Hall of Awesome: Oscar Predictions for 2005

I think I've seen enough movies this year to make some solid predictions as to who's going to be up for a statue next year. Here are my predictions for the nominees for the 2005 Academy Awards:

Best Picture
Good Night, and Good Luck
King Kong
Munich
A History of Violence
Crash

Best Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Viggo Mortensen, A History of Violence
David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck
Eric Bana, Munich
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line

Best Actress
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Charlize Theron, North Country
Naomi Watts, King Kong
Keira Knightley, Pride and Prejudice

Best Supporting Actor
George Clooney, Syriana or Good Night, and Good Luck
Richard Jenkins, North Country
William Hurt, A History of Violence
Don Cheadle, Crash
Jack Black, King Kong

Best Supporting Actress
Maria Bello, A History of Violence
Amy Adams, Junebug
Catherine Keener, Capote or The 40-Year-Old Virgin :-)
Thandie Newton, Crash
Frances McDormand, North Country

Best Director
Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, Sin City
Christopher Nolan, Batman Begins
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Peter Jackson, King Kong
David Cronenberg, A History of Violence

Best Animated Feature
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Corpse Bride
Howl's Moving Castle

Best Original Screenplay
Judd Apatow and Steve Carell, The 40-Year-Old Virgin (it's wishful thinking, I know)
Angus MacLachlan, Junebug
Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, Crash
Woody Allen, Match Point
Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale

Best Adapted Screenplay
Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, Munich
Stephen Gaghan, Syriana
Frank Miller, Sin City
Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, Batman Begins
Michael Seitzman, North Country

Best Original Score
Yo La Tengo, Junebug
Mark Isham, Crash
John Williams, Munich or Memoirs of a Geisha
Danny Elfman, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
James Newton Howard, King Kong

Useless Fact: The Last Post was the 200th Post!

I'm sorry that I haven't been delivering any new chapters to the DiMattiaFilms Hall of Awesome. I've just started writing a new short subject entitled A Loss for Words and I've been hard at work on it these past couple days. I promise to add the final segments (Best Music and Best Movies of the Year) within the next couple weeks.

Best Editorial Cartoons of 2005

NPR asked editorial cartoonists Mike Luckovich and Mike Peters to list their favorite pieces of 2005. Here's what they picked.

Here are my favorites from this article:











Thanks to Drawn!

Quote of the Day

"I have this sort of Mr. Magoo career. It looks like I'm about to fall on my face, but somehow that construction beam always slides into place."

--Seth MacFarlane, in an interview with Rolling Stone

Post-Christmas Report

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! My family and I just went to see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe yesterday and we were thoroughly entertained. While the climactic battle sequence at the end was a bit too much like Lord of the Rings Lite, the beginning and middle were enthralling, the dialogue was very witty and wasn't purely plot-driven, the acting was superb (a breakthrough performance for Tilda Swinton as the White Witch), and for this cynical film buff, it was a breath of fresh air in a holiday season that's churning out bad excuses for "family films" like Yours, Mine and Ours and Cheaper By the Dozen 2. With Narnia, Walt Disney Pictures might just get out of the hole they've dug themselves into.

Merry Christmas!

Since I don't know if I'll get a chance to post later tonight, I just want to wish everyone out there a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Happy Kwanzaa, and all the other December-related holidays people are celebrating! I got off of work at 10 AM and am finally free of any and all obligations...at least until the 26th! Here are a few of my favorite Christmas songs to get everyone in the mood. Please enjoy with a heaping glass of eggnog or hot chocolate with marshmallows (real marshmallows, not those pitifully tiny ones that come in the Swiss Miss packets!!)

MP3s: (right click, save-as)
Ray Charles, "This Time of the Year"
Vince Guaraldi Trio, "Christmas Time is Here"
Squirrel Nut Zippers, "Sleigh Ride"
The Flaming Lips, "A Change at Christmas (Say It Isn't So)"

Something different for Christmas

Christmas is almost upon us and every year, I try to look for different or unusual-sounding Christmas albums. This year, I came across Bright Eyes' A Christmas Album, which is only available for purchase from the Saddle Creek online store. It's just eleven bucks, and all the proceeds go to the Nebraska AIDS Project. It's a bizarre-sounding Christmas album (especially during the flourishes of electronic noise in "Away in a Manger" and "Little Drummer Boy"), but when Conor Oberst hits just the right blend of classic holiday atmosphere with an indie-rock texture, it's a wonderful thing.

MP3s:
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
"Silver Bells"

When I bought the album, it came with a signed Bright Eyes postcard, but can anyone tell me who it's signed by? My first guess would be Conor Oberst, but I can't make that name out of the scrawled signature. The first line is obviously "THX," meaning "Thanks." Anyone wanna take a crack at the rest?

Also, I've received little or no comments on my Hall of Awesome entries. What do you guys think of them? Are they providing actual insight or are they just coming off sounding like Pitchfork Lite? (Also, I've added Hall of Awesome links to the sidebar for easy access.)

Hall of Awesome: Best Compilation

• Jens Lekman, Oh You're So Silent Jens
  One of the most intimate and heartbreaking musicians out there right now is Swedish singer/songwriter Jens Lekman. Coming off as a witty cross between Beck, Nick Drake, and early Todd Rundgren, Lekman has a distinctive sound to his music, as well as a distinctive voice, showing that while he may not have mastered the English dialect, he has certainly mastered its vocabulary. "A man walks into a bar/orders a scotch and a bottle of coke/But the laughter has gone in his heart/You never told me the end of the joke," he laments on his new album Oh You're So Silent Jens, a compilation of EP tracks and rarities, but could as easily be confused for a full-length LP, as each song fits beautifully among the others. Lekman not only shows songwriting prowess, he also proves his worth behind the soundboard. All of Lekman's vocals have an eerie echo effect added, making it sound like the entire album was recorded in some long-abandoned high school auditorium. The lo-fi quality of the recordings lend to the intimacy of the songs, making the clean, seemingly effortless acoustic guitar appearing at the start of "Black Cab" quite jarring, but equally entertaining. Other songs stand out as well: the cut-and-paste bells of "Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song," making it sound like a Jem outtake; the dark humor of "F-Word," complete with a radio-friendly chorus; and the soothing "Maple Leaves," featuring every bell and whistle (literally) at Lekman's disposal. You'd be hard pressed to find a single bad song on this album. Oh You're So Silent Jens is a perfect introduction to this talented musician, and also succeeds on its own terms as an album that's scientifically designed to be enjoyed most anywhere: in a car, at home, at work, but most importantly, with someone you love. Visit Lekman's official website where you can download a ton of rare and unreleased tracks.
  
  
  MP3s:
  
  • "Black Cab"
    
  • "At the Department of Forgotten Songs"
    
  • "Pocketful of Money"
    
  • "F-Word"
    
  • "The Wrong Hands"

UPDATE: Sorry, I never got around to posting the honorable mentions. Here they are:

• Belle and Sebastian, Push Barman to Open Old Wounds
  Belle and Sebastian are one of the few bands that continue the tradition of releasing non-album singles and EPs. They also use these breaks to their advantage by placing on their EPs songs that break new ground but probably wouldn't fit on any of their proper albums. Push Barman to Open Old Wounds collects all of this material on two CDs and it's a collection any fan should not be without, especially since some of their finest work is showcased here.
  
  • MP3: "Slow Graffiti"
  
  
• Various Artists, Verve Remixed 3
  While it's not as solid as Verve Records' previous collection of remixed jazz tunes, it still has a lot of quality stuff, including excellent remixes from indie musicians like The Postal Service, The Album Leaf, Bent, and Dangermouse.
  
  • MP3: Nina Simone, "Little Girl Blue (Postal Service Remix)"

UPDATE #2: All of the Jens Lekman MP3's have been removed from his website. In place of them, Lekman is offering up his first three tour EPs free to download.

Today on the George Carlin Calendar

"Thanks to our fear of death, no one ever has to die; they can all just pass away. Or expire, like a magazine subscription. If it happens in the hospital, it will be called a terminal episode. The insurance company will refer to it as negative patient-care outcome. And if it's the result of malpractice, they'll say it was a therapeutic misadventure."

Hall of Awesome: Best New Artist

• Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
  Not only did they handcraft one of the catchiest songs of 2005 ("Oregon Girl"), they made an excellent album (Broom), a kickass split-CD (Catbird Records' Someone Still Loves You Michael Holt), and they made Spin Magazine's "Sign This Band Now!" list. Is there anything this Springfield quartet can't do? As if two new albums (as well as a new MP3 posted on their site every week) weren't enough, they've just announced that for $40, they'll send you a cassette tape of alternate takes, covers, and new material every month in 2006! And while Broom may not be the best album of the year, SSLYBY have proven themselves to be the most consistent and most giving band of 2005, and that's gotta be worth something, right?

MP3s:
"Oregon Girl" (from Broom)
"House Fire" (from Broom)
"Lower the Gas Prices, Howard Johnson" (from Someone Still Loves You Michael Holt)

Guerolito

All Music Guide just posted an interesting review of Beck's Guerolito, a companion disc to his last album Guero, featuring remixes of all the songs. The reviewer gives us a glimpse at how remix culture has affected music in 2005, and shows how albums like Guerolito are using that idea of the never-ending, constantly repackaged and remixed album. Also up for analysis is Silent Alarm Remixed by Bloc Party.

In other news: Guero makes my list of mediocre albums of 2005.

Most Disappointing Albums of 2005

NOTE: None of these albums are "bad," per se. They just have some really bad songs on them, or they're not up to snuff with the musicians' previous releases.

• Daft Punk, Human After All
  The title of this one really says it all. Daft Punk waited four whole years before they delivered a follow-up to their 2001 opus Discovery. So, why did they decide to spend a measly two weeks recording it? With so much riding on this release, is an album with just ten tracks (nine if you don’t count a 30-second interlude), most of which consist of one semi-catchy electronic riff repeated for four minutes, really worth the wait?
  
  
• Lemon Jelly, '64-‘95
  Lemon Jelly has traditionally been the “diamond in the rough” as far as electronic groups are concerned. Their warm, sunny acoustic guitars and playful melodies would make them the perfect music to play on Sesame Street, if Sesame Street had a disco. But with their newest album, they get bland, boring, and jarringly repetitive. Take the song “Don’t Stop Now,” in which a whispery voice repeats the title for seven minutes straight! Even songs that appear to be good in theory (like “The Slow Train” sampling a barbershop quartet) come off poorly in execution. Lead single “Stay With You” sounded great in a radio edit, but on the album, they pushed the lead vocal all the way back to the three-minute mark. Still, it doesn’t stop Lemon Jelly from pulling out a zinger. “Go,” the final track on the album, features a dark and hushed vocal performance from none other than William Shatner, and ends with a blazing rock finale. At least they know how to end with a bang.
  
  
• Röyksopp, The Understanding
  Röyksopp had delivered a solid debut album, 2001’s Melody A.M, featuring “Poor Leno,” my pick for one of the best electronic singles of all-time. But on their second album, they opt out of the organic production values that made that first record so great. Instead, they deliver an album that's all gloss, with a squeaky clean mix and no songs that compare to past hits like “Poor Leno” and the music box anthem “Eple.” Lead single “Only This Moment” is decent, but it’s not hard to imagine any electronic act in Europe churning it out. Melody A.M. delivered something distinctive in the tiresome electronic scene, but with The Understanding, it feels like Röyksopp is apologizing for trying to sound different from everybody else.

Albums That Were Decent (But Could've Been Better):

• Beck, Guero
  C’mon, Beck. Some of these tracks are alright (as a matter of fact, “Earthquake Weather” is one of your best), but don’t try to pass off “Hell Yes” as an actual song! No wonder you tried to get every DJ you could find to remix your album. Let’s hope they breathe some life into these bland tracks.
  
  
• Morcheeba, The Antidote
  Let’s see. Morcheeba replaces lead vocalist Skye Edwards with a Shirley Bassey clone and they end up with an album that sounds like it was made by Bassey, not by Morcheeba. How come no one saw that coming?

Alright, enough with the negatives! Best New Artist and Best Compilation are coming soon!

New header added!

So, I decided to download the 30-day free trial of Flash 8 and, within an hour, I put together the awesome Flash version of the DiMattiaFilms logo that you now see above this post (if not, you probably need to download the Flash player). Pretty soon, I'll try adding buttons to the header, so it'll be easier for new visitors to find my short films, the online store, and how to e-mail me. Please send me an e-mail or leave a comment if you've got an idea as to how I can improve this website!

New Catbird release!

Pet Politics' In My Head EP, the new release from Catbird Records, is now shipping! Get your hands on them before they're all gone!

Plus, when you buy it, you get to see a picture of the lead singer of Interpol playing ping-pong! Tell me that's not worth four bucks!

Pet Politics, "The Ghost Mary & Her Friends" (MP3)

Previously: I talk about the first release from Catbird Records, and post MP3s from it.

War of the Worst

Before I start the next part of the Hall of Awesome, I just want to say I saw a commercial during “The Daily Show” for King Kong and the song they had playing in the background? It was “Fix You” by Coldplay! I mean, I understand you gotta sell this movie to the ladies, but don’t get Chris Martin to do your dirty work for you! Instead, just pepper the ad with clips of Adrian Brody. Easy.

Alright, let’s get it on! Today, we’ll venture into the dark, musty attic of the Hall of Awesome for a segment I like to call: The Drawer of Disappointment!

Worst Movie of 2005:

• War of the Worlds
  Apparently, people must’ve been calling Steven Spielburg a pussy for not making any movies with bad aliens, ‘cause he pulled out all the stops and made the most blatant reason for putting everyone on Zoloft. War of the Worlds was the most depressing film of the year, featuring human beings meticulously slaughtered and harvested by aliens in nearly every scene, and when a scene appeared without aliens, it usually involved angry mobs fighting over a working automobile or having Dakota Fanning stumble across a river of corpses when she’s trying to find a place to use the bathroom. Now, some people were telling me that that’s the whole point of the movie, that it’s intended to be depressing. I don’t have a problem with movies that are depressing (Mystic River, for one). What I do have a problem with are movies that constantly repeat its initially-gripping first scene over and over again, each time in a different locale, each time with the same result. Not even Tim Robbins (who, oddly enough, was the best thing about Mystic River) could regenerate interest, especially since Spielburg gave him nothing to do, except to be quickly killed off by Tom Cruise. It’s not like Spielburg had been hitting a snag. On the contrary, Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can are two of his best films, and if Munich gets released before the end of the year, he might be responsible for the worst and the best film of 2005.

(Dis)honorable Mention:

• Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
  I think I’ve figured out why I just plain don’t like the new Star Wars trilogy. Look at the original films and notice how the main characters are loners, outcasts, and if they are royalty (like Princess Leia), they are so only by name. Now look at the new films. They’re about queens and princes who have pretty much everything, except dialogue that audiences would find interesting. George Lucas took the blandest of actors (and if they weren’t bland, like Ewan MacGregor, he gave them enough bad dialogue to make them bland) and made them stand in front of a blue screen as he had his effects team working overtime devising new and amazing things to have happen around the actors. Episode III took us full-circle, making us, as an audience, realize how far Lucas had strayed from his original vision. The film’s final scenes say it all. We almost sense Lucas hurrying in the last few minutes to quickly tie up all the loose ends, like a college student penning his graduate thesis ten minutes before its deadline. What made the original Star Wars movies good was the fact that Lucas knew what his limits were. Now his library of special effects is unlimited, and his films, sadly, are worse off for it.

Alright, the worst music of 2005 and the best new artist are coming up!

Grammyz for Gorillaz?

Self-proclaimed fake band Gorillaz have just been nominated for five Grammys: Record of the Year, Best Pop Collaboration w/Vocals, Best Music Video (all for kickass lead single "Feel Good Inc."), Best Producer (Danger Mouse), and...Best Urban Alternative Performance? For "Dirty Harry"!?

Don't get me wrong. A song featuring a children's choir singing about needing guns is probably about as urban alternative as it gets.

When informed of their five Grammy nods, bassist Murdoc had this to say: "I hear Grammys go for a really good price on E-bay."

Previously: Gorillaz perform at the Europe VMA's.

Hall of Awesome, Part 2

Alright, ladies and gentlemen! Here's part 2 (of an estimated 102 parts) of the 2005 DiMattiaFilms Hall of Awesome: the best of movies and music for the halfway mark of the first decade of the new millennium.*

Best CD Packaging:

• Michael Holt/Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Someone Still Loves You Michael Holt
  One of the coolest album packages I've ever had the pleasure of owning (at least until Catbird Records releases their next album), this split LP between Holt and recent indie-darlings SSLYBY featured 250 individually-painted album covers and a hand-bound notebook. Pretty damn awesome, if you ask me. Sadly, they've sold all their copies, so if you're looking for an album that's probably much easier to find...
  
  
• Gorillaz, Demon Days: Special Edition
  While I don't know if it's worth paying $10 more for than the regular album, the package is beautiful, complete with a fold out cover featuring drawings of all four Gorillaz members, as well as a booklet smothered with kickass Jamie Hewlett artwork, lyrics, and a bonus DVD featuring the video for "Feel Good Inc." It looks like Amazon's got it used for thirteen bucks. I say go for it.

Best Album Artwork:
(click on the pictures for a larger view)

• Andrew Bird, The Mysterious Production of Eggs (Jay Ryan)
  The illustrations of Jay Ryan are equal parts whimsical and slightly unnerving, like a children's book written by Crispin Glover.
  
  
  
  
  
• Bright Eyes, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Zack Nipper)
  Beautiful patchwork adorns this album cover. My only question is who ended up with the blanket afterwards?
  
  
  
  
  
• The Chemical Brothers, Push the Button (Kam Tang)
  Kam Tang's artwork for the Brothers' latest strays from the psychedelic nature of their last two albums and instead is inspired by the work of Saul Bass. Very cool, indeed.
  
  
  
  
• The Mars Volta, Frances the Mute (Storm Thorgerson, Peter Curzon, Dan Abbott, Bill Thorgerson)
  Storm Thorgerson is always interesting, even after years and years of crafting bizarre and disturbing album covers for Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and hundreds of others. Now, he takes Mars Volta's musical ideas and translates them visually, making the artwork for Frances the Mute almost as important as the music itself.
  
  
• Various Artists, Verve Remixed 3 (Hollis King, audio sculpture by David Ellis)
  The cool audio sculptures of David Ellis make for an easy translation to album covers.

Coming soon! We'll all get a little depressed as I talk about the Worst Movies of the Year and the Most Disappointing Albums of the Year!!

As always, feel free to discuss your favorite album cover and/or package in the comments!

*This phrase has probably already been copyrighted by VH1.

New Movie for Download!

For some reason, Blogger deleted my last post, so here it is again.

You can now download my final project for Intro to Film Production, entitled Dollars Don't Discriminate, off of my short movies page! Let me know what you think of it in the comments!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey, everyone! Sorry about the lack of updates. I've gone home for the Thanksgiving holiday, so DiMattiaFilms will be taking a brief siesta. Let me take this time to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

See you next Monday!!

A Day in the Life of a Rockette

Last year, I had the good fortune to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular live in New York City, featuring the one-and-only Rockettes. This year, the New York Times has posted a fascinating article giving a glimpse into the backstage life of the Rockettes. I did community theater for a couple years, but I can't begin to fathom how difficult it would be to do what those girls have to do, sometimes doing five shows a day!

Robots!!

There's a really cool animated short featuring original music by The Flaming Lips, featuring robots and other various creatures getting together to paint and stuff. Apparently, it's for some short film contest Coke is sponsoring but, thankfully, the beverage makes no appearance in the film. To get to the film, click "English" and then click on the third tab from the top (it should say "Coca-Cola M5" when you roll your mouse over it).

Plus, if your craving for robots hasn't been satisfied, Beck's new video for "Hell Yes" is now up for streaming on his website. It features four Sony QRIO robots doing elaborate dance moves, which apparently took three weeks to program into the robots. Alright, Beck; we get it. You obviously want a video music award really bad, and weren't able to get Christopher Walken. It happens, man.

Since I always give credit where credit is due, thanks Stereogum.

UPDATE: Now even Coldplay's gotten into the act. Their new video "Talk" (viewable from their website) features more giant robot action!

LAST CHANCE on Jump Cut merch!

I finally decided to do a little spring cleaning at my online store and I have slashed prices on all my Jump Cut Radio merchandise!! The prices can't get any lower (seriously) so this is the best deal you can possibly get on this stuff. Plus, I'll be pulling all the Jump Cut merchandise on Friday (11/18), so these offers aren't going to last long!

Also, Cafepress just added black t-shirts, so look for those soon!

The only time you need to TiVo the Weather Channel

According to CNN, Comedy Central comedian Lewis Black will be on the Weather Channel tonight as a sort-of "celebrity guest" weathercaster. The official website for the network doesn't really say when he'll be on, but I'm gonna say maybe around 8 PM?

Damon Albarn, now in holographic form!

Last post for the night, I promise.

Yewknee pointed out this link to where you can download the video of the Gorillaz performing live at the European MTV Video Awards. If you didn't know, the Gorillaz are a cartoon band and don't exist in real life (don't tell Damon Albarn). So, Jamie Hewlett and his team got together with Industrial Light & Magic and whipped up some kickass digital animations to perform at the show. It's pretty damn cool, if you ask me. And according to this article about how the performance was created, the technology is only going to get better, leading up to the insanely-hyped Gorillaz World Tour in 2007.

Could it be? 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Russel coming to North Carolina? Let's hope so.

ALSO: See the new video for the song "DARE."

Squares in KS

Hey, you know those cool commercials for Wendy's? Who knew that the guy that makes them hailed from my hometown of Wichita, Kansas? Friggin' sweet!

Click here to see a whole bunch more of those Wendy's ads.

Here's a link to his work-in-progress website, Bendable Rubber.

As always, thanks to Drawn! for the hookup.

The Denial Twist revealed!

So, Jack and Meg must've listened to my previous ranting because, lo and behold, they got Michel Gondry to direct their new video for the song "The Denial Twist." You can see it here.

This one definitely pulls out all the stops, which is nothing unusual for a director like Gondry. It mainly focuses on shape and size distortion (don't worry if the video looks weird at first; that's normal), with the video centering on when the White Stripes made several appearances on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". Apparently, it was all shot in one take (a Gondry trademark) and Conan O'Brien even makes a guest appearance in it!

If you'd like to know more about the video, MTV News has a really interesting article about it, as well as what Gondry and the Stripes' plans are for future videos.

Beautifully dark and depressing...

So I saw North Country last night with Merri. We were planning on seeing The Weather Man with Nicholas Cage, but the theatre cancelled the late showing to make room for an additional screening of Jarhead, which is apparently a huge hit with the military crowd.

We were very, very impressed with North Country. It's an unbelievably powerful film, one that plays with your emotions non-stop. The film makes you cry, makes you angry, shocks you, and ultimately, makes you hopeful. I believe that every single actor and actress in this film is worthy of an Oscar nomination, from Charlize Theron, Sissy Spacek, and (especially) Frances McDormand, to the male actors like Woody Harrelson, Sean Bean, and (especially) Richard Jenkins.

The film is about the first ever class-action sexual harassment suit, filed against a mining company in northern Minnesota. The film makes it clear early on that its story is "inspired" by true events, which makes the somewhat over-the-top courtroom scenes in the end permissible. But it's the director, Niki Caro, whose previous film Whale Rider was the best family film to ever receive an unnecessary PG-13 by the MPAA, who makes North Country special. With her beautiful sweeping shots of the mine and the small town that harbors it, the great musical choices, and the bleak blues and blacks which make up the film's color scheme, she turns what could've been just another "woman takes on the world" movie and makes it into an intimate portrait of a small town struggling with the constant gender battles in the workplace. Go see it.

New Kong Trailer! Plus, more movie stuff...

Click here for King Kong-related goodness.

So, apparently, Peter Jackson's in a little bit of trouble 'cause his rough cut is over three hours. I say leave it! There are plenty of excellent three-hour movies (Magnolia, to name a more recent one) and it certainly looks like this film will be excellent, at least if the trailers are any indication. I rarely get this excited about a film.

Oddly enough, another mainstream motion picture that I'm really looking forward to is coming out in a couple weeks: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I hadn't picked up a Harry Potter book since I read The Prisoner of Azkaban in eighth grade and I finally got around to reading the fourth one over the summer. It's definitely my favorite Harry Potter book. Let's hope it becomes my favorite Harry Potter film.

Alright, getting back to more artsy films ('cause I know most folks think that's more my style), Merri and I saw Broken Flowers on campus this week. It fits right in with Lost in Translation and The Life Aquatic as Bill Murray's more intellectual comedies. What set Broken Flowers apart from these films is the way in which writer/director Jim Jarmusch creates a world in which Bill Murray is the only sane person and that everyone else is totally nuts. I also think the ending hit just the right note of uncertainty and confusion. If you're the kind of person who wants a well-rounded story, with a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end, don't see this film.

Charles Foster White

A while back, The White Stripes made a song called "The Union Forever," whose lyrics consisted entirely of dialogue from Orson Welles' grand opus Citizen Kane. Even though no credit is given to the film in the album notes (bad move, Jack) it's still a pretty interesting song, and a nice way to pay homage to one of the greatest movies ever made.

Well, now it's come full circle because editor Jeff Yorkes has made a music video for that song, using clips from...you guessed it, Citizen Kane.

Click here to watch it. It's pretty sweet.

Personal Music Purchasing Ban: Results

So, it's November now, and per the rules I gave myself, I should be allowed to buy movies and music again. What I learned through this exercise is that I still end up spending as much money as I normally do, just not on movies or music. :-(

Oh, well. The personal ban also gave me the chance to revisit a lot of the music I have filed away in my CD racks, prompting me to add Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs to my Top 10 of 2005 (So Far) list, even though the album came out back in January. I only just now realized how great an album it really is. It's subtle; very, very subtle. It definitely warrants repeated listenings. Here's an MP3:

Andrew Bird, "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left"

You also should be able to stream the entire album here. My favorite tracks are "MX Missiles," "Masterfade" and the beautiful "Tables and Chairs," in which the most triumphant moment is when Andrew Bird shouts joyously "There will be snacks!!"

Just awesome.

An Eye for Good Animation

The blog Drawn! always has the lowdown on the coolest drawings, sketches, and cartoons on the web, and their most recent entry is no exception. It's a short film called An Eye for Annai by Jonathan Klassen and Daniel Rodrigues, and it's definitely one of the most beautiful and deceptively simple short films I've ever seen. It reminds me a lot of the old National Film Board of Canada animated shorts I used to check out of the public library back home. You can see more animation, as well as some great drawings, on Klassen's Burst of Beaden website.

The Lowdown on the Death Cab Concert

Um...Ben Again
Originally uploaded by devpd.

Alright, I know everyone's been waiting for me to talk about the Death Cab for Cutie concert I recently attended, and I'm sorry for making you guys wait but I've been busy writing papers and making movies and whatnot.

I am happy to say that the concert photos are now available for your viewing pleasure!

The show itself was very good. As you can see, we got pretty close to Ben Gibbard and his crew. They played a good set, ending with an excellent rendition of "Transatlanticism." The opening band, Stars, was really good, too, and I'll probably end up purchasing their new album when I've lifted my personal ban on buying music.

PLEASE comment on the photos, lemme know what you think! Oh, and also please sign my Frappr map!! Seriously, I will love you forever if you do this for me! Thanks!

Reworking of Snapped now available for download!

The film production team I am in, "Two Guys, Two Girls, and a Camera," received an A for our last class project, Snapped.

We were then faced the task of creating a parallel action to the film, which we accomplished by adding new scenes, re-editing old scenes, and by adding a new ending.

You can view the new version of Snapped on my short films page.

Death Cab for Cutie tomorrow night!

Man, I can't wait for this biology midterm to be over with! Mainly 'cause once it is, I know that I have the Death Cab for Cutie concert to look forward to. Of course, I will be accompanied by The Usual Suspects (i.e. Merri, Nathan, and Caroline) and, if I'm not mistaken, Catherine from Clever Titles will be there as well! Catherine, if you'd like to hook up with us, I'll be the dorky guy in the black Postal Service t-shirt. Yea, that's right. I already planned out what I'm going to wear.

I also forgot to mention this a while back, but I added a bunch of new photos to my Flickr account. Look 'em over, leave comments, especially check out the photos of chalk art, since it rained recently and all of them have most likely vanished.

Alright, gotta go. But first...FRAPPR MAP!!

Sorry, just had to remind everyone.

Busy, busy, busy!!

Sorry I haven't been updating often. My schedule this week is INSANE!! Like, as soon as this post is done, I have to run around campus getting all sorts of crap taken care of.

I did find the time to add Jacksonville City Nights by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals to my Top 10 of 2005 (So Far) list.

And I also discovered another really funny online comic. It's called Beaver and Steve and it's about a lizard (or dinosaur?) named Steve and a beaver named...um...Beaver.

Alright, gotta go! Oh, but before I do, EVERYONE SIGN MY FRAPPR MAP! NOW!



...please?

Map It Out; Remixed Movie Trailers

As of now, the average daily readership for this blog is 15 people, which came as a real shock to me. I mean, seriously, FIFTEEN?! I thought for sure I was the only one who actually read my blog.

So, in the interest of getting to know my readers, I have just taken the liberty of adding a Frappr! map to this blog. Please add your name, zip code, and a few words (if you'd like) so we can all learn of the far-flung places this blog is being viewed in!

In related news, the blog over at My Mean Magpie has posted some live Sufjan Stevens tracks, vintage 2001. Get 'em while there hot!

Also, I'm sure this one's been blogged to death, but I finally got around to seeing the remixed Shining trailer and it's f*cking hilarious! See for yourself. Also, here's West Side Story reimagined as a horror flick. And, finally, Cabin Fever as teenage drama.

Spoon Ruins Best Song With Crappy Video

So, a few months ago, I was singing the praises of Spoon's newest album Gimme Fiction and especially, the second track off it, "The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine." Well, Catbirdseat just pointed me in the direction of their new video for it and, in my humble opinion, it doesn't do the song justice at all. To tell you the truth, I have been very unimpressed with all of Spoon's videos. None really capture the spirit of the songs they're supposed to promote. I guess I'm a stickler on these things 'cause I've been pampered on videos by true visionaries like Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry.

Speaking of horrid videos, what the f*ck's with Green Day? "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a truly great song, which Green Day knows or they wouldn't have sequenced it on the album the way they did (it doesn't segue into any other songs, it comes right before the final medley "Homecoming"). So why does the video suck horribly?? Certainly, it's cinematic, which would've been a good idea if the two actors they had portray the soldier and the girlfriend weren't such bad actors!! Seriously, they should've had a contest where fans submitted video ideas. I'm sure any one of them could've come up with something better.

Previously: I talk about cool videos by The White Stripes, Mint Royale, The Decemberists, Daft Punk, and The Chemical Brothers.

Update: So, according to Catbirdseat, the Spoon video's not an official one. Good. Hopefully, theirs will be better.

A History of Violence

This is the first time I had ever seen a film by David Cronenberg and, I must say, if this is his most accessible film, I'd hate to see his more experimental films. That's not to say I didn't like the film; I loved it. A History of Violence takes that favorite Hollywood standby, the violent crime thriller, and twists it in so many different directions, there really is no way to classify it. Viggo Mortensen gives a performance that's worthy of an Oscar nomination, but will probably be overlooked because there's no one specific scene that stands out (which is practically a requirement nowadays).

I'll spare you the details about the plot because, honestly, the less you know, the better. There is not one moment in the film where I was able to predict what would happen next. And when it started getting to the point where I thought I would be able to guess the next scene, the movie ended.

The film works on so many different levels that it'll have you and everyone you take to see it talking until next week. When does violence become "excessive"? Does a peaceful end justify the violent means? At what point does violence become a viable option for resolving conflict? Does it ever? See A History of Violence and let Cronenberg give you his two cents.

New short film added!

The group I'm in for Intro to Film Production just finished work on a short entitled "Snapped," which you can now download off my short films page. Hope you enjoy it!! Post a comment and let me know what you think!

My October Resolution

Have you ever had one of those moments where you suddenly realize you have no money? I don't mean when you become gradually aware that you are slowly losing money. I mean you believe for a while that your monetary situation is quite decent...and then, all of a sudden, you check your bank statement online and discover that you only have about forty-five dollars in your account!

Well, this was the blow I was dealt earlier this week, and what shocked me the most was that I had just been paid the previous Friday. I couldn't understand how my paycheck could suddenly depreciate, just like that. So, in the interest of retaining my economical sanity, I have vowed to stop purchasing CDs and DVDs for the remainder of the month.

That's right. No new music or movies for a month (or the rest of the month, anyway). Can Devin possibly hold out that long? Will he crack under the stress of having to listen to music he's already heard and movies he's already seen? Horror upon horrors!

A Very White Stripes Blog Entry

I'm sure there's already been a million posts on it, but you can see the White Stripes' video for "My Doorbell" here. As they get bigger and bigger, their videos get more and more stylized and expensive-looking. All I got to say is BRING BACK MICHEL GONDRY!! He directed three of their videos, two of which are probably the best music videos I have ever seen (the famous Lego video "Fell in Love With a Girl" and the mind-blowing "The Hardest Button to Button").

In other White Stripes-related news, their next single will be "The Denial Twist," probably my favorite track of their latest LP, Get Behind Me Satan and they are also scheduled to perform a new song on Comedy Central's The Daily Show on December 1st, so start programming those VCRs!

The above photo was taken from LightningField.com.

Fire destroys Wallace and Gromit history

Man, this warehouse fire really sucks. Apparently, all the sets and props from the first three "Wallace & Gromit" shorts, Chicken Run, and the "Creature Comforts" series have been burned down, single-handedly wiping out a legacy of artifacts from Aardman Animation library. Luckily, the sets and props from The Curse of the Were-Rabbit weren't in that warehouse, but it is still a great loss for Nick Park and Aardman. And things were going so well.

Back in action!

Alright, the music posts have ended, so...on with the movie posts!

I'm not usually one to make "critic blurbs" about new movies, but here's one I simply cannot resist. Here goes. (ahem!)

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is, hands down, the funniest motion picture of the year.

There, I've said it. Sure, I might be a little bias (I have been, after all, an avid fan of the comedy duo since Day 1), but I honestly believe that even the most grim movie patron will get a kick out of this film. Nick Park has truly created something very special, a cartoon duo that rivals the greats, even Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse. And the film itself is a delight. Wonderful story, hilarious characters, and some of the most amazing stop-motion effects since...um...well, since Corpse Bride.

The New York Times has been kind enough to offer up a really cool slideshow of film stills and behind-the-scenes photos. As if that weren't enough, there's additional commentary provided by creator Nick Park.

Do yourself a big favor and see The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Trust me; this one is timeless.

I probably need music rehab, but I can't afford it 'cause of all the music I'm buying.

So for all you boys and girls that haven't been keeping tabs at home, here is all the music I have purchased over the past two weeks:

• Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Jacksonville City Nights
  
• Alpha, Stargazing
  
• Björk, Post (I found it used for five bucks; couldn't resist!)
  
• Franz Ferdinand, You Could Have It So Much Better
  
• The Go! Team, Thunder, Lightning, Strike
  
• Ted Leo + The Pharmacists, Shake the Sheets
  
• Michael Holt/Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Someone Still Loves You Michael Holt: A Scrapbook for You
  

And as if that wasn't enough, I went and downloaded a couple mixtapes:

• Out of Five: Covers That Eclipsed the Originals
  The people on this site create ten-track mixtapes every Monday based around a different theme. This particular mixtape is very cool, especially because the tracks of Al Green and Stevie Wonder covering the Beatles are a couple of the best cover songs I have ever heard!
  
  
• Palindrome: A Yewknee Mix
  Michael over at Yewknee made this really cool mix where he took eleven cover songs and added the eleven original versions, but in reverse order, creating an "audible palindrome." While there is a bit of a problem with the volume fluctuating from song to song, the selection is great (especially the TMBG cover by Steve Burns and the Björk cover by Death Cab) and the cover art is beautiful.

MP3s from Holt/Yelstin Release

Here's a few MP3s of some of the songs from the new release by Michael Holt and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, which is slowly becoming one of my favorite releases of 2005.

Michael Holt, "Private Hearts"
Michael Holt, "Courtyard" (my favorite track so far)
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, "Lower the Gas Prices, Howard Johnson"

Previously: I show off my copy of the album.

AMG on The Go! Team

The All Music Guide just posted a glowing review of the new album by The Go! Team. I must say that I've never seen such praise distributed by the AMG. (I mean, they call Thunder, Lightning, Strike "the kind of record that makes you glad to be alive.") Still, not even all those nice words could persuade them to give the album a 5-star rating. Those guys are awfully stingy when it comes to giving out The Big Five.

The Insane Monday Music Post

A Scrapbook for Me
Originally uploaded by devpd.

Lots of stuff to talk about. First off, I just received the first release from Catbird Records, the indie label created by Ryan C., the creator of the Catbirdseat blog. The release is entitled Someone Still Loves You Michael Holt: A Scrapbook for You and it's a collaborative EP between Michael Holt and one of my new fav bands, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. While the music is great, what blew me away was the packaging. The CD comes in a hand-made, hand-bound scrapbook and each of the 250 copies has a unique, hand-painted cover! Definitely the coolest CD package I've ever seen, even cooler than Lemon Jelly's second album.

Also, Stereogum just posted a leaked track from The Strokes' new album and, even though nearly all of the comments are panning it, I think it's one of their best songs. At first listen, it almost doesn't sound like them. The most notable difference is that lead singer Julian Casablancas has dropped the fuzzy old-timey-radio vocal effect, probably at the request of their new producer, David Kahne.

And, finally, new releases by Franz Ferdinand and The Go! Team drop tomorrow! I still have $20 credit from selling a bunch of CDs at this really nice music store downtown, so I'll use that to get those new albums.

Well, I'm off to work. Have a great week, everyone!

Whee! New Blog Entry

Nate and Caroline in Midair
Originally uploaded by devpd.

Man, time flies when you're having fun slaving your ass off at a certain unnamed grocery store's meat department. I've been really busy these past few days and haven't had much time to post anything. I do, however, have some cool stuff to mention to you guys:

The new Catbirdseat mix is up and I'm jamming out to it right now. For those who don't know, the Catbirdseat mix is where I get most of the new indie music I listen to. I have them to thank for introducing me to Devin Davis, Robbers on High Street, and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

I bought a couple new CDs this week: Jacksonville City Nights by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, and Shake the Sheets by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Both are really good, though if the thought of owning a "country" album makes you shake in your shoes, you probably ought to skip the Ryan Adams album. Don't worry about Ted Leo, though. That guy rocks.

Merri and I went to go see Flightplan and we really liked it. While I do understand the comparisons between this film and Panic Room, this movie really owes more to Hitchcock films like The Lady Vanishes and The Man Who Knew Too Much. Oh, and PLEASE don't read anything about the airline stewardesses who are calling for the boycott of the movie. What those idiots in the media don't realize is that they are GIVING AWAY THE ENDING by reporting on this!!

And, finally, I've added a handful of new photos to my Flickr page, including the photo above, of Nathan and Caroline practicing the Will Farrell jump from Anchorman.

Which reminds me, Bewitched was the free movie this week on campus, so I went to see it and, I must say, it was very entertaining. I was pleasantly surprised.

Alright, that oughta make up for the lack of posts around here! Later!