"Let's Have A Kiki" -- Scissor Sisters
"Winner" -- Noisettes
"Vineyard" -- Jackopierce
"Left Outside Alone" (Jason Nevins global club edit) -- Anastacia
"Fabulous, Baby!" -- Sister Act, Original London Cast
Cinema
Magic Mike - I did not get this movie. I do have to say, as much as I love me a good looking man, I have never gotten the whole male stripper thing, so maybe that had something to do with it. However, with the talent assembled behind and in front of the camera, I was hoping for at least a bit of camp factor to happen. Sadly, even Channing Tatum could not deliver that, and I find him to be entertaining in most cases (Fighting and 21 Jump Street are standouts). Of course I didn't have much hope based on any of the other people in the movie. Alex Pettyfer has not become any less wooden since I Am Number Four, the girl manages to be even more flat, and Matthew McConaughey needs to stick to more dramatic roles because he actually can act when he put his mind to it (Lonestar, The Lincoln Lawyer, heck even Bernie). I'm not sure I need to go so far as to borrow from Amazon/Twitter/my mom and give this film "negative infinity stars," but something in that range wouldn't be too far off.
Brave - Pixar has created quite a legacy for itself with Toy Story, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, Up, et al. With such a legendary pedigree, it's hard not to have high hopes for any new Pixar project, yet Brave falls massively short of what we all know the studio is capable of. There is simply not enough heart in this film, and no amount of incredible animation can make up for that lack of soul.
Savages - This is one of the best films I have seen this summer, or even this year. The only way I can describe this film is to say that it is a good old fashioned movie. It doesn't have any pretensions or gimmicks (or at least very few, considering it's an Oliver Stone film); it does have solid storytelling, high entertainment value, and some quality performances (Aaron Johnson continues to amaze and turn in performances beyond his years). It also has gorgeous cinematography, as well as a killer soundtrack and original score, which seem fewer and farther between these days. I would have gladly turned around and seen this movie again in short order. It's a perfect summer sleeper that will undeservedly be overshadowed by men in costumes.
Ted - This is a great Boston movie with a terrific assortment of 80s references, and it has its moments here and there, but it is not nearly as funny as I had hoped it would be. That being said, Mark Wahlberg is wicked good, and there is certainly entertainment to be had. You could definitely do a lot worse at the cineplex this summer.
Shut Up And Play The Hits - I wasn't going to see this movie since I was at the damn concert that it chronicles, and it seemed sort of silly to go see a film of a spectacle I experienced in person. However, when a convenient showtime was added and I had nothing better to do, I figured I might as well check it out. After all, LCD Soundsystem is one of my very favorite bands (see hyperlink above). While the interview commentary and day-after-the-show footage left something to be desired, the concert footage itself totally blew me away. It was nearly as emotionally and physically powerful as actually being at the show. I actually felt my heart rate and breathing change - I don't even know the last time a film had that big of an impact on me. This film is a must for any LCD fan and a great reminder of how amazing that final week of shows was. I will definitely be picking this up on DVD when I get a chance as a memento of that very small portion of my life.
The Dark Knight Rises - So many plot holes. So many. You are better than that Christopher Nolan; you are the man behind Memento for God's sake! Yes, this film is fun to look at - Nolan can still churn out a good action sequence, and he sure can get a great performance out of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (and Michael Caine and Gary Oldman). However, Hans Zimmer needs to chill on the scoring; too bombastic, dude. In an odd twist, I thought Nolan actually showed too much at the end of the film. Michael Caine is a great actor; please use his fine skills to convey information in an opaque way rather than being blatant in order to make things nice and tidy. I don't even know who you are anymore, Nolan. Get it together, man!
Burning Man - I am glad I didn't know too much about this movie going into it, or I might not have been as disposed to seeing it. As it was, two well designed posters and Matthew Goode were enough to get me to the cinema. The cinematography lives up to the crisp, sharp richness hinted at in said posters, and the clarity of the camera works serves as a nice contrast to the non-linear storytelling. While this device can often seem contrived, here it provides the satisfying feeling of having puzzle pieces slowly come together to reveal an image, as well as perfectly reflects the protagonist's state of mind, creating satisfying synergy throughout the film.
Killer Joe -The fried chicken drumstick scene in this film is going to become stuff of legend, right up there with the ear scene from Reservoir Dogs, the naked fight in Eastern Promises, and the stair scene in A History of Violence. Raw and visceral, that one scene is the crowning moment in this tasty morsel of noir. The palpable tension that runs throughout this film and makes the air crackle with its electricity is mostly due to some fine performances: Matthew McConaughey is at the top of his game (you are forgiven for Magic Mike, Matthew), Thomas Haden Church gives his best performance since Sideways, and Gina Gershon, Emile Hirsch, and Juno Temple all have their own stellar moments. To top it all off, there are some truly fantastic instances of black comedy that had the whole theater laughing amidst the barbarity.
Book Shelf
A Clash of Kings, George R. R. Martin
I totally get it now: A Game of Thrones was 800 pages of exposition for Clash of Kings! While I still kind of wish I had those 800 pages of my life back, Clash of Kings does make them seem slightly more worthwhile. This volume actually has focus and momentum, both of which were sorely lacking from its predecessor. Sure, the naval battle could have been much more well and clearly written, but other than that, I truly did enjoy this installment of the saga, especially Daenerys's journey through the House of the Undying, which is so rich and vivid in its rendering.
Never Send Flowers, John Gardner
This book, in which the climactic sequence is James Bond foiling the plot of a *crazy actor* out to kill Princess Diana and Princes Will and Harry, is best characterized by the following exchange:
"Predator?" the voice at the distant end asked.Enough said.
"Who wants to know?"
"Levon."
"What's your occupation?"
"I make cartoon balloons."
"Then you're a good man."
SeaFire, John Gardner
This book expressly advertised Nazis on the cover and, unsurprisingly, it didn't quite deliver. This was yet another mess of a book with a blah climax and a lot of ridiculousness. Bond with a fiancee? No official double-0 section? Get out of town, John Gardner. If that's what you're selling, nobody wants to buy it.
Cold Fall, John Gardner
The. Last. One. At this point I am so indifferent to these books, I don't even know what to write. I had such high hopes for this project in the beginning, and it has fallen to pieces before my eyes. What I still can't comprehend is how Ian Fleming's estate, or the book publisher for that matter, could allow these books to go to print. Sure, there were two out of the fourteen that lived up to the Bond legacy, but there are still a dozen books out there giving poor James a bad name. I have read good things about the six Bond books by Raymond Benson, which I plan to tackle in the fall, but right now I need a break from all Bond novels to clear my head before Skyfall graces my retinas.
The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach
I enjoyed this book, but I don't have much to write about it or know who I would recommend it to. It is not quite enough about baseball to be satisfying from that angle, yet the characters are endearing and demand the attention and care of the reader. On the whole, the writing is good and highly descriptive, though I would not go so far as to say it was the best book of 2011. As contemporary novels go, this one is much more tolerable and enjoyable than most, and there are several quietly profound passages that I found myself recording for future reference. A worthy vacation read or an airport purchase that won't be regretted.
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
I read this book in two days, staying up until 4am on the second to finish it. It has been a very long long time since I have stayed up late to finish a book because I was so taken with it and couldn't wait to find out where everything was leading, rather than to just be done with it so I could move on to something else. Like the circus it chronicles, this book is magical with just the right amount of mystery to it. The experience of reading the book is like an echo of the action taking place in the book itself; I wanted to step into its pages Marry-Poppins-chalk-painting style. I could picture every detail, see every light, smell every scent so clearly in my head as I read. Rich, sumptuous, captivating, compelling - that doesn't even begin to cover it. I was even getting inspiration for paintings while I read. Who knows if those paintings will come to fruition, but the inspiration itself is a delicious reward.
Busy Monsters, William Giraldi
Thirty pages in, I knew I would love The Night Circus; thirty pages in, I knew I would be annoyed by the insufferableness of Busy Monsters. About seventy pages after that, I realized I was reading a book that falls somewhere between The Crying of Lot 49 and Super Sad True Love Story, with a healthy dose of Roth, just for good measure. Not exactly a winning combination in my book. On the other hand, I was able to fly through this one because the words on the page don't really say very much, and thus do not require much attention or close reading. If printed material was capable of being full of hot air, Busy Monsters would qualify.
Post title from: When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
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