Film Fetish

After enjoying "Another Earth", I took to the internet to find some interviews with the director/writer. Film School Rejects had one such interview. You know that thing where you scroll to the bottom of the screen and Adobe Air or whatever slides in with a recommendation for what article you should read next?

Uh, I'm no Roger Ebert, but I'm pretty sure I didn't misinterpret "Another Earth" that badly.

2011 Recap - Motion Pictures

I didn’t see a ton of new movies this year. I had cancer.

Seriously, though, the cancer-related pain in my tailbone area made it hard to sit in theaters for a chunk of the year. Several movies I wanted to see are still not available for rent, so please settle for this incomplete list. As in years past, I have divided the films into appropriate genres, because there is no point in comparing “Thor” or “Win Win” to “The Muppets”. Just because they are all shown in theaters doesn’t mean they were made with the same goal in mind. So, within each genre, from most enjoyable to least enjoyable - an asterisk (*) denotes theater viewing, and the increased expectations that accompany those outings:

Action

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol* 

As mentioned on a recent “Doug Loves Movies” podcast, this movie has far too many Apple product placements. It’s funny how Hollywood used to try to make certain characters’ cell phones futuristic - think about the slide-out Nokia 8110 phones in “The Matrix”, for example - and now they’ve given up. “You’d think our operatives would have a sophisticated satellite phone, but they have the same phone as your mom. We got them an unlimited data plan, though, and they aren’t weighed down by that at&t contract.” There is one scene where Jeremy Renner goes into his backstory, and for a second I was worried they were going to ruin this fun movie with emotional hubris. But they got back to jumping off things and fighting villains pretty quick. A nonstop thrill ride, I’d say.

Fast Five*

The most fun I had in a theater this year was at “Fast Five”. My wife (“Borat”, 2006) and I were laughing a lot more than the general viewing public, and I was a bit self conscious wondering if everyone else found it such a winning combination of absurdity and homo-eroticism. Another bonus of paying for this fantastic piece of trash was enjoying the podcasts dedicated to its ridiculousness. “How Did This Get Made” and “The B.S. Report” both covered it.

Thor

Much more enjoyable than I thought it would be, even a little better than

Captain America,

which was also pretty good for a popcorn movie.

Attack the Block

When aliens invade planets or buildings, and the SyFy network is not involved, it usually makes for good viewing. I expected more comedy, given the involvement Edgar Wright and Nick Frost, but was still pleased with this mostly straightforward thriller.

Super

This was an action/comedy/drama, according to IMDB, but according to me it wasn’t funny enough or dramatic enough to fit anywhere but here. Not bad, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a fetish for Ellen Page dressed as a superhero. And it’s fun to see Kevin Bacon as a villain who is not invisible for a change.

Drama

Another Earth

For the first 30 minutes, I was sure I’d love it. For the next 30, I was afraid I’d hate it. By the end, I was relieved. It very successfully mixes mumbling indie drama with science fiction. The ending is possibly ambiguous, but also immensely satisfying.

Win Win

My oncology nurse and I both thought this was a sweet movie. This Paul Giamatti guy can really act. I expect big things from him.

Terri

John C. Reilly as an assistant principal? Of course I’m going to watch it - that guy is the best! If you are interested in seeing him briefly yell at a few kids, or if you want to watch him mentor a troubled youth as he comes of age, see this movie.

Comedy

Cedar Rapids

John C. Reilly as an obnoxious insurance salesman? That guy is THE BEST! I’m not a huge Ed Helms guy, but he fit well with the cast. Low expectations, good execution.

Bridesmaids*

I need to see this again, but for the best-reviewed comedy of the year, weren’t there several scenes that fell very flat? Anything with Wendi McLendon-Covey (blonde from “Reno 911”) and Ellie Kemper (Erin from “The Office”), was underdeveloped and could have been cut, for example. Any scene involving diarrhea can be cut from every movie from now until the end of time, for example.

Paul*

I don’t remember a single joke from this movie, but I associate a general sense of happiness to it.

The Muppets*

The next time I see a Disney movie I’ll know not to take a seat in the theater until 30 minutes after the posted showtime. (I’ll hang out in the lobby and play Time Crisis, the arcade game that sits in every theater lobby and bowling alley game room.) If I want to see Buzz Lightyear making jokes I’ll invent a time machine or create a child. Or maybe rent a DVD. Just show me the muppets, please, and save your interminably long animated trailer about tiny beings that are discovered by regular-sized beings. But okay, the movie itself: this was the most meta movie since Wet Hot American Summer, right? Chris Cooper saying “Maniacal laugh” instead of laughing? Travel by map? Was this a movie for adults with stuff thrown in for the kids, or the other way around? I guess it tried to be both. I’d say it was 75% successful, but I’d have to ask a child if I’m correct.

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop

The documentary itself was good. I recommend watching all of the DVD extras and the director’s commentary (with Andy and Conan) to get your full quota of laughs. Lots of good stuff hidden in there.

30 Minutes or Less*

If you like seeing Danny McBride do his schtick, I recommend it. If you don’t love him or Aziz or Eisenberg, you will be disappointed. One side note: Nick Swardson is not terrible in this, regardless of how you feel about his sketch show or those “Bucky Larson” commercials (I say commercials because I know you didn’t watch the movie).

Horrible Bosses

This was fine, I guess. Charlie Day shouting lyrics to “That’s Not My Name” was the best.

Hall Pass

If I wasn’t on a plane, I wouldn’t have bothered. A little better than I feared. Go ahead leave it on while you dick around on your laptop when it's on TBS every Friday of November 2012.

Love Bites

I see this poster every day.

And every day, I think, "There's NO WAY that ADORABLE LITTLE PUPPY lying on the floor would EVER bite me! He's SO PRECIOUS!!!"

2011 Recap - Bad Indie Rock Press Photos

Another year gone by, and I'm still somewhat obsessed with the sometimes horrifying, sometimes puzzling, always too-precious photos that accompany indie rock band stories on music blogs. Below are the images I hated most in 2011, in no particular order, except for the last two, because that guy is really the worst.

Dream Love (via I Guess I'm Floating)

Sure, you can blame him for putting ink in your mug -- but you can only blame yourself for that shirt.

inc (via Music For Ants)

I mean, what kind of music do you think these people play? Is "Androgynous hip-hop" a genre? Maybe the one on the left raps about baseball, and the one on the right raps about basketball?

Noah and the Whale (via Music For Ants)

I like some of their songs. I don't like the suggestion that these men have battered the only female member of the band so severely she required bandages and casts.

Radical Face (via Music For Ants)

Again, this guy has some good songs! But from this photo, you'd never know he wasn't a psychopath.

Spokes (via Music For Ants)

Would you like to enjoy some soulful harmonies? Cool, we'll start our set right after grab our pitchforks and chase the monster out of our village.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (via Stereogum)

 God. Damn. It.

You Won't (via I Guess I'm Floating)

 GOD! DAMN! IT!

Young Man (via I Guess I'm Floating)

I saved the first photo in February, and the second in September. I discovered it was the same dude while composing this list. So congratulations, Young Man, you're the band so nice I saved you twice. Maybe if you didn't rub Hawaiian Punch powder on your face you wouldn't have to shower with your eyes open so much.

2011 Soundtrack Honorable Mention

The Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"

Had I waited another week or so before releasing my compilation for the new Black Keys album to be released, I would have included this badass opening track.

Smashing Pumpkins - "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"

When I started to look like Billy Corgan, I figured it would be a good time to reacquaint myself with "Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness". A few weeks later, Ted and I had a chat over french fries -- we had both recently wondered why the production value of the album didn't stand the test of time. Also, I used the Photoshop Shawn made me to create this with MS Paint and slap it outside my office door:

Pearl Jam - "Animal"

I watched "Pearl Jam Twenty", the Cameron Crowe doc, and thought it was dull. But revisiting PJ is probably why, a few mornings later, I sang the first few minutes of "Animal" to our cat.

U2 - "I Will Follow"

Several early U2 tracks were burned on the end of the Two Door Cinema Club album we brought to Ireland. Duh.

Neil Diamond - "I Thank the Lord for the Night Time"

My friend Dave selected this song to lead off a night of dancing at our wedding reception. Well, he actually played "America" first, but I think most people's shock at seeing a Neil Diamond tribute band wore off in time for "I Thank the Lord for the Night Time".

Ted Talk

corinne: but John Muir is SO COOL

 

tornadoslide: "John Muir liked the out of doors. The End."

 

corinne: yah, yah

but, oh, the anecdotes!

he walked from madison, wi to california!

he climbed trees in thunderstorms so he could experience what the tree experiences in a storm

 

tornadoslide: he fucked a horse. GUARANTEED.

 

corinne: ted makes those jokes all the time!

ted also pretended to be the ghost of john muir when we were hiking in the muir woods

he pretended that Teddy Roosevelt had killed him

and I needed to avenge his death

 

tornadoslide: haha

2011 Soundtrack

I do this every year. These songs are what I loved this year, or what reminds me of this year, and are arranged in my preferred listening order. The playlist fits on an 80-minute CD, but I wanted to try making it downloadable this year instead of mailing out discs through the broke-ass postal service.

Download the zipped folder here. If the songs get lost in your media library, just search for the ones with the genre labeled "Dan".

1. Frightened Rabbit - "Footshooter"

I used some iTunes gifts from last Christmas to delve deeper into the world of Scot Rock. This is my favorite song from this very enjoyable album, "The Winter of Mixed Drinks".

2. Two Door Cinema Club - "What You Know"

This band is from Northern Ireland, so we burned this album along with some filler classic U2 for our rental car journeys around the island. I heard their music wafting out of a shop in Dublin, so I felt reassured that my finger was on the pulse of the Irish youth. Thank God we had that CD, too, because there were moments of awfulness over the radiowaves. You know that "I need a dolla, dolla, dolla is what I need" song that is on a commercial or two? I heard that on the radio over there. During a top ten countdown. Yikes. Kim and I heard Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" for the first time over there, and laughed about how awful it was. Then a few weeks later I learned that song tied her with "Thriller" for the most #1 hits from a single album.

3. James Mercer - "Journey Through the Past" (Neil Young cover)

I know almost nothing about Neil Young, but I do know that I love his songs as interpreted by The Shins' James Mercer. His cover of "Harvest" is also excellent.

4. Okkervil River - "Piratess"

I suppose this was my favorite album I bought this year, although I dislike a few of the yelling songs. This track and "Your Past Life as a Blast" are my faves.

5. Beastie Boys - "Ok"

I have nothing to say about this. It's simply a solid jam.

6. Kathryn Calder - "Slip Away"

She is the keyboardist for The New Pornographers. I enjoy both her face and her first solo album.

7. Fountains of Wayne - "Radiation Vibe"

I was explaining to a younger co-worker that this band had been around for some time, and that "Radiation Vibe" remains one of my all-time favorites. I was about to play it for her when I realized it was not in my possession. Horrified, I bought it that night and relived the magic for the rest of the year.

8. Simon & Garfunkel - "Overs"

For a few weeks when my sleep schedule was messed up, I would listen to my mp3 player with headphones while my wife slept. Two nights in a row, this song came up on the shuffle. I wasn't familiar with it before. It was kind of a perfect match for the quiet nights.

9. Telekinesis - "You Turn Clear in the Sun"

This album and the new Dodos album were both solid but not great. Still, I listened to them a lot in the car's CD player when I was too lazy to queue up a podcast.

10. Wild Flag - "Romance"

Former members of Sleater-Kinney. Hand claps. Awesome. I also recommend "Something Came Over Me" from the same album.

11. Ximena Sarinana - "Different"

You might recognize this song from a Pop Tarts commercial. I first heard it one morning on VH1. "Why wasn't this attractive young woman forced to wear a bikini for this video shoot?" I wondered. It turns out she is an established talent from south of the border - this is her first English-language album. Catchy. I'm a sucker for those brass horns.

12. Foster the People - "Pumped Up Kicks"

This video, on the other hand, is really boring. Still, I'd call this the song of 2011. Total summer jam. 

13. Noah and the Whale - "5 Years Time"

This is the third and final song within the whistling suite of the 2011 mix. I saw a lot of commercials for their new album while watching TV in Ireland, and remembered how quaint it was to advertise music on television. Oh, Europe!

14. Belle & Sebastian - "Your Cover's Blown"

If you want to get technical, I believe my love affair with this song started in 2010, on long drives to Illinois. Since then, it's become a go to song for a burst of energy. It's so good I wonder why it took me so long to hear about it.

15. Mates of State - "Maracas"

If you're like me, you'll get this song's final repeated lyrics in your head for an extended time, and you'll think it's totally annoying. But if you give it some time you'll come back with open arms. The pull of the funky synth is too great.

16. Eleanor Friedberger - "My Mistakes"

The Fiery Furnaces and their solo output continues its annoying pattern of two or three amazing songs on an album filled with the weirdest, hardest to like stuff.

17. Peter Bjorn & John - "IKYDLM"

I'd guess this is my favorite bassline of the year.

18. Andrew Bird - "Tables and Chairs"

This song really tugs at my heartstrings until he says "There will be snacks" and I'm just like, "Huh?".

19. The Jayhawks - "Smile"

As previously mentioned, this prompted some cry urges one Sunday morning. 

20. The New Pornographers - "Go Places"

First dance at the wedding. Stuck in my head for a week afterward.