A Movie Review: The Family Stone

The Family Stone.  Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) brings his girlfriend, Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker), home for the holidays to meet his family.  These include mom Sybil Stone (Diane

Keaton), father Kelly Stone (Craig T. Nelson) and siblings Amy Stone (Rachel McAdams), Ben Stone (Luke Wilson), Susannah Stone Trousdale (Elizabeth Reaser) and Thad Stone (Tyrone Giordano).  Everett and Meredith don't realize that they're running into a buzz saw driven by a handful of reasons.  First, Amy Stone has met Meredith and isn't giving the family a good report card on her.  Second, her conservative personality/politics doesn't fit in with the family.  Third, Everett informs his mother that he intends to propose to Meredith.  Add that all together and a massive clash occurs within the Stone family.  Meredith feeling defeated invites her freewill sister, Julie Morton (Claire Danes), to the mess.

The major positive about this movie is seeing a family that really cares for each other.  They aren't gathering during Christmas because it is a duty, but because they really do love each other -- this excludes newbie Meredith, of course.  Also, as soon as Claire Danes shows up, the movie just brightens 100%.  But I also think this movie has serious problems, which revolve around Meredith Morton.  We are introduced to Meredith as a hard-charging, over-controlling business woman.  She's obviously at an executive level, likely a vice president.  And yet when she meets the Stone family she is reduced to an awkward, mistake prone, politically incorrect individual. I do realize that people put on different faces when in various circumstances.  One can be confident at work and yet feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations, but Meredith just doesn't seem to show any qualities in her interactions with the Stone family that would indicate she's a successful business woman.

And as this movie is nearly a decade old, this can't be seen as a major spoiler:  Everett immediately falls for Julie as soon as he picks her up at the bus stop while Ben immediately falls for Meredith.  Now considering we have two brothers and two sisters here, this love square feels just a touch icky.

Even with the above problems I have with this movie, I'd recommend it just to see a movie that shows family members who actually care for each other versus despising each other.

Low Volts and The Fontaines at Silverlake Lounge

It was off to Silverlake Lounge to catch The Fontaines one more time before the end of their residency.  First up for me, Low Volts.  This one man band reminded me of Snakearm (formally known as Restavrant).  There was some awesome blues rock.  The music is like the man:  rugged and intense.  As the set was coming to a close, he was ready to finish with two final songs, but he didn't get to his final song.  He ended up breaking two strings on his guitar.  Yep, intense.

The Fontaines.  My second time seeing them and I wished they'd gone a couple songs longer.  There are a few things you start noticing while catching a band for the second time.  Brother Hank has some animated facial expressions.  Sister Charlotte has a sultry voice for one so young.  And like I mentioned the first time I wrote about this band, their fans are a young and colorful crowd.


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A Movie Review: St. Vincent

St. Vincent. Vincent (Bill Murray) is a gruff older man. He does have certain issues in life. He drinks a touch too much. He has a thing for a pregnant Russian stripper/prostitute, Daka (Naomi Watts). He's heavily in debt. He has a gambling problem.  We also latter learn that his wife is staying at a nursing home due to her Alzheimer's.

Then he meets his new next door neighbors:  a mother and son.  Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) is about to get a divorce after learning her husband cheated on her with multiple women.  Her son is named Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher).  He's a bit scrawny and finds himself the immediate target of school bullies.  He heads home, his phone and house keys stolen.  Vincent arrives home.  Oliver, stuck on his porch, asks if he can use Vincent's phone so that he can call his mother.  And so starts an interesting friendship between these three individuals.  We find out that even though Vincent is a gruff man with certain destructive habits, he still has a kind heart.

There really is a level of sweetness in this movie from start to end.  I think it also has a wonderful message, which to me was that no matter an individual's personality that doesn't mean that person can't live by the Golden Rule.  Bill Murray brings a no bulls*it quality to Vincent.  Naomi Watts is amusing as the heart of gold stripper/prostitute.  Melissa McCarthy tames it down in this role and I think it does her well.  And Jaeden Lieberher is perfect as the awkward child.

My issues:

1.  What's up with the racetrack negativity by Maggie?  Hey, I love the racetrack.  And what's wrong with bringing a kid to the track, I see kids at the track all the time.  Of course, let's admit that making a $400 box trifecta on a horse race is just stupid.

2.  The editing towards the end of the movie is off.  We learn that Vincent is behind on paying for his wife's nursing home bill.  I don't wish to give away a major spoiler so I'll just say that Vincent is out of reach for awhile -- perhaps months.  His wife -- by inference -- remained at the nursing home while Vincent was out of reach.  Obviously, the bill must have gotten covered, but that part of the film is edited out.    

Rainman/Jazz Mills/Tom Brosseau/Doom and Gloom/Pageants at Pehrspace

Time passes too quickly. Over a year and a half has passed since I last went to Pehrspace. I finally made it back and went big time, catching 5 bands. Honestly, I usually just catch 2 or 3 bands when I head out.  First up was Rainman.  Now to be honest, I only caught half of her and her backup band's set.  I walked in and the place was packed.  And to add to that, the audience was attentive.  Sometimes you head out and you can hear the audience talking over the band.  Hotel Cafe is the place for her next set.

Jazz Mills rang up next.  She's from Texas.  Actually, she's the reason I showed up earlier than I planned.  I happened to check out her Facebook page and was intrigued by her sound.  It reminded me of a personal favorite band, The Mots Nouveaux.  She didn't disappoint in the blue/green lights of Pehrspace.

Comment of the set via her singer partner (who's name I failed to catch):  I need to take my jacket off.  It's getting hot in here.  You all need to take your photos now.  (See above photo for his football team loyalties.)

Tom Brosseau brought a 1800's North Dakota vibe to the crowd.  Most of those over the age of 30 were there specifically for him.  His set provided a glimpse back to over-looked and under-appreciated sounds of a long ago America.  He also told some amusing stories.  One story was about his grandmother.  She was old and required care so his mother and aunt took care of her needs.  One of those needs was a bath.  And so on that first bath she informed her daughters:  You start at the bottom and work your way up as high as possible and you start at the top and work  your way down as far as possible.  And I will take care of possible.

The Doom and Gloom duo switched it up from the singer-songwriter sounds to pop.  Their sound has an infectious quality to it with lead singer Nate bringing the enthusiasm.  Amusing moment of their set;  They were singing the lyrics, "Just keep me."  Apparently, Liska ended up singing, "Don't keep me."  From what I can gather, Liska and Nate are married.  

Pageants closed the night out for me with sonic flurry.  One could tell that lead singer Rebecca Coleman was feeling under the weather.  This perhaps resulted in the set being cut short by a song or two.  Still, I felt I was sent flying out of Pehrspace after their set.


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Duke Basketball vs. St. John's: 77 - 68

Coach K wins 1,000th.  That's the big news, but there was also the over-all game.

Duke broke out to a solid lead and it looked like this might just be a blow-out win.  Jahlil Okafor was just doing his thing; however, St. John's fought back and was leading 43 - 39 at half time.  Technically, it should have been a 40 - 39 lead.  The final 3 point shot by St. John's was obviously made after the possession clock had run down.  On the other hand, St. John's missed some easy shots and  made some silly turn-overs.  But those silly turn-overs was actually how St. John's made their comeback in the first half.  They forced the pace and Duke's defense bled.

In the second half, St. John's started to pull away, taking advantage of Duke's porous defense.  (One has to pray that Duke improves their defense over the rest of the season or it'll be another early out come March.)  So how did Duke win this game by a solid margin?  I say Marshall Plumlee.  Wait, how can someone who scored only 2 points drive a victory.  He was inserted late in the second half and it was his defense that won the game.  Suddenly, when St. John's got the ball pass Duke's guards, there was Marshall Plumlee and Jahlil Okafor.  It isn't all that easy to shoot over two 7 footers (or near 7 footers).

One can only hope that this was Marshall Plumlee's breakout game.  It would be great to have a situation similar to when Brian Zoubek broke out, which resulted in a Duke championship.  I feel that over the last couple years there has been plenty of praise for Marshall Plumlee, but that tends to be focused on his play during practice.  It'd be nice to see that praise coming due to his game time play.

A Movie Review: 2 Guns

2 Guns. Bobby (Denzel Washington) and Stig (Mark Wahlberg) are criminal partners, attempting to make a massive cocaine purchase from drug lord Greco (Edward James Olmos).  That doesn't fall through so they decide to rob a bank that holds Greco's cash.  When they actually do rob the bank, they find far more cash in there than they anticipated.  Here's the interesting twist:  Bobby is a DEA agent while Stig is a Navy SEAL.  Neither initial knows the identity of the other individual.

There isn't anything deep going on in this movie.  Don't expect that.  It is just a solid action movie that includes a number of government agencies and individuals with various angles surrounding a drug lord.  I previously reviewed Bullet to the Head and said that it was too complex for its own good.  This movie is just as complex an action movie, but actually works.  Why?  Probably a more clearly written out script.  And I honestly think the fact that 2 Guns is about 20 minutes longer allows the plot twists to play out better.  Then finally, perhaps the reviewer (me) was paying more attention in 2 Guns versus Bullet to the Head.  

A Movie Review: Divergent

Divergent. Beatrice (Shailene Woodley) lives in Chicago with her parents and brother. The world; however, isn't like we know it.  The world she lives in is occupied by those who survived a war.  Chicago is a walled off city.  Not only is it walled off, but it also appears to be self-sustaining.  There is no evidence that this city-state trades with others.  Society is also different.  During their youth, citizens are divided into five fractions of their choice.  Each fraction has a specific duty within the city.  The movie focuses on Abengation (runs the government), Dauntless (military force), and Erudite (intelligentsia).    

Beatrice's parents are Abengation.  They are also a rather important part of the Chicago government.  When it comes time to choose, Beatrice decides to pick Dauntless.  Her brother goes to Erudite.  This causes great pain to her parents, because once a fraction is chosen a young person largely only interacts with those within their fraction.  In fact, if a young  person rejects the fraction of their youth, that fraction also rejected them.

Being Dauntless, Beatrice enters into military-like training.  Unlike previous rounds, Dauntless will only keep a select group within their ranks.  Those that are thinned out are tossed into a societal group called the Fractionless.  She also finds herself falling for her drill sergeant (equivalent), Four (Theo James), and discovers that there is a plot where the Erudite plan to over-throw the government (Abengation).

This movie keeps your attention.  And there are certain parts of the movie that are really fun like the Capture the Flag competition.  In fact, I'd say the Capture the Flag competition is far more intense and interesting than Harry Potter's quidditch -- though I'm going to say right up front that the Harry Potter movies are far superior.

I have a major problem with the movie, which is why I say this movie only gets a passing grade.  What's up with the fraction system?  Seriously, once one picks a fraction not of their parents, the young individual is essentially rejected by that fraction -- even by their parents.  If fractions have that much friction within them, how do they even survive as a society.  Here's my thought:  what if one jumped to Erudite and became a doctor -- which from my on-line reading is one of the careers a Erudite can enter.  Not that doctors don't have a God-complex, but in that society would they even want to treat an individual from another fraction.  Anyways, I think those are the types of thoughts that one starts to think about after the movie ends, which puts a damper on the whole movie experience.

  





      

Fall/Winter 2014 Movie Rankings

So I caught a number of movies this Fall/Winter.

Here's my rankings, partially based on Oscar season:

Oscar Worthy

A Most Violent Year
Whiplash
Nightcrawler
Gone Girl
Big Eyes
St. Vincent (I don't actually have this on my list of Top 10 movies, but it'd be number 11)

Just a solid flick

Fury
American Sniper
Selma
Interstellar

Mixed Feelings

The Wild
Into the Woods
Hunger Games
Big Hero 6
The Theory of Everything
Foxcatcher
Birdman

Not Oscar Worthy

The Skeleton Twins
Inherent Vice

Eastern Conference Champions/Francisco the Man/Sego at Bootleg HiFi

Eastern Conference Champions. Yes!!! It was time for some Eastern Conference Champions.  I so hope that this band breaks out big time in the not so near future.  This band transitions so easily from the emotional laden to the rock pounding.  Moments during the set:  Melissa Dougherty's guitar strap broke.  So she quickly ran over to a guitar that Joshua Ostrander wasn't using at the moment and took that strap.  Later in the set when Joshua needed to use that guitar, he had no strap to use.  A guy from one of the other bands handed him over a guitar strap.  One problem, there is a height difference between the two guys, which caused some minor inconvenience for Joshua.  

Francisco the Man.  Has anyone ever gone to the beach and stood near the water's edge and allowed the tide to slowly remove the sand from around one's feet?  I'm sure all have.  For me, there is this feeling that I'm being slowly drawn into a thrill ride.  And that's the feeling one gets listening to Francisco the Man.  

Sego.  So I got approached twice before Sego took the stage.  One individual was their light guy.  He had set up different types of lights across the stage.  Another guy mentioned to me that he learned of Sego via a podcast.  He felt that they sounded like early Beck.  To me, they have an interesting eclectic sound that at times almost feels like a modified rap and at other times takes on the feel of a laid back jam.

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A Movie Review: Wild

Wild.  Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon) is dropped off at a cheap hotel in some random small town in California.  You get the impression she hitched a ride there.  She stays the night and in the morning she starts to put together a massive backpack.  You get the impression she doesn't really know what

she is doing.  You don't even need to be a serious hiker -- my longest hike was waking up early in the morning and arriving back late at night so I've never done any hiking that required a serious backpack -- to laugh when you notice all the books she is carrying with her.  Weight?!?  She hitches another ride from an older married couple who drop her off at the start of the Pacific Crest Trail, close to the Mexican border.  Her goal is to hike 1,100 miles from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada, following the Pacific Crest trail.  If seeing her put together her backpack isn't enough of a clue, even more evidence of her lack of planning is provided during her first evening: it takes her forever to put up her tent and she learns that she brought the wrong fuel for her camping stove.

Why is she doing this?  After her mother died at a very young age, Cheryl went into a downward spiral.  She became a drug addict and started to sleep around with random men.  Her husband just couldn't deal with this (who can blame him) and they get a divorce.  For some reason, she is drawn to the idea of being out in nature.  Perhaps it is the thought of pushing her physical body, hoping that this will give her the will power to struggle with her personal demons.  It is not just a physical struggle she desires.  The long hike also provides her with the time to reflect on her life.

This movie has a quiet beauty to it that is often offset by periods of emotional turmoil that is Cheryl's life.  Would I recommend seeing this movie?  I have to say no.  You won't hate yourself for seeing it, but I don't think you'll leave the theater feeling that you gained new insight into life -- which I think this movie is meant to provide.  In many ways, I wanted to love this movie.  I love Reese Witherspoon.  I enjoy the idea of some struggling with their personal demons.  It just didn't hit me that anything profound was really changing in Cheryl's life during her journey.  In many ways, it seemed to me that she had already conquered her demons when she arrived at that cheap hotel and insisted to the hotel manager that there would be no random male guests showing up.  She was already clean, sober, and looking for something other than a hook-up with a total stranger.    



    

A Movie Review: Inherent Vice

Inherent Vice. As the movie started, I immediately came to the realization that this just wasn't the movie for me.  It is a drug induced movie that I think really requires the watcher to also be in a drug induced state to enjoy it.

The main character of this movie is, Doc (Joaquin Phoenix).  Doc isn't a doctor, even though he works out of a medical office.  He is a private investigator.  Doc gets a visit from his ex-girlfriend, Shasta (Katherine Waterston).  She wants his help.  She has a new lover, real estate developer named Wolfmann.  Wolfmann is an eccentric.  He happens to be a Jew who hangs with white supremacists.  Shasta has learned of a plot.  Wolfmann is married.  His wife and lover plan to send Wolfmann to an insane asylum.

From there, the movie grows ever more complex so one needs to pay attention.  New characters come into play in a six degrees separation manner.  They're all connected and sometimes Doc finds himself employed by both sides.  For example, a mother/wife asks Doc to track down her husband.  She was told that her husband is dead, but she doesn't believe it.  When Doc tracks down the husband, the husband asks that he look into how the wife is doing.

This is a complex weave that works well though at times one might find themselves a touch lost.  I suspect a second viewing would definitely clean up the connections for someone.  My problem is that the movie's dialogue really is influenced by drug induced characters.  Yes, you get the gist of what they are saying, but most of it is a silly mess even though they think they're being profound.  That is why I seriously think being on drugs might help in watching this movie, because one might find all that dialogue amusing if one is in an altered state.  As for me and those in the theater, I don't think I heard a single laugh -- indicating that everyone was very much not in an altered state while viewing.

A Movie Review: The Hangover Part III

The Hangover Part III. Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) escapes from a Thailand prison. At the same time, Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis) is having a difficult time -- not that this is unusual. He accidentally kills a giraffe that he purchased. His father dies from a heart attack. His family and "friends" decide to have an intervention. They manage to convince him to enter a rehab facility in Arizona.

Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) head off to Arizona with Alan.  They don't make it to the rehab center.  On their way there, a mobster named Marshall (John Goodman) seizes them.  He tells them that Leslie stole his gold.  He also tells them that Alan keeps in touch with Leslie.  Marshall demands that they help him locate Leslie.

What follows is a series of antics as the Wolfpack attempts to recover the gold from a sly Leslie.

This movie doesn't revolve around wedding events like the other two movies.  Admittedly, that scenario only worked once and so it made sense to change it up for the third movie.  Unfortunately, the comedy/heist genre doesn't work at all.  The whole heist was actually inventive in its own way, but the problem is that the comedy is lacking.  I'm not sure there is a funny moment in the whole movie.  The giraffe scene isn't funny, it is sick.  The Alan finding a female version of himself isn't musing, but eye-rolling.  Even the return to Vegas doesn't provide any laughs as it is used as a backdrop for action/heist adventures.

This movie actually makes you appreciate how well the Fast and the Furious franchise has transitioned through the years.

Is this movie worth the watch?  Well, if one has a desire to finish off a trilogy.  Luckily, I saw this in the comfort of my home versus at the movie theater.

A Movie Review: Bullet to the Head

Bullet to the Head.  Essentially a b-movie action movie.  James Bonomo (Sylvester Stallone) is a New Orleans hitman.  He and his partner take out an ex-police officer, Hank Greely (Holt McCallany).  Soon after, Bonomo's partner is killed by another hitman.  A Washington DC detective named Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang) shows up on the scene to investigate the death of his former partner, Hank Greely.  Kwon makes a connection between the deaths of Greely and Bonomo's partner.  He finds Bonomo.  Even though Kwon knows Bonomo is guilty of murder, they eventually form an uneasy alliance as they try to discover who is actually pulling the strings.

This movie is a little too complex for its own good.  There are four layers (or more depending on how you count) that Bonomo and Kwon must pull apart to finally get to their man:  the ex-police officer leads to a lawyer and a middle man that eventually leads to another hitman, which eventually leads to the string puller.  The order of all this can be debated.  There is also a local mobster involved as well as some corrupt New Orleans cops.  One almost feels like they need an organizational chart to track all the people written into the story.

Maybe this would all work if it was turned into the 3 season/12 episode HBO series, but with characters just thrown at you all at once it is a little difficult to keep track of things.  Or maybe the movie should have gone over 2 hours versus going just 1.5 hours.

The action scenes are set up in a way that you know there was a relatively tight budget applied to the film.  Just taking a look at some data on various websites:  Bullet to the Head was made for $55 million while 300: Rise of An Empire cost $110 million.

Final assessment:  the movie is watchable when one is in a b-movie state of mind.

Conway/Wildling at The Satellite

Maybe it was due to the college football championship game that I watched before heading out to The Satellite, but I just couldn't help thinking of sports while watching Conway and Wildling.  I was thinking basketball, boxing and kick boxing.  With Conway wearing silver Nike high tops, I immediately started to think basketball as she shot through her staccato beat set.  Then she started to kick and I switched over to kick boxing.  Then I started to think, I'd hate to go out jogging with her.  She'd leave me in the dust within minutes.

Wilding is the residency band for Janaury.  Their music is smooth and earnest, but as they went into their song 'Hummingbird' I started to think boxing.  Muhammad Ali:  float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.  Okay, neither is a hummingbird, but there is something to how lead singer Ryan Levine moves on stage that reminds me of a boxer who is able to send his opponent into fits because he can duck and weave away from any thrown punch.

Comment of the night (from someone in the audience):  "I'm so close to the stage that I feel like I can touch their acne and I don't like it."  And that is someone who shouldn't hang out in the local Los Angeles music scene.
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My Top Movies of 2014

If I had a vote for Oscar Best Picture nominations, here's my list of 10 movies I'd want to put on my ballot:

10.  Captain America:  The Winter Soldier.  I love the battle scenes in this movie.  You have no clue who is or isn't Hydra.  And then Falcon asks Captain America how they can tell the good guys from the bad guys and Captain America responds with something similar to, "If they're shooting at us, they're the bad guys."  Oh yeah, this movie is one great adventure.








9.  Begin Again.  I can't deny it, I love music.  This movie just shines with the joy that comes with creating music.  I wish I could create music.  Instead, I am relegated to enjoying it (along with photographing it.)  This movie satisfies that deep desire within many of us who wish we could be a talented musician.









8.  Edge of Tomorrow.  Tom Cruise in a really awesome movie?  Yeah, some of you might be scratching your heads.  If you are one of those individuals, I say give this movie a shot.  It is a complex and yet understandable Sci Fi movie.









7.  Big Eyes.  You're shocked that someone could be so demented.  And then you can't help but laugh at that same individual when his time of judgement arrives.

6.  Gone Girl.  So Big Eyes stars a demented man.  Gone Girl stars a dangerously manipulative woman.  Ah, I hope I never run into a person like Amy Dunne.










5.  Nightcrawler.  Lou Bloom is creepy.  In some ways, how can someone who focuses a camera on individuals who are on the edge of life and death not be creepy.









Honestly, the following four movies are really difficult to distinguish.

4.  Grand Budapest Hotel.  So hysterically funny.  And there is so much carefully detailed imagery.  The bath house scene almost teases you to discover all the details in what should just be a plain old conversation between two individuals.









3.  Boyhood.  As folks know by now, this film was made over a number of years.  This movie is called Boyhood, but I also think it could at various times throughout the movie be called:  Fatherhood, Motherhood and Sisterhood.  A wonderful time capsule of life.









2.  Whiplash.  Begin Again follows the joy of making music.  Whiplash highlights the intense dedication it takes to become great.  There is blood, sweat and emotion damage.










1.  A Most Violent Year.  A moral man working/living in an environment of ambiguous ethics.  Does he succeed?  This depends on how much grey you allow into your own life.  Either way, this movie ranks (very narrowly) as my best movie of the year.  









Over-all, I think 2015 was an outstanding year at the movie house.

Note:  there are still one or two movies that I haven't seen that could potentially make it onto this list.  If I do catch those movies and fall in love with them, I'll potentially update this at a future date.

Rose's Pawn Shop/The Bulls/In The Valley Below at The Satellite

It was 8 free nights of music at The Satellite.  I wanted to head out to more than just one show, but I'm getting old and going out every night would kill me.  So I selected one.  It was to see In The Valley Below.

Rose's Pawn Shop.  I caught the back half of this Americana band.  They'll have you dancing to that heavenly sound.

The Bulls.  Sometimes a band surprises you.  I saw this band set up and I was thinking, based on their fashion style they're going to follow the hipster Echo Park/Silverlake rock sound.  Nope.  They have a shoegaze sound that is mixed in with a touch of Enya.  It makes for a beautiful mix.

Quote of the night:  I can't believe that during this whole set I was wearing my car keys.

In The Valley Below.  I saw this band once before and fell in love with them.  It took awhile, but I finally caught up with them again.  Thank you, The Satellite, for this.  They opened the set with "Stand Up."  How can one not get pumped up during this anthem song?  They just move from one great song to another.  And their stage show:  Angela Gail and Jeffrey Jacobs duo just has that familiarity that can only come about from a deep emotional connection.

Note:  Jeffrey broke a string.  Instead of just standing around while Jeffrey re-did his string, Angela and drummer Joshua Clair hit out a few beats.  I loved it.  Many times, bands just sit around in semi-panic as their fellow musician gets a new string.

The Fontaines and Franky Flowers at Silverlake Lounge

Franky Flower.  Their music online has a background buzz that makes you think about an old cassette that has gone through too many uses.  And yet, they're too young for cassettes -- well, okay, I do know that cassettes are still sold by local bands in a retro-cool fashion statement and perhaps they sell their music on cassettes, as well.  The Smell, for just one set, invaded Silverlake Lounge and I was happy it did.

The Fountains.  They call their music new-wop.  I will be honest, I'm not sure what that means.  I will give it my spin:  the lollipop sounds of the 1950s, re-invented for the 1980s and then twisted a touch for the now.  Give them a listen and you'll fall in love with their retro-new sound.  Their fans also seem to have a retro-hipness to them -- they aren't hipsters, they're a new fashion statement.

A Movie Review: A Most Violent Year

A Most Violent Year. Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) is an entrepreneur running a heating oil company.  One of his problems is corruption among his competitors.  Due to his unwillingness to respect territorial boundaries of his competitors, his trucks are constantly being hijacked.  This isn't his only problem.  The NY assistant district attorney, Lawrence (David Oyelowo), has decided to investigate his company.  There is also the little issue regarding his wife, Anna Morales (Jessica Chastain).  Anna Morales' father -- never seen on film -- is a former mobster.  She has a certain way of keeping the books that could get him into serious trouble with Lawrence.

Abel has decided to take a significant risk that will impact his future success, and likely impact his competitors abilities to hurt his business.  He puts a significant down payment on land owned by a group of Hasidic Jews.  This land has oil tanks, which will allow him to expand his business as well as cause his competitors to depend on him.  He is given 30 days to come up with the remaining money.  He is confident he can get the money as he has a good relationship with his bank; however, as multiple negative events unfold around him such as the criminal charges his bank backs out on him.  There are multiple juggling acts he must go through over a handful of days:  find a way to put together $1.5 million, deal with the investigation and find out who is responsible for hijacking his trucks.

To me, this movie is about a moral man working/living in an environment of ambiguous ethics.  You can see his kindness.  When one of his truck drivers is badly beaten, he visits the individual at the hospital and when the hospital releases the driver he is there to drive him home.  He wants to run his business like a family business.

He wants his business run in the right way.  He doesn't want to play the same game as his competitors.  And yet he makes certain compromises.  He is married to a mobster's daughter.  That can cause problems, but for him love over-whelms the dilemmas that might arise from such a situation.  Knowing his wife might have tendencies to deal with matters in a mafia manner, he still gives his wife full authority over the financial books while he focuses in on growing the business via growth and acquisition.

In some ways, one might rightly question his morals.  He is an individual who demands high standards of his employees, but when met with issues that might impact him negatively he is willing to shift his morals to fit the new situation.  And yet, he is willing to go only so far, his morals pulling him from the abyss.

Question:  a gun shot goes through an oil tank and Abel takes out a handkerchief to plug the hole.  Does this symbolize his attempt to keep his moral standing?  Of course, oil is black, which could indicate that the compromises he needs to do are coming to an end, but then he plugs the hole.

***

What irritated me about this movie -- there always has to be a couple issues, right?  Potential spoiler though I'll try to keep it vague -- why would his wife wait so long to tell him some important information.  There is an explanation given, but I just don't buy it.  Another issue that happens early in the movie so not so much a spoiler:  one of the truck drivers is beaten.  Both Abel and Anna visit him.  Abel also drives him home from the hospital.  We later learn that the driver is married.  And so why wasn't the wife ever at the hospital?

***

My over-all opinion:  such a great movie.  For me, it ranks up there with my favorites for the year:  Boyhood, Grand Budapest Hotel and Whiplash.

A Movie Review: American Sniper

American Sniper.  This movie is based on the true story of Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper).  He starts out life protecting his younger brother.  He grows up with a won't give an inch personalty.  It fits perfectly with what he does, riding in rodeo events.  Then terrorists attacks start to occur across the globe and he decides to volunteer to serve in the US military.

It quickly becomes apparent that his skill set is precision shooting.  While stationed in America, he also runs into his future wife at a bar, Taya (Sienna Miller).  They marry and then 9/11 occurs.  He is sent to Iraq.  There, he starts to make a name for himself as America's more deadly sniper.  He is so accurate that a $180,000 bounty is put on his head.  An enemy sniper attempts to capture this bounty.  The rumor being that the enemy sniper is a former Syrian Olympian named Mustafa (Sammy Sheik).

Chris does four tours in Iraq.  This causes major disruptions at home.  While home, he suffers from PTSD.  His wife attempts to get him help, but he refuses.  Somehow, he finds refuge in going back to Iraq.  This desire is driven by his early youth when he was his brother's protector.  The tensions continue to grow at home with his wife wanting him to open up about his experience.  She also, of course, wants him to stop doing his tours as it is now his responsibility (she feels) to be there for her and their two young children.

This movie does carry some baggage as it deals with the Iraq war.  Many Americans feel (even those who initially supported the Iraq war) that it was a political blunder to go into Iraq.  It may have even assisted in the rise of ISIS.  On the other hand, this movie is an intense, based on real life, action movie.  Nearly every moment in Iraq is edge of your seat stuff.  Then during Chris' brief stays in back in America, you see the intense psychological damage that war can cause where even the most normal activities such as a car tailgating or the roar of a mechanic's machinery can set a war veteran on edge.

I read some brief lines this criticized this movie because it didn't delve into the Iraqi people themselves; however, one has to understand that this movie is bio-pic not a critical analysis of various aspects of the Iraq war.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens: 17 - 30

A painful play-off loss that wasn't really all that competitive.

The game seemed to start-off in a manner that would benefit the Steelers.  It looked like the Steelers offense was just a split second off and would eventually start to click.  The defensive line was just a split second away from sacking QB Joe Flacco.

The problem was that it was really Baltimore that was starting off in the right direction.  Their defense kept the Steelers just a split second off.  Their offensive line gave Flacco that split second he needed.

Yes, my first statement might be an exaggeration as it was 20 - 15 Baltimore in the fourth quarter.  On the other hand, I feel it is an accurate statement as that was the only touchdown the Steelers had even though they had ample opportunities.  Before that they had three field goals.

In some ways, this really wasn't a fair play-off game.  When you play the same team three times in a season, both teams know what to expect.

How do things look for next season?  Well, I'm not a football expert, but I think it looks bright.  The Steelers have a solid offensive line.  Their defense seemed to tighten up as the season progressed.  They have Big Ben, Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell.  My only hope is that Josh Harris or Dri Archer develop into players that will give Bell some help at running back.

  

A Movie Review: Selma

Selma. Martin Luther King Jr (David Oyelowo) has just been given the Nobel Peace Prize.  His immediate move is to meet with President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson).  The two don't see eye-to-eye on what should be the main Washington DC political priority.  LBJ wants to focus on poverty.  MLK wants the focus shifted to voting.  To press the issue, MLK decides to head to Selma.  Selma is in Alabama.  The governor is George Wallace (Tim Roth).  The county sheriff is Jim Clark (Stan Houston).  MLK calculates correctly that these two individuals would misplay their hand.  The first reaction is mild; however, when MLK plans a march from Selma to Montgomery things heat up.  The march (MLK isn't leading the march as he is tied up at home dealing with personal issues) gets to the Edmund Pettis Bridge.  Here, the Alabama state troopers attack the marchers with batons and teargas.  It is a horrible scene that turns the tide in the favor of civil rights.

First of all, this movie gives you enormous respect for the various civil rights leaders.  To see Hosea Williams (Wendell Pierce) and John Lewis (Stephen James) marching over the bridge that first time really makes one think.  Would I be willing to continue walking knowing what was awaiting me?  Of course, to be honest, this is also a question one can ask when seeing similar largely non-violent protests pop up in our own day and age such as in Egypt.

The movie also openly admits to the conflicts that arose between the various civil rights organizations, specifically highlighted in this movie is the differences between MLK and his team versus SNCC.  SNCC had worked in Selma for months and didn't appreciate MLK and  his organization taking the lead in that city.  The political, strategic and tactical decision making is interesting to watch unfold on screen.

My one criticism of this movie (and a similar criticism can be tossed at Lincoln) is that it perhaps plays more to the politics/history junkie.

A Movie Review: Into the Woods

Into the Woods. This movie takes a number of fairy tales and mashes it all together.  We have Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy) and Jack (Daniel Huttlestone).  They are brought together in one story when the Baker (James Corden) and the Baker's Wife (Emily Blunt) are informed by the Witch (Meryl Streep) that a family curse will be lifted if they recover items that all four previously mentioned characters possess:  shoe, cape, hair, and cow.

There is a joy to this movie driven by some fun loving dialogue and music.  "I was raised to be charming, not sincere," is a classic quote.  The music duet between Cinderella's Prince (Chris Pine) and Rapunzel's Prince (Billy Magnussen) is hysterical.  There comes a "but," however.  The movie takes a turn to the negative in the closing chapter of the movie.  Certain complications arise and the Baker's Wife pays the typical price that nearly always occurs across any movie genre.  It is actually a twist that sort of puts an unnecessary -- dare I call it -- sexist twist to this movie.

 

A Movie Review: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) lives a meticulous and somewhat dated lifestyle. His apartment has gadgets from a decade ago. He carefully balances his checkbook after each expenditure.  It doesn't take long for us to realize that Walter has one other quirk:  he lives in an imaginary world.  He is also employed in an unfortunate field and unfortunate economic sector.  He's a negative asset manager employed at Life Magazine.  I am not an expert in photography careers, but with digital I suspect that there isn't much need for a negative asset manager.  And we know that print magazines are having a difficult time of it.  

It all comes to a head when Life Magazine is bought out.  In comes Ted Hendricks (Adam Scott) to make the necessary changes.  It is announced that Life Magazine is getting out of the print world and going fully digital.  Preparations are made for the final print edition.  Famed Life photographer Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn) who still loves shooting film sends over a roll of film, claiming to have the shot for the final cover.  Ted presses Walter for the photo.  Unfortunately, the negative is missing.  Walter goes on an adventure, attempting to find the elusive Sean O'Connell.  He finds himself going from Greenland to Iceland to Afghanistan (via Yemen).  (For some reason, I recall someone getting in trouble with TSA in real life for traveling through Yemen so I wonder if that was written into the film as a hidden tribute to that individual).

Can a movie go from blah to fantastic based on the last minute or two of a movie?  Doubtful.  Yes, there is some nice quirkiness to this movie.  Yes, the movie does try to get your empathy going in terms of Walter's mother.  But it didn't work until those last two minutes when it hits you with that wow moment.

One thing that came to my mind while watching this movie:  I've been to Iceland.  I know how windy it is in Iceland.  How could Walter actually ride a bike in that country without getting blown off his bike?  I wonder if the filmmakers made some special wind protective screens when they filmed scenes of Walter riding his bike in Iceland.