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CONCERT REVIEW: CALVIN HARRIS 3/17/12 @ the Congress Theater – Chicago, IL
Let me preface this by saying I’m a HUGE fan of Calvin Harris. I’ve been following him since his 2007 debut “I Created Disco” – an impressive beginning to a blossoming career. I’ve bought the records, I’ve watched the videos – I’ve added him to dozens of mixtapes. I consider myself a real, true fan.
Which is why I don’t like to be lied to.
In an age of an electronic revival, there’s a lot of competition to a seemingly simple formula: bleep-bloop-break-chorus-bloop. It takes a certain finesse to stand out among a genre that can easily fall flat in the wrong hands. Scottish-born Calvin Harris got an overnight break when his material was noticed on MySpace – and has since transformed himself into one of the most successful producers of modern times. Harris’ immediately recognizable approach is brilliant – with two (almost three) solo LPs to his name, he maintains his own style of music while producing songs for some of pop’s biggest names on the side (Kylie Minogue, LMFAO, Kelis).
His sound mirrors the twenty-somethings that make up the majority of his crowd: reminiscent of 80′s New Wave but firmly rooted in modern electro – with an explosive crossover appeal. The indie kids love him for “Colours” – the club kids love him for “We Found Love” (with Rihanna) – and both sides of the fence love his new song, “Feel So Close”. With an invariably varied sold-out crowd, Harris was poised to bring live, full-band life to his repertoire of hits. Except he didn’t.
I have no problem watching electronic musicians perform DJ sets of their material - if they’re billed that way.
Performing atop a massive riser, Calvin Harris played an extended show behind a beautifully done light / fog / confetti setup. The crowd was fervent, the energy was high – but for such a giant event, simply standing behind some turntables & pointing in the air leaves a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. As I said, I’ve followed Harris for 5 years now – lusting after YouTube videos of his live sets (like this – or this), and expected to hear unique versions of his material – NOT the same exact recording I had on in the car on the way to the show. Sure, there are limitations to playing electro live, but Harris proved his worth as a live act time and time over in the past – leaving me feel like Chicago was slightly cheated. For someone so deep into the world of production, DJing is the easy way out – which would have been great, once again, had the show been billed AS A DJ SET.
The fair-weather fans who only came to hear the Rihanna song wouldn’t mind – and it’s not to say I completely did either – but for those of us expecting a concert (not a guy pressing “PLAY”) left the Congress with an aching let-down. Don’t get me wrong, this show was a blast. On one of the biggest “party” days of the year, this sort of event was appropriately apropos. However, the crowd was barely addressed – and inexplicably mid-set, Harris went into remixes of both Basement Jaxx & Avicii songs – which fared well in the moment, but seemed confusing on the drive home. For such a young, talented, energetic entertainer like himself, he sold himself & his dedicated audience short. Harris didn’t rise to fame as a DJ – he’s morphing into one now that his notoriety is becoming more public, and to me – that’s a shame.
Again, I’m not saying this was a bad show – it’s just the musician in me that goes, “What the fuck, man?“.
- Kyle
CONCERT REVIEW: EVERY TIME I DIE 3/10/12 – Support for The Devil Wears Prada @ the Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
In a more-niche-than-ever genre, it takes a lot to stand out. After the veritable monsoon of metalcore music in the early/mid-00′s, the “verse/chorus/breakdown/breakdown/slower-breakdown/chorus” formula just doesn’t cut it like it used to. If you followed that song structure, got a swoopy-doo, learned the two-step & did a little larynx damage, your band WOULD be playing somewhere. But, like all forms of music, trends either fade or morph into something new. The bands who stuck around had to evolve or die.
Fortunately, Every Time I Die has always been against the grain. They’re hardcore, but not. So they kind of are. But really, they’re kind of not.
(Confusing? I explain it better in last week’s review of ETID’s new release, “Ex-Lives”.)
Placed on a like-genred bill (but not necessarily correctly paired), Every Time I Die’s prowess easily shined the brightest of the evening. On this leg of their North American tour, they play opening act for headliner The Devil Wears Prada, meaning Prada fans took crowd majority – but not without a fight. After taking the stage, two things were immediately clear: ETID is more energetic than ever, and the mosh pit is certainly not dead.
Kicking off their set with “Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space” (new album opener) – an immediate fury became of the crowd, stretching throughout an impressively well chosen setlist of career-spanning songs. They dug deep and evenly into their catalog – playing a balanced mix of new & old songs, while still treating fans to hits like “The New Black”, “Wanderlust”, “We’rewolf” & “Ebolarama”. Vocalist Keith Buckley gave near-studio renditions while the band (guitarists Jordan Buckley & Andy Williams, bassist Stephen Micciche and drummer Ryan Leger) energetically do their own material serious justice.
The Intersection of Grand Rapids played venue to the show, presenting itself like a massive basement – dark, clammy, very concrete. However, it’s punk-club-reminiscent aesthetic was the perfect compliment to such music. After the show, I had the chance to meet Keith, Jordan & Andy – a refreshing experience in meeting celebrity. The levels of success ETID have attained could very easily egotize these guys, but these Buffalo, NY-based dudes are as down-to-Earth as gravity comes. All three were very welcoming & friendly – an amusing parallel to such an aggressive band.
The unique quality to Every Time I Die is their appeal to those who don’t even consider heavy music “their bag”. Crossing multiple brands of rock, ETID put on one hell of a highly recommended show – pleasing everyone, including those kids who still came to two-step.
(L-R, with Keith Buckley, Jordan Buckley & Andy Williams)
Next week, I’ll be attending / reviewing Scottish electronic artist Calvin Harris’ sold-out St. Patrick’s Day show at the Congress Theater here on Q101.com! - Kyle
Choosing only 10 stand-up comedians as the ‘smartest-of-all-time’ is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child – someone WILL get hurt. There’s obviously some very honorable mentions not here, but including everyone worthy of recognition would make this a top-500 list. Instead, I chose to choose a blend of ten classic & modern comics that drastically changed the medium, not by just making you laugh – but by really making you think.
(NOTE – most videos are NSFW.)
Not since Cheech & Chong has an ambassador of stoner-dom gained such a cult following. However, whereas C&C were heavy on actual drug material, Mitch Hedberg simply seemed lit up. Known for his one or two lined non-sequiters, he was easily dismissed by critics as a “pun-jockey surrealist” – but his massive cult following heard a depth to his jokes.
Hedberg had a way of noticing the little things of life – ironies, word-play, inconveniences – by conveying them in such a likable way you felt like his drinking buddy by the end of the show. Outshining his “duuuude” image, he formulated his stage presence into a remarkably unique delivery, one that almost appears forced when seen for the first time. In reality, he severely struggled with both crippling stage fright (you can regularly see his microphone-hand trembling) & drug addictions, leading to his early death by overdose in 2005 at the age of 37.
www.mitchhedberg.net
THAT’S FACTED UP: Hedberg made an appearance on “That 70′s Show” as Frank, chef of the restaurant the characters frequent.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “I’m sick of following my dreams, man. I’m just going to ask where they’re going and hook up with them later.”
Comedian (also actor / writer) Steven Wright made his unique breakout in 1985 - striking extreme contrast half-way through the decade of excess. What defined the 80′s is exactly what his act defied. Almost an existentialist, his thought-provoking material delivers itself SO casually, you’re laughing too hard to realize that what he just said was a complete mindfuck.
Wright is the Mitch Hedberg for connoisseurs. Underneath a thick level of deadpan, Wright’s routine bordered on the philosophical – usually in increments of one-lined jokes. A master of the double-entendre, his routines were so languid HE almost seemed bored – which allows the incredibly insightful statements he peppers throughout the act to absorb slowly. His type of humor wouldn’t work well with an energetic, charismatic-type figure – these are dull, ironic & listless jokes – that are brilliant.
Steven Wright @ IMDB
THAT’S FACTED UP: Wright lends his voice to Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 “Reservoir Dogs” as the voice of the DJ on ‘K-Billy Radio’.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: ”I was born by Cesarean section, but not so you’d notice. It’s just that when I leave a house, I go out through the window.”
Arguably the loudest & most vitriolic comic on Earth, Kinison made it known he was in the room. As a former Pentecostal Preacher, his transformation into comedy was distinctive – evangelical, literally-screamed punchlines became the cornerstone of his act. He moved to stand-up shortly after his first divorce (and subsequently leaving the Church), using his massive lifestyle change as fuel to the angry fire & brimstone of his set.
Having an open appetite for drugs, sex & alcohol brought an edge to his personality: here was once a man of the cloth, holy in behavior – now pissed off, hedonistic and loudly sacrilegious. This sort of duplicity helped make his image infamous – besides, it’s pretty hard to ignore the guy shouting in your face. Aside from the bad-boy infamy, Kinison brought angered reason to everyday-topics like marriage, life & religion in a way no one previously had. Kinison died due to a drunk driving accident in 1992 at the age of 38.
www.samkinison.org
THAT’S FACTED UP: Kinison played Al Bundy’s guardian angel in an episode of “Married… with Children”. Ironically, Kinison was also the network’s original choice for the role of Al Bundy (which he turned down).
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “I called a detox center – just to see how much it would cost: $13,000 for 3 weeks! My friends, if you can come up with thirteen grand, you don’t have a problem yet.”
If you’ve watched television between the mid-nineties and now, you’ve seen David Cross somewhere. Best known for his roles on “Mr. Show” & “Arrested Development”, Cross has transformed character acting into a crossover art – writing, directing, voicing or starring in over 35 shows and 40 movies as of 2012. Aside from Hollywood work, Cross’ biting stand-up routines have been an indie-favorite for almost 30 years.
His scathing reflections on religion, politics, sexuality and culture have solidified him not just as a left-leaning ‘hero’, but as a legitimate advocate of basic human & animal rights. Performing stage comedy since the age of 17, Cross’ notoriety includes a famous public dispute with fellow stand-up Larry the Cable Guy, multiple lawsuits and even a scandal involving him snorting cocaine at a White House Correspondence dinner near President Obama (just to say “he did it”). Despite his apparent political angle, Cross continues to be a cross-party, crowd-pleasing figurehead for an entire nation of American life.
David Cross – Sub Pop artist page
THAT’S FACTED UP: Cross lost the role of Dr. Gregory House on “House M.D.” to Hugh Laurie.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “I don’t think Osama bin Laden sent those planes to attack us because he hated our freedom. I think he did it because of our support for Israel, our ties with the Saudi family and our military bases in Saudi Arabia. You know why I think that? Because that’s what he fucking said!”
English actor / comedian Izzard has confused almost every critic with his short-listed bio: he’s a sexually-straight (but) cross-dressing, dyslexic, atheistic, trilingual, award-winning, accomplished theater / film / television actor; with one hand in British politics & the other in professional athletics. Boosh.
Best known in America for his roles in “Ocean’s Twelve”, “Ocean’s Thirteen” & ”The Riches”, Izzard has been called “the Lost Python” by John Cleese himself (even appearing on-stage with Monty Python in 1998). His multi-faceted biography mirrors his act - rambling / erratic observations colorfully paint his interesting portrayals of world history, religion and culture in a way that makes even anti-intellectuals listen. If the education system was more like this, graduation rates would skyrocket – his routines are study guides with a sense of savvy sarcasm.
www.eddieizzard.com
THAT’S FACTED UP: Izzard ran almost 30 miles a day, 6 days a week – for 2 months straight – to help raise money for charity in 2009.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from. ”
Widely heralded as the “comic’s comic” – Louis C.K. brings unashamed, unfiltered honesty to the stage that America hasn’t seen in decades. Taking a no-gimmick approach, C.K. has perfected an “everyman” persona – publicly evaluating his life, love, children, work & society in a way that makes almost every demographic relate. Treating his audience like a personal therapist, his act routinely outs his shame, guilt, struggles & hardships, all without asking for sympathy.
C.K. uses a technique that seems blatantly obvious – truth. The difference between himself & current peers, however, is his quelling of ego. This is a self-realized man in his mid-40′s, dealing with the same problems John Doe down the street has. Despite the centralized personal theme to his material, his reflections of society are fundamentally how it really is. Starting his professional career as a writer for A-listers like Letterman, Conan, Ben Stiller & Chris Rock – he’s successfully transitioned into television & film (screenwriting and directing for others & even independently creating 2 auto-biographical primetime shows). Insightful yet modest – tragic yet empathetic – Louis C.K. is one of our greatest modern voices.
www.louisck.net
THAT’S FACTED UP: Despite popular belief that he is fully Irish, C.K. has partial Mexican ancestry – even living in Mexico City until he was 7 years old. English is actually his second language.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “There’s a reason it’s called Girls Gone Wild and not Women Gone Wild. When girls go wild, they show their tits. When women go wild, they kill men and drown their kids in a tub.”
Lenny Bruce (born Leonard Schneider) was the Elvis Presley of comedy. He came at a time, like Presley, when this type of public-spectacle just didn’t happen. These were the 50′s: clean-cut, wholesome, willingly-sterilzed times. Bruce was approximately the exact opposite. Earning himself an infamous obscenity conviction during his trial in 1964 blew the doors open for an entirely new brand of humor: black comedy in a bright, white world.
Bruce’s social satire & unflinching, free-associated honesty portrayed a darker American image than it’s public was used to. His routines were philosophic – light years ahead of their time. Appearing on national television only 6 times, Bruce encountered constant court battles and was blacklisted by almost every American club by the end of his life. Later in his career, drug addiction & close-to-public-breakdowns affected his fame and fortune, leading to a morphine overdose in 1966 at the age of 40. The legacy he left behind has continued to influence the genre, with most comics citing him as the “original visionary”.
www.lennybruceofficial.com
THAT’S FACTED UP: Apart from his comedic influence, Bruce’s likeness appears on the cover of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, has been mentioned in-song by R.E.M. and Simon & Garfunkel, and is the first case in New York state history to be granted a posthumous pardon in 2003.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “All my humor is based upon destruction and despair. If the whole world were tranquil, without disease and violence, I’d be standing on the breadline right in back of J. Edgar Hoover.”
Richard Pryor did for African-Americans in comedy what Rosa Parks did for political & civil rights. His racially-driven, controversial material helped usher in public (read: White) awareness of social & civil rights. Throughout the course of his (officially, but not in total) 19 live albums, Pryor touched not just the subject of race; but amusingly & profanely tackled culture, politics, sexuality & drug use in a way that completely captured an all-too-unheard-from demographic. You can say he found a way to expand and improve upon Bill Cosby’s live act – with many, many more F and N words.
Pryor’s fame as a stand-up was parallel to his success in cinema – he appeared in over 40 films between the years of 1967-1997. Starring in, supporting or writing classics like “Silver Streak”, “Blue Collar”, “The Toy”, “Superman III” (and an often on-screen pairing with Gene Wilder) helped attain mainstream attention, earning himself a diversely massive fan base. Both during & after his life, Pryor (and the Pryor estate) was awarded an Emmy, 5 Grammys, 2 American Academy of Humor Awards, a Writer’s Guild Award & several Life-Time Achievements. Suffering from lifelong heart problems & multiple sclerosis, Pryor passed away in 2005 at the age of 65.
www.richardpryor.com
THAT’S FACTED UP: Sheridan Road in Peoria, IL (Pryor’s hometown) was renamed to Richard Pryor Place in 2002.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “When I was in Africa, this voice came to me and said, ‘Richard, what do you see?’ I said, ‘I see all types of people.’ The voice said, ‘But do you see any niggers?’ I said, ‘No.’ It said, ‘Do you know why? ‘Cause there aren’t any.’”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FipkwtYLTk
Counter-culture’s most pertinent voice, Bill Hicks took the microphone like a sword and the stage like his horse. Hot-tempered, politically incorrect & irreverent to the bone – Hicks barked prophetic genius to unsuspecting audiences everywhere. Leaving nothing taboo; Hicks tore into religion, politics, consumerism, drug opponents and basically anything stigmatized – with fury. Contempt for culture and superficiality have never been criticized so lucidly by anyone since.
Starting his live career in the early 80′s, Hicks’ controversial social commentary was the subject of extreme censorship battles – but by 1990, his audience had significantly grown. Striking a friendship with alternative band Tool, he joined the 1992 Lollapalooza tour, opening their shows. His comedic impact can be seen on most modern comics, but more notably, musicians – with names like Radiohead, SPA, Super Furry Animals and Tool immortalizing him either in song or on album artwork. Hicks was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1993, tragically passing away at home in 1994 at the age of 32. His iconic and prolific performances are regarded as some of comedy’s finest moments.
www.billhicks.com
THAT’S FACTED UP: In 1993, comedian Denis Leary (then close friend of Bill) took a significant amount of Hicks’ previously recorded material – line for line – and recorded it as his own on his 1993 special “No Cure For Cancer”. The incident caused an abrupt ending to their friendship. When asked about the matter in an interview, Hicks said, “I have a scoop for you. I stole his act. I camouflaged it with punchlines, and, to really throw people off, I did it before he did.”
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “It’s all about money, not freedom, okay? Nothing to do with fucking freedom. If you think you’re free, try going somewhere without fucking money, okay?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xObHeRrFhwI
The one and only George Carlin – master of human condition & singular comedy icon of the 21st Century. A Carlin show was not just a comedy set – it was a lecture. A lecture from a professor dead-set on teaching you everything parents & authority didn’t cover. Astronomically intelligent and devoid of any sugar-coating, Carlin’s act was a lightning-fast account of every aspect of life. His wildly controversial, yet instantly accessible finesse found a place in society that most comics can only covet: wholly independent thought on a mainstream level of success.
Carlin first reached the public eye in the 1960′s on both The Ed Sullivan Show & The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Shedding his clean-cut, inoffensive image on-stage by the 70′s, he began to develop his unique styling – dividing his material into 3 categories (as described by Carlin himself): ”the little world” (observational humor), “the big world” (social commentary), and the “peculiarities of the English language”. Carlin was able to articulate hyper-detailed evaluation like an over-clocked computer – frequently using fast-paced, alliterated lists to punctuate his point. In 1978, his “Seven Dirty Words” routine was responsible for one of the biggest cases in censorship & broadcast history – a 5-4 win allowed the government to regulate “indecent material on the public airwaves”. Appearing in 14 films and 20 television shows, Carlin continued his show business career off the stage as well – ironically including the ‘Mr. Conductor’ character on children’s show “Shining Time Station” (!). Carlin has been awarded 5 Grammy Awards (among several others) for his 14 HBO specials, 19 albums and 5 books. Infinitely unique & completely unprecedented, George Carlin enjoyed over 50 successful years in show business before passing away in 2008 at the age of 71.
www.georgecarlin.com
THAT’S FACTED UP: Carlin was the first-ever host of “Saturday Night Live”.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7pQrx1QvE
EVERY TIME I DIE – EX LIVES (March, 6, 2012) 8.5/10
Rock is dead.
Okay, maybe not entirely, but let’s be serious – mainstream, popular music does NOT lean towards hard rock anymore. We live in a world of bleeps & bloops (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), but rock somehow became a niche. Alternative radio got the boot in several major cities last year, the Grammys were as pop-driven as ever – and MTV doesn’t even pretend to acknowledge anything outside of the top 20.
But then there’s Every Time I Die. For the uninitiated, the Buffalo-based band has been releasing an anti-establishment, anti-mainstream blend of hard rock, metal, southern-tinged math-blues for almost 15 years now. They’ve encapsulated a sort of “post” sound to everything they’ve touched, comfortably fitting into many genres while defying almost all of them. Formed in the late nineties, ETID has perfected riffy guitars behind intelligent, deeply sardonic lyrics. During the early-naughts, it was easy to lose them in the veritable sea of metalcore.
But not now. For a year rumored to be our last, this album sounds like the “looming apocalypse” everyone’s talking about. The “descriptor-core” trend is long dead. That’s why “Ex Lives” shines.
Dropping majority of the “party” aesthetic to their music (you know, what sounds like Jack Daniels, flannel shirts & trashed hotel rooms) and adding much more visceral anger to this record turned me off the first minute I listened. Then, I understood. It’s a strange time to be alive. The war, an economic cluster-fuck, extremely polarized political spectrums – there’s much to be miffed at. We’re not living in a party anymore – things are tense. We’re all tense. This record is tense. It all makes tense-sense.
No one is making music like this anymore – sure, there’s plenty of bands playing a similar genre, but nothing is quite as honest as this. The lyrics alone (sung by dry-throated lead singer / former English teacher Keith Buckley) are crafty beyond just pun-play. He’s stylized pessimism by being cynical without condescending. Although his unique style has graced all of their previous 5 efforts, it’s never seemed so immediate and appropriate. Alternating between angered barking and an instantly recognizable singing voice, there’s real substance to these words – and they’ll scare the hell out of you.
Behind the vocals, bandmates Jordan Buckley (guitar), Andy Williams (guitar) & newcomer Ryan Leger (replacing Mike Novak on drums) deliver mile-a-minute spectrum riffing, covering sounds that range from almost-death-metal (“Holy Book of Dilemma”) to the use of a banjo (“Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow”) and even wandering down Danzig lane (“Revival Mode”). These songs are reminiscent of their early days, but I disagree with the notion that it’s a ‘return’ to sound for them. These songs are much more self-aware than their early work.
Without knowing their previous releases, these songs can’t be as realized as they could be. In other words, I wouldn’t start a first-time listener here. ETID has always been a bit tongue-in-cheek, but you can’t point out their overarching sarcasm on this album alone without hearing them have a little fun first. In my opinion, they started to really know who they were as a band on 2005′s “Gutter Phenomenon”.
While “Ex Lives” definitely doesn’t have an easy single like “The New Black” or “We’rewolf”, you get the sense they’re still having fun – they’re just not making it so clear this time around. “Ex Lives” takes you on a tour of their entire career while introducing a new, more poignant message: “This is what America sounds like in a bad fucking mood”.
Every Time I Die is on tour now, including: March 04 @ ACM UCO PERFORMANCE LAB, Oklahoma City, OK March 05 @ NEWBYS, Memphis, TN March 06 @ ALABAMA MUSIC BOX, Mobile, AL March 07 @ THE VALARIUM, Knoxville, TN March 08 @ V CLUB LIVE, Huntington, WV March 09 @ THE CASTLE THEATER, Bloomington, IL March 10 @ THE INTERSECTION, Grand Rapids, MI (Which I will be attending & reviewing here on Q101.com)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Q101 is happy to welcome Chicago-based pop culture aficionado Kyle Brauch to our growing stable of talented contributors. Kyle will be regularly offering reviews on music, films, Chicagoland concerts and more. Kyle: “I thought I’d start off with a bit of a window into my tastes. You know, flirt a little before we ‘go to bed’. Here’s my mini-list of 30 film recommendations (and in some cases, anti-recommendations) I firmly stand by.” Welcome and thanks Kyle!
My favorite film pick:
A blend of drama, comedy, action, great music, colorful cinematography & Bill Murray as both whimsical & darkly sentimental. Plus, Henry Selick (nightmare before xmas, james and the giant peach) did the stop-motion sequences(!). Love or hate Wes’ films, this is my number one.
My least favorite film pick:
I make it no secret that I’m a HUGE Batman nerd. But this. The Arnold? Bat nips? Constant crotch zooms? More shades of pink than Cindy Lauper’s bathroom? Even Clooney admits to this killing the franchise. Of all the colorful crap Schumacher makes, this rots at the bottom.
My feels-good-man film pick:
I love mockumentaries – this one especially. As with all Guest films, it’s mostly improv’d by his rock-solid ensemble cast. Countless quotable lines, lighthearted social commentary & tons of dog humor make this one an easy pleaser / easy choice.
My feels-bad-man film pick:
You don’t have to be a Joy Division fan to get sucked in. Corbijn, a Dutch music video director (& J.D.’s actual photographer), made this on the short life/suicide of lead singer, Ian Curtis. Sam Riley’s performance alone tricks you into a really dark/tragic biopic.
My cross-genre film pick:
My dad raved about this to me at a (probably too) young age – and I fell in love. Written & directed by Landis, it inspired MJ to hire him for “Thriller”. Bits of comedy, bat-shit crazy makeup & real scares make this one of my favorites.
Another cross-genre film pick:
This is definitely one of my top-fivers – but it also reminds me of seeing it in theaters with my 1st apartment neighbors. It’s horror, it’s comedy – it’s got more references in the script than a trivia-whore can handle – it’s essential. Go watch it!
My retro film pick:
3 words: high school theatre. This Broadway adaptation filled 4 years of my drama classes. For a 50′s film, it has really dark subject matter: infidelity, rape, mental illness, violence – & it’s got Brando at the height of his badassery. STELLA!
My favorite quotable film pick:
How many times have I watched this? Enough to even quote the sound effects & music cues. Enough to know there’s several parts in the trailer different than the film. Enough to re-tell all 96 minutes word-for-word, song-for-song – with the TV off.
My favorite actor film pick:
On the 1st watch, it’s just a comedy – but on round 2, you notice it’s smart. It’s almost an Aesop fable – moral, effective life lessons are in there, even ones that aren’t immediately obvious. Oh, and did I mention Bill Murray is royalty in my books?
My favorite actress film pick:
I don’t really have a favorite actress – but counting films I like the best, Winona Ryder appears a lot. Black comedy, teenage ‘suicide’, clique humor & Christian Slater doing his hardest Jack Nicholson impression.. for the entire movie.
My favorite director film pick:
A favorite director is HARD to pick – but I’ve loved every film Anderson has made. He’s like the Tarantino of dramedy dialogue. This movie, like all of his, explores family dynamics in a quirky, colorful, catchy way that makes you both smile & sink.
My least favorite director film pick:
It’s not that Van Sant doesn’t make poignant films/deserve recognition. I just hate his style. All his films rely heavily on long, mundane shots following behind a character. If I wanted to stare at the backs of people for 2 hours, I’d go renew my license.
My guilty-pleasure film pick:
It’s actually really funny, even for a guy. Tina Fey wrote the screenplay to this novel adaptation (which is actually fairly similar to ‘Heathers’, minus all the death & f-bombs). The dialogue is more SNL than chick-flick, & Lindsay Lohan was still cute & promising back then.
My weird / “out-there” film pick:
Following the true story of Michael Alig & James St. James and their infamous parties of the late 80′s/early 90′s, it’s a story of glitter, glamour, murder & club-drug addictions. ….It’s a strangely compelling film.
My most-relatable film pick:
There’s obviously differences between this Chicago-set film & I, but there’s a little bit of each character/situation I see in myself – music, sentiment, snark – it’s the sort of movie audiophiles & goodhearted/slightly neurotic guys just GET.
My no-longer-worth-shit film pick:
It’s not so much I hate this movie, but I am terribly burned out on it. Yes, it’s an (exaggerated, yet still) accurate depiction of the service industry – but every actor is typecast to the EXTREME.. oh, & there’s fucking Dane Cook. Enough said.
My favorite modern drama film pick:
Kevin Spacey shines in this dark, realistically deep & inspiring film. It’s hard to pinpoint if it’s a story about suburbia, self-redemption, repression, or simply a commentary on hatred. “Look Closer” really is the best tag-line they could have used to explain it.
My favorite modern comedy pick:
In my opinion, this is arguably Sandler’s funniest. There’s something about it – it’s charm, the soundtrack, the QUOTES – that has kept it on my short-list ever since first seeing it. “We’re living in a material world, and I am a material girl. Or boy.”
My favorite action film pick:
Sure, there’s others to pick – but Cobra. Ah man – it’s got it all. Explosions, car chases, classic Stallone one-liners (he wrote the screenplay!), it’s the type of film you love to hate to love – but dammit, they just don’t make movies like this anymore.
My favorite romantic film pick:
It’s almost an anti-romance film – there’s no sappy clichés or predictable endings. Two young, travelling strangers spend a fleeting night together in Vienna, focusing completely on their realistic conversations of life & love throughout their evening.
My favorite fantasy film(s) pick:
I’ve always loved everything Bat. Still do. To me, Burton’s gothic trademark (Batman, Batman Returns) is just as appealing as Nolan’s gritty realism (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight). *Joel Schumacher’s two Bat-films need not apply.
My favorite horror film pick:
Atmospheric, psychological horror scares me way more than blood, gore & CGI nonsense. Even though Stephen King “didn’t like” what Kubrick did with his book, this has always been my #1 for horror. I’ve seen it maybe 100 times and STILL squirm at certain scenes.
My favorite thriller film pick:
Lynch has a knack for surreal, visceral & deeply disturbing cinema – this being no exception. His style is heavy on visual/implied metaphors, which rubs a lot of people wrong. I find this to be a nice balance between accessibility & bat-shit craziness.
My favorite animated film pick:
Tim Burton. Danny Elfman. Henry Selick. There’s nothing I could say about this movie that I haven’t already said in conversation a million times over. It took 100 people & 3 years to make this, but it’s cult status will last a lifetime.
My favorite documentary film pick:
This disturbing look at Philip Zimbardo’s infamous Stanford Prison Experiment shows how dark & evil perfectly stable people can become when given a shift in power. 24 students were selected to participate in a “mock” prison – half play guards, half play prisoners.
My favorite foreign film pick:
Remade in 2001 as Vanilla Sky, this is the original film (also starring Penélope Cruz, but with a slightly different ending) following a rich playboy who meets the girl of his dreams, but is severely disfigured shortly thereafter.
My favorite modern indie film pick:
It’s a nasty watch. This true story follows a group of callow teens conspiring to kill their brazen, abusive friend. There’s sex, drugs, violence, murder – none of which are depicted glamorously. Like all of Clark’s films, it’s a grimy train-wreck you can’t turn away from.
My favorite obscure film pick:
Imagine ‘Rocky Horror’ on poppers. More or less an Oingo Boingo musical, it’s one of the weirdest things you’ll ever see. Danny Elfman (Richard’s brother) scored the movie & makes a cameo as the Devil (!) – it’s *definitely* not for everyone.
My nostalgic film pick:
I STILL love it. DeVito directs & stars alongside Billy Crystal in this Hitchcock-inspired murder-comedy (loosely based on ‘Strangers on a Train’). Anne Ramsey steals the show as Momma: “OWEN DOESN’T HAVE ANY FRIENDS.”
My favorite “different-approach” film pick:
Following several story-lines that intersect with each other, it’s all shown through multiple security cameras. There’s really funny moments, parts that are serious as hell & even some poignant social commentary. I showed it to *everyone* a few years back.
So there it is. Now that we’re a bit acquainted, I’ll be running my mouth a lot more. I’d love your feedback / input. Agree or disagree – leave me your comments! I hope you stay tuned in. There’s lots to talk about.
Cheers, Kyle
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