Cult Iconic

Because It's Private, and Not Normal

2011-11-06T01:37:00.000-07:00

Just a few quick thoughts on movies recently seen.

Martha Marcy May Marlene
Anchored by a pitch-perfect performance from Elizabeth Olsen (far removed from her supremely uninteresting sisters), Martha looks at the after-effects of a traumatic event earnestly, subtly and with enough humor and humanistic responsibility that it never slips into histrionics or pretentiousness. John Hawkes as the Manson-esque cult leader, and the rest of the supporting cast are similarly fantastic; which is not to say that the direction should be ignored. Sean Durkin has crafted a beautifully shot film that won't be easy for me to shake--a feeling that maximizes retrospective empathy for the title character.

Broken Embraces
After loving The Skin I Live In as I did, it seemed like Broken Embraces was the next logical place to go. Almodovar's second most recent film is an entertaining piece of self-reflexive melodrama, with a magnetic performance from Penelope Cruz, who is always compulsively watchable. However, the pieces surrounding her story, and the too-revelatory ending scenes end up dismantling the film somewhat. It's a minor Almodovar that encompasses some of his most quintessential themes, and thus is a fascinating paradox if not a particularly good film ultimately.

Paranormal Activity 2 & 3
One of the most effective tools in horror filmmaking is the art of withholding, but my main complaint about the first Paranormal Activity is that it abused this technique to the point that it just wasn't as scary as it should have been. The 2nd, and especially 3rd movies rectify this by showing more creepy shit without ever overdoing it. The 3rd is easily the best of the series and stands as one of the best American horror movies I've seen in a long time (admittedly, I'm not sure that says a lot). The "Bloody Mary" sequence is truly a brilliant feat of minimalist filmmaking, and will stick with me for awhile.

Insidious
I'd heard good things about this movie, and I tried hard to like it. When all is said and done, though, it's a silly, meandering series of increasingly bizarre (and bizarre in a dull way) scenes that reveal themselves to have been building towards a shallow, cheap, barely-earned twist ending. There are effective moments, but they're few and far between. Passable if one is desperate for a horror fix, but that's the best I can say of it.

VIFF 2011: THE SKIN I LIVE IN Review

2011-10-31T03:15:00.000-07:00

...Everything is grey, in a dizzyingly confusing way. When the credits roll--after a sure to be oft-quoted final line--there is no sense of emotional satisfaction. This is perhaps the most brilliant, lingering thing about the movie... Click here to read my full review on Twitch.

Top Albums, Singles, and Films of 2011

2011-10-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

Eh, may as well attempt to keep up with tradition!

FILMS

01. The Turin Horse (Bela Tarr)
02. A Simple Life (Ann Hui)
03. The Skin I Live In (Pedro Almodovar)

ALBUMS

Will update as I actually hear things.

SINGLES

VIFF 2011: THE OTHER CALIFORNIANS Review

2011-10-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

...The effectiveness of The Other Californians lies in this passive-viewer style of approach. We can learn a lot about both their lives and our own by simply seeing how the rancheros live, day by day. There are several different ranches featured, some with large families housed inside, some with one single person manning the operations. They milk goats, cows, slaughter the occasional animal for meat, gather water from local springs, break in wild horses, and do whatever else needs to be done... Click here to read my full review on Twitch.

VIFF 2011: THE TURIN HORSE Review

2011-10-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

...Shot in gorgeously sumptuous, haunting, high-contrast black and white, The Turin Horse unfolds over the course of six days. We spend the entire time witnessing the repetitive, highly mundane, painstakingly methodical routines of a father and his daughter in a small house on a prairie in what seems like real time... Click here to read my full review on Twitch.

VIFF 2011: QUATTRO HONG KONG 2 Review

2011-10-16T03:53:00.000-07:00

...Quattro Hong Kong 2 is the second instalment in a series of short films funded by and intended to promote the Hong Kong International Film Festival. This year's four shorts come from Brilliante Mendoza (Philippines), Ho Yuchang (Malaysia), Apichatpong Weerasethakal (Thailand), and Stanley Kwan (Hong Kong). Unlike recent compendiums Paris Je T'aime, or Tokyo!, this collection is rather short--all four films total just 65 minutes... Click here to read my full review on Twitch.

VIFF 2011: TARGET Review

2011-10-16T03:44:00.000-07:00

...One of Target's main problems is that it favors the personal dramas of its horribly uninteresting characters above all else, making the backdrop of Moscow in 2020 nearly irrelevant. This also leads to the many smaller plots or ideas being either ignored or just underdeveloped (the recurring appearance of Viktor's special glasses that indicate whether the items viewed are good or evil is just one example)... Click here to read my full review on Twitch.

Throwing Fire Like a Mob

2011-01-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Vickie Leekx, M.I.A.'s new(ish, dropped New Year's Eve) mixtape, seems to be spurring a ton of oops-maybe-she-is-still-good kind of blog posts and articles. After most sane people agreed that MAYA was a silly, largely unlistenable misfire, they used it in conjunction with the negative NY Times piece and M.I.A.'s own headscratching twitter behaviour as evidence that she now, in so many words, sucked. Myself included. For me it hit even harder because I found Kala disappointing aside from maybe 3 tracks, and thus viewed MAYA as the final nail in her coffin. We all moaned about how living in California in an upper-class neighborhood had stamped out her street cred and splitting from Diplo had left her without the sick beats to make up for it. The only glimmers of hope on MAYA were the shallow-but-catchy "XXXO" and "Steppin' Up." The latter is an excellent crashing, bashing anthem on which M.I.A. makes lines like "boy I need a rub, rub a dub a dub dub, rub a dubadubadub" sound intimidatingly cool. It probably comes closest to the aesthetic she wanted to achieve on the album, but it was far from enough to save it.

Thanks to all this, I barely bat an eye when I heard about Vickie Leekx. It wasn't until reading this article--though the author did like MAYA, so I still had my reservations--that I decided to finally download it; I was once a diehard fan of hers not so long ago, afterall. I felt like I owed her one more chance. Within moments of starting it up, I had to stop what I was doing and let it sink in that... I was actually loving it. Piracy Funds Terrorism may have been better than Arular, but if it was, its superiority was negligible. Vickie Leekx dwarfs the accomplishments of MAYA about fifteen times over.

Trying to describe this mixtape, let alone attempting to review it, isn't easy. It's hyper and urgent and completely unfocused, but that all works in its favor. M.I.A. herself sounds sexy, tough, and most of all, fed up--with delightful results. On "Marsha-Britney" she taunts "your shoes could feed a village, you should think about that." On the surface she's dissing some other pop starlet, but maybe it's also self-guilt (she persists "you can have my money, but you can't have me" on the anti-consumerism "Gen N-E-Y"). Throughout Vickie Leekx she tries to balance the angry, world-conscious M.I.A. with the bratty, irresponsible California M.I.A., and the end product--as Nicky Minaj growls "a bad bitch that came from Sri Lanka"--is more endearing than she's been in years. Best of all, she is able to portray all these roles and transmit her ideas (however fuzzy they are) through music that's also danceable and exhuberantly giddy where MAYA was a chore to get through and about as much fun as my dentist appointment yesterday. If you were ever a fan of M.I.A., you're screwing yourself over if you don't hear this.

Interview by Kanye West

2011-01-21T21:47:00.000-08:00

WEST: How does it feel to know that you could have any man in the world? Or woman. How does it feel to know you can turn straight women gay?

RIHANNA: Is that a real question?

WEST: Yeah.

2011-01-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

I think every year I say it's my New Year's Resolution to post more, but this year...is the most recent! In order to be able to actually post more, I'm going to start resorting to whatever pops into my head--no more waiting around until I have some "deep thoughts" or a "movie review" or some kind of "list" (you can just imagine me doing the obnoxious air-quotes to go along). From now on, anything goes!

VIFF 2010: CHICKS Review

2010-10-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

...What's remarkable about Chicks is that in many, if not most other hands, the portrayal of these girls would inevitably turn condescending if not all-out contemptuous. The other extreme possibility, of course, would be to glorify their carefree (which, as it turns out, is not so carefree at all) attitude and glamourize the girls as enviable and justified in their actions. Letourneur does neither... Click here to read my full review on Twitch.

VIFF 2010: CITY OF LIFE Review

2010-10-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

...While the script is often cliched and at times a little cheesy, City of Life is so well-meaning and exuberant that I can hardly find it in my heart to fault it... Click here to read my full review on Twitch.

VIFF 2010: SNOW WHITE Review

2010-10-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

...Preljocaj's vision here is clearly to immortalize his ballet, and perhaps find a larger audience for it; making it feel like a film doesn't seem to have been a high priority... Click here to read my full review on Twitch.

VIFF 2010: COLD FISH Review

2010-10-02T03:10:00.000-07:00

...Quick cuts, pounding music and colorful visuals immediately set the stage for a rollicking black comedy that could have been one of [Sono's] best efforts yet. If only it didn't wind up wallowing in over-excessive gore and off-putting levels of misogyny... Click here to read my full review on Twitch.

Top Albums, Singles, and Films of 2010

2010-07-03T23:39:00.000-07:00

Yeah, usually I start these in January, but...better late than never, etc. Will be edited as I see/hear new things.

ALBUMS

01. Marina and the Diamonds -- The Family Jewels

SINGLES

01. Marina and the Diamonds -- "Mowgli's Road"
02. M.I.A. -- "XXXO"
03. Beyonce -- "Why Don't You Love Me?"
04. Lady Gaga -- "Alejandro"

No Fun City?

2010-04-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

First of all love Vancouver, and I enjoy living here. Everyday I'm still completely awed by the skyline, the mountains, and the ocean. The shopping and dining are wonderful, and if I had a car and more free time, I'm sure I'd take better advantage of the nature aspect as well.

However, after living here over a year I'm starting to understand more why the place is sometimes dubbed "No Fun City." For a good-time seeker looking for something to do in the downtown area that doesn't involve purchasing high-end clothing, eating, or drinking in a bar--there's not much. We have the Art Gallery, the Aquarium, and Science World; in addition to being overpriced, those are all things that most cities have a version of. Nothing especially unique. Granville Island is one good option, since the market is fun to browse whether you're buying or not, and the ferry rides across false creek are lovely. Of course Stanley Park and English Bay are great destinations, but I'm thinking more man-made, indoorish things.

To try to be more specific: I want fun, strange, wacky, interesting things to do. If Playland was located in the downtown core, that would be about ten times more awesome. Many larger cities have a giant ferris wheel for urban viewing, but not us. Tokyo has many crazy-fun oddities and Dubai is full of the same (including a giant water park and an indoor ski resort). Okay, granted, those are two huge and wealthy cities, but when I visited St. Louis, a smaller town than us, I found a lot more of this sort of thing. Their zoo, for instance, doesn't take an hour to drive out to, and the City Museum is delightfully oddball fun--by donation to boot. Or a much closer comparison: Seattle's Experience Music Project.

If space planning is the issue for Vancouver, why not utilize all of the now-irrelevant Olympics buildings we've built? Those huge, modern structures would be perfect for public attractions, and do we really need yet more condos instead? Building a floating site and parking it in one of our many waterspaces is always an option, too. I'm not in favor or demolishing things for the sake of silly fun, but there are other ways to make it happen. Even something as simple as allowing people to rent rowboats out on Lost Lagoon would add many entertainment points. C'mon, city officials, think about it.

Well, rant over! Opinions welcome, or if you thought of something good to do in Vancouver that I didn't mention, let me have it!

A Woman Under the Influence

2010-04-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

Mabel (Gena Rowlands) and Nick (Peter Falk) have been lovingly married for years and have three elementary-aged children, despite Mabel's increasingly unstable state. However, after one too many awkwardly inappropriate incidents in front of friends, family and neighbors, Nick loses all patience with his wife and has her committed to a mental hospital.

While she's gone--and director Cassavetes never shows us anything from Mabel's perspective while she's away, making the implied all the more haunting--Nick proves to be the one with the problems. He can't control his temper, and flies off the handle at anyone and everyone who so much as blinks at him wrong. It becomes clear that while Mabel may have once simply been charmingly eccentric, it's likely the stress and emotional/psychical abuse of living with Nick was what sent her over the edge.

Both leads give phenomenal performances in what must have been a nerve-rattling film shoot for everyone involved. Rowlands plays Mabel like a whacked-out Lucille Ball, with hints of Blanche DuBois, but still makes the character completely her own strange, living, breathing entity. Falk is appropriately infuriating as her fumbling manchild of a husband, and while neither of them is likable, you still end up hoping that they'll make it work somehow.

Cassavetes obviously knows how to film arguments like few others, but Woman would have benefited from a bit more character study aside from fleeting moments revealed in the heat of a yelling match. All in all, it's not a perfect movie, and it certainly can't be called an enjoyable one, but it's more powerful and provocative than most films are ever able to be. I'm glad I saw it.

Images from Marina de Van's In My Skin

2010-04-05T02:04:00.000-07:00

Images from Hirokazu Kore-eda's Air Doll

2010-03-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

AV Club 1; Sevigny 0

2010-03-27T20:21:00.001-07:00

Chloe Sevigny has given one of my favorite TV performances in years as manipulative Mormon Nikki Grant on HBO's Big Love, and I was so glad to see her win a Golden Globe for the role this past year. I also found it totally refreshing to hear her diss season 4 of Big Love in an AV Club interview. Sure, it was disappointing to hear the season is apparently less than stellar (given that I haven't seen it yet and was waiting for dvd), but the fact that she would be honest about her feelings on it was impressive. She actually called the season "awful" and said it was "very telenovella."

But...then there was a big uproar, and she backpeddled while insulting the interviewer in the process:

What happened? Why’d you say it?

SEVIGNY: [Long pause] I feel like what I said was taken out of context, and the [reporter] I was speaking to was provoking me. I was in Austin [at the SXSW festival] and really exhausted and doing a press junket and I think I just… I wasn’t thinking about what I was saying. You know, after a day of junkets sometimes things slip out that you don’t mean, and I obviously didn’t mean what I said in any way, shape, or form.

I'm sure HBO pressured her to apologize--nay, take it back entirely--but that is still not cool. I guess you're just not a celebrity until you've done something stupid, then blamed it on "exhaustion." AV Club interviewer Sean O'Neal's rebuttal is pretty awesome, though, so he still wins the round. He even includes a very damning audio clip at the end of the article and says:

You were caught biting the hand that feeds you Golden Globes; probably best to blame your momentary lapse into candor on everything that’s beyond your control, such as exhaustion and the rigors of doing press junkets. But as the person who conducted said interview, I’m not really sure how a statement like “It was awful this season” can possibly be taken out of context.

HBO...they really do know drama.

2010-03-25T23:41:00.001-07:00

The Guardian kindly thought of me to write their article on women in Jpop for this month's issue, guest-edited by none other than Courtney Love. Have a look at it here!

Spring Flings: 3 Movies I Saw Recently

2010-03-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

She's Out of My League: Yep, finally the plot of so many guy movies and TV shows through the decades has been addressed right there in the title, without anyone pretending this kind of pairing is believable. That's refreshing. The rest of the movie isn't, really. It's about as formulaic as you can imagine--guy gets girl, guy loses girl, guy gets girl back right before one of them boards a plane(!). But this is a comedy, so the most important thing is that it be successfully funny above all else. And for my tastes, it is. The grossout humour is kept to a minimum aside from one scene, leaving just sweet-natured silliness and lots of good comedic timing from the likable cast. Though, oddly and problematically, female lead Alice Eve is more convincingly interested in her male costar Jay Burachel than he is in her. He mostly seems disinterested, which is probably what ultimately keeps the movie from being as tender as it is funny.

Alice in Wonderland: After being awed by Avatar's 3D (plot notwithstanding), I found myself being pretty hyped for Alice, where I wasn't before. That 3D escapist goodness combined with the world of Wonderland, and the bizarre humor of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp? Sure, sign me up. Unfortunately, the movie suffers from a distinct lack of classic Alice spirit. Most of it was parodying the story and world more than it was re-imagining it, and I always had this nagging feeling that I was actually watching the latest Harry Potter movie. It's certainly enjoyable enough, though, and it's hard not to get wrapped up in the surroundings and end up actively rooting for the heroine (winningly played by Mia Wasikowska).

Shutter Island: Sigh. It's rather difficult to explain why I was so disappointed in this movie without spoiling things. Best to stop reading now if you haven't seen it yet, and care to. Suffice it to say, the ending is where things go wrong, and it absolutely cheapens everything that came before it. I kept hoping Scorsese wouldn't go there, hoping he was above it, but...nope. There it was. It's sad to see so much promise go right down the drain in such an obvious, overdone direction. The last line of the film is great, but by then I was too annoyed to care. Sometimes you don't need to be so faithful to the book, Marty. Use your better judgment!

From Under Burrard Bridge, Last Month

2010-03-12T18:17:00.001-08:00

New Lady GaGa Video! (Sooo NSFW)

2010-03-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

This was not the kind of video--really more of a short film--I was expecting for a dance club anthem like "Telephone." It's really something... I like it for the most part, but I'm still not sure what to think? Oh, that GaGa! That part in the desert where they're wearing the veil outfits, haha. Kudos to Beyonce for being more likable than she has in ages.

A Post!

2010-03-11T00:48:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry, my dears. I don't know why it's been so long. Well, I sort of do. I've had things...you know, going on. Anyway, here I am! No need to fret!

Just pretend you were fretting, it'll be less awkward for all of us.

Let Your Hearts Be Gay

2009-12-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

The Beginning of the End

2009-12-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

I've been rather quiet about Dollhouse around here lately, compared to my constant pimping of it last season. I guess I was disheartened by the fact that FOX canceled it after only four freaking episodes into the second. Now I've come to terms with the fact that it has to end (although, I still have a glimmer of hope that some much more awesome network will sweep in and save it at the last minute) and I'm just enjoying what I can get. So, it's time for some more fangirl gushing.

The recent episodes have been fantastic, but last night's "The Attic" was pure brilliance. Admittedly, I have always been a sucker for dream sequence episodes, and their inherent surrealistic/Lynchian qualities--something that Whedon shows pull off particularly well. "Restless," is my favorite Buffy episode, "Soul Purpose," one of my tops for Angel, and the glimpses of those two in Firefly's "Objects in Space" are just as stunning. Therefore, "The Attic" was a dream come true for me (no pun intended), and I'm so glad the Dollhouse universe got to have an episode like this. It already feels like things will be more complete because of it. There are now just three more to go before the end of the show, and I can only imagine our minds will be even more blown. I'm thoroughly psyched and trying to not get too bummed about the fact that there won't be anymore after that.

If you're still not watching the show, or have given up on it somewhere along the way, you, frankly, suck. I feel like everything people were complaining about has already been ironed out, and while things certainly aren't flawless, they feel pretty damn close to me. Echo has become enough of a sympathetic, interesting character that her scenes are no longer weak points--and Dusku's acting has improved by leaps and bounds, coming from someone who never thought she was bad. The rest of the cast have also developed like crazy, and even Victor and Sierra are no longer blank slates. The engagement-of-the-week episodes have also gotten integrated into the plot much more smoothly and they never feel like you're being removed from the flow. I'm not sure what's left to complain about. Do yourselves a favor and catch it before it's gone.

Getting Listy: 5 Worst Songs of 2009

2009-12-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

I'm not much of a list maker, but other people's enthusiasm has infected me--there are decade and '09 recaps everywhere. I may do more of them before the year runs out, but for now I'm starting slow.

At work, I get to hear a lot of terrible, terrible music. For one thing there's the Christmas stuff, which--when played on a loop for hours on end--does not make one merry. Worse than that though, is the top 40 hits. This is quite shocking coming from someone who loves pop music and is not usually an elitist snob about sugary, throwaway tunes. However, I never really realized how much ridiculous badness is out there until I took notice this year. It must be stopped! Making fun of things comes more naturally to me than skillfully praising them, so why fight it? Awareness is always the first step toward conquering an issue. Once you guys hear these, you'll want to fight the good fight too!

And without further ado, the cream of the crap:

05. Drake--"Best I Ever Had"

I have never been one to be swooned by a smooth-voiced RnB gent, crooning about how well he performs behind bedroom doors or whatnot, but Drake's "Best I Ever Had" is not only boring and uninteresting, it's also completely irritating. He has such a nasal voice, and a really moronic way of repeating the stupidest lines over and over like a broken robot with a sinus infection. "Best I ever had, best I ever had, best I ever had." "You the fuckin' best, you the fuckin' best, you the fuckin' best." How do people not realize how dumb they sound? And this is supposed to be sexy? Fail.

04. Beyonce--"Single Ladies"

Okay, no, this song is probably not technically worse than "Best I Ever Had," but it's higher on principle. It's offensive, and it's oh so wrongly adored. Kanye further smudged up his own name all because of this trash and its even-worse video! It's picked up so many awards around the globe for best this, and greatest that. All I can say is: what. the. freak? I'm sorry, but what I hear is a messy and hectic backing track further maimed by asinine lyrics. C'mon ladies, let's tell those men that all we care about is marriage and bling! "If you like it, then you should have put a ring on it." Oh, how empowering. We're its now. That or she's just referring to her ass, which is even better!

03. Ke$ha--"Tik Tok"

Yes, she really spells her name with a dollar sign, and yes, she (or some wretched songwriter) really felt that it added something special to the title when the Cs were eliminated from their rightful places. These are unquestionably some of the most vile vocals I've ever heard from any human or animal, or any human-animal hybrid. It's even worse that Ke-caching!-ha thinks she clever and self-parodying by including a Mick Jagger reference and showing herself as a drunken ne'er do well in the video. Please, don't pretend like you get your own joke, you're no Lady Gaga.

02. Owl City--"Fireflies"

Take Wes Anderson at his absolute most elaborately twee, and add every boring indie boy that's flown beneath the radar in the last ten years. Now take your result, and castrate it. Now offer it many children's storybooks and a casio keyboard as a consolation. Eventually it will trap itself into its own magical, but very stupid and useless mind, and come up with a huge radio hit while simultaneously adding one more animal band name to the gigantic and indistinguishable pile.

01. Hedley--"Don't Talk to Strangers"

Hedley has always been terrible and a disgrace to Canadian music (like we needed any help in that department), but this is just disgusting. The first time I heard it, I was all "what? no way...ew...no way there's a song this bad that I'm going to have to listen to a million more times. it can't be happening." Alas, it was. Cashing in on the current Cougar Craze we're inexplicably going through, Hedley manages to both make fun of and sing the praises of an aging temptress. Too bad it's completely insulting to women, and people, of all ages in that it's so terrible, unfunny, and crude. Some of the lyrical gems include "full of Bacardi and botox, she's 40 and so hot." Not to mention the sound itself, which could be about anything and would still be Hedley's whiny voice and thus unlistenable. Someone, tell me why anyone likes them. I honestly can't find one good thing about these clowns. Not one! Which is why they are. Number one, that is. Yeah, that didn't really work, did it?

Dishonorable mentions: 50 Cent--"Baby By Me," Kelly Clarkson--"I Do Not Hook Up," anything by Nickelback.

Bad Subtitles Can Really Ruin Good Films

2009-12-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

...or make really boring ones more amusing. (From The Deserted Inn, 2008.)

Something Lily Allen-Related to Care About?!

2009-11-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

I never bothered to unsubscribe from Lily Allen's mailing list when my fandom wavered in the four years since signing up, but today I received a notification from it about something I actually cared to see.

"Who'd Have Known," as I said here when I posted about her latest album, is the one really good song from It's Not Me, It's You. Only fitting then, that it also has the best video--which you can watch here, embedding is disabled--of the new bunch (also her best one yet, for my money). I groaned at first learning of the Elton John motif, thinking it'd be all bratty insult and no humor. Luckily, it's a total good-natured lark, wherein Lily pokes as equal fun at herself as she does the piano man. And, hey, she actually kind of pulls off the dark-haired Assayass femme fatale look!

I'm not going to say it's a "return to form" or something for her, since the song was already on the album, of which the rest mostly kinda sucks. But, it's a step in the right direction and I still believe she's capable of her former, however minor, glory. I'll stay on the mailing list for now.

Bad Habits

2009-11-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

The first time I saw the video for "Bad Romance," and simultaneously heard the song, I wasn't impressed. I've enjoyed Lady Gaga's infectious pop and oddball image in the past, but this seemed like her finally jumping the shark. Assuming she can be as off-puttingly strange as she wants, and we'll all follow regardless. Then I realized, she's kinda right. There's incoherent babbling, mixed with actual French, and an awkward Madonna-esque speak-singing chant of "walk, walk, fashion baby / work it move that bitch crazy." In every facet, this should be a trainwreck.

Instead, it's an epically beautiful opus of bizarreness that could make for one killer musical scene in a Lynch movie. I prefer to ignore the video when listening--which is a bit too Marilyn Manson lite for me--so the song can really shine. And somehow, it's gradually gone from stupid camp to poignant pop masterpiece. I'm completely addicted, and I love North Americans for making something like this a major top 40 hit. Maybe there's hope for us afterall.

2009-11-19T14:46:00.000-08:00

Check out JLT/JLT's best films of the 2000's, right here.

VIFF 2009!

2009-10-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

From Hirokazu Koreeda's Air Doll, aka Kuki Ningyo.

Whew. Long time, no post! The film festival--which finished up last night--and writing the reviews have kept me pretty busy. Not that I'm complaining! It's undoubtedly my favorite time of the year (screw you, Christmas) and I'm always happy to see so many movies, no matter how exhausting it can be. And this year we got every single movie I was hoping for (though I didn't actually make it to two of them, The White Ribbon and Face), so that was extra-awesome.

Twitch was nice enough to aid me in getting a media pass, and nicer still to post my reviews on their site. So follow the links to read 'em in full, should you be so inclined.

ADRIFT
AIR DOLL
ANTICHRIST
ECCENTRICITIES OF A BLOND HAIR GIRL
FORBIDDEN DOOR
KAMUI
KARAOKE
MOTHER
NYMPH
SUN SPOTS
TOAD'S OIL

And, just for fun, check out this really clever (and so true!) sponsor ad that was shown before some of the films:

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Bright Future

2009-09-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

I finally made a point of seeing this movie in its entirety, which I'd managed to avoid doing for one reason or another despite my intense admiration for the director. I don't have the energy for a proper review at Gold Lion, and I'm going to be writing full length reviews of some 15 movies for the film festival soon, so I need to conserve what I can! I will say though, that if I'd seen this pre-Tokyo Sonata, I would have noticed their many similarities and Sonata would have seemed a much more logical, expected (though no less stunning) step in Kurosawa's career. Both mingle the magical with the mundane in perfectly keeled, understated ways. Both have out-of-nowhere scenes of silly, absurd humor. Both are subdued, desaturated but nonetheless beautiful portraits of a less glamorous side of Tokyo. Kurosawa once again proves he can master any genre, so long as the emotion and heart of the story are true--and they definitely are in Bright Future.

And just for kicks, my updated Kiyoshi ranking, of what I've seen so far. All would get at least a "thumbs up," and no less than a 6/10:

01. Kairo (a.k.a. Pulse)
02. Tokyo Sonata
03. Cure
04. Seance
05. Bright Future
06. Loft
07. Retribution
08. Charisma
09. Eyes of the Spider

Busta Rhymes: "World Go Round"

2009-09-21T22:52:00.001-07:00

I really like this song. A good hip-hop/dance song that isn't just a series of idiotic chants and auto-tuned "yeah, yeah, that's right"s is increasingly rare. This one, however, is catchy, bubbly, and features actual, impressive rapping (impressive on speed and beat, if not ingenious lyrical content). No surprise then, that it comes from a veteran of the music scene. Estelle's vocals sound pretty, too. I approve.

Thoughts on Recent Things, Kanye-style

2009-09-16T23:56:00.000-07:00

Yo Cadaver/Anonymous Blood: I was moderately entertained by you, and I let you finish, but A Tale of Two Sisters is one of the best Korean horror movies of all time! Of all time! (or alternatively, Vital is one of the best Asian films about Med students of all time...etc)

Yo Jay Leno, I'm really happy for you, and Imma let you finish...but Carson Daly is the worst late-night talk show host of all time. OF ALL TIME!

Yo Gossip Girl, I'm really happy for you, and I'm gonna watch you when I'm bored and have nothing else to do, but One Tree Hill is one of the most entertaining crap dramas of all time. Of. all. time!

Yo Lady Gaga, I'm really happy for you, and Imma let you finish, but Bjork's swan dress is still the most famous weird-red-carpet-outfit of all time! Of all time!

Post your own in the comments!

Cookers

2009-09-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

Dan Mintz's low-budget 2001 horror flick is better than 90% of the b-movie crap that Hollywood churns out each year, and you've probably never heard of it. Set entirely in a shoddy abandoned house in the woods, and featuring only three characters (two meth lab cooks/addicts, and their accomplice), the tiny budget hardly matters. There aren't many special effects--though when they do show up they're understandably a little amateurish--and the low lighting in the decrepit house works in favor to the lack of high-budget sheen. Not to mention the acting is stellar by all three cast members; most movies of this size have to sacrifice good performances, amongst other things, in order to get made at all.

While the story is about meth addicts, and has all the emotional gut-wrenching punches that that entails, it also stays true to its genre: horror. There are a couple of truly creepy moments, with shadows and reflections used sparingly, and some are mounted entirely through dialogue alone. I'm not sure how much was adlibbed (the acting was so great, I wouldn't put it past them), but either way Cookers is as well-written as any great movie, and moreso than most great horror movies--as we all know how easily they can become riddled with cheesy lines and vapid personas. Support this little movie and check it out next time you're at the video store!

Victorious Basterds

2009-08-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Back when Tarantino would talk about his next film idea—a WWII movie about ragtag American soldiers who’ve made it their mission to annihilate Nazis, called Inglourious Basterds—I thought it sounded like one of those ridiculous projects that would never happen. Sort of like Chinese Democracy was to records. Well, they both happened, and I can’t speak for Axl Rose’s album (nor do I want to be able to), but Tarantino’s movie turned out to be perfectly reasonable addition to the respectable WWII cinema canon. Which is not to say it isn’t a little crazy—this is still Tarantino afterall—but he’s continuing to mature more and more as a compassionate storyteller with considerably greater substance to match the style.

A lot has been said about the performances in the movie, namely Christoph Waltz as Col. Landa, a.k.a. “The Jew Hunter.” He absolutely steals every scene he’s in, mastering the smiling malice and childlike glee of a truly callous character you can’t help but like. Then again, the writing in Basterds is fantastic—and Tarantino’s dialogue is a pleasure to hear no matter who’s delivering the lines. Even Eli Roth’s campy character of “The Bear Jew” manages to be funny instead of annoying. And, hey, at least QT was merciful enough to not write himself into the script.

It’s also surprisingly exciting. Inglourious Basterds plays out like a heist movie, which keeps the atmosphere tense even as characters are indulging in 15-minute long conversation scenes in the middle of all the action. When we finally make it to the big finale, the payoff is brilliant, and exhilarating in a way that only a Tarantino scene can be. I think now, more than ever, naysayers are going to have to give him credit where credit is due. His craft is not merely one of an overzealous video store employee ripping off his favourite flicks. He’s an out-and-out artist, and he can craft one hell of a movie-going experience. If Brad Pitt’s closing line is the way Tarantino feels about Inglourious Basterds, it wouldn’t be hard to agree with him.

2009-08-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

Thirst review. Or, if you're lazy: I really liked it!

Shooting Blanks

2009-08-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

I've always had a soft spot for trashy, filthy electropop divas with threadbare vocal talent but silly charm in spades (Peaches, Uffie, and the Lovefoxxx of days gone by). It's only logical that I was very excited for Amanda Blank's debut album I Love You, after she stood out to me on Steve Aoki's "We Are Rockstars" mix, or her various other outings with Spank Rock.

First things first: what's a bit disappointing is that she isn't all that filthy here; she's more like moderately edgy. I don't think she says anything worse than "show 'em how you work that ass." Perhaps she was worried that, in order to achieve any kind of mainstream success, she wouldn't be able to say things that make you rewind in either horrified or delighted disbelief anymore. That's understandable, I suppose. Hopefully she'll save the ruder spits for upcoming underground mixtapes.

Aside from that, the album is still very solid. For what it is (need I say it again? trashy, shallow, spandex hipster fun!), it delivers and is plenty addictive. And it turns out her aforementioned vocal talent isn't all that threadbare. Actually, some of the best tracks are spacey dance-pop songs where Amanda purrs instead of raps--namely "DJ," "Shame On Me," and "Make-Up." The production values are also good all-around ("Something Bigger, Something Better" is a highlight in this regard), and none of the beats upstage her flow. Even "Leaving You Behind," an unexpectedly tender ballad isn't bad, for someone you would never expect a ballad from in a gazillion years. I guess there's more to Amanda Blank than we think.

The Midnight Meat Train

2009-08-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I've always been unreasonably curious about Ryuhei Kitamura's English language debut, The Midnight Meat Train. I'd only seen two of his previous films (and his Jam Films short), and while I liked them, I would have to concede that they were heavily flawed. I can't honestly say he's a favorite of mine. And then there's the word of mouth for Meat Train, which wasn't exactly overwhelmingly positive. Yet, everytime I passed it on the shelf at Blockbuster, I wondered. I know the image of Vinnie Jones as a suit-clad sledgehammering villain helped, but beyond that...

So, finally, I rented it. I'm glad I did, because now I know how good it is--or isn't. It's actually quite passable as an entertaining, gorgeously shot horror machine. The characters are fairly stock, but the acting is decent enough, and Kitamura shoots facial close-ups better than he has in the past. The story and its pay-off are neat, and people who haven't already read the Clive Barker source story should get a real kick out of it. The only real downfall is the kills themselves, which in a horror movie about a killer, is pretty bad news. CGI is used much too liberally, not to mention cheaply and unconvincingly. One of the earlier kills features a man being smacked with the mallet with such force that his eyeball flies out of his noggin, and hits the camera lens. It's just too silly to be scary.

But if you can get past those handfuls of ridiculous moments, there's also plenty of enjoyable ones (like when a large, burly boxer-type black guy gives Vinnie a run for his money on the subway; it's completely unexpected and fun, like it fell out of a Tarantino movie). Worth a rental, if you keep your expectations low and your cheesy special effects forgiveness high.

Celebration of Light

2009-07-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

My friend and I went down to watch the Celebration of Light fireworks from Kits beach last night, but we ended up getting a much more impressive thunder and lightning show. It was complete with crazy, eerie sky colors and things you just don't generally see in the Pacific Northwest. We rarely get thunderstorms at all, certainly not such pretty ones. The fireworks couldn't compete, and were sadly underwhelming by the time they happened.

Pictures! Totally unedited colors! Regretfully, no lightning shots--my shutter speed is not that fast--but I have video of it, which I may upload later.

And you thought Yo Gabba Gabba was weird...

2009-07-24T23:45:00.001-07:00

I saw this on TV a couple months ago and was sufficiently disturbed (it's a kids show, no less) and amused. Now it's surfaced on youtube, so I can share it with you all, and we can collectively shake our heads at how weird Eastern Canada is. Notice anything odd about these commands...?

Yelle Covers Robyn

2009-07-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

This is not exactly new, but it's new to me, so that's all that matters! An awesome cover of an awesome song, each by awesome foreign pop starlets. I love it.

Yelle -- "Qui Est Cette Fille"
Robyn's Original ("Who's That Girl?")

Eden Lake

2009-07-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

What makes Eden Lake--a by and large formulaic backwoods survival slasher--genuinely good, instead of just passable, is the acting. Namely by the fantastic lead couple of Kelly Reilly (a dead ringer in looks, mannerisms, and acting style to Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby; that's a high compliment from me!) and Hunger's Michael Fassbender. They play lovebirds on a camping vacation, who find themselves the target of a group of bad apple teens. Things, predictably, escalate into a heinous and bloody struggle.

Horror is not an easy genre to be "original" in these days, and it's become enough to just do it well within the confines of the cliches. Shutter (the Thai film) is another, albeit better, example of this: nothing in that movie hasn't been done before a zillion times. It's the freshness of the filmmaking, the strength of the acting and atmosphere, that make it scary and unexpected. Eden Lake, too, manages to shine thanks to those elements. Reilly (who accomplishes things we'd normally only expect from big, burly Vietnam soldiers in movies) and Fassbender's ability to throw themselves in and go the extra mile is what elevated the film. It's a safe bet to satisfy your slasher craving, if not too terribly much more.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

2009-06-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

I know, it happened days ago. I wasn't going to post about it, because everyone already knows. Everyone's already talking about it, much more eloquently than an extremely casual fan like myself ever could. I didn't see the point in adding to the pile. But I've been informed that I should, just to mark such a big event in history. To dignify it, make note of it, etc. So, fine.

Farewell, Michael. It sucks that you went young. It sucks that you never got to do the tour you were working on planning. I really like a lot of your songs. I saw that British documentary on you a few years ago, and for what it's worth, I feel the dude was really unfair. I don't know what you did, and what you were falsely accused of because you have billions of dollars. I'm not going to get into that. Thank you for your contributions to music. There are several artists I like that wouldn't be what they are without you.

Okay, do I get a gold star now?

Weeping for Our Generation, Vol. 1

2009-06-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

It started out innocently enough, with Facebook's "pages." People would create them for things like Britney Spears, Star Trek, or Seinfeld. You can press a button to "Become a Fan" of the person/thing, and it will be displayed as a news update on your profile.

I saw one today called "Unknown Drunken Injuries." Two of my friends are "fans." Should I disown them?

Don't get me wrong, it's kinda funny and irreverent. But then when you view the page, it's full of people proudly boasting about their busted asses in anecdotes no one cares about. And then I realize this is basically all Facebook--once developed as a way for college students to connect, if I'm not mistaken--has become now. An excuse to upload pics of yourself being drunk and disorderly (I can admit I've even been tagged in some myself), and write on each others' walls about how you don't remember a thing about the night!

I deleted my account once, and made another shortly after because I felt out of the loop. I hope to one day have the strength to move on for good... (And yes, you can add me by searching "Cult Iconic"! Heh...heh.)

I Still Watch Movies!

2009-06-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

Wendy and Lucy--along with Michelle Williams' performance as a defeated student at the school of hard knocks--swept a ton of critics' polls last year, and has continued to enjoy a relatively across-the-board positive reception. The success is not undeserved, but it can be detrimental to your viewing of the film if you've been hearing it for months before. That is to say, Wendy and Lucy suffers a little from overhyped syndrome. How a bleak, understated portrayal of a mysterious almost non-character and her pooch can garner such rabid praise and attention is a testament to the movie's skill, at both conveying emotion and just all-around graceful storytelling. The ending is beautifully played out, by Williams and her canine counterpart, and it's gut-wrenching in its inevitability. But is this one of the very best movies of last year (which was stellar)? Not for my money.

Jacob's Ladder (1990) is a film that's always flown beneath my radar, and once I finally did hear about it, I decided it sounded right up my alley. Surrounding the odd, vaguely supernatural and demonic occurrences endured by Vietnam vet protagonist Jacob (Tim Robbins), the story and set pieces reminded me a lot of another dated-but-interesting psychological horror, Angel Heart. I'd say Jacob's Ladder is the superior of the two, but it has been quite a while since I saw the other. It's also worth noting that this one features of the most eerie scenes from any horror movie I've seen (Jacob is admitted to a hospital for circus freaks and dismembered body parts), which alone is worth the rental price.

Though I never checked out Paris, je t'aime or New York, I Love You, I still for some reason opted to see the similarily themed Tokyo!, which has only three directors and segments as opposed to the other city collections. First up is Interior Design by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), who uses the urban space in a lovely way--neither too cold and sprawling, nor too welcoming and cheerful--with his tale of a girl who longs to just exist and do the trivial things she enjoys. She has problems with her living situation, lack of ambition and her tendency to feel threatened by those who have a purpose in life. Luckily, she adapts. It's whimsical, cute, and moving, and you'd think you were in for more good stuff with this omnibus.

Things go way, way, and yet more way downhill from here with Leos Carax's (of Pola X fame) Merde. Merde, google tells me, is the French word for "shit," which is only alluded to in the movie (or my subtitled copy anyway). It's also the name of the protagonist, a "creature" who lives in the sewers beneath Tokyo and emerges from time to time so he can wreak havoc that may be intended as comical, but is actually just vile and irritating. One day, he finds some old grenades and decides to bomb every citizen in sight with them. His trail and subsequent charging make up the short, which is utterly pointless. If we're supposed to feel for Merde (which I don't think we are), Carax has failed. If we're to find the whole thing satirically funny, he's failed once again, and has also offended along the way (Merde makes venomously racist comments toward the Japanese).

Poor Bong Joon-ho (The Host) had a lot of clean-up work to do, and his tender, unassuming Shaking Tokyo, is sadly too slight, even with all its charm and mystery, to make up for the steaming hole left behind by Merde. It's hard to even appreciate the lovely photography, and the lead actor's heartfelt performance, when you're scratching your head about what the hell Carax's film had to do with Tokyo, and what on earth possessed him to think it was a good idea. I think I owe Shaking Tokyo a Merde-free rewatch.

YYYs "Heads Will Roll" Video

2009-05-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

I like it! The ending is a little literal, but whatevs! The werewolf/cowardly lion/CATS backup dancer guy is brilliant. As for the song, it's unquestionably one of the best on the album.

Low Point in Graphic Design, Human Existence

2009-05-25T20:17:00.001-07:00

This might be the worst movie poster I have ever, ever seen. The guy (or at least this photo of him, whoever the hell he is) is hideous, and not even in a funny or goofy way. Just a sleazy, creepy, "oh god, why do I have to look at that all blown up?" way. It's ripping off the Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin posters, but, again, with a guy that has an intensely unlikable face. *shudder* I'm boycotting this movie, even if I hear it's somehow amazing. Which I really don't imagine I will...

Oh god, I've just seen the accompanying ones.

Bizarre Sighting of the Day

2009-05-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

I went out today to explore Stanley Park--and got kinda lost in what is basically a massive rainforest right next to the skyscrapers! but that is beside the point--and came across a very odd/amusing sight when I made it back out to the Lost Lagoon.

A golden retriever had jumped into the lake to harrass a mama duck and her adorable, tiny ducklings. He then proceeded to relentlessly chase-swim after her, even as his owner called out desperately. He completely ignored his master's pleas, and one by one the baby ducks separated from their scared, quacking mom. I started to get worried. He followed her around for positively ages! He surely would be tired of it by then, you'd think. But he continued to swim after the duck until he was way out in the middle of the pretty massive pond. (Here's a pic I snapped before the incident, so you can get a sense of the size.)

So, getting more exasperated by the minute, I notice his owner strip down to his skivvies and jump in! He swims out to the dumb, mean, silly dog.

Tired and surely extremely annoyed, he drags-swims the dog back. Along the way, the dog turns and attempts to go back for the duck, which results in a desperate "no, no, no!!!" from the owner.

I really wish I had had my video camera on me. I could have totally sent this in to Ellen or something!

Dollhouse Renewed!

2009-05-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

Phew! Now I can shut up about it. For a little while.

Why Is Animal Collective's "My Girls" So Good?

2009-05-15T01:54:00.000-07:00

Anyone? Anyone?

Dollhouse, Dollhouse, Joss Whedon's Dollhouse!

2009-05-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, once again it's time for me to remind/urge/beg everyone to tune in to tonight's Dollhouse (9pm on FOX, or check your local listings to make sure). It's the season finale, and very possibly the series finale if not enough people watch it. So, please, instead of letting some crap like Cold Case or Private Practice go on and on, can we give something that's clearly going to be brilliant a fighting chance? Come on!!!! Plus, early word is that the episode itself is to be exciting, daring, and generally all-around awesome. Let's do this.

Things I Don't Get: H&M

2009-05-04T14:55:00.001-07:00

I was out shopping the other day, and decided to make a point of venturing into H&M (the Pacific Center location). I'd breezed through it once before, and hadn't really formed an opinion other than "meh," and with all the hubbub surrounding it (and immense excitement when Vancouver got locations), I figured I had to be missing something.

So, I went, and I combed the racks diligently. First impression is that, while cheaply priced, everything also looks and feels cheap. Like it could fall apart after one wash, or give you a rash from harsh fabrics and low thread counts. I didn't see more than two or three items I would actually consider wearing (there was a cute bathing suit, but it only came in size ten or larger, a nice skirt that was one of the more expensive things there, and a blouse now and then would catch my eye). The shoes were downright unappealing to the eye, and I'm sure to the sole as well. The bags were misshapen and clunky.

So why is this place considered, as someone aptly put it, "the Ikea of fashion stores"? I also went to Ikea for the first time a couple months ago, and it actually delivered the goods. We liked and now own several things from there. H&M? Not so. I can't for the life of me fathom why people dig it so much, when the other cheap chic chain stores manage to do it better (Stitches, Sirens, Le Chateau, etc).

I don't think it's a matter of it not being my taste, as I have very varied (and stylish I might add!) taste, and with their huge collections of racks you'd think they would have something for everyone.

Anyway, I was disappointed and I wanted to rant. And bring down the man in my own little way. That man is a cheap, trashy, highly overrated clothing outfit. Clearly my priorities are firmly in order.

(Although, their virtual dressing room thing is kinda fun...haha!)

Don't Forget...

2009-04-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

...to watch Dollhouse, tonight, on FOX! Or whatever the channel it is that your country airs it on!

Higher Than High: Album Catchup

2009-04-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Other than It's Blitz! (gets stronger with each listen--"Runaway" being the best track far and away) and It's Not Me, It's You (haven't changed my verdict on this one), I haven't said much of the albums I've heard this year. I don't have the time nor enthusiasm to talk about everything, but here's some of them:

The Metric album, Fantasies, blows away all expectations. This is the closest thing to a perfect pop(rock) disc I've heard in awhile. Each track seems to top the last as it plays on, with nary a misstep in sight. "Help, I'm Alive", when leaked, kicked a lot of buttocks, but it didn't prepare one for this. "Satellite Mind," and "Front Row" are my favorites--and it wasn't easy to choose. They're perfect rock 2.0 (yes, I just made that up now. trademark'd!) anthems. Dancey yet a little grungy, perfectly engineered and sexy-edgy enough to transcend disposibility. This could dethrone the Yeah Yeah Yeahs effort at any given moment, depending which one's currently playing through my headphones.

Asobi Seksu's Hush is as gorgeous and dreamy as anything they've done, and much more poignant. Where their previous two albums (self titled and Citrus) felt more airy and artfully arranged than they did emotionally present, Hush is both. Singer Yuki Chikudate's vocals have a tendency to rise and break in the most heartbreaking ways, and that lends itself beautifully to the otherwise assured delivery she possesses. "Transparence" is most reminiscent of their other CDs, while "Familiar Light" and "Blind Little Rain" are exciting and addictive. They haven't evolved into anything new per se, but Hush certainly puts some meat on their bones--which have always been pretty, if not overly substantial.

If operatic sorrow is your cup of orange pekoe, try Antony & The Johnsons' The Crying Light. If it isn't, then good luck getting through it. People who think Cat Power is too "depressing," take heed--this stuff is...moreso. Don't get me wrong, it's one of the finest things I've heard this year. The delicately full, intricate instrumental arrangements prove no match for Antony's voice as he breaks them down one by one; staggering ballad after staggering ballad. Makes for lovely background music, but if you plan on paying attention to it, bring kleenex. "One Dove" is especially characteristic of the album, and easily my favorite track.

Let's Save Dollhouse!

2009-04-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

"Dollhouse Ep 13 bottom line: If more people watch Dollhouse LIVE, the higher our chances for a 2nd season(AKA airing 13). Pass it on. xoDrH" - @drhorrible

I'm starting to get a little worried. I've watched and enjoyed Joss Whedon's endangered Dollhouse faithfully since it aired. Then again, I'm in Canada and it's not even FOX that I watch it on. I'm pretty sure my viewing doesn't even count. And I'm pretty sure that because of its Friday night timeslot, people are out partying and catching it later in the week via Hulu. Now rumors are swirling (due to Felicia Day's episode being rejected from airing this season) that it may not be picked up for season 2.

Now, I know the show got off to a rocky start (the god awful "Stage Fright" episode certainly must have killed a lot of viewer potential), but lately it's been classic Whedon awesome. I know if it gets the chance, it will be one badass series. If only it was allowed to take the risks it needed to without such a short leash from FOX.

I'm very invested. I had a Buffy fansite when I was 12. I bought the VHS of it before DVD was invented. I can recite lines from all three pre-Dollhouse Joss shows like nobody's business. I would probably cry if Dollhouse got cancelled. So, dear readers--all three of you, and casual googlers as well--please watch it tonight. If you've missed previous eps, catch up on them online. Go out on Saturday instead. You won't regret it! Please!

Okay, I'm done now.

R.I.P. Camera

2009-04-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

So, the repair shop says she's officially dead--unless I want to pay as much as the original cost to replace the motherboard, plus labor fees for putting it in. Looks like I'll have to find a new one. We had a good run, camera! Here are some of my favorite shots from the Lumix:

Feel free to leave camera recommendations in the comments. :/

2009-03-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

Just want to say, I know this layout looks kinda busy. I know it's a little hard to read the text. I just got tired of fiddling with it, so it's staying for a bit! Also, happy belated three year anniversary, blog! I'm so sorry I forgot. I'll make it up to you somehow. Dinner and chocolates?

Help, I'm Alive!

2009-03-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

Once again, I apologize for the utter deadness of this blog over the past week...and then some. There have been visitors over, and much activity! However, at least that gives me things to actually talk about on here over the next few days. You would think it would, anyway. We'll find out if it happens. For now I just want to state that--for whatever else you can say about the Olympics and how vile the whole process is, how rough of shape it will leave our city in, etc--you have to admit the mascots are darn cute. This includes the latest addition, MukMuk (pictured above), who is not actually a mascot, but a "sidekick." And apparently a Vancouver Island Marmot, though it more closely resembles a bear that's been poured into an egg shaped mold. Cute! More tomorrow.

Photo of the Week / March 16, 2009

2009-03-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

sumitomo-denko by tetsuo5.

If your photo is featured and you'd like it altered or removed, email me and let me know. If you'd like to suggest a photo (your own or otherwise) for feature, send it to me via flickr.

Can't Stop Having These Visions

2009-03-15T22:26:00.001-07:00

The new video for Kanye West's latest single, "Welcome to Heartbreak," can be viewed here (embedding disabled). I would say it's my favorite clip of his, give or take the Spike Jonze version of "Flashing Lights." Director Nabil makes art out of intentional glitching and digital artifacts. Nifty!

It's Blitz! Review

2009-03-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, so today is the (digital) release day in North America for the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, It’s Blitz!. What more timely a time to post my thoughts on it?

It’s been mysteriously difficult to arrange my feelings for this record. It is clearly accomplished, beautiful, and very possibly a masterpiece. When I do listen, I’m eating it up. Yet when I’m not listening, I don’t always get the urge to do so the way I have with past YYYs albums. There isn’t a feverish excitement there, aside from when I first got my paws on it. I actually have to make mental notes to keep listening to it. I’m not quite as passionate about it as I would like, though I can recognize its excellence and it—for the time being—sits as my number one album so far this year.

But all of that is more a personal turmoil (to put it as dramatically as possible), and should not affect my written opinion on the quality presented on It’s Blitz!. I’ve read myriad reviews toting it as something completely new and unexpected for the band. I suppose it is, to some small extent, but for the most part there have been hints to this outcome all along. I think the biggest one such clue is the strangely out of place dance-ballad “Kiss Kiss,” which appeared on the otherwise hard glamrock EP Is Is. At the time, it seemed to come from some awkward, rarely-seen left field. Now, it makes perfect sense. The synth-damaged disco experiments on the album are in the same vein, while the ballads are delicate meldings of Show Your Bones fare and that of Karen O.’s side project, Native Korean Rock. As a result, the album is all over the place and staggeringly focused at the same time.

The mark of a true artist is, arguably, the ability to gracefully evolve oneself while still retaining an appeal. Keeping a secure fanbase and being true to their identity, while trying new things to keep from becoming stagnant. Whatever the hell else you want to say, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have already covered all those bases. If anyone seemed to have been a one trick pony, it was them, and their screeching rebel rock, which we’d all expected to burn out sooner rather than later. If not from lack of re-inventiveness, then perhaps from their rumoured in-band arguments. Happily, neither has happened yet and they continue to impress and surprise the way few of their peers can. It’s Blitz! may be the closest to their true face we’ve yet seen—for better or worse.

Watch the video for leadoff single “Zero,” below.

Photo of the Week / March 9, 2009

2009-03-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

220 by Cloud*9.

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Updates!

2009-03-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of posts. I've had much more of a life since moving to Vancouver. Hopefully I will remember to start up Photo of the Week again soon, as well as actually posting on all the albums I heard recently. For now, some quick things:

-O Thai on West Broadway is really good. They have an awesome lunch combo deal where you get vegetarian soup (very tasty), a lunch entree of choice (stir fry with cashews and chicken in my case--yum!), a salad and a spring roll. All for $12! Very nice little place too, with classy decor.

-I also finally tried The Cactus Club since its menu has been refashioned by the guy from Lumiere (who also won Iron Chef once). The butternut squash ravioli was quite good, but I'm not sure it's worth $17 for just that, when you don't get free bread or anything...and the atmosphere suffers from standard Yuppie bar syndrome. There's a sign that says 'No Sex in the Champagne Room.' That might be funny and cute if the food was cheaper.

-Dollhouse. Okay, so the last episode ("Stage Fright") was bad. Just bad. However, I will not lose faith that easily when I enjoyed the other two eps. And the trailer for this week's seems promising. I really hope people will let it get going and become the show we all want it to be. Keep tuning in!!

-If anyone is wondering where my facebook went--humor me here--it's just temporarily deactivated so I can focus on more important things. I'm already having Pet Society withdrawals, but it needs to be done.

-I'll leave you with a video by an artist named Manuela, who I happened to catch at a coffee shop (I was there to see a different band with some friends, but she impressed me more...and I do not remember their name). She has a nice voice and I think she could definitely have a Norah Jonesy appeal. Of course I snapped pics with her for when she becomes famous.

Twitter

2009-02-26T14:54:00.000-08:00

I just joined a few minutes ago. I'm sure I'll be hooked soon. Come follow me! http://twitter.com/culticonic

It's Her, Not Me!

2009-02-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

So, I was going to post what I thought were some vaguely interesting observations/criticisms of the new Lily Allen album, It's Not Me, It's You, but then I read this review. I basically agree completely (though the title is mistyped in the second paragraph). But for those too lazy to read that one, I will offer my trademark rushed and to-the-point rundown!

This album is full of catchy, relatively excellent beats that are very nearly derailed by Lily's overwrought lyrics. The opener "Everyone's At It" features a kickass sirenesque loop, and comes off as very promising--for the song and the record. Then you realize it's a song about how people are tragically on drugs. She actually utters the lines "now how can we start to tackle the problem?" and "the kids are in danger." What. the. fuck? I thought part of what I liked about her was that she was clever.

It gets worse with "Fuck You," a diss track to George Bush. Even though Obama's been elected and sworn into office by the time of the album's release. And she's British. Yeah, still totally relevant to the situation! Except not. Features more groan inducing lyrical gems, like "you say it's not okay to be gay / well I think you're just evil." You tell him, Lily! It's really quite embarrassing, honestly.

Then there's "Him" in which our heroine ponders, very deeply as you can imagine, about what God is like, should he in fact exist. Seriously. It seems too earnest to be mocking religious folks, yet too cutesy to be anything real, and that just makes it kind of awkward in general. Once again she mentions old news as if she has insight, which I doubt she does (in this case 9/11).

Luckily, the relationship songs--Lily's forte if she ever had one--are still worthwhile. Notably "Who'd Have Known," an aggressively adorable tale of a relationship beginning with lyrics that are cute and clever. "Are you mine? Are you mine?" she chants, like an excited child, and you can hear the ear to ear grin she's sporting as she sings "today you accidentally called me 'baby'."

"Never Gonna Happen," and "Not Fair" are also fun, spunky rehashes of Alright, Still's "Knock 'Em Out," and "Not Big," respectively. "Back to the Start," finds a holier than thou Lily apologizing for alienating a friend out of jealousy. Yeah...she probably could have just emailed her or something. And of course, the lead in single "The Fear" targets Paris Hilton types semi-competently. The rest can be taken or leaven. Left?

Honestly, for her change from reckless, drunken brat to socially conscious voice of ~~American~~ British youth, I think we all know who we need to blame. Common, and the fact that she collaborated with him! Trust me Lily, you don't have to lend a hand in raising awareness. You were doing just fine before.

Top Albums, Singles, and Films of '09

2009-02-24T17:24:00.000-08:00

Subject to frequent updating/editing.

ALBUMS

01. Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- It's Blitz!
02. Metric -- Fantasies
03. Asobi Seksu -- Hush
04. Amanda Blank -- I Love You
05. Kid Cudi -- Man On the Moon: The End of Day
06. Antony & the Johnsons -- The Crying Light
07. Coconut Records -- Davy
08. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Self Titled)
09. Animal Collective -- Merriweather Post Pavillion
10. Lily Allen -- It's Not Me, It's You

SINGLES

01. Lady GaGa -- "Bad Romance"
02. Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- "Zero"
03. Animal Collective -- "My Girls"
04. Kid Cudi vs. Crookers -- "Day N Nite"
05. Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- "Heads Will Roll"
06. Busta Rhymes ft. Estelle -- "World Go Round"
07. Sean Paul -- "So Fine"
08. Kanye West ft. Kid Cudi -- "Welcome to Heartbreak"
09. Metric -- "Gimme Sympathy"
10. Mariah Carey -- "Obsessed"
11. Beyonce -- "Diva"

FILMS

01. Tokyo Sonata (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
02. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)
03. Thirst (Park Chan-wook)
04. 17 Again (Burr Steers)
05. Bart Got A Room (Brian Hecker)

The Morning After... The Oscars!

2009-02-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

The fashion was so boring this year. I will not be posting on it. Blah! However, the actual show was classier and more aesthetically pleasing than it has been in years. I guess it worked in their favor that they couldn't go overboard with gaudy excess due to the recession. I loved the sparkly light background (it was kind of like the iTunes visualizer!), and Hugh Jackman was a nice, unintrusive host. I also liked how they had past winners praising current noms for acting. Some did it really well (De Niro, I love you!) and some were a bit wooden (Nicole Kidman), but when it worked it worked.

I'm sad that Mickey Rourke lost. I haven't even seen The Wrestler, but I love Mickey and I was so pulling for him. Sean Penn's ego needed another Oscar like a hole in the head. I also haven't seen Slumdog, and I'm not sure I want to. Winning this many Oscars is usually a bad sign more than a good one! Titanic? Return of the King? The English Patient? Those little boys on the acceptance stage were adorable, though. Anyone who's mad that Slumdog won should be shown a clip of their smiling faces. Do you really want to take that away from them?!

I'm about running on empty with opinions on the show now. It was a lot more pleasant to watch than most recent shows. Keep this format, guys! Even if you can afford not to next year. K thx.

Here And Now

2009-02-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

So, we made it to Vancouver on Sunday. Unpacked and grocery shopped on Monday. On Tuesday, I went out alone for a lovely 'photo walk,' which started in Chinatown and went to Stanley Park and back. It was beautiful out and I had a ball with my iPod and cameras. Then I got home, ate, and started feeling ill around 11pm. Woke up in a panicked dash to the toilet to vomit at 6:00am, and continued to do so every half hour the entire day. Apparently it was a stomach flu, and I had to get a shot of gravol to put me to sleep. I feel better today, so no more complaining. I'm in the city! I saw swans!

I could have gotten even closer to the swans, but I've heard stories that they're actually rather violent. But they look so pretty!

Goodbye, Victoria

2009-02-11T22:44:00.000-08:00

The first year that I attended the Victoria Film Festival is also the year I'm leaving the city. A few weeks before I literally do, actually. For 2009, more effort seems to have been invested in the festival--from the more professional look of flyers and websites, to the selection of films themselves. I found myself intrigued by many of the showings, where I'd previously been interested in one or two, resulting in my not bothering at all. It was also nice to catch a few hot ticket films that I'd missed at Vancouver's fest. Perhaps next year, we'll be making the trip back over here for VFF, the way we once did for VIFF. I'm glad my city is going out on a high note for me. Here's what I saw:

Ballast (Lance Hammer, 2008)
The audience for the 9 o'clock showing of this somber, stark drama did not seem impressed, but I was able to still immerse myself in Hammer's achingly plain and insignificant world enough to see the film's strengths. The subject matter is iffy, not to mention incredibly bleak, so it's all the more admirable how this manages to transcend possible one-note downer status. Even without the slightest ounce of humor, there is still a sense of hope in the most hopeless moments of Ballast. Perhaps that elusive humor could have helped give it that perfect balance which would push it from great to excellent.

Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008)
Hunger is frequently sickening to watch, between scenes of brutal violence and ones of human deterioration. But where something like Hostel or Saw does this with a depraved sense of fun, this film does it with purpose. Ingeniously, midway through the movie McQueen gives us a breather from the ordeals, in the form of a lengthy conversation between the lead character and a priest. He puts a face--a likable one at that--to this man, just in time for it to matter most as he begins his downward spiral in the name of politics. Certainly the best film I saw at the festival. If you get a chance, don't miss it. But don't order popcorn. [pictured]

Bart Got A Room
This slight, charming teen horndog comedy was a welcome divergence after Hunger, and it was a little more unique than that description makes it sounds. Set in Southern Florida, the flick has a sleepy and (dare I say it) quirky feel to it that makes it closer to Napoleon Dynamite, but a raunchy edge that recalls Fast Times At Ridgemont High. It has plenty of laughs, and the cast--including William H. Macy as his awkward pop--is charming.

Driving With My Wife's Lover
Playing out a sterotype most people associate with Asia (an older business man with a younger, attractive, but dissatisfied wife) Driving does this with absurd humor and skillfully balanced touches of surrealism. Said business man--who in this case is actually a lower middle class stamp maker--decides to find and kill his wife's lover, by first hiring him as a cab driver. Along the way they do some shaky male bonding and by the end, the man inadvertently discovers a better way for revenge. Though it suffers from about 4 false endings that make it feel much longer than its hour and a half runtime, the movie is thoroughly enjoyable, and very wittily funny.

JCVD
While not as meta-wacky as Being John Malkovich, JCVD is still a tricky one to describe the plot of. "Okay, it's about Jean Claude Van Damme, like the actual guy, but the things that happen didn't really happen to him. Well, some." Unexpectedly, Van Damme turns in one of the most touching performances of the year, and delivers one heck of a monologue. I haven't yet seen The Wrestler, but the two comebacks by battered older dudes strike me as similar. Who knows if they'll continue to make good, interesting films from here on. They still rekindled the fondness in our hearts for the time being, and rightfully so.

So, we're moving tomorrow morning (resolution #1 down, so far, so good!) and this may be the last post I ever write from Victoria. Signing off!

Photo of the Week / February 10, 2008

2009-02-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

Golden Arches by ck/ck.

If your photo is featured and you'd like it altered or removed, email me and let me know. If you'd like to suggest a photo (your own or otherwise) for feature, send it to me via flickr or dA.

Real Men Have Purple Care Bears

2009-02-09T01:33:00.001-08:00

Happy six-month birthday, Pogues a.k.a. Logan! Literally, he has born at 1:42 am on the 9th of August. So, I'm trying to post this accurately. I swear, I was already up. I didn't make a point of being up to post this at the right time. I'm not that lame. Anyway, happy half birthday to the most cutest awesomest baby the world has ever known!

Geek Chic

2009-02-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

The Guild, which I know (now) has been a big internet hit for awhile, is hilarious and fun. Please check it out if you have not yet done so! Just make sure you have lotsa time to kill, because you're going to want to watch all the episodes at once. Dare I say it...I think it's on par with, maybe even slightly better than Dr. Horrible?! I mean, to be fair, it wouldn't exist without Dr.H, but still. I cannot wait for new episodes! Yay!

Also, speaking of Joss Whedon and "new episodes," Friday the 13th (bad luck, already? oh man) will be the long-awaited premiere of Dollhouse! On FOX! Which means, tune in or it may die a quick yet unfathomably painful death. And I don't think our hearts can handle that again.

ETA: I have been informed that The Guild actually came out before Dr. Horrible. So, I guess Joss owes credit to Felicia instead. My bad! Sowwy, Ms. Day!

Photo of the Week / February 3, 2009

2009-02-03T17:10:00.000-08:00

spinning around by microabi.

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To Those Late-20's Idiots at the Victoria Ballast Screening:

2009-01-31T13:54:00.000-08:00

Why did you feel the need to laugh hysterically every five minutes during a somber, moving film that was only playing one screening in the city? Do you not realize how old you are? Why would you even go see a movie like this when you're clearly more The Unborn types? Did you not get the hint when I turned around, made eye contact with you, sighed, and glared at you like I wanted your soul to burn for all eternity? You STILL kept laughing through the whole damn movie. Then you very loudly complained about the (perfectly reasonable) ending. You were a disgrace. I'm so glad I'm moving to Vancouver.

Sincerely,
Teresa, the girl in the pink coat who wanted to smack you all

Photo of the Week / January 26, 2009

2009-01-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

downtown real estate by bonesthebastard.

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Heh...

2009-01-24T11:53:00.000-08:00

This is neat. From here, by Nina Matsumoto. Reference point here.

Schmap!!

2009-01-23T18:35:00.000-08:00

I've had this photo featured in the latest online Schmap!! guide for Vancouver (you can find it in the West End section). Pretty neat, especially because I didn't submit it myself. They found me! I can be more flattered that way.

I suppose this is also a good time to announce that we will finally be moving over there in a month! Or less! Watch out, everyone.

The Oscar Nominations:

2009-01-22T23:09:00.000-08:00

Zzzzz. I officially do not care who or what wins. The Golden Globes are looking innovative in comparison.

I'll only be there for the dresses...

CI Mixtape #3: Two Times Might Be One Too Much

2009-01-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

Featuring: Diplo/MGMT, Spank Rock/Feadz, Santogold, Animal Collective and more!! You know you want it. Mp3 here.

Photo of the Week / January 12, 2009

2009-01-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

cloud.9 by beyond-the-light.

If your photo is featured and you'd like it altered or removed, email me and let me know. If you'd like to suggest a photo (your own or otherwise) for feature, send it to me via flickr or dA.

Golden Globes Fashion Recap

2009-01-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

I don't usually care enough to do this, but why not? It's an excuse to post! There's no best or worst list, just comments. I didn't like or loathe enough to worry about putting them in order.

Renee Zellweger

Ugh, what the hell is this? You're not dating Jack White anymore, you don't need to be a weird goth hipster. The hair was also terrible, and the way she sauntered around in a daze...just, all combined... She was a total joke.

Kate Winslet

Hair and makeup are nice. Dress is okay in theory, but kind of turns her boobs into one big blob. I didn't notice this during the show, though, only in pictures.

Cameron Diaz

Sure, she looks messy, frazzled and loopy. But when doesn't she? It's bad, but not unexpectedly so.

Beyonce

One of these days she'll wear something that isn't a size too small. And she's one of three ladies who would look considerably better without their huge, gaudy necklaces that night (Elizabeth Banks--great, great hair though!--and Christina Applegate were the other two).

I dunno... Oh, Olivia Wilde, apparently

This I like. It's cute, girly, and doesn't look as weirdly somber as almost everyone else's dresses did. It was like a less adventurous version of Rinko Kikuchi's unfairly maligned outfit a couple years ago.

Drew Barrymore

This picture doesn't fully convey the insane hair she had going on. The dress is okay, but it doesn't matter, because the hair is all you can see. Plus, she was wandering around holding hands with Jessica Lange the whole night. Awkward.

Maggie Gyllenhaal

How to look ten years older than you really are: copy this look. Someone with no waistline shouldn't wear a belted dress, either.

January Jones

Best of the night. So pretty and interesting. Almost everything was so bland this year, it's nice to see some actual fashion going on. She may have just raided that from the Mad Men costume department, but it still looks stunning!

A Few Comments on the GG Nominees

2009-01-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

The Golden Globes are tomorrow, and while I'm not very invested, I'll be watching anyway. Here's what I think of the few nominees I've seen.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Yeah, I haven't seen any of those.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie – Changeling
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas – I've Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road

I've seen only Changeling of these, and while the movie is a massively overwrought mess of sprawling, heavy-handed life lessons that we've all already learned, Jolie was actually very good. I wouldn't have a problem with her winning.

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Leonardo DiCaprio – Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn – Milk
Brad Pitt – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

Only seen Milk. Sean Penn is serviceable, as always, but certainly not worth the universal acclaim he seems to get by default, no matter the role. Honestly, to me, as Harvey Milk it was as though he sometimes played gay as autistic. I felt like I was watching cut scenes from I Am Sam 20% of the time. Besides, does he really need more accolades to feed his ego? I'd like to see it go to Mickey Rourke.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Saw and loved Burn After Reading, but I really don't see it winning. Happy-Go-Lucky has been scooping up loads of critics' awards, though it may still be too underseen to take this. I could see In Bruges snagging it, since it's amassed quite a following and voters may want to honor it as a way of getting it more exposure.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Rebecca Hall – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand – Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep – Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson – Last Chance Harvey

Again, I've only seen Burn After Reading. McDormand was good, but this is so obviously a filler nominee. There's no way it should be considered a lead role. I guess their supporting category was already full with better choices.

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Javier Bardem – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell – In Bruges
James Franco – Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman – Last Chance Harvey

James Franco was admittedly an adorable goofball in Pineapple Express, but I think a supporting nod for his neglected boyfriend in Milk would be more appropriate.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE
Amy Adams – Doubt
Penélope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis – Doubt
Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler
Kate Winslet – The Reader

*shrug* Have not seen 'em.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE
Tom Cruise – Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes – The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

Tom Cruise has to be a novelty nominee. Though he and Downey Jr. were pretty much the only funny things in Tropic Thunder, so they do deserve some recognition. This award is unquestionably all about Ledger. I'll be genuinely shocked if he doesn't win.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E

Puh-lease. Why do they even both having other nominations when Pixar has released a movie that year?

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
Everlasting Moments (Sweden, Denmark)
Gomorrah (Italy)
I've Loved You So Long (France)
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

The one I've seen actually has a good shot at winning this, Waltz With Bashir. It would be a good choice, too.

BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry – The Reader
David Fincher – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes – Revolutionary Road

*shrug* Again, haven't seen any, but I would bet on Boyle or Fincher.

Alright, the rest of the categories are boring (screenplay, song, etc) and TV (I'll just say I like Dexter, Mad Men, and Samantha Who?, so...go them!) and this will be it for now. More thoughts after the actual show, mayhaps. At least on the fashion.

Photo of the Week / January 5, 2009

2009-01-05T23:51:00.000-08:00

Perplexed by Kristbjorg!.

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Under Da Sea

2008-12-31T11:32:00.000-08:00

I went to the aquarium last week, and it was very impressive. Here's my greatest hits reel.

Photo of the Week / December 29, 2008

2008-12-30T01:02:00.000-08:00

MILW 261 III by akagoldfish.

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Top Ten Films of 2008

2008-12-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

10. C L O V E R F I E L D

J.J. Abrahms & co. worked millions of internet nerds (myself included) into a tizzy with their piles and piles of viral material surrounding the upcoming film. What was the monster? How is Slusho involved? Maybe it’s more than one monster? Is it Godzilla? The main guy is going to Japan. Or maybe it’s Cthulu! Point being, the crew pulled the ultimate screw-over by releasing a movie that never alluded to any of these things, in any way, whatsoever. We’d been had, but we couldn’t complain, because the movie was awesome. A sharp satire that’s also just a good ol’ monster movie in every regard. There’s a planned sequel, and I have already been suckered into viewing some more of that pesky viral material. But, hey, it’s kinda fun.

09. F L I G H T / O F / T H E / R E D / B A L L O O N

Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s latest film is like an antidote to his own Three Times—trading jaded disillusionment and urban alienation for...childlike hope and urban alienation. Inspired by a movie I had to watch every year in French class and found terribly dull, Hou’s film follows his on-screen surrogate (a young, androgynous nanny/aspiring filmmaker) as she takes care of the son of a frazzled, artsy divorcee (a charming, platinum blonde Juliet Binoche) in picturesque Paris. A cute, mundane story coupled with the magical score and sumptuous photography makes Flight of the Red Balloon a highly enjoyable lark that proves Hou can work well in at least two countries other than his own. America next? Just don’t take the page from Wong Kar-Wai’s book in this case, Hou.

08. B U R N / A F T E R / R E A D I N G

Due, I suppose, to the more serious successful films by the parties involved, the brilliant—and completely hilarious—all-star hit parade that was Burn After Reading got overlooked. It’s a shame, because the Coens and their cast deliver every punch line perfectly and, for a comedy, what else can you ask for? This may be the funniest they’ve been since The Big Lebowski.

07. S U M M E R / H O U R S

The tagline for Summer Hours could be “come see the softer side of Assayas.” Though he’s shown the potential for this sort of fare before, this may be his first movie that really is, more or less, light through and through. Any pricklier topics that pop up (death, teenage drug use) are gracefully allowed to simply exist within the scope of the film, never straining the tone or focus. Assayas’s characters are all at some point or another learning to let go of their childhood, and this is literalized with them gutting their old family house of valuable objects and eventually selling it. With the tone mirroring the sort of French countryside life it portrays, Summer Hours is funny, sweet, laid-back and sometimes lonely. There's also not a dark-haired, gun-toting, crime-involved femme fatale in sight.

06. S I L E N T / L I G H T

The opening shot of the movie is an extremely long-held image of the night sky—the galaxy, complete with static sound and occasional bird (bat?) chirps. The rest of the film, while no less lyrical or fantastical in its almost fetishistic nature footage and sound, is a lot more straightforward. That is to say, there is an actual plot. It still requires suspension of normal comprehension and the state of being along for the ride. But if you enjoy that sort of thing, which I do, it’s simply enthralling. Reygadas, evidently, is one of the few directors who can put film as a medium to the limits of its uses. The acting and emotion is not sacrificed for the stunning imagery, and vice versa. Everything exists in perfect harmony.

05. T H E / E D G E / O F / H E A V E N

Given its intertwining storylines, international intrigue and the fact that it uses fate as a character—Fatih Akin’s The Edge of Heaven could have all too easily become the next Babel (or, insert other Inarritu film of choice here). Instead, it bucks all expectations and draws out empathy and interest from the viewer without relying on its gimmick. The cast is superb, and it helps that their script is incredibly moving and intelligently written. Anything that was uneven or lacking in Akin’s previous Head-On has been perfected here, and he’ll no doubt be a force to reckon with if he makes the right project choices.

04. B O A R D I N G / G A T E

In a role perfectly suited to her attributes, Asia Argento plays damaged Euro-trash on an ill-fated mission, which leads her through encounters with her ex, her friend, her lover, her lover’s partner, and a mystery woman. These, of course, are all against the backdrop of locales both exotic and ugly, with plenty of double-crossings and sleek panoramic compositions along the way. It’s the darkest and most daring film Assayas has made since demonlover, and it’s probably the style that he works best with. Michael Madsen is also excellent as Argento’s true love, while Kim Gordon (yes, of Sonic Youth) is odd and awkward—but amusing nonetheless.

03. T H E / D A R K / K N I G H T

I thought Batman Begins was only okay, and even in the Dark Knight I find Bale’s ‘Batman voice’ laughable and over the top. How then, is The Dark Knight my number three movie, out of many great ones, of the entire year? Well, Heath Ledger’s scarily brilliant turn as a Joker more deranged than any of us imagined is a big part of it, but credit goes to director Christopher Nolan as well. He’s come a long way from the grunged out motel rooms and factory basements of Memento, and Insomnia. He handily proves this with breathtaking cityscapes that would make Michael Mann wet himself, and large-scale action scenes featuring Bat-themed accessories that don’t feel cheesy. Together they overcome Bale’s silly voice, and tell a tale as corrupt and disturbing as a classic 70’s gangster film—but a whole lot more relevant to society of today.

02. P E R F E C T / L I F E

One of the most moving films I’ve seen in a long time came from an unlikely source: virtual unknown and protégé of Jia Jhang-ke, Emily Tang. Perfect Life packs wisdom and emotional gut-punches (not to mention a surprising amount of dry and slapstick humor alike) that rivals the work of directors dozens of times more seasoned—and exposed—than Tang. If there were any justice in the world, this would see a decent sized theatrical run and DVD release in North America. Everyone reading this is strongly encouraged to catch it any chance you get. Little Miss Sunshine and Amelie are not "gems." This is a gem.

01. A / C H R I S T M A S / T A L E

Like an edgier, rawer (less twee) Royal Tenenbaums, A Christmas Tale is a sprawling family reunion picture that, quite miraculously, I can’t remember ever getting sappy. A still-stunning Catherine Deneuve heads a large and casually inappropriate crew of family by both blood and marriage, as they alternately insult, bond with, sleep with and resent each other. Deneuve’s character is stricken by a serious, fatal disease, but you wouldn’t know it from director Arnaud Desplechin’s unflinching dedication to making a daring farce using all the ingredients that would typically be found in a somber drama. He succeeds with style and wit to spare.

Top Ten Albums of 2008

2008-12-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

10. t.i. / P A P E R / T R A I L

I have an image in my mind about how T.I. put this album together while largely on a clock of house arrest and community service. Lounging around in a bathrobe, familiarizing himself with internet phenomenons (the “Numa Numa” sample on “Live Your Life”). Fantasizing about sweeping a girl next door type off her feet with all he and his money have to offer (“Whatever You Like”). Taking his impending prison sentence in stride and reminiscing on accomplishments (“No Matter What”) while keeping his gangsta image strong for his fans (“Swagger Like Us”). It’s the sometimes shaky balance of cocky and wise, restless and content that drives Paper Trail—and allows it to achieve authentic moments of greatness.

09. britney spears / C I R C U S

Britney’s critics love to complain about how much the singer sounds “inhuman,” has “no talent” without some heavy auto-tuning, and hasn’t performed without lipsynching in... well, maybe ever. Blackout was unquestionably a great dance-pop entry, and even said critics had to admit that (however begrudgingly). They still qualified it with “even though it could be anyone doing vocals” or “the producers deserve the credit.” Well, to those who are still using this dismissal when talking about Circus—what album were you listening to? Because, while “Womanizer” spun Spears’ voice into electronic silk to Blackout-worthy proportions, most of the songs are nothing like that. “Unusual You,” for example, is a strikingly beautiful, moody ballad in which Britney sounds as human—if not more human—than she ever has. If this had been by Lily Allen or Lykke Li instead, the same people who’ve written it off would be blowing their loads all over it. And that’s not even scratching the surface of how many wonderful, continuously listenable tracks Circus contains.

08. steve aoki / P I L L O W F A C E / A N D / H I S / A I R P L A N E / C H R O N I C L E S

If I were to have guessed which artists, newcomers notwithstanding, would ever crack my top ten list now or in the future, I probably wouldn’t have said Steve Aoki. I knew him as a goofy, rich kid scenester who was a DJ like Paris Hilton is a fashion designer. Yet here he is. The eyebrow-raisingly titled Pillowface And His Airplane Chronicles is the best mixtape I’ve had the pleasure of dancing to since the Mad Decent podcasts were relevant. It’s just pure (impure is actually more fitting), electro-trash fun—so obviously meant to be blasting in a club packed with pretty hipsters on ecstasy and vodka, texting photos of themselves to their Facebook pages. But it sounds just as good through the headphones of your laptop while you edit photos and try not to wake the baby sleeping a few feet away. Trust me.

07. cat power / J U K E B O X

Within a couple years, Cat Power has gone from that weird, spazzy, druggie genius indie chick to a glamorous, sophisticated Southern Belle who you see gazing at you from under those iconic bangs on a different magazine cover each month. As a result, her music has mellowed as much as her persona, and she seems to spend more time on the press junket than in the studio. Nevertheless, her cover album Jukebox was a lovely, soulful detour. “Silver Stallion” and her restless wail on the re-envisioned “New York, New York” give hints that the old Chan is still there, and just feeling out her new terrain before she delivers her next great, original album.

06. the hold steady / S T A Y / P O S I T I V E

Craig Finn has an uncanny ability to make lines sounds ominous before we even know why they would be (“when there weren’t any parties, sometimes she partied with townies...”), and then funny even when we know they’re tragic. As always with The Hold Steady, Stay Positive benefits from repeat listens so you can get ahold of whatever story the lyrics are fashioning, and then later appreciate the myriad sonic nuances. Both get richer and more rewarding each time.

05. flying lotus / L O S / A N G E L E S

Flying Lotus is the best DJ Shadow successor we’ve had yet. Like Shadow, he seamlessly melds hip-hop with dreamy soundscapes to make background music you can’t ignore. Some of the songs are menacingly head-boppable (the nervous energy of “Gng Bng,” or the hard knuckled throb that is “Riot”), while most are either weird or soothing—or both, or all three. While there’s nothing especially innovative here, it’s still a fantastic disc’s worth of treasures from a genre that’s currently rather barren.

04. N A T I V E / K O R E A N / R O C K

Is it just Native Korean Rock, or do you tack on “& The Fishnets”? Is it a demo, an EP, or just some songs thrown up on MySpace that will never make it to a consumer-destined disc? Will the songs just be added to the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album as bonus tracks? I don’t care. Whatever the hell it is, it’s on my list, because it’s some of the most stunning material of the year. Not to mention, it’s also one of those (many) things that makes me envious of New Yorkers.

03. S A N T O G O L D

This one is a bit embarrassing, for as I stated in a recent blog post, I only just got around to listening to this a month or so ago. But I think the fact that I’ve grown to love it so much, so fast is only another testament to its quality. Santogold sounds more like the Pixies and Blondie than M.I.A., and though they make a good team, she would be just as excellent (if not better or more fine-tuned, as he tends to lead her in M.I.A. directions) without Diplo. I can’t open up iTunes or fire up my iPod without clicking her songs within the first ten minutes. Addictive and objectively talented. That’s impressive.

02. kanye west / 8 0 8 s / & / H E A R T B R E A K

Kanye West has always had the ability to fashion a catchy beat and pair it with servicable, if clunky ryhmes in a way that appealed to a massive audience of hip-hop fans and “I only like Talib Kweli and stuff” people alike. But I bet most folks didn’t know he could reach emotional depths like he does on 808s. If you thought the mopey “Through the Wire” was sad, try Kanye at his most aggressively hopeless. And as usual, it’s masterful in production and a whole lot more enjoyable than most whiny white guy rock. This is his masterpiece, and if he tops it anytime soon, I’ll be shocked (and pleased, natch).

01. portishead / T H I R D

I’ve been a Portishead fan since I was about 15, so I was more than a little excited to learn that they were, in fact, no longer dormant and were releasing the aptly titled Third. Not only did the band not disappoint, they basically blew my mind. Third is eerie, peaceful, hectic and enchanting—like their other two albums, but with a lived-in quality and an air of experience mixed with adventurousness. It builds a world like few albums can. A world something like Guy Maddin’s Brand Upon The Brain! but less wacky, or Twin Peaks without the log lady to make sense of it all. I’d say it was worth the decade-long wait, but I hope they don’t make that slowpoke pace a habit.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-24T00:12:00.000-08:00

Well, it's after midnight everywhere now (wait...not Hawaii. Oh well, close enough) and officially Christmas Eve. I probably won't post again before Christmas and then will be in Vancouver after that. In conclusion, I hope everyone who reads this blog has a great time. And by everyone, I mean Shaun. And Josh, after asking me in advance "have you blogged recently?" I digress...

Photo of the Week / December 22, 2008

2008-12-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

Legs by [-].

If your photo is featured and you'd like it altered or removed, email me and let me know. If you'd like to suggest a photo (your own or otherwise) for feature, send it to me via flickr or dA.

Whatever Happened To...

2008-12-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

Lady Sovereign? This, evidently:

I am not really feeling it. I don't think the combination of electro-pop dance track with grime works here. And she sounds considerably lifeless ("doncin" heh...). I dig the costumes though.

Photo of the Week / December 15, 2008

2008-12-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

opal by masquerade_arts.

If your photo is featured and you'd like it altered or removed, email me and let me know. If you'd like to suggest a photo (your own or otherwise) for feature, send it to me via flickr or dA.

Coming Around: Santogold

2008-12-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

Being the hasty dork than I very occasionally am, I initially wrote off Santogold after hearing a track I didn't care for. Now, confronted with too much empty space in my iTunes on my new laptop, I've been checking out new music (new to me, not necessarily in general) that I've heard is good or am curious about. I had always liked "L.E.S. Artistes," so I decided to finally give the rest of her disc a whirl.

Now, aside from Santogold also working with Diplo and wearing a mismatched Day-Glo street urchin wardrobe, she is not the M.I.A. clone I was anticipating. This is a good thing, because as much as I like Maya, I would rather listen to something new and fresh than a knockoff. Unfortunately those comparisons are part of what kept me away for so long. But Santogold has a heartier, more soulful (and joyful) approach. Where M.I.A. is bratty and aggressive, Santogold is contemplative. Her debut is no Arular, but it also should be evaluated on its own terms.

"L.E.S. Artistes" is still the best song, but the moody, pulsating "My Superman" comes close. Santogold does best when she lets her voice mellow; the yelping verses on many tracks are never as listenable as when they give way to their soaring, growling choruses. That said, it still works darn well and I've found myself playing nothing but her since I downloaded it a couple days ago.

Her Piracy Funds Terrorism (Top Ranking) with Diplo is also unexpectedly decent. The favela favoritism is still just as tiring as ever, but he happily has a few other tricks up his sleeves to keep things interesting. Santogold doesn't have much material, so much of it is padded with more random bits and bobs than PFT. And given Kala's lackluster-ness, it's probably better than the ever elusive, possibly shelved-for-good PFT2 will or would be.

Photo of the Week / December 8, 2008

2008-12-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

plaisir aquatique by Aimelle.

If your photo is featured and you'd like it altered or removed, email me and let me know. If you'd like to suggest a photo (your own or otherwise) for feature, send it to me via flickr or dA.

Yuck

2008-12-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

I've decided that this is one of the most horrifying audio/visual combinations of the year. Seriously. Wtf? How is this even a hit? If it wasn't Beyonce...

Photo of the Week / December 2, 2008

2008-12-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

spider's barn by msgsudz.

If your photo is featured and you'd like it altered or removed, email me and let me know. If you'd like to suggest a photo (your own or otherwise) for feature, send it to me via flickr or dA.

My Heart is Beating Like An 808

2008-11-28T00:40:00.000-08:00

Originally (like 5 minutes ago) posted at JLT/JLT, Josh forced me to post thoughts on each track from the new Kanye album with him. These are the results.

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01. "Say You Will"

JOSH: As an opener, this is a good indicator that Kanye's up to something different this time out. There's no hook--or the whole thing's one lean, cold hook. Technically speaking, Kanye's not a good singer, granted (even going it T-Pain style), but neither are Joanna Newsom or Tom Waits; he really gets the most out of his artificially adjusted falsetto's idiosyncratic appeal. [8]

TERESA: You don't have to have studied psychology to see, from lyrics to public appearances/outbursts, that Kanye West does not deal well with rejection. Though he's usually throwing a tantrum or trying to convince us he's too good for this girl or that award. On "Say You Will," he's longing for someone, he's vulnerable, and it sets the tone for the entire outing. You realize that, wow, he really is gonna pull this off. He's voluntarily peeling away every coat of Louis Vuitton-emblazoned armor and exposing himself in a very audibly pleasing healing process. By the end of the CD, I'll be completely won over, and this great song won't even be in the top 5. [8]

02. "Welcome to Heartbreak"

JOSH: This is where 'Ye unambiguously establishes the theme of his latest opus. Where his first three proper records centered loosely around the idea of education, 808s focuses on the discontents of the working world, or a multi-millionaire professional entertainer's experience of it anyway. Musicially, it's largely unlike anything he's released before--a comment that rings true for much of what's to follow. (It's worth noting that the leaked version is a much more forceful and grandiose production, where the final cut is more melancholy and spare. I initially preferred the former, but as I type this, the latter is nosing steadily ahead.) [9]

TERESA: Though the leaked version is superior--the foreboding synth left raw and not layered with piano--this may still be the best track on 808s. The heartbreaks he laments here don't sound all that bad (so you had to leave your Godsister's wedding early, boo hoo), but they're given tangible emotion by Kanye's delivery and the fact that we all know he's suffered real tragedies this year, and we can hear them in every syllable. [leak: 10; album: 9]

03. "Heartless"

JOSH: This might be the only track on the new album that wouldn't sound at least a little out of place on his previous releases, and as such, it might be his best shot from the new batch at a "Golddigger"/"Stronger"-level radio hit. The best part's when 'Ye goes "and we just gon' be en-e-mies." [8]

TERESA: Now to lighten things up a bit! Or, wait...no. Despite the misleading beat, Kanye is still astonishingly sad and angry. He's just being considerate and giving us something to bob our heads to and chuckle at ("how could you be so Dr. Evil?") while we dry our eyes. Listen a little closer though, and the tears might come welling back up. [9]

04. "Amazing"

JOSH: 808s could be the first hip-hop record (a classification I'm applying pretty liberally, natch) that's grounded almost entirely in existential anxiety; it's certainly among the most pervasively pessimistic albums of any stripe released in recent memory, and not from Thom Yorke or Trent Reznor but from the man responsible for freaking "Touch the Sky." He's clearly, desperately reaching--for meaning, for love, for memories made in the coldest winter--and maybe the high-performance automobiles and closets full of designer swag just aren't cutting it anymore. To be sure, the specter of his mother's sudden death looms large over his first recorded statement since. "Amazing" is one of the new album's high (or perhaps low, given the spirit of the thing) points--meditative and menacing, ambivalent about the cultural and financial status he's achieved yet backed by a beat that's absolutely insistent on drone-like forward movement. Jeezy, for his part, sounds, in this unusual aural context, like a growling, rapping incarnation of that demon atop Bad Mountain in Fantasia [10]

TERESA: I seem to recall Jeezy having a verse that ended up being cut out somewhere on Graduation. I suppose this makes up for it, with a dramatic music drop-out and everything before he kicks in. When Kanye refers to himself as a "maven" immediately after a "monster," it's defensive in place of his usual stance of cocky. I remember seeing him on Ellen, and he was saying something about how he used Patrick Bateman of American Psycho as inspiration for 808s. That was quite awhile ago, and I would have to guess that most of that fell away as the tracks were mastered and changed, and more Kanye came out. "Amazing" is probably the closest thing to that vision that remains. [8]

05. "Love Lockdown"

JOSH: Hmm,...what's really left to say about this one? [10]

TERESA: I still feel that this studio version doesn't come close to the jaw-dropping passion on display when Kanye debuted this at the MVA's. However, it's still a serviceable version when one doesn't want to bother Youtubing the other. The jungle sounds, also featured on "Amazing," are appropriately eerie and unhinged, and the "you lose...you lose" is among the more haunting moments on the album. [7.5]

06. "Paranoid"

JOSH: 808s is arguably the best Prince record since Sign 'o' the Times--or at least since Basement Jaxx's Rooty--as ambitious as its pleasurable, and all the more indelible for its imperfections and limitations. Kanye's latest is too across-the-board inspired to use the word "filler," so let's just say this is his "Housequake" or something, happily minor but no less enjoyable for it. [7]

TERESA: "Paranoid," a playful jaunt nestled between tracks ranging from mournful to seething, would be a disposable piece of fluffy fun on any other album of his; here it's a triumphant demonstration of strength and humanity. If that sounds a bit hyperbolic, take for example the contrast of something like Beck's Sea Change (a good album in its own right, don't get me wrong) and countless other white dude break-up discs. There's no room for a shake-it-off moment and they're all gloom all the time. Kanye, on the other hand, isn't gonna mope around forever. You know, he's like that Daft Punk song he sampled. [7]

07. "Robocop"

JOSH: The leaked version of this sounded like a Robyn B-side (which is a compliment). The Herbie Hancock-tweaked album cut is something significantly richer. Lyrically, it's a pretty standard issue "no-good dame" dis track (the sort of territory Kanye's worked more wittily numerous times before), but enveloped by Hancock's lush, soaring symphonics, it's an ebullient contradiction. The final minute and a half here is the loveliest such stretch I've heard all year. [10]

TERESA: I'm starting to sound like a whiny elitist hipster mp3 blogger snob, but I also prefer the previously leaked version of this. The finalized offering is a handful of loops too messy. That being said, it's still admittedly loads of fun, and along with "Paranoid," provides a refreshing, if brief, hiatus from...well, heartbreak. It's kinda like taking a smoke break and checking your text messages at the intermission for King Lear. [leak: 8.5; album: 8]

08. "Street Lights"

JOSH: This is as intimate, and as vulnerable, as anything Kanye's put to record to date--a promising possibility suggested by his heartrending "Hey Mama" at last year's Grammys ceremony. It's probably still early to start tossing around the 'm'-word--his next effort could very well be a concept album devoted to Louis Vuitton 's new luggage line--but some vague Rubicon feels crossed here. [8]

TERESA: West has always been ace at incorporating female vocals into his songs ingeniously (the computerized cold snap chant of "Flashing Lights," or the ethereal "ooh oooh oooh ooh" of "Good Morning") and the simple inclusion of one helps "Street Lights" immeasurably. He more or less repeats the sentiment of "Welcome to Heartbreak," but it's also just a common thread of the album, and thus forgivable. This one, however, as we near closer to the end of the album, shimmers with some hope. [8.5]

09. "Bad News"

JOSH: Upon repeat listens, this is a grower, but I haven't quite reached a final verdict yet since the leaked version of this was unlistenable. It's probably not a highlight, but it holds its own on the album of the year, which should count for something. [7]

TERESA: "Bad News" is simple and straightforward enough that it could have been an interlude, and still kind of is. The sparse piano/squelch combination bobs along as Kanye croons as if he's in a cozy jazz bar from the future. Then said crooning stops entirely and gives way into a crescendo of strings and ivories. Nothing I'd go back and listen to as often as some of the others, but it fleshes out the whole piece quite nicely. [8]

10. "See You in My Nightmares"

JOSH: This is some Les Mis shit--overproduced, for sure, yet irresistibly baroque, and better, at any rate, than the surprisingly so-so "Barry Bonds," Graduation's 'Ye/Weezy teaming. Here, Kanye is the noble outlaw Jean Valjean, while Wayne plays the sinister Inspector Javert (with a liberal dose of Freddy Krueger thrown in for good measure). [8]

TERESA: Okay. I'm not going to complain about Lil Wayne here. I know I do that too much, and it ends up detracting from whatever else a song has to offer. Even though that song could be great in production, composition, execution and idea and Lil Wayne's presence could still ruin it...I won't mention that. Or the way his insufferable voice could probably remove paint from walls and his idiotic "rhymes" could numb one's brain enough that they wouldn't need anesthetic to have a lobotomy. Nope, not gonna. [6]

11. "Coldest Winter"

JOSH: Not as stunning as "Gone" so far as Kanye closers go, but plenty poignant nevertheless. Kanye the Autotune Soul Man triumphs! (Totally off-topic, the drums on this remind me of Hole's "Northern Star," one of my favoritest songs in the whole wide world.) [9]

TERESA: And any hope built up on "Street Lights" is dashed with the absolutely defeated exhale of "Coldest Winter." Few songs so short and minimalistic can wring out this kind of aching regret--and certainly not in pop or hip hop. Kanye, can I give you a hug? [10]

12. "Pinocchio Story" [live freestyle bonus track]

JOSH: Chapter V: Kanye as Bob Marley for the Obama Era? Bring it on. [9]

TERESA: If the state our (anti)hero is in, or the intention of his masterpiece wasn't clear enough to you by now, he's included this live freestyle that spells it out in a heartfelt, if clumsy fairy tale metaphor. Or maybe he included it because it's really freaking good, and it really makes you want to catch him on his next tour stop near you. I already checked for possible future Vancouver appearances. [7.5]

Uggs:

2008-11-26T23:42:00.001-08:00

Stop. Wearing. Them.

Now.