa, commentary, criterion, criterion collection, daredevil, dvd, foreign language film, high school, japanese film, jason wilson, samurai, seven samurai, special features, subtitles, toshiro mifune
Posted in Essays, Reviews

20
Jan
2010

Criterion Conquest: Grand Illusion

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by Jason Wilson

The Criterion Collection is a company based in the United States that became popularized during the brief laserdisc movement in the 1990s. It introduced the concept of commentary tracks and have generally released the best available versions of films on DVD. It researches the films and put together a plethora of special features for each release. In some cases (like Orson Welles’ Mr. Arkadin), Criterion digs deep and produces a version of a film that had never been available prior to the special release.

Since moving to DVD, Criterion has released nearly 500 titles and it is my goal to watch them all in order and review them all here. There are some limitations as films like Hard Boiled, The Killer, Sid & Nancy, This is Spinal Tap, The Silence of the Lambs, Robocop and maybe a few others are out of print and not available at the local video rental emporium. So in lieu of watching whatever edition is available, I will simply skip it and move on to the next. They are organized numerically by a spine number next to the logo on (you guessed it) the spine of the DVD case.

Is it lame? Maybe. Geeky? Definitely. Fun? You know it.

Grand Illusion (1937)

Directed by Jean Renoir
Starring Jean Gabin, Dita Parlo, Pierre Fresnay and Erich von Stroheim.
Written by Jean Renoir and Charles Spaak

Grand Illusion was released in 1937 as a portrait of mankind during the years leading up to the Second World War. It was directly anti-war without being derogatory to any race or culture. The point was to show that the invisible borders separating countries were pointless and the differences between mankind were skin deep. Sadly it didn’t exactly effect the next war from beginning — though it was considered a dangerous movie by the Third Reich. The original prints were believed to be lost during German’s occupation of France in the early 40s. Luckily in 1958, the prints were re-discovered uncut and it was again available to be seen by the public.

The Criterion Collection chose Grand Illusion as its first release in large part to its cultural significance. Orson Welles once declared it as his desert island movie; the one film he would save if he had to choose. The company secured the rights and through digital technology was able to restore the visuals and audio to pristine condition. There is a special feature included showing the differences between the film print and the eventual digital transfer.The movie was over 60 years old when it received its DVD release on Criterion. To think all the crackles and blemishes could be removed to make a transfer this crisp is astounding.

Jean Renoir, the director of Grand Illusion, was a pilot in World War One and he draws on his own personal experiences for the creation of the film. Two men, Marechal and Boeldieu are shot down in German territory and are taken prisoner. They are taken to a prisoner camp where they meet with fellow members of the French army. While before the war, these men would never have conversed due to the disparity in social status, these men form their own bonds and work toward the common goal of escape. The class structure is broached as subtly as the prejudices between culture and country. These petty stereotypes and segregations, found not only in war but in everyday society, are man made and a result of greed and lust for power.

There is a sequence where the French prisoners receive a shipment of costumes so they can put on a show, and at least for a couple hours they can escape their imprisonment. It may be fleeting but it is a glimpse of life before the war. Some of the German soldiers attend and for a moment it is a sign of connection, where no man is bound by their allegiances in the war. This lasts until news arrives that France was able to take back one of its townships that had been taken by the German army. The French prisoners immediately sing the French National Anthem and once again bringing everyone back into the reality of the moment.

The play sequence isn’t all cheerful. As they joke and prepare with their costumes, one of the soldiers comes in dressed as a woman. Everyone stops the laughing and joking and all look at him longingly and even saddened. Without words, they communicate their solemnity about missing their loved ones, wives, girlfriends and even children. Freedom seems like it will never return and this is their present as well as their future.

Marechal and Boeldieu are transferred to a different camp, a fortress under the watchful eye of Captain von Rauffenstein (played by Erich von Stroheim – also in Sunset Blvd.). The Captain and Boeldieu know one another from before the war. Both were aristocrats and both became soldiers. The two of them have several moments discussing the gore of war and pointlessness of it all but concede to being powerless to stop it. They follow their orders and hope to be on the winning side and that peace may follow.

“Nothing grows here but ivy and nettles,” the Captain says when Boeldieu compliments him on the one flower he has. The land is barren. It’s a warning that escape would be suicide. It also serves as a melancholy reminder of the marching feet on the fields of war killing the land underneath.

The ensuing escape attempt and the moments between the Captain and Boeldieu are both exciting and deeply thoughtful. Like the rest of the film, it’s all about how the invisible boundaries and prejudices are exactly that; invisible. War is a pointless exercise that does not represent valor or courage but greed and pettiness. It comes as no surprise that Goebbels thought of the movie as a danger to the war effort.

On the disc, the special features are not exactly plentiful but they do offer some added contextual information that is fascinating and worth checking out. There is an audio commentary by essayist Peter Cowie, archival radio recordings from the late 30s when Grand Illusion received Best Foreign Film from the New York Film Critics and several essays on Renoir, the meaning of the name of the film and more. There is also a great video introduction from Renoir himself about the making of the film, his own experiences at war and the people who worked on the film .

The prize feature I mentioned earlier where the digital transfer is shown from specific scenes. It’s an amazing feature about the digital process.

Grand Illusion is a phenomenal movie that set the stage for prisoner of war films like King Rat, The Great Escape and even The Bridge on the River Kwai. It was the first of its kind and was a terrific choice for the Criterion introduction to DVD.

Next up: Spine # 2, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai

Tags: 1937, criterion collection, erich von stroheim, france, freedom, germany, grand illusion, jean renoir, prison, prisoners of war, spine number one, the great escape, war, world war 1
Posted in Reviews

08
Jan
2010

Top Ten Films a la Jody

2 Comments

a look back at the 2000’s with Jody Coughlin

Compiling my top ten films for the last decade is no easy feat. My memory is dismal at best and I am usually once removed to the left of the thing I really love but have forgotten all about. Oh well, this is not going to change the world anyway so I suppose I just might as well give it a whirl and hope for the best.

Here I go. These are in no particular order and this rundown is not particularly cerebral.

1. Fight Club.

I do not talk about Fight Club. Seriously, I don’t. I will say this-it is a disgruntled employee’s wet dream to show up at the office with a huge black eye and blood trickling out the nose and onto a very neatly pressed dress shirt. Oh yeah. Can ya feel it?

2. There Will Be Blood.

If you have not seen this film, then you must. Go now. Go. See it. The score will give you ulcers, Daniel Day Lewis and his portrayal of an oil-boy pioneer will give you goose bumps. The thought of how much blood, sweat, tears and greed goes into the oil industry and the industry of religion (two entities that we are so ravenously hooked on) will give you an upset stomach. What more could you ask for out of a film?

3. The Others.

This haunting ghost story leaves me feeling like I did when I was a kid and my sister stumbled upon a book about a girl who gets trapped inside her doll house. I don’t remember how the girl got there, I just know that it freaked the hell out of me. I couldn’t stop starring at it.

4. Lord of The Rings

This could count as three but I am counting it as one. I liked all in general, The Return of the King in particular. If there is a God, and I believe there is, then I think he would be a lot like the portrayal of Gandalf in this film: wise, kind, a bit temperamental. I cannot make it through these films without tearing up at least a dozen times. Epic.

5. Inglourious Basterds

I keep spelling the title of this film correctly which means I am spelling it incorrectly which almost gives me an aneurism. I will say this, I am glad to be alive at a time in the history of our planet where it is perfectly acceptable to watch, with pleasure, the demise of the Nazis. Nobody does it like Tarantino. I wanted to stand up and clap at the end of this film, but my husband embarrasses easily so I just let the glory of the moment wash over me like a warm bath in chocolate money.

6. Frida

Painter. Woman. Strong. Couragous. Enough said.

7. Bridget Jone’s Diary (One and Two)

First of all, let’s just say I can relate to a blond, chesty journalist who is “just a little bit fat” and who also seems to have a genuine talent for screwing (things up). Also, the scene where the two boys, vying for her attention and settling an old score, fight (Colin Firth and Hugh Grant) out in the street as the song It’s Raining Men chimes in-well, that scene makes me almost pee my pants. Oh, the hilarity! I think Hugh Grant would be nothing without the hair. When his hair is all wet and mashed up in the sequel, he looses a bit of that British bad boy charm. It’s all about Hugh’s hair when it comes to Hugh.

8. Gangs of New York

This is one of those films that I like to watch once a year or so. Daniel Day Lewis is, again, brilliant in this film. Raw and gritty. Dirty and a wee bit frightening. This film fascinates me on so many levels. I love to think about the inner workings and the underbelly of such a grand city as New York is and this film feeds those curiosities in me. I love it.

9. Snatch

If I knew how to type out garbled Irish slang, that is exactly how I would write this next bit, but I don’t. In fact, I have watched this film several times to try and decipher exactly what Brad Pitt’s character is saying-to no avail. No matter. This movie is fast paced and interwoven and amusing. The dry British come-backs thrill me. The speech the creepy old guy gives about why he owns a pig farm is both frightening and utterly disgusting in one fell swoop. My kind of movie.

10. Where the Wild Things Are

This film was amazing and alive and real in so many ways. The thing I took away from it was that kids do not-I mean do NOT-understand why adults gets so worked up and pissed off and grumpy and argumentative and depressed. I took from this film the understanding that the world of adults, to some children, is as frightening and mysterious as any monster-world. If we could remember that the next time we feel compelled to engage in a petty argument in front of our kids (speaking to myself here now) then it would be a different world. I have been trying to remember the impression this film gave me when I feel a disagreement coming on and then I stop myself and I walk away. There is something about this movie that seems classic even though it is quite new. I am a fan. For sure.

Tags: brad pitt, daniel day lewis, decade in review, Jody Coughlin, peter jackson, tarantino, top ten films
Posted in 2000's: A Decade in Review, Lists, Reviews

06
Jan
2010

Horror Movie Top Ten List #3: Vampire Movies

7 Comments

"Get off my lawn you damn kids!"

by Isaac Thompson

Is there anything better than a great vampire movie? Probably, but for the purpose of this article let’s say no, there isn’t.

In this entry of my Horror Movie series, I have decided to celebrate my all time favourite vampire movies and it was the opposite of easy (whatever that is). There are so many great vampire movies that it was impossible to narrow it down to just 10, so I cheated a little as you’ll see.

But before I talk about the good ones, I’ve gotta spend some time talking about:

Twilight: The Elephant in the Crypt (or: Rant in the Key of Sparkling Vampires):

Have you ever thought to yourself that vampires are pretty neat and all, but it would be way better if instead of being scary blood-sucking monsters who rise from the grave to terrorize the living , they were pale underwear models who’d stay up all night cuddling and talking about their feelings? Have you ever felt in your gut that instead of wielding their awesome powers for evil, vampires should formally introduce themselves to your parents and make googly eyes at you ’til you feel like throwing up?

Of course you haven’t, that would be ludicrous…right? Right?

Vampires are the hottest thing right now. I recently visited a local middle school and before I was escorted off the property by the police, I got literally thousands of testimonials about how much the kids ‘dig’ “Twilight” and how ‘far out’ and ‘groovy’ they find vampires now. Vampires have replaced zombie flicks as the current horror sub-genre that has been drug out of the ghetto, prettied up and put on display for the masses by the big brain-deficient parasite that is the Hollywood marketing machine. If you don’t know by now, everything that Hollywood touches it destroys. Thanks to “Twilight” we’re at the beginning of a tedious and predictable slope.

What happens now is Hollywood will spend the next few years releasing vampire movies, each one more watered down than the last until the whole thing caves in on itself and every ounce of integrity has been drained from the genre (They did it to zombie movies). It wont be long until no one gives a shit anymore and vampire movies spend the next 20 years crawling out from the muck Stephanie Meyer so gleefully buried them in with her shit books and her shit movies.

The new trendy breed of vampire aren’t interested in being scary, they’d rather look sexy and fall in love. This neo-neutered-vampire can be found everywhere in today’s world. On Television there is the brutally popular vampire series “True Blood” which has inexplicably stayed on the air longer than the actually good HBO series’ “Deadwood” and “Lucky Louie” (If “Entourage” hasn’t proven to you that HBO airs terrible shows just like every other network, I submit exhibit B: ‘True Blood’). There is the tweeny “Cirque du Freak” book series and lame looking movie adaptation “The Vampire’s Assistant”, something called “the Vampire Diaries” (I’m sure the less I know about that one, the better) and of course, the multi-media phenomenon that is “Twilight”. Stephanie Meyer’s series about vampire puppy love has sold over 70 million copies (!) and the film version made $382 million worldwide (!!!). The sequel “New Moon” is currently in theaters and has been breaking box office records all over the place (FML).

If you’ve read any of my earlier horror movie articles you know I’m not a fan of “Twilight”. You also now know that all of my “Twilight” jokes in the previous articles were leading to the lame sight gag above. Truth be told I’d never read “Twilight” or watched the movie. I’d read enough about it and seen enough clips during the blitzkrieg of promotion that followed the film’s release to know I didn’t like it. Still I figured I should at least watch the movie for this article. So I did just that.

I was not swayed.

I’d like to share a few choice thoughts:

1. I think the Feminist publication “Bitch Magazine” put it best when they poignantly dubbed “Twilight” ‘Abstinence Porn’.

2. I know a lot of people say “Oh, ‘Twilight’ isn’t so bad, it’s a beautiful love story” (yes it is that bad and no it’s not a beautiful love story). Or “Come on, it’s for teenage girls” (this movie makes ‘Hanna Montana’ and ‘The Wizards of Waverly Place’ look like the most riveting hour on television). The truth is; “Twilight” is the most sorry excuses for a love story I’ve ever seen. Sure, Bella is in love with Edward. I know this because she spends like 3/4ths of the movie telling him how wonderfully dreamy he is. But the thing is, Edward never tells Bella such things, he simply wants her. Although it’s her blood he hungers for instead of her sex (by God’s wounds, what a brilliant twist!). He doesn’t seem to be ‘in love’ with her, he just wants her hot body. Is that what today’s teenage girls think love is? A self obsessed, good looking guy who couldn’t give a damn about his conquest other than the fact that she makes him horny (or toothy) ? Is that what passes as a love story these days? *crickets*

3. The acting is awful. It’s like the most sickening episode of “Dawson’s Creek” ever filmed. Robert Pattinson’s acting ability consists of one silly face. I’m pretty sure Zoolander was his acting teacher.

1 picture = 1000 words

4. The worst thing about “Twilight” is that it’s about vampires. I love vampires and twilight is ruining them. The vampires in twilight don’t kill people, they apparently eat animals but we never see that because it would border too much on cool. Instead they play baseball during thunder storms and when exposed to sunlight they SPARKLE LIKE DIAMONDS!!!!

5. When a vampire is exposed to sunlight it bursts into flames, period.

6. After two hours of nothing happening the movie ends and the self loathing begins. I’m seriously considering getting a refund on my tickets to see “Twilight 2: Zoolander’s Revenge!”.

Little known fact: "Zoolander" is actually a better vampire movie than "Twilight"

There, I feel a lot better. Now on with the list of the best Vampire movies.

Top Ten List # 3/10 : Top Ten Vampire Movies:

Vampire Movie 101:

- Vampires (or vampire type creatures) have existed in human folklore for about as long as humans have existed. Every culture has their variation on the vampire myth. Back in the days before we realized that sexiness makes everything better, vampires were depicted as bloated, smelly walking corpses. In 18th century Europe, people blamed all of their problems (plagues) on vampires. In those days it wasn’t too uncommon to see your friendly neighbourhood vampire slayer digging up graves in your local bone yard in order to drive a stake through the hearts of those mischievous corpses while a crowd of onlookers cheered him on.

- Vampires quickly made their way into the arts. Famous dead guy Edvard Munch depicted one in his painting “Vampyrin” in 1893. The earliest known literature involving vampires was the poem “The Vampire” (1748) by Heinrich August Ossenfelder. The first fictional prose concerning vampires was “The Vampyre” (1819) by John Polidori. This novel was originally erroneously credited to Lord Byron (Polidori was actually Byron’s personal physician). Polidori conceived his novel as part of a “who can come up with the scariest story” pissing contest held by a group of bored authors. The winner of said contest was 18 year old Mary Shelly whose story “Frankenstein” you may be familiar with. In 1845 a guy named James Malcolm Rymer wrote a penny dreadful serial story called “Varney the Vampire”. It was extremely popular in it’s day and it marked the first time a vampire was shown as a tragic figure as opposed to a demonic monster.

"Vampyrin" by Edvard Munch (1893)

- What really got the ball rolling for the vampire was Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” (1897). It is easily the most popular, important and influential bit of vampire fiction ever conceived. Stoker was the first guy to stumble onto the inherent sexual metaphor of the exchange of body fluids that takes place in an encounter with a vampire. In Stoker’s novel Vampirism is treated as a disease (our heroes combat Dracula’s tainted bite with constant blood transfusions) and thus was a relatable metaphor in old syphilis ridden Victorian Europe. Another stroke of genius in Stoker’s inspired book is the main character’s namesake. Dracula is named after a real historical figure, Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia. Vlad’s nicknames included “Vlad the Impaler” (which I think was due to his habit of impaling people and not his Romanian hospitality) and Dracula (a sort of sir-name which means “son of the dragon” or “don’t fuck with me”). This historical aspect helped imbed the legend and give the book a cool “this totally actually happened” feel.

- Here’s some more non-movie Vampire fiction of note:

Books: Richard Matheson – I am Legend (1954), Stephen King – ‘Salem’s Lot (1975), Anne Rice – Interview with the Vampire (1976), Whitley Strieber – The Hunger (1981)

TV: Dark Shadows (1966), The Night Stalker (1972), Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997), Angel (1999), Hellsing (2002)

One of the best damn horror novels ever written.

___________________________________________________________________________

# 10. Vampires

vampiresjc

[1998]

Starring: James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Maximilian Schell

Written by: Screenplay: Don Jakoby, based on the novel by John Steakley

Directed by: John Carpenter

What it’s about: Vatican sponsored vampire killer Jack Crow (James Woods) is the sole survivor of his crew after a deadly attack (slaughter) by the world’s oldest and most powerful vampire. Jack assembles a rag-tag team to stop the vampire from obtaining the all powerful such and such.

Why it’s good: “Vampires” is a film with a very straight forward plot that really serves as just an excuse to show some of the most badass, badassery ever shown in the genre of vampire ass kicking. James Woods is dead on as the hardened, smartass action hero who’s quick with the one-liners (and most of Mr.Woods’ awesome one-liners were ad-libbed). He acts with a playful enthusiasm and has his badass snarl down to a science.

“Vampires” plays out much more like an action packed western than vampire movie, but John Carpenter has enough respect and experience with the genre to be able to deliver some great horror moments. The “vampire slayers at work” scene that opens the film is a great example. John Carpenter is a horror fan’s best friend.

# 9. Shadow of the Vampire

[2000]

Starring: John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Udo Kier and Cary Elwes

Written by: Steven A. Katz

Directed by: E. Elias Merhige

What it’s about: A wildly imaginative retelling of the filming of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 masterpiece “Nosferatu”. in the film, Murnau (played by Malkovich) hires a crazy method actor named Max Schreck (Dafoe) to portay Count Orlok the vampire. Schreck’s strange behavior seems to creep out everyone he meets. The crew of the film begin to suspect Schreck is an actual vampire.

Why it’s good: This movie has one of those awesomely cool ‘why-didn’t-I-think-of-that’ concepts and that should be enough to get anyone to watch it. The two leads; John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe are on top of their game. Dafoe does a dead on portrayal of Count Orlok/Max Schreck. It’s one of those out-of-body performances where the actor seems to disappear in the character.

# 8. Interview With the Vampire

interview-vampire

[1994]

Starring: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas and Christian Slater

Written by: Anne Rice, based on her novel

Directed by: Neil Jordan

What it’s about: A reporter snags the interview of a lifetime, a real (not so) live vampire! The vampire, named Louis, tells of his 200 years of existance with his vampire companions; the eternally young Claudia, and the evil trickster Lestat.

Why it’s good: The epic scope of “Interview With a Vampire” gives it the feel of a sprawling history lesson…With vampires! The storyline spans 200 years in different American historical settings. Each era shows the movie exploring new moods without ever losing the overall tone of the picture.

The casting of Tom Cruise as Lestat was a controversial one at the time (even Anne Rice publicly complained) but I have to hand it to him, he did a fine job, as did Brad Pitt and Christian Slater. Far and away the best performance in this movie is by (believe it or not) Kirsten Dunst as Claudia. Her performance is very disturbing in its realism and honesty. She captures the inner emptiness of a centuries old soul trapped forever in the body of a little girl with maturity and a real sadness .

# 7. The Lost Boys

[1987]

Starring: Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman and Jami Gertz

Written by: Janice Fischer, James Jeremias and Jeffrey Boam

Directed by: Joel Schumacher

What it’s about: Michael and Sam Emerson move to a California town with their mother. Michael then ends up hanging out with the wrong croud; I’m talking the undead, bloodsucking, sun-fearing crowd. It’s up to Sam and his new pals, two self proclaimed “vampire hunters”, to stop the curse. Which is really hard when one of the vampires you’re trying kill is Jack fucking Bauer!

Why it’s good: “The Lost Boys” is fun, thrilling and hilarious. It’s a hard combo to pull off. It’s a twisted take on Peter Pan with a rock and roll soundtrack. Most 80’s babies like myself know it well. You don’t find this much entertainment, smarts and style in one movie very often.

# 6. From Dusk Till Dawn

duskdawn

[1996]

Starring: Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Ernest Liu, Fred Williamson, Tom Savini, Cheech Marin and Salma Hayek

Written by: Quentin Tarantino, based on a concept by Robert Kurtzman

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

What it’s about: Richie and Seth Gecko are two crooks on the run from the cops. They take a family hostage and head towards Mexico, specifically a bar called The Titty Twister, and find themselves smack dab in the middle of a vampire feeding frenzy.

Why it’s good: With “From Dusk Till Dawn” you get two movies in one. It’s part Tarantino gangster flick, part over-the-top splatter picture. Tarantino’s script is typically smart and super-cool, and Robert Rodriguez is one of the best directors mainstream Hollywood has to offer. He does a seamless job at merging a gritty crime flick with an “Evil Dead” style orgy of gore.

This movie marks the first starring role for George Clooney and it’s one of my favourite parts he’s played. He portrays Seth Gecko with a cool, detached confidence in contrast to Tarantino’s manic depiction of little brother Richie (easily Quentin’s best role). It’s a big, loud, rock ‘n’ rollin vampire movie. Nothing quite like it.

# 5. Martin

martin

[1977]

Starring: John Amplas, Lincoln Maazel, Christine Forrest and Tom Savini

Written by and directed by: George A. Romero

What it’s about: Martin is a nice young boy with a severe problem: He believes himself to be an undead creature of the night. This belief drives him to stalk the night, murdering women with a razor-blade so that he can feed on their blood.

Why it’s good: George “I created the entire sub-genre of zombie movies” Romero is one of horror history’s all time great social satirists. He makes films with a purpose and a message. He’s responsable for some of the finest horror flicks ever including the original “Night of the Living Dead” and “Dawn of the Dead”. Martin is one of Romero’s best and most overlooked films.

Romero’s gritty film isn’t about true vampires in the classic sense, it’s a look into the mind of a disturbed young sociopath who is so mad he thinks he’s immortal. It’s like “Dracula” meets “A Clockwork Orange”.

Tom Savini is the Frank Sinatra of gore and nails it like a night at The Sands. There are some brilliant set-pieces of splatter and hemoglobin in this film. It’s all played as real as can be and some scenes are truly hard to watch.

# 4. Fright Night

petervincenteh3

[1985]

Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall

Written by and directed by: Tom Holland

What it’s about: All American High School kid, Charlie Brewster has a problem: His new next-door neighbour is a vampire. Charlie’s parents and peers think he’s crazy so he proves them wrong by doing something totally un-crazy: He asks Peter Vincent (an actor who was famous for portraying a fearless vampire killer in his old films) to help him slay the beast. Pure 80’s magic.

Why it’s good:Created by Tom Holland (the same mad genius who brought us the genre classic “Child’s Play”), “Fright Night” is a simple old fashioned vampire tale with a few modern twists. Sure, it has great special effects, synthey 80’s music and slick directing, but it doesn’t rely on those elements alone. “Fright Night” is more content to let the engrossing story and creepy atmosphere do the talking. The acting is great and all of the main characters are well defined, but the real star of this gem is Roddy Mcdowall who plays Peter Vincent. His performance is extraordinary. He delivers his lines with a gusto and enthusiasm that’s laced with a heartbreaking vulnerability. Robert Pattinson would do good to take note.

# 3. Near Dark

near-dark

[1987]

Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein and Bill Paxton

Written by: Eric Red and Kathryn Bigelow

Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow

What it’s about: Boy meets vampire, boy is bitten by vampire, boy joins roaming gang of vampires.

Why it’s good: When I watch this movie today I’m still shocked by how gritty and uncompromising it is. “Near Dark” is a vampire movie full of innovations and surprises. What starts out as a love story quickly becomes a roller coaster ride through Hell. The gang of vampires, led by world-class badass Lance Henriksen, are viciously tough. The bar scene is classic and Bill Paxton’s performance is legendary.

# 2. Dracula

Dracula

[1922] / [1931] / [1958] / [1992]

Starring: Max Schreck / Bela Lugosi / Christopher Lee / Gary Oldman

Written by: Henrik Galeen / Garrett Fort / Jimmy Sangster / James V. Hart / Based on the novel by Bram Stoker

Directed by: F. W. Murnau / Tod Browning / Terence Fisher / Francis Ford Coppola

What it’s about: The original gangsta, Count Dracula, has decided Transylvania has nothing more to offer him and makes the move to England. He spends his time in his new hometown making friends and having sexy late night rendezvous with the hottest girls around. Everything in Big Count D.’s (un)life is totally groovy until that prick Van Helsing rolls into town wearing garlic around his neck and thumping his bible. A ghoul just can’t catch a break!

Why it’s good: For my number two spot (heh heh, number two…) I decided to make it a four-way tie between four different interpretations of Bram Stoker’s uber-important “Dracula”. Each one of these interpretations was vital in the time period they were released. Each one brought something new to the table, not only in regards to vampires but horror as a whole. Watching these four films is like a “Coles Notes” version of horror movie history, starting in the golden age of film, with F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu”.

“Nosferatu” was extremely important in the development of horror films. During the silent era of Hollywood there were semi-horror films such as “The Phantom of the Opera” and “London after Midnight”, but they would only dance around horrific subject matter and any supernatural threat was eventually revealed to be “just a dream” or they’d throw you the time tested “Scooby Doo” ending. Germany on the other hand were pushing the boundaries in both content and visuals. Films such as “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”, “The Golem” and “Nosferatu” were doing things no American film dared. Made before most living people were born, “Nosferatu” has aged better than most films of it’s day. It has an impressively chilling atmosphere and Count Orlok is still, hands down, the creepiest vampire ever.

Interestingly, at least to me, the makers of “Nosferatu” never got around to getting permission to make a movie about Dracula (hence the name change from ‘Dracula’ to ‘Nosferatu’) and were sued by Bram Stoker’s widow. Long story short, the filmmakers lost the case and all copies of “Nosferatu” were ordered destroyed. Luckily a few copies survived and the movie is readily available today! Film Industry: 1, Intellectual Property: 0

In 1931, Universal studios was a small underdog studio still trying to find its place in Hollywood. The company had hits in the silent era with their resident movie star and “man of a thousand faces” Lon Chaney, but the invention of talkies changed the game and Universal were struggling to keep up. Carl Laemmle Jr. was newly in charge of production and needed to carve out a niche for his father’s company.

Laemmle was a fan of suspense and horror stories, and when he saw “Nosferatu” he knew exactly what his next picture would be. He secured the rights from Stoker’s widow and began putting together a team to construct “Dracula”, America’s first supernatural talkie thriller. He was heavily influenced by “Nosferatu” and used that and the hit broadway production of “Dracula” as blueprints. He went so far as to hire much of the cast from the play including Bela Lugosi in his seminal role as the Count.

“Dracula” is outdated in many ways, but still a powerful film. There is absolutely no musical score and the staging is much more like a stage play than a movie, but Bela Lugosi’s amazing talent and charisma shines as brightly today as it did on audiences in it’s day. Lugosi’s portayal has been copied, parodied and regurgitated so many times that it is part of modern mythology. Laemmle’s intuition was dead on, “Dracula” was a huge hit and paved the way for every horror movie that followed. Soon, Universal became the horror studio, releasing classics such as “Frankenstein”, “The Bride of Frankenstein”, “The Mummy” and “The Wolfman”.

Interestingly, well to me anyway, a Spanish version of the film was produced simultaneously. The American crew would film by day, the Spanish crew at night: Same lot, same sets. In many respects the Spanish version is superior to the classic American one. It’s edgier in its depiction of violence and the camera work is much more adventurous and exciting.

Fast forward to 1957, this time it’s the U.K.’s chance to change the face of the horror film. Hammer Studios was quickly becoming the late 50’s answer to Universal Studios. They were hot off the heels of their hit “The Curse of Frankenstein” starring Peter Cushing as Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as his monster. Hammer was re-making classic horror films in vivid colour, with amped up violence and sex. The rich red blood, the bulging bussoms, the gross makeup effects; Hammer’s horror combined gothic themes with the colourful comic book scares of E.C. Comic’s Tales From the Crypt series.

Dracula was a natural follow-up to “The Curse of Frankenstein”. Christopher Lee was cast as The Count, and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. The film (titled “The Horror of Dracula” in the west to avoid confusion with Universal’s “Dracula”) was a revelation. Where Bela Lugosi played the character as a sophisticated gentleman with evil tendancies, Christopher Lee played the big “D” with the fury and intensity of a wolverine. A true force to be reckoned with.

The Dracula ritual came full circle in 1992 with the most faithful adaption to date. An all star cast of respected actors (and Keanu Reeves) combined with impressive modern effects amping up the sex and violence one step further. Gary Oldman’s Dracula is a tortured soul; denied love, peace and death. His Dracula is in constant pain, he finds no joy in his vampiric activities, only the brief satisfaction of transfering his immortal pain to his victims.

Director Francis Ford Coppola’s respect to his source material is impressive and yet he still makes nods to the films that came before his. There are homages in the film to “Nosferatu”, “Dracula” and”The Horror of Dracula”.

Being one of the most important literary characters ever, Dracula made the vampire what it is today (for better or worse). We haven’t seen the last of him. One of these days someone will show us a different side of the character and audiences will fall in love with Dracula all over again.

# 1. Let The Right One In

lettherightoneinpic

[2008]

Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson and Per Ragnar

Written by: John Ajvide Lindqvist, based on his novel

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson

What it’s about: The only soul young, introverted Oskar can relate to doesn’t really have a soul. She’s a vampire. And she’s afraid she might love him back.

Why it’s good: In one of the greatest ironies of our time, my absolute favourite vampire movie and my absolute least favourite have many similarities in their plots. They were even released around the same time. It also helps to further my earlier point about how the American film industry is often miles behind the curve when it comes to the horror genre.

Like “Twilight”, the beautiful, quiet Swedish movie “Let the Right One In” is a story of young love and vampires. The difference is; everywhere “Twilight” goes horribly wrong, “Let The Right One In” goes horribly right. Every stake is hit firmly on it’s head. The love story is played with complete honesty and layers of tragedy that the American industry seems afraid to touch on. The acting is top notch, the script doesn’t have a sour note. Most importantly, the rich history of the vampire legend is treated with total respect.

It’s a love story without the commercial “sexiness” of its American counterparts. It’s directed in a refreshingly quiet oldschool way. You wont find quick cuts and closeups during action scenes, the camera sits still as the action unfolds before us. There is an anxious anticipation that builds to some intense horror setpieces including a finale that will knock your socks off your ass. The young leads completely rule in this film. Although it is about children, it is the farthest thing from childish. The concepts are heavy, the story-line is deeply engrossing and the violence is brutal.

I don’t want to give too much away about this movie because there are probably a lot of you out there who havent seen it yet. I’ll leave you with this: It is the smartest and most satisfying vampire movie I’ve ever seen. It left me thinking about it for weeks. See it before Hollywood gets the bright idea to remake it as a “sexy” music video for tweenage twits.

This Just In: Hollywood is currently planning a remake of “Let the Right One In”….be afraid, be very afraid.

Somewhat like this article? Got some time to kill? Check out my last two entries:

Horror Movie Top Ten List # 1: Slasher Movies

Horror Movie Top Ten List # 2: Giant Monster Movies

Tags: Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, dracula, Hollywood, horror movie top tens, isaac thompson, John Carpenter, sweden, Twilander, vald the inhaler, vampires
Posted in Lists, Reviews

05
Jan
2010

The Movies of the Oughts

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a superfluous list by Jason Wilson

When I got the idea to put together a series of lists based on the opinions of friends and colleagues about the best media had to offer since 2000 I thought it would be a fun exercise. We get to look back and analyze the movies, music, television, books, etc. that meant the most to us over the last ten years. Of course these lists always bring out the wolves challenging your choices and that’s half the fun.

Movies have meant a lot to me since I was young. My folks rented me Dumbo and I watched it obsessively. It’s still my favourite non-Pixar Disney movie, based mostly on nostalgia. Since then, and maybe my parents regret it, they have been responsible for my growing love of cinema. They took me to Ghostbusters and Jurassic Park. When I was 13, they rented Goodfellas and I somehow managed to convince them to let me stay in the room despite the amount of vulgarity and violence. So here I sit, with thousands of dollars invested in a movie collection and I like to think I’m a reasonably well-adjusted individual despite my movie geek status. Then again I had initially compiled a list of my top 100 of the decade. I’ll spare you that whole list.

Honourable mentions: Up in the Air (2009 – Jason Reitman), Memento (2000 – Chris Nolan), There Will Be Blood (2007 – PT. Anderson), The Departed (2007 – Martin Scorsese), The Damned United (2009 – Tom Hooper), The Life Aquatic (2004 – Wes Anderson), Traffic (2000 – Steven Soderbergh), Shaun of the Dead (2004 – Edgar Wright), Sin City (2005 – Robert Rodriguez), Kill Bill 1 & 2 (2003-04 – Quentin Tarantino), Requiem For a Dream (2000 – Darren Aronofsky), Spider (2002 – David Cronenberg), Oldboy (2003 – Park Chan-wook), Big Fish (2003 – Tim Burton), Into the Wild (2007 – Sean Penn), Wonder Boys (2000 – Curtis Hanson).

And now, onto the top 10!

10. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001 – Wes Anderson)

I was living in Halifax when Tenenbaums came out. It looked like a quirky, funny movie and while it certainly was it ended up being much more than that. It’s a portrait of a broken family seemingly beyond repair, a cautionary tale that skill and money and success does not ensure your happiness in the world. If you act like a shit you’re going to feel like it eventually. 2001, I was fresh out of high school, living on my own for the first time and still figuring out what kind of person I am. Tenenbaums is hilarious but at the same time it shows the audience a glimpse of cartoonish reality hinged on despair and missed opportunities. It has forever forged an important connection to my heart because of its honesty and lack of compromise.

9. Broken Flowers (2005 – Jim Jarmusch)

Bill Murray’s renaissance has been built upon playing aging men whose lives have passed them by. After a string of terrible flops after the great Groundhog Day in 93, he reinvented himself in Wes Anderson’s Rushmore. Since then he has adopted the sad sack persona in film and hasn’t been better than here. While many credit Lost in Translation as his magnum opus as an actor, it’s Broken Flowers that I took to. Sexual conquest is a stereotypical rite of passage for men and he exemplified one such character. He made it rich, had fling after fling, and now stares mortality with the cold realization of the inevitable. But he doesn’t just sit there. He hits the road to trace his steps to find both a potential son and a greater meaning to all he has been and all he has done. It’s a bittersweet tale that fuels wanderlust and a longing to reconnect with those who have disappeared from our lives over the years.

8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005 – Shane Black)

What a pleasant surprise. Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer in their finest form and a sharp performance from Michelle Monaghan who has not been this good since. It’s comic noir in the vein of Raymond Chandler and before HBO hit the scene with Bored to Death last fall. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang takes the private detective motif and spins it on its head while maintaining many of the old conventions of the days of Bogart and Bacall. Downey plays a chronic screw up, which he’s good at since, well, he is one as far as his media coverage has led me to believe. But he is on a quest for some sort of redemption, fixing his past mistakes. Mix that journey with a bunch of slapstick, great dialogue and a bunch of twists and turns and you have one of the most entertaining movies of the decade.

7. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

I wasn’t going to include this. I hadn’t had the opportunity to see my favourites from 2009 a second time to verify my initial reactions until over New Year’s I watched Basterds again with a few friends. It was better the second time through and I am inclined to say it’s my favourite Tarantino film. From the opening sequence, an intense interrogation fueled by dialogue with music and shots straight from the best Sergio Leone; to Melanie Laurent as Shoshanna in the restaurant years later with a glass of milk in front of her; to the proper German way to order three scotches; Inglourious Basterds is equally entertaining and suspenseful. Then the Basterds themselves come in and punctuate the proceedings with a comic bookish flare that truly sets this apart from your standard WW2 flick.

6. No Country for Old Men (2007 – Joel and Ethan Coen)

No Country for Old Men is a rare beast. You could miss the real story the first time through. Sure, the surface plot is a chase between an arrogant man taking a chance with a stolen sack of cash and the psychopathic hunter chasing him down. Maybe it’s been beaten into the heads of everyone by now and it might be more obvious than I’m giving people credit for (it’s the meaning of the title for the love of God!). But it’s how the old sheriff has reached his limits of understanding how to deal with the world and the violence therein. Nothing has really changed in the world itself except he no longer has the capability to deal with it. It’s a young man’s game and his old guard is losing its grip. Of course the chase itself is such an incredibly woven story that it becomes the front-loaded storyline, though there is good reason why Moss’ fate happens offscreen. In my opinion, it’s even more effective this way.

Oh, and of course, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin are both amazing.

5. High Fidelity (2000 – Stephen Frears)

My mother read Nick Hornby’s book High Fidelity several years ago. I had already seen the movie…probably three times by then. She laughed and said “you are Rob Gordon.” Now considering my unhealthy appreciation for all things John Cusack I was elated. The more I thought about it I’m sure she meant it was due to my compulsive list-making (no shock there) and my overall neurotic behaviour. This could be seen as a more light-hearted sister movie to the aforementioned Broken Flowers. Rob Gordon, like Bill Murray’s Don Johnston loses a love and is forced to look deep within himself and his past relationships. The humour is what really sets this one apart along with the supporting cast including Jack Black, Tim Robbins, Todd Louiso and Iben Hjejle. It has one of the best soundtracks around and talks about music in the way music lovers do…yes we are that abrasive…

4. Children of Men (2006 – Alfonso Cuaron)

The top of this list is mostly interchangeable. Hell, the whole top ten are movies I can watch over and over again. Children of Men is one I paid to see twice in theaters. It’s a perfect film experience and I wasn’t prepared for what I was getting into. It’s an apocalyptic tale that while it’s still very far-fetched is played out with so seriously that it becomes believable. That’s the difficulty with science fiction. Within the context of the story it is real. It helps that it is filmed with a tenacity filled with honest performances and an amazing script. You can’t help but get lost in the narrative and the sense of hope permeating throughout its bleak landscape.

3. City of God (2002 – Fernando Mereilles)

The ultimate gut punch of a movie. An unflinching account of the side of paradise not known to tourists and the struggles to survive in extreme poverty. It’s a beautiful movie where hopes and dreams are by and large crushed but a sliver of optimism remains. I’m sure if you’ve been told about City of God, chances are it’s been recommended to you as a must see. The violence isn’t glorified. Not a shot is wasted. And in this case, the lack of known actors helps the wallop the movie carries with it. There is never a separation from the story as it is woven. One of the most absorbing movies of the decade.

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004 – Michel Gondry)

Falling in love and falling out of love are two of the most universal experiences we share. And yet, Eternal Sunshine is unlike any other portrayal of love and loss in the history of film. It goes beyond the non-linear storytelling too. Sure, it’s science fiction and completely off the deep end in terms of plot believability but in terms of how realistic the relationship between Joel and Clementine is, it’s something I think most of us would be able to relate to. Watching Joel relive all the terrible moments of his relationship as his memories disappear only to realize he’s getting rid of the good ones too and wants to stop is harrowing. Looking back on relationships, we isolate the good and bad but they are not exclusive. It’s a harsh reality, but love is never all roses no matter what tricks we play on ourselves.

1. Zodiac (2007 – David Fincher)

It’s a serial killer movie with more in common with All the President’s Men than with Fincher’s previous effort Se7en. It’s a procedural piece and a tale of obsession in the face of fear. Maybe it’s the journalist in me that elevates this movie as high as it is but I never feel like I’ve watched a three-hour movie when it finishes. I had just gotten a job at a Chapters in Fredericton when this was released in theaters. Bought my ticket on my lunch break and when they asked if I could stay later on my first day of work I told them I couldn’t because I had a movie to see. Good thing too because my love of Zodiac grows every day. The look and feel of the film is sharp yet gritty. It makes general assumptions about the truth but mostly because it is told from a very specific perspective (Robert Graysmith, who wrote the book it is based on). As long as you don’t hold it as 100 per cent accurate it should still provide an amazing portrait of the early 1970s in San Francisco and surrounding areas. This is easily my favourite David Fincher film, though Se7en is still right up there.

Epilogue

I numbered them though it was unnecessary. It was mostly because while they are interchangeable, Eternal Sunshine and Zodiac are the two above the rest for me and to run them in any other sequence would have ruined it…for me…remember, I’m a compulsive list making Rob Gordon type, though I don’t own my own record store.

Within the next couple weeks or so, these lists will have run their course. It was a fun exercise and I hope readers have enjoyed them. Now we can get back to original pieces, etc. that were the basis of the website in the first place. My goal, a resolution perhaps, is to get more fiction on the site as well as artwork. As much as I love writing, I was hoping to maintain a balance with the other art forms. Remember, if you ever wish to contribute, just drop a line.

Jason

Tags: best movies of the decade, broken flowers, children of men, city of god, decade in review, decade retrospective, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, high fidelity, jason wilson, kiss kiss bang bang, movies, no country for old men, royal tenenbaums, top 10 movies, zodiac
Posted in 2000's: A Decade in Review, Lists, Reviews

31
Dec
2009

Top Ten Albums of the 00’s

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by Ben Dalton

As this decade comes to a close, I’d like to be able to say that this also wraps up ten years of intense musical listening, but this would be wishful thinking at best. Truth be told, as the decade opened my musical taste little resembled what it is today, and for good reason: I was 15 years old, devoid of an older sibling to assist in my search for good music. I was at the peak of my pop-punk obsession, with blink-182 and Sum 41 dominating my discman playcounts. Kid A was a mere curiosity to me at the time, and I never actually heard the whole thing through until at least four years later. My first serious music purchase of the decade came in 2002 when following the viewing of I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, I decided I wanted to own Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. While my initial impression of the album was mixed, almost as if I was embarrassed to own what to me at the time was such a ‘grown-up’ album, there was a certain richness and complexity to the music that even my grade eleven self was drawn to, albeit hesitantly. What followed was a two-year screamo phase, when Thursday and The Used were the hot bands in my world. Yet existing alongside this blistering noise was a casual appreciation for Sigur Ros, shared amongst many of my friends that was simply taken for granted. Their music was so strange, so otherworldly yet so accessible. Other hot acts of the day fared less well in my books; I remember specifically disliking the Strokes, The White Stripes and Interpol upon first exposure. It wasn’t until 2004 and the Arcade Fire’s Funeral and the Postal Service’s Give Up that my taste in music began to move away from the maximalist distortion of screamo and began opening up to the many interesting things that contemporary music had to offer. 5 years later, there’s been so much amazing music made and so much more to discover. The sheer amount of music being produced is overwhelming but each year never fails to deliver a handful of stellar releases that I believe will stand the test of time. Ten years from now, it will be interesting to see which music from this decade ages well and what will end up sounding dated. But from my vantage point at the end of 2009, it was a hell of a ten years.

Honorable Mentions; Madvillainy- Madvillain (2004) , For Emma, Forever Ago- Bon Iver (2007), Kala- M.I.A. (2007), Return to Cookie Mountain- T.V. On the Radio (2006), The Milk-Eyed Mender- Joanna Newsom (2004), Untrue- Burial (2007), Sound of Silver- LCD Soundsytem (2007), Silent Shout- The Knife (2006), Original Pirate Material- The Streets (2002), Veckatimest- Grizzly Bear (2009)

10- Since I Left You- The Avalanches (2000)

The best party album of the decade is so much freakin’ fun that the fact that it’s built solely of samples from other records comes as a mere impressive afterthought. Which is not to say that Since I Left You is a mash-up record. Its samples are obscure; the end is more than the sum of its parts. I’m still waiting for the follow-up.

9- The Moon & Antarctica- Modest Mouse (2000)

Modest Mouse’s best album proves Isaac Brock to be one of the most captivating lyricists of our time; the record is filled with standout tracks brought together by an undercurrent of isolation and existential musings. Classic stuff.

8- Stankonia- Outkast (2000)

When was this not the best hip-hop album of the decade, if you can even call this freakfest anything resembling mainstream hip-hop to begin with? So musically and lyrically inventive they put basically all others to shame, the record still sounds so fresh today it’s hard to believe it’s almost ten years old.

7- Merriweather Post-Pavillion- Animal Collective (2009)

I knew from first listen back on January 1^st that this was something special. A year of listening has not changed my opinion. Psychedelic, warm, beautiful, strange; many adjectives can be thrown at this beast, but the response it elicits is essentially a personal one, and for me this is music for the soul. Accessible yet sounding like nothing else, these three boys create a lush universe that leaves me wanting more every time.

6- Ys- Joanna Newsom (2006)

I pity those people who say they can’t get past the vocal qualities of Joanna Newsom. Because however shrill and elf-like they may sound on first listen, they bring with them the best lyricist currently making music. Newsom’s music rewards repeated listens like little else out there; her songs can take a while to truly unravel. But man oh man, when they do what a beautiful sight (or sound). Who knew harp and vocals could be so endlessly rewarding?

5- Endless Summer- Fennesz

Fennesz albums don’t work the same way as most other music I’ve heard. They seem to grow less familiar over time, almost as if one’s idea or memory of the music is interchangeable with the music itself. And what music! Open, abstract, melodic yet not catchy enough to wear itself out, like listening to someone’s nostalgia made sonic from years past; Essential.

4- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot- Wilco

Wilco’s best and most fractured album perfectly marriages harmony and discord as if in a murky reflection of Jeff Tweedy’s damaged psyche. So many great songs, so much static and noise. Too bad they’ll never top it. (R.I.P. Jay Bennett)

3- Illinois- Sufjan Stevens

Where to begin with this puppy? This album blew my mind when I first heard it, and proceeded to get better from there. So many ideas, emotions and melodies it can fill five lesser records, so large in its scope yet also so intimate all at once, I’m not sure Stevens will ever top himself with this amazing album, which continues to give so much on every listen, almost five years later.

2- Kid A- Radiohead

As mentioned before, I was a relative late-comer to this un-crackeable masterpiece, but am now convinced its Radiohead’s finest hour, a tall statement indeed. As inexplicable as it must have seemed upon first release, Kid A is one of those rare albums that seems to exist in a universe of its own. It’s a lonely universe to be sure, filled with strange rock formations and undiscovered oceans, but its strangeness and un-knowability make it all the more re-listenable.

1- Person Pitch- Panda Bear

How the hell do you release the best album of the decade AND give it the decade’s best album cover all at once? I guess if you’re Noah Lennox. One third (the best third) of Animal Collective delivered in 2007 a record that eclipsed his group’s entire output while not sounding like anything they’d done before or since. Comparisons to the Beach Boys were apt, but Person Pitch is the rarest of albums: so packed with hooks, sometimes multiple great ones in one epic song you’d swear it was a greatest hits collection. But it’s the cohesiveness of the whole thing that gets me coming back again and again, as if the whole thing were one never-ending song; Person Pitch is a strange place, but a place worth visiting endlessly. And that’s a very rare thing indeed.

Tags: 2000s a decade in review, ben dalton, top ten music of the decade
Posted in 2000's: A Decade in Review, Lists, Reviews

27
Dec
2009

Up in the Air

1 Comment

a contemplative review by Jason Wilson

Up in the Air (2009)
Directed by Jason Reitman
Screenplay by Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner
Based on the novel by Walter Kirn
Starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Danny McBride, Melanie Lynskey, JK Simmons, Zach Galifianakis, and Sam Elliott

Movies aren’t only about escaping, this much should be obvious. Sometimes a movie comes along where its subject matter fits the time period when it is released. Up in the Air is one of these movies. And while it has some laughs, it is not an uplifting film but there is a sense of hope underlying it.

Ryan Bingham (Clooney) fires people for a living. He is hired by companies to let their employees whom are no longer needed go. Considering the climate of careers and the global economy during the past year, the firing scenes alone should resonate with most viewers. Times aren’t easy and who knows if the job supporting your family will be there a week from now, a month from now or a year from now.

Bingham spends next to no time at rest in what most people call a “home”. He travels constantly as he is sent from city to city to fire people he has never met and will never see again. He doesn’t believe in the fairy tale existence of falling in love and living happily ever after. He moonlights as a motivational speaker reminiscent of Kerouac as he preaches from his corporate pulpit that our material possessions weigh us down to the point of paralysis.

Unlike Kerouac, Bingham believes the relationships in our lives weigh us down even more. He purposefully rejects the notion of getting close to others. Instead, he relies on acquaintances; not friends. Even his family is kept at a distance. Of course, through the duration of the film he meets someone with the potential of changing his worldview. At first she is essentially a female version of him. “Just think of me as you, only with a vagina,” she says to him at one point. Bingham has a philosophy about filling a backpack with all the things in life weighing you down but what he seems to fail to grasp (most of the time) is what’s left if all we do is avoid commitment and connections?

Now I’m not talking about the material possessions, he might be right about that one. But what’s obvious is that it is the friendships, the romances, the relationships with family that truly matter. If we abandon these, there is nothing else left. Sure we can lose our jobs but it’d be much worse to lose the people around you who are there for you when you’re down. We create so much drama every day that causes tiny rifts with those we care about. Some are fused back together and others are never the same. For whatever reason, we haven’t learned how to fully cohabitate with one another. The solution is not to follow Bingham’s example, though he might have a point.

Cherish the relationships with loved ones. Treat them like gold but at the same time balance it with care for yourself. There is a scene in Up in the Air where Bingham fires a man and points to the man’s resume. Before he started a career with the office he had worked at for decades, he had gone to school to be a chef. Bingham tells him he now has the opportunity and the time to pursue the thing that makes him happy.

Ryan Bingham isn’t supposed to be the hero of a generation, he’s just barely coasting by as the people he could have cared for are drifting further away. He’s a cautionary tale that we can get wrapped up in our own bravura and slogans and philosophies that we ignore the warning signs that life is getting away from us. How many people are stuck in jobs they hate only to get laid off and have no other apparent options? If we’re all going to sink we might as well try our best to live out our damn dreams. Otherwise what is it all for? I don’t have the answers, maybe if I keep looking I’ll find them or maybe I won’t. But I won’t work in another call center ever again.

A good film entertains you. A great film forces you to re-evaluate life and consider the possibilities therein. Up in the Air is the latter.

Tags: best of 2009, george clooney, jason reitman, jason wilson, movie reviews, movies, Reviews, up in the air
Posted in Reviews

23
Dec
2009

Jawnpee Recommends Music from the 2000s!

3 Comments

another reluctant list by John P. Rairdon

I do not envy Rolling Stone right now. A day after publishing their always controversial top 100 albums and songs of the decade there was, without a doubt, quite a ruckus from the rabble of objectors.

To make things worse Unfiltered Smoke asked me for just 10. A “top 10 of the decade”. I’m not doing that. What I am going to do is to tell you what albums I listened to most and from what year they came. Some years had several good pieces and some had none that made my list. When faced with a ‘tie’ I’ll pick the album I believe needs the props.

I did not compile this list for you to search through and match with your favs, that’s Rolling Stone’s job. I deliberately left off awesome albums by TOOL, AiC, Weezer, Blue Rodeo, Cake, Jack Johnson, Mars Volta, Muse, Queens and numerous others. Get every one of those guys’ albums too.

Nickelback: The State (2000)

I know there are haters. Fuck, I’m a hater too but this album started something. You’ll never learn to appreciate this record after the last decade’s worth of abuse from this band but this album had legs back in the day.

Days of the New: III (2001)

Marked a new, brilliant direction for Travis Meeks. It also marked the last time that fucker ever made some music. It was so good that nobody liked it which may have led to Travis becoming a TV star on TV’s Intervention and he never looked back.

Lovage: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By (2001)

This was made to fill the sexy void left wide open by the passing of Portishead. One track, a cover of Berlin’s big hit from the 80’s “Sex, I’m a” made me feel like I was a teenager all over again. The masturbation was good back then.

Jerry Cantrell: Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 (2002)

Jerry teamed up with the original Puffy (drummer) and Trujillo (bassist) to make a masterpiece on 2 pieces of plastic. If Degradation Trip were a body of water it’d be dark, muddy and have sharp, sharp hooks once you sank in deep.

I Mother Earth: Quicksilver Meat Dream (2003)

A beautiful farewell album. Produced by David Bottrill, this album turned the band’s style on its side. Did Bottril make IME sound like TOOL or did TOOL ask to sound like David Bottril? Now, don’t think about it again because you need to focus on Quicksilver Meat Dream as there’s just too much there to process anyway.

Helmet: Size Matters (2004)

Page made a completely new band of some familiar faces and an old name. He changed his voice and sings more often than screams. Together they made some awesome, awesome songs. Not for every Helmet fan but ideal for anyone who wants to drive fast.

Gorillaz: Demon Days (2005)

I’m ashamed to admit that Danger Mouse has trumped Automator with this newer version of Gorillaz. The songs are smooth and sexy. Many styles mash up yet stay well separated. The performers are all top notch and wholly appealing.

Sean Lennon: Friendly Fire (2006)

Sometimes he uses simple words and simple rhymes and simple sounds like hand clapping. Other times it’s off the wall with strange harmonies and organs and more. I love every song on this record and I can’t say why more than this man is awesomeness.

Secret Chiefs 3 – Xaphan: The Book Of Angels, Vol. 9 (2008)

I’ve followed the Chiefs for a decade now and they can be hit or miss with their mostly instrumental recordings. This time around the compositions are written by another man, a John Zorn. Does one avant-garde band playing another man’s avant-garde music make it any better? I don’t know but I can say that it’s refreshing and enjoyable. Vol. 9 is only a small part of many other volumes Zorn wrote. All the other Volumes were performed by other avant-garde bands.

K-OS – YES! (2009)

Look, it’s 2009 right now, I have not had time to hear everything that has come out yet and be objective about it. What I can say right now is that this album works for me. Some tracks are not to my taste but the others taste so great that I endure the bad ones.

Tags: best of 2000s, days of the new, gorillaz, helmet, i mother earth, jerry cantrell, john p. rairdon, lovage, Music, nickelback, sean lennon, secret chiefs
Posted in 2000's: A Decade in Review, Lists, Reviews

20
Dec
2009

The Best in Non-fiction of the 2000s.

1 Comment

a literary list by Amy Anderson

You can visit Amy’s blog at inwoodstock.blogspot.com

Since these lists all seem to contain a disclaimer, here’s mine: I like big books and I cannot lie. Metaphorically big, as in big ideas, and literally big, as in over 500 pages. I’ve divided them into categories for ease of sorting and my apologies if I’ve overlooked something essential. Out of the thousands of books published and the dozens I read, here are the best, happy reading!

History

1. Guns, Germs and Steel (Jared Diamond)

Polymath Jared Diamond tackles the question “Why did Europeans travel to other continents with a colonial agenda, instead of Africans, South Americans or Polynesians”? The answers, of course, are partly found in the title, but Diamond’s brilliant research weaves together geography, evolutionary history, cultural customs, animal husbandry, and technology into a fascinating portrait of the world as it developed from the dawn of agriculture to the present. Apparently the sequel, titled “Collapse” is also noteworthy, but sadly I haven’t read it.

2. The Great War for Civilization (Robert Fisk)

Fisk is a journalist’s journalist. He scorns the notion of being ‘embedded’ with the troops and brings his readers hair-raisingly close to the many conflicts of the Middle East. Fisk is also a keen historian, and his book details the folly of foreign intervention (from Lawrence of Arabia to Tony Blair). He writes with a great sense of irony and never forgets to tell the stories of ordinary people caught up in conflicts beyond their making or control. Well worth the read for anyone who wonders how the Middle East got to the point it’s at now.

3. Genghis Khan (John Man)

I bought this book on my way home from Hong Kong and nearly finished it by the time my plane landed. Genghis Khan presided over the largest continuous land empire in human history, united squabbling Mongol tribes into a ruthless fighting force feared by the Chinese and the Europeans alike, advanced literacy, fostered the development of the Silk Road, and could shoot an arrow nearly 2km’s while riding a horse. But you should read it yourself, it’s thrilling.

Paris, 1919. (Margaret MacMillan)

This book goes especially well with Fisk’s. MacMillan dissects the Paris peace conference after WWI. In addition to the punitive measures levied against Germany, this conference also redrew the map in many parts of the world, fuelling ethnic conflicts, wars and demonstrating that history is written by the victors.

Ideas

I’ve always loved thinking, and reading about other people’s ideas. My top five this decade:

1.The Shock Doctrine (Naomi Klein)

This book was a terrifying read, especially the opening chapters about the CIA brain experiments in Montreal in the 1950’s. Klein discusses the beginnings of ’shock therapy’ and scientists’ disastrous attempts to unmake and re-assemble the human identity. She then takes on Milton Friedman and neo-liberal economists, explaining that many of their policies were implemented by using the the language of ’shock therapy,’ followed by brutal political repression. She closes with discussion of how the newest economic developments are occurring in war-torn countries, where multi-national corporations often dominate dysfunctional national governments. This book took a lot of courage to write and read, I won’t lie.

2.Original Minds (Elanor Wachtel)

CBC Radio’s finest interviewer relives interviews with some of the finest minds of the 20th century, including Noam Chomsky, Bernardo Bertolucci, Jane Jacobs, Amaryta Sen, Jane Goodall and many more. The book contains transcripts of the interviews and is a tasty smorgasboard of ideas from different fields, which is a refreshing change from the single-topic tome.

3. The City of Words (Alberto Maguel)

Alberto Manguel is an Argentinian ex-pat formerly from Toronto, now living in France. This book is a transcript of the Massey Lectures he gave in 2007, in which he argues that words, language, story-telling and reading are the keys to identity, both individual and collective. Manguel takes his examples from ancient literature (the Epic of Gilgamesh), to modern literature (Doblin’s Berlin Alexanderplatz) to Inuit Film (Atanarjuat, the Fast Runner), and weaves them together to show us that we are the stories we tell.

4. Infidel (Ayan Hirsi Ali)

Like many people, I have become increasingly interested in the Muslim world. Ayan Hirsi Ali grew up in tribal Somalia and recounts her life, relatives and her decision to avoid arranged marriage, risk her life and move to the Netherlands. As a Muslim speaking out against Wahhabi fundamentalism, she was under death threats and police protection. Ali gives a courageous first-hand account of what Muslim life is like for many girls and women living in Somalia, Saudi Arabia and other fundamentalist countries. Heartbreaking at times, but ultimately a testament to one woman’s quest for freedom.

5. Evolve Your Brain (Joe Dispenza)

And to conclude the category…a book about neuroscience. Dispenza is a chiropractor by trade, but he’s studied neuro-biology, brain evolution and the interaction between brain and body. Beginning with the fascinating story of how he healed his own spine after being hit by an SUV travelling 55mph, this book shows how the brain works, how thought patterns are created, how we can become addicted physiologically to our own thoughts, and how we can use intention and the frontal lobe to change our behaviour. Our thoughts create our realities, read all about it!

Tags: amy anderson, books, education, history, ideas, information, non-fiction, the other side of town, words
Posted in 2000's: A Decade in Review, Lists, Reviews

18
Dec
2009

The Definitive, Indisputable and Infallible List of the Unquestionably Best Rock Music of the 2000’s

8 Comments

a list by Isaac Thompson (Who holds these truths to be self-evident)

**********

Disclaimer: There has been a little bit of controversy over these “Decade in Review” lists we’ve been posting. Some of our contributors have been getting flack for posting their opinions and I don’t think that’s fair. I know a lot of people say that if you post something on the internet you’re asking for criticism, but I say that’s horseshit. How do I know that? I know because I am directly asking for criticism.

I’m the type who is right tickled by controversy and I aim to start some. I could challenge you to tell me I’m wrong about my own opinion, but I’ll make it even easier for you. This isn’t simply my opinion; this is indisputable fact sent from the heavens and engraved in stone tablets. I’m 100% correct in all of my choices and I dare you to challenge me on it. That’s right, I dare you. To all you haters, trolls, know-it-alls, MENSA members, freemasons, PETA supporters, Dane Cook fans and armchair critics, I dare you to challenge me in the comments section below. I will gladly drill you a new one, you fucking sissies

Even if you agree with what I have to say and haven’t noticed all of the grammatical and/or spelling errors I’ve carefully littered this article with, I still dare you to challenge my authority. Bring it on, but be warned, you will be verbally eviscerated by yours truly and I’m a cruel sonovabitch.

Your suffering will be legendary….even in hell!

**********

THE TEN BEST ROCK ALBUMS OF THE OUGHTS

(in whatever order I please.)

Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker

(2000)

Not the most rockin’ album on my list in terms of volume, but it’s dripping an unmatched angst and sadness that you can almost feel just by touching the disc. Heartbreaker is without a doubt my pick for the best album of the decade. Maybe even the best ‘tear-in-your-beer’, ‘music-to-slit-your-wrists-to’ album ever conceived. It’s got all the sensitivity of his lame-duck imitators who litter the radio these days combined with Adams’ awe inspiring passion. He is a song writing tour de force (I highly recommend all of his albums) and Heartbeaker is the record where all of his stars aligned.

Songs like “My Winding Wheel”, “Oh My Sweet Carolina” and “Damn Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains)” are striking in their beauty. The Old Fashioned rockers “To Be Young (is to be sad, is to be high)” and “Shakedown on 9^th Street” are sure to have you stomping your feet and singing along at the top of your lungs. The album’s centerpiece “Come Pick Me Up” is one of the greatest songs of all time and shows off Adams’ talent for capturing heartbreak with simplicity and profound honesty.

The record has a stripped down quality that backs its broken hearted sentiment perfectly. If you’re freshly dumped and alone for the holidays, pick up a copy of this amazing record. It will be your best friend.

The Decemberists – The Crane Wife

(2006)

The Decemberists’ main songwriter Colin Meloy is a goddamned genius. His songs are filled with rich imagery laden lyrics that touch on folklore, history and the human condition. The Crane Wife is an absolutely amazing album. If it were released 30 years ago it would be held with the same regard as Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of The Moon”. The album veers all over the place while remaining a singular coherent vision. There is the Folky duet “Yankee Bayonet”, the three part rock opera “The Island”, the bombastic “When the War Came” the cool and playful “Perfect Crime”, the poppy, sugar-coated gems “O Valencia!” and “Summersong”, as well as haunting numbers like “Shankill Butchers”. The Crane Wife is an album that demands you listen to it again and again, but fear not, you will be greatly rewarded if you comply.

The Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not

(2006)

Who knew a concept album about a night of clubbing would be the most electric, vital album of the decade? In terms of pure fuck-you-attitude and explosive youthful energy, nothing comes close to this record. It has a similar attention demanding combustibility of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” and The Sex Pistol’s “Nevermind the Bullocks…”. In a decade when a lot of good rock bands limped into obscurity and shit like Nickelback ruled all, these young British snots showed us what rock-and-fucking-roll is all about. It ain’t about wearing expensive leather clothes and singing ballads to teenage girls, it ain’t about musical merit and complexity either. It’s about passion, honesty, and true grit. Rock and roll has everything to do with attitude and the Arctic Monkeys are true ambassadors of ass-kicking attitude in the 21st century!

Fuck you!

Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American

(2001)

I present an album of 100% Perfect, heartfelt and inspired pop rock. Jimmy Eat World are a heart on their sleeve kind of band, but what separates them from the pack is they are sincere about their sincerity. It isn’t just a pose or a marketing gimmick, it’s total unfiltered earnestness that is hardly ever seen in these oh-so-ironic times full of above-it-all smarty pants (That’s right, I’m talking about you, why don’t you whine about it in the comments section, I dare you). Jimmy Eat World seem like the kind of guys who have the balls to truly acknowledge their emotions, I’ll bet they aren’t even afraid to cry (btw, the reason you’re afraid to cry is because of your small cock). On top of that, when Jimmy Eat World swings the rock hammer down they bring it down hard, proving they can be as aggressive as they are sensitive.

Hawksley Workman – Lover/Fighter

(2003)

In order to write and record Lover/Fighter, Hawksley Workman shut himself off from society, living and recording in an old abandoned schoolhouse in the middle of winter. The funny thing is, it isn’t the sombre claustrophobic affair you’d expect. It’s a big heaping handful of epic stadium ready rock. Why this album isn’t better known is beyond me. It’s Workman’s finest, most cohesive record and is overflowing with big catchy hooks. If you haven’t heard the genre bending track “Smoke Baby”, I suppose you should.

Muse – Absolution

(2003)

Muse have a lot to boast about. If I had to describe their sound I’d say it’s Radiohead meets Rage Against the machine, only cooler. They sing about cool subject matter such as Armageddon, the rapture, conspiracies, god and obsession. They show off expert playing, soaring vocals, giant hooks…there isn’t a single thing about this album that isn’t awesome.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – No More Shall We Part

(2001)

Nick Cave is incapable of becoming irrelevant. His music has always been important and it always will be. Cave ventures into uncharted territory with this beautiful and compelling collection of songs. It’s a slow burn of a record and that makes it all the more rewarding. It contains classics such as “God is in the House” and “Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow”. The narration of this album is totally inspired and full of those wonderful idiosyncrasies that only Cave can pull off.

Pearl Jam – Pearl Jam

(2006)

Pearl Jam’s self titled album (affectionately known to fans as “Avocado”) brought the big anthems and electric aggression (that they had previously been shying away from) back to their music. And the boys weren’t fooling around. The first single “World Wide Suicide” (a big “fuck you” to the architects of war) was such a sorely needed injection of awesome that it dominated rock radio for weeks. Pearl Jam reclaimed all that was rightfully theirs from the Theory of a Nickelcreeds. They showed those young whippersnappers how it’s done.

One of the best albums from one of the best bands ever. ‘Nuff said.

Tegan & Sara – The Con

(2007)

I can’t say enough good things about Tegan and Sara. To know them is to love them and if you don’t know them, shame on you. Tegan and Sara have an amazing talent for making incredible music and then something up with something even better a couple years later. I almost put their new album “Sainthood” on my list because it might be a better record, but I’ve spent more hours listening to The Con. I’ve already said my piece about “Sainthood” which you can read here.

The Con is an album full of atmosphere and heartbreak, but also of strength. Tegan and Sara songs are never content to wallow; they display a survivor attitude in the face of an eloquently described despair and it makes their music all the more powerful. The Con features expertly constructed pop melodies with often sparse arrangements, lyrics so profound they’ll rip your heart out, angelic vocal melodies, and lots of that rock and roll attitude.

I’m in love with this band and if you try and slag them I will be merciless.

The White Stripes – Icky Thump

(2007)

Really, every single White Stripes album belongs on this list. They’re all equally awesome. The only reason I chose Icky Thump over the others was the mood I was in today. If I were to write this list tomorrow it might include “Get Behind Me Satan” instead, or “Elephant”, or “White Blood Cells”…point is the White Stripes are the best new rock band of the 2000s and all of their albums are equally brilliant.

The White Stripes are a band with a vision, they have the colour scheme, the recurring topics (all of their albums reference redheaded women, and all contain a song titled “Little _____”), and fantastic music videos. Meg’s childish sometimes off-time drumming perfectly compliments Jack’s rat-in-a-cage attack. Jack White’s lyrics are clever and at times have a stream of consciousness feel. His passion is unquestionable, and his song writing is as important as Kurt Cobain, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan…you name it.

The White Stripes are the band of the decade. This isn’t so much an argument for the album Icky Thump as much as it’s an argument for the entire White Stripes catalogue. Long Live Jack and Meg!

Tool – Lateralus

(2001)

Ah, Tool, the only band in the world that can wait 5 or 6 years between albums and still have everyone and their dog clambering for them. Lateralus strolls up the next logical step from their previous record Ænima yet is still full of surprises. The album is one big sweeping, tense epic punctuated with orgasmic payoffs.

Maynard James Keenan is indisputably the best damn voice in rock and roll and he uses every trick at his disposal in this masterpiece of a record; never before or since has such challenging anti-pop, art-rock been so listenable and approachable. Danny Carey’s drumming is…well Danny Carey’s drumming. There are no words for how fantastic this guy is, just shut up and listen to him. Adam Jones’ Guitar work is otherworldly. His guitar sounds more like transmissions from hell than a mere six-string. Justin Chancellor shows off complex bass-lines that do anything but bleed into the background.

Every member of the band shines and they chug ahead like a well oiled machine. There is no single force in tool that outweighs the other. They are truly the sum off all their parts. Everything about Lateralus is a work of art. Even the liner notes are mind-blowing. Lateralus is an album that requires headphones, solitude and reflection. No kidding, this shit will change your life.

Honourable Mentions: Deftones – White Pony, A Perfect Circle – Mer de Noms, Days of the New – Red, System of a Down – Mezmerize/Hypnotize, Queens of The Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf, The stokes – Is This It, Wintersleep – Welcome to The Night Sky, Coheed and Cambria – Good Apollo: I’m Burning Star IV, Modest Mouse – Good News For People Who Love Bad News

and Yes, I’m aware that my top ten list contains 11 albums. What are you gonna do about it?……That’s what I thought.

Tags: 2000s, decade in review, I am right and you are wrong, isaac thompson, rock music, top ten
Posted in 2000's: A Decade in Review, Lists, Reviews

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