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(06/01/06 12:36am)
One of last year's biggest and most controversial films was "Brokeback Mountain," which raised a new bar for the gay community and homosexual themes in mainstream movies. "Transamerica" was just as groundbreaking as "Brokeback" was, but it probably wasn't as talked about because of the light-hearted comedic tone throughout the film. Although the plot and mood were substantially different, "Transamerica" is just as important for the transgendered community as films like "Brokeback Mountain" are for the gay community. \n"Transamerica" follows a pre-op male to female transsexual named Bree, played by Felicity Huffman. Bree saves up a lot of money in order to get her sex change operation, but her plans are interrupted when she finds out she has a son which was conceived during her college days when she was still a man. She takes a plane from LA to New York City to bail her son out of jail, and offers to drive him to his stepfather's home, posing as a Christian missionary. Bree and her son Toby, played by Kevin Zegers, end up driving cross-country back to LA, and they gradually form a strong bond, which is tested towards the end of the film when Toby discovers who Bree really is. \nThrough the course of the film, Toby isn't the only one who is deceived by Bree, and aside from the dark humor, it becomes clear how much of a burden Bree's pre-op gender is to her. The characters around Bree become just as confused as she is, and the film covers a lot of the aspects and terms dealing with transgendered individuals that most people don't really know. Although the film raises social awareness about transgendered individuals, it was more about acceptance in general. Gender roles may define us, but like other factors, i.e. race, religion, etc., they're certainly not barriers.
(06/01/06 12:30am)
When TV veteran David Milch ("NYPD Blue") first came to HBO with the idea for "Deadwood" he wanted to do a show that revolved around a camp in America's history that was rough, primitively civilized, dirty, without stable government or law and ultimately, fascinating. The first season of the show presented us with this overall premise, introducing us to the ensemble of brilliant characters and major themes like loyalty, greed, trust, corruption and self-discovery. Season two essentially picks up right where its predecessor left off and revolves mainly around outside threats and the inevitable organized future of Deadwood, N.D.\nIn season two, tensions continue to rise amidst the residents of Deadwood. The often livid Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) struggles with his duties as sheriff and his commitment to wife and child, while keen bar keep/pimp and town Caesar Al Swearengen (the brilliant Ian McShane) deals with some nasty physical ailments, continues his stronghold of the camp while also dealing with eminent threats from outside business prospectors and the inevitable need to annex Deadwood into the U.S. government.\nWhile the threat of outside powers ascending on the gold miner's utopia is the overall premise of season two, it is the small side stories and development of minor characters that really makes this show fascinating. \nSol Star (a highly underused John Hawkes) pursues his complicated relationship with Swearengen's top whore Trixie (Paula Malcomson), self appointed mayor and slimy hotel connoisseur E.B. Farnum (William Sanderson) continues in his treacherous, snake-like ways and finally there is the newly introduced character Francis Wolcott (Garret Dillahunt, who previously starred as Wild Bill Hickok's assassin in season one), a prospector and businessman who has dark and nasty secrets.\nThe six-disc DVD set features enough special features to satisfy both hardcore fans of the show as well as those interested in exploring the historical background of the story. \nThe impressive set features nine commentary tracks by actors, creator Milch, and some producers, a documentary featurette on the real Deadwood and finally there is a nice little behind the scenes, "making of" video that chronicles the show's extensive and highly detailed set and costume designs, and how the actors and crew endured filming in unbearable desert heat, among other things. \n"Deadwood," like so many other series in HBO's impressive canon, is complicated and asks a lot from its audience. However, it never once insults our intelligence and is rewarding after its completion. The writing is stellar and at times poetic (even with its plethora of fantastic obscenities). The actors, many of whom are fairly unknown, are all top of their game and the show invites us to witness the wild side of the wild West while also showing us an important part of American History.
(06/01/06 12:28am)
In the song "Love Me" Mr. 50 Cent rapped that D'Angelo "went butt-ass for his record to sell." While it is true that the once active R&B star used his marble carved abs as a powerful weapon to attract the attention of the MTV generation, this musical rarity will always be more than just a poster boy for the masses. \nVoodoo was the follow up release to the breakout 1995 album Brown Sugar. As far as successful sophomore releases go, Voodoo is as good as it comes. Released during a time when R&B was making a huge comeback thanks to artists like Maxwell, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and others, Voodoo came as a crowing achievement for D'Angelo and still remains one of the finest albums of the last ten years. \nWhat makes this album such a successful record is how it treads the water of different musical styles and influences. The 13 tracks resonate with '70s Al Green/Marvin Gayeesque balladic R&B, heavy bass infused funk and just a touch of modern hip-hop stylings to give it that extra unique feel. The songs are sexy, with tracks like the cover of Roberta Flack's "Feel Like Making Love," or the album's single, "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," a cut which is oozing with sexual innuendos. But Voodoo is much more than simply an album to get your freak on to since D'Angelo also chooses to sing about what's close to his heart.\nPersonal songs like the album's beautiful closer "Africa" or the Latin flavored "Spanish Joint" are more mature lyrically than most pop songs today and his use of real musicians and instrumentation, rather than heavily polished beats makes Voodoo that much more effective.\nD'Angelo hasn't released an album since Voodoo and is starting to look like he has gone the way of fellow artist Lauryn Hill who after her 2000 opus The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill found the lord and faded away from the spotlight. Voodoo is the kind of perfect album that only comes around once and a while. It is brilliantly arranged, the lyrics are solid and D'Angelo has the kind of smooth, mellow voice that is in the same vein as a young Marvin Gaye in his heyday.
(06/01/06 12:25am)
Rarely does a band build on the success of its debut album by completely altering its sound. The Stills' 2003 debut, Logic Will Break Your Heart, with its Cure-on-steroids dark pop, put the Montreal-based band at the forefront of the doom and gloom renaissance. Their second album, Without Feathers finds the band in a much lighter and happier mood, owing just as much to McCartney, Elton, Oasis and Blur as it does to Echo and the Bunnymen.\nThis change in attitude was undoubtedly facilitated by the major lineup changes that the band underwent in between Logic and Feathers. After sacking lead guitarist Greg Paquet, drummer and primary songwriter Dave Hamelin switched to guitar and also managed to wrestle most of the lead vocal duties away from usual frontman, Tim Fletcher. The result is an album that is heavy on piano, organ and major-key melodies, while still retaining some of the bite of their earlier work.\nFeathers opens with the effective one-two punch of "In the Beginning" and "The Mountain." The former establishes in five minutes of pastoral pop that the band is a completely new entity not interested in reliving its past. The latter finds the band lifting Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty," piano lick, only to whip the song into a swirling, frenetic climax.\nOne of the most interesting facets of the Stills is their ability to draw upon a mishmash of influences. "In the End" sounds like a Bowie outtake from the early seventies with its off key piano balladry, while "Destroyer" is a pop gem complete with a chipper brass section that would have sounded right at home on Blur's Parklife. But, even though the band's influences are evident, they avoid sounding like a tribute band by managing to make these songs their own.\nThose interested in finding any semblance of the dark sound of Logic only have a few tracks to choose from. The Fletcher-sung songs come the closest with "Helicopters" and "Outro" both being depressing enough to ruin your day. Also, "Baby Blues" sounds very similar to "Allison Krausse" from their debut.\nFeathers isn't perfect by any means. The middle of the album lags a bit and there are moments when the new sound doesn't quite click, but you've really got to admire the Stills for daring to fall on their faces. It takes some guts to do a creative 180 and follow a different creative path than what others expect from you. And while they've undoubtedly lost some goth-kid fans, who really wants to be a sad conformist anyways?
(06/01/06 12:22am)
If "The Rat" and "We've been Had" are the only Walkmen songs on your ipod and you've got $13 you're looking to piss away, you might want to stay away from A Hundred Miles Off. However, if you're favorite Walkmen song is "Hang on, Siobhan" like me and you're actually a fan, then go ahead and check out the latest from N.Y.s finest art-rock quintet. \nHamilton Leithauser and the boys try to step outside the box and expand with this one with the use of flamenco sounding horns on the albums first song "Louisiana" to later getting into strange tribal and punk rock percussion. Regardless of the experimentation, Miles is a Walkmen record through and through, with its trademark ambient reverbing guitars and brilliant, melodic piano and organ (not to be confused with the jerk-off, metrosexual sorority rock of the Killers and their use of the synthesizer). \nBut, the most surprising thing about the new record is that they have done absolutely nothing that resembles or builds on the catchy, pop-sensible, high energy tracks that made Bows and Arrows so popular and brought them so much acclaim. This is obviously a deliberate choice, one song is even titled "Always after You, 'til You Started after Me". \nLike every other to-cool-for-school indie rock band, they've run screaming in the other direction from whatever brings them national attention. Don't get me wrong, the album is very enjoyable. Upon listening, you'll immediately be humming "Boston" in the car and at work, and "Another One Goes By" with Leithauser's dylanesque croon over a gently swaying fifties sounding guitar, could be the best Walkmen song to date. \nIt's just that there is not a single moment on the album that gets your blood going. It's mellow and unstriking, which is fine but with the flashes of brilliance that have been seen in the past it would have been really nice to see these guys take a run at the throne of indie rock royalty and make an accessible, melody fueled rocking album. But I guess that's just not their brand of whisky. The way I see it, the Walkmen are just shy, standoff art rockers who are guilty of being great songwriters which sometimes causes unwanted attention from the masses. \nSo if you're an uptight music prick, the kind of asshole who hates the Strokes and won't admit Loaded is better than Nico, don't fret, the Walkmen are fighting to stay in obscurity. But if you're just a casual fan of that song from that car commercial or the previous NME tracks of the week, be careful because what you have is a solid record from a solid band but nothing that cashes in on the promise of Bows and Arrows. In fact it's about a hundred miles off.
(05/31/06 11:57pm)
"This is the true story of seven jailbirds picked to live in an abandon hotel and find out what happens when people stop acting nice and start getting their eyes gouged out by a mental psycho path." No, "See No Evil" doesn't begin with this voice-over, but with all the arguing, hooking up and drugs, it's nothing more than a bad episode of "The Real World." Except people die. \nA group of young inmates are sent to clean up an abandoned hotel for a city work release program (smart idea), where an insane killer happens to live. Apparently inmates are now allowed designer clothes, beauty products and cell phones in jail as long as they are young and hot. Back in the day some nuns messed up our killer, Jacob Goodnight (played by WWE wrestler Kane), by making him wash his sins out of his eyes (or something like that, I don't know I kind of stopped paying attention) and now he gouges out the eyes of his victims. Turns out the victims were the lucky ones because, wait for it…wait for it… with their eyes scratched out they'll never have to watch this movie (ooh bet you weren't expecting that.) \nKane mopes around looking like the lovechild of John C. Reilly and the Hulk killing the kids, nothing too exciting. On a side note, my cousin used to work for the WWE and back in 5th grade I went backstage (or whatever you call backstage at a wrestling match) and met several wrestlers including Kane. So I saw Kane without his mask on, which was huge back then because Kane aaaalways wore a mask, but now since he's doing a whole movie without one, I guess it's not that big of a deal. Anyways... I could talk about all the crappy camera angles and weird ghost noises used (even though the hotel isn't haunted) but there's really no point, just don't see this movie.\nIn all fairness, "See No Evil" isn't much worse than its predecessors in a long list of bad horror movies to fly out of theaters this year. The sad part is how audiences continue to flock to these films. Even against "The DaVinci Code," "See No Evil" managed to have a pretty decent opening weekend. While you can't really expect much from a movie financed by the WWE and directed by a porn director (Gregory Dark), you'd at least think a porn director would know how to pleasure an audience. Guess not.
(05/31/06 10:15pm)
Follow-up sequels are always the franchise killers. Just look at Batman. It took the tragic antihero ten years to find a cinematic road to recovery after the 1995 release of "Batman Forever." When Brett Ratner took over as director for "X-Men: The Last Stand," the final installment of the X-Men trilogy, the fan community held its collective breath. Best known for "Rush Hour," Ratner was an unlikely candidate to fill the shoes of Brian Singer, who'd directed the previous two movies but left with most of the X-Men production staff to wrap up "Superman Returns." However, though "X3" fails to top its predecessors, Ratner still manages to deliver a competent summer blockbuster.\nA cure for the mutant gene has been discovered. Though some mutants are willing to embrace the idea, the mutant supremacist Magneto forms a brotherhood to combat what he sees as impending genocide. At the same time, Jean Grey -- who was buried under a mountain of water in the preceding movie -- has returned to life as the Dark Phoenix, a mutant of incalculable power. This was an epic event in the comic book series, a plotline that very well could have been the dominant theme of the movie. Instead, Phoenix stands by idly as events unfold around her, coming to life only when the action pertains directly to her. Though these two grand intrigues unfold in the presence of each other, they fail to merge into a unified plot.\nThe underlying strength of the X-Men trilogy has always been in its casting. For fans of the series' mutant mythology, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were daydream embodiments of their comic book personas. Kelsey Grammer adds another dead-on portrayal to the roster as Beast. Still, as exciting as it is to see more comic book favorites, there is little opportunity for them to develop as characters. Colossus, Juggernaut, Kitty Pryde, Callisto, Multiple Man . . . the list of fan-sating mutant mayhem seems endless (and there's even a Sentinel to thrill the hardcore enthusiasts), but this parade of personality distracts from the inner struggles of the protagonists -- a mainstay of the X-men franchise. Characters like Angel flit around at the periphery of the story, while others are present only as fuel for the meat grinder.\n"X3's" body count gave the movie an apocalyptic flavor. Seeing Wolverine go to town on a bunch of baddies in "X2" made for a significant wow, but "X3's" explosion-laden, flesh-melting, knockout battle scenes rob the film of some of the subtle angst prominent in the previous installments. Cherished mainstays of the Marvel universe die unexpectedly -- two within the first half hour of the film -- and the miraculous resurrections of the comic world can only be stretched so far on film should a fourth movie ever surface.\nRegardless, you don't have to be a comic book aficionado to get a thrill out of "X-Men: The Last Stand." In fact, the movie stands on its own merits even for an audience who has never seen the first two installments. It's epic good versus evil, a superhuman action finale to a powerhouse trilogy.
(05/25/06 8:37am)
Having been almost two years since the release of "Early Summer," the Criterion Collection finally offers up the release of another title from Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu: "Late Spring." After having shown much love to Akira Kurosawa and Seijun Suzuki (14 and 6 releases respectively), this marks the fifth title from Ozu and perhaps a sign of more to come. \n"Late Spring" marks the beginning of Ozu's "seasonal" cycle of films and tells the story of Shukichi Somiya (Chishu Ryu) and his daughter Noriko (Setsuko Hara in her first Ozu appearance) who live a quiet life together in post-WWII Japan. Noriko cares for her father dearly, making it known that without her, he would forget many of the daily necessities. With so many people already married or engaged, Shukichi becomes concerned with his 27-year-old daughter who is still unwed, making it a point to find her a suitor. Noriko, however, has no interest in marriage, let alone an arranged one, and would rather spend her days helping dad. \nIt all sounds rather simple and truthfully it is. What makes the work of Ozu so accessible is the crystal clarity worked into his stories. They all deal with family -- something every person has in their life to an extent -- and through that we all can relate somehow. There are no pretentious gusts to avoid in "Late Spring" but rather a cool breeze that calms us.\nFor being her first collaboration with Ozu, the presence of Setsuko Hara is evident from the start. Almost always smiling, Hara's face has the effect on Japanese films that the likes of Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo had on cinema itself. \nMeticulously remastered, Criterion gives this important release the usual two-disc treatment. Disc 1 has the film complemented with an excellent commentary from Richard Peña, director of the New York Film Society. There are also essays from critic Michael Atkinson on Ozu's work and historian Donald Ritchie, the latter explaining the wonderful relationship between Hara and Ozu through their films together. \nOpening with the first scenes from Ozu's "Tokyo Story," German auteur Wim Wenders' "Tokyo-Ga" documentary captures the quest of a director in search of the Tokyo found in so many of Ozu's films. It is a wonderful work of artistic filmmaking, observing a very modern Japan intercut with interviews from Chishu Ryu and fellow German director Werner Herzog. It is a film that is very deserving of its own release, but is a great companion piece found in this DVD set. \nAs the back cover reads, "'Late Spring' alone justifies Ozu's inclusion in the pantheon of cinema's greatest directors." I couldn't agree with this statement more.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
Indiana Beach Amusement Resort is located in Monticello, IN and boasts five unique roller coasters for attendees' enjoyment.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
This year's competitors:
(05/25/06 4:00am)
Each Memorial Day weekend, people come from all over the country to witness the greatest spectacle in racing. What is not to love about the fastest cars in the world traveling at breakneck speeds. And for the lucky residents of Indiana it is all going down right here in the Hoosier State. \nA lot has changed since the first race in 1911. Over the years the Indianapolis 500 has evolved into more than just a car race. Today it is a major entertainment event. If you are heading up to the Brickyard this year, race fan or not, here are some of the things to see this Memorial Day weekend:
(05/25/06 4:00am)
After two years and much anticipation, Dan Brown's controversial novel "The Da Vinci Code" has been brought to life on film. The controversy arose out of the novel's theories regarding one of the most ancient relics of the church, the Holy Grail. Apparently this theory has riled some members of the church, as well as members of the Christian community. \nI certainly haven't been able to turn on a TV in the last week or so without hearing all about the church's condemnation of the film, and their implorations that no Christian see it. Odd though, that the church would spend so much time and effort attempting to discredit a film they have pronounced to be ineffectual and totally inaccurate. Their staunch proposal that no real Christian would take this "absurd" premise seriously has been documented in no less than 24 "Cracking the Da Vinci Code" type books, and even a few preemptive TV specials. Strange behavior for such an unshakable and self-assured organization, no? \nTo be sure, the book and the film contain inaccuracies, exaggerations and shaky premises of argument, but many renowned books and films have had the same problems. This one, however, takes on the church, that shakiest of all premises of argument. And therein lies the rub. Luckily, however, the film is a piece of entertainment and should thusly be judged.\nScreenwriter Akiva Goldsmith's treatment of the novel is mostly accurate, changing only a few prominent details in an effort to cut the running length of the film. For all the critical guffaw I've been hearing about the film being boring, I can safely say it is anything but, if you're not someone who despises having to think about a film as you watch it. \nDan Brown's original novel was suspenseful and intriguing, if ungracefully written and starkly unpoetic. The novel, however, was a page-turner. The story begins with the elderly curator Jacques Sauniere racing through the Louvre museum in Paris, attempting to evade a murderer. When he is shot, he has just enough time to construct a labyrinthine message to his granddaughter Sophie and Harvard Symbologist Robert Langdon. The clues lead to a scavenger/treasure Holy Grail hunt that has them trotting from Swiss banks, to mansions of old professors, to ancient churches in Great Britain. \nAs Robert Langdon, Tom Hanks was direly miscast. He is perpetually confused and never seems comfortable with the dialogue. Conversely, Audrey Tataou is perfectly cast as Cryptologist Sophie Neveu. She is compelling, \nintelligent and delivers her performance with the right mixture of awe and poise. Perhaps the best performance is delivered by Ian McKellen as the old English professor, Leigh Teabing, who brings to the character the right blend of austereness and an over-the-top zealotry worthy of Monty Python. Supporting cast include Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina and the ever-sublime and underappreciated Jean Reno as Inspector Bezu Fache. \nRon Howard has done an excellent job bringing the novel to the screen. The film is flawed, but not in any crucial way. And if you're compelled by any of the naysayers to stay away, maybe rent "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" instead, still the best Grail film ever made.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
In "Over the Hedge," a band of diminutive woodland creatures wake from a winter's hibernation only to find that all but a sliver of their homeland has been deforested and turned into a suburban habitat for humans. When a stranger, a raccoon with a secret agenda of his own, offers to solve the problem that this new development poses to the animals ability to supply themselves with food, they allow themselves to be lead "Over the Hedge" to steal food from the invading suburbanites. \nBased on the comic strip by Michael Fry and T. Lewis, the movie features a turtle named Verne (Gary Shandling) as the sensible leader of the animals who is supplanted when RJ the raccoon (Bruce Willis) wins the group over after offering them their first taste of junk food. The group living with Verne in a hollow log consist of a wholesome family of Porcupine, a Skunk (Wanda Sykes) with poor self image, a hyperactive squirrel, an opossum (William Shatner) and his teenage daughter (Avril Lavigne). Nick Nolte, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara are among the other notable talents who lend their voices to characters in the movie.\nThe number of celebrity voices does not in this case signify the quality of "Over the Hedge." In fact the film makes a disappointing addition to DreamWorks catalogue of animated titles. While the animation has the three-dimensional quality of films such as "Shrek," the style is unpleasantly goofy especially when it comes to character design, and in some important instances such as Verne the turtle, 3-D makes the character seem ugly and unendearing. \nThe story itself is rather thinly stretched to provide a movie's worth of entertainment. Too many of the jokes involve Verne losing his shell and exposing his rather human-looking backside. The most entertaining parts of the movie are the sequence about humans and their food that was shown in trailers for the film and also the interaction between Stella the Skunk and a Parisian tomcat that sadly gets less than five minutes of the films' running time. Any intended message about the strain that the development of suburbia puts on wild animals is downplayed and a predictable and overly sappy message about the love and acceptance of family feels like it has been awkwardly inserted into the plot. If you are desperate to occupy some children for a little while, "Over the Hedge" will do the trick, but if you are looking for a quality animated film experience, don't bother with this one.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
Director Terry Zwigoff and comic book writer Dan Clowes team up again in attempt to duplicate the success of 2001's "Ghost World." And while their newest collaboration, "Art School Confidential," has a devious sense of humor and wit comparable to "Ghost World," "Art School" is not able to sustain a sense of empathy for its characters, and therefore the film stumbles long before its resolution.\nJerome Platz (Minghella) is a geeky incoming art student at an East coast school who initially wants nothing more than to be a rich and successful artist. By the second act of the film, Jerome wants nothing more than Audrey (Myles), a beautiful art model who knows everyone in the local art community. Jerome figures that if he can prove to Audrey that he truly is a greater artist than pretty boy classmate Jonah (Matt Keeslar), he can win her love. \nThen comes a seemingly random side plot. In passing, there is mention of a killer on the loose in town who strangles his victims. No one knows when or where he will strike next, only that he will strike again. Somehow Zwigoff is able to combine, though not exactly justify, this plot point with the rest of the story by its end. \n"Art School Confidential" is cleverly humorous, but the film does not know what genre it is attempting. Jerome's struggle to win over Audrey indicates romantic comedy, the strangler side plot indicates murder mystery and then there is the film's focus on art, but it is not exactly an "art film." For this reason the plot seems almost too burdensome to get wrapped up in. \nA strong point of this film, as was with "Ghost World," is the fact that it repeatedly points out and exploits the notion that there is a thin line between art and bullshit. Furthermore, it also does a good job of making fun of stereotypes: The gay art teacher who gives only As (Malkovich), the kiss-ass student, the meditating hippy and all the students who think crappy art is great art. The art-satire, as well as brief appearances by Steve Buscemi and Anjelica Huston, are almost enough to redeem the film by its end.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
What do you get when you mix a rock fundamentalist with a one-man band? A gigantic creative force with some hefty musical output sounds about right. So goes the story of Jack White of the White Stripes and Brendan Benson, a native of Detroit and longtime friend of White. Joining them are bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler of the Greenhornes, an established alt-rock band from Cincinnati. \nThe Raconteurs materialized in the summer of 2005 and gained experience playing together when the Greenhornes opened for the White Stripes on the North American leg of their tour last year. Even though songs from their debut album Broken Boy Soldiers leaked onto the Internet more than a month before its official release date, the Raconteurs have surged ahead with confidence and are about to embark on a tour covering dates in North America and Europe. \nSoldiers strikes a nice balance between acoustic and electric tracks. The quirky psychedelic riff on "Level" sounds like White and Benson are playing their guitars underwater. That, teamed with a vintage 1960's fuzz guitar sound, makes it one of the standout tracks on the album. Another critical component in this song and other heavier numbers is the Vox organ, which has been revived after bands like Deep Purple popularized it in the 1970s. \nAs the album cover \nsuggests, these four occasionally play like a bunch of bruised-knuckled bar mongers on some rousing tracks. The band's broiling attitude bursts through especially on "Store Bought Bones," a raucous number that matches perfectly with a pub brawl. It displays White's classic frenzied guitar work and includes a frantic jam section towards the end with all instruments indulging in a few solo measures. \n "Blue Veins" presents an interesting midsection as well as some masterful studio engineering. One of the verses, sung by White, is looped backwards and creates an eerie effect that fits well with the bitterly lamenting lyrics. Hollow guitar sounds and a shuffling drum beat on the title track resemble a White Stripes tune, and references to boyish mischief and petty guilt in the lyrics assist in making it an easy favorite on the album. \n"Together" drags a bit and diminishes the overall flow of the album with its flat changes and repetitive lyrics, but it otherwise serves as one of only two disruptive tracks, along with "Call it a Day," that weakens Broken Boy Soldiers.\nTo a certain extent, the other three members tame White's rock savagery that has been familiar on White Stripes albums. Throughout he steps down as frontman and lets Benson take the mic. Interestingly enough the two seemingly polar opposite musical personalities form a becoming combination. Benson's warm low voice compliments White's high-pitched yowl on most tracks, and the two often create harmonies as well. \nWhile the album may lack an overall flow from track to track, there's a strong effort on many songs. An odd mixture of four-part Beatle-esque harmony and a blasé lyrical delivery on "Call it a Day" sounds a little conflicted. But the talent's right there, and the future looks promising for the Raconteurs if and when they collaborate on a second release.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
One thing Washington DC production duo Thievery Corporation have maintained over their decade-long discography is consistency, never straying far from the down-tempo electronica of 1996's classic, Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi. Thievery's sound is immediately recognizable to even the most casual fan, a sonic after-hours lounge exploration of dub, world and whatever else the chemists of chill see fit. Riding a wave of recent success, namely a spot on 2004's coveted Garden State soundtrack, as well as the triumph of 2005's politically charged The Cosmic Game, Thievery began to hit their stride. \nBut that wave has begun to break with Thievery's latest release Versions. Much like the gentle peaks of Thievery's live sets, Versions is simply a return to form after having taken it out a bit. The album is 18 dub remixes of artists as diverse as sarangi player Ustad Sultan Kahn and the Doors, with a couple Thievery "originals" dotting the mix. \nThe record begins its measured voyage with the Ustad Sultan Kahn track "Tarana". Tricked-out Indian vocals blend naturally with melancholic trip-hop reminiscent of Portishead's Dummy. The warm pop of vinyl hangs eerily in the background. Damien 03's "Habanos Days" receives a proper dub treatment and Nouvelle Vague's "Love Song" has that trademark cinematic Thievery vibe, a little swanky with a hint of Saint Germain jazz. The remixes have been taken so far out that it's hard to not call them originals themselves. This observation is never more apparent than with the remix of the Norah Jones track "Angels." Jones's airy voice delicately coasts along to the slow chug of a dub beat, the lyrics almost unrecognizable given Thievery's extensive rewiring. The group also lends their remix chops to the Doors "Strange Days." It takes great artistic responsibility to remix any work, but to take Jim Morrison and place him over a very highly produced dance track is blasphemous. Despite being a remix record, there are originals in the mix. Though few and far between, the originals all deliver. The track "Originality" is so authentically dubbed-out, it's hard to imagine that King Tubby could produce better results. \nAs diverse as the artists sampled, Thievery has the uncanny ability to make it all sound the same. This is a testament to having mastered their sound, but the end result is a mild album that one would expect to be full of risk. Versions will certainly serve as appropriate late night background music, but overall it's a clean production that lacks depth.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
The Velvet Underground's White Light/White Heat is a rock masterpiece that sounds as if it were recorded in a machine shop, surrounded by speakers that were on the verge of blowing out. WL/WH, along with other Velvet Underground classics such as The Velvet Underground and Nico, is an album that many people say had a small following at first, but everyone who did listen to them went on to start bands of their own. VU has influenced a wide range of generations of loud and noisy rock bands -- from bands of the late 80's such as Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and Butthole Surfers, to virtually every "indie rock" band of today like the Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. \nThe Velvet Underground's fame appropriately began and grew during the underground art-rock scene of New York City in the late 1960's with its glamorous club kids, drugs and sexual experimentation. The pioneers of this era were visual artists like Andy Warhol, who produced The Velvet Underground and Nico, and Lou Reed, lead vocalist and guitarist for the Velvet Underground. \nWhite Light/White Heat was recorded in a span of only two days, which isn't too hard to believe if you've never heard it. It's raw and piercing, and one of the most persistent elements on the album is the feedback from the guitars. What made this album so special, along with many other Velvet Underground releases, was that it was revolutionary. It was punk, not in the traditional sense of imagery and style, but in the band's boorish lyrics and unconventional approach towards rock music. They laid down the foundation for noise rock, and it was unlike what other experimental bands did. Other bands of the 1960's may have experimented with sounds and music, but the Velvet Underground did so with things like distortion, frivolous sexual themes, spoken word and combinations of rock, blues, soul, and noise. Through the use of various instruments and sometimes things like everyday appliances, they produced sounds that were previously unheard. On the track "The Gift," John Cale recites a tale about the hardships of a long- distance relationship, making strong references to the sexual revolution of that time. Another track, titled "Sister Ray," is over 15 minutes long and features guitar parts that sound almost like police sirens. The opening track, "White Light/White Heat," is melodic at first and gets noisier as it progresses, and like the rest of the music on the album, Lou Reed's voice is raspy, but calm and cool.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
It's unfair to call this new version of "The Producers" a remake of the classic 1968 film. While they do share the same plot, the new version is an adaptation of the stage musical complete with song and dance numbers and several new characters not in the original film. So even though Matthew Broderick is no Gene Wilder, and Zero Mostel's performance in the original is one of the greatest accomplishments in comedic history, the new "Producers" is still very enjoyable and damn funny.\nNathan Lane plays Max Bialystock, a washed up Broadway producer forced to sleep with little old ladies to raise funds for his plays. When his accountant Leo Bloom (Broderick) stumbles upon a scheme in which their play will earn more money if it is a failure rather than a hit, the two set out to find the worst play possible and discover it in "Springtime for Hitler," a musical written by a Nazi loyalist. Nearly 40 years after its first incarnation, Mel Brooks' concept is still original, brilliant and hilarious. Besides, there really isn't anything funnier than watching tap dancing Nazis. Brooks' songs are catchy and the lyrics insanely witty. In "Springtime for Hitler" a storm-trooper sings, "Don't be stupid, be a smarty, come and join the Nazi party."\nThe movie is very faithful to the stage version. Both have the same director and much of the original cast returns, with Will Ferrell and Uma Thurman added for star power (both good fits, though Thurman's voice strains a little when having to belt longer notes). And while it's nice to see such loyalty, more creative work would've been useful. Sometimes it feels like a camera was just set up in front of the stage and the play was filmed. Some calming down is also needed as Lane and Broderick deliver many of their lines so over the top they'll exhaust the viewer. \nSpecial features include deleted scenes, most of which are reprises of musical numbers already in the film, and with an already running time of over two hours, were wisely kept out. However, "King of Broadway," one of the show's opening numbers, should have been kept in because not only is it funny, it helps introduce the character of Max. An "anatomy of a scene" feature chronicles the filming of "I Wanna be a Producer" and details the magnificent set and costuming. More of these anatomies should have been included. Mel Brooks is essentially absent from the features and his presence would have been perfect for Stroman's director commentary which is obviously scripted and sounds tense. Outtakes are also included. \nIt's a shame "The Producers" wasn't a box office hit. While moviegoers are usually skeptical about musicals, if just given the chance, the film could have appealed to the smart but immature comedy hungry audiences that made "Wedding Crashers" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin" such huge successes. The national tour of "The Producers" will stop in Bloomington in October, but until then the DVD is almost as good.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
Having been almost two years since the release of "Early Summer," the Criterion Collection finally offers up the release of another title from Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu: "Late Spring." After having shown much love to Akira Kurosawa and Seijun Suzuki (14 and 6 releases respectively), this marks the fifth title from Ozu and perhaps a sign of more to come. \n"Late Spring" marks the beginning of Ozu's "seasonal" cycle of films and tells the story of Shukichi Somiya (Chishu Ryu) and his daughter Noriko (Setsuko Hara in her first Ozu appearance) who live a quiet life together in post-WWII Japan. Noriko cares for her father dearly, making it known that without her, he would forget many of the daily necessities. With so many people already married or engaged, Shukichi becomes concerned with his 27-year-old daughter who is still unwed, making it a point to find her a suitor. Noriko, however, has no interest in marriage, let alone an arranged one, and would rather spend her days helping dad. \nIt all sounds rather simple and truthfully it is. What makes the work of Ozu so accessible is the crystal clarity worked into his stories. They all deal with family -- something every person has in their life to an extent -- and through that we all can relate somehow. There are no pretentious gusts to avoid in "Late Spring" but rather a cool breeze that calms us.\nFor being her first collaboration with Ozu, the presence of Setsuko Hara is evident from the start. Almost always smiling, Hara's face has the effect on Japanese films that the likes of Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo had on cinema itself. \nMeticulously remastered, Criterion gives this important release the usual two-disc treatment. Disc 1 has the film complemented with an excellent commentary from Richard Peña, director of the New York Film Society. There are also essays from critic Michael Atkinson on Ozu's work and historian Donald Ritchie, the latter explaining the wonderful relationship between Hara and Ozu through their films together. \nOpening with the first scenes from Ozu's "Tokyo Story," German auteur Wim Wenders' "Tokyo-Ga" documentary captures the quest of a director in search of the Tokyo found in so many of Ozu's films. It is a wonderful work of artistic filmmaking, observing a very modern Japan intercut with interviews from Chishu Ryu and fellow German director Werner Herzog. It is a film that is very deserving of its own release, but is a great companion piece found in this DVD set. \nAs the back cover reads, "'Late Spring' alone justifies Ozu's inclusion in the pantheon of cinema's greatest directors." I couldn't agree with this statement more.
(05/25/06 4:00am)
Dear Keenen, Marlon, Damon, Shawn and \nany others I may have \nforgotten,
