You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'films' tag.
Compiled by Ryan
The links:
-If you’re looking for a way to waste a solid half hour, check out Paste’s top fifty albums and films of the decade.
-Wes Anderson told Access Hollywood that he wants to shoot a film in space.
-George Clooney may play the lead in The Descendants, the next project from director Alexander Payne.
-AV Club talks to Chris Pratt, who plays Andy on Parks and Recreation.
-Tina Fey recounts her ten favorite 30 Rock moments at The Daily Beast.
-This NYT piece highlights the talented Kumail Nanjiani among others in the New York alt-comedy scene.
-A friend pointed out to me that Fearless Freaks, the Flaming Lips documentary, is on Hulu now; if you’re a fan of the band at all, it’s definitely worth a watch.
The YouTube highlights:
It’s a simple enough concept, but Christopher Walken reading Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” on Jonathan Ross still made me laugh:
Aziz Ansari highlighted this gem on Twitter this week:
New music spotlight:
Julian Casablancas – Phrazes for the Young
Stokes leadman Casablancas has gotten quite a bit of buzz for his debut solo album; you can read an interview on Pitchfork, check out this Village Voice article, read about his cover of the SNL song “I Wish It Was Christmas Today” at NME, then listen to it at Stereogum, and, finally, you can check out his MySpace to preview the entire album along with bonus tracks. But if you don’t do any of that, at least listen to the Strokes-y first track:
Julian Casablancas – “Out of the Blue” from Phrazes for the Young, out now on Cut Records
By Anna
A group of us met at my friend Lisa’s before going to the opening night of Where the Wild Things Are. It was important that we met there because she lives closest to the cheapest theater in the Twin Cities, the Woodbury 10. It would also become important because of what happened before we left for the movie.
Where the Wild Things Are is an important interpretation of Maurice Sendak’s children’s book because it’s not for children, but for adults, particularly adults who were once a child like Max was. Max’s dad wasn’t around, his mom worked full-time and his sister was just old enough for it to not be cool to hang out with Max. He kept to his igloos, forts, and wolf costume.
Max didn’t understand why his father rejected him and his family and didn’t know how else to express his frustration but through tantrums and running. After a pre-dinner tantrum and biting his mom, he ran (and sailed) all the way to where to where the wild things are.
The implications for me became clearer. About a half hour before we left for the Woodbury 10, Lisa’s neighbor stopped by. Lisa had never met this neighbor before, but had watched the family dynamics from a distance and knew they inclined toward a different social understanding and interaction.
“Can I use your phone?” the 28-year-old woman asked as her little redheaded girl huddled behind her knees.
“Oh she’s just scared of your ghosts on your deck. You do know this house is haunted right?” the woman said. We all shock our heads. Not being in opposition to ghosts, knowing full and well of a supernatural realm present in the world, we all giggled a little as our Western mindset taught us to do in the face of ghost believers.
Though this young mom probably influenced her daughter’s belief and knowledge of ghosts, I couldn’t help but think of this young girl when we left the theater that night. Her white jacket and blue lightsaber like Max’s wolf attire. She would probably eventually deny what she knew at the time to be real, the existence of ghosts, but for now she believed in what no one else could see. Fatherless, as the mom told us “she tried that marriage thing once,” she faced the world of ghosts probably fighting as Luke Skywalker fought evil with his blue lightsaber.
Though the little redheaded girl seemed happier than Max, my heart broke for her. The threat of an incomplete family is a horrifying experience I don’t know how to deal with. Not only is my family complete, but most of my friends’ families are complete so with ignorance I stood giggling at this girl’s apparitions, all the while loving fantasy films and believing in God.
Where the Wild Things Are is an important film for its beauty and interpretative imagination, but maybe mostly important in its provision of emotional and psychological understandings of broken families and the children affected. So that I might call the redheaded girl imaginative like Max, and not weird as I initially thought of her.
Compiled by Ryan
The links:
-Andrew Bird has announced an extended tour that finds him playing churches in Minneapolis (St. Mark’s Episcopal) and Chicago (Fourth Presbyterian).
-Yeasayer have signed with Secretly Canadian and will release their second album, entitled ODD BLOOD, early next year.
-Of course Jack White gave a philosophy lecture in Dublin.
-The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn is teaming with Letterman scribe Tom Ruprecht to adapt Chuck Klosterman’s Fargo Rock City for the big screen.
-Comedy Central has acquired the syndication rights to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, an unusual move for FX, the cable channel that produces the show.
-Where you wondering what George Wendt was up to? I bet you were wondering what George Wendt was up to. Here’s what George Wendt is up to.
-Time has a brief Q&A with Malcolm Gladwell.
-Food, Inc. arrives on DVD in early November, and a friend passed along this link to the film’s highly-education and surprisingly-fun website.
New music spotlight:
Tegan and Sara – Sainthood
Everyone’s favorite Canadian twins look to continue their run of success that started with 2004’s So Jealous and peaked with 2007’s The Con. Sainthood is the duo’s fullest sounding record yet, employing a full band to fill out the post-punk infused pop of the Quinn twins:
Tegan and Sara – “Hell” from Sainthood, out October 27 on Sire
Compiled by Ryan
The links:
-Moviefone asks if Where the Wild Things Are is for kids.
-Variety gave a fairly positive review to Fantastic Mr. Fox, while Wes Anderson tells /Film about directing it from a distance.
-I love stories about fonts, and NBC just got sued for infringing on the trademarks of one.
-It’s Gary Shandling’s Show is finally coming to DVD.
-It’s pretty predictable, but I still liked this list of the 10 “Coolest” bookstores in the U.S.
-It’s a cover song, but it’s still new LCD Soundsystem, so check out Bye Bye Bayou.
New music spotlight:
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Is London the new Montreal? Just as seemingly every indie buzz-band five years ago hailed from Montreal, many of this year’s talked about acts are part of an emerging folk scene that’s formed in London over the past few years. Following the success of Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale, and, to a lesser extent, Johnny Flynn, Mumford & Sons has just released a self-assured debut that’s as good as anything to come out of that scene thus far. Fans of The Frames or Johnny and the Moon will find something to like here, and lead singer Marcus Mumford sounds a lot like the former band’s lead singer, Once star Glen Hansard, though he also recalls Josh Ritter, Caleb Followill (Kings of Leon), and a bit of Michael Stipe. Intrigued?:
Mumford & Sons – “The Cave” from Sigh No More, out now on Island
Compiled by Ryan
The links:
-Stereogum has a new Tegan & Sara song, along with info about a box set.
-Eugene Mirman’s new album came out this week, and you can listen to a bonus track at his website.
-Here’s an interesting behind-the-scenes featurette on Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox.
-I’m an Orson Welles fan, so I should probably read the novel before I see the movie adaptation of Me and Orson Welles.
New music spotlight:
Karen O and the Kids – Where the Wild Things Are [Soundtrack]
A lot of people are excited for Where the Wild Things Are, based equally on its pedigree—Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers—and its nostalgia-gripping trailer, which features The Arcade Fire’s indie epic “Wake Up.” You won’t find AF on the soundtrack, though: it’s all Karen O and her pals, including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and members of Deerhunter, Liars, and The Raconteurs. Check out the first song:
Karen O and the Kids – “All Is Love” from Where the Wild Things Are, out now on Interscope
