News: PT Anderson's next coming, with dates.

Probably the movie I am following the most right now, Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" will officially be getting it's limited release on October 12 of this year.  It will then fan out from there.  This is Anderson's first film since 2007's "There Will Be Blood," which was also scored by Johnny Greenwood, as "The Master" will be.
"The Master" stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix, and is about a man returning from the war who decides to start an organized religion.  Everyone at this point makes a tongue and cheek comment about how the movie is not about Scientology, while hinting that it really is.  I'm not gonna do that, because I think that's dumb.
This is currently the biggest blip on my radar in terms of movies for this year.  PT Anderson is my favorite (living) film maker, and this film deserves an eye kept on it.

Slashfilm's coverage of this news here.
As always, live long and Excelsior.

Heads Up: Songs from the Second Floor

It has been too long since I have done a "heads up."  I've been trying to think of an interesting film to talk about, and although I've been seeing some pretty cool ones lately, none of them seemed like they were the type that would warrant a heads up.  In terms of out there films you might not normally run across, "Songs from the Second Floor" is precisely the kind of movie I want to discuss on this blog.
It is a Swedish film that came out in 2000.  The structure of the film moves through a series of slowly moving, loosely connected vignettes.  It has a few running characters, and a vague running plot, but this film is one of the most absurd things I have ever had the pleasure of watching.  Now I know there are probably people who upon reading that sentence become turned off of this film.  If you are one of those people, there is nothing I can do that would make you want to watch this movie.  "Songs from the Second Floor" has a very specific type of humor, and I don't think it's for everyone.  Not everybody would dig this movie.  But if you do like absurdist humor you owe it to yourself to track down this film.
This is, namely, the most absurd film I have ever seen.  I loved it.  It is full of bizarre scene set ups, and the scenes hold just long enough for some even more bizarre turn.  You never know what to expect, and so consistently you almost come to expect to be surprised.  There are, however, running themes that cover a wide variety of very broad issues and social problems, and some of the comments made can be startlingly poignant.  The whole film has a rather post-apocalyptic feel to it, with it's utter lack of color, unexplained traffic jams, and processions of business people flagellating themselves.
Each vignette is just one shot, and each scene plays out without any cuts.  It really plays a bit like a theater production in this way.  We are very distant from the characters physically, and this translates into the emotional disconnect we feel.  One thing I found remarkable was what an undertaking the film was, and how many people are in it.  This movie just has an immense amount of extras.  As scenes play out, there are often 30, 50, or hundreds of people in the background; present, but not participating.  This presence of masses, who don't contribute to the vignettes, makes the things going on seem all the more absurd.
So if you are interested in bizarre beyond bizarre absurdist humor, I'm giving you herewith a homework assignment: find this movie, whatever the cost.  It is hilarious.  It is a well crafted film, that in its abstract format is able to really sink its teeth into some enormous, universe sized themes.  And it's just weird and funny.

News: TMNT next on the list of things to be ruined, and I guess "Cabin in the Woods" is something

Here's a two parter.  Neither are really news I guess, but both are worth knowing about.

First off, I guess Michael Bay is directing a gritty reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.  Because that's what we all would like to see.  Deciding that the teenage aspect muddles the concept, Bay has instead opted to make them aliens.  My treatment of this story would be unnecessary next to the AV clubs, so I encourage you to read that here.

News number two, "Cabin in the Woods."  This year will be thickening Joss Whedon's wallet even more, because on top of the 220 million dollar "Avenger's" film which will feature CG renditions of famous actors, the long-time-coming "Cabin in the Woods" has a trailer, and will come out, or something.  There is a lot of secrecy surrounding the script that was co-penned by Mr. Whedon, and nobody really knows what's going on.  I like Joss Whedon a lot, so it's something I'll keep an eye on, but the trailer doesn't look interesting to me at this point.  Not that a thriller/horror/whatever film about teens going to a mysterious isolated place doesn't show promise, but it really doesn't.  We'll see.  Keep your eyes to the skies on that one I suppose.
Trailer here.  They also talk about it with a few words and the like.

Till next time.

Words from Kin: Talking about Prometheus

I'm pretty stoked about "Prometheus" myself, despite not being a big fan of Ridley Scott.
If you haven't checked out the trailers I recommend doing so, if you have here is a fun little discussion of them on my buddies blog.
Either way it's worth taking a look at here








Well, friends, all I can say is: Excelsior!

AotM: "Country Songs, Old and New"

I was getting pretty burnt out on Punk a little while back, so I turned to folk music, which naturally lead me directly into a blue grass fling.  In the midst of that kick I found a group called The Country Gentlemen who got together in the mid 50's, a decade or so before the folk revival was a popular thing.  Their 1960 album "Country Songs, Old and New" is exactly what I would ever hope for from a blue grass album, and is, in my limited experience, the best blue grass I have ever listened to.
The group plays a great mix of toe tapping blue grass songs.  It starts of with the upbeat "Roving Gambler," a traditional blue grass tune.  The rest of the album has a few other standards but is mostly original songs.  Charlie Waller is the groups leader (on this album and throughout their career), and plays guitar.  The whole group does vocals, and they sing in beautiful tight harmonies that melt the heart and are enough to make me miss a time and place I have never been.  Banjo and bass contribute wonderfully to the sound while my favorite is consistently the dynamic mandolin playing by John Duffey, who brings a wide range of influence to his style.  The Country Gentlemen lineup went through lots of changes in their history, but this group laid the groundwork here on this first studio album.  It is traditional in all the right places, but pushes boundaries in ways that keep the sound relevant. 
It's tough to pick favorites, as there isn't a weak track in the lot.  "Drifting too Far" is a lovely ballad with gorgeous harmonies, while "Tomorrow is my Wedding Day" is super fun and zips through at hyper speed.  And they're both just within the first 5 tracks.  The album is that strong from start to finish.
This is a beautiful piece of America, and it is one of my favorite albums right now.  Find it, sit on the porch with some sweet tea, and enjoy life.