a slew of movies

It's been a bit since my last post and I have seen a bunch of movies since the last post; part of this is because I got rid of my cable, and the other part of that is I ummmm, cough, saw some movies, wink, for free, wink wink, on this set of tubes called the internets. These are tough economic times, and a movie lover like myself has to do what he has to do in order to take in all of these movies. Listen, I subscribe to netflix, buy tons of movies, see tons of movies every year, so this is my justification for using the tubes of the internet to see some films. Anyhow, the first film I shall review, I actually plunked down $13 freaking dollars to see! Why was it $13? Well, apparently the fact that it was in 3D and I got some crappy plastic glasses means that it costs more. So, here is my reveiw of Coraline. In the next few days I will also review The Wrestler, which you should run out and see now, and I will do my review of an older movie, that I happened upon again and I forgot how awesome it was and that movie was Brick. So without further adieu, lets get to it punks.


Corraline is yet another incredible creation from the genius that is Henry Selik, who gave us the Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride to name a few. The true triumph is that a film using stop motion animation was even made in this day and age of all cgi films, and the attention to detail and love in every frame really shines through. If you can see this film in 3D, run out and do it in the next few weeks, because it truly is an amazing thing and wholly engrossing experience.

Coraline doesn't only just look good, but is a great story to boot. Here we have a childrens tale, that doesn't pull any punches and is actually a bit scary and dark. I love the fact that this movie dares to go to some of the scary places it does and that it gives kids credit for what they can handle, rather than pander to them with fart jokes and silly songs.

The story of Coraline isn't very complicated. It is really reminiscent of Alice In Wonder Land, where a young girl discover a hidden world. Coraline has moved to a new apartment with her parents that pay no attention to her because they are busy wrapped up in their work. Coraline discovers a secret door, that has a hole to a new world where everything she longs for comes true. She has her "other parents" there, and they play with her, and give her their full attention. Not only do her parents love, pay attention to her and play with her, but the world is full of magic gardens, neighbors who put on elaborate plays for audiences full of dogs, and another neighbor that has a circus of trained, acrobatic mice. All of the sequences in the other world is where the movie really shines, bursting with imagination and incredible characters and creatures. Of course all is not what it seems, and there is a dark undertone to all that goes on in the other world, including the fact that all of the characters which populate the world have buttons sewed in place of their eyes, which Coraline's other mother also wants her to do.

Look, there is really no need to go further into the plot details. You know whether you want to see this type of movie or not. If you enjoyed Henry Selick's other movies and you like the writer, Neil Gaiman, then this is a home run for you. My only real quibbles with the movie overall is there was a little too much exposition up front, it doesn't spend enough time in the truly magical other world, and when the shit hits the fan in the end and we find out what is really going on, it wraps up just a little too easily. These are minor problems in a truly beautiful and fun movie. This is a kids movie, but it definitely isn't so lowbrow that adults also can also love it as well. Seriously, go see this in 3D while you still have the chance because it will only be in 3D for the next few weeks. I really enjoyed myself in this one and it was great escape, that took me back to my childhood for a few hours.

Top 10 Continued

So here is the rest of my top 10 list, with my favorite 5 records of the year. It is a little late, but oh well. Also, I am feeling a little lazy, so I really don't deconstruct any of the music here, just kind of give my feelings and a brief description. Enjoy.











#5. The Melvins: Nude With Boots On - What is there to say about The Melvins that hasn't been said before? Well, they have like 100 albums and yet here they are, still rocking our asses off as hard as ever. All the hallmarks of The Melvins are here, huge guitars and bass, thunderous drums, and Buzz screeching, singing and growling away. If you've never heard this band, you are missing out. If you are a fan of stoner rock, hard rock or a big guitar sound then you owe it to yourself to check out this record. I know it was an inspiration for me when writing songs for Black Sleep Of Kali and they have inspired countless others I am sure. The Melvins tread a fine line between pop and heavy, which makes them much more accessible than other bands in their genre.











#4. Bonnie Prince Billy: Lie Down In The Light - Will Oldham is a genius. He seriously releases records at a mad pace, and they are always interesting, if not wholly engrossing. Lie Down In The Light is a country, bluegrass, folk, gospel and even Americana inspired album; and what I mean by that is that many of these elements make up the whole of a truly great record. As I was traveling this year, I think this is the record that I put on the most. There is something comforting about it to me that I just can't really put my finger on. As with much of Oldham's music, it truly evokes a mood, which I think is a truly special talent. So I will grab a beer, you grab a jug of whatever grain alcohol you like, and we will head out on the porch to watch the fireflies while listening to Lie Down In The Light.










#3. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Dig Lazarus Dig - Nick Cave in recent years has seemed to get even more menacing and rock and roll than in his youth, which is a great thing for fans of Nick Cave. Dig Lazarus Dig is the sound of a fire and brimstone preacher giving a sermon about sex, love and death; all while being very literary and actually using words that I had to look up - and I am an english major. If you heard Cave's other project Grinderman last year, then you have an idea of what is in store with Dig Lazarus Dig. Many of these songs are straight forward rock and rollers, but each track seems to be alive with background noises and little touches that actually add to the ambiance of the songs, rather than distract from them. Conjuring up images from the bible, to the ruined American dream, Cave and crew have crafted one of the best records in their long and kick ass career. I listened to this album so much, that I almost, or may have ruined it for my wife.











#2. Constantines: Kensington Heights: I have been saying it for years and I will say it again; the Constantines are the most underrated band around today. Hailing from Canada, the Constantines play a brand of frantic indie rock and straight up rock and roll that has a sense of urgency and energy many bands try to capture and fail. Now this isn't my favorite Constantines record, but it is still is awesome enough to be number two on my list. Think of the Constantines like this: if Bruce Springsteen played indie rock and was from Canada, then you may get an idea of their sound. Another description that I think would suit the Constantines is punk arena rock. My only complaint about this album and the band in general, is for some reason, on every record, they let one of their band mates sing, who isn't the main vocalist, and he blows; really, he is terrible. Why even let the guy sing when the main vocalist has such an incredible voice? Anyhow, The Constantines kick major ass, go listen and enjoy.












#1. Torche Meanderthal - All bow down before the mighty Torche!!!! I love this band and this record so much. It is the perfect combo of stoner rock heaviness, mixed with pop melodies. I wrote about this record earlier in the year on my blog and will repost my review here for you to enjoy once again......

So Torche's new album Meanderthal has been out for a while, but I felt compelled, nay I felt crushed by awesome metal pop riffage to review this record here and now. I can't stop listening to this juggernaut of a record. I thought that Torche's last album was pretty decent, but nothing prepared me for the leap forward they took here. Metal purists may disagree with me, but metal purist can go huff glue in the corner and keep lamenting the death of Cliff Burton while sewing their latest Slayer patch to their denim jackets. Me on the other hand, I will move on while listening to incredibly awesome riffage, melded with a pop sensibility that Torche has created on my favorite record in a long time -- the MIGHTY MEANDERTHAL! Torche was know previously for their infamous "bomb note" and sludgy riffs; the bomb note being an ultra down tuned top string, that when struck produced an epic sonic sludge, that was more of an earthquake than a note (I previously thought it was produced through a whammy pedal, but my pal Morgan gave me the real scoop). They still use the bomb note here, so don't get your panties in a bunch.

Torche blazes through 13 incredible tracks on Meanderthal. Barely pausing, this album's first six tracks fly by at a breakneck speed, with not one of the first six tracks topping three minutes. Each song is balanced nicely with vocal melodies, huge riffs, and even some pop hooks, which is why some metal purist may dismiss the album. It's strange, because the album still has plenty to offer the headbanger, but in the mix is a real pop sensibility. The first six songs are more in the sludge or metal vein, but on the sixth track titled Healer, something you don't see much in metal happens: there are "woah oh's" thrown in. Yup. Woah oh, woah oh. It works though. The "woah oh" vocals really signal a shift in the album; they come at the end of the song, but going forward the record has a distinctly different feel and sound. The seventh track, Across the Shield, is where a real shift in the album takes place, and this is the point where I expect the metal purist to really scratch their long-haired, greasy heads. Is this a metal band? It is still metal, but the rest of the album seems a little more straightforward rock, in the vein of the Smashing Pumpkins, Helmet or even Foo Fighters. This is a good thing in my opinion. Torche is still able to retain their huge sound and heaviness, while adding real hooks and well thought out melodies to each song.

I would recommend this record to just about anyone who enjoys hard rock, which is not something I would do with a lot of other "metal" bands. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love metal; but most metal bands don't have these kind of tricks in their bags so to speak. I will listen to Gaza, Slayer or Mastodon till the cows come home because they are so brutally heavy, but that type of music isn't for everyone; maybe Torche isn't for everyone either, but I could see them have a much broader appeal than many other metal bands.

Torche is truly a dynamic band, and if you are still pissing and moaning about their new direction, then you need to see them live. Although they have moved in a poppy direction, these songs will still punish you right to the core in a live setting and rattle around in your skull, like any good metal band should. All I can say is this album rules my fucking face and if you don't like it then you have terrible taste in music and you should be ashamed to voice your opinions in public.