The MOTHER of all Lost Season 2 finale reviews
Satisfied?
I am. I didn’t find the finale OVERwhelming, but it was far from UNDERwhelming like last year’s cliffhanger. I thought it was nearly perfect. There was so much going on it’s still sinking in for me, but I’ll try to get through everything as quickly as possible and then on to the big talking points. Spoilers ahead! Continues after the jump »
Lost: Eko and Locke take a trip
Eko and Locke take a tour of the island, and discover even more of its secrets.
This review is pretty heavy on the summary, but I’ve put together a few pretty good observations. We’ve got pictures aplenty for your forensic pleasure. The usual spoiler disclaimers apply, so if you haven’t seen it yet, I’d stay away. Otherwise, dig in! Continues after the jump »
Tribeca Film Festival: Week 1
ALEX: The Tribeca Film Festival started last week, though for the first time Lower Manhattan isn’t the only host to the festivities. Films are screening in such far off destinations as 34th St. and Lincoln Center. It’s an odd vibe for the festival which once occupied only a few blocks near Battery Park. There are an overwhelming number of choices too. In this piece, Michele and I are gonna tear through our first block of films, which seemingly star all of Young Hollywood.
First up is Fifty Pills, starring Lou Pucci, Kristen Bell, and John Hensley (aka Thumbsucker, Veronica Mars, and Matt McNamara of Nip/Tuck). Pucci is in danger of getting kicked out of NYU if he doesn’t come up with the last $1000 of owed tuition, and all he has to raise the money are the titular fifty hits of ecstasy.
MICHELE: I had been really excited to see this movie, since it had such a great cast. Lou Pucci was great in Thumbsucker, and John Hensley is my younger crush in Nip/Tuck. After Pucci’s roommate, played by Hensley, throws yet another party & gets busted, Pucci loses his scholarship & must pay back around a $1,000. This first off seemed impractical to me. You lose your scholarship half way through the semester & you only have to pay the remaining money? Last I checked, you had to pay it ALL back. But I digress. Hensley sets him up with the 50 pills (of ecstasy) as a way of making the situation better. For me this just doesn’t work- what dealer would just give 50 pills to sell, along with a beeper & tell him good luck? Only one who had a death wish from his supplier.
Michael returns with a bang to ‘Lost’
Wes is off this week for finals, so I’ll be filling in. If you haven’t watched this episode yet, and don’t want it to be ruined, just stop reading. Any complaints about how now the episode is ruined for you will only serve to get you mocked. With that said, here we go… Continues after the jump »
When Bernard met Rose
S.O.S. - 2.19
Rose-Bernard Centric
Rose and Bernard got their moment in the sun with a backstory revealing how they came together, Rose’s bad timing, and how they ended up on Oceanic Flight 815. And it was okay. Review! Continues after the jump »
Sex rock at its finest
- Best Little Secrets Are Kept
- "Milkshake, milkshake, I love to feel you sweat. We don't have to go to the pool if you want me to make you wet. Can you keep a secret? Because the best little secrets are kept."
- Buy it on Amazon
All you hipsters and trendspotters that read this site probably already own this CD, but if you don’t have Louis XIV’s Best Little Secrets are Kept then I say “Tsk tsk!” The trendy dance rock band first made waves touring with The Killers last year and is now hitting alternative radio hard. With lyrics that are not so subtle about sexuality and sexual escapades, catchy danceable hooks, and great production value, this is a CD not to be missed.
By now, most Crap Filter readers probably know that at the beginning of the year I declared a personal vendetta against trendy dance rock… yet for the second or third time this year, I’ve fallen into listening excessivley to another dance rock CD. Hypocrite? Sure, I probably am, but I can’t help it when there is actually good music coming out of the trendy genre I had previously written off. Continues after the jump »
Hurley loses his mind
2.18. - Dave
Hurley-Centric
Why are the cute ones always so crazy?
It’s been awhile since we’ve had a Hurley episode, and it’s been longer still since we first found out he was in a mental institution. A lot of Hurley information was finally revealed in this episode, along with some new bits egarding “Henry” and the hatch. But first, review! Continues after the jump »
The Belladonna of Sadness
Hey everyone…here’s another CRAP FILTER movie review column. My girlfriend Michele and I have been checking out a lot of revival screenings and film festivals, and we’ll be co-reviewing some of these films right here in this column…HE SAID, SHE SAID “SHUT UP”
ALEX: I don’t think Michele and I really knew what to expect going into the “Belladonna of Sadness”, other than that Belladonna wasn’t in it. Last weekend we attended the Museum of Sex exhibition Peeping, Probing & Porn: Four Centuries of Graphic Sex in Japan. It had some anime, but it was all big-eye hentai stuff.
Belladonna of Sadness is over 30 years old. Thursday’s screening at KBG Bar was the first time it was screened in the US. You can tell its age because its production style was closer to The Adventures of David the Gnome than Neon Genesis Evangelion.
MICHELE: Anime was still in its infancy stage at this period and it shows. The film is primarily still shots, occasionally panning across, to give the feeling of fluidity. Only during “important” scenes, such as all of the sex scenes, was the anime we know of today used.
Lost: Season 2, Episode 17 review
Fool me once, Henry Gale, shame on you…
Fool me twice and Sayid is going to drop the Iraqi Hammer on that ass! Review! Continues after the jump »
A Grass Man, a Karate Kid, and some Dolls
This week’s Netflix haul include Johnny Knoxville in Daltry Calhoun, The Karate Kid Part II (no introduction needed), and another Takeshi Kitano film - Dolls.
Daltry Calhoun went straight to video last month, despite star Johnny Knoxville and exec producer Quentin Tarantino. Knoxville plays a small town millionaire whose golf course grass seed business is slowly collapsing. His life turns around when his terminally ill ex (Elizabeth Banks) shows up with his 14 year old daughter he never knew. If you’ve ever asked yourself what would happen if Cameron Crowe wrote and directed an Adam Sandler movie, this is the answer. No one embarrasses themselves here, even Juliette Lewis manages to be sexy for a few minutes. Unfortunately, there’s just not that much here to recommend. Knoxville barely has anything to do, and the humor is so downplayed that it’s nearly non-existant. It’s sweet-natured though, instead of the sap fest it could have been, so I’m giving it 2.5 out of 5.
Lost: Season 2, Episode 16
I waited three weeks for that?
Okay, so Lost wasn’t exactly up to par last night, but next week looks sweet. And with any luck the week after that will be sweet, then we’ll only have to suffer through one more break before a season-ending string of weekly episodes to carry us into the summer break. Continues after the jump »
Something not-so-Corporate
- Everything in Transit
- Something Corporate's Andrew McMahon fights back from a recent bout with cancer by creating a solo project that takes the sound he already developed with Something Corporate and transforming it into a more mature and powerful sound. And on drums... Tommy Lee... yes, THAT Tommy Lee.
- Buy it on Amazon
- The band on Myspace
In a period of my life where stress is high and my boss is screwing me over, an escape from life sounds really nice… and not just a week in Florida (although, I did just enjoy a great vacation in Clearwater, FL last week). In the opening track to Jack’s Mannequin’s debut “Everything in Transit” (entitled “Holiday from Real”), McMahon sings out:
But if you left it up to me
Every day would be a holiday from real
We’d waste our weeks beneath the sun
We’d fry our brains and say it’s so much fun
Out here
But when it’s all over
I’ll come back for another year
Oh how I can relate… of course my woes are nothing compared to the past year of McMahon’s life. This CD was finished and in post-production before the diagnosis came, but on June 1st, about two months prior to the release, McMahon was hospitalized and diagnosed with leukemia. Don’t fear, however. Apparently doing well, he’s touring again and promoting the hell out of this CD. Continues after the jump »
Warsaw packed with Les Savy Fav fans
- Les Savy Fav
- Les Savy Fav plays an impressive set to hundreds of smelly hipsters at a packed Warsaw ballroom.
I’ve been to a lot of concerts in my day. It’s just the nature of things that some will be awe-inspiring and some will be disappointing. Some will destroy your expectations and leave you wondering what just happened. This was one of those.
Before Friday’s show to a healthy crowd, I wasn’t overly familiar with Les Savy Fav’s incredible live performances. I’m a fan of the “Inches” singles collection, which is a great album showcasing the band’s career, but pretty much all that I had heard about their live shows is that “they’re great live.” That’s a lukewarm endorsement, and a more than a bit of an understatement. To say that they’re great is to say that there are a lot of hipsters in Williamsburg. Williamsburg is teeming with those filthy mothers. And Les Savy Fav is more than great live. Continues after the jump »
Lost Season 2, Episode 15 in-depth review
- Episode 15: Maternity Leave
- In a very Claire-centric episode, we find out that there may be more to The Others than meets the eye.
Hey readers, say hello to new contributor Wes Bain!
Massive spoliers follow, so if you haven’t seen the episode yet, you might want to come back later once you’ve seen it. Unless, of course, that’s why you’re reading.
— Chris
After a somewhat slow start to the first half of Season 2, the powers-that-be who govern Lost have finally given us something to cheer about. Continues after the jump »
Spirit filled hardcore
- The Recovery
- Enlow's return after an indefinite hiatus proves that they are back and here to stay, with a powerful sound that can capture the ears of metalheads, hardcore kids, and punkers alike. Well worth a listen (even if you don't fit into any of those categories)!
- Buy it on Amazon
- But it on ITunes
After a hiatus and an indefinite future, Enlow has returned with their follow up to 2003’s “The Desperate Letters”. Their new release, “The Recovery”, was recorded with the infamous Stephen Egerton of Blasting Room Studios (perhaps you know him better as one of The Descendents). Not only is this a solid release, but it already seems to be getting a lot of press and drumming up attention from the scenesters, drawing comparisons to Underoath, Dead Poetic, and even This Day Forward.
Personally, I am not Mr. Hardcore Aficionado, so comparisons are hard to draw for me when I listen to albums like this one. Most people who listen to hardcore would scoff or laugh at the comparisons that I could make here because my ears are less trained to the sound, but I did dabble in the hardcore scene in my teenage years and so, I’ll give it a shot… their sound is a mix of the ever-popular metalcore trend and an early hardcore/post-hardcore sound. Translation: I think of Stretch ArmStrong and old-school punk/hardcore like early H2O, but can hear influences of modern metalcore like some of Zao’s stuff and perhaps something a bit more chaotic like Norma Jean. Continues after the jump »
Good Con Fun
What happens when you try to cram 14,930 nerds and 70 scantily dressed women into a convention center?
The short answer: Angry message board postings!
The New York Comic-Con was this past weekend, and for an undisputable dork such as myself, it was like getting…well, it was like going to a big convention center filled with everything I love. Which is what it was.
Four tracks of near perfection
- Kissing Cousins EP
- What if Sonic Youth was a bit more tame, they enlisted PJ Harvey as their lead vocalist, and listened to a steady diet of Portishead and The Breeders? I imagine it may sound a little something like this...
- Buy it from VBM
Kissing Cousins can be found where the dark, quirky, lo-fi rock sound of PJ Harvey meets the sultry, lounge flavored trip-hop feel of Portishead. This EP is a mere 4 songs, but in the short time it takes to listen to, you’re bound to fall head over heals for their brand of melancholy, downtempo rock. The extremely sexy and sultry vocal delivery takes center stage with a backdrop of dream-like fuzzy guitar work, deliberately downbeat drumming, and solid bass lines.
The first track, “Silhouettes”, begins with an inviting riff on top of decidely slow and alluring drums. After a thirty second intro, we are first treated to the vocal stylings of Heather Heywood. According to the Velvet Blue Music webpage, Kissing Cousins sound like “PJ Harvey decided to use a tamed down Sonic Youth to be her backing band.” In this track, we can already see where this description came from. The music is very akin to a tamer Sonic Youth here, and Heywood’s vocal delivery can easily be compared to Ms. Harvey. Continues after the jump »
Original British version = not funny!
Dear Crapheads, Geeks, and British humor enthusiasts,
Please don’t (cyber)stone me… but I have to say that the original version of The Office just isn’t very funny. I know, I know, it’s the original and therefore the American version is inferior in some way to it, but seriously… I have a hard time believing that the BBC version of The Office can even hold it’s on compared to the version it inspired in the states.
Now, admittedly I am basing this assessment on only two episodes, because that is all I have gotten the chance to see of the original. BBC America (sometimes carried by our local PBS station) aired several episodes over the weekend and I decided that I needed to give the show a shot. I found myself laughing out loud only once and barely chuckling at all throughout the remainder of the two episodes… in fact, at several points I felt like changing the channel to see if TBS may have been airing Friends reruns or VH1 had a Top 100 [insert anything you want here] of All-Time show on… but I decided that I needed to persevere because it would hopefully be worth it. Unfortunately, my perseverance did not pay off and I derived little to no enjoyment through my decision to stay tuned to this poor excuse for humor. Continues after the jump »
Masked villain conquers New York
- MF Doom in concert
- Doom and a collection of classic and current hip-hop's finest take over Times Square for a rap marathon.
If you want to see MF Doom perform, you have to be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint. Keep in mind that marathons are long — very long. And you’re likely to be in pain and dripping with sweat, urine or both by the end. But when you finish that race, the end result is more than worth it. That’s the feeling you’re left with by the time the house lights go on after an MF Doom show, but without the urine part.
The masked villain topped a heavy bill that played to a packed house at Times Square’s Nokia Theatre on Jan. 26. I think it’s safe to admit that I wasn’t fully prepared for the experience. That’s not to say that the entire show wasn’t great — although it did have its ups and downs — it was just a lot to take in. Continues after the jump »
Silver and Gold
- Silver Cities EP
- Though Silver Cities is still coming into their sound and their own, they are heading in a good direction. Another job well-done by Velvet Blue Music on releasing sounds from the underground that don't suck.
- Buy the EP from VBM
Anyone that has been following Crap Filter probably knows that I have declared a personal vendetta against dance rock for the year of 2006. So, it’s just my luck that when I receive a brand spanking new CD from one of my favorite indy labels, Velvet Blue Music, it turns out to be some dance rock band called Silver Cities that I suspected sounded like every fourth band to release music in the past year. But, since I trust Jeff and his musical prowess, I decided to give it a spin and take on this review, rather than pawning it off to some other Craphead (my personal affectionate term for Crap Filter writers, like myself).
At first, I thought I’d regret the decision. “Why the hell didn’t I just send this to Vin? He has no musical taste, he’ll be okay listening to dance rock crap.” But my sentiments started to fade as the CD began it’s second go round, and by the third and fourth, I found a few tracks making me tap my toe and sing along. And by the fifth listen of this short five track EP, it hooked me… “This ain’t half bad… Actually… It’s pretty damn good.” Continues after the jump »
Strokes of genius?
- The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth
- Release Date: 01/03/2006
- There's a lot to love -- and hate -- about the NY retro-rockers' third studio LP.
How much do I love The Strokes’ latest effort First Impressions of Earth? Let me count the ways.
1) It’s catchy.
Wasting no time at all, the New York rockers open their third LP with one of the best tracks on the album, “You Only Live Once,” and one you probably won’t grow tired of any time soon. Three minutes of pure power-pop party fun a la early ‘80s Blondie, Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. blend luscious guitar riffs around Julian Casablancas’ abrasive swooning for their most unforgettable tune since “Last Nite.” Coming soon to a radio near you.
Like kicking fish in a barrel
I’m sure by now most of you have noticed that Chuck Norris has become this ironic Internet cult figure. The most telling evidence of this is the Chuck Norris Facts that have been circulating the Web — there’s even a site dedicated to them. Some examples:
Chuck Norris’ tears cure cancer. But he is so badass, he has never cried. Ever.
Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.
Well, Norris isn’t about to sit idly by while he becomes the butt of jokes on the Internet. The “Walker, Texas Ranger” star and Total Gym endorser has kicked back with a statement on his Web site. Continues after the jump »
‘The Producers’ produces boredom
- The Producers
- Two and a half hours of boredom. The writing is far from clever, the songs don't move the plot, and did I mention that it's just not funny? Because it's not. See it on Broadway, or better yet, just rent the original.
I went into “The Producers” only expecting to laugh. I expected too much.
I figured that a show that was sold out for months on Broadway would make a half decent movie, especially considering the fact that it started out as a movie, and one that I actually liked a lot.
It’s hard to say where “The Producers” really goes wrong. The singing is great. The actors are all great, and it’s a spectacular production. But it just wasn’t enough.
All of the actors are great, and it’s really hard to find a problem with any of the performance. Will Ferrell, in particular, stands out as playwright Franz Liebkind. Continues after the jump »
Brothers grim: death comes to life
- Dream Brother: The Songs of Tim & Jeff Buckley
- Previously unreleased in the US, Rykodisc releases a tribute to Tim and Jeff Buckley, the tragic unsung heroes of American folk. If it doesn't make you swoon, you should probably check your pulse.
- Purchase the CD
- Buy David Browne's Book
Set to release in the US in late January, a collection of the late Buckley’s songs entitled “Dream Brother” features many indy bands and singer/songwriters doing their best at channeling the spirits of Tim and Jeff to produce a tribute CD worthy of the family’s legacy… a legacy of woeful sorrow, heartfelt and beautiful music, and ultimately tragic death.
Folk great Tim Buckley died with little to no money or possesions at the age of 28, from an overdose induced by a comibination of alcohol and heroin. Before his tragic death, he recorded 9 studio albums and a slew of other live and assorted tracks. He also had a son, Jeff, who became a force in the 90’s NYC scene. Jeff, like his father, wrote and performed heartfelt folk music. Stylistically, Jeff was a little bit more rock and roll, perhaps, and if we wanted to discuss their music in depth there would be a lot to say about their similarities and differences… but their legacy isn’t simply about their music, it’s about tragedy. As Tim had died at a young age, so did his son. Jeff, only 30, drove his car into the Memphis Harbor in 1997, ending his career with only one full length studio album, a live CD, an EP, and scattered other recordings. Father and son, both wrote about the beautiful and the mundane in this life with diverse songs ranging from soft ballads to bluesy rock tunes. Continues after the jump »
Making mountains out of ‘Mountain’
- Brokeback Mountain
- It's difficult to find any flaws in this epic film about two men who share a forbidden love... unless you're homophobic.
I don’t think there was ever a great time to see “Brokeback Mountain,” but not for the reason you might suspect (the whole gay cowboy thing). Even before it was released in New York City, it had that “Oscar buzz.”
I hate Oscar buzz because it makes it seem like the only reason intelligent movies are made and the only reason we end up seeing them is to decide if they are indeed contenders for the Oscars. As a result, the whole artistic process gets skewed and the movie-going experience gets tainted. The discussion becomes “Will this movie win Best Picture?” instead of “Was this a great movie?”
So I didn’t rush out to see “Brokeback Mountain” even though I wanted to see it. Even before I had thought about planning a trip to the theater, the Ang Lee-directed flick had already received critics awards, four stars, five stars, two thumbs up, the top spot on Top 10 lists, etc. The reason why this sucks is ultimately I’d be forced to go into this movie with huge expectations, even if I willfully tried to temper them a bit. And I hate going into movies like that. I also end up being overly critical, as if to out-pretentious all those movie reviewers claiming this is one fantastic masterpiece.
I remember seeing “The Matrix” with my boys Wooster and Eli up at Syracuse in 1999 and being totally blown away. Why? Because I had no expectations for it. It was a sci-fi flick starring Keanu Reeves, and I’ve never really been a fan of either. Such moments at the theater are so rare now though. Everything gets the hype treatment, whether it’s a blockbuster or an indie pic.
So there I was, seeing “Brokeback Mountain” weeks after it had been released in NYC. My strategy of waiting until some of the hysteria died down had worked a bit. I found myself able to just sit back and relax and prepare for some gay sex scenes. Continues after the jump »
Gold-digging mom takes PR into her own hands
Earlier this month, our intrepid man in L.A., Andy Tunnicliffe, wrote up a little piece about a Suzan Hughes, the almost-famous, but quite-divorced mother of a kid who is set to inherit $330 million dollars when he turns 35. The boy, Alex, is only 14 now, and his old man died of a drug overdose, so you can understand why she’d want her son to get to that money. The L.A. Times has a good overview of the case from September.
I didn’t think a whole lot about this story at the time, aside from the fact that it looks like her shirt is about to explode in the picture. Then the comments started coming in, and they were in support of her, and accusing the trustees of the boy’s money pile, of being the real crooks.
This sounds like a job for journalism! Continues after the jump »
Skarface’s favorite albums of 2005
Following in the proud tradition of list-making, I humbly present to you my favorite 15 albums of 2005. Why 15? Because Chris only gave five. People like multiples of 10. So, somebody’s got to clean up his mess, right?
15. Josh Rouse - Nashville
Half the reason I do these things is to tell people about Josh Rouse, so I could hardly leave this off the list. Don’t let the title fool you, this isn’t a country record. Some pedal steel shows up, but the sound here is firmly rooted in 1970s AM radio. Granted, Nashville isn’t quite the pure pop perfection of 1972, but if you like your pop songs heavy on crooning and handclaps, you could do a whole lot worse than Nashville. Best tracks: “Winter in the Hamptons”, “My Love Is Gone”
14. Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask
This already showed up in Chris’s list, but I think he was a little bit harsh on our good buddy Daniel Dumile. Yeah, it’s a little bit gimmicky. But Doom needs a theme to stay focused (see: Operation: Doomsday, Vaudeville Villain), and [adult swim] fits the bill. The rhymes are tight, the beats are hot, and all things considered, I’d rather have skits that are actually funny, which Master Shake delivers. Best tracks: “Old School”, “El Chupa Nibre”, “The Mask” (feat. Ghostface!) Continues after the jump »
‘Office’ wars
For some reason I had the urge to watch “The Office: Special” DVD the other day. Probably because Christmas is on the horizon and it’s one of my comfort DVDs — a good watch whenever I’m bored.
It’s flawless. The special, and the series. I’ve claimed ever since completing the first season that the British phenomenon was the second best thing to ever hit TV, behind only “The Simpsons.” It’s the perfect mix of drama and comedy.
The last episode I watched of the American version coincidentally was also its “Christmas show.” So it hit me it was time to compare the two. Continues after the jump »
Primates reign supreme in 2005
Kong may be the biggest monkey of the year, but the Gorillaz put out the best album of 2005. On yes, it is that time of year where every pop culture magazine and website compile a plethora of top 10 lists. As not to disappoint, we will be hopping on the end-of-the-year-list train. Woot! Woot! I shall be the first crapmate to spout forth my top albums of oh-five, complete with a few short side lists. Please feel encouraged to comment/tirade/kiss my ass/rip me a new one. Here goes:
1. Gorillaz “Demon Days”
Though the radio went overkill with “ Feel Good Inc.”, the album plays solid all the way through. The best dance song of the year is on this record (“DARE”) and the Seuss-esque “Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head” is one of the most entertaining tracks on any album in years.
‘Kong’ fulfills king-sized expectations
- King Kong
- Peter Jackson's remake of the film classic is built on huge expectations, and against all odds, he manages to pull off yet another movie that many said couldn't be done.
If ever there was a man with great ambitions, it was Peter Jackson. A lesser director would probably fail to see the limit of his own ability in attempting the movies Jackson has directed. After beating the odds with his last three movies, he’s managed to do it again.
“King Kong” shines in just about every way possible. From the sights and sounds of depression era New York to the steaming jungles of Skull Island, the sets and locations are outstanding. None of the sets ever feel like a set. The streets of Manhattan seem to go on for miles, and the lights of Times Square in winter glow as if you were there. The only problems come at times when Kong interacts with jungle sets, which sometimes appear to be “bigatures” like the ones used for many scenes in the “Lord of the Rings” films. Continues after the jump »
Return of cartoon violence?
“The Simpsons” took yet another swipe at “Family Guy” Sunday night, once again insinuating that the main character of the revived Fox show — Peter Griffin — is just a rip-off of Homer Simpson.
Last night’s episode of “The Simpsons” was the latest Sideshow Bob-themed show (an ongoing series that strangely never gets tiresome). The Simpsons find Bob in Italy and eventually alert the Italian police that Bob was a criminal back in the States. The police confirm this by going through a book of American criminals with their offense listed below their photo. Here’s how the progression went:
Snake - “Invasione Di Casa”
Mayor Quimby - “Drinko Drive-O”
Peter - “Plagiarismo”
American Dad - “Plagiarismo di Plagiarismo”
Sideshow Bob - “Omicidio Attentato Multiplo”
The Peter part was funny enough, but to follow it with American Dad — pure genuis. Continues after the jump »
A modern Kristmas klassic
- A Kustard Kristmas
- The Kustard Kings put a swinging, rocking spin on the tunes from your favorite Christmas specials.
- Buy it on Amazon
- Listen on iTunes
So much of the music we all associate with the holidays these days seems to stem from some of the classic animated shows from the 1960s and ’70s. A Charlie Brown Christmas is a nice little cartoon with that had a strong message about the increasing commercialization of Christmas. Everybody loves it, but let’s face it, it’s not the greatest thing out there. It’s been said before that it’s kind of, well, slow. I imagine that today’s kids can’t sit still long enough to take any of it in. If there’s not a collectable card game associated with a cartoon, they generally don’t want any part in it. Who can blame them though, I mean, Yu-Gi-Oh! totally rules.
Let’s face it, our perceptions and attitudes about Christmas are shaped by popular culture. Whose idea was it to hang holly and mistletoe? Who the hell cares, but that stuff equals Christmas to many of us. And Christmas usually means presents, which made us happy. It’s the same way with Christmas specials. I know that every time I saw the spinning word SPECIAL come on CBS and that familiar drumbeat, I’d snap to attention. Sure, it was usually a political debate or something, but you never knew when Charlie Brown or Rudolph might show up. As adults, the same things stick with us. A lot of us will force ourselves to sit through the specials, even though a lot of them aren’t so great.
The specials may have lost some of their appeal, but the music is forever etched into our eardrums. You know you love it when you’re in the store in mid-November shopping for deodorant and you hear Burl Ives singing Holly Jolly Christmas. Admit it. You secretly don’t care that the Christmas season starts the day after Halloween in every retail store in America.
The Kustard Kings admit it. And they celebrate it. Their album, A Kustard Kristmas is a tribute to the televison specials that we all know and secretly love. Continues after the jump »
Someone sign these guys
The end of the world… I mean, year… is approaching. That means it time for end of the year lists and since the other writers on this site know more about almost everything than I do, I decided my first list for the end of ‘o5, would be Top 10 Unsigned Bands/Artists. In Letterman Top 10 style, I will be counting down form 10 to 1. Before I go any further, I must set my criteria for this list.
-All bands on this list must be unsigned by any label, this includes independent labels.
-Ok, so I guess that’s all the criteria I need… AWAY WE GO!
10. Keyke (www.myspace.com/keyke)
First of all, it’s pronounce “CAKE” not “KEY-KEY”, so get that straight. Keyke’s recordings are not much to wow about, but her live performance is one-of-a-kind. She possesses an awkward, shy quality that makes watching her play inspiring. You can tell she believes in her music and loves it, yet has a love/hate relationship with being on stage in front of people. She plays at open mics and clubs in Brooklyn almost every week.
Continues after the jump »
Just say Dr. No
Alright, so when did it suddenly become the proper thing to do a Bond movie after winning an Oscar?
Wait, a better question: When did Bond become relevant again?
Well, the Daily Mirror is reporting that Charlize Theron is ready to taint her Best Actress Oscar by appearing in the next Bond film, “Casino Royale.”
Theron, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos in 2003’s “Monster,” is reportedly director Martin Campbell’s first choice to play the lead female role. She would follow in the footsteps of Halle Berre, who set back the progress of women actors 20 years or so by doing “Die Another Day” following her Oscar win for “Monster’s Ball.”
No word yet if Theron is angling to star in “Catwoman 2: Cat Scratch Fever.” Continues after the jump »
Crap Filter rules!
Yes, dear readers, it’s the day all of you have been waiting an entire month for: Crap Filter is now a member of the 9rules network. All of our tireless dedication to sorting out the good from the bad, the awful from the outstanding has paid dividends.
The 9rules Network is a highly exclusive group of outstanding weblogs and Web sites. We’ve been up and running for a little over a month now, and readership has been great so far. The 9rules Network will be an extremely valuable resource in hooking us up with even more of the people who stop by for entertainment news, reviews, and commentary every day.
Thanks to 9rules for recognizing that we’ve got the right stuff. We at Crap Filter promise not to let you down!*
*Not a guarantee.
Video game violence isn’t just for kids anymore
For those of you that can’t get enough of the government legislating good parenting, finally there’s some good news.
I was reading today’s “Daily Variety,” and I noticed… oh wait, for those of you who don’t know, that’s the newspaper to all of us soulless Hollywood hacks. Anyway, there was an article about video game violence. It seems that Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman are trying to get legislation moving that would make it illegal to sell video games rated M or AO to minors. I knew that M stands for “Mature”, but I had to look up AO to find out what it stood for. You can see for yourself here. I was wrong in my guess of “About Orgasms.”
These days, the violence portrayed in video games has become fairly realistic, at least compared to the good old days. In modern games you can take pleasure in shooting innocent bystanders, watch them writhe in agony, and then finish them off, still finding time to sleep with prostitutes. I guess the lawmakers feel that this is not something kids should be seeing as part of their play time. Continues after the jump »
LOST: Wednesday, November 30
The end of last week’s episode of LOST made me put down my half-eaten chicken wing and gasp. How’s that for an intro?
If you don’t want to know, don’t click below.
Continues after the jump »
Cool as Cash
- Walk The Line
- Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon act and sing their way through the early years of rock and country as Johnny Cash and June Carter.
- Buy soundtrack from Amazon
- Hear soundtrack on iTunes
It’s that time of the year again — celebrity biopic time. The actors who star in these movies usually walk a fine line between acting and impersonating the subject, no pun intended in this case. If I had to make the call, I’d say there’s more acting in Walk the Line, but it all depends on what you’re talking about. I’ve come up with my definition of what might determine whether an actor is acting or impersonating when the subject is somebody famous.
If they’re acting (bear with me) like the subject doing something the subject was famous for doing, such as recreating a well-known event, it can very easily become an impersonation. If they’re acting like the subject outside the public eye, it would have to be acting. There’s always the third option — that it’s an impression — which could concievably cover either one, but humor would have to be intended, so we can forget about that one for now. Continues after the jump »
This aggression will not stand, man
Colin over at The Uber Geeks has an excellent post about how studios have been releasing DVDs with few or no extra features these days. I was all set just to comment over there before I realized I had a lot to say on this topic.
Stuff like this is due to a few things. One is pressure from rental companies like Netflix and Blockbuster. Features give you added value, and a reason to buy instead of rent. Think back to the VHS days… only the biggest movies got a heavy push for VHS sales. Most VHS tapes cost around $100 each because they were intended for the rental market, not home purchase.
The other big reason behind removing features is greed. DVD sales are gravy for the studios. The few thousand dollars it might cost to put together a DVD is pocket change to a movie studio. In most cases these movies paid for themselves in their theater run long ago.
Studios are keeping the features off to get people to buy them twice, plain and simple. They’re not looking out for consumers at all. Continues after the jump »
There’s good, and then there’s ‘asshole good’
So I’m reading the latest issue of Spin and I stumble across the line of the century. It comes fom columnist Chuck Klosterman, who was trying to explain why people don’t hold the albums of egomaniac Billy Corgan in such high regard anymore.
They’re good, but they’re not “asshole good.”
Even reading it now I still chuckle to myself.
But not only is it funny, it’s so legit. Sure, you can be an asshole about your work, but you better be fucking great, not just good. Then we’ll let you get away with it. That’s what “asshole good” is all about.
Of course, this got me thinking, well then, who is worthy of “asshole good?” Continues after the jump »
A brief history of good things gone bad
A great idea came to me in the shower today. It must be the point at which my brain turns on and I begin to process information.
Maybe I had a dream about The Fonz (who doesn’t from time to time), or maybe I’m just still angry about Arrested Development being cancelled, but my daily stroke of genius today was to write an article about what happens when good things go bad.
Happy Days did it; The Flintstones did it; Arrested Development will never really get the chance to do it; but I’m sure that someday, this Web site will.
It’s called Jumping the Shark. And it’s all too common. Continues after the jump »
I guess you could say this barely qualifies as news
Long overlooked in favor of mullet-sporting fruitcakes like Patrick Swayze and well, whatever you’d call Tom Cruise, luck of the draw, combined with the annual death of last year’s winner, has finally made Matthew McConaughey People’s Sexiest Man Alive.
Blissfully, this year’s Sexiest Man Alive, Matthew McConaughey, is a one-man endorphin rush. Here’s a Hollywood star who’s happiest grilling steaks outside his Airstream camper with a can of Miller Lite in one hand, dirt beneath his toes and his girl (actress Penélope Cruz) by his side.
Blissful for him, not me. A less-sexy man like myself could never be satisfied with that life. Continues after the jump »
The fat suit is ‘in’
It seems Gwyneth Paltrow (“Shallow Hal”) and Mike Myers (Fat Bastard) were way ahead of the curve because this fall season everyone is wearing the fat suit!
In a desperate attempt at a topic for her new talk show, former supermodel and current Oprah Winfrey wannabe Tyra Banks recently put on some artificial layers before going undercover as a 350-lb woman for 15 whole hours.
(Side note: If you’re up for some great comedy, “The Tyra Banks Show” is an absolute flaming plane crash of a program. On it, she’s proved to people that she doesn’t have breast implants, she’s settled her cat fight with fellow model Naomi Campbell and this week she plans to reveal her own “dimpled butt” and receive endermologie treatment on the set.) Continues after the jump »
LOST: Wednesday, November 16
I’ve ready many reviews of last week’s episode of LOST that suggest that people were disappointed in the new episode. I, on the otherhand, was very satisfied with it. I’d even go so far as to say that it has been my favorite episode of the second season thus far.
As always, read no further if you don’t want to know what happened or what’s coming up tonight.
Continues after the jump »
Madonna finally loses it this time
- Confessions on a Dance Floor
- Madonna's latest release is slick set straight from a night on the dance floor. Unfortunately, it's 3 a.m., the lights are on, and a foreign guy is sweeping up.
- Listen on iTunes
- Check it on Amazon
I honestly don’t know what Madonna is thinking anymore. Every few years, Madonna comes out with a new album that is either catchy and listenable or extremely mediocre. She hasn’t done anything I’d call outstanding since Like a Virgin. Her latest effort, Confessions on a Dance Floor, falls closer to the mediocre end of the spectrum.
I can’t really trash the album too much. It’s got its highs and its lows, and when it’s good, it’s a halfway decent dance pop album. When it’s bad, it’s a boring dance pop album. At times, the album flows from song to song as if being mixed in a club by a live DJ, which is a neat trick, but there’s never any real beat matching going on. Continues after the jump »
Word to ‘Mother’
- Mother: The Soundtrack
- Edgy improv comedy fueled by the embarrassing music of its audience.
I had been wanting to see the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City for while but my brother would never go with me. It’s not that he totally refused, he just kept avoiding it.
Why? I think he was sort of afraid he was going to be pulled up on stage, or totally humiliated in some way by the improv group. To be honest, so was I actually.
You see, us Bodenraders have this aura that causes acts to zero in on us whenever they need the proverbial “participant from the audience.” The phenomenon reached its peak in the early 1990s when my father, who embraces the aura, was pulled on stage at a German restaurant in the World Showcase at Epcot Center. My father was asked to conduct some Oktoberfest-inspired band. I’d give you more details, but that’s all I really remember — I’ve been supressing it for years and years and I’m not about to stop now.
A couple years back I checked out The Groundlings with my friends in L.A. and this lady just across the ailse from me was serenaded by a cast member to open the show. Two seconds into it her face turned a sort of cherry red. So, yeah, these things happen, and they probably prevent a lot more people from attending their shows. Continues after the jump »
An Awesome Blossom would be, well, awesome
I thought it was a little shady a few weeks ago when The Office had an episode that was set mostly in a Chili’s restaurant. Aside from the fact that there is no Chili’s in Scranton, it bugged me a little bit because it seemed like obvious product placement. I didn’t worry too much though. These things happen, even on good TV shows.
I was a little surprised when they did it again last week, and even started dropping the names of menu items left and right. But whatever. I figured it was just for authenticity’s sake. It was obviously paid for, but at least the show was funny.
Chili’s isn’t stopping at The Office, however. It’s becoming more and more obvious that they’re in the process of an all-out barrage of sitcom product placement. Continues after the jump »
Oops pow surprise, he’s gone!
Forget about Dave Chappelle’s disappearance from the national consciousness, what about the Oops Pow Surprise! guy?
I thought he was destined for a William Hung career, only a lot cooler and longer-lasting. More along the lines of Bart Simpson’s “I didn’t do it” run. Perhaps his own rap album, a few appearances on late night talk shows, a square on “Hollywood Squares,” or at the very least a spot in someone’s posse.
But the guy has absolutely vanished, along with the hopes of a once-promising pop culture phenomenon.
I think it’s safe to assume that most of you know what I’m talking about, but just in case some of you don’t, I’ll give you the background. Continues after the jump »
Trapped In The Closet - Chapters 1-12
- Trapped In The Closet - Chapters 1-12
- R. Kelly's ridiculous fever dream revives the musical serial format.
- You know you want to buy it at Amazon
Unless you’ve been living in a hole upside-down, you’ve heard of the unbelievably strange ‘Trapped In The Closet’ saga that everyone’s favorite bukakke pedarest R. Kelly unleashed upon the masses this past summer. As a precursor to his curiously titled album TP3: Reloaded, Kelly created a mini-drama of 5 songs performed over the same music bed, where a cheating husband is found by a gay preacher and then is pulled over while driving home by the police officer that is sleeping with his wife. The public was so ridiculously excited to hear each of the next installments, each released to radio 2 weeks after the previous, that stations were touting the premiere of the next episode as if it were the most important thing ever given to aural transmission. Consider the whole situation a viral marketer’s ultimate wet dream.
The success of the saga led to Kelly premiering the ‘Closet’ videos in a theatre in his hometown of Chicago before vowing to make more chapters. This promise is fulfilled in the recently released DVD Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 1-12, an unbelievable mind-fuck of a collection that is so bizarre that I can’t imagine any person NOT owning it.
Look out, Republicans, it’s The Boondocks!
- The Boondocks
- Huey, Riley and Granddad move to a small town. White people live there. Huey says things they find offensive. Funny/controversial stuff ensues.
- Sundays @ 11 p.m. on Cartoon Network
In case you’re not familiar with the daily comic strip, or you haven’t seen Adult Swim any time in the last four months, you might not be familiar with The Boondocks.
If you fit into this small segment of society, I’ll fill you in. The Boondocks is a political, yet consistently pretty funny daily strip focusing on the struggles of two black youths in a white man’s world.
With a decidedly lefty slant and no fear of taking on on hot political and cultural topics, the strip has found itself moved off the funny pages and into the editorial section of more than a few newspapers in the U.S. Continues after the jump »
Getting in touch with MySpace
LCD Soundsystem’s song “Losing My Edge” pretty much says it all. Here I am just over five years removed from college and I feel like my grip is slipping on what is in and what’s out, what’s hip and what’s hop. (Do kids still say hop these days?) Even as I ironically mention a trendy band like LCD Soundsystem, I know there are some hipsters out there scoffing under their breath because LCD is so early 2005.
The most recent example of my fading cool self that I can point to is my total ignorance of the site MySpace.com prior to this past summer. It all started when I developed a crush on a contestant from UPN’s America’s Next Top Model. (Yes, I’m college educated and 27 years old and I’m having crushes on reality TV stars, and no I don’t have a girlfriend.) Her name was Kahlen, the coolest of cool girls (at least from I could take from a TV show), and through the message boards over on FansofRealityTV.com (again, no girlfriend) I discovered that Kahlen had a MySpace account.
Apparently a whole generation of kids is hooked on MySpace. My older brother, who teaches at a college, says it’s all his students talk about. That’s right, my older brother had heard about MySpace before me.
I’m definitely losing my edge. Continues after the jump »
Good news for ‘Good Night’
- Good Night, and Good Luck
- Director George Clooney delivers a timely and powerful reminder that we're not powerless, and ordinary men can challenge power.
We’re introduced to CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow at the beginning of “Good Night, and Good Luck” as the broadcaster is being honored in 1958 for his work over the years, particularly for his legendary fight against Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Upon taking the stage to accept the recognition which he is being given, Murrow, played authentically by David Strathairn, tells his story.
The state of television in the 1950s of &